CHAPTER 192: CHAPTER 187: FAMOUS AROUND THE WORLD

Fu Tinghan never knew how difficult people’s livelihoods were, until he saw this kind of hardship.

He murmured, "If only there was cotton."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "In our time, when we mentioned cotton, we generally referred to American cotton, but during this era, they can’t completely lack cotton either."

Fu Tinghan looked at her.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "It’s kapok, found in the south. Currently, some people in the south use kapok wool to fill bedding and clothing, and others use it to weave clothes. But it hasn’t reached large-scale production, and hasn’t spread to the north."

"There’s no time," Zhao Hanzhang laid her hands behind her head, gazing at the twinkling stars in the sky, "It takes a long time back and forth, and purchasing also requires time. We can only think of other ways."

Fu Tinghan said, "If we can stay indoors, then charcoal can be a way to keep warm, along with kàng?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "I’ve thought about this method too, which is also one of the reasons I’ve always wanted to build brick houses."

Brick houses are not only more windproof and warmer, but also make building kàng more convenient.

Thatched cottages...

She feared setting fire to the kàng and thereby burning the thatched cottage down.

Fu Tinghan thought the same, muttering, "It seems we really need to prepare to build brick houses."

Both of them were deeply worried, but the natives weren’t very concerned about this problem.

In their view, the current situation was already quite good.

After seeking refuge with Zhao Hanzhang, they were able to eat three meals a day, genuinely three meals. Even though none were filling, they could at least avoid hunger.

This was already rare in current times.

Not to mention Zhao Hanzhang was also set on building houses for them, and even preparing winter clothes and bedding.

Originally, when they were fleeing, their best thought was to beg in Luoyang, where they’d sleep in the streets, getting through one hungry meal and one full meal, surviving the winter, and then checking the situation before deciding if they’d return home.

As the saying goes, a tree uprooted dies, but people find life by moving; going out might help one survive, and if survival becomes impossible, they ’ll deal with it then.

So, they were quite satisfied with the current state.

Yet it worried the upper echelons in Xiping County.

Chang Ning was also doing his utmost to contact people he knew previously to buy supplies, now realizing the benefits of following a generous leader.

Wealth was at his disposal as long as he could buy items of corresponding value.

She’s even willing to let the people use these things freely; compared to the stingy, nervously cautious County Magistrate Chai, she’s much more straightforward.

Thus, although he was painfully exhausted, he was also happily exhausted. Chang Ning spent money like water, feeling both pain and joy.

In contrast, Ji Yuan was much calmer. Though he spent more money than Chang Ning, having been an aide to Zhao Changyu and handled finances, this was just a small matter.

So he remained calm, calmly buying supplies everywhere, calmly facing inquiries from all sides.

The reinforcements lingering in Yu Yang finally left. Although they didn’t gain much benefit in the end, at least they made the Inspector bleed a little.

As various reinforcements returned to their places, Zhao Hanzhang’s name spread throughout Yu State.

Nowadays, people across counties and prefectures knew that the Xiping Zhao Family had Third Sister Zhao, named Hanzhang, who actually acted as County Magistrate of Xiping County. Not only did Zhao Family not oppose it, but they supported it from behind, and even Inspector He admitted her position.

Rumor had it, although she was only fourteen, she was a fierce general on the battlefield. She repelled the Jiehu Shi Le outside Zhao’s Fortress, drove away the rebel army in Xiping County, seized Xiping County City, and during the aid to Yu Yang City, she even killed two major generals of the Xiongnu Army.

Indeed, Liu Jing also died.

His death was recently announced, but he didn’t die in Yu State; it’s said he fled all the way to Shangdang, failing to receive proper treatment on the way, with long-healing wounds, and upon returning to Shangdang to see Liu Yuan, succumbed to his injuries.

And the wounds on him came from Zhao Hanzhang. It’s said that Zhao Hanzhang pursued Liu Jing, and a final arrow shot into his heart from behind, causing the persistent injuries which ultimately claimed his life.

Thus, not only Yu State, but even Luoyang heard Zhao Hanzhang’s name.

However, compared to other generals who were attacking Luoyang, Liu Jing’s death was just insignificant news that the bigwigs in Luoyang skimmed over, paying it no mind.

Except for two people.

One was Fu Zhi, and the other was Zhao Zhongyu.

Their moods were completely different.

Fu Zhi felt predominantly joy amidst complexity, whereas Zhao Zhongyu’s complexity included worry.

He had already felt it; his command over the old hometown in Xiping was becoming weaker, far from the control his elder brother had when he was Clan Leader.

Zhao Hanzhang becoming the "County Magistrate" of Xiping County was such an important matter, yet he heard it from somewhere else, not Xiping.

This indicated that the Xiping Zhao Family was intentionally keeping some matters hidden from him.

If he were just Zhao Zhongyu, this wouldn’t matter, but he was also the Clan Leader of Zhao Family! When his big brother was Clan Leader, would Zhao Family dare hide such important matters from him?

Even if a fat turtle suddenly popped out of Zhao Hu’s pond, Zhao Song would write to inform Zhao Changyu.

Zhao Zhongyu couldn’t help calling Zhao Ji, "This year’s winter solstice, why don’t you go back to pay respects to the ancestors, and come back after the new year."

However, Zhao Ji didn’t want to leave, "Father, Luoyang is besieged now; even if we manage to leave, I can’t abandon the city and flee. It doesn’t sound good."

Zhao Zhongyu slightly frowned, "Many families recently fled the city; during life and death moments, who cares if it sounds good or not?"

Zhao Ji still thought staying with Prince East Sea was safest, "Outside the city, the road is even more unsafe. Father, is there something in Xiping that requires my return?"

Zhao Zhongyu quietly watched him for a while, then waved a hand after some time, "Forget it, skip it if you won’t go back."

He suddenly thought, Zhao Ming is now the County Magistrate of Xiping County, a position he sought himself, so if Zhao Hanzhang truly holds actual control of Xiping County, Zhao Ming would be on her side.

Zhao Ji couldn’t even compete against Zhao Ming, let alone face Zhao Hanzhang and Zhao Ming together.

Forget it, his return wouldn’t mean much.

Zhao Zhongyu put this matter aside, turning a blind eye and pretending not to know about it.

Zhao Zhongyu could pretend ignorance, but Liu Yuan couldn’t; he deeply remembered Zhao Hanzhang.

Liu Jing was Liu Yuan’s clansman and always held him in high regard; though Liu Jing’s actions sometimes displeased him, he still punished him by sending him to attack Yu State, not allowing his return even when he ascended the throne.

But that didn’t mean he could sit back and watch him be killed.

Liu Jing was indeed one of his fierce generals!

Liu Jing had been dead for three days, but each time Liu Yuan recalled, he felt grief-sticken. He remembered Liu Jing’s words before dying, "This girl’s skills are extraordinary, with bright eyes, definitely not mediocre. Your Majesty, if you want to conquer Central Plains, she must be eliminated."

Liu Yuan took note, but currently, the urgent matter was attacking Luoyang, and he had no manpower to spare.

Thus, he felt once Luoyang was conquered, he must strike directly at Runan Xiping and take Zhao Hanzhang’s head.