Can the act of kidnapping the provincial governor to pacify the locust disaster be considered a strategist’s point?

The strategist system really wanted to say, it was still a newbie, could it not engage in such terrifying behavior?

But it heard Qiao Yan explain quite confidently, “This should also be considered following the rules of the system.

Previously, the rejection of the provincial governor system could earn strategist points.

Obviously, under the premise of not determining who the lord is, maintaining the initial camp position and making suggestions or actions beneficial to the emperor should be counted.”

“It’s the same now.”

【What you said is not wrong, but you acted too early. Even if we follow your logic, the current situation is that Zhang Yi has only proved that he lacks the foresight to discover the locust plague and prepare for it in advance, but it does not prove that he lacks the ability to solve it.】

“Then let’s put it another way,” Qiao Yan was not discouraged at all by the system’s denial, and said, “Internal power struggles within a camp are normal.

For example, the many factions under Yuan Shao, who will dominate the four provinces in the future, can be said to be in complete harmony.

If certain actions of a strategist can influence the direction of internal struggles to align with the lord’s desires, can’t that be counted?”

After rummaging through the rules, the system reluctantly replied, [It seems like it can.]

Not only could points be settled, but there were also corresponding achievements for assisting in clearing internal forces.

However, it was better not to tell her too early about this, so as to avoid her making any outrageous moves.

But just the answer it gave now was enough for Qiao Yan to confirm some things.

Since this direction could be recognized, all she needed was Liu Hong’s approval for her actions.

Of course, before that, she had to completely extinguish the locust disasters throughout Bingzhou to ensure that apart from forcibly detaining the provincial governor of Bingzhou and the prefect of Taiyuan, there were no other grounds for criticism against her.

With a good start already in place, this wasn’t a difficult thing to achieve.

The “governor” issued instructions and posted notices, with the aristocratic families led by the Wang family of Jinyang taking the lead, and the various counties in the province opening their granaries to exchange for locusts—

This combination of actions effectively guaranteed the people’s enthusiasm for clearing locusts.

However, Qiao Yan quickly realized that there was a loophole in this, so she immediately issued a supplementary notice.

The notice stated that to exchange locusts for grain, one must hold household registration in the local county; otherwise, the exchange would not be allowed.

“This supplementary regulation is particularly necessary,” Qiao Yan explained when the system seemed puzzled.

“Eradicating locusts, digging up locust eggs, and exchanging them for grain is a way to quickly earn food rewards through labor, and relatively speaking, there’s not much unfairness in it.”

【Isn’t this a good thing?】

“It can be both a good thing and a bad thing,” Qiao Yan replied.

“For example, based on the locust distribution reported by the various counties in Bingzhou, since the locust plague spread from the Sanyuan area, there is a significant difference between the north and the south.

Is it possible that people from the northern counties will come to the south, clear locusts to earn food, and then return to their hometowns?”

This was clearly possible.

Among the northern counties in Bingzhou that Qiao Yan couldn’t fully see, there was a future number one general in the world who had actually considered this idea when the first decree was issued.

Since there were only a few sporadic locusts in Wuyuan County when the decree was issued, he thought about coming to other counties to try his luck.

He figured that with his agile skills, it wouldn’t be difficult to earn a big reward.

Of course, he wasn’t just thinking about his own gain, but also if he carried hundreds of pounds of locusts to the exchange location, not to mention how much grain he could exchange, this display of strength and martial prowess would also be an opportunity for him to seek a higher position for himself.

However, before he could pack up his things, he saw the supplementary regulations issued.

“…” Lu Bu sent his regards to the provincial governor from afar.

In this situation where the path seemed impassable, he could only choose to continue to unleash his extremely high martial power against the Xiongnu at the border.

After an explanation from his fellow townsman, Lu Bu reluctantly accepted that the governor’s decision was indeed made under cautious consideration.

It made sense too.

If every county in the north wanted to go south to catch locusts and get rich, and with the current situation of the northern border defenses not relying solely on the border guards, there was no guarantee that there would be no defensive loopholes, allowing those Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes to find opportunities to invade.

This provincial governor seems to have some foresight.

“Besides the people from the northern counties, the original rules will also attract bandits in the surrounding mountains who are not yet organized,” Qiao Yan continued to explain to the system,

“Under these special circumstances, attracting these people might not be a good thing either, because I am only temporarily exercising the powers of the provincial governor and cannot continue to issue decrees.”

“So the question is, when there are no more locusts to dig around, will these people naturally become county residents through naturalization, or will they plunder and then return to the mountains?”

“I’m more inclined to the latter.”

In the vast Taihang Mountains, there were more than just the Black Mountain Army.

It wasn’t limited to Bingzhou either.

For example, in the mountains near the Hedong area, there was a group of bandits who had not yet risen in rebellion in places like the later developed Baipo Valley.

Their leader, Yang Feng, was particularly interested in the new locust eradication rules in Bingzhou.

Unfortunately, his little plan was also crushed in its infancy.

But upon careful consideration, he realized that he might still be able to gain some benefits from it.

With the efficiency of locust eradication in Bingzhou, by the time of the autumn harvest, there would certainly be more grain stored here than in other places.

This year’s direction for the autumn wind is also easy to determine!

Even the bandits who sent scouts to spy on the edge of Bingzhou had this feeling, and the locals in Bingzhou had an extremely clear understanding—

It seems that these locusts are not an unstoppable natural disaster.

In the face of this sweeping and decisive locust eradication operation, driven by interests, not to mention the locusts that did not act alone with the locust disaster army, even the locust eggs laid in the remote and dry soil were quickly dug out.

The geese and ducks raised by various households also played a crucial role in this searching process.

Subsequently, these dead locusts and locust eggs were burned to ashes in front of the prefectural offices of various counties.

It is not known whether it was because of the timely rain, but after the swift locust eradication operation in July and August, the state of Bingzhou experienced several days of heavy rain.

This pouring rain was enough to moisten most of the land in Bingzhou, inhibiting the breeding of locusts.

With August arriving, the harvest time would not be too far away.

Qiao Yan walked out of the “prison” where a prefect and a governor were detained, and looked towards the courtyard through the rain curtain under the eaves.

The two of them didn’t do any hunger strikes or the like, but they certainly didn’t give Qiao Yan a good look.

Especially Governor Zhang Yi.

In this visit by Qiao Yan, he even threatened her, saying that when the court noticed the anomaly here, she would be in trouble.

Qiao Yan was not unprepared for this, and she didn’t take his words to heart.

She just watched as the rain gradually accumulated into a puddle in the courtyard of the Jinxiang Prefecture, and suddenly felt a little worried about the yam on the mountainside of Leping, which was not tolerant to waterlogging, so she called Chu Yan over and asked him to hurry back and take a look.

But before she could finish instructing him, she heard someone from a distance say, “No need.”

She looked towards the sound and saw a familiar figure, Xi Zhicai leading Governor Guo, coming over.

Naturally, it was him who spoke.

When Xi Zhicai approached, he spoke again, “The progress of locust prevention in Leping is faster than elsewhere. There is spare time before the rain falls to reorganize the drainage ditches. Your Highness need not worry.”

With that, Qiao Yan felt relieved.

She then turned to Governor Guo, who had bowed to her, clearly showing some gratitude in his gesture.

“Governor Guo should not have come, actually,” Qiao Yan’s face was solemn, “Fortunately, there are not many people on the streets today. Returning early should not be noticed that you also came here to be complicit.”

In the current situation, the safest approach for Guo Yuan is to stay in Shangdang and not bother about who issued the orders.

As long as he complies, it should be enough.

Even if later it is revealed that Qiao Yan acted as the governor, it will not affect Guo Yuan.

However, this upright governor clearly does not think so.

He solemnly replied, “Lord Qiao’s actions in Bingzhou have benefited the common people.

The planting of peas and the use of dragon bones in Shangdang have also played a significant role in this disaster.

I have received great kindness from Lord Qiao.

How can I pretend to be deaf and dumb at this time just to avoid trouble?

If the capital blames me for this, although I am not talented, I can still say a few words.”

While this promise did not include the Guo family of Yangqu, it was still significant.

Even as he was permitted to temporarily stay here and watched his figure disappear between the corridors, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed.

But now was not the time for her to be lost in thought.

Xi Zhicai’s arrival represented—

“Is the gentleman’s manuscript polished?”

Xi Zhicai couldn’t hold back his smile.

Only Qiao Yan could make a letter of apology written by someone else sound so grandiose.

As he followed Qiao Yan into the study, the light was dim due to the rain outside, and the candles in the room had been lit, illuminating the documents from various counties clearly.

Obviously, in this month, Qiao Yan had done more than just expanding the locust disaster arrangements from Leping to other places.

She had also done a lot to maintain the governance of Bingzhou.

Xi Zhicai was moved, but he didn’t say much.

He just took out the prepared documents from his sleeve and handed them to Qiao Yan, “I have not failed in the task you entrusted me with.”

Qiao Yan took them and unfolded them in front of her.

Although Xi Zhicai’s letters to his friends were sometimes narrow-minded, he was deeply impressed by Qiao Yan’s actions and felt that he had not misjudged her.

He was filled with excitement and had no intention of playing around in this matter.

In Qiao Yan’s view, Xi Zhicai’s letter of apology, while lacking the literary skills of Cheng Li’s official documents, was more in line with what she needed at the moment.

Having been in Leping for a year, although Xi Zhicai might not be privy to all her thoughts, he had a keen understanding of her intentions, making his writing of the letter more inclined to reveal her true intentions.

While the letter did not overtly criticize the inspector Zhang Yi, it indirectly expressed some childish indignation, implying criticism for not adopting the dragon bone plow.

Qiao Yan felt that if she had written it herself, she might not have been able to convey the same level of poignancy as Xi Zhicai, nor could she have simultaneously expressed contrition and accusation.

Of course, the conclusion was somewhat softened, truly resembling a letter of apology.

The phrase “requesting permission to enter the capital with the plow to uphold the court’s laws” exemplified this.

Qiao Yan read the entire letter word for word, quite satisfied with Xi Zhicai’s meticulous understanding of her thoughts.

However, after considering it, she asked, “What if we add a few more sentences?”

Xi Zhicai scrutinized Qiao Yan’s expression and felt that she was not nitpicking, but rather suggesting there might be another way to go about it. “Please, go on.”

Qiao Yan said, “For those who have come of age, they may add a courtesy name. However, Yuan Zhi and Zilong have not reached the age of employment since taking office in Leping.

The use of a courtesy name is to demonstrate their readiness to shoulder responsibility. But I have not yet done so.”

“This letter of apology mentions that my actions were driven by the hardship of the people and the inaction of the inspector Zhang Yi.

Therefore, my apology is only for the violation of the laws and regulations, not for regretting my actions.

So, if we follow this line of thought, what if we add another sentence?”

Looking at Xi Zhicai, Qiao Yan’s eyes were calm but shining with a bright light. “This matter was Qiao Yan’s decision alone, not instigated by others. Faced with the locust disaster, it is my sole responsibility. Therefore, at this time, I will take a courtesy name to show that I can shoulder this responsibility alone.”

Xizhi Cai replied, “If so, this courtesy name must strike a chord to be effective.”

Xizhi Cai knew several people named Yuang, such as the famous Cui Yan, whose courtesy name was Jigui, meaning beautiful jade.

Another example was Cai Yan, currently in Leping, whose courtesy name was Zhaohui( Cai Yong’s Daughter ), meaning shining and splendid.

If Qiao Yan abandoned the courtesy name given by her elders and, instead, in this particularly special event and decision, gave herself a courtesy name to add a sense of desperation to this letter of apology, then—

This courtesy name must not be mediocre!

Or rather, it must not be a name that could be thought up under hasty pretense, merely for show.

“I wonder what the gentleman thinks of these two characters?”

Seeing Qiao Yan confidently write on the paper in front of her, Xi Zhicai walked over to her side and looked at the characters clearly.

“These two characters are excellent!” he exclaimed.

With that, the letter sent to the capital was complete!