Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 1: The Yellow Turban Rebellion, The Clear Voice of a Young Phoenix Chapter 27: Quzhou and Guangzong (Part 2)

The knife in Zhang Liang’s hand clattered to the ground.

He had been trying his best to control his emotions, but the encirclement of Quzhou City by the Han army was still within his acceptable range. At most, it was just an inappropriate inference he made about the three-way relationship with Lu Zhi. However, the current situation had exceeded his expectations.

He had never seen Huangfu Song, the Left Middle General of the Han army, but he could at least recognize the commander’s banner and the reinforcements, whose momentum and numbers did not seem fake.

It was most likely Huangfu Song and his troops!

He also saw Lu Zhi among the troops below the city.

From Lu Zhi’s calm demeanor, it didn’t seem like he was in a disadvantaged position in the power balance within the army, as Zhang Liang had speculated over the past two days, and was thus forced to stay hidden.

The most critical thing was that Zhang Jiao had appeared here!

Having been brothers for decades, Zhang Liang could never mistake Zhang Jiao for anyone else.

Especially since his elder brother had unique achievements in thought, even founding the Way of Great Peace, which set him apart from ordinary people.

Even now, confined in a prisoner cart, Zhang Jiao’s demeanor showed no sign of distress, allowing Zhang Liang to confirm his identity from the distance between the city walls.

But whether Zhang Jiao was distressed or not had no direct connection to whether Quzhou City would fall into chaos upon hearing the news of the Great Virtuous Teacher’s capture.

Zhang Jiao, who had rallied them from the countryside, had now fallen into the hands of the Han imperial army. Clearly, Heaven did not favor the Way of Great Peace, and the saying “The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise” was nothing but empty words.

“General, we…”

As soon as Zhang Liang heard the voice of his subordinate, he angrily interrupted, “What are you panicking about! We still have Quzhou City to defend.”

There wasn’t much confidence in Zhang Liang’s words.

True, they still had Quzhou City, but did the Han army lack siege methods?

The siege equipment that Lu Zhi had been diligently building, hidden in his camp while steadily advancing and occupying surrounding outposts, had been there all along.

If it weren’t for Qiao Yan creating a false impression that misled Zhang Liang, he should have continued to find ways to either restrict Lu Zhi’s actions or attempt to destroy these finished products.

And if the Han army’s numbers had previously been just enough to make a siege uncertain, now with the assistance of another force, it was more than sufficient.

“Lu Gong and General Huangfu’s troops suffered many losses in the battle of Guangzong, but their momentum is even stronger than before,” Qiao Yan observed the surroundings and said to Cheng Li.

Perhaps because the Han army’s siege had more advantages than Guangzong’s defense, except for the unavoidable long-range damage during the assault on Guangzong’s city gates, the overall casualties were not significant compared to the victory in taking Guangzong.

More importantly, after witnessing the nearly casualty-free Yellow Turban Army in Guangzong City, the victorious Han army carried an even stronger aura of bloodlust.

So much so that when the Han army arrayed themselves, even though the siege equipment was still being dragged out of the camp and not yet positioned at the front, their sheer momentum was enough to instill fear in Zhang Liang.

“The ebb and flow of momentum is the way to victory,” Cheng Li replied.

From Cheng Li’s perspective, compared to the Han army’s rising momentum, the Yellow Turbans’ morale was clearly waning.

With Zhang Jiao captured, even though Zhang Liang was still in Quzhou City, it couldn’t change the fact that the backbone of the city had been removed.

Moreover, the Han army now had enough troops to besiege the city. Even if they could still hold Quzhou temporarily with its fortified walls, the most fundamental problem was—

The city’s food supply was limited.

And even if we set aside the food issue, the Han army previously didn’t dare to launch a full-scale siege because the Yellow Turbans in Guangzong could always send troops to flank the Han army from behind. But now, without this reinforcement, they could only watch as the Han army moved with one less constraint and could even replenish their troops with reinforcements.

It was essentially a question of whether to die sooner or later.

And Huangfu Song’s arrival officially declared that their reinforcements were also dwindling.

Yanzhou and Yuzhou must have been pacified!

Even without any cheering from the Han army below the city walls, they had already demonstrated their overwhelming advantage.

Zhang Liang had previously thought that, after breaking away from his elder brother’s support, he could barely live up to the title of general.

But now, facing this situation, he could only say: No, he really couldn’t!

The Han army didn’t take the opportunity to execute Zhang Jiao as a sacrifice to their banners, nor did they choose to attack the city while Zhang Liang was mentally shaken. Instead, after a show of force, they slowly retreated to their rear camp. Zhang Liang didn’t even know how he stumbled back to his resting place in the city.

After a short nap, he received terrible news: the Han army had launched an attack. The intensity wasn’t high, but—

“All four city walls received cloth strips with written messages attached to arrows,” Zhang Liang’s subordinate said with a bitter expression, handing the items to him. “We only managed to collect some, but we don’t know if anyone else has hidden them.”

Zhang Liang gasped upon seeing the words on the cloth strips.

The message roughly stated that Zhang Jiao had been captured, Zhang Bao had died in Guangzong, and the court only wanted to punish the ringleaders. Considering that the followers had been deceived by the Zhang brothers, they could be spared. As long as someone could deliver Zhang Liang’s head, not only would the city be spared from the Han army’s siege, but the killer would also be enfeoffed as a marquis.

Enfeoffed as a marquis?

Who wouldn’t want to be enfeoffed as a marquis?

Zhang Liang clutched the cloth strip, his heart filled with unease.

Among those who had been persuaded by the Zhang brothers to join the rebellion, aside from those who truly couldn’t survive due to land annexation and oppression by powerful families, there were certainly some who sought the glory of supporting a new dynasty.

But now, with Zhang Jiao captured and the Yellow Turbans suffering setbacks against the imperial army, the glory of supporting a new dynasty had become an elusive dream. Instead, using Zhang Liang’s head to seek a reward had become a tangible path to promotion.

He looked at his subordinate, who was merely concerned for him, but he couldn’t help but see a covetous look in their eyes, as if they were eyeing his head.

No… he couldn’t think like that.

Zhang Liang shuddered involuntarily.

But once a person starts overthinking, many things become uncontrollable.

He hurriedly ordered his subordinates to secretly investigate if anyone else had such cloth strips and if there were any suspicious gatherings. If so, they should report to him immediately.

Then he closed the door and blocked it with a bookshelf, but he still felt that compared to the surrounding Han army, the city wasn’t much safer.

“I don’t quite understand. Will sending this message into the city really make someone deliver Zhang Liang’s head?” Dian Wei asked curiously.

“Hearing this question from you sounds so strange,” Qiao Yan muttered, holding a chess piece and dealing with Cheng Li’s cunning moves. She pointed at Lu Yuan, signaling her to explain this to Dian Wei.

Lu Yuan replied, “Dian Wei, you’re asking the wrong question. This message isn’t for the city’s defenders but for Zhang Liang himself. The plan devised by the lady and the two generals isn’t to have the city’s soldiers deliver Zhang Liang’s head but to make Zhang Liang surrender and come out of the city.”

“Ah? But the cloth strip clearly says…” Dian Wei scratched his head, feeling that talking to these smart people was exhausting.

Even though the message was straightforward, they said it wasn’t like that.

“Dian Wei, have you forgotten something?” Lu Yuan replied. “How many commoners have the chance to be literate?”

Most commoners were illiterate!

There was no imperial examination system back then!

Dian Wei had the opportunity to learn from Qiao Yan, but others didn’t.

The message written on the cloth strips, shot into Quzhou City with arrows, could only be understood by a few, at most Zhang Liang himself and his trusted subordinates.

In such a situation, the likelihood of those who saw the message believing and choosing this path was minimal. The greater possibility was that Zhang Liang himself would panic upon seeing the message.

Lu Yuan’s reply was a brutally honest truth of the times.

But if she hadn’t said it, Dian Wei wouldn’t have realized this blind spot in his thinking. He thought for a moment and asked, “Is Zhang Liang as foolish as me?”

Hearing him so candidly admit his own foolishness, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Of course he’s not foolish, but when this matter concerns his life and Zhang Jiao has already fallen into our hands, he has no choice but to act foolishly.”

Zhang Liang indeed fell into this mental trap, as Qiao Yan had said, and for a moment didn’t notice that, given the low literacy rate in the late Han dynasty, very few people could actually understand this message.

But it was like the saying “fearful of every sound and shadow, seeing enemies everywhere.” Moreover, he had long harbored a thought:—

Among those who followed him, how many did so out of respect for his elder brother, and how many truly supported him?

With Zhang Jiao already in enemy hands, he couldn’t ask this question.

So he kept thinking himself into a dead end.

Even when devout followers of the Way of Great Peace suggested a desperate night raid to rescue the Great Virtuous Teacher, he felt that these people were plotting to take his life, luring him into a trap.

No, this couldn’t go on!

He racked his memory for the outcomes of past rebellion leaders and found no good examples, but he also realized that none of them had chosen to surrender directly, instead resisting to the end.

So, what if he surrendered?

Zhang Liang was closer to the founding process of the Way of Great Peace than most, and he naturally understood better than anyone the borrowed elements in Zhang Jiao’s religious structure.

With this clear understanding, he didn’t fully believe in the doctrine that “the Yellow Heaven shall rise as ordained by Heaven.”

The talisman water couldn’t save his life in such a desperate situation.

Now that the Han dynasty’s authority had reached this point, if one of the rebellion leaders surrendered, it would be a good reputation!

After all, staying in the city meant certain death upon its fall, while surrendering offered a slim chance of survival. Why not take this opportunity?

Thinking this, Zhang Liang looked outside and saw his subordinate carrying something as they walked away.

In his panicked state, he didn’t think much of it, only feeling that allowing them to move freely in his territory might lead them to plot against him.

Since he had decided to surrender, he had to do it before someone else put a knife to his neck!

Under this mindset, he didn’t even wait until the third day of Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi’s return. Under the cover of night, he opened Quzhou City’s gates and ran to the Han army’s camp, where he was promptly caught by Zhang Fei, who was patrolling outside.

If Zhang Liang hadn’t frequently appeared on Quzhou’s city walls and Zhang Fei wasn’t face-blind, he might have mistaken Zhang Liang for a spy sneaking into the camp and skewered him with his spear.

When Zhang Fei brought the bound Zhang Liang before Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song, he still felt like he was dreaming. “Why did this guy just surrender like that?”

Liu Bei could only explain to him, “Because the Yellow Turbans have reached a dead end, and the arrows shot into the city were the final push that triggered the landslide.”

As he said this, he couldn’t help but glance at Qiao Yan.

If her previous misdirection of Zhang Liang seemed somewhat coincidental, after the idea of sending messages via arrows was proposed, Liu Bei could confirm that this seemed to be Qiao Yan’s specialty in manipulating people’s minds.

Usually, such psychological warfare would be the domain of experienced elders, but strangely, when Qiao Yan used it, Liu Bei didn’t find it unreasonable.

Among the various types of geniuses in the world, having one who excelled in this style was more acceptable than one who could master all types of strategies.

Just as he thought this, he noticed that Qiao Yan seemed to have caught his gaze and looked back. But in her eyes, there was no sign of displeasure at being scrutinized. Instead, she smiled at him.

But before he could ponder this expression further, Zhang Liang’s swift surrender and plea for his life dragged his attention back.

Zhang Liang and Zhang Jiao were quite different.

Zhang Jiao, who had been imprisoned in a prisoner cart since his capture in Guangzong City, exuded the aura of a martyr.

But Zhang Liang, well—

He was just an ordinary man who wanted to live.

“Although I’ve experienced the Yellow Turban Commanders’ coercion of refugees, now that the battles of Guangzong and Quyang are over, I feel a bit conflicted,” Qiao Yan said to her system as the Han army marched into Quzhou City through the gates opened by Zhang Liang.

[Probably human nature? I don’t understand this.] The system, which had been diligently serving as an electronic alarm clock, was equally candid in its response.

“I’m thinking, if the world’s greatest strategist’s lord could ensure that these rebel refugees had enough to eat, wouldn’t things be less ambiguous?”

[Naturally.]

The system felt that Qiao Yan had more to say, but she didn’t continue.

She had already ridden into Quzhou City.

For the Yellow Turban soldiers in the city, their commander opening the gates at night to let the enemy in was unimaginable. This was an even greater blow to morale than Zhang Jiao’s capture by the Han army.

If they hadn’t seen Zhang Liang himself among the Han army’s ranks, they might have doubted that such a betrayal was real.

The Yellow Turban soldiers, who had quickly reacted to the disturbance and risen to defend, for a moment…





They didn’t know whether they should just follow their commander and defect, or continue to fight for their vision of bringing the Yellow Heaven to power.

But in the face of the numerically superior Han army, they really didn’t have much of a choice.

Fortunately, Quzhou City didn’t have as many fanatical believers as Guangzong City. By the time daylight returned to the land of Ji Province, the sounds of clashing swords had already ceased within the city walls.

However, what followed was an exceptionally serious problem.

The number of Yellow Turban prisoners had reached a significant level.

On one hand, the suppression of the Yellow Turbans was a good thing, but on the other hand…

“What if these people rally behind another leader and rise in rebellion again after we return to the court?” Lu Zhi asked.

Zhu Jun’s proposal to “kill all the Yellow Turban bandits, as they are only useful when they are rebels and surrender when they are of no use, where is the law of the land?” seemed a bit too cruel to Lu Zhi, but if they didn’t kill them, it would be easy to create future troubles.

The Han Dynasty, already weakened by years of natural disasters, was in a precarious state. Yet, whether it was the Emperor, the officials, the noble families, the eunuchs, or the imperial relatives, they were all still focused on power struggles.

Lu Zhi saw this and felt a deep sorrow. He knew that in the current situation, if this was just a one-time occurrence, there might still be a chance to salvage the situation. But if it happened repeatedly, it could push the Han Dynasty into a state of complete fragmentation.

“So, we must first bring the Way of Great Peace down from its pedestal. It cannot remain something that people hold in high regard.”

Lu Zhi turned around and saw Qiao Yan and Huangfu Song walking towards him. It was Qiao Yan who had spoken.

Seeing that Lu Zhi was interested in her words, Qiao Yan continued, “I once told General Huangfu that a dead Zhang Jiao would inevitably become a spiritual symbol in the hearts of the surviving Yellow Turbans. A living Zhang Jiao, however, leaves room for manipulation, allowing us to shatter his image as a divine figure. Fortunately, General Huangfu didn’t find my words childish, and together with you, we managed to capture Zhang Jiao alive.”

“Anyone who truly thinks of you as a childish kid is the one who doesn’t understand the situation,” Lu Zhi sighed, shaking his head. “Go ahead, tell me your thoughts.”

Qiao Yan clasped her hands and said, “I would like to ask you to accompany me to meet Zhang Jiao and witness a bet.”

Lu Zhi did not object to Qiao Yan’s suggestion.

After all, the situation in Ji Province needed to be reported to the Emperor, and the chaotic situation would require officials from the court to be sent to fully stabilize it. All of this would take some time.

And with the Yellow Turban prisoners temporarily sustained by the food reserves in Ji Province, it wouldn’t hurt to try Qiao Yan’s method, even if it seemed like a last resort.

This child, who had been held in high hopes by both him and Huangfu Song, especially impressed him with her lack of arrogance or conceit even after achieving these victories.

He only saw her running off with Cheng Li from time to time to chat with Zhang Liang and the Yellow Turbans in Quzhou City, as if trying to understand them to find a way to deal with the Yellow Turbans.

The three of them entered the dungeon within Quzhou City.

To ensure the military camp’s defenses were sufficient, after capturing Quzhou City, half of the troops remained in the camp outside the city, while the rest were stationed within the city. Zhang Jiao had also been moved from the prison cart to here.

The Great Virtuous Teacher, Zhang Jiao, maintained his aloof demeanor even in the dungeon, exuding a certain air of scholarly dignity.

Qiao Yan raised her hand to signal Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song not to approach, and she walked towards Zhang Jiao herself.

She did not hide her footsteps, so Zhang Jiao clearly heard her approach.

When he looked up and saw who it was, there was no surprise in Zhang Jiao’s eyes.

His brother Zhang Liang, though a surrendered general who had contributed to the collapse of the Yellow Turban leadership by handing over Quzhou, was still confined to the dungeon due to his status, and was thus in the cell next to Zhang Jiao.

A few days ago, when Qiao Yan had come to chat with Zhang Liang, Zhang Jiao had overheard some of it while meditating.

She was a strange child in his eyes.

But this time, she wasn’t here for Zhang Liang, but for him.

Because she passed by Zhang Liang’s cell and continued forward until she stopped in front of his.

Zhang Jiao did not ask why she had come, and Qiao Yan did not speak immediately, so the cell fell into a long silence.

Just as Zhang Liang was about to ask what was going on, he heard Qiao Yan say to his brother, “My father died at the hands of Bo Cai, my mother was killed by Bu Ji’s soldiers, and I narrowly escaped death, vowing to eliminate the two Yellow Turban bandits. But what I see today does not fulfill that vow.”

Zhang Jiao showed no reaction, but Zhang Liang couldn’t help but shiver.

The child spoke of her parents’ deaths and her own actions in such a calm tone, in such a grim dungeon environment, it was hard not to find it chilling.

And the deeper meaning behind her words, as Zhang Liang understood it, made him even more terrified.

Killing two rebel leaders wasn’t enough to satisfy her hatred. Did she intend to kill both of them to avenge her parents?

Two days ago, when he learned that it was Qiao Yan’s strategy that had led him to believe eunuchs had come to their camp, and that there was some three-way conflict, Zhang Liang had already felt his worldview needed to be reshaped. Now, hearing this precocious child say such things, he felt even more shaken.

He then heard his brother ask, “What do you mean?”

Qiao Yan replied, “I believe the Way of Great Peace practiced by the Yellow Turbans is flawed. Without addressing its shortcomings, I cannot ease the hatred in my heart.”

Zhang Jiao almost thought he was hallucinating.

But when he looked at Qiao Yan outside the cell, the candlelight on the wall clearly illuminated her extremely serious expression.

This didn’t seem like a hallucination; she had clearly thought this through carefully.

And then he heard Qiao Yan say, “I want to debate with you three times to reach a conclusion.”

“…” If the previous statement had already made Zhang Jiao feel unreal, this one made it even more bizarre.

This was the strangest challenge he had encountered since he began spreading the Way of Great Peace under the guise of healing diseases all those years ago!

But the thought that it was this child’s assistance that had destroyed his life’s work and was now questioning the validity of his teachings stirred emotions in him that had long been indifferent to success or failure.

Zhang Jiao could die, the Yellow Turban Rebellion could fail, but he could not tolerate the teachings of the Way of Great Peace being refuted by a ten-year-old child!

His previously distant gaze suddenly focused intently on Qiao Yan’s face, “When shall we compete?”

Qiao Yan calculated the time and replied, “In half a month.”

Zhang Jiao looked at her once more before withdrawing his gaze, returning to his meditative, immortal-like demeanor, “Agreed.”

Half a month later, three debates!

Zhang Liang, hearing that this was a bet and not a death sentence, breathed a sigh of relief, but he couldn’t help but think that there was no way this child could surpass his brother in matters of religious doctrine.

After all, Zhang Jiao had spent years building his reputation in this field, and it was this that gave him such remarkable influence.

He had no idea what this child was thinking.

Of course, it wasn’t just him. Even Lu Zhi—who had already heard Qiao Yan say that the key to breaking the situation was to shatter Zhang Jiao’s divine image—now felt that defeating Zhang Jiao purely through eloquence would not be an easy task.

“If he uses this opportunity to promote the Way of Great Peace, it could lead to even bigger problems.”

Lu Zhi’s unspoken concerns were evident in his worried gaze.

If Qiao Yan couldn’t achieve this, it might not just mean failing to reach her goal, but also risking the loss of the victories and achievements she had already secured.

Lu Zhi knew that talented young people like Qiao Yan often had strong opinions, but he didn’t want her to suffer the consequences of such opinions.

This would not benefit the growth of a genius.

Qiao Yan saw his hidden worries and replied, “You don’t need to worry so much, Lu Gong. Although I said I would debate with him three times, I also know that there are experts in every field. I’ve invited three people to help with this, and General Huangfu is aware of this.”

Lu Zhi looked at Huangfu Song and saw a somewhat relaxed expression on his face, so he temporarily set aside his concerns.

Of course, there were still some worries, such as whether the invited individuals would be able to come, and whether they could arrive on time in the midst of the ongoing Yellow Turban Rebellion.

One from Yanzhou.

One from Qingzhou.

One from Ji Province.

These were the reinforcements Qiao Yan was relying on.

However, what none of them expected was that the first to arrive in Quzhou City was not any of the people Qiao Yan had sent out, but Zhang Rang and others, bearing the rewards decree from Liu Hong.

To avoid being associated with the root of the Yellow Turban Rebellion again, Zhang Rang and Zuo Feng had immediately set out for Ji Province after receiving Liu Hong’s orders.

But once they passed Hulao Pass, Zhang Rang couldn’t help but feel a bit of regret.

He was just a palace eunuch, not some Herculean strongman!

Previously, under the protection of Luoyang’s eight passes and within the safety of the imperial palace, no matter how much the Yellow Turbans raged outside, he would never be in danger. But now he was out here…

Even though Liu Hong had only given him the decree of rewards and not any military supplies, their convoy still didn’t look like an ordinary group.

And the captain accompanying them, Chunyu Qiong, though a notable military officer in the capital, was of questionable ability, as Zhang Rang’s discerning eyes could tell.

This cast doubt on whether he could truly fulfill his role as a guard.

Moreover, Zhang Rang was aware of some unspoken rules. Rather than being a guard for the imperial decree, Chunyu Qiong was more like a representative of the Yuan Clan from Runan.

Somehow, the news of the Emperor’s intention to heavily reward those who had quelled the rebellion had reached the Yuan Clan, and he didn’t know what message Yuzhou had sent to the Yuan Clan to make them dispatch Chunyu Qiong.

Fortunately, by the time they reached Yanzhou, there had been no disturbances, and after entering Yanzhou, the area gradually being pacified by the troops left behind by Huangfu Song gave Zhang Rang a strong sense of security.

“General Huangfu is truly a pillar of the state,” Zhang Rang remarked with admiration.

Although Huangfu Song didn’t get along with the eunuch faction, if it weren’t for him, who knew if Liu Hong, after initially agreeing, might have pushed Zhang Rang out as a scapegoat.

Now, seeing that Yanzhou was indeed as peaceful as Huangfu Song’s secret report to the capital had stated, Zhang Rang felt a sense of relief.

What made him even more relieved was that after days and nights of worry, he had finally arrived at the camp of Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi.

But as soon as he entered the camp, he couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, “Why are there three banners in this camp?”

Huangfu, Lu, and Qiao—these were the names on the three commander’s banners.

Of course, Qiao Yan hadn’t forgotten to ask Dian Wei to find a thinner flagpole, so that her banner wouldn’t overshadow Lu Gong’s.

Previously, they had done this to deceive Zhang Liang, but if they continued such behavior after Quzhou had been captured, it would indeed be quite presumptuous.

But even with a thinner flagpole, it was still a symbol in the camp, and Zhang Rang couldn’t help but be surprised.

The so-called Qilin child of the Qiao family, Qiao Yan, had no official position. If she had raised a commander’s banner here, it would be an act of overstepping.

But neither Lu Zhi nor Huangfu Song had imposed any restrictions or reprimands for her actions.

Zhang Rang even heard the soldier who led him into the camp say with admiration, “The young general temporarily took over General Lu’s duties and tricked Zhang Liang into staying here. General Lu led most of the troops out of the camp to join General Huangfu in capturing Guangzong, then returned to take Quzhou. With such capabilities, what’s wrong with raising a commander’s banner?”

“Moreover, the young general has made contributions on the fronts of Xiaquyang, Guangzong, and Quzhou. Even if she’s not from the Qiao family of Yanzhou, she would surely be among the first to be rewarded based on merit.”

As if realizing that speaking like this to an envoy from the capital was inappropriate, he quickly apologized, “Of course, these are not things we should comment on. It’s just that the young general is truly remarkable, and we all admire her greatly.”

Zhang Rang’s astonishment was impossible to hide. “General Huangfu and General Lu have acted so swiftly, they’ve already taken Guangzong. That bandit Zhang Jiao…”

“Has naturally been captured,” the soldier replied.

“Good… good! General Huangfu is truly a heaven-sent general for the Han!” Zhang Rang couldn’t hide his joy.

With Zhang Jiao captured, the Yellow Turban Rebellion was no longer a threat. Once the rebel armies across the land were pacified, who would dare to submit memorials claiming that the chaos was caused by them?

The soldier’s words also made Zhang Rang reassess his opinion of Qiao Yan.

The Emperor had already taken a liking to this potential star, Qiao Yan. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have granted her the title of Marquis of Leping, a position that could be easily promoted.

Now, this child had truly lived up to the Emperor’s expectations, delivering outstanding performances in the battles of Ji Province. Wouldn’t it be fitting to continue rewarding her under the name of Leping?

Qiao Yan, having grown up in Yanzhou, had no connections with the powerful families in the capital. A brute like Chunyu Qiong, even with the backing of the Yuan Clan, probably couldn’t gain much favor with her.

This… this was the perfect opportunity for Zhang Rang to establish a good relationship with her in advance!

With this thought in mind, Zhang Rang stepped into the main tent of the camp.

His eyes instinctively scanned the people inside.

Aside from the familiar faces of Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi, the only one left should be the so-called Qilin child of the Qiao family… right?

The moment he saw Qiao Yan’s appearance, Zhang Rang’s expression froze.

Unless he was blind, he could clearly see that the person sitting below Lu Zhi was Qiao Yan.

But she… she wasn’t a boy!

Zhang Rang suddenly felt that the marquis decree in his hand had become burning hot.