Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, The Clear Voice of the Young Phoenix Chapter 24: Temporarily Taking Over Military Affairs

Belonging to the book:


Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 24

Liu Bei, the commander of the troops…

As Qiao Yan dismounted and walked towards the camp, she subtly observed him.

Counting the future founders of the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu, if Sun Jian can also be included, then she has already met all of them.

Compared to the period of Emperor Ling of Han’s death, Dong Zhuo’s entry into the capital, and the later period of warlords vying for supremacy, their ages were quite different from Qiao Yan’s inherent understanding.

In terms of status, Cao Cao was still a Cavalry Commandant, Sun Jian was a Protectorate Army Commander, and Liu Bei’s position as a Troop Commander was even lower than that of a Protectorate Army Commander. However, it was undeniable that—

These people could become great warlords in the future, not just due to luck, but also because some signs were already visible at this time.

Sun Jian’s bravery was closer to a fearless and reckless courage. This kind of leading-from-the-front, life-risking spirit and his generous and righteous demeanor allowed him to gather so many young and strong followers before joining Zhu Jun’s army.

This was not something easily achieved.

Cao Cao now seemed to be still relying on his family’s legacy, but his eloquent and dignified traits were already evident in his words and actions, along with a good eye for military strategy, which was clearly a capital for competing for the world.

Then… what about Liu Bei?

His opportunity to study under Lu Zhi was somewhat due to luck, as Lu Zhi and Liu Bei were from the same hometown, both from Zhuo County in Zhuo Commandery.

It could be said that Lu Zhi’s favoritism towards his fellow townsfolk happened to coincide with Liu Bei’s intention to study at the age of fifteen.

But luck alone obviously couldn’t explain some phenomena.

For example, when he was under Lu Zhi, he received support from Liu Deran’s father, who was also from the same hometown. For example, the wealthy merchants Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang thought he was an extraordinary person and gave him financial support, allowing him to gather his initial team.

Apart from his youthful frivolity of not loving to study and preferring luxurious clothes, he must also have had a charisma that ordinary people could hardly match.

However, in this encounter, what impressed Qiao Yan the most was his measured actions and his decisive judgment of friend or foe.

Indeed, he was not a simple person.

Just as Qiao Yan thought of this, she heard a voice calling out to them: “Big brother, why are you back from patrolling the camp so early today?”

She looked in the direction of the voice and saw a strong, dark-faced young man walking towards them, probably a few years younger than Liu Bei.

Although he was only dressed as a centurion in the army, his loud voice and the way he strode forward with a long spear indeed had the air of a heroic general.

And since Liu Bei’s identity was confirmed, this person’s identity was also obvious.

“Yide, don’t make noise in the military camp!” Liu Bei reminded.

This was Zhang Fei, Zhang Yide!

It was because of Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping’s heavy financial support that Liu Bei had the capital to recruit people in Zhuo Commandery, and both Guan Yu and Zhang Fei joined his ranks at this time.

This kind of luck in drawing two SSR-level generals at once was enviable to anyone, but Qiao Yan felt that perhaps she didn’t need to envy Liu Bei so much.

Because when Zhang Fei approached, as if some rule of like attracting like was at play, he first noticed Liu Bei’s early return from patrolling, and then immediately focused on Dian Wei, who was following Qiao Yan.

Without thinking, Zhang Fei exclaimed: “What a strong man!”

But perhaps because Liu Bei’s reminder to “not make noise” still had some restraining effect, he said this in a lower voice.

And probably, if the occasion wasn’t inappropriate, he would have immediately proposed a sparring match.

“Don’t be rude!” Liu Bei reminded him again, then turned to Qiao Yan and said: “Little General, please wait a moment, I will go and inform the Northern Middle General.”

“Thank you.” Qiao Yan replied.

This back-and-forth conversation successfully shifted Zhang Fei’s attention from Dian Wei to Qiao Yan.

Inside the camp gate, the lighting outside the second barrier wasn’t too sparse, and Qiao Yan could easily see the confusion on his somewhat dark face.

But perhaps because of Liu Bei’s two reminders, and the fact that Qiao Yan could bring a guard of Dian Wei’s caliber, she didn’t seem like a simple visitor, so Zhang Fei didn’t ask any questions like “Who is this person?”

But his confusion was almost written on his face.

She’s so young…

And a girl…

This was also the first thought that came to Lu Zhi’s mind when Liu Bei reported to him that Huangfu Song’s envoy had arrived, and Lu Zhi got up to change clothes to meet Qiao Yan.

“What does Yizhen have to tell me?” Lu Zhi asked.

Qiao Yan clasped her hands and bowed again, “In two days, General Huangfu intends to launch a surprise attack to deceive and open the gates of Guangzong City, and requests the General to send troops to assist.”

This short reply almost startled Lu Zhi.

He was sitting behind the military desk at the head.

His height, which was not much lower than that of an ordinary general in later records, was somewhat obscured by his sitting posture.

But this did not detract from the fact that this Confucian general was somewhat different from the Confucian scholars understood by later generations, and his resolute and stern demeanor showed a momentum that could be called as deep as a mountain and as steady as a rock.

Quickly recovering from the shock, he pressed the table in front of him and still maintained a calm expression, saying: “Explain in detail.”

Huangfu Song would not act rashly, nor would he overstep his authority by rashly taking action when Lu Zhi had already been appointed as the Northern Route Commander, nor would he casually send a child to inform him out of a desire to humiliate Lu Zhi.

So far, Lu Zhi had only heard Qiao Yan introduce herself as Qiao Yan from Yanzhou when she entered the tent, which was no different from what Liu Bei knew.

But since he had been a teacher, he naturally had some insight into people and could see that Qiao Yan had a rationality and maturity far beyond her age.

She didn’t seem like someone who would talk nonsense.

He just didn’t know where Yizhen found such a person…

Yanzhou… Yanzhou really did have a quite famous Qiao family.

Just as Lu Zhi thought of this, he heard Qiao Yan speak again, and he immediately turned his attention back.

Compared to delving into Qiao Yan’s identity, what she said about the attack on Guangzong was naturally much more important.

“General Huangfu defeated Bo Cai at Changshe, sent General Zhu south to Wancheng to quickly capture Zhang Mancheng, while we went north to directly attack Xiaquyang. Zhang Jiao’s brother Zhang Bao has been captured by our army, and General Huangfu intends to use him as an excuse to deceive and open the gates of Guangzong City, so he requests the General to divide the troops into two routes.”

“One route will feign a diversion, deceiving Zhang Liang into not leaving this place, and the other route will go to Guangzong for support. This is General Huangfu’s handwritten letter, with the seal of the Left Middle General, which can prove that my words are not false.”

After Qiao Yan finished speaking, she handed the silk letter that Huangfu Song had entrusted to her before departure to Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi did not open it immediately, but keenly noticed the information in Qiao Yan’s words and quickly asked: “Changshe has been won, what about Yanzhou?”

Huangfu Song repelled the Yellow Turbans of Yingchuan, and the first opponent he should face directly should be the Yellow Turbans entrenched in Dong Commandery of Yanzhou, rather than unexpectedly targeting Zhang Bao.

There must have been some unexpected events.

So he heard an answer that was truly shocking to him.

Qiao Yan replied: “I am not talented, but with the strategy of driving the tiger to devour the wolf, I have already eliminated the Yellow Turbans of Yanzhou.”

Liu Bei, who had been allowed to stay and listen by his teacher, almost exclaimed in surprise.

The corner of his eye glanced at Qiao Yan, observing Lu Zhi’s expression, and saw that even this teacher, who could be described as unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him, couldn’t help but show a trace of astonishment.

This time he didn’t hesitate to unfold Huangfu Song’s handwritten letter and quickly read through it, indeed seeing that Huangfu Song did not spare words in praising this matter, and also mentioned that Qiao Yan had made many achievements in the battle of Xiaquyang.

In addition, while asking Lu Zhi to send troops on time, he also instructed people to pay more attention to Qiao Yan’s safety.

Since Huangfu Song’s letter mentioned Qiao Yan’s identity as the granddaughter of Qiao Xuan and the daughter of Qiao Yu, Lu Zhi roughly understood.

“It’s rare to see Yizhen praise a junior so much, but the evaluation he gave you—being too resolute, fearing that you would be loyal to the court to the death without hesitation…” Lu Zhi looked at this mature junior in front of him and couldn’t help but smile, “He is really very worried about you.”

“…” Qiao Yan didn’t expect that Huangfu Song’s letter would also include this?

With this, wasn’t it like slapping the label of “capable, but too headstrong” on her from the start? It was conceivable that Lu Zhi would probably treat her as a mascot and protect her.

Although she had guessed this possibility when she came here, seeing such restrictions still made Qiao Yan momentarily unsure whether to appreciate Huangfu Song’s deep concern for her or to say, let that strategist point let her go.

But what surprised her a bit was that after Lu Zhi examined the information in his hand again, he said: “You settle down in the camp first, come find me tomorrow, I have something to say to you.”

This didn’t sound like he wanted her to do nothing.

Qiao Yan pondered a hundred thoughts in her heart, but didn’t show any on her face. She responded and was led by Liu Bei to find a place to rest.

This historical Shu Han Emperor Zhaolie was obviously not just on good terms with the fellow townsfolk he brought here to fight against the Yellow Turbans, nor was he just close to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as brothers.

When he led Qiao Yan and her group through the camp, many of the night patrol soldiers greeted him.

Qiao Yan smiled and interjected: “The Troop Commander only leads five hundred people, but I see that you can talk to all the soldiers, which is really rare.”

Liu Bei thought there was some sarcasm in her words, but when he turned back, he found that the child’s eyes looking at him clearly had some admiration.

Qiao Yan really admired Liu Bei.

Remembering the names and information of passersby was not an easy task, it couldn’t be said that everyone had played with him, nor could everyone have slept together.

This was also different from how Sun Jian and Cao Cao interacted with their soldiers.

Liu Bei was still young and didn’t know that under Qiao Yan’s “praise for a social butterfly” gaze, there was also some other kind of scrutiny. He just replied somewhat embarrassedly: “I’m just an idle person, and only have these things to do.”

“You are too modest. I am temporarily staying in the military camp, and if I encounter some troubles, I might have to rely on this skill.”

Liu Bei didn’t understand, but felt that with Qiao Yan’s first meeting with the teacher and her favorable impression, she shouldn’t need his skills.

But out of habit of leaving room in conversations, he agreed first.

After sending Qiao Yan and her group to the tent, he went back to report to Lu Zhi, and he found that his judgment might not be wrong—

Lu Zhi was still holding the silk letter in his hand.

This was a very important gesture.

Seeing Liu Bei return, he slowly said: “Just now, to prevent the child from being proud, I didn’t say another sentence from Yizhen’s words. He said that Qiao Yan has the style of Qiao Gongzu, and is truly a talent to assist a king. Xuande, you just talked to her, what do you think of her?”

A talent to assist a king?

These four words were really a heavy evaluation!

Liu Bei couldn’t help but feel even more surprised, but he suddenly realized that if he had to give Qiao Yan an evaluation, it would be difficult for him to make a conclusion, and even in the few conversations just now, he didn’t even talk about her background, but instead promised her something.

This really wasn’t someone who could be judged by age.

Liu Bei thought for a while and replied: “The young lady has the ability to strategize.”

“The ability to strategize…” Lu Zhi turned this evaluation in his mouth for a moment, as if he had already made some decision in his heart, and waved his hand to signal Liu Bei to leave first.

Until there was no one else in the military tent, he looked at the candlelight in front of him and sighed: “Yizhen, Yizhen, you really gave me a huge problem.”

Compared to Lu Zhi’s tangled thoughts at this moment, Qiao Yan was much more comfortable.

Lu Zhi’s military camp was well arranged, and the camp was not cramped. Since she was half a guest, she was also given a few more tents.

In this way, at least the “leader” could have a space of her own.

And just as she settled down after the soldiers arranged everything, she heard the system ask:

[Good news, after this series of actions, we have already met Sun Jian, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei, and they all have a good impression of you. Have you decided which camp of Wei, Shu, or Wu you want to join?]

“Why so hurry.” She fiddled with the candlelight in the tent, and her tone in replying to the system was quite leisurely.

“I have indeed met the three of them now, but what about Yuan Shao? Yuan Shu? Or Liu Xie, who is not much older than me now? In this chaotic world, there are many opportunities to choose. I have already made some reputation, and it is the time to make myself invincible and then wait for the right price.”

The phrase “wait for the right price” successfully made the system somewhat tempted, so it swallowed back what it wanted to say [Joining early can make the merit of supporting the dragon more significant, and there is also the sentiment of joining from the bottom].

It then heard Qiao Yan say: “Besides, although most strategists in this era do not hold onto an iron rice bowl, such as Xun Yu leaving Yuan Shao to join Cao Cao, Pang Tong joining Liu Bei after Zhou Yu’s death, but since I want to be the number one strategist in the world, it is best to give people the impression of hitting the mark at once and recognizing the master with insight, don’t you think?”

The system thought for a while and replied: [You are right, we can’t be in such a hurry]

In front of the big picture of raising reputation, becoming famous, waiting for the right price, and joining the master drawn by Qiao Yan, the system didn’t feel that there was any problem with Qiao Yan’s words, only that she was indeed more calm than anyone else, and indeed had the ability to realize this plan.

Thinking again that once Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song’s plan of one side attacking the city and the other side responding was realized, even if Qiao Yan couldn’t achieve any great achievements to make a big profit, she would definitely get the corresponding strategist points, the system couldn’t help but rub its invisible claws.

It wasn’t the first time it saw her coveting the three-dimensional map after reaching 100 strategist points. Thinking of her motivation for rewards, it had a strong impulse to stuff things into the stage rewards.

However, the novice system rummaged through its backpack and found that it had no stock at all, so it decided to provide spiritual encouragement to the host.

Just as Qiao Yan lay down to rest, she heard the system, which had been quiet for a while and didn’t know what it was doing, suddenly jump up and say: [Host, you will definitely become the number one strategist!]

“…Thank you.”

This is indeed a cheerleader.

But the strategist system noticed that when Qiao Yan closed her eyes to rest, a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, which looked like its credit.

So it also dutifully acted as Qiao Yan’s morning alarm clock as she had instructed a few days ago.

This special use seems a bit wrong…

Just as the system was muttering, it saw that Qiao Yan had quickly washed, changed clothes, lifted the tent curtain and walked out, so it quickly took back the thought and continued to observe the outside situation with her.

Lu Zhi’s Northern Army camp was undoubtedly more imposing than any military camp she had seen before.

The Yellow Turban camps of Liang Zhongning and Bo Cai in Yanzhou and Yuzhou were not worth mentioning.

Huangfu Song’s army hastily joined the battle of Changshe, and the people were not yet fully assembled.








And then, people arrived one after another, but rushing to Xiaquyang in Ji Province was a quick attack, so it was impossible to bring many people.

As a result, it wasn’t until today that Qiao Yan finally saw what a military camp with over twenty thousand regular soldiers looked like.

At night, she already felt the camp was orderly and solemn.

Now, in the daylight, the sun illuminated the trenches and the patrolling soldiers. As she walked slowly towards the command tent, she realized how superior the camp’s layout was, truly a testament to its excellence.

This was vastly different from the makeshift setup she had instructed Liang Zhongning to arrange.

If there was a disturbance in Lu Zhi’s camp, it would never escalate to the point where Bo Cai’s troops fled to seek refuge elsewhere.

However, if Qiao Yan were truly his opponent, she wouldn’t use such a clumsy method.

Qiao Yan thought she had arrived early, but Lu Zhi seemed to have been standing in front of the map for a long time.

As soon as she entered the tent, she heard Lu Zhi’s voice, “You’re here.”

Qiao Yan looked towards Lu Zhi and naturally glanced at the map.

Looking at the entire Ji Province, Quzhou, Guangzong, and where Lu Zhi was stationed almost converged at one point. During the time Lu Zhi dug trenches and built the camp, he must have sent soldiers to scout the terrain, resulting in the map now presented to Qiao Yan.

On one side were Lu Zhi’s Northern Army and Zhang Liang’s Quzhou defenders, and on the other side was Zhang Jiao’s forces in Guangzong. The hills, rivers, and temporary Yellow Turban camps were all clearly marked on the large map.

Lu Zhi clearly believed in not fighting unprepared battles.

Huangfu Song’s arrival would indeed require major changes to his original plan, but it didn’t leave him flustered.

The marching routes on the map had already been outlined with charcoal.

“Yesterday, you mentioned you had something to ask me. What is it?” Qiao Yan asked.

As soon as she spoke, Lu Zhi put down the charcoal pen and turned to her with a subtle smile, “Why assume it’s a question and not a request?”

Qiao Yan replied calmly, “I only brought a few dozen cavalry, while the Northern Army Five Divisions far outnumber that. You’ve been here for days, familiar with the terrain and in control of your troops. It’s unlikely you’d need to entrust me with anything.”

Lu Zhi didn’t comment on her answer, simply saying, “Alright, let’s say it’s a question.”

He gestured for her to come closer and asked, “I plan to join forces with Yizhen today. When do you think we should set out?”

Qiao Yan studied his expression, realizing this was more of a test than a genuine question.

After estimating the distance to Guangzong, she replied, “After nightfall. You lead one group directly to Guangzong, avoiding detection, while another group heads west and returns at dawn, raising dust to create the illusion of reinforcements from Luoyang. With the appearance of reinforcements and your reputation for caution, Zhang Liang won’t dare to attack, allowing us to hold the camp with half the troops until Guangzong is decided.”

Lu Zhi clapped and laughed.

Qiao Yan’s plan aligned with his own.

“Good, well said. Then—” Lu Zhi paused before dropping a bombshell, “After I leave, would you be willing to take command of the remaining troops?”

Qiao Yan was stunned.

This was something she hadn’t expected.

Lu Zhi, however, didn’t seem to find it strange to entrust such a responsibility to a child.

Seeing her shocked expression, he felt a bit of mischievous satisfaction.

He now understood why Huangfu Song had written in his letter that bringing Qiao Yan here was not just for her safety but to let her take on some responsibilities.

“Yizhen mentioned you have quick wits in military matters, and your answer just now was quite satisfactory,” Lu Zhi said.

As Qiao Yan was about to protest, he raised his hand to stop her and continued, “I know you want to say that military affairs require utmost caution, and you don’t hold an official position, making it inappropriate for you to take command, possibly causing unrest in the camp, right?”

“Since you know the stakes, why still make this decision?”

This wasn’t just a nominal position; it was entrusting the lives of many to her.

“If I say it’s because I trust Yizhen’s judgment, you probably wouldn’t believe me,” Lu Zhi said. “But it’s not wrong to say his influence led to this decision.”

“Yizhen also mentioned something in his letter that made me ponder for half the night before deciding. He said the future of the Han Dynasty lies in its young talents. Rather than letting them spend decades climbing the ranks through filial piety and integrity recommendations, why not take a risk and give them an early opportunity to shine?”

“This is Yizhen’s heartfelt advice, and I couldn’t ignore it.”

Qiao Yan’s eyes widened.

These words had a more profound impact on her than Huangfu Song’s earlier advice to stay safe.

Being recommended for filial piety, promoted to a侍郎, and then appointed as a prefect—this wasn’t just idle talk.

This was Huangfu Song’s own experience.

As he rose through the ranks, Emperor Liu Hong had already started selling official positions. If not for the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Huangfu Song would have had to spend a considerable sum to become a左中郎将, or prepay years of his future income.

So in his letter to Lu Zhi, he expressed his hope that a future pillar of the state wouldn’t need to spend twenty years to get such an opportunity.

He suggested using the Yellow Turban Rebellion as a chance to place Qiao Yan in a suitable position for training.

Coincidentally, Lu Zhi couldn’t take everyone with him.

If Zhang Liang in Quzhou noticed, he could follow and ambush them before they reached Guangzong.

This unit, meant to deceive Zhang Liang, wouldn’t engage in direct combat, making it a relatively safe position for Qiao Yan, who had limited self-defense capabilities.

Moreover, this training would only be a side support for Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song’s attack on Guangzong. Huangfu Song guessed that Lu Zhi wouldn’t mind handing over this task.

There couldn’t be a more suitable position.

Seeing Qiao Yan’s stunned expression, as if deeply moved by Huangfu Song’s thoughtful gesture, Lu Zhi patted her shoulder and said, “Yizhen also mentioned in his letter that your grandfather, Qiao Gongzu, once had a feud with Nanyang Prefect Chen Qiu, but when he rose to the rank of三公, he still recommended Chen Qiu. Today, Yizhen and I conspired to promote you to the position of deputy commander, partly out of personal interest—”

“In the future, when people talk about this, they’ll link these two good deeds together. Huangfu Yizhen and I, Lu Zigàn, may not have the title of三公, but we already have the virtue of三公. Isn’t that delightful!”

Lu Zhi laughed heartily at this.

His voice was deep and resonant, and his laughter had a powerful impact. “What do you think?”

Qiao Yan didn’t hesitate and immediately replied, “Since Generals Huangfu and Lu dare to entrust me with this task, why shouldn’t I give it a try!”

This was a tremendous opportunity for her.

How many people at her age could truly take on the responsibility of commanding troops?

Even if she only temporarily held this position due to Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi’s默契 recommendation without reporting to Luoyang, it was still an enviable opportunity.

Moreover, this wasn’t a hasty decision.

Since Lu Zhi wouldn’t leave until nightfall, he spent the day informing the camp that Qiao Yan would temporarily take over military affairs.

His steady personality was evident in this two-pronged strategy.

The soldiers left behind were a bit surprised that Lu Zhi entrusted the responsibility to Qiao Yan, but only mildly so.

Lu Zhi then asked, “If any of you think you can quell the rebellion in Yanzhou, feel free to take over.”

This was a tough question to answer.

While they had come to Ji Province aiming for a decisive victory, they weren’t unaware of the situation in Yanzhou.

The combined forces of the three Yellow Turban leaders in Yanzhou were comparable in number to their own. Despite being mostly untrained, facing three leaders alone was nothing short of legendary.

Then, Lu Zhi left Liu Bei as Qiao Yan’s deputy.

“Xuande enjoys fine horses and clothes, isn’t fond of reading, but has some talent in military strategy. While he may not win battles, he’s a competent deputy.”

The first part of Lu Zhi’s statement made Liu Bei, in his mid-twenties, look slightly embarrassed, but the latter part was a compliment, making him straighten up again.

Qiao Yan tried hard not to laugh at the评价 of不好读书好华服, and calmly said to Liu Bei, “Last night, I told the部曲督 that I might need your社交 skills. Who knew we’d be working together today.”

Liu Bei clasped his hands and replied, “The young lady is indeed foresighted.”

“Or perhaps I saw英雄之才 in the部曲督.” Qiao Yan returned the gesture.

The promising collaboration between the two pleased Lu Zhi. After thinking if he had missed anything, he added, “Speaking of which, among the壮士 Xuande recruited from Zhuo County, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are both exceptional. If you need brute strength, you can assign them tasks.”

“But I must remind you,” Lu Zhi’s tone shifted from gentle advice to serious, “Don’t underestimate Zhang Liang because of your previous successes in Puyang, Changshe, and Xiaquyang. I’ve dealt with him here for a while and know he’s not easy to handle. Unless there’s a golden opportunity, don’t rashly send out troops.”

Qiao Yan also tried to make her youthful face look more serious, “Don’t worry, Lu Gong. In the Yellow Turban War, once Guangzong is settled, everything else will follow. I know what’s primary and what’s secondary.”

Whether entrusting such a responsibility to a child was the right decision, Lu Zhi couldn’t say with absolute certainty.

But from Huangfu Song’s words, he saw a potential commander among his disciples, perhaps even surpassing Gongsun Zan—

Having been cautious for so long, he decided to take a gamble.

As he led his troops towards Guangzong, he looked back at the camp, seeing sparse lights in the dark night.

Without hesitation, he turned his horse and galloped away.

Tonight was a good time for travel; he had no time to waste on second-guessing his decisions.

Meanwhile, in Lu Zhi’s nearly empty camp, the lights in the main tent remained on.

Qiao Yan flipped through the roster of soldiers Liu Bei had brought her when the system suddenly spoke up: [Wait… isn’t there something off about this?]

“What’s off?”

[This scene feels familiar. I once urged you to join Cao Cao, but during the siege of Changshe, you were outside the city while Cao Cao was inside.]

“True.” Qiao Yan replied, stacking another volume of the roster aside.

[Last night, I said you’ve met Cao, Liu, and Sun, and could choose one to serve under. If you chose Liu Bei, you’d be serving under him now, but instead…]

The system had widened its virtual eyes when Liu Bei was still in the tent, seeing the future founder of Shu Han serving under Qiao Yan.

This relationship seemed completely reversed.

But seeing Qiao Yan so calm, the system wondered if this was some strategist’s trick it hadn’t figured out.

Unfortunately, it didn’t get an answer from Qiao Yan.

After getting a general idea of the soldiers’ backgrounds, Qiao Yan didn’t feel pressured by the nearly empty camp before dawn. She stretched and walked towards her resting place.

Meanwhile, Dian Wei seemed to have forgotten his temporary雇佣关系 with Qiao Yan, diligently standing guard outside her tent.

So much so that…

When Qiao Yan woke up to the system’s alarm and stepped out, she saw two figures wrestling not far from her tent.

In broad daylight, everything was clear, and Qiao Yan immediately recognized the two combatants as Dian Wei and Zhang Fei!

Seeing Lu Yuan standing outside the tent, seemingly debating whether to wake her, Qiao Yan asked, “What happened?”

“Just now, the部曲督 sent Zhang Fei to ask if you had any orders. Last night, you told Dian Wei to prepare double the usual amount of food for the camp.”

That was indeed Qiao Yan’s order.

Lu Zhi had taken most of the troops, but she couldn’t reduce the food preparation, or Zhang Liang in Quzhou would notice the camp was understaffed.

Lu Yuan smiled wryly, “Dian Wei relayed the order, but his rough appearance and tone… didn’t sit well. Zhang Fei had wanted to fight Dian Wei for days and finally found an excuse, claiming Dian Wei was mocking his appetite.”

Even Liu Bei probably didn’t expect someone to use such a reason for a legitimate spar.

If Qiao Yan had woken up later, the two might have already settled the match, making it hard to assign blame.

In a way… it was quite clever.

Qiao Yan found it amusing but kept a straight face, walking over to the two combatants with her hands behind her back.

The two fierce warriors, having held back some strength, were in a stalemate when they heard a light cough from Qiao Yan.

As they instinctively paused, they heard her clear command, “Dian Wei, Zhang Fei, listen up!”

The two exchanged glances, each fearing the other would move faster, and immediately stood at attention before Qiao Yan, shouting in unison, “Yes!”

Qiao Yan scanned them, her expression unreadable, and said, “Leave the camp! Find a tree thick enough to embrace and bring it back to make a flagpole.”

Military orders are absolute.

Neither knew why Qiao Yan needed the flagpole, but they instinctively started to move.

However, before they took two steps, they heard Qiao Yan add, “Wait, eat a double portion before you go.”

“…” While having extra food was good, the comment felt like a jab at them.

But such minor incidents were just camp gossip, unknown to those on Quzhou’s walls.

Zhang Liang climbed the city wall.

At dawn, he had heard reports of Han reinforcements, which made him uneasy. Now, seeing a massive tree erected in the enemy camp, he felt even more unsettled.

The banner hanging from the tree bore a large “Qiao” character, fluttering in the wind.