After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

As soon as she entered, Zhao Hanzhang let out a breath and instructed Zhao Tong, "Bring the current map of the estate, and call all the managers here. I have matters to discuss."

Zhao Tong bowed his head and replied, "Yes."

Zhao Tong sent someone to notify the managers while he personally retrieved the estate’s map, which was jointly managed by him and Hu Zhi because it was very important.

This map not only showed the positions of the estate’s various workshops but also troop encampments, effectively serving as a defense map of the estate.

Zhao Hanzhang hung up the map and asked Zhao Tong while examining it, "Who is in charge of the school now?"

Zhao Tong bowed and replied, "It’s me."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded and said, "Set up another class. Select forty boys to train as trusted aides, so that both Ting Han and the Second Son can use them in the future."

She said, "Focus especially on horsemanship and martial arts training."

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Understanding immediately, Zhao Tong hastily agreed, "Yes, I will select people tomorrow."

The instructors are available, and even students can be chosen from the existing ones.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded and, observing Fu Tinghan looking over, smiled at him, "Having only Fu An by your side is too few, and he can’t care for you on the battlefield."

Fu An pouted a bit dissatisfiedly, but recalling the last time his master was injured, he remained silent.

Fu Tinghan nodded, not rejecting her kindness.

As Zhao Hanzhang surveyed the map, she finally pointed to a spot and asked Fu Tinghan, "How about building the pharmacy here?"

Fu Tinghan squinted at it for a moment and nodded, "Not bad."

He circled the area on the map with his finger, effectively encompassing that whole sector, "Oral penicillin is only part of it; injections are still the mainstay, so we also need to train healthcare workers who can administer injections."

He said, "Why not improve the military medical system altogether? There are still too few military doctors. If ordinary doctors are unwilling to join the army, why not train a batch ourselves?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "Traditional Chinese Medicine..."

"I know, it takes a long time, but some trauma training can be fast-tracked," Fu Tinghan said, "We can train specifically for that."

"Systematic hygiene protection can also greatly reduce casualties," Fu Tinghan said, "It can start from the military and extend to the civilians, training military medical personnel first and then doctors. The latter is hard to master but can rely on the school and the military medical training system."

Doing so would be quite costly.

Zhao Hanzhang deliberated and, weighing the pros and cons, decided to proceed, nodding, "Alright, designate that whole area for this purpose, with military medical training right next to the pharmacy."

She turned to Fu Tinghan, "Concerning the military medical system and handbook..."

Fu Tinghan: "I’ll draft it."

Zhao Hanzhang breathed a sigh of relief. She had been quite busy lately and feared she wouldn’t have the time, but she still said, "I’ll join you."

Saying she would participate, the main work was actually left to Fu Tinghan because she was too busy.

After meeting with the estate managers and deciding on the pharmacy location, Zhao Hanzhang instructed Zhao Tong to construct the pharmacy and also select individuals who could join the military medical system.

"They should be nimble and quick-witted; boys and girls alike," Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment and decided to broaden the criteria. "Under thirty years old, physically strong, with nimble hands and feet, those with a medical background are preferred."

Fu Tinghan added on the side, "Those skilled in sewing and butchers are also prioritized."

Zhao Hanzhang: "...Right!"

She turned to glance at Fu Tinghan, unable to help herself from bursting into laughter, telling the utterly bewildered Zhao Tong, "Military doctors have much to do with stitching and cutting."

Zhao Tong shuddered all over and couldn’t help but give a shiver.

He accepted the orders.

However, they still lacked specialized talent, and after a brief contemplation, Zhao Hanzhang directly ordered, "Issue a directive: within the estate, all artisans who come are to be treated with the same benefits as scholars."

Scholars’ benefits in this estate were quite high; anyone literate could receive a house and land upon entering the estate, earn a high monthly wage, with free food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

Unlike other displaced people who, even though settled, had to offset their expenses with later labor.

Now Zhao Hanzhang directly raised the benefits of artisans to match those of scholars.

Thinking it over, Zhao Hanzhang felt that seeking artisans solely within the estate was too restrictive, so she summoned Fan Ying, "Inform all regional governances: starting next year, artisans will be equivalent to scholars. Any artisans coming to Yu State will be treated with respect, and each region must hold exams monthly to select artisans. Craftsman statuses will be equivalent to good citizen statuses..."

Fan Ying noted this down, then went to draft official documents and had others write them since she had subordinates, though they were currently insufficient as some documents needed ten copies, one for each region.

Once completed, she took them for Zhao Hanzhang to seal.

Zhao Hanzhang usually impressed two seals on documents, one for the Inspector’s seal and one for her private seal. Sometimes, finding it bothersome, she’d only use her private seal.

The various regions already knew that her private seal equaled her command, and its authority sometimes surpassed the Inspector’s seal.

That was because she occasionally entrusted state affairs to Ji Yuan or Zhao Kuan, leaving them the Inspector’s seal.

After a brief glance, Zhao Hanzhang unhesitatingly impressed her private seal on them.

It was already dark by then, and the nine documents were sent out the next day. Zhao Hanzhang also carried one with her, intending to personally hand it to Zhao Ming.

Zhao Hanzhang’s whereabouts were mysterious; Zhao Ming initially had no idea she had returned until she arrived back in Xiping again, and he overheard someone saying, "I thought as much, I saw a troupe on the road the day before yesterday, and at a glance, it looked like Third Lady."

"Where did you see this?"

"In my few acres of land north of town where I was shaking out rabbits."

Sipping wine in a pavilion, Zhao Ming slightly squinted upon hearing this. A subordinate had already retorted for him, "You must be mistaken. Just the day before yesterday, a message said Third Lady had returned, so where was she for those two days?"

"How should I know where she went? From a distance, it looked like Third Lady."

"If it merely looks like her, then it might not be."

"Why wouldn’t it be her? In a hundred miles, who else has her presence, riding a horse as poised as a man? I surely didn’t mistake it."

"Did you mistake the Sun family’s lady for Third Lady, or Yunxin from East Junior Brother’s house?"

When the other party saw he persisted in doubting, they felt displeased, "Yunxin is several years younger than Third Lady and smaller in stature. Could I mistake that? The Sun family’s cousin may be formidable, but still falls short compared to our Third Lady. If standing, maybe; but on horseback, can they be the same?"

"If you don’t believe me, ask Ming," he said, turning to shout toward the pavilion: "Zi Nian, wasn’t Third Lady already back in Xiping the day before yesterday?"

Zhao Ming gave him a fleeting glance and then remarked, "Fan, you’re catching rabbits in the fields again? Recently, someone reported to me that multiple pits were dug in the wheat field with ash inside; was that from your fires?"

Zhao Fan instantly fell silent.

Also seated and drinking with Zhao Fan, Zhao Ying quietly lowered his head, too afraid to speak.