Chapter 299 - 293: County Deputy
I don’t know if there was a misunderstanding, but when Ji Yuan took out the money to buy grain from them, they sold it to him without much hesitation.
The price... was actually quite fair.
Even Ji Yuan didn’t expect this.
At this point, Ji Yuan couldn’t help but say to Zhao Hanzhang, "Miss, Zhao Family has contributed greatly to your achievements today."
Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "I am grateful in my heart, and I will do my best to repay in the future."
After thinking for a while, Ji Yuan laughed and said, "Miss and the Zhao Family have complemented each other. Would Miss not help if Zhao Family is in trouble in the future?"
Zhao Hanzhang, who fought for Zhao’s Fortress with the troops when there was nothing, would definitely not sit by if the Zhao Family falls into hardship in the future.
Zhao Ming must have seen this point too. What they are doing now is actually an investment.
Investing in Zhao Hanzhang, waiting for her future returns.
Ji Yuan understood, Zhao Hanzhang was also clear about it, even Zhao Ming knew they were aware, it was an open stratagem.
Although Zhao Hanzhang is a lady, Zhao Ming and the Zhao Family couldn’t help but treat her as a young gentleman of the clan to train and support.
Up to now, even though Zhao Ming didn’t explicitly say it, the Zhao Family’s resources were indeed inclined towards Zhao Hanzhang, with a faint trend of making her the leader.
Especially after the news of her conquering Yu Yang and about to take up the position of Ru Nan County Governor spread back to the Zhao Family.
Even Zhao Hu couldn’t help but actively ask, "Is she short of grain, does she need help?"
The Zhao Family had quite a few relatives with substantial assets, and this year’s summer harvest was decent, so there was quite a bit of grain stored in the warehouse.
They hadn’t sold it yet, firstly because the grain prices were volatile, with a different price inside Xiping compared to outside, and they felt selling now would be at a loss;
Secondly, it’s a chaotic time, making grain as precious as gold, and they were reluctant to sell too much.
But if Zhao Hanzhang was buying, that would be a different story.
Zhao Hanzhang was overjoyed and did not refuse anyone, buying however much her clansmen sold.
Was she short of money?
No, what she lacked was grain.
Zhao Hanzhang even had her clansmen help her connect with other local gentry and wealthy families to buy grain, making Ji Yuan busy, as he started collecting money from various workshops and shops to buy grain.
If it wasn’t enough, she even had to use Zhao Hanzhang’s dowry.
The first batch of grain was first transported to Yu Yang.
Zhao Hanzhang thought about it and had Zhao Ju personally lead the team to escort it to Chen County, along with a letter for He Ci Shi.
She showed her sincerity, and He Ci Shi should also show a bit of goodwill.
He Ci Shi didn’t expect to receive the first batch of military grain so quickly, and became more convinced that this was the Zhao Family’s doing. Otherwise, how could Zhao Hanzhang, on her own, manage to procure so much military grain without using the taxes from Yu Yang?
After thinking about it, He Ci Shi still issued an official document, formally appointing Zhao Hanzhang as Ru Nan County Governor, but it wasn’t reported to the court.
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t mind, as long as all the counties in Ru Nan County received this document, whether the court acknowledged it or not was a matter for the future.
Or rather, whether the court acknowledged it wasn’t actually important.
The court, which was fiercely battling Gou Xi, didn’t hold much authority in the local administrations of various states.
Once Zhao Hanzhang received the document, she had Ji Yuan start preparing the second batch of military grain, "Send it slowly, wait until I have control over Yu Yang before saying more."
Ji Yuan said, "Miss, Ru Nan County has ten counties, including Yu Yang, you only control three counties."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "The journey must be taken step by step, and meals must be eaten bite by bite. I’m not in a hurry. I will consolidate the existing power, then slowly infiltrate the powers not yet under control. We must not let external chaos disturb our internal order."
She said, "So Xiping and Shangcai will continue stable development, and now the focus is on stabilizing Yu Yang. Once Yu Yang and Shangcai are both under our control, we will radiate towards the surrounding areas. The title of County Governor is merely to make my actions more legitimate."
After all, not every county is like Yu Yang, which conveniently had a rebellion allowing her to move in.
Ji Yuan expressed understanding and went to execute it immediately, but said, "Miss, we don’t have much money left."
Zhao Hanzhang nonchalantly waved her hand and said, "Sir, don’t worry about the money, I have my ways."
Money can be earned again. In the worst case, she still has the treasure Zhao Changyu left her, although she won’t touch it when alternatives are available.
After successfully obtaining the appointment as County Governor, Zhao Hanzhang immediately ordered each county to move the county seat to Xiping County, and from then on, matters needing reporting must go to Xiping.
Then she handed over Yu Yang to Zhao Kuan, and was ready to leave.
Zhao Kuan was still in a stupor, and even when sending Zhao Hanzhang out of the city, he was somewhat in a daze, "Am I just going to be the County Magistrate in Yu Yang?"
"Yes, happy?"
Without waiting for Zhao Kuan to answer, Zhao Hanzhang already instructed, "I’m leaving Uncle Qianli to help you, and there are so many brothers from the clan, so make good use of them. Now the summer harvest has just ended, don’t neglect the work in the fields, let everyone receive the relief grain, and seize the time to plant some beans, the agricultural timing is still right, after this month, it will be too late to sow again."
She added, "Next month, if there’s no time to sow, it’s okay. Use all the idle labor, the grain in Yu Yang County’s granary I’ve left for you, so you have the capital for work-for-relief projects, fix the waterworks and roads that need fixing, don’t let them idle."
Zhao Hanzhang sighed, "Chaos arises from hunger and idleness. If you can let them have food and work, Yu Yang will slowly stabilize."
Zhao Kuan, having participated in the construction of Shangcai, knew how to deal with these mundane matters, nodded and indicated he remembered.
Only then did Zhao Hanzhang leave satisfied.
She took quite a few people with her from Yu Yang, which could lessen some of Zhao Kuan’s resistance, such as Chen Wan and Xiang Yu, she took them all back to Xiping.
Then she tossed them into the military, letting them start training troops from a small centurion.
With these troublemakers gone from Yu Yang County, Zhao Kuan would find it easier to get things done, though there would still be some resistance, for instance from the local gentry like the Guan Family.
To this, Zhao Hanzhang’s instruction was only one, "Have less contact with them."
She even asked Zhao Kuan to temporarily forget the Zhao Family, "Don’t always think you are from the Zhao Family, Brother Kuan, you’re my person now, working for me, you’re the County Magistrate in Yu Yang, what you need to do is beneficial for Yu Yang’s people, I want Yu Yang’s people to believe in you, believe in me, so they may be my strength in the future."
"So temporarily forget your identity as a Zhao Family member, to avoid being manipulated by the gentry," Zhao Hanzhang said, "Before Yu Yang stabilizes, contact with local gentry and wealthy families should be minimal."
Zhao Kuan recalled what she did in Xiping and Shangcai and asked, "Just like what you did in Xiping and Shangcai?"
"Yes," Zhao Hanzhang said, "What I want is that even if these aristocratic families all oppose me one day, I still have absolute control over Yu Yang."
As long as the vast majority of people in a county support her, she would control that county, and isn’t the most populous in a county the common people?
Zhao Kuan’s heart trembled at the time, he asked, "What is it that would make you go against all the aristocratic families and magnates?"
Zhao Kuan almost thought she was going to say those two words he least wanted to hear, but instead, she glanced at him and said, "For example, if I have to protect Zhao’s Fortress at all costs."
Zhao Kuan: ...
Zhao Kuan agreed.