Chapter 405 - 399 Warm Welcome
"So many people cannot all reside inside; the village can be expanded," Zhao Hanzhang said, "The nearby fields can all be cultivated, and everyone can occasionally train. Besides just farming the land, if war breaks out, they will also have the strength to protect themselves."
Chen Yin listened intently and said in distress, "But we are just ordinary people, and we don’t know how to train soldiers. If we really leave so many people behind, how can we settle them?"
Zhao Hanzhang then smiled and said, "I will assign two centurions to you; they will teach you to train."
After a moment’s thought, she said, "I’ve been to your county town. It’s now a place of ruins with only a few citizens. Instead of rebuilding it, it’s better to choose another place for the county seat."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yin’s eyes gradually lit up, with a sense of disbelief.
Zhao Hanzhang laughed with him and said, "I think Chen Family’s Castle is not bad. Let’s set the county seat here in the future. I wonder if Baoshu would be willing to be my first County Magistrate."
Chen Yin immediately stood up and knelt, looking excited yet apprehensive, "But my background is humble, and I fear I am not up to the task."
Zhao Hanzhang helped him up and said, "In Yu State, we only consider talent and character, not background."
She expressed her admiration to Chen Yin, "With your talent and character, being my County Magistrate is more than enough."
Chen Yin was deeply moved and couldn’t help saying, "For the favor of knowing and meeting me, I can only repay it with my life."
Zhao Hanzhang: ... There’s no need to go that far.
Because Zhao Hanzhang wanted to use the Chen Family’s Castle as the county seat, she straightforwardly went with Chen Yin to take a look at the Chen Family’s Castle.
Knowing the bandit stronghold on the neighboring mountain was eradicated, and that the Inspector personally came to see them, many people came out to see the excitement.
On the dirt-yellow road, most people were in tattered clothes, thin and haggard, yet their eyes were bright as they looked at Zhao Hanzhang riding on horseback.
Children around five or six years old ran barefoot on the dirt road, squeezing their way to the front, nestled between adults, poking out their heads curiously.
When they met the gaze of the downcast-looking Zhao Hanzhang, they immediately shrank back, hiding behind the adults, pulling back their heads, but soon after they curiously poked their heads out again, their eyes gleaming brightly.
Zhao Hanzhang thought their eyes shone like stars in the night, the kind of only stars.
She simply reined in her horse, extended her hand to him, and asked with a smile, "Want to ride?"
The child shifted slightly behind the adult, but his eyes were fixed on Zhao Hanzhang’s hand, eager to try.
The middle-aged man blocking the child was very excited and, seeing his grandson hesitating, immediately pulled him from behind, lifted him up, and handed him over to Zhao Hanzhang’s hand, whispering instructions in his ear, "Be good, be good, this is an eminent person!"
Zhao Hanzhang took the child, placed him in front of her with a smile, and then spurred the horse to continue forward.
Seeing the child was scared, she held the reins with one hand, wrapped him with the other, and smilingly pointed ahead, "Look ahead, you see, isn’t it possible to see far when riding on a horse?"
The child looked ahead. He dared to look directly at Zhao Hanzhang, naturally not a timid person, and soon got used to it, forgetting his nervousness, looking down from Zhao Hanzhang’s embrace at the people below. When he saw acquaintances, he couldn’t help but bounce a little, his bottom bobbing as he greeted the people below.
The people welcoming along the street, whether greeted by him or not, whenever they met his and Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze coming over, they would all wave vigorously, very happy.
The Inspector is so amiable, ah, ah, ah, the Inspector saw him!
Zhao Cheng and his group returned seated in an ox cart, used in the army to transport grain, and the apprentices faced people’s enthusiasm directly, sitting on the ox cart.
Zhao Cheng looked ahead at Zhao Hanzhang, who was riding a horse with contentment, turned his head to ask Zhao Kuan, "Where did she learn the means to win people’s hearts?"
Zhao Kuan: ... Does she even need to learn? Not to mention the army, just within Yu State, which official possesses her talents? He even thought it was innate to her.
However, he dared not reveal this on his face, and said, "She is a passionate person."
Zhao Cheng squinted at him and said, "I never said she was insincere, but you, months without meeting, where did you learn this insincere flattery?"
Zhao Kuan: ...
He was wrong, the teacher came, and not even a little relief was found; instead, it was even more of a headache.
Zhao Kuan sighed deeply, cornered Zhao Hanzhang in his mind, "If the teacher stays a little longer, he will know, I learned all this from our third sister."
Zhao Cheng snorted.
In front of the Chen’s home, Zhao Hanzhang dismounted with the child, even patting his bottom, which was the only place with more flesh on him.
She smiled and asked, "Was it fun riding?"
The child nodded hard, "Fun!"
"Do you want to ride again in the future?"
The child’s eyes lit up as he nodded.
"Do you want to have such a horse when you grow up?"
The child’s eyes shone even brighter as he nodded.
Zhao Hanzhang laughed and said, "Then you must work hard, study hard, and become a general or an official in the future, bringing blessings to the people of Yu State."
The child nodded vigorously, "Study!"
"But what is studying?"
"It’s learning skills from others," Zhao Hanzhang said, "After a while, the county government will set up a school here, teaching you literacy and martial arts. When you grow a bit older, you can use your skills to protect this place, then protect Yu State, and even protect all of the Great Jin."
These words were not meant for the child but for the people behind him.
Zhao Hanzhang decided to build a simple version of a school here, teaching only some simple words, arithmetic, and martial arts. Only the smarter and more capable students, after being selected, would be sent to Chen County for further education.
She planned to set up a school in Chen County, similar to the one in Xiping Shangcai, primarily to train the officials Yu State will need in a few years.
Zhao Hanzhang lacked people but was not willing to employ just anyone. She would rather lack than choose recklessly. If the talents coming to find her had differing views, it would be better to initially employ self-governance by village elders like Chen Yin, preventing newcomers from governing her place poorly.
Zhao Hanzhang only brought her personal soldiers into the Wu Castle, leaving the troops and the mountain’s captured bandits outside the castle.
Usually, if the people inside the Wu Castle were surrounded by so many soldiers and horses, even if invited in by Baoshu, they couldn’t help but feel worried.
But because it was Zhao Hanzhang, everyone was not nervous at all.
Nowadays in Yu State, even three-year-old children know Zhao Hanzhang of Xiping.
Ever since she led two thousand men behind Xiongnu lines, her reputation quietly spread throughout Yu State. When she won a great victory and united with Gou Xi to drive out the Xiongnu Army, she became known to all.
Many people think she might have already become famous throughout the world, known to everyone.
Because of her reputation, many people knew she governed the army strictly, and her soldiers under her rule dared not offend the common people and were also known to be benevolent. Nowadays people often privately tell stories, saying if you are in distress and encounter the female governor, you will be rewarded for your merits.
Everyone wants to follow Zhao Hanzhang. Not only can they repay kindness, but they can also achieve great merit, establishing unparalleled achievements.
The achievements are not important; what is important is being able to repay kindness.