The question “How is Le Ping?” had very different answers for Xu Huang two days ago and two days later.

Two days ago, Xu Huang saw Le Ping as a fierce tiger forcing him and his companions into a corner.

But two days later, after spending some time in Le Ping…

Xu Huang’s hand, hidden in his sleeve, closed slightly, feeling a hard object inside.

When he was leaving Le Ping, a child noticed him looking at her windmill for a long time.

After whispering a few words to Chu Yan, she handed him a paper star.

According to her, this was something the Marquis of Le Ping taught them to fold in his spare time.

She couldn’t give him the windmill, but the paper star was possible.

So now, when Xu Huang saw Qiao Yan, he felt her image was a bit mysterious.

She held that special tube casually, but when she asked, “How is Le Ping?” her words carried a sense of power and authority.

Xu Huang didn’t like to lie, and there was no need to lie now.

He replied, “Le Ping is peaceful. People have their homes, thanks to Marquis Qiao. I truly admire this.”

When Guo Jia came to Le Ping, he noticed it was different from other places, full of vitality, and even more so for Xu Huang.

Xu Huang didn’t compare Le Ping to the peaceful Yingchuan like Guo Jia did; instead, he compared it to the Hedong Bandits in the mountains.

What surprised Xu Huang even more was that Chu Yan did something to show off their wealth.

How did he show off their wealth?

He led Xu Huang to Le Ping’s granary!

At this time of year, the amount of grain one had was a crucial measure of a group’s strength.

Especially when showing the current leader of a less wealthy group your grain stock, the underlying message was, “We have resources. Will you join us?”

Xu Huang was still a bit hesitant.

After all, neither Qiao Yan nor Chu Yan, who led the way, had made any promises.

Qiao Yan replied slowly, “I am not the one growing the grain. It is the people of Le Ping who do that. I just protect this wealth. For instance, the bandits’ path down the mountain has been completely cut off, and we can surround and capture them at any time. This is to prevent some people from raiding Hedong and not getting enough, then reaching out to take from others who have surplus grain.”

Xu Huang was startled.

He suddenly realized that accepting Chu Yan’s invitation might not have been a wise decision because of these mountain bandits.

The quality of the Hedong Bandits meant that without someone to lead them, they couldn’t possibly compare to Qiao Yan’s regular army in Le Ping.

Xu Huang’s departure wasn’t to verify Chu Yan’s words, but rather to remove their last line of defense!

He shouldn’t have forgotten that it was Qiao Yan’s aggressive actions that forced Li Le and Han Xian to Yang Feng’s territory, leading to their mutual destruction.

But now, just as he returned from Le Ping, he couldn’t help but think, “So this is how people can live.”

When he heard Qiao Yan say they were already surrounded, he found it hard to feel any anger.

Moreover, given the Hedong Bandits’ way of doing things, it was indeed hard to stand tall before the Marquis of Le Ping.

He couldn’t help but squeeze the paper star folded by the Marquis of Le Ping in his palm and, taking a deep breath, said, “Marquis Qiao, why don’t you just state your purpose? If you really want to eliminate the bandits, you don’t need to just guard the main roads. You can attack the mountains directly.”

“You’re right, and that’s why I’m giving you a choice,” Qiao Yan replied. “I understand the principle of eliminating evil completely. The food in the mountains isn’t enough to sustain people for long. To prevent future suffering in Bingzhou, it’s better to wipe you all out now.”

Though she was young, she spoke with undeniable authority.

Her plan to quell the rebellion and her strategic thinking left no doubt about the truth of her words.

Since she mentioned it as one choice, there was clearly a second option.

“The second option is to kill for your own survival.”

“What do you mean by that?” Xu Huang frowned.

This demand seemed strange and not like something the Marquis of Le Ping would propose.

But then he saw her raise that special tube and point it northward. “You have killed passing merchants and the wealthy families of Hedong. Why not kill the Qiang Hu in the north?”

“Several days ago, the Xiongnu tribe massacred Gucheng County in Yunzhong Prefecture. If it weren’t for the ongoing unrest here, I would have already led my troops north to fight a more meaningful battle. So now I give you the second choice—”

“Lead the Hedong Bandits with me to the battlefield. Those who can kill in battle will enjoy the same treatment as my people of Le Ping. Those who cannot will face death for their crimes of robbery.”

Before Xu Huang could respond, Qiao Yan added, “Chu Yan!”

“Yes.”

“Tell him about the treatment of Le Ping soldiers.”

The Hedong Bandits were even more untrustworthy than the Black Mountain Bandits in Qiao Yan’s eyes, especially because—

Their bandit ways allowed them to easily switch allegiances: first to Li Jue, then to the Xiongnu, then to Lü Bu, and finally to Yuan Shu.

Even after these shifts, they continued their violent raids in Xuzhou and Yangzhou.

Except for Xu Huang, who turned to the right path early and, due to his talent as a general, rose to become one of the Five Fierce Generals and the rest ended up as casualties of the chaotic wars, still behaving like Bandits.

So, even though Xu Huang was talented, and despite the deaths of Yang Feng, Li Le, and Han Xian due to internal conflicts, Qiao Yan didn’t plan to extend a sincere invitation for Xu Huang to join Le Ping right away.

But that seemed the most appropriate move at this moment.

Xu Huang’s resolve wavered.

He originally thought he shouldn’t have followed Chu Yan down the mountain.

Then he realized that even if he hadn’t left, Qiao Yan’s thorough understanding of the situation meant they had no chance to counterattack.

Now, after hearing Qiao Yan’s two choices and Chu Yan explaining the treatment of Le Ping soldiers, Xu Huang was astonished by the reward of thirty shi of grain distributed by contributions in small teams.

This alone was enough to make joining the Le Ping army an extremely attractive option.

Moreover, the treatment of soldiers in Le Ping went beyond this.

So, exchanging the act of killing the Hu for a more promising environment didn’t seem like coercion.

Instead, it felt like she could kill them directly but was still offering them a chance to join.

Xu Huang took a deep breath and replied, “Marquis Qiao, I will convey your words and the situation here to those on the mountain. Please give me—”

“Your time is only until sunset today,” Qiao Yan interrupted. “Don’t forget, you were given two days from the start, and now more than one day has passed.”

Her uncompromising decisiveness left Xu Huang with no choice but to believe this was her final ultimatum.