CHAPTER 447: CHAPTER 441: THE SWORD HANGS HIGH

Madam Pei was taken aback for a moment before flying into a rage, "How dare she treat you like this? Even if she is the Inspector, you are still a Prefectural Governor of a country. Even if she doesn’t want you to govern Nanyang Country, she should still..."

Madam Pei paused here, looking at Pei He with suspicion, "What did you do? Why would she force you to leave like this?"

Pei He paused for a long time before saying, "Don’t ask, just hurry and pack your things. We leave at dawn, and I will leave Nanyang Country to her by relinquishing my seal."

After a moment, Pei He added, "From the storeroom, take only the most important and rare items. Leave the Copper Coin behind."

Madam Pei was now certain that he must have done something, which is why Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t tolerate him.

It was most likely a capital offense. Zhao Hanzhang spared his life, or else he wouldn’t have been able to leave so easily, and leave things behind?

The more Madam Pei thought about it, the angrier she got. She couldn’t help but pounce on Pei He, hitting him several times.

Pei He lifted his wide sleeve to shield his head, holding his head as she pounded on his shoulders and back. Only when her movements slowed did he urge her, "Hurry, hurry, we leave at dawn."

Right now, Zhao Hanzhang might still be hiding somewhere watching them, and they didn’t know how many people she had brought. The cavalry under her command could fight against the Xiongnu, and he didn’t think his people could oppose her.

Madam Pei wiped her tears as she went to pack.

Zhao Hanzhang stood on the roof, gazing towards the Governor Mansion, and only leaped down when she was sure they were busy. "It seems Pei He has lived quite comfortably in Nanyang Country, even the servants enjoyed themselves."

Except for some guards patrolling the perimeter, one could move freely inside. This was also why two guards could so easily kill two advisors.

Ting He asked, "Madam, will he really leave?"

Zhao Hanzhang replied, "He will leave."

Terrified, she doubted he had the courage to stay. If he did, she could use him elsewhere, making the most out of him.

The group quietly stayed in the abandoned estate, lighting a few fires to get through the night.

At dawn, before they could go to the Governor Mansion to inquire, they heard a commotion outside.

Zhao Hanzhang dressed as she did yesterday, masked her face, and went out to watch the spectacle.

She saw officials of the Governor Mansion running after the Pei Family’s carriages, desperately imploring, "Governor, Governor, if there’s something wrong, please tell us. How can you resign just like that?"

This was too sudden. Just yesterday, they discussed year-end activities in a meeting, and planned the gift distribution for officials, and overnight he wanted to resign?

Is this a new trend among intellectuals?

How can they persuade the Governor to be content?

The officials suspected Pei He was putting on a show, playing some intellectual’s game. But as they chased, they... chased him out of the city.

Pei He firmly rejected them and said, "I have already submitted a memorial to the Inspector, who will soon send someone to take over Nanyang. Keep the Governor Mansion’s accounts ready for when the Inspector arrives."

After saying this, he pushed them away, insisting on leaving by carriage.

The Pei Family packed three carriages of luggage overnight, and with their wives and children, they departed in seven carriages, under the protection of family servants and guards.

The officials, who had been imploring him to stay, were dumbfounded. He... really left?

Wasn’t this an act?

No, he really left!

The officials, eyes wide with disbelief, chased after him, "Governor, wait, wait. Why are you resigning, the government affairs haven’t been handed over~~"

Where are the treasury keys, the accounts haven’t been reconciled, and where’s the official seal? You need to clarify these~~

Zhao Hanzhang and her group joined in the commotion, seizing the opportunity to leave the city as well.

Because of the commotion, no one noticed this group of one hundred riders leaving the city.

Zhao Hanzhang chuckled, mounted her horse, and said, "Let’s go back to Xie County."

The group left the flustered Nanyang Country Governor Mansion officials behind and swiftly returned to Xie County. After reuniting with the main force, she said, "We’re heading to Lu Yang!"

In Xie County, Gao Cheng was pale, having hardly slept in the past two days.

He heard that Zhao Hanzhang was ill and didn’t meet anyone, but the sword hanging over his neck was always precise, and despite his efforts, Fu Tinghan could always find fault with him.

In just four days, Gao Cheng nearly exhausted his family fortune to resettle the refugees outside the city.

Xie County initially lacked people but suddenly increased its population by nearly four thousand, with each person allocated a piece of land.

Regarding the land, he could no longer care, as there were many uncultivated and ownerless lands in the wild, which were supposed to be allocated to some people.

However, they had no one to cultivate, needing to buy slaves or capture people to farm. Now, with a sword hanging over him, distributing the land to the people was also feasible, as it cost nothing;

But Mr. Fu next to Zhao Hanzhang said that since land was given to people, they needed to keep them there. Otherwise, what use is it?

So he could only have the refugees build houses, lacking manpower, he had to recruit help for them.

Mr. Fu taught people to make a brick kiln, but he actually didn’t want to build brick houses. He thought mud and straw huts would suffice.

Building houses required not only wood and stone materials but also food!

The items in the county government storeroom were all used, and there wasn’t much grain left in the granaries. Fu Tinghan’s gaze became increasingly cold, and whenever he flipped through the county government’s accounts, he felt the sword tip seemed to dip lower.

So Gao Cheng could only grit his teeth and use his own wealth, and the more he gave, the more he gave.

Now, Gao Cheng could be said to be completely bankrupt.

The refugees who came with Zhao Hanzhang were settled in various locations, and Fu Tinghan taught people how to make mud bricks in several places, but at this time, everyone wasn’t keen on brick houses, preferring straw huts.

Therefore, the houses sprang up at a visible speed, and in just four days, straw huts dotted the countryside.

Of course, more refugees filled already vacant villages, occupying empty houses left by previous owners, which could be moved into with slight tidying.

Gao Cheng distributed enough relief grain for the refugees to survive winter, which, if used sparingly, could last until spring.

After spring, the county government promised to provide seeds for cultivation.

With food and housing, the refugees no longer wanted to wander outside. Even children, who insisted they were orphans, ran back to their parents’ side, no longer clamoring to follow the Zhao Family Army.

The remaining ones were those who knew they couldn’t survive even if left behind, the elderly, the weak, women, and children. Zhao Hanzhang didn’t mind them, leading them to Lu Yang upon returning.

Gao Cheng saw Zhao Hanzhang, who claimed to be recuperating, return from outside the city and couldn’t muster any expression. When he knew she was leaving, his relief hadn’t fully settled before he heard her say, "Next, pay attention to the proclamations issued by the Nanyang County Governor Mansion, I will meet with the County Magistrates that way."

Gao Cheng obediently nodded, though still under a sword, it had at least moved away from the base of his neck.