“`html
“So, strategists can’t take the throne?”
Chapter 60: Chu Yan Comes to Join
Well, they’ve all run away now, so stopping now looks more like a case of covering one’s ears while stealing a bell.
Cai Yong casually grabbed a handful of mulberry tree catkins from the tray, took a couple of steps towards Qiao Yan and said, “Lord Qiao’s choice of mulberry tree is truly visionary. These catkins may lack elegance in appearance, but taste just as good as meat.”
After saying that, as if to validate the sincerity of his praise for Qiao Yan, he took two bites of the steamed catkin in his hand.
Cai Zhaoji’s eyes went wide as she looked at her father; she didn’t expect him to be so earnest in finding reasons for himself, and he actually had a bit of skill, but using that skill to snatch food made her want to cover her head.
Out of sight, out of mind—so she simply grabbed a handful for herself.
Of course, Cai Yong wasn’t wrong; the appearance of these catkins was indeed lacking in grace, looking somewhat like bugs.
Previously, none would have even considered bringing such a thing before a great Confucian like Cai Yong; their reliance on the prestigious Tai Mountain Yang clan meant they wouldn’t stoop to collecting such things for food.
But for Cai Zhaoji, in this season, any food that could fill the belly mattered more than the lack of elegance.
The mulberry catkins are the flower spikes of the mulberry tree. Following Qin Yu’s instructions, part of what was left on the tree was reserved while the rest was harvested and distributed to each household; even the Black Mountain Labour Reform Team didn’t miss out, with the remainder kept to ensure a good harvest this year.
Before Qiao Yan had returned, Qin Yu had already prepared a pot of them cold tossed.
With the direct superior absent and the farming tasks in Leping almost complete, everyone had taken a break and sat here.
While seated, they heard Qin Yu mention that not harvesting all the catkins was due to the tree being dioecious; the leftovers were necessary for pollinating the fruits that would grow later. Although this stuff may taste a bit bitter, it’s said to be good for the eyes.
As the seeds can easily take root and grow into trees, if Leping wants to continue the mulberry bark clothing trade from previous years, they can’t just strip everything away.
But half of these flower spikes was more than enough for them to enjoy a little feast.
So they switched to a different cooking method.
While waiting for the freshly steamed mulberry catkins to be ready, they listened to Qin Yu continue explaining how even the leaves of the mulberry tree can treat athlete’s foot, and mulberry juice has recently been used as glue by the county officials.
Cai Zhaoji couldn’t help but ask why no one had utilized the mulberry tree like Lord Qiao had; it sounded like the tree was a treasure all by itself.
Cai Yong interjected, “This place has many people, and it’s also useful for making clothes and paper.”
Especially clothing.
The biggest demands in this world are clothing, food, and shelter. Previously, many places viewed the mulberry tree as a nuisance tree just because it grew too fast and had no corresponding uses.
But Leping was different; the settlement of the Black Mountain Bandits had caused the population density here to rival that of major cities. The demand for clothing, paper, and firewood was enough to rapidly deplete the wild growth of mulberry trees.
Now, with the leaves used as medicine and the catkins for food, come autumn, the mulberry fruits for medicine, and planting, it’s a complete cycle of utilization.
Thus, this so-called nuisance tree, much like the infamous Black Mountain Bandits in Leping, strangely complemented each other.
So Cai Yong’s remark about Lord Qiao’s foresight wasn’t just some random excuse.
Of course, in his view, the greatest value of the mulberry tree lies in its paper.
Couldn’t he leave? That wasn’t quite right either.
The inscriptions for Qiao Xuan had long been finished; he’d participated in funerals and memorial tablet construction, proving to be quite considerate as a former official.
Even if he had to care for the descendants of his former superior—
Just looking at how well Qiao Yan was doing in Leping was enough to show he didn’t need to fret.
And if he could say that a couple of months ago, it was due to the heavy snow blocking the mountains, but this month, there really hadn’t been such trouble.
He stayed here because essentially all of the mulberry bark paper given to the county office ended up with the two of them.
Cai Yong was so pleased he even thought of picking up and rewriting the “Eastern Observations of Han” that Qiao Yan had previously mentioned to Cai Zhaoji.
Mulberry bark paper is much easier to preserve than Cai’s official paper; it’s also more convenient than bamboo slips for writing—it’s the best material for someone like him who needs to compile historical texts.
Was he praising the food? No, he was clearly praising the paper.
Thinking this way made Cai Yong feel even more relaxed, especially seeing that Qiao Yan showed no signs of exposing him; she only smiled and took a handful of catkins from Qin Yu, following suit by sitting down on the stairs.
This sitting made her look no older than Cai Zhaoji, yet she was, after all, the official here. Soon after, everyone heard Qiao Yan pointing towards Zhang Yang to introduce him: “This is Zhang Yang, the newly recruited officer in Leping. I intend to make him the deputy to Zilong. Anyway, since we’re not bound by so many rules at the moment, it’s just an informal welcome gathering.”
“But once we’re done eating, we really should get down to business. This time we need to go to Jinyang and settle the income from the mulberry bark clothing with the Tang family, and trade it in for living utensils… and four thousand knives. How we distribute those knives, how to control them, and ensure that anyone who gets them won’t just run off with a weapon—Yuan Zhi—”
As Xu Fu returned from tying up the horse, he heard Qiao Yan call his name.
Xu Fu had learned quite a bit from following Qiao Yan and Cheng Li, but it was still the first time he had to submit a report in writing.
Suddenly shouldering such a heavy responsibility made him a bit nervous, but he quickly noticed that even the usually frivolous Mr. Xi was giving him an encouraging look, not to mention his mother, who had taken up weighty responsibilities far earlier than he had…
Not even thinking twice, Xu Fu immediately replied loudly, “Don’t worry, Lord Qiao, Xu Fu will not let you down.”
“Pfft… that tone makes it sound like you’re not in charge of knives but putting down a rebellion,” Yang Xiu couldn’t help but mutter.
However, he soon noticed that the big bowl of catkins in front of him had been moved into Dian Wei’s hands, and the look Qiao Yan gave was full of “you can’t even stop eating with all this food, maybe you shouldn’t eat anymore.”
“…?” Yang Xiu looked at his and Dian Wei’s physiques and felt as though they were collectively bullying a kid.
But he soon heard Qiao Yan ask, “Yang Xiu, how about I give you a new task?”
“Let young Yang go invite a doctor back, visit the Black Mountain Army, and record their ailments one by one… Credit to Lord Qiao for thinking of that.” As Qin Yu and Qiao Yan strolled through the fields, they chatted.
“Yang Xiu, with Mr. Bojie’s help, has already completed that long poem for literacy, and it’s in use at the county office, but whether to expand the number of learners, I am still hesitating. In a situation where basic living needs haven’t been thoroughly met, such actions would be pointless. It’s better to securely settle those already in hand first.”
Qiao Yan added: “The county residents in Leping can afford mulberry bark clothing for winter, and they have some spare cash for medical attention, but the Black Mountain Army members don’t have it so easy. They’ve also managed to save up some over the last half a year, but just as Mr. Xi reminded me, they haven’t yet completed their transition from captives to county residents.”
“Having Yang Xiu do this task would not only help hone his character and allow him to communicate more with the Black Mountain Army, letting him hear other voices, it’s also a kind of… let’s call it humanistic care from our Leping County office.”
“`
“I’ve never heard that term before, but it doesn’t stop her from realizing that Qiao Yan made a slight advance after saving a bit more at the Leping County Office.”
However, this step forward didn’t make any giant leap; it was still just scratching the surface of basic needs.
Besides, taking this step undoubtedly benefited Xu Fu’s upcoming weapon control.
Now, while entrusted by Qiao Yan with the farm tasks, she had no plans to slack off on her son’s education and nurturing.
Thinking back to her initial thoughts upon arriving in Leping, comparing it to her current mindset was a bit like waking from a dream.
Just as she pondered this, she suddenly spotted Qiao Yan squatting at the edge of the terraced fields.
“Come look here.”
Qin Yu followed the direction Qiao Yan pointed to and noticed a hint of green peeking through a patch of sparse topsoil, half-covered by the earthy brown above.
If it weren’t for Qiao Yan’s keen eyes, they might’ve completely missed the sign of that seedling breaking ground.
Seeing this, a smile crept onto Qin Yu’s face.
Though Qiao Yan firmly believed that the yam would grow slower from tuber propagation than from seedling propagation, neither the Black Mountain Bandits responsible for planting the yams nor Qin Yu, the overseer, had ever really cultivated yams by hand or paid attention to the growth cycle in the wild.
During Qiao Yan’s few days in Jinyang, she mostly mimicked Qiao Yan’s calm demeanor to keep those Black Mountain Bandits, who thought they had struck gold in yam fields, in line.
Not a lot of mental pressure to spill to outsiders.
Fortunately, this sprouting sight was a fantastic start.
The two of them walked a little further.
Perhaps due to Qiao Yan’s timely return, they ended up spotting several more patches of new sprouts.
Though they hadn’t yet seen a full row of green breaking through the soil, it was already enough to fill them with joy.
Clearly, this sprouting was not a coincidence; it was high time for it.
Nothing could be better!
“Once the yam seedlings fully sprout, send someone to shift that trellis over, fortify it every two zhang, and once the trellis is set, gather some bean cake fertilizer from the county for a round of supplementary fertilization.”
Qiao Yan pushed aside some of the topsoil to check the state of the new shoots.
Though the tiny new shoots swayed a little in the breeze, they still seemed weak. But thinking of the solid tuber below, it didn’t seem as frail as it appeared on the surface, reflecting the current Leping situation, which was quite likable.
She then looked up at the sky.
Bingzhou, or rather the Shangdang area, had a climate of rainy heat in the same season, and it wasn’t the right season yet.
But maybe the weather was feeling generous; the darkening sky looked somewhat like spring rain approaching, making her ponder that while yams shouldn’t be inundated, they also shouldn’t be too dry, so relying on natural rainfall would suffice.
“You must keep an eye on them,” Qiao Yan said, pointing at those moving around in the yam field. “Absolutely do not let them flood the fields just to feel busy!”
If it were all experienced farmers, she wouldn’t feel alarmed at all.
But it just so happened that some people summoned by Chu Yan and Zhang Niujiao were like Xu Fu at the start, doing the wandering knight thing, always gathering a crowd for a scuffle.
Now suddenly asking them to “hang up their swords and farm,” while making it clear that if the land was well-planted, there would be food, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel that there might be potential pitfalls.
Fortunately, Qin Yu not only had the guts to rein these guys in but also had the meticulousness that Qiao Yan appreciated. Now that all the instructions had been given, she would naturally pay attention to the execution.
“Let’s go, and after five days, you come with me to take a look again,” Qiao Yan said, clapping her hands together to shake off the dirt, planning to confirm the survival rate of the yam seedlings after they all sprouted.
Considering the Han Dynasty’s capabilities for disinfecting yam tubers, achieving a survival rate where all sprout was unlikely, but with this planting area, if the survival rate reached seventy percent, it would yield a significantly impressive harvest come autumn.
Qin Yu quickly replied with a “yes.”
Of course, while looking forward to the harvest was one thing, she had been gone from Leping for more than ten days. Although Cheng Li had full authority over governmental affairs in Leping, there were still some decisions that needed her judgment. After inspecting the yam fields, she had plenty of business to take care of, and Qiao Yan had no intention of lingering here.
Just as she planned to turn and leave, a shout of “Qiao Marquis, wait!” echoed behind her.
She turned around to see a young man with a fit build swiftly leaping across the yam fields. Despite repeatedly bouncing, he never actually touched down on the crops and quickly found himself right in front of her.
Before Dian Wei, trailing behind her, could step in to block him, the youth had already stopped about ten steps away from her.
“Other folks call you ‘Flying Swallow,’ and it truly fits…” Qiao Yan remarked as she watched him zip around.
This young man was none other than Chu Yan from the Black Mountain Bandits.
Previously, when dispersing these Black Mountain Bandits into different occupations to keep them from contacting each other, Qiao Yan had heard the supervisors say that Chu Yan excelled in both learning capability and speed. Now that he was switched over to yam planting, he was no different.
If there were to be any candidates for model worker among them, Chu Yan would surely top the list.
And now he was here to—
“You flatter me, Qiao Marquis,” Chu Yan said, maintaining a calm demeanor in response to her remark about the ‘Flying Swallow’ while bowing slightly. “I’m here to ask if the Leping County Office still needs hands?”
Need hands?
This unexpected inquiry made sense, though.
As a leader among the Black Mountain Bandits, Chu Yan was known for his commanding ability.
You see, he was currently leading only four or five thousand men, but at his height, he had a following of a million. Even though the elite troops capable of fighting numbered only four to five thousand, that’s still a pretty shocking figure.
But despite the fandom he garnered, he wasn’t swept away by it; instead, he chose to seek an official title as a Middle General, transitioning from a bandit to a position in the government, showing his political acumen.
So now that he was demonstrating significant competitiveness in Leping, it’s not surprising he’d want to pledge allegiance quickly.
However, Qiao Yan’s admiration for him didn’t conflict with her current stance.
After Chu Yan finished speaking, he met Qiao Yan’s steady gaze.
In the daylight and with such proximity, seeing the decisive county marquis brought him to realize how much his mindset shifted from that fateful night of his capture. The only constant was his impression that she was no ordinary person, which hadn’t budged all these months.
Despite her youth, he couldn’t quite gauge her attitude.
Especially after hearing that Qiao Yan had brought back a warrior from outside, which made him even more uncertain about how many chances he had to convince her—to treat him not as a prisoner but as a trusted subordinate.
He understood, if he chose to pledge allegiance, he must be that reliable right-hand man who recognizes his lord is still establishing her foothold rather than merely becoming a typical flunky.
Now truly was the best time.
Yet standing before Qiao Yan, he couldn’t shake off his unease.
After a moment’s silence following his words, Qiao Yan’s calm only heightened the pressure from the gloomy weather.
“Chu Yan,” Qiao Yan lifted her gaze, and finally spoke: “Indeed, we need more hands, but do tell me, why must it be you?”
Why must it be a bandit leader?
