Immediately, Qiao Yan wrote back to Wang Yang, saying, “If this matter succeeds, it will surely be a great achievement. How can I dare to only offer 5,000 stones in return?”

Upon hearing this, Wang Yang began to consider increasing the gift.

He thought that after all, there would still be opportunities for interaction between Jinyang and Le Ping in the future.

Doubling the gift for now would save them from dwelling too much on such matters.

And thus, it appeared as it did to Qiao Yan today.

For these influential families, political benefits and reputation were undoubtedly much harder to obtain than material goods.

But for Qiao Yan, who had already secured a position as a county marquis and received high praise from several esteemed scholars, money and grain were indeed very welcome rewards.

If it weren’t for the fact that, as the ruler of a county, it wasn’t appropriate to show excessive emotions in front of guests from the Wang family, Qiao Yan might have found it difficult not to express her warmth towards them.

However, she didn’t hesitate to show a smile. “It’s just a small effort on my part, yet to receive such generous rewards…

The Wang family’s ability to establish themselves in Jinyang and set an example for the aristocratic families is indeed commendable.

When you return, please convey my gratitude to your master.”

“Of course,” the envoy replied.

After nodding in acknowledgment to Qiao Yan, the envoy gradually departed, leaving behind the sacks of grain that had been delivered to this place to be taken into the granary by Bao Hong and his subordinates.

The sight of 30,000 sack of grain neatly stacked in the warehouse couldn’t help but give Qiao Yan a sense of accomplishment.

Although it was far less than what she had seized in the stronghold before, it was important to note that the grain at that time was obtained through plunder during the chaos of a peasant uprising.

The current batch, on the other hand, was obtained entirely through legitimate means.

This was also her first “harvest” since gaining control of Le Ping.

At the same time, it was an assurance of her second source of income.

As she closed the warehouse doors, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but cast her gaze towards the Taihang Mountains.

She wondered if Chu Yan, on that mountain, had received the news at this moment.

With a gathering of four thousand people on Chu Yan’s side alone, even if they had grain reserves, relying solely on the mountains for sustenance was not a long-term solution.

Although the advantages of the Taihang Mountains lay in their defensibility and the ability to conduct guerrilla warfare along the winding mountain passes, the inability to cultivate the land in the mountains compared to the plains was clearly a disadvantage.

Zhang Niujiao, who was supposed to rise up in the second year of Zhongping, had moved up his rebellion by a year and had already come to join forces with Chu Yan.

With the addition of this larger number of people, not only was there inevitably friction over leadership between the two, but it also made food supplies in the mountains tense.

Chu Yan wa very discerning individual, Chu Yan’s foresight was evident in his decision to quickly lead his people into the mountains to evade the search by the army of Jizhou.

Another move was appointing Zhang Niujiao as the “general” after his arrival, citing the larger number of people he brought with him.

However, in reality, Chu Yan knew very well that many of Zhang Niujiao’s followers were not as capable in combat as the young and strong members of his own faction.

So, after bestowing the title of general upon Zhang Niujiao, he didn’t actually believe that he could command Chu Yan’s subordinates effectively.

In a situation where both sides took a step back, they found themselves in an environment conducive to cooperation and development.

However, the issue of food shortage was not something that could be resolved through harmonious and mutually beneficial cooperation alone.

Or rather, at least Zhang Niujiao felt like a stroke of luck had come his way.

With nine thousand people spread across a sprawling mountain range, it didn’t seem like they occupied much space.

However, they had positioned their outposts strategically among the mountains, and they were also conducting patrols and inspections of the towns on either side of the mountains.

Thus, one of their scouting teams happened to come across the grand procession of the grain convoy.

When the news reached Zhang Niujiao, his eyes lit up immediately.

Not only was it the grain of a county marquis, but it also seemed like a feasible operation to him.

Why should the unjustly accumulated wealth of these nobles go to waste? Wasn’t it better to let them fill the bellies of his Black Mountain Army than to gather dust in warehouses?

“Wise brother, take a look…” Zhang Niujiao asked Chu Yan.

Chu Yan, who was around twenty years old, had gathered significant influence among his fellow young and strong men from the same region.

If not for this, Zhang Niujiao, who was old enough to be his father, wouldn’t have had to treat him with such deference.

But perhaps because this young man was accustomed to having his own opinions and displayed extraordinary leadership qualities,

Zhang Niujiao could only interact with him as an equal.

Chu Yan remained silent for a moment.

Le Ping…

To be honest, it wasn’t a place he wanted to get involved with.

From a purely ideological standpoint, Qiao Yan was diametrically opposed to him.

However, Chu Yan had his own logic in assessing situations.

He keenly realized that aside from a few like Bu Ji, Zhang Bo, and Bo Cai who truly died at Qiao Yan’s hands, the vast majority of the Yellow Turbans, even those who depended on her actions, were preserved.

Qiao Yan wasn’t someone who took absolute black-and-white stances.

Though he was unaware of the situation in Jizhou due to the lack of communication in the mountains.

Despite Chu Yan’s intuition about Qiao Yan’s performance in Luoyang, he couldn’t deny that someone who could obtain a marquisate from the emperor and secure that position until safely assuming office wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Such a person was better avoided, if possible.

Even though the temptation of the grain was glaringly obvious, there was no guarantee that there weren’t any traps hidden within.

However, Chu Yan had to admit that if, as reported by the scouting team, there were indeed over 30,000 sack of Qiao Yan’s personal grain in Le Ping,

Even if it was just unprocessed millet, it would be enough to feed them for almost half a year.

After all, among their current group, there were many who weren’t capable of heavy labor.

This indeed was a big deal that could provide them with a break for a while.

Moreover, it was still summer, but they needed to prepare for winter in advance.

Looking at the people discussing in the tent, it was evident that they were greatly tempted by this wealth.

This included Sun Qing and Wang Dang, mentioned earlier by Zhao Yun and Qiao Yan in the information provided before Zhang Niujiao’s arrival.

In this situation, if Chu Yan were to obstruct them, it might not only fail to make them realize that his decision was made out of vigilance, but it could also cause internal friction and conflicts.

Therefore, when he spoke, he said, “If the general wishes to obtain this grain, I have two suggestions.”

This indicated he wasn’t outright rejecting the idea.

Zhang Niujiao immediately replied, “Wise brother, please go ahead.”

“Firstly, we must thoroughly scout the area where the grain is stored to determine if there are any ambushes set up nearby.

It’s especially crucial to find a way to infiltrate the granary beforehand to ensure that it indeed contains grain and not some kind of deception.”

“Secondly, if we do decide to take action, the general should divide us into two teams: one team to seize the grain and the other team to provide support. Our movements must be swift.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Niujiao said, “We will follow your lead, wise brother.”

With Chu Yan’s support, the likelihood of successfully seizing the grain increased significantly.

Seeing Zhang Niujiao enthusiastically informing his subordinates to prepare for action, while Sun Qing and Wang Dang also made their way to prepare,

Chu Yan remained seated in the tent, feeling somewhat restless.

He tried to convince himself that Qiao Yan had only been in Le Ping for a month, and it was unlikely that she had established seamless cooperation with the local residents.

Such a situation, where it would be difficult for her to mobilize the locals fully, would undoubtedly affect her efforts to apprehend bandits.

In this light, perhaps he didn’t need to be so wary of her.

But he couldn’t

Everyone knew that when Qiao Yan was instigated Tian Yan from Tian Family and Xie Family to send letters to Huangfu Song, she had promised them a bright future to ensure their loyalty.

Given the urgent situation of dealing with the Black Mountain bandits, how could she forget this?

Moreover, everyone in the county now knew that she held a significant amount of grain.

In the aftermath of the famine, it was inevitable that some people would harbor resentment towards her wealth.

This could undoubtedly diminish the positive effects of her previous measures to reduce taxes and distribute good seeds.

She definitely wouldn’t engage in such a losing proposition!

So, on the third day after the thirty thousand sack of grain were stored in the warehouse, Qiao Yan set up a platform in front of the county office to announce that she had something to say.

The young girl stood on the platform with the county marquis seal hanging from her waist, signifying her unique status in Le Ping County.

But perhaps, even without the seal, her distinct demeanor alone was enough to reveal her noble stature.

Word spread quickly, and soon a considerable number of county residents gathered in front of the county office.

Once enough people had arrived…

Qiao Yan said, “Everyone must be wondering why I have called you here today.” A murmur of conversations arose from the crowd below.

Ignoring the surprise and indifference in their discussions, she continued loudly, “Since I arrived in Le Ping, I have verified the population and household registrations, inspected the fields, reduced the land tax, temporarily waived the poll tax, and distributed good seeds.

This is because someone once told me, ‘Teaching someone to fish is better than giving them fish.’ All of you are diligent workers, and with these conditions, you can live in peace and stability.”

“However, in recent years, there have been continuous droughts, harsh winters, locust plagues, and widespread epidemics.

Le Ping has not been a peaceful place.

To ensure a lifeline for this county, I purchased a batch of grain in Jinyang City and stored it here.

If a disaster year comes, this will be the lifeline for Le Ping County. Today, in front of the county office, I promise that I will not go back on my word.”

“If these thirty thousand sack of grain are not enough to sustain the county, I will find another solution.”

As soon as she said this, the crowd erupted into excitement.

Using thirty thousand sack as the county’s emergency grain reserve meant that this grain was not Qiao Yan’s private property, but rather the public reserve for Le Ping County.

Everyone clearly understood Qiao Yan’s words, leaving her no room to backtrack.

This county marquis was truly a benevolent person!

But before they could rejoice for long, they heard Qiao Yan continue, “However, the bandits in the Black Mountains are rampant, and this grain will certainly be coveted.

The county office officials and the Northern Army soldiers are limited, and they may struggle to defend it.”

“Therefore, I earnestly request all of you to help me eliminate the bandits to protect Le Ping!”

The people present then saw a notice posted in front of the county office, stamped with the seals of the county marquis and the Le Ping official, confirming the ownership of the thirty thousand sack of grain.