Chapter 105 Soldiers...
"Since this person came to serve your provincial government, would it be inappropriate to put him under my command?" Guo Wei asked again.
This is really illogical.
Guo Yu didn't think Qiao Yan was trying to trick him.
Firstly, he didn't know that Lu Bu had the effect of restraining his superiors. Secondly, although Lu Bu was defeated by Zhang Liao this time, it was obvious that he was a brave and powerful general who was hard to find an opponent. Even if he was placed in Yanmen as a mascot, he could probably have considerable lethality, so it would not be impossible to give him a position as a military official.
More than two years ago, when Qiao Yan shot the governor with an arrow, he was transferred to Yanmen to be the prefect after he pleaded for Qiao Yan.
Yanmen was indeed not as stable as Shangdang, but it was more to his liking. The only problem was that the Xianbei people were a bit troublesome.
Fortunately, the previous use of brave soldiers to assist the Yanmen Commandery Commandery in guarding the border had relieved him of a lot of pressure. This time, Qiao Yan added a detachment of troops with Zhang Yang as the commander of the Yanmen Commandery. If he could add Lu Bu, who had good martial arts, there would be enough brave generals on this front.
However, isn't it a bit of a waste of Lu Bu's talent?
Qiao Yan replied, "This person's character is uncertain. It would be inconvenient to hastily include him in the provincial government's promotion system. I have no choice but to ask Governor Guo for help first."
"The position of Bingcao Yuan in Yanmen County is below Zhishu and Wenyuan. He needs to cooperate with the two in battle, but also form his own army. This way, we can reduce the friction between this brave warrior and his superiors, and let him learn what it means to truly command troops. Of course, I will personally teach him when necessary."
Listening to Qiao Yan's analysis, Guo Yan smiled and said, "That's true, but Lord Qiao's behavior shows that you have high hopes for this person."
"Can Governor Guo pull a three-stone bow?" Qiao Yan asked a question that seemed to have little to do with the current conversation.
"Of course not..." Guo Yu was not stupid. He looked towards the training ground in the distance with doubt and asked, "Then Lu Bu can do it?"
"The three-stone bow is drawn, and the willow tree can be shot through a hundred steps."
Qiao Yan had to call him a gifted man.
Lu Bu's archery skills are much more powerful than hers which are obtained by cheating through the system.
On the Bingzhou border, archery was used most of the time to drive back the attacking Hu people. So even if Lu Bu did not know how to deploy troops, and even if his temper was too arrogant and he needed to be more careful, he was undoubtedly a heavyweight killing weapon.
Therefore, this position of Bingcao Yuan was indeed a bit of a concession.
However, Lu Bu did not feel that there was anything condescending about it.
It was obvious that his loss to Zhang Liao was achieved under fair conditions for both parties. It was also true that Zhang Liao was more skilled in manpower deployment than him, so that before he could cause much damage to Zhang Liao's side, he had already lost the competition due to the injuries of more than a hundred people.
Zhang Liao was a really open-minded guy. While Qiao Yan was negotiating with others about Lu Bu's official position, he fought with him in a battle of 400 men against 400 men.
Then Lu Bu lost again.
This time he was even surrounded by the gang and pinned to the ground.
No matter how much strength he had, he couldn't struggle to escape, just like Dian Wei couldn't climb out of the pit that year.
The winning Baibo bandits seemed to be celebrating their victory, and this time they put in all their strength.
While touching his arm which was almost broken, Lu Bu muttered that he had indeed underestimated the opponent's ability!
In addition, in the subsequent additional test, he had to admit that even if the ability to command troops was ignored, Zhang Liao's skills in riding and shooting were certainly not as good as his Lu Fengxian, who was also a first-class figure in Bingzhou.
If judged according to the comprehensive strength mentioned by Qiao Yan, he really cannot replace the other party's position! Even Zhang Yang, an official from Yanmen County, was considered quite capable because he had experienced more wars than him.
However, being able to exchange martial arts, riding and archery with such people these days made him feel much more comfortable than being a crappy county official before.
Thinking about the fact that all these people were under the command of Marquis Qiao, and considering the impression of the gold seal and purple ribbon that Lu Bu could never forget, he thought that perhaps he should raise Qiao Yan's evaluation a little higher.
It was also at this time that he heard from Qiao Yan that he would be appointed as the military officer of Yanmen County and work together with Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang.
"Although you were defeated this time, your bravery is enough to show your bravery. But if you are appointed to an official position in the prefecture, it is inevitable that many people will come to recommend themselves. And if each of them names their own name and asks us to fight, then there will be no need to guard this border. Is this the case?" Qiao Yan asked.
Lu Bu thought about it and seemed to be true, so he nodded.
Then Qiao Yan said, "So although you are favored by the prefecture, you took this position as a special appointment by Yanmen County. Yanmen Prefect Guo admires your archery skills and appointed you as a military official. This can be explained. The military official is in charge of the military affairs of Yanmen, and ranks below Yanmen County Official and Wumen Official. Both of them have much more experience in leading troops in battle than you. I hope you can learn from them. Lü Fengxian, don't let me down."
Lu Bu looked at Qiao Yan. Although she had the solemn aura of a state governor, there was no lack of admiration for him in her eyes. Then he looked at the Yanmen prefect, who seemed to be much tougher than the Wuyuan prefect, and there was even some expectation of him in her eyes. As for his two future bosses, everyone had already known them by now.
There is such a good position in the world for him to display his talents!
Lord Qiao is truly a wise man!
When he has learned how to command troops, he will challenge again and make himself a trusted and capable general of Qiao Bingzhou.
Not only Qiao Yan could understand Lu Bu's eager expression, but even Zhang Liao could guess what he meant.
"Does Wenyuan feel pressured to suppress such a special subordinate?" Qiao Yan asked when he called Zhang Liao over to give him a few more instructions.
If Zhang Liao, who originally focused on Lu Bu, might think that the right thing to do is to allow Lu Bu to improve and reach a combat level above him.
But now Zhang Liao has been leading Wu Meng for two and a half years, and Qiao Yan said in person that he was the Wu Meng she favored. When she was in charge of the duties of the governor, he was the only choice to supervise the border wars. He also had confidence in his heart due to his experience in battle.
Lu Bu was born with supernatural powers and was an extraordinary rider and archer, but his character flaws made him only suitable to be a spearhead of an attack rather than the supreme commander of a large army.
So someone must suppress him in terms of his talent as a general!
Qiao Yan is the governor of the state. What he needs to control is the guiding direction, and he has no time to take on this responsibility all the time.
This matter...
Zhang Liao replied in a deep voice: "Lü Fengxian is a fierce tiger that is difficult to tame, but Liao is not afraid of this fight between a lone tiger and a lone wolf. Please rest assured, Lord Qiao, Liao will not let you down."
Qiao Yan watched this young man grow up with the war, and knew that he would never make a promise easily, so he naturally had no worries about him.
Generally speaking, it is not a bad thing to have Lu Bu under your command.
Lu Bu's brother-in-law Wei Xu also joined the army when Lu Bu surrendered. In this way, if Lu Bu could find generals such as Cao Xing and Hou Cheng who had originally surrendered to him, Qiao Yan would have more people to use.
As for whether those who betrayed Lu Bu would also betray her, this is just like the question of whether to use Lu Bu. As long as you put the person in the right position and use the right method to control him, there is nothing to worry about.
The existence of a character like Lu Bu is like a vicious tiger responsible for driving the team away and triggering competition. As long as the degree is properly controlled, it can have some miraculous effects.
Qiao Yan felt relieved when she saw that after Lu Bu received the official position, he started to get close to Zhang Yang and treated him as a brother.
Compared to the thoughts of these military generals, the literati are more troublesome.
She had previously given Lu Yuan two days to collect the information about these Bingzhou families and sort them out in order. Now was the time for her to hand in her answer.
Lu Yuan did not stay only in Jinyang.
As the chief clerk of Qiao Yan, the governor of Bingzhou, she already has some people under her command.
Therefore, she first selected several people from the Black Mountain Army in Leping as her entourage, and then set out to visit many places in Bingzhou. When Qiao Yan saw her, she still looked a little tired.
But when she opened her mouth to answer this question, her voice was extremely confident and there was no sign of fatigue.
"The people that Marquis Qiao must meet first are undoubtedly the Wang family of Jinyang, the Guo family of Yangqu, and the Tang family of Jinyang. Marquis Qiao may not have close ties with the so-called aristocratic families, but he cannot reject them. He must especially send a signal through them. These three families may have had a cooperative relationship with Marquis Qiao before, or they may be considered friends because people in their families have supported Marquis Qiao. This move is to show that Marquis Qiao has not forgotten his roots."
Qiao Yan nodded: "This is natural."
Although she told Cai Yong that these noble families should be afraid that she would use the Hu people to kill people with a borrowed knife when she was in power, she did not really intend to do so. At least at the current stage, necessary relationships must be maintained.
She also wanted to hear other conclusions that Lu Yuan came to after visiting various places.
Lu Yuan said: "For the person that Marquis Qiao wants to meet in the second round, I suggest it be Jia from Jiexiu, Taiyuan."
Qiao Yan asked: "Why is this?"
Lu Yuan replied: "There was a famous scholar in Taiyuan County named Guo Linzong. Lord Qiao should know him, so I won't say much about him. There is an interesting story about the Jia family in Jiexiu. It is said that -
"In his early years, Jia Zihou, a member of the Jiexiu Jia family, committed a crime to avenge his uncle and was arrested by the government. Jia Zihou pleaded with Guo Linzong for mercy, and Guo Linzong was able to save his life by interceding with the government. Therefore, after Guo Linzong's mother died, Jia Zihou also came to the funeral to pay his respects."
"The Jia family has been a family of nobles for generations, but this Jia Zihou has a bad temper and has done many evil things. Just then, Sun Weizhi from Julu came to pay his respects. He thought it was strange that Guo Linzong, who was so virtuous, allowed such an evil man to pay his respects to his mother, so he turned around and left without even entering the door."
"Guo Linzong saw this and chased after him, saying that although Jia Zihou was vicious, he had the potential to change his mind and become a good person. Confucius did not refuse the boy from Huxiang, so why should I refuse him? Of course, if someone else did this, it would inevitably be suspected of condoning evil, but Guo Linzong was a man who had never made mistakes in his evaluation of people, and Jia Zihou was no exception. After hearing this, he changed his ways. In the past 20 years, if anyone in his hometown met someone in trouble, he would do his best to save them. From then on, he became a good story in Bingzhou."1
"If Marquis Qiao meets this person, the meaning is self-evident. He has the intention of urging people to do good, and he also has feelings for Guo Linzong. He may also be trying to win over the Jiexiu Jia family."
This is virtue!
This person was beautifully chosen!
Jia Shu and Jia Zihou are a special existence. They not only have connections with aristocratic families, but are also connected with celebrities in idle rumors and have a good reputation in the village. It is most appropriate to bring them up in advance.
Qiao Yan asked: "Then who should we meet in the third round?"
It was not difficult for Lu Yuan to tell from Qiao Yan's expression that she was extremely satisfied with the results of this analysis and screening.
There were countless aristocratic and powerful families in the Thirteen States of the Han Dynasty, so she naturally did not dare to speak out of turn, lest she give the governor Qiao Yan a chance to be criticized.
She replied, "For the third round, I suggest that Marquis Qiao meet with Linghu Clan of Taiyuan."
"The Linghu clan of Taiyuan is the descendant of a Jin official. Their roots can be traced back to the Ji surname. They were given the title of Linghu and have lived in Taiyuan for generations. After Zhang Ju of Yuyang killed Gong Qi Chou, the commander of the Wuhuan Protectorate, the Linghu clan took over the position. Now, Linghu Shao, the leader of the younger generation of the Linghu clan, also has the potential to be a general."2
"The Linghu clan has little of the air of a corrupt scholar, but is brave and good at fighting. Marquis Qiao met them to show his determination to fight against the Xianbei and Xiongnu. If Linghu Shao can be used, it would be better to give him the position of Shuofang County official."
This is the image that Bingzhou must present to the outside world in the short term.
Lu Yuan has been with Qiao Yan for a long time, so he certainly knows her style, and therefore he would never make a wrong judgment at this time.
The three rounds of interviews she proposed were to establish her image as the governor in front of everyone.
He cherishes old friendships, does not reject cooperation with aristocratic families, recognizes the possibility of reform and goodness, and advocates martial ethics.
This is a very relevant image for the common people, noble families, wealthy families, and even the Black Mountain bandits and White Wave bandits who have joined her.
Lu Yuan continued, "The fourth round..."
As Qiao Yan looked at her talking, he suddenly felt that it was the right decision for him not to refuse her to follow him!
She did meet the people who submitted their visiting cards in the order suggested by Lu Yuan.
The first person who was allowed to visit was Wang Yang from the Jinyang Wang family.
Thinking about how Qiao Yan had come to discuss business with him three years ago with the hero wine, and now he had to take the initiative to come and ask for a meeting, Wang Yang couldn't help feeling a little dazed when he looked up and saw the lintel of the provincial government.
But if you think about it carefully, there were some signs that this day would come.
The last time he came to visit Qiao Yan because he held the governor hostage, he had also walked this route.
But at that time she was still a criminal who attempted to usurp power in the state to quell the locust plague, but today she is the master of this door.
Wang Rou's evaluation of her was indeed correct. Even the title of Marquis of Leping was not the upper limit she could achieve, but her starting point.
Now the other party has become the ruler of this state.
Fortunately, the Wang family of Jinyang never turned her away from the beginning, and even gave her extra rewards. The previous cooperation also always maintained the relationship between the two parties, and now they were getting the return of the favor from the governor.
How could Wang Yang not know the significance behind the change of Bingzhou Governor to Governor? This was obviously not a position that would be changed as quickly as the Governor.
Well, after the title of governor was confirmed, there would be no shortage of people sending visiting cards to her.
But Qiao Yan chose him first!
This was enough for him to stride through the door in a trance.
This is a trust in the Jinyang Wang family!
However, after seeing Qiao Yan, he restrained his pride and said, "I haven't had time to congratulate Marquis Qiao on his promotion to Bingzhou Governor. With Marquis Qiao's achievements, I'm afraid no one else is worthy of the title of young and promising."
"You are being overly polite, elder," Qiao Yan raised his hand, motioning him to sit down. "If you must be so polite, I have not yet thanked Shuyou for informing King Zuo Guli of my promotion to Bingzhou Governor in advance, suppressing his rebellious intentions."
This is exactly the report sent from Xihe County yesterday.
Yu Fuluo, the son of Qiangqu, was still assisting the Han Dynasty in fighting in Jizhou. The right wing of the Southern Xiongnu could not contain the ambition of the left wing, and even with Qiao Yan's intimidation, they could not help but become restless. Fortunately, the news arrived in time and was quickly delivered, which saved the trouble of a violent crackdown.
Wang Yang: "This is just Shuyou's job, there is no need for Lord Qiao to praise him."
Qiao Yan smiled and said, "Well, let's not talk about Shuyou or the Southern Xiongnu, let's talk about why I came to find you this time."
Wang Yang was a little surprised that she stated her purpose so frankly, but when he thought about their previous communication, she had always been too lazy to express it in any roundabout way, so it was not surprising that she would speak in this way now.
She slowly said, "I want to do a business with you regarding this mineral."
In Qiao Yan's opinion, Shanxi's mineral resources are truly astonishingly rich.
Although she planned to wait until sufficient barriers were established before mining, this did not prevent her from preparing for it first.
Even if she had sufficient armed forces, it would be difficult for her to eat alone at this stage.
However, if the other party can provide sufficient number of experienced manpower, this loss can be ignored.
Because of her power as governor, the salt and iron monopoly in Bingzhou fell into her hands, along with the mining development of unowned land, which was undoubtedly her greatest advantage.
However, what Qiao Yan found quite regrettable was that the Yuncheng Salt Lake in Shanxi was not in Bingzhou but belonged to Sili. The rock salt and Glauber's salt produced there were all controlled by the Sili Salt Administration, so the salt production did not have such a great advantage.
Fortunately, the amount of iron ore and coal mines is sufficient to make up for this loss.
During the stage of accumulating strength, these are also the two most important resources.
There are quite a few iron mines in Yanmen and Dingxiang areas north of Mount Wutai, and there are also many on the border between Xihe and Shangjun.
Not to mention the coal mines. Many of the coal mines in Xishan and Yangquan in Taiyuan County are currently being mined.
However, iron ore is a war resource. In order to prevent aristocratic families from raising too many private soldiers, Qiao Yan would not use it as a tool for cooperation with the Wang family.
So she added, "To be precise, coal mines. But I'm not talking about the same business as the honeycomb briquettes, but the mining of coal mines."
"What does Lord Qiao mean?" Wang Yang always felt that what Qiao Yan was talking about might not just be ordinary coal mining.
As expected, he soon heard Qiao Yan say, "Taiyuan County is not the only place in Bingzhou that can produce coal. Besides, don't you think that if there is a coal mine that can be mined in the open air, it will be much safer than underground operations?"
The coal mines in Bingzhou are currently concentrated in Taiyuan County, probably because of the peaceful living conditions of the place, which is roughly the area from Jinyang to Yangquan. Unfortunately, the coal mines in this area are all underground mines.
She had also been to the Yangquan coal mine and saw the coal mining industry there with her own eyes. It was almost the same as what she had seen in the museum.
The tunnels used for coal mining are narrow and dark with no ventilation facilities, so there is naturally no need to mention any protective equipment. The method used in the mine is the high-drop mining method of digging into the pile, which breaks the coal into large and small pieces and sends them out from the wellhead. It is precisely because of this limitation that most of the fires used for heating and daily use at this time still use charcoal rather than coal.
But in fact, there is more than one possibility for coal mines in Bingzhou.
Two years before Zhang Yang went out on the pretext of assisting Wu Meng in his activities, Qiao Yan had already asked him to pay more attention to the situation she pointed out. In Mayi of Yanmen, which was later in Shuozhou, there was an open-pit coal mine with quite astonishing mineral resources.
That is the Pingshuo open-pit coal mine.
Near the city of Meizhi where the Southern Xiongnu were located, there was also an open-pit coal mine located in the future territory of Junggar Banner.
These two coal mines were not convenient to mine under the conditions of the late Han Dynasty, because Yanmen was often in the midst of war, and the area of Xihe County was also allocated to the Southern Xiongnu for living and grazing.
But in the face of the urgency of time, why should we continue with such inefficient underground mining instead of choosing open-air operations above ground?
These two places must be in hand!
In the face of current productivity, the mine damage caused by open-pit coal mining is still completely within the controllable range. As for the difference in coal quality, it is even less important at this time when the iron smelting temperature can only reach this limit.
Given the quality of miners possessed by the Wang family of Jinyang, and even by most of the aristocratic families in Bingzhou, it does not seem to be too difficult to change the mining model.
This is her best solution at the moment.
Wang Yang watched Qiao Yan place the map under the table onto the table, and the areas marked with red ink were particularly eye-catching.
She pointed at the two places and said to Wang Yang, "Since I chose to meet you first, let's be frank. The two coal mines on the map can be mined in the open air by just digging up the soil layer. However, except for me, no one else in Bingzhou can ensure the smooth mining of these two places."
This is the truth.
It was precisely because of this confidence that Qiao Yan's words were more pressing. "If within a year, I can firmly suppress the Xianbei in Yanmen, no, it should be said that they are outside Yunzhong, and at the same time completely subdue the Southern Xiongnu and turn them into quails that dare not have any other intentions, would you dare to make a deal with me?"
Wang Yang: "What kind of deal?"
Qiao Yan replied: "Give me all the miners you have trained, and I will be in charge of digging open-pit mines. I can dig more than you can dig on your own."
After hearing what Qiao Yan said, Wang Yang couldn't help but pinch his fingertips, with a thousand thoughts in his mind.
In this proposal, it seems that all they have to pay is the miners, and then they will get more coal resources than before.
But this sentence is not as simple as she said.
These people, who often face the risk of being buried during underground mining and are also at risk of losing their lives at any time, are mostly hidden households hidden by aristocratic families.
Although Qiao Yan's action was not rude, it was undoubtedly an attempt that could easily make people feel that he had crossed the line.
But the special wine fermentation method before, the deliberate reminder before the locust plague came, and the honeycomb coal that she revealed some clues, plus the Jinyang Wang family's reception of him in advance, have almost formed Wang Yang's fixed cognition here -
The profits she spoke of would never be unfair to them.
In that case, it's not possible...why not give it a try?
"I don't mean to ask the elder to make a decision right now," Qiao Yan tapped the table lightly, drawing Wang Yang's attention back. "What I saw today was just to express my gratitude to the Wang family for their previous support. As for the matter of the open-pit coal mine, let's talk about it in a few days."
Wang Yang walked out of the provincial capital in the same daze as when he came.
But after taking a few steps, he came to his senses again.
The newly appointed Bingzhou Mu said that they could come back to discuss the coal mine deal in a few days, but he was definitely not the only visitor she received during these few days!
Even before he reached the corner of the street, he saw the old man from the Tang family walking towards the provincial capital with a look of joy on his face. It was obvious that he had also received an invitation.
In the previous mulberry leather clothing business, Qiao Hou still needed to rely on their existence to keep Le Ping in a safer environment, but now she no longer has to worry about this.
When she held the power of governor, she could directly win over the Tang family to her side.
Wang may still hesitate, but what about others?
The declining aristocratic families have remaining resources and the ambition to rise to the top, so they are the most likely to turn to Qiao Yan, especially those like the Tang family with whom Qiao Yan has a history!
If he had agreed late, I'm afraid the previous friendship would have been greatly reduced.
"Not good!" Wang Yang's heart raced, secretly hating himself for not being as decisive as Wang Rou.
But fortunately, it’s not too late to come to your senses now.
When he hurried back to the gate of the prefecture, he happened to be one step ahead of the old man from the Tang family, and he spoke first: "I was confused before. I still have something to say to Lord Qiao. Please let me know."
Qiao Yan smiled when he heard his voice from afar.
When she sent away Wang, Tang and the head of Guo who arrived later from the state capital, she had already roughly finalized the framework of the terms of cooperation.
Maybe it was the truth that good things come in pairs. After she put the document into the cabinet, she suddenly heard the system sound that had not appeared for many days.
I don't know if the communication between system doors is as troublesome as the one she has. I always feel that the door between them has a sense of fatigue caused by a long journey.
[I have contacted Farming System 043, but...but its request is a bit strange. 】
Qiao Yan asked, "Why is it strange?"
Hearing that this number was in front of his own system, Qiao Yan guessed blindly that the other party was most likely a veteran. However, from what the system said next, he couldn't tell whether the other party's system was a veteran or not. He only saw that the host of this system was a little unusual.
[It discussed the bargaining chips with the host it bound to this time. The girl said that farming and storing food would eventually lead to rebellion, but in her environment, she still needed some auspicious signs to rebel. So after asking about our timeline, she said that she could exchange the part of the farming book in her possession that was about farming in the north as a bargaining chip—]
[You need to hand over the Han Dynasty's imperial seal to her within three years. She will borrow it for ten years and then return it to you. This transaction will be executed by signing a letter of guarantee. She can deliver the agricultural book first, but if you cannot give the imperial seal after three years, one hundred of your counselor points and the corresponding data bonus will be deducted and converted into points on her side as compensation.]
This sounds more economically savvy than the previous martial arts system.
Qiao Yan pondered in his heart, and felt that the relationship between the host and the system might be that the host holds the dominant position, and the saying that farming and storing food will eventually lead to rebellion is also... quite interesting.
[But there is also a danger. If she fails to rebel successfully, the seal will be equivalent to being lost. The system calculated the duration of the Three Kingdoms and asked: What should you do if the lord you are loyal to needs this imperial seal ten years later? If others think that the jade seal is in your hands, it probably won’t be a big deal either…】
"Switch with her!" Qiao Yan said firmly, interrupting the system.
"The Han Dynasty's power is declining, and the existence of the imperial seal is no longer destined for heaven. Even if it is lost, there is no regret. On the contrary, if we can get the agricultural book, we can try to implement the feasible policies in Bingzhou next year. Who knows how many people can be saved."
"This business is worth doing!"
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