Qiao Yan’s seemingly high expectations undoubtedly stirred a sense of surprise in Qin Yu.

During the Eastern Han period, when marriages generally occurred at a young age, Xu Fu was only fifteen, and Qin Yu was in her early thirties, hardly considered old.

Originally, she chose to follow Xu Fu to Leping and seek refuge with Qiao Yan because she saw her son, who had previously only wanted to be a wanderer, suddenly expressing a desire to learn.

She deeply felt Qiao Yan’s significant influence on him, a positive one at that.

If so, why couldn’t she emulate the story of Mencius’s mother relocating three times to provide a better environment for her son’s education and accompany Xu Fu to Leping?

What she didn’t expect was that Qiao Yan, this young county marquis, not only promoted talents regardless of conventions but also showed appreciation and promotion for capable women.

Any hesitation Qin Yu had initially vanished with Qiao Yan’s words.

Indeed, what comparison was there between being remembered as “Xu Fu’s mother” and leaving one’s own name in history?

Moreover, now that she was Xu Fu’s superior, she evidently had a motivating effect on him.

However, this meant Qin Yu couldn’t afford to slack off.

She must ensure she fulfilled the tasks entrusted to her by Qiao Yan.

The Marquis of Leping’s resources were limited, and every seed was precious.

Qin Yu had some experience in farming but didn’t claim to fully understand the agricultural practices of Bingzhou.

However, having lived at the bottom of society, she found it relatively easy to communicate with the local county residents in Leping.

Initially, when the county residents saw Qiao Yan returning with the good seeds, they thought it was for cultivation on the marquis’s own land.

But upon hearing Qin Yu’s explanation, they realized they were to be distributed among them.

Qin Yu’s demeanor also suggested she was open to sharing knowledge.

So, scenes like this became common in Leping County.

A woman in her thirties handled inquiries while a seven-year-old girl stood by, taking notes.

Qiao Yan, observing the orderly agricultural work, felt a sense of satisfaction.

With the tax reductions, the distribution of good seeds, and the foundation of a grain reserve of fifteen thousand stone, she could now move on to her next steps.

Qiao Yan turned her gaze to Zhao Yun. “It seems our military preparations are gradually coming together. Would you be willing to accompany me on a trip?”

Although Qiao Yan’s actions resembled more of infrastructure development than military preparation, Zhao Yun didn’t object and followed her.

Zhao Yun had previously felt that Qiao Yan’s promise to show him her actions within a month was somewhat unorthodox,

Witnessing her performance and discourse in front of Wang Yang in Jinyang, along with accompanying her to Bingzhou, undoubtedly changed his perspective.

The thoughts that had come to mind had long dissipated like smoke.

Earning enough grain to support Le Ping through brewing, and using this clever method to send a message to the Southern Xiongnu, this was no ordinary feat!

Zhao Yun might not have seen many heroes of the world, but he thought Qiao Yan’s performance was among the best.

What impressed him even more was that although Qiao Yan claimed to pursue fame and fortune, she clearly understood the principle of not exploiting resources to the fullest.

Whether it was reducing taxes or distributing grain and seeds, she showed a benevolent demeanor.

Even though Qiao Yan claimed that seeking fame and fortune was normal, and that Le Ping’s current situation was simply following the course of development, Zhao Yun focused on what she did rather than what she said.

He felt that entrusting his hope of eradicating the Black Mountain bandits to Qiao Yan was indeed the right choice.

After following Qiao Yan into a room in the county office, he was stunned.

Qiao Yan didn’t turn back, only spoke while looking ahead, “During the past month, in my spare time, I followed the notes left by my grandfather to create this.”

In the middle of the room lay a sizable wooden board, raised to about waist height.

On top of the board, there was a mound of soil, forming a vivid representation of mountains and rivers.

Emperor Guangwu defeated Wei Xiao in the Battle of Longxi, and General Ma Yuan assembled grains into valley formations, using a demonstration resembling a sand table.

This model, presented by Qiao Yan, was not exceptional in itself.

However, the mountains and rivers in the model were so lifelike that they seemed like miniature Taihang Mountains, with even the mountain passes sculpted vividly.

With towering peaks and flowing streams, it was truly a marvel.

Zhao Yun scanned the terrain of the Taihang Mountains surrounding Le Ping and quickly found the spot where he had encountered Qin Yu and Xu Fu and his mother.

The environment matched his memory perfectly.

It was a scene he had never imagined before.

If General Qiao were not already buried, he would have wanted to ask how he had recorded such details beforehand.

On the scroll Qiao Yan held, there were sketches of mountain ranges and densely packed text, although Zhao Yun couldn’t see it clearly as it had not been completely unfolded.

It seemed to be a remarkable atlas.

But he didn’t have time to dwell on how this map was created beforehand.

He watched as Qiao Yan picked up a wooden block and placed it on one of the mountains, instinctively following his gaze to where he pointed.

This is a clear and straightforward expression.

Seeing Zhao Yun’s reaction out of the corner of her eye, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel relieved by her decision.

Since the system had the function of a three-dimensional map, Qiao Yan naturally thought of creating a sand table.

However, it was a pity that only she could see it.

When strategizing, miscommunication could easily occur.

But now…

Seeing Zhao Yun regain his composure from his initial surprise, she spoke up, “The 15,000 stone of millet purchased by the Wang family will soon arrive in Le Ping. I intend to find a place to store it separately.”

“The bandit leaders in the Taihang Mountains are not only agile but also cautious. But if there’s a reachable opportunity and promising profits, I wonder if they can still stay in the mountains and not want to take advantage.”

What she meant was that the wooden block she placed represented the location she had chosen for the granary.

From Zhao Yun’s perspective, it was indeed an unusual location.

“I’ve heard that if the benefits are sufficient, even usually calm people might take risks and break the law.

And if the potential gains are several times the effort they could use, they might even risk their lives,” Qiao Yan said with a slight smirk. “Of course, that’s an exaggeration.”

“But no matter how exaggerated, there’s always some truth to it. When the bait is tempting enough, even knowing there might be a hunter ahead, a tiger might think, ‘Can I not only successfully devour this bait but also strike the hunter with a blow?'”

Zhao Yun watched as she spoke, picking up something nearby.

It was—

A scaled-down commander’s flag.

Given that mountains, rivers, roads, and valleys could all be recreated here, replicating a scaled-down commander’s flag was certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.

And on this miniaturized crimson flag, the character “Qiao” was written with a somewhat bold and assertive flair.

Suddenly, he realized that this might be why Qiao Yan wanted the Wang family to make a grand show of delivering the millet to Le Ping.

Instead of stabilizing their own people, the main purpose was undoubtedly to disrupt the enemy’s morale!

Qiao Yan underwent a transformation from her usual calm demeanor to a sharp, determined one.

Zhao Yun heard her slow-paced but thunderous tone, filled with a sense of impending storm, “But even though the hunter lacks claws and fangs, he knows how to wield tools, set traps, and command companions.”

—This was evidently a continuation of her analogy about the tiger and the hunter.

In the next moment, she raised her eyes and looked at him, “I aim to kill the tiger. Will you assist me in this endeavor?”