Chapter 40: Eight Peaks of Taihang Mountains
The Mang Mountains are vast and the sound of vehicles is faint.
As Qiao Yan rode his horse under the protection of the Northern Army, he suddenly thought of the nursery rhyme that was sung in Luoyang City during the last years of Liu Hong's reign, which said, "The Marquis is not a Marquis, the King is not a King, thousands of cavalrymen are marching to Beimang."
However, the Han Dynasty had not yet reached the point of complete chaos at this time, and the captain of the Northern Army around her still obeyed the orders of Emperor Liu Hong.
And her troop heading to Leping, while attending to Qiao Xuan's funeral, was also heading towards a land of hope, but it was not the fleeing scene of "thousands of cavalrymen fleeing to Beimang".
She raised her head and looked to both sides, and saw that the mountain road of Mangshan was covered with lush vegetation. It seemed that because there were many imperial tombs in the mountain, there was a sense of solemnity and awe.
The Northern Army Captain Bao Hong followed the army and served as the commander of the Northern Army escort team.
Seeing Qiao Yan looking around and seeming to be interested in this mountain, he said, "Mangshan is the barrier of northern Luoyang. Luoyang soldiers have always patrolled the mountain. Lord Qiao can rest assured. Although this place is steep, it is absolutely not dangerous."
Qiao Yan replied: "I am not worried about the safety of this trip. With General Bao here and the Northern Army soldiers accompanying us, I think it will be safe. What I am worried about is——"
"Ever since Emperor Guangwu was buried here because of the legend of the phoenix's nest and dragon's lair, previous emperors such as Emperor Xiao'an and Emperor Xiaochong were also buried here. My grandfather was cautious during his lifetime and his family had no extra money. But now he is carrying a chariot and a yellow house with a left flag, which may offend the previous emperor. I feel a little worried when I think of this."
Bao Hong smiled and said, "Marquis Qiao's cautious style is really in line with Mr. Qiao. However, since this is an honor bestowed by His Majesty, I think the previous emperors who are buried in Mount Mang will not blame it."
That was true, but when Bao Hong looked back, he still felt a little envious.
What are the meanings of the chariot with chariots and the yellow house with the flag on the left?
The 辒辌车 was originally called an 安车, which was a horse-drawn carriage in which people could lie down when traveling.
Because the windows of its carriage can be opened to change the temperature inside, it is called a 辒辌车.
In the past, when Qin Shi Huang toured the Shaqiu region in the east, he rode in exactly this type of chariot.
Due to the funeral regulations specially approved by Liu Hong, the chariot was built in the size of a four-horse carriage, and was covered with a layer of yellow silk cover used exclusively by the emperor. A yak tail symbol was also erected on the left side of the chariot's wheelbarrow.
This is the left flag of the Yellow House.
Actually, this kind of funeral ceremony cannot be considered as an act of usurpation.
Wu Han, the second most loyal general among the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai, was buried in this way.
However, Wu Han's hometown is located in Nanyang, unlike Qiao Xuan who passed by Mangshan because he was going north.
And this kind of carriage must not be removed until it reaches the border of Leping, so that everyone along the way will know the grace that the current emperor has bestowed on Qiao Xuan.
Therefore, it was difficult for Bao Hong not to envy him.
But from the perspective of another person in the convoy, this kind of honor was something that Qiao Xuan should enjoy.
"When Lord Qiao led his troops out of Bingzhou in the past, his might and power were as fierce as fire. He deserves to be buried with such a grand ceremony." Cai Yong looked at the line of troops and commented frankly.
He had been quite open-minded and willing to say anything at Qiao Xuan's funeral, and this was even more so at this time.
When Qiao Yan heard this, she couldn't help but feel a little headache.
During the altar sacrifice ceremony that day, he talked about his past with Qiao Xuan while howling. Although it can be explained as a sentimental act, when Qiao Yan thought about whose voice in Luoyang City could be heard by the gods, he felt that Cai Yong's level of seeking death was extremely high.
It’s no wonder that he eventually died in Luoyang Prison.
Fortunately, Cai Yong wrote the inscription for Qiao Xuan, so naturally he wanted to see it completed. So when the carriage and the Northern Army escort were about to set out, he also brought Cai Zhaoji here to go to Leping together.
No matter what the reason was, Qiao Yan felt there was no need to reject Cai Yong.
Cai Yong's status in literature and calligraphy was extraordinary, and he also had a daughter, Cai Zhaoji. As Qiao Yan had some plans for Leping County as her foothold and was in urgent need of manpower, she really couldn't let this father and daughter slip away from her hands.
It's just a pity that Cai Yong's eldest daughter, Cai Zhenji, had already married Yang Xin when Cai Yong was taking refuge in the Yang family of Taishan, so she is naturally not here.
So I can only bring two people with me.
Fortunately, the most important person is Cai Yong.
If he didn't leave Luoyang at this time, he would probably be cheated again by his weak political intelligence.
When he was exiled to Shuofang, someone pleaded for him and he was spared the death penalty. In addition, he held an official position at the time, so it was easier for him to plead for mercy with Liu Hong.
But now he is just a commoner relying on Taiyang Yang family. If he really offends any of the eunuchs, he may not even have the chance to report to the emperor.
He followed them to Leping County, which allowed him to avoid several people in Luoyang who were hostile to him.
Another reason for letting Qiao Yan take him along was that since she had gained a lot from Qiao Xuan, she naturally couldn't bear to see his old friend being harmed by others because of his careless words during the funeral, so she had to help him in any way.
Cai Yong had no idea that when Qiao Yan had talked to him about building a shrine in Leping to enshrine Qiao Xuan's spirit, with a tripod erected in front of the temple to commemorate his literary virtues and an axe placed horizontally in the middle of the shrine to commemorate his martial virtues, he was not actually just talking about Qiao Xuan, but was trying to arouse his interest in writing an inscription for the tripod, which made him jump into the ditch with his baggage in his hands.
For him, it was extremely meaningful to combine the inscription on the Lingtai stele, the tripod inscription and the stone axe inscription commemorating Wude to form a complete memorial system.
Not to mention that it’s about Qiao Xuan!
Halfway through the journey, he had already been inspired to finish writing the "Yellow Axe Inscription" to commemorate Qiao Xuan's achievements during his tenure as General Du Liao. In it were the eight words he said, "The power and spirit are brilliant, as fierce as fire."
Cai Zhaoji was a little worried about Cai Yong's choice. During a pause on the march, she found Qiao Yan and said, "It is wrong to bother Marquis Qiao. However, my father has some unresolved grievances in Bingzhou. Although Marquis Qiao is settled in Leping County, there is no guarantee that he will not be affected."
Although Cai Zhaoji was young, she was obviously not like her father - Cai Yong was talented but lacked brains.
After some thought, she decided to explain the truth to Qiao Yan in case of emergency.
"My father was pardoned and was supposed to return to Luoyang from Wuyuan. However, when Wang Zhi, the governor of Wuyuan, saw him off, he invited him to dance with him. My father looked down on him because he was Wang Fu's younger brother and was rude to him during the banquet. So Wang Zhi secretly told my father that he was resentful of the court. That's why my father, my daughter and I had to flee and seek shelter from the Yang family."
"I heard from my father that the eunuch Wang Fu was killed by the cruel official Yang Qiu of the Sili. However, Yang Qiu was also falsely accused and killed by the eunuchs. Although Wang Zhi lost an internal supporter, he was protected by the other eunuchs..."
Cai Zhaoji frowned, "If it will cause trouble for Marquis Qiao, I think..."
"It's okay. Wang Zhi is the governor of Wuyuan, not Shangdang. Why worry about this?" Qiao Yan replied. "Besides, I am the marquis of the county. All the land in this county belongs to me. Why would Governor Wang want to interfere?"
Seeing that Cai Yan wanted to say something, Qiao Yan suddenly changed the subject and asked, "I have something to ask Zhao Ji. When I was in Jizhou earlier, I met Mr. Zigan. He mentioned that he had worked with Mr. Bo Ji to compile the Dongguan Hanji, but Mr. Bo Ji was exiled and did not have time to finish it. I wonder if he has started writing on this book in recent years?"
"Dongguan Hanji" was first written by Ban Gu and has gone through several dynasties to date. It is a chronological history of the Eastern Han Dynasty in the form of chronicles.
Literary masters like Cai Yong are naturally involved.
However, in the original history, Cai Yong was exiled first, and then Dong Zhuo rebelled, which resulted in most of the content in the last revision being lost during the process of moving the capital to Chang'an.
From the perspective of a later generation studying history, Qiao Yan naturally felt regretful, and now he had found an opportunity to ask about it.
Of course, this was not the only reason why she interrupted Cai Zhaoji.
She could actually guess what the other person wanted to say.
Cai Yong, a guy who was great at stirring up hatred, attracted more than just smearing remarks from Liu Hong from people who disliked him.
On his way to exile in Shuofang, he was even hunted down by assassins sent by Yang Qiu because of the prevalence of the chivalrous spirit and the custom of keeping retainers in the Han Dynasty. However, the assassins sympathized with Cai Yong and told him the truth.
If Yang Qiu was able to carry out an assassination back then, it is obvious that Wang Zhi can do it now.
If Cai Zhaoji wasn't standing in front of Qiao Yan right now, she would have wanted to hold her forehead and sigh -
How did Cai Yong manage to make both Yang Qiu and Wang Zhi, his enemies, want to kill him?
But he happened to be proficient in music, good at calligraphy, and able to compile history. He was truly a literary genius who should be treated as a guest of honor.
But there is no need to say all these things to Cai Zhaoji.
If the Wuyuan governor really wanted to cause trouble, since she could get out of Luoyang, a dangerous place, why would she be afraid of fighting him?
So before Cai Zhaoji raised this concern, Qiao Yan had already blocked her back.
When she heard Qiao Yan mention Dongguan Hanji, Cai Zhaoji pondered for a moment, then dug out relevant information from her memory and replied, "I was not yet born when my father compiled this book. I only heard that when he was exiled, he listed the main points of the last ten chapters. But from what I saw my father write on weekdays, he probably only wrote the two chapters on the meaning of the calendar and the meaning of music."
This answer is not surprising.
During his exile and escape to the south to escape disaster, even though Cai Yong's friends from all sides lent him a hand, it was not a suitable environment for writing history.
This further strengthened Qiao Yan's determination to keep Cai Yong in Leping.
If this Dongguan Hanji can be revised and compiled, it will undoubtedly be an extremely important basis for future generations to study the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty. You should know that when the first version of this book was circulated, it could be called one of the Three Histories together with "Records of the Grand Historian" and "Book of Han".
If the later compilation work had not been affected by the war, and the Book of the Later Han Dynasty had not been widely circulated...
Thinking of this, Qiao Yan no longer felt that Cai Yong's overly straightforward remarks were a big deal.
Her thoughts were in a state of confusion for only a moment. Before the perceptive child Cai Zhaoji realized that she was distracted, Qiao Yan had already replied, "It is not easy for Mr. Bo Ji to complete two chapters in exile. I hope that the emperor can realize whose words are trustworthy as soon as possible, so that Mr. Bo Ji can return to the East Palace as soon as possible."
It is easy to say that we should return to Dongguan as soon as possible, but it is not easy to realize this vision.
But for some reason, Cai Zhaoji and Qiao Yan had only known each other for a few days, but she felt that her words were full of convincing power.
In the midst of this hope, she no longer remembered what she had come to talk to Qiao Yan about.
On the subsequent journey north, because Cai Yong had to polish the first draft of "Huang Yue Ming", he called his daughter to assist him, and Cai Yan had no chance to talk to Qiao Yan.
On the mountain roads, the carriages drove slowly and carefully, and the speed increased a lot after leaving the mountain pass.
Go a little further and you will reach the Mengjin Ferry on the Yellow River.
Since not all the Northern Army soldiers would follow Qiao Yan to Leping, the farewell ceremony only stopped here.
Only the captain Bao Hong was accompanied by more than 200 people to ensure that Qiao Xuan's body and Qiao Yan, the newly-appointed Marquis of Leping, could arrive safely in the fiefdom.
After the remaining Northern Army withdrew, Bao Hong led his troops to find a boat to cross the river. Before nightfall, they crossed the Yellow River and arrived in Jiyuan.
All in all, a team of more than 200 people is not a small size. At least for the areas in Sizhou where few remnants of the Yellow Turbans cross the border, it is a sufficiently safe armed force.
It was for this reason that Bao Hong decided after discussing with Qiao Yan that they would not camp in the city, but would set up camp directly outside the city.
However, Qiao Yan did not fall asleep and rest immediately.
From where they are now, because there were not so many tall buildings blocking the view in the Han Dynasty, looking from the north, they can vaguely see the shadow of the Taihang Mountains.
Of course, as the dividing line between Shanxi and Shandong in later generations, most of Taihang Mountains are still located to the east of Bingzhou and west of Jizhou.
What Qiao Yan could see at this moment was only the very end that stretched to the south. This place also has another name, called Zhongtiao Mountain, and connected to the east of Zhongtiao is Wangwu Mountain, the one mentioned in the legend of Yugong moving the mountains.
This is not an easy road to travel.
If not for this, the Taiyuan and Shangdang areas would not have been positioned as the throat of the world, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Because of this, Qiao Yan used the system's 3D map function in his military tent to outline the route from here to Leping bit by bit.
Then, she asked Dian Wei to call Cheng Li and Bao Hong over.
As soon as Bao Hong entered the military tent, he was shocked by Qiao Yan's map which showed the passes and detailed terrain.
But he thought that Qiao Yan was the grandson of Qiao Xuan after all, and Qiao Xuan had once served as the Grand Marshal, who was in charge of the military and political affairs of the world, so it was not surprising that he had such a map in his hands.
However, the ink on the map was still fresh, as if Qiao Yan had memorized it from memory.
This is really not a skill that ordinary people can have.
As his eyes lingered on the map, he heard Qiao Yan ask, "May I ask General Bao, I haven't asked you before, which road do you plan to take when we go to Leping County?"
Bao Hong looked at the picture for a moment and pointed, "Here."
"We are now in Jiyang. If we want to travel faster, we should go from Jiyuan to Qinyang first, then take Taihang Xing, go to Jincheng, pass Changzhi in Shangdang, and then arrive at Leping."
Among the eight passes of Taihang Mountain, Taihang Pass is the second one.
On the map drawn by Qiao Yan, this is indeed the shortest route.
But Bao Hong saw Qiao Yan shook his head, obviously not agreeing with his idea.
She asked, "General Bao, do you know that there is still a remnant of the Yellow Turbans in Jizhou? After Zhang Jue's death, the soldiers under the command of the Northern Army General were chasing after them, but they were unable to capture them?"
Bao Hong was stunned for a moment. "The three Zhang Jiao brothers were wiped out by the royal army, so why is there still a remnant of them fleeing?"
He had been in Luoyang for a long time and only knew that the two generals had put down the rebellion. He had no idea that when the overall situation in Jizhou had been decided, there were unexpected events in the details.
He then heard Qiao Yan reply, "This group is not in Julu County. Instead, they followed the Yellow Turbans and started a rebellion. They gathered young men from the village to become bandits. There are more than 10,000 of them. After Zhang Jue's death, some of them believed that the Yellow Turbans were untrustworthy and returned to their hometowns to become good citizens of the Han Dynasty. However, some of them are still roaming around the country."
"So what are they doing now..." After hearing what Qiao Yan said, Bao Hong suddenly felt that he should not send the Northern Army soldiers back so quickly, but should continue to follow.
If His Majesty asks, just use these roaming Yellow Turban bandits as an explanation.
The next reply from Qiao Yan made him even more alert.
She replied, "Because these young bandits came from Changshan County, when Zhang Jue died and the Northern General led his troops to fight the bandits, they evacuated towards their hometown. However, the Northern General and the Left General's troops were too powerful, so these people did not dare to stay in Changshan for long, so they retreated into the Taihang Mountains and were active between Fukouxing and Jingxing, calling themselves the Black Mountain Bandits."
"So I say that the marching trajectory previously planned by General Bao is inappropriate."
Bao Hong gasped.
Fukou Xing connects Shangdang and Anyang, and Jingxing connects Leping and Zhending. In this way, if he really followed the original plan to take Taihang Xing to reach Jincheng, and then go to Leping via Changzhi, the section from Changzhi to Leping would be very likely to be attacked by the Black Mountain bandits.
Since the other party still chose to gather together and cause chaos after Zhang Jue's death and the collapse of Taiping Dao, I'm afraid they are not easy to deal with.
Therefore, the shortcut he wanted to take earlier was obviously not possible!
Or perhaps, this matter is not just a question of whether a road can be taken, but more importantly, with such a group of bandits who can escape into the Taihang Mountains and are not easily discovered, the county fiefdom that Qiao Yan is going to will also be in trouble.
Bao Hong did not hesitate and asked immediately: "If that's the case, Leping is probably not that peaceful. Marquis Qiao was made a marquis for his contribution in suppressing the Yellow Turbans. If I were a Yellow Turban, I would definitely regard Marquis Qiao as a thorn in my side. Should I...should I ask Your Majesty to choose another place?"
In particular, he felt extremely pressured when he thought of the former general Qiao Xuan who was transporting a corpse in a chariot in the team.
If there were bandits coming, he must not let anything happen to their bodies, otherwise he would be unworthy of his escort duty.
At an angle that Qiao Yan couldn't see, Bao Hong clenched his hands, and felt that it was indeed summer, causing sweat to break out on his back.
Suddenly they learned that the route they were taking and the place they were arriving at might be affected by the Yellow Turbans who had not been completely eliminated. Even though Bao Hong was a practical man compared to captains like Chunyu Qiong, he still found it extremely difficult.
What's even worse is that he had never left Luoyang before and had no idea what the fighting capabilities of these Yellow Turbans were.
However, the news he received contained many contradictions about the war situations.
The Yellow Turbans repelled General Zhu Jun's vanguard, which was extremely fierce and powerful, and forced him to retreat to Changsha.
There is also a child like Qiao Yan who can quell the rebellion in one or two states, as if the Yellow Turbans were made of paper.
This confusion in combat effectiveness made Bao Hong a little confused.
So much so that when he saw Qiao Yan responded coldly with "No", he was almost subconsciously led by her.
"Your Majesty's reward of the title of county marquis is already a great grace. How can Your Majesty change his mind every day? This matter must not be mentioned." Qiao Yan continued, "Besides, General Bao does not need to be so wary of these young bandits. Once the Yellow Turbans' faith is dispersed, the number of people willing to follow the leader will naturally decrease greatly. When Your Majesty pardons the world, people's minds will change, and some of them will disperse even more."
"What's more, Shangdang and Leping are fertile lands with few disasters. If these bandits come, the people will not follow them rashly. Instead, they will fight to protect their homes. As a county marquis, I am not facing the dilemma of being surrounded by wolves."
In fact, just as Qiao Yan said, the Yellow Turbans active in Taihang Mountains today are far from reaching the status of the later Black Mountain bandits.
This branch was still in its infancy, and had lost some of its men due to the crisis of faith within the Yellow Turbans, so it could not even gather the nominally 10,000 men.
But you have to know that even if there are really tens of thousands of people, if you only consider the actual combat effectiveness, it will be reduced by half.
The situation of this team, combined with the news Qiao Yan had received in Jizhou before and the history of the Black Mountain bandits hiding and developing with the help of the Taihang Mountains, had already been judged by Qiao Yan when he left Luoyang.
Otherwise, she would not have invited Cai Yong and Cai Zhaoji to go to Leping together.
Because she knew it.
However, although she knew a lot, she could not tell Bao Hong about it. The leaders of the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans in Taihang Mountains were named Zhang Niujiao and Chu Yan. After Zhang Niujiao's death, Chu Yan changed his surname to Zhang and named himself Zhang Yan. During the confrontation between Liu Hong and his troops in Taihang Mountain overlooking Sizhou, he obtained the title of General of the Central Army to Pacify the Rebellion from Liu Hong.
This sounds much more impressive than Bao Hong, the future one of the eight captains of Xiyuan.
All she said was, "General Bao, rest assured. I will never joke about my grandfather's remains. We will just avoid the Yellow Turbans in the Taihang Mountains for now. I will have my own plans after we arrive in Leping."
Bao Hong thought about what Qiao Yan had done before and realized that he had indeed never made any wrong decisions.
Although according to the widely circulated rumors in the capital, it was indeed too risky for her to sneak into the Yellow Turban enemy camp to serve as a military advisor.
But it cannot be denied that her careful planning undoubtedly achieved a result that made the nobles in the capital feel relieved.
In that case, since the remnants of the Yellow Turbans in the Taihang Mountains have lost their spiritual leader, the Great Sage Master, it should not be difficult to deal with them now.
He asked, "So according to what Qiao Hou said, we are going to take another route to reach Leping?"
"That's right," Qiao Yan pointed to the first of the eight passes in Taihang Mountain on the map, which was the Chenguan Pass, and said, "We will go from here, go around to Linfen in Hedong County, and go north along the valley where the Fen River flows until we reach Taiyuan, and then go east to Leping."
Seeing that Bao Hong was still doubtful, Qiao Yan said, "General Bao, don't worry. Although there were Yellow Turban bandits in Hedong County before, the good families and nobles of Hedong have almost pacified them. Compared with the unknown black bandits in the mountains, Linfen is naturally much safer."
"Besides, the name of the pass comes from the fact that it is so dangerous that only one person can pass through it. In normal times, merchants don't even want to take this road, not to mention that there are so many disasters in the world now. Who would block the pass and rob people?"
Bao Hong thought about it and realized that what Qiao Yan said was true. He cupped his hands and said, "Well, let's do as Lord Qiao said. We will go to the Chen Pass."
Since the route had to be changed, Bao Hong naturally had to inform the two centurions in his camp.
He immediately took his leave and left the tent, leaving only Cheng Li behind.
Cheng Li then saw Qiao Yan's fingertips slowly moving up along the line of the Taihang Mountains until they stopped at Jingxing between Leping and Zhending.
According to his judgment, what was revealed on Qiao Yan's face at this moment was not concern about the safety of Leping, but an expression of confidence in victory, or full of scheming.
Cheng Li immediately realized that some of the thoughts that came to his mind when he heard about the origins of the Black Mountain Bandits probably didn't need to be told to Qiao Yan.
He bowed and left immediately.
Now that the marching route had been decided, Qiao Yan put away the newly drawn map and spread it out on the camp couch.
Thinking that there would be a different journey ahead, she opened the system panel and took a look before going to sleep to reassure herself.
All in all, more than three months have passed since I traveled to the chaotic times at the end of the Han Dynasty.
Compared to the day when Chuchu woke up from the pile of corpses, her panel data cannot be said to have undergone earth-shaking changes, but it can be said that it has improved greatly compared to before.
[Name: Qiao Yan]
[Faction: Han (initial camp)]
[Occupation: Strategist (System Settings)]
Age: 10
[Physique: 62 (100), Force: 20 (100), Intelligence: 80 (100), Luck: 65 (?)]
[Remaining points available for allocation: 0]
[Skills: History lv7, Eloquence lv7, Cultural Relics Appraisal lv4, Horseback Riding lv3, Painting lv3, Calligraphy lv4, Field Archaeology lv5, Ancient Coins lv3...]
[Remaining allocable skill points: 5]
[Strategist Points: 100] (For every 10 Strategist Points you gain, you will automatically gain 3 attribute points and 1 skill point)
[Unlocked functions: Sign-in, 3D map]
This is her current data.
The initial points she received, the attribute points she obtained from the counselor points, and the points she got from signing in were all put into her physical fitness value without any reservation, giving her a passing score now.
The slight increase in her strength came from the skill points she put into her horse riding skills, plus some auxiliary effects from the increase in physical points.
As for the available skill points, she increased her eloquence to level 3 and her horse riding to level 3. She planned to keep the remaining 5 points for the time being.
In this case, the only thing that made her feel a little puzzled was the change in her intelligence value.
When did the number change from 79 to 80? As she paid little attention to the numerical panel, she seemed to have no idea what was going on.
[When you defeated Yang Xiu...] the system explained in a low voice.
It always felt that what Qiao Yan said was about building up his reputation, but building up his reputation to the point where he started to manage his fiefdom was still a little subtle and not like a strategist.
However, Qiao Yan's skill panel clearly showed the fact that she was engaged in historical archaeology before traveling through time.
In such a context, wanting to manage a stable fiefdom so that Cai Yong could complete the compilation of the Dongguan Han History could be said to be a matter of faith.
The system was only suspicious for a moment, then took the initiative to dispel its doubts and turned to answer Qiao Yan's questions.
"You mean, if you defeat someone who is historically considered intelligent, you can increase your intelligence attribute points?" Qiao Yan asked again.
[That’s not the case. If that were the case, you should have added this attribute point when you refuted Zhang Jue. 】The system replied,【To be precise, after you have repeatedly performed at a level that exceeds what your intelligence assessment value should be, the system will regularly correct itself. 】
“…”
...The difference between 79 and 80 seems to be just to make it look better.
It doesn’t seem to matter whether it is repaired or not.
Fortunately, Qiao Yan doesn’t really care about this kind of problem.
In short, in this series of numbers, she is more concerned about the shortcomings rather than the numbers that seem to be sufficient to cope with the situation temporarily.
What's more, she now has people like Lu Yuan and Cheng Li around her who can share her worries. The number doesn't seem that high, and it is obviously not a big deal.
What Qiao Yan didn't expect was that there was an unexpected "smart person" in this team.
The Chenguan Pass is indeed a dangerous path in the Taihang Mountains. When the carriages and horses were passing through it, the narrowest part was so narrow that the carriages were almost stuck in it.
During one of the climbing sections, the frame needed someone to carefully hold it up.
But even so, as the mountain road bumped, a crashing sound was heard from the hearse frame.
Fearing that Qiao Xuan's coffin might be damaged, Qiao Yan quickly ordered someone to open the door of the carriage after they had passed the steep slope and check the situation inside. However, they pulled a living person out of the carriage.
Yang Xiu, who appeared with a huge bag, really gave Qiao Yan a big surprise!
She frowned and asked immediately, "Why are you here?"
Yang Xiu is not like Cheng Li, who can be recruited by her at will.
You have to know that he is the grandson of Taiwei Yang Ci, and his father Yang Biao later also became Taiwei. As the heir of the Hongnong Yang family, how could Yang Xiu just follow her team to Leping County and leave the capital of Luoyang?
As soon as this question was asked, Qiao Yan noticed at a glance that Yang Xiu had a rather guilty look on his face.
It was obvious that he left the capital without informing his grandfather or other family members, but ran away secretly!
Yang Xiu stiffened his neck and replied, "I...why can't I be here?"
"Confucius said, 'When three people walk together, there must be one person who can be my teacher. Since I lost to you, you must have something that can be my teacher. I followed you just to learn from you. What's wrong with that?"
Yang Xiu felt that his reason was quite valid. He spread the bag in his arms on the ground and took out all the books and scrolls in the bag, which made Qiao Yan's eyelids twitch.
He then added: "When I came out, I even brought the apprenticeship gift with me."
Qiao Yan glanced at Bao Hong out of the corner of his eye, and saw that Captain Bao also looked extremely shocked.
Perhaps it was because he thought that in addition to Qiao Yan and Qiao Xuan, he now had to shoulder the responsibilities of Yang Xiu, who had come uninvited, that Bao Hong felt as if his eyes were darkening.
Bao Hong was really scared to death by Yang Xiu's sudden appearance.
It would have been easy if they had discovered Yang Xiu's whereabouts before they entered the Taihang Mountains, or before they parted ways with those Northern Army soldiers.
But now we have already walked most of the way to the Chenguan Pass, and there is no chance to turn back.
But if he only sent a small group of soldiers to send Yang Xiu back, if something went wrong on the way, Bao Hong would not be able to bear the responsibility.
What's even more fatal is that, at this moment, because Qiao Yan mentioned the existence of the Black Mountain bandits, Bao Hong was actually reluctant to separate the people.
If the Black Mountain bandits suddenly attack after we arrive in Leping, one more or one less person might make a big difference.
Just as he thought of this, he noticed that Yang Xiu glanced at him, as if he saw through his reluctance, and raised his voice a lot, "I heard your conversation on the road in the carriage! You can't spare any manpower to send me back now."
"At most... at most I can wait until Lord Qiao and Marquis Qiao are sent to Leping, and Captain Bao will take me with him when he returns to Luoyang."
Yang Xiu's words seemed to indicate a concession, but in Qiao Yan's opinion, this boy's overly clever eyes were filled with his own little calculations.
He can now claim that he will go back with Bao Hong when the time comes, but what after that?
After that, he can naturally find new reasons to stay.
Qiao Yan’s head is as big as a bucket.
If Yang Xiu was older at this moment, it would be his own choice to hide in the car, and he naturally had to be responsible for his actions.
Since you have been discovered, just go back to Luoyang by yourself.
But he is only nine years old this year.
This is an age where if you ask why one runs away from home, the first thing that comes to mind is the desire to win.
Why do we have the desire to win? It was all because of the fight that took place in front of the Dingzhong Pavilion that day.
When Qiao Yan thought about it, he felt that he would definitely take the blame.
But it would be fine if taking the blame was valuable, but what's the use of Yang Xiu?
Are you going to use Yang Xiu to control General Yang?
"When did you sneak into the car?" Qiao Yan asked.
When Yang Xiu heard Qiao Yan's reply, he realized that this was most likely a sign that she was about to give in, so he quickly replied, "June 23rd."
June 23rd was the day before Qiao Yan and others set out.
More than two days have passed since leaving the capital to reach this location. Yang Xiu has been staying in the car with the corpse for nearly three days. He only brought some pancakes to fill his stomach, but he has been able to endure until now... He really has some skills.
But no matter how capable you are, you are probably at the edge of your physical limit.
Qiao Yan thought about Cai Zhaoji's age, then thought about Yang Xiu, and considered the feasibility of raising another potential stock.
But if we evaluate from a historical perspective, Yang Xiu's political awareness was so poor that he could be put together with Cai Yong, to the extent that people would think they could be adopted as godparents. To reverse this situation, she would have to spend a lot of effort.
She held her forehead and felt a little embarrassed.
She thought for a moment and replied, "When we arrive at Taiyuan County, I'll give you two choices."
"First, I don't necessarily need to trouble General Bao to send you back. I can go find the governor of Taiyuan and ask him to send some people to send you back. After all, I won't be the one to bear the reputation of being unfilial for traveling far away without informing my parents."
"I'm not going back!" Yang Xiu replied without even thinking. He then whispered, "I left a letter before I left."
It's just hidden a little better.
Otherwise, when Qiao Yan and others left Luoyang, Yang Ci’s secret search would not have failed to find her.
"Then there is only the second option." Qiao Yan pointed at Dian Wei.
On Dian Wei's back was the gold that Tian Tao had given her as a thank-you gift when they were in Puyang.
After converting the sixty pieces of silk into gold, the total amount was twenty-six pounds of gold.
She said to Yang Xiu: "These 26 catties of gold can be exchanged for 10,000 bushels of millet according to the market price. If you can follow the rules and get more in Taiyuan, then you can follow me."
Qiao Yan's eyes were stern, and he immediately asked a question that might have been a provocation.
"Yang Xiu, are you willing to give it a try?"
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