“White robes, fierce steeds, heroic armor, with a technique Remnant Mountains and Rivers Fatal Spear. What a name!” Qiao Yan thought as she read through the spear manual.

After flipping through a few pages, she realized her guess was correct.

This spear technique wasn’t for an ordinary spear but for a pair of spears.

Specifically, it involved a spear that could be split into two for dual-wielding.

The spear manual detailed how the two spears could be used: sweeping left and right, stabbing forward, thrusting upward and downward, and striking from all angles.

When combined, the spear was longer than usual with points on both ends.

“So this spear is meant for cunning combat…” Qiao Yan mused, touching her chin.

Halfway through her thought, she realized what impression the other system must have had of her to think this weapon suited her best.

No wonder they wanted her to write a practical guide on communication.

Looking at her own naive system, the comparison was both amusing and frustrating.

Despite her thoughts, she decided not to expose this information like she did with the sign-in rewards.

Being able to secure this trade proved that her newbie system had some skills.

“Isn’t this spear technique a bit complex?” the system asked, worriedly looking at the manual with her.

“No, this complexity is actually beneficial for me,” Qiao Yan replied. “Remnant Mountains and Rivers… this spear technique is fierce and flexible, making up for a lack of strength.”

Living in Le Ping, she wouldn’t have many opportunities to use her strategist skills to gain points in the short term.

Unless specific opportunities or achievements arose, it would be difficult to improve her physique through strategist points alone.

She needed to rely on personal growth and training.

Limitations on her physique and strength didn’t mean she had to give up on improving her combat skills.

She could still use her intelligence to enhance her fighting ability.

Referring to the electronic spear manual displayed by the system, Qiao Yan sketched the unique spear, ensuring that the central connecting mechanism was accurate so that the craftsmen in Le Ping could replicate it.

With this blueprint, she could have a wooden spear made first.

Le Ping currently had enough grains, and the paper-bark coats were keeping them warm.

The yam crop she was hopeful about could only be planted in March, or possibly later due to the extreme cold.

During this period, she couldn’t interfere with the central decisions of the Han dynasty or hasten the development of Le Ping’s facilities beyond their productivity capabilities.

It was better to use her free time to improve herself.

If anyone asked, she would simply say that she found Zhao Yun’s spear more intimidating than swords.

Regarding her physical development, Qiao Yan had a plan for Le Ping’s development and was aware of her own needs.

She wouldn’t forget that she was still a growing child and needed time.

Taking things one step at a time was the best approach.

With a tentative plan for martial arts training in place, she picked up a bamboo scroll and wrote down her plans.

Aside from practicing the spear technique, there were limited things to do in the harsh winter, but not everything had to come to a halt.

For instance, she could ask Yang Xiu to create a book of paired phrases for literacy training.

The harsh weather, which kept people indoors, was a good opportunity to complete it.

Cai Yong, who had been enthusiastic about writing inscriptions for Qiao Xuan, was also interested in this project.

With the roads to the outside world blocked by snow, Cai Yong couldn’t visit friends even without official duties, so he might as well join in this task.

Additionally, with the experience in making paper-bark coats, they could use the surplus labor and Cai Yong’s previous papermaking expertise to experiment with making paper-bark paper.

However, the primary focus remained on the paper-bark coats.

Qiao Yan carefully planned her next steps, knowing that these activities would keep everyone productive and contribute to their overall well-being during the harsh winter months.

When the deal between Lu Yuan and the Tang family was finalized, Le Ping would effectively become a semi-supplier factory, continuing operations even during the agricultural off-season.

In fact, many of the original residents of Le Ping were eager to join this work.

Qiao Yan didn’t pay high wages, but any additional income during this time, especially with the county lord’s special attention on the project, was seen as a benefit.

However, Qiao Yan intended to find another task for these county residents.

Le Ping hadn’t been affected by the Yellow Turban Rebellion, unlike other areas that had suffered greatly.

However, it still faced the consequences of natural disasters like cold and drought. Could it truly avoid a major epidemic?

From a scientific perspective, epidemics often broke out in war zones and spread to densely populated areas like Luoyang, Nanyang, Jiujiang, and Kuaiji.

Poor households often succumbed to these diseases, a common occurrence in late Han times.

Neglecting clean water and environmental sanitation contributed to the spread of epidemics.

Qiao Yan wasn’t sure if the major epidemic that historically followed the Yellow Turban Rebellion would still occur given the altered timeline and reduced conflict areas.

Nor could she be certain if Le Ping, sheltered by mountains, would be affected.

All she could do was prepare in advance.

With paper-bark coats, the incidence of cold-related illnesses would decrease, but there was still the threat of an epidemic in winter and spring.

This wasn’t enough!

Part of her plan included cleaning and maintaining houses during winter.

She couldn’t ensure that every household in the county would be in perfect health within a month—even if Hua Tuo himself were present, he couldn’t achieve that.

All she could do was mitigate environmental factors that could worsen an epidemic.

These were the most pressing tasks in Le Ping.

Qiao Yan put down her pen and looked out the half-open window.

The sight of the snow-covered rooftops against the clear sky made her feel a bit more relaxed.

A rare winter bird flying by caught her eye, taking her thoughts beyond Le Ping.

In addition to the letter she had previously sent to Liu Hong, urging the Emperor to focus on post-war epidemic prevention, she had also sent letters to Cao Cao, Huangfu Song, Lu Zhi, and Zhu Jun through Bao Hong.

From the letter addressed to Cao Cao, it was clear what Qiao Yan wanted to convey.

She first responded to Cao Cao’s greetings and mentioned the construction of Qiao Xuan’s shrine in Le Ping.

Then, she got to the main point:

“Uncle Cao, the area where you reside, Jinan, is a hub of people and goods. Last winter was harsh, with thick ice blocking river traffic. This year’s winter seems just as severe, if not worse. Extreme cold leads to illness, and severe illnesses turn into epidemics. This is not the work of ghosts or spirits, nor can it be solved by talismans. Only by removing corpses quickly and preventing contamination, ensuring the living have warm clothing and boiled water, and keeping doors and windows closed…”

These were idealistic thoughts.

For example, providing warm clothing and boiled water was a luxury in those times.

When Qiao Yan sent this letter, she hadn’t yet produced the first paper-bark coat. Even once they were made, she couldn’t supply them to an entire region.

Moreover, Jinan was not as cold as Bingzhou, which also needed these items.

Boiling water seemed simple now, but it was a luxury back then.

The feasible part was quickly dealing with unburied bodies to prevent contamination, especially of water sources.

Additionally, like Qiao Yan’s plan to clean and maintain houses, this was another practical step.

All she could do was remind these renowned Han generals and ministers one by one, hoping they would prepare for a possible epidemic while restoring order and livelihoods.

The messengers had returned, and from the replies, it was clear they didn’t dismiss her words as childish nonsense, considering her previous actions.

How effective their measures would be was something Qiao Yan couldn’t predict from their resumes.

When Lu Yuan returned from Jinyang with good news, Qiao Yan felt a bit more at ease.

“As you predicted, the Wang family didn’t refuse to act as intermediaries,” Lu Yuan reported. “The Tang family needs this business to reestablish their reputation in Bingzhou. Since Le Ping has the resources and manpower to make paper-bark coats, securing a position in the transaction wasn’t difficult.”

Qiao Yan smiled as she looked at the letter from the head of the Tang family. “The pricing is lower than I expected, but we still gain significant profits. How did you negotiate this?”

“It wasn’t entirely up to me,” Lu Yuan replied. “The Tang family’s position has declined in recent years, unlike the Wang family, which has many officials. Although this is a profitable opportunity, it’s also about regaining prestige by accepting the Wang family’s goodwill.”

Qiao Yan nodded in understanding.

This balance of profit and reputation was crucial, especially in times of recovery and rebuilding.

Qiao Yan initially sought out the Wang family, implying some hidden meanings. Being from an esteemed family, she couldn’t afford to be short-sighted.

“Of course, I also told him,” Lu Yuan replied, “Marquis Jun should consider me as a strong supporter. I said this to affirm his position in Leping.”

Today, she considered Leping’s development but refrained from taking the lead.

If she could establish herself in Bingzhou, what would happen next?

Describing Qiao Yan’s current state as “not to be underestimated” might not be entirely appropriate.

She was gradually making her mark.

Today, being able to defeat the Black Mountain bandits and keep them in line, as well as using the paper mulberry bark garments to maintain ties with the Bingzhou aristocracy, who knows what she might do tomorrow.

The Tang family had been a long-standing and currently burgeoning ally in the midst of rising power.

It wasn’t difficult to assess the situation.

“The envoy stands tall due to the country’s strength, which gives Marquis Jun confidence,” Lu Yuan gestured towards the convoy behind her, “The salt Marquis Jun bought back does credit to our reputation.”

Official salt prices cannot be changed arbitrarily.

Lu Yuan’s confident and firm demeanor in dealing with the Tang and Wang family heads undoubtedly boosted the transaction, perhaps even more than if Qiao Yan had handled it personally.

It wasn’t difficult to see the aristocratic demeanor in her that made those two think more about her identity.

It also led them to think that Qiao Yan’s potential might prompt their aristocratic families to show favor to her ahead of time.

As a result, although she remained behind the scenes in this transaction, she became the biggest beneficiary.

This batch of salt exceeded Qiao Yan’s prepared stockpile.

But in this world, good news seldom came in succession.

In the second month of Zhongping II, news that shocked Qiao Yan reached Leping.

At the beginning of the year, a severe epidemic struck five provinces: Jizhou, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Yangzhou, and Yuzhou.

The symptoms of the epidemic varied across these provinces.

Once neglected, the disease would inevitably spread like a snowball.

And these places were where the Yellow Turbans had previously thrived the most.

But could the Yellow Turbans be blamed? No!

Survival was difficult, and such environments were most vulnerable to disease in the early months.

This created a refugee environment at the end of the Han Dynasty, and where there was hardship, the Yellow Turbans naturally took advantage…

Unfortunately, along with this great epidemic disaster came another piece of news.

The governor system was being reinstated.

Liu Hong had previously told Qiao Yan that the governor system was inevitable.

Now, due to the severe epidemic, public sentiment was in flux, which conveniently brought this proposal to the forefront.

This situation was not hard to understand.

With many deep-rooted issues in the Han Dynasty, Liu Hong, balancing and wielding power, was bound to advocate for the governor system as a potent remedy.

Look at the first batch of governors:

Liu Yu, Governor of Youzhou.

Liu Yan, Governor of Yizhou.

Huangfu Song, Governor of Jizhou.

Except for Huangfu Song, who indeed rose to this position based on military merit, Jizhou was indeed active in this current severe epidemic.

Yizhou, as the land of abundance, was isolated from external influences.

Youzhou was distant and on the border, not within the scope of this severe epidemic!

With these two taking over governorships, how should the other provinces be managed?

Cheng Li and Xi Zhicai looked towards Qiao Yan, seeing a hint of melancholy on her face, which she quickly suppressed, returning to her usual calm demeanor.

“Among these imperial decrees, there is also one appointing Chen Wen as the Inspector of Yangzhou, Wang Yun as the Inspector of Yuzhou, Huang Wan as the Inspector of Qingzhou… Zhang Yi as the Inspector of Bingzhou.”

“Since the governor system is being reinstated, those in the position of inspector might very well be promoted to governors—”

“My friends, it seems we will soon meet this Inspector Zhang.”