Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 2: At the Foot of Taihang Mountains, A Small Test of Skills Chapter 60: Chu Yan Comes to Join

But since they’ve already run, stopping now would just be like covering one’s ears to steal a bell.

Cai Yong calmly grabbed a handful of mulberry tree catkins from the tray, took two steps towards Qiao Yan, and said, “Marquis Qiao’s choice of the mulberry tree is truly foresighted. Although the mulberry tree catkins may lack elegance in appearance, their taste is no less than that of meat.”

After speaking, as if to prove that his praise for Qiao Yan was sincere, Cai Yong ate two pieces of the steamed mulberry tree catkins.

Cai Zhaoji widened her eyes and looked at her father, never expecting that her father had some skill in finding excuses for himself in such a serious manner. But using this skill to snatch food made her cover her head in disbelief.

Out of sight, out of mind, she simply grabbed a handful herself.

Of course, Cai Yong’s words were not wrong. The mulberry tree catkins indeed lacked elegance in appearance, looking somewhat like worms.

Previously, no one would have brought such a thing before a great scholar like Cai Yong. The powerful Tai Mountain Yang family they relied on, being a noble family, would not have collected this for consumption.

But to Cai Zhaoji, in these times, if something can satisfy hunger, why bother with so many rules about elegance?

The mulberry tree catkins are the flower spikes of the mulberry tree. According to Qin Yu’s instructions, some were left on the tree, some were picked, and distributed to each household, not even missing the Black Mountain reformation team. The rest were kept to ensure this year’s harvest.

Before Qiao Yan returned, Qin Yu had already made a pot using a cold dressing method.

With the absence of their superior and the farming tasks in Leping nearly completed, everyone took a break and gathered here.

As they sat around, Qin Yu explained that the reason for not picking all the mulberry tree catkins was because the tree is dioecious, and the remaining ones were needed for pollination and fruit growth. Although they taste astringent, they are quite effective in improving eyesight.

Moreover, the seeds easily grow into trees when they fall to the ground. If Leping wanted to continue the mulberry bark clothing business for a few more years, they couldn’t take all of them.

But even half of the flower spikes were enough to satisfy their cravings.

So they tried another method.

While waiting for the newly steamed mulberry tree catkins, they listened to Qin Yu continue talking about how even the leaves of the mulberry tree could treat athlete’s foot, and the tree sap was used as paste by the county officials recently.

Cai Zhaoji couldn’t help but ask why no one had used the mulberry tree like Marquis Qiao before, as it seemed like the tree was full of treasures.

Cai Yong interjected, “There are many people here, and it’s used for making clothes and paper.”

Especially for clothes.

The greatest needs in the world are food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Previously, many places considered the mulberry tree a nuisance because it grew too fast without corresponding uses.

But Leping was different. The pacification of the Black Mountain Bandits resulted in a population density no less than that of a big city. The demand for clothing, paper, and firewood was enough to quickly consume and clear the overgrown parts of the mulberry tree.

Then, the leaves were used for medicine, the catkins for food, and in autumn, the fruits were used for medicine or planting. This was a complete chain of thorough utilization.

Thus, the nuisance tree and the notorious Black Mountain Bandits in Leping town complemented each other quite well.

So Cai Yong’s praise of Marquis Qiao’s foresight couldn’t be considered just an excuse to exonerate himself.

Of course, in his view, the greatest value of the mulberry tree was still in paper.

Could he really not leave now? Not exactly.

The epitaphs he wrote for Qiao Xuan were already completed. He had participated in the funeral, erecting the monument and building the temple. As a former subordinate, he had done everything meticulously.

Even if he were to care for the descendants of his former superior—

Just seeing how well Qiao Yan was doing in Leping, he knew there was no need for him to worry.

And if he could say he was hindered by heavy snow in the mountains two months ago, this month there was no such trouble.

He stayed here precisely because, apart from supplying the county office, the mulberry bark paper mostly ended up with him and his daughter.

Cai Yong, having benefited, even wanted to pick up the “Dongguan Hanji” that Qiao Yan had mentioned to Cai Zhaoji before.

Mulberry bark paper was much easier to preserve than Cai Hou paper and more convenient to write on than bamboo slips, making it the top choice for someone like him who needed to compile historical records.

Was he praising the food? No, he was clearly praising the paper.

Thinking this, Cai Yong felt even more at ease, especially since Qiao Yan didn’t expose him, just smiled and took a handful of mulberry tree catkins from Qin Yu, sitting down on the steps like the others.

Sitting like this, she didn’t seem much older than Cai Zhaoji, but as the local authority, they soon heard Qiao Yan point at Zhang Yang and introduce, “This is Leping’s newly recruited officer, Zhang Yang, also known as Zhang Zhishu. I intend to make him Zilong’s deputy. Since there aren’t many rules now, consider this a welcome party.”

“But after eating, it’s time to get down to business. The profits from the mulberry bark clothing we settled with the Tang family in Jinyang have been exchanged for pots, pans, and other household items… and four thousand chopping knives. How to distribute these, how to control them, and how to ensure that those who get these tools won’t think of running away with them—Xu Fu—”

Xu Fu, who had just returned from tethering the horses, heard his name called by Qiao Yan.

“You, Zilong, and Zhishu, come up with a written plan within five days.”

Xu Fu had learned a lot from Qiao Yan and Cheng Li, but this was the first time he was required to submit a written report.

Suddenly entrusted with such a heavy responsibility, he felt a bit panicked inside, but then he saw even the usually unserious Xi Zhicai giving him an encouraging look, not to mention his mother, who had taken on heavier responsibilities earlier…

Without hesitation, Xu Fu immediately responded loudly, “Marquis Qiao, rest assured, Xu Fu will not let you down.”

“Pfft… the way he said it makes it sound like he’s not just controlling knives, but suppressing a rebellion,” Yang Xiu couldn’t help but mutter.

However, he soon found the large bowl of mulberry tree catkins in front of him handed over to Dian Wei, while Qiao Yan’s gaze seemed to say, “If eating can’t shut you up, maybe you shouldn’t eat.”

“…?” Yang Xiu blankly compared his physique to Dian Wei’s, feeling like they were collectively bullying a child.

But then he heard Qiao Yan ask, “Yang Xiu, how about I give you a new task?”

“Having Young Master Yang invite the doctors back, visit the Black Mountain Army, and record each illness… Marquis Qiao really has a way of thinking,” Qin Yu and Qiao Yan chatted as they strolled along the field ridges.

“Yang Xiu, with the help of Bojie, has completed the long poem used for literacy, which has been put to use in the county office. But whether to expand the scope of learning, I’m still hesitating. Without fully addressing the basic living needs, such actions are futile. It’s better to thoroughly settle those already in hand first.”

Qiao Yan continued, “The county residents of Leping have mulberry bark clothing for winter and some spare money, so seeing a doctor isn’t difficult. But the Black Mountain Army doesn’t have such good conditions. Over the past six months, they’ve saved some money, but as Xi Zhicai reminded me, they haven’t fully transitioned from captives to county residents.”

“Having Yang Xiu do this task can temper his character, allowing him to hear different voices by interacting more with the Black Mountain Army. It also serves as a form of… let’s call it humanistic care from our Leping county office.”

Qin Yu then…








Although she hadn’t heard the term before, it didn’t stop her from understanding that Qiao Yan had taken a small step forward after accumulating a bit more at the Leping County Office.

However, this step didn’t make any significant leap; it was still at the level of basic needs.

Moreover, taking this step first undoubtedly benefited Xu Fu’s upcoming weapon control.

Now, being valued by Qiao Yan and entrusted with agricultural matters, she also had no intention of neglecting her son’s education and cultivation.

Although comparing her initial thoughts upon arriving in Leping with her current ones, it still felt somewhat dreamlike.

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly saw Qiao Yan squatting by the edge of the mountain field.

“Come and look here.”

Qin Yu followed the direction Qiao Yan pointed and saw a faint green sprout emerging from the sparse topsoil, mostly covered by the soil above.

If not for Qiao Yan’s sharp eyes, they might have missed this sign of the seedling breaking through the soil while walking.

Seeing this, Qin Yu couldn’t help but show a hint of joy.

Although Qiao Yan had confidently stated that cultivating yams from tubers would be slower than from seeds, neither the Black Mountain Bandits responsible for planting yams in the mountains nor Qin Yu, the supervisor, had ever truly cultivated yams artificially, nor would they have noticed the growth cycle in the wild.

During the days Qiao Yan was away in Jinyang, Qin Yu mostly imitated Qiao Yan’s calm demeanor to keep the Black Mountain Bandits, who relied on the yam fields for their livelihood, in check.

The psychological pressure involved was hard to describe.

Fortunately, this sprouting was an excellent start.

The two of them walked a bit further.

Perhaps because Qiao Yan returned at the right time, they even saw several new sprouts emerging.

Although they hadn’t yet seen a whole row of green sprouts breaking through the soil, it was enough to bring joy.

It seemed that this sprouting wasn’t a special case but rather the right time had come.

This couldn’t be better!

“Once the yam seedlings fully break through the soil, have someone move the supports over, spaced two zhang apart and reinforced. After the supports are set, have someone collect bean cake fertilizer from the county and apply another round of top dressing.”

Qiao Yan brushed aside the topsoil to check the condition of the new sprouts.

The new sprouts swayed slightly in the breeze, still in a fragile state, but considering the sturdy tubers below, they weren’t as weak as they appeared, much like the current state of Leping, which was also endearing.

She then looked up at the sky.

Bingzhou, or rather the Shangdang region, has a climate where rain and heat coincide, and it wasn’t yet the season.

But perhaps because the heavens were kind, the sky she saw was overcast, with signs of spring rain approaching. Thinking that yams fear waterlogging but also shouldn’t be too dry, relying on natural rainfall would suffice.

“You must keep an eye on them,” Qiao Yan pointed to the people walking among the yam fields, “and absolutely do not allow them to overwater just to make themselves look busy.”

If they were all experienced in farming, she wouldn’t be worried.

But some of the people gathered by Chu Yan and Zhang Niujiao, like Xu Fu, were originally wandering knights, used to gathering and fighting in groups.

Now suddenly having them “lay down their arms and return to farming,” with the clear promise of food if they farmed well, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel there was potential for trouble.

Fortunately, Qin Yu not only had the courage to keep these guys in check but also had the meticulousness that Qiao Yan admired. With everything instructed, she would naturally pay close attention to the execution.

“Let’s go, come back with me in five days to check again.” Qiao Yan clapped her hands, brushing off the dirt, planning to confirm the survival rate once all the yam seedlings had sprouted.

Given the Han Dynasty’s ability to disinfect yam tubers, it was unlikely that all would sprout and survive. But with this planting area, even a 70% survival rate would result in a considerable harvest by autumn.

Qin Yu quickly responded with an agreement.

Of course, while looking forward to the harvest, thinking that she had been away from Leping for over ten days, even though Cheng Li, the Prefect of Leping, handled all official duties, there were still some matters that required her decision. After inspecting the yam fields, she still had plenty to do, and Qiao Yan no longer wished to stay.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she suddenly heard a loud shout from behind, “Lord Qiao, wait!”

She turned towards the direction of the voice and saw a young man nimbly leaping over the yam fields, not stepping on the planted areas, and in an instant, he was in front of her.

Before Dian Wei, who followed her, could intercept, the young man had already stopped about ten steps away.

“Others call you ‘Flying Swallow,’ and it’s truly fitting…” Qiao Yan remarked, impressed by his agility.

The newcomer was none other than Chu Yan from the Black Mountain Bandits.

Previously, when assigning the Black Mountain Bandits to different tasks to prevent them from contacting each other, Qiao Yan had heard from the supervisors that Chu Yan’s learning ability and speed of action were exceptionally outstanding, and now it was the same with planting yam seedlings.

If there were to be a model worker among them, Chu Yan would definitely be on the list.

And now he had come—

“Lord Qiao, you flatter me,” Chu Yan, unfazed by the ‘Flying Swallow’ tease, clasped his hands towards Qiao Yan, “I came to ask if the Leping County Office still needs manpower?”

Needs manpower?

Although the intention was surprising, it was also reasonable.

Chu Yan, the leader of the Black Mountain Bandits, was a top-notch commander.

He had only gathered four to five thousand men now, but at his peak, he had a million followers. Although only forty to fifty thousand were elite fighters, it was still an astonishing number.

Yet, with such a following, he hadn’t lost his head but instead sought an official title from the court, transitioning from bandit to official, showing his ability to judge the situation.

So now, showing clear competitiveness in Leping, it was no surprise he chose to pledge his loyalty quickly.

However, Qiao Yan’s appreciation for him didn’t conflict with her current actions.

After Chu Yan finished speaking, he met Qiao Yan’s calm gaze.

Seeing this decisive County Marquis up close in broad daylight, Chu Yan realized that his mindset had changed significantly since the night of his capture, but the judgment that she was no ordinary person had never changed in the past six months.

Although she was young, he couldn’t quite grasp her attitude.

Especially since yesterday, when he heard that Lord Qiao had brought back another warrior from outside, making him even more uncertain about his chances of convincing her to see him not as a prisoner but as a trustworthy subordinate.

He understood that if he chose to pledge his loyalty, he should be the discerning right-hand man when the lord was still in humble beginnings, holding only a county, rather than just an ordinary turncoat errand boy.

Only now was the best time.

But standing before Qiao Yan, he couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Qiao Yan’s brief silence after his words likely added to the pressure brought by the overcast weather.

“Chu Yan,” Qiao Yan finally spoke, raising her eyes, “we naturally need manpower, but please tell me, why must it be you?”

Why must it be a bandit leader?