CHAPTER 458: CHAPTER 452 THINKING

She didn’t reject the idea of rescuing the emperor, nor did she mind relocating the capital for him, provided that Prince East Sea would indeed leave the Capital City.

When Zhao Hanzhang finished writing the letter, her palms were slightly sweaty.

Would Prince East Sea really leave? Leave the Capital City two years early.

Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze was heavy. After a long time, she sealed the finished letter and handed it to Fan Ying. "It’s late, you should go back and rest. Tomorrow, you’ll be in charge of the Governor Mansion’s affairs."

Fan Ying was a bit puzzled, "Hasn’t the Governor’s private visit today been enough? Why go again tomorrow?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "We’ve only had a day, how much could we see? Oh, let the elders and children in Yushan Hall grow more bean sprouts, and don’t let them go out to the fields to move bricks anymore."

They didn’t even have a decent pair of shoes on their feet. Some children’s feet were red and swollen from the cold, and Zhao Hanzhang feared they would get frostbitten.

She said, "Weren’t there merchants coming to Nanyang Country? Try to buy more fabric. Let the elderly, weak, and women in Yushan Hall who can make shoes, make shoes. How is the clothing shop you’re setting up doing?"

"As per your instructions, I’ve handed it over to Yin Sheng, but there’s been no news yet."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang immediately set a deadline, "I want an answer before dark tomorrow. Tell Yin Sheng, if he can do it, then do it. If he can’t, then rest at home; I’ll have someone else take over."

She couldn’t stand the Great Jin’s sluggishness.

Fan Ying agreed.

Early the next morning, Zhao Hanzhang once again dragged Fu Tinghan to the fields. The two were quite interested in this. Although it was hard work, their minds relaxed when they bent down to dig and load the soil, allowing them to think about many things.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t know what Fu Tinghan was thinking about, but she thought of many things: the path Yu State should take in the future, the extent to which she wanted to reach, her relationship with the Zhao Family, her relationship with the Great Jin Court, her relationship with the emperor and Gou Xi, and even her relationship with the aristocratic families in this world, and her relationship with the common people in this time and space.

Every time she thought about these things, her mind became very active, and she couldn’t help but think more and more. But in the end, she always returned to the beginning.

What did she want to do?

What kind of world did she want to create, and to what extent could she achieve it? If she were to be lost midway, could the system she created continue?

If not, what would the people of this world face?

She had seen the most beautiful worlds, experienced the best systems, and enjoyed the happiest life. But now, all she saw was a chaotic world that only ancestors had seen, desolate and barren.

But the best things and the best systems, which she believed in, might not necessarily suit the present. If they weren’t suitable, the resulting destruction might not be better than now.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t want this chaotic world to become even more chaotic.

As she shoveled dirt into bamboo baskets, her ideas in her mind were constantly overturned, rebuilt, then overturned again, and rebuilt once more.

She watched the people around her whisper complaints about the cold, but when they looked up, they talked and laughed with hope. "Yesterday, I used the ten cents I received to buy food. The Governor Mansion truly didn’t deceive us. Holding the wooden tag to buy grain, the grain price was indeed cheaper. I could buy eight liters with my ten cents."

"I bought some too, but I didn’t use it all. I kept five cents, planning to save it and later buy some fabric. It’s too cold this year, and I want to make a quilt cover."

"By the time you save enough to make a quilt cover, winter will be over. You might as well pick two more handfuls of thatch to cover yourself."

"Thatch costs money now too. Where outside can you find thatch anymore? It’s all been cut by those little brats in Yushan Hall." They openly talked about the refugees in Yushan Hall, "Those little brats are really fierce. They’ve seized all the thatch and firewood in the nearby mountains and forests."

"I hear they’re living well. The female governor is kind-hearted, giving them porridge and buns every day, making me envious."

"Then why don’t you go into Yushan Hall? Hahaha..."

"I’d like to go, but I’m neither old nor disabled, so how can I get in?"

He lowered his voice, "I want to throw my family’s children into Yushan Hall..."

"That’s a good idea, I’ll go and do the same."

Zhao Hanzhang, who was eavesdropping: "..."

All thoughts of systems and future plans were forgotten, as she swung the shovel in mid-air directly onto their butts.

The few people who were chatting happily instantly jumped up, yelling, "What are you doing, who?"

When they turned and saw it was Zhao Hanzhang, they immediately glared at her, "What are you doing, looking for a beating?"

Zhao Hanzhang immediately hid behind Fu Tinghan, weakly saying, "Husband, they’re bullying me!"

Fu Tinghan glanced at her, then said to the others, "If you don’t behave and work, I’ll fail your evaluation."

The group blushed with anger and couldn’t help but argue, "You’re biased!"

Fu Tinghan didn’t deny it, nodding, "Indeed, I’m biased, but no matter how biased I am, failing your evaluation is still reasonable. You’re not working honestly, only focused on chatting."

"We’re not not working, we were clearly working while chatting."

"That just shows you’re not serious," Fu Tinghan, seeing that they still wanted to argue, waved his hand and said, "Say another word, and I’ll fail your evaluation."

The group had to keep silent. Fu Tinghan was their team leader, and he had the right. If they were marked as unqualified, their wages would be deducted.

Only then did Zhao Hanzhang come out from behind Fu Tinghan, smiling and saying to the group, "I heard that the Inspector plans to disperse the people in Yushan Hall to various places, so you know, those sent might not stay in Nanyang Country, let alone just remain in Lu Yang County."

Their expressions changed, and they fell into silence, no longer mentioning throwing their children into Yushan Hall.

Zhao Hanzhang snorted, thinking they could have her raise their children for free. What were they thinking? She was broke, could she do that?

Now, every child in Yushan Hall, without exception, unless they’re under three years old and can’t walk steadily, she utilized them all.

Even the five-year-olds were tasked with watching the younger kids. Any child over seven was involved in watching over the young, sprouting beans, building fires, cooking meals, whatever they could do, they did.

After all, with so many workers, should additional people be hired to do the work?

Most of the meals were cooked by the elderly, weak, and women in Yushan Hall, and some were needed on the construction site to move bricks.

Because of the sheer number of people, the foundation was dug quickly. This patch of barren land changed daily, and by the second day, much of the foundation was dug, and work began on driving stakes and placing stones...

The cold weather spurred fast work, so by the third day, the house Zhao Hanzhang and the others were responsible for was already more than halfway built, at lightning speed. Everywhere the eye could see, houses were already built or rising quickly.

Today is New Year’s Eve, and the construction site will close an hour earlier than usual, with wages paid as normal. Everyone can take their wages home to enjoy a good year with their families.

While working diligently, everyone looked forward to the time passing quickly.