Zhao Yun…

Even though Qiao Yan had encountered Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Liu Bei during the campaign against the Yellow Turbans, and knew that the only thing separating Leping and Changshan was the Taihang Mountains, she never expected to encounter Zhao Yun on the very first day of arriving in Leping.

Qiao Yan even considered opening her character panel to see if her luck value had changed without her knowledge.

Otherwise, why would she have been thinking just a moment ago that Dian Wei’s caliber might be better suited as a bodyguard rather than a county magistrate, only to have Zhao Yun show up at her door?

Shu Han’s Yang Wenran once evaluated Zhao Yun, the General Who Conquers the South, as “substantial”, and Chen Dao, the General Who Conquers the West, as “loyal and competent”.

This term “substantial” truly encompassed Zhao Yun’s all-round development.

Whether it was in the battles of Changban and entering Sichuan, the governance as the Prefect of Guiyang, the supervision of Jiangzhou, or the far-sighted political views advocating returning land to the people, Zhao Yun undoubtedly displayed the qualities of a great general.

Although the Zhao Yun appearing before Qiao Yan now may not yet live up to that term “substantial”, with his youthful face and a hint of audacity, it was clear that this audacity leaned more towards youthful exuberance rather than recklessness.

However, for Qiao Yan to persuade someone to join her ranks and assume the responsibilities of this county magistrate was one thing,

Whether the other party was willing to pledge allegiance was another matter altogether.

In just a momentary thought, Qiao Yan contemplated.

From Zhao Yun’s perspective, this young county lord merely glanced at this uninvited stranger before asking, “May I ask why you have come?”

Zhao Yun replied, “I’ve come to deal with the bandits in the Taihang Mountains.”

Upon hearing Zhao Yun’s answer, Qiao Yan’s thoughts echoed with the phrase “as expected.”

He wasn’t here seeking fame after all.

Good deeds weren’t so abundant in this world.

But it wasn’t surprising.

Zhao Yun had an older brother.

If it weren’t for the recommendation of Changshan County and the elders of Changshan weighing the merits of Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao, believing Gongsun Zan to be more capable of benevolent rule, he probably wouldn’t have joined before the second year of Chuping.

Then, he returned home to mourn his brother’s passing.

At this moment, Zhao Yun couldn’t possibly be like Xu Fu, who, upon witnessing her extraordinary conduct during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, harbored thoughts of serving her like no other.

Coming to eradicate bandits also aligned more with Qiao Yan’s inherent understanding of Zhao Yun.

After giving a straightforward enough reply, the young man continued, “Chu Yan, a man from Changshan County, led thousands to rebel after the Yellow Turban uprising.

To evade the edge of the royal forces, they’ve taken refuge in the Taihang Mountains, engaging in guerrilla warfare, sometimes raiding towns.

I can’t bear to see my hometown suffer.”

“Hearing that Your Lordship is about to take charge of Leping and considering the possibility of bandit attacks from the Taihang Mountains, I came to assess the situation.”

Hearing her mention of taking charge of Leping wasn’t an ordinary expression.

After pondering for a moment, Qiao Yan asked, “Do you know how many bandits there are in the Taihang Mountains?”

Zhao Yun clearly wasn’t unprepared for this encounter.

Without hesitation, he replied, “After the execution of Zhang Jiao, many of Chu Yan’s followers returned home.

There are about three thousand remaining, and there are small groups of bandits within Changshan County.

One is led by Sun Qing, the other by Wang Dang, each with about five hundred men, who have joined Chu Yan.

There’s also a bandit leader named Zhang Niu Jiao, who has raised an army in Zhongshan Boye and Liwu areas, with about five thousand men.

They are passing through Changshan County and heading towards Zhending.”

The combined forces of Chu Yan and Zhang Niu Jiao total around nine thousand—

This was not much different from the information Qiao Yan had received earlier.

“If that’s the case as you say, there are about ten thousand bandits in the Taihang Mountains.

Why would a righteous man come to seek me out?

I’ve just arrived in Leping, with few soldiers, and even less resources than Chu Yan,

Who knows the situation in the Taihang Mountains well.

Why do you think I have the ability to pacify these bandits?”

Listening to Qiao Yan’s question, Zhao Yun studied her face.

On this overly youthful face, unlike the general in light armor beside her, there was no sign of tension upon hearing about the large forces of Chu Yan and Zhang Niu Jiao, nor was there any displeasure at being approached so abruptly.

If Zhao Yun were to rely on her intuition, it seemed that she was indeed just asking a common question.

Yes, why seek her out?

With the main force of the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou pacified, and a portion of those who rebelled with Zhang Jiao being sent to the camps of the Wuhuan Colonel and Du Liao,

Under these circumstances, some of the troops sent by the court to suppress the rebellion had already withdrawn from Jizhou.

Although that was the case, there were still some of Huangfu Song’s followers remaining in Jizhou,

And they could equally be tasked with the responsibility of suppressing bandits, given their deterrent effect on the Yellow Turbans.

Alternatively, there were certainly other officials in Changshan County.

It would make logical sense for the local militia to take on the responsibility of eradicating bandits.

Why then, cross the Taihang Mountains and come to her little county of Leping, seeking an audience with a county lord who had not yet faced the threat of the Black Mountain Army?

Zhao Yun clearly couldn’t think that saving Xu Fu and her children would somehow add to his favor with Qiao Yan.

Thankfully, he had considered this question before.

Since he had sensed Qiao Yan’s current attitude, he smoothly replied, “I’m not familiar with Zhang Niu Jiao myself, but I know a bit about him because we’re from the same hometown as Chu Yan. He’s known for his agility and is called the Flying Swallow.”

“He can also be called Chu Feiyan, and his leadership style is akin to the agility of a flying swallow.”

“With Chu Yan leading his troops, even if one were to seek assistance from the royal army in Jizhou or officials from Changshan County,

Even if they managed to defeat him, it would only force him into the mountains and back again.

Today he withdraws from Changshan, tomorrow he arrives in Changzhi, the day after he returns to Jizhou, constantly moving back and forth, spreading chaos in multiple places.”

“As the plundering continues, their audacity grows, rallying more refugees, perhaps even more than what we see now.

What Zhao Yun desires to see is not the Black Mountain bandits simply withdrawing from Changshan and causing trouble elsewhere, establishing a stronghold in the Taihang Mountains.

Rather, it is to eradicate the bandits and restore peace to the surrounding areas. This requires someone with strategic insight.”

This statement also resonated with Zhao Yun’s temperament.

Chu Yan himself had the nickname “Feiyan,” and his actions displayed the same agility as a swallow.

Indeed, this was not a situation where ordinary methods of suppression could simply eradicate the bandits.

Furthermore, the unique geographical environment of the Taihang Mountains, with its eight mountain passes connecting east and west, created special corridors within the mountains.

If Chu Yan were to engage in a game of cat and mouse with the besieging forces, it would indeed be problematic.

While one area might temporarily remain unharmed, the bandits’ movements could turn another area into a disaster zone.

Unfortunately, these bandits would quickly accumulate enough resources to attract more people looking for shortcuts in these troubled times.

Once this force was fully formed, it would be even more difficult to eradicate them.

Zhao Yun’s words only heightened Qiao Yan’s estimation of him.

Despite his youth, it was evident that his vision was not solely focused on the safety and losses of one region.

Qiao Yan chuckled, “So, in the eyes of a righteous man, I am the strategist?”

Zhao Yun’s answer was decisive, “Within these two provinces, it is none other than Your Lordship.”

This was undoubtedly high praise for Qiao Yan.

Qiao Yan studied his face, seeing that this young man before her seemed to genuinely hold this belief.

While Zhao Yun was in Changshan County, though it shared some similarities with Qinghe County and was not entirely occupied by the Yellow Turbans like Julu County, the uprising initiated by Zhang Jiao in Jizhou had prompted responses from people throughout the province.

Zhao Yun had indeed contemplated the chaos of that time, but with the manpower he could gather, he could only protect a small corner of his homeland.

Fortunately, the Yellow Turban Rebellion rose and fell quickly.

From the outbreak in February of the seventh year of Guanghe to Zhang Jiao’s execution in May, it lasted only three months.

What he hadn’t anticipated, with his knowledge and understanding, was that Zhang Jiao’s death wouldn’t quell the remnants of the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou.

In fact, not all of them followed Zhang Jiao’s teachings out of reverence.

The followers of the Taiping Dao rebelled against the government, and these scattered remnants of the Yellow Turbans who found their way into Changshan maintained their destructive capabilities while also learning to adapt and operate flexibly in the terrain.

While Zhao Yun had a foundation in martial arts from a young age, he was merely a commoner in Changshan County.

He empathized with why people like Zhang Yan rebelled.

But he also saw clearly that as these Black Mountain bandits gained strength, just as figures like Bu Ji emerged among the Yellow Turbans in Yanzhou, among the Black Mountain bandits, there were those who tasted the benefits of plunder and turned their initial goal of survival into something else entirely.

So he needed to find someone suitable to attempt to quell the situation.

However, such individuals were not easy to find.

As Zhao Yun had previously mentioned, because he had some understanding of Chu Yan’s military strategies, he abandoned the idea of choosing either the royal army or the local garrison of Changshan after observing their combat methods and strengths.

With news of the results of the battles and final rewards spreading throughout the provinces during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Zhao Yun turned his attention to Leping, just a mountain away from him.