In this world, there were many instances of people holding grudges or showing favoritism.

If she were to directly exempt taxes for three to five years now, even normal taxation afterward might not seem fair.

But if the exemption was just for a year because of her recent arrival, it would make sense.

This allowed room for flexibility in future policies.

After hearing Qiao Yan’s explanation, Cheng Li couldn’t help but admire her insight.

She understood the current situation very well.

Instead of idealistic thoughts common for someone her age or lacking experience,

She planned the categories and duration of tax exemptions, giving herself some leeway.

This was particularly commendable.

However, by doing so, Qiao Yan took on all the calculations herself, leaving Cheng Li feeling somewhat redundant in his role in Leping.

But the next day, when it was time to implement these tax reforms and inform the populace, Cheng Li found himself directly assisting Xu Fu, as Qiao Yan efficiently delegated tasks to county officials and had them relay the information to households.

Cheng Li, who had been hoping for a more hands-on role, was left feeling sidelined.

In the past, Cheng Li had already seen the potential in this young adventurer, and now he had the perfect opportunity to learn through practical experience.

However, it wasn’t entirely accurate to call Xu Fu an adventurer anymore.

With Qiao Yan’s appointment as the county lord, he was now more accurately described as the county lord’s aide.

This position, though called “aide,” was a prestigious one under a marquis, equivalent to a steward under a marquis.

For example, among the Seven Scholars of Jian’an, Ying Gang had once served as the aide to the Marquis of Pingyuan.

Above the aide was the steward, equivalent to the county magistrate’s chief assistant.

Currently, this position was vacant.

When Cheng Li and Xu Fu discussed his future goals, Xu Fu mentioned this.

“Lady Lu also wants this position. However, it seems that Lady Qiao prefers to appoint her as an envoy because of her eloquence, which far surpasses mine.

She can be considered outstanding, so Lady Qiao thinks she can handle the county’s diplomatic affairs.”

This was also about projecting the county’s external image.

In theory, without knowing Lady Lu’s background, she shouldn’t be given this position.

But Qiao Yan felt that since Lady Lu chose to stay even after going to Luoyang, her original identity wasn’t as important since she proved herself capable.

Someone like Lady Lu, well-read and articulate, would be a waste if not used as a diplomat.

“But the most interesting position is the position of librarian,” Xu Fu chuckled.

At that moment, Cheng Li didn’t witness it, but at the county lord’s mansion, there was a humorous scene where Qiao Yan, residing temporarily, asked Cai Yan if she wanted to try being the librarian.

It was quite amusing.

A ten-year-old asking a seven-year-old if they wanted to be in charge of the books—swap their roles, and it might seem like a game of make-believe.

But with these two, who were not ordinary children, it was a bold question and a confident answer.

Cai Yan’s decision wasn’t made lightly; despite her young age, she was remarkably mature.

The hardships she had faced in her upbringing had contributed to her keen judgment of the current situation.

Her father had been somewhat indiscreet in his words during their recent trip to Luoyang, and it was uncertain if he might stir up trouble again.

Those he had offended before might not forgive him just because time had passed.

These were not things that could be smoothed over by her father’s expertise in calligraphy and classical studies.

Previously, when the three of them relied on the hospitality of the Yang family, her older sister married one of the Yang family’s sons, which might have seemed like a seemingly perfect match, but in reality?

Her sister wasn’t Yang Yu’s first wife; she was a concubine.

Last year, when her sister’s eldest son, Yang Cheng, and the son of Yang Yu’s primary wife, Yang Fa, fell ill, unable to care for both adequately, her sister chose to save the other woman’s son for the sake of reputation rather than her own child.

Witnessing this, Cai Yan couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

She couldn’t understand why this needed to be glorified, nor could she imagine what her own future marriage might be like.

When she saw Qiao Yan in Luoyang, although Qiao Yan was dressed in mourning attire at the time, she exuded a confident, authoritative aura.

This made Cai Yan see another possibility.

Was there a chance that instead of her father, who often spoke without considering consequences, if she had the opportunity to start from an official position, she might be more likely to become her sister’s support and have more control over her own destiny?

Cai Yan didn’t know the answer to this question.

But after being offered this olive branch, her previously tumultuous thoughts finally found an outlet.

Why not give it a try? Being young clearly isn’t a limitation, especially since she still has opportunities to learn.

“Cai Zhaohui has an exceptional memory. If we’re talking about knowledge and scholarly achievements, she surpasses you by far. It’s only natural for her to get this position.” Cheng Li’s judgment criteria were based on talent, and at his level, he didn’t need to adhere to gender biases.

His evaluation of Cai Yan was solely based on her abilities, not because she was the daughter of the renowned scholar Cai Yong.

Seeing that Xu Fu seemed unaware that Qiao Yan’s appointment of Cai Yan was serious and not just a choice made due to lack of better options,

Cheng Li continued, “If you have such thoughts, I’m afraid it won’t be easy for you to rise from being an aide to becoming a steward. I think Lady Qian might want your mother to try for this position.”

“…?” Xu Fu glanced at Cheng Li in confusion, realizing he wasn’t joking.

Although he had seen Qiao Yan show great regard for his mother, even visiting her home once, he had never considered this possibility that Cheng Li mentioned.

“How about we make a bet?” Cheng Li couldn’t help but find the child’s expression amusing and teased him.

“No need,” Xu Fu shook his head. “This is about abilities. If Lady Qiao chooses based on merit, then I’ll naturally have to show my achievements.”

What are they betting on?

Xu Fu hadn’t been immersed in scholarly pursuits for long, so when Cheng Li jokingly suggested a bet, his mind was still thinking about the gambling methods common among street adventurers.

That would be absurd.

However, it was indeed a good thing if his mother could have a job under Qiao Yan’s leadership, just like Cai Yan.

After all, it was his mother’s care that had led him to where he was today, and he was happy to see her receive a respectable position under Qiao Yan’s trust.

With these arrangements in place, everyone under Qiao Yan’s command could be said to be fulfilling their roles.

The foundational work in Leping County was proceeding smoothly.

During this month, Zhao Yun and Bao Hong, the Northern Army Captain, both observed Qiao Yan’s suggestions regarding weapon maintenance, and they were impressed.

However, in the eyes of Zhao Yun and Bao Hong, Qiao Yan sometimes seemed to be dabbling in unrelated matters, such as brewing alcohol.

During the Han Dynasty, alcohol was mainly fermented, known as yellow wine, unlike distilled white liquor.

Fermented wine, due to the effects of starch saccharification and fermentation, would appear turbid, known as “cloudy wine,” and therefore required “wine boiling” to clarify.

But Qiao Yan had no intention of delving into the wine filtration techniques that wouldn’t be improved until the Tang and Song dynasties.

After all, it was just a trading opportunity.

As long as she could experiment with the method of nine-stage supplementary fermentation as she suggested, that would be enough.2

Ten pottery jars purchased by Yang Xiu had already been cleaned and stored in the backyard of the county office.

As Qiao Yan anticipated, five of these jars would be used to store yellow wine brewed in the conventional manner, while the other five would be used to brew wine using the supplementary fermentation method she proposed.

Of course, to the two assistants recruited by Yang Xiu from other breweries, this was an odd brewing method indeed.

How could they ensure the condition of the mixture if the rice was added nine times during one fermentation cycle, while ensuring the jars remained sealed?

But they were paid to do a job.

Since their employer wanted to try out this method and had them sign non-disclosure agreements, they had little choice but to offer their observations and carry out the tasks as instructed.

The drunken helper recruited by Yang Xiu, who worked for free, silently joined in steaming the rice and dividing the yeast.

By this time, a specialized trade in yeast had emerged.

Yang Xiu had already inquired from the three men about yeast production.

To ensure that Qiao Yan’s brewing endeavors weren’t delayed, they sought out the most reputable yeast merchant in Jin Yang City.

This probably exemplified the notion that yeast and ingredients were costly, while labor could be hired cheaply… in plain terms.

When Qiao Yan saw Yang Xiu later, he found himself participating in the first round of fermentation, manually stirring and pressing.

This turned him into a cheap laborer, just enough to cover his own expenses.

If General Yang were here personally, it would be hard to imagine his grandson ending up in this situation.

But a little hardship wouldn’t hurt a child of his age.

Qiao Yan had no qualms about letting him participate in the subsequent tasks of frying the wine and dividing the yeast.

In theory, in an environment where Qiao Yan was merely supervising, Bao Hong had no reason to think she was engaging in frivolous activities.

However, every time she added ingredients, she would drop whatever she was doing to oversee it, only returning to her previous tasks afterward.

Qiao Yan knew she was playing the long game, but Bao Hong was unaware of this.

So when he was invited by Qiao Yan to taste the turbid wine, Bao Hong couldn’t help but feel that it was somewhat inappropriate timing.

This county lord… her style of doing things was truly unpredictable.

However, after he drank down the half cup of freshly brewed wine, all his previous thoughts were thrown out the window.

This wine was extraordinary!

He had seen the ingredients, yeast, brewing environment, and tools before, but he had never imagined that wine brewed under such rough conditions could have such a rich flavor.

As he savored the lingering taste in his mouth, he suddenly heard Qiao Yan ask, “In Lieutenant Bao’s opinion, is this wine worthy of being called Hero’s Wine?”

What… what wine?