Zhao Hanzhang had people dig out many empty trunks and had them carried to the study to start packing books.

When Ji Yuan learned of this, he eagerly ran over to help with the selection.

Seeing them roll up scroll after scroll and place them in the boxes, Uncle Cheng could only circle around them reminding, “Careful now, careful. Be careful or you won’t be able to leave.”

Indeed, they couldn’t go too far. In the clan members’ eyes, Zhao Erlang’s roots should still be here in the Xiping ancestral home. If she took away too many books, it would seem like she was eating from the inside and favoring outsiders, turning her elbow outward.

Zhao Hanzhang restrained herself and told Ji Yuan, “Let’s take these for now. When we’ve finished copying them and send a set back, we’ll exchange them for another batch.”

Ji Yuan was stunned. “Copy them all?”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him. “Is it difficult? Just hire more literate people.”

Ji Yuan had been about to say—are literate people that easy to hire? And copying so many books would require how many people?

But Zhao Hanzhang was already saying with a serious expression, “We need to gather capable people as much as possible. The retainers and their families we brought, plus the refugees who followed us on the road, already number over a thousand. Managing these people well will require quite a few hands. Literacy is the most basic requirement.”

She continued, “Luoyang is already in chaos. Even if the rebel forces withdraw from Luoyang, the common people who’ve already been displaced will find it very difficult to immediately return to Luoyang. They’ll become refugees wandering about.”

Ji Yuan looked at her in surprise. “Does Miss intend to gather refugees?”

“Why not?” Zhao Hanzhang looked at him with surprise. “Hasn’t my grandfather been doing exactly this? Clearly it’s the right thing to do.”

She said, “The world is already in chaos. Relying on these few hundred able-bodied men to protect us is impossible. Moreover, if they protect us, we must also protect them. Since that’s the case, the greater the power we control, the better.”

Ji Yuan said, “…Miss has great ambition, but the court has explicit regulations prohibiting noble families from maintaining more than a thousand retainers. The Zhao family already has many retainers. According to law, Miss, as an individual, may not keep more than a hundred retainers.”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at Ji Yuan with a half-smile. “Advisor, in this enormous Zhao fortress, are there really only two thousand retainers?”

Ji Yuan was silent for a moment before saying, “At least nominally, yes.”

“Then rest assured. Nominally, I won’t fall short either. With such a large estate in Shangcai, I naturally need many long-term workers and tenant farmers. Besides, the county magistrate won’t investigate. Who would know how many people I’m keeping on that estate?” Zhao Hanzhang said. “Even if they investigate, can they necessarily find out?”

Ji Yuan felt his spirits rise and couldn’t help looking at Fu Tinghan. Seeing his calm expression without any aversion to Miss’s forcefulness, his heart grew even more pleased. Yet he remained stubborn with his words. “Miss, keeping hidden households—isn’t this undermining the court’s foundation?”

Zhao Hanzhang’s smile faded as she said seriously, “If one day the country produces a wise ruler who can control the government, then I naturally won’t keep hidden households or retainers.”

She continued, “If the country is stable enough to protect my life and property, why would I need retainers? If the court could enable the people to live in peace, the hidden households wouldn’t want to stay with me. When that time comes, I won’t stop them from leaving.”

But now, the country couldn’t protect her life and property. The common people were displaced and homeless. Her estate could spare them from death—why shouldn’t she do it?

Actually, if it weren’t for the fact that Jiangnan was too far away and the cost of travel too high in this era, she would have wanted to move to Jiangnan early.

Just thinking about how the north and central plains would completely descend into warfare ahead, with nearly a hundred years spent in cycles of you attacking me and me killing you, filled her with a deep sense of crisis.

But considering that in Jiangnan they would be strangers in a strange land, with local aristocratic families everywhere, these northerners might not fare well there—it was better to be in Runan where at least they had clan to rely on.

Considering all this, she chose to stay in Shangcai. Moreover, Shangcai was closer to Luoyang. If they found a way back, they might need to run to Luoyang’s city gates to leave.

Since she’d chosen to stay, she had to plan well for the future. Ensuring the safety of herself and those around her, along with their property, was the first priority.

To achieve this, first she needed enough people, then sufficient wealth, and finally people to manage those people.

Ji Yuan sensed Zhao Hanzhang’s ambition. Although he felt a young lady having such ambition was somewhat inappropriate, what did it matter?

She still had Fu Tinghan beside her. Her abilities could be channeled through Fu Tinghan or Zhao Erlang, and these two men’s identities would allow them to gain political resources in the court. As for who actually controlled those resources—whether it was them or Zhao Hanzhang behind them…

He didn’t care. He only needed to follow them, use this pathway to rise in the world, and realize his own ambitions.

Ji Yuan swallowed and said with gleaming eyes, “Then Ji Yuan will return and begin gathering suitable refugees.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded.

Ji Yuan asked enthusiastically, “When do we leave?”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Stay two days, then we go.”

She meant two days, and two days it was. On the second day, Zhao Hanzhang went to take her leave of Zhao Song. “On this journey, loyal servants protected us, and we encountered some righteous people fleeing together who helped us. Thanks to them, we preserved Grandfather’s remains. Such great kindness—I must return to properly settle them.”

Hearing this, Zhao Song couldn’t voice many of his attempts to persuade her to stay. He could only sigh and agree. “I’ll have Zi Ming see you back. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, send someone to tell us.”

Zhao Song felt they had lost many servants on the road and said, “Let me give you some servants. You can’t have no one to attend to you.”

Zhao Hanzhang immediately refused. “In observing mourning for Grandfather, even if we cannot be as devoted as Wang Rong, we shouldn’t indulge in comfort. Please don’t make things difficult for Sanniang, Fifth Uncle.”

Zhao Song, seeing her filial piety, was even more pleased and quite gratified. He then called Zhao Ming over. “Add more money to her trunks.”

Zhao Ming: “…”

He couldn’t help saying, “Father, your son doesn’t begrudge this money—it’s not worth that—but in just three short days you’ve had me increase the money three times. I’m very worried, Father. If Sanniang asks in the future, would you give away all our family assets to her?”

Zhao Song said irritably, “She’s your niece, and so young. She lost her father in childhood, now has lost all her valuables and servants, and still has to support a whole family. What’s wrong with me giving her more money? With just this little, you’re being stingy? When did you become so petty?”

“Father, would someone as clever and thorough as First Uncle not leave Sanniang and Erlang a way out?” Zhao Ming said. “Let me state once more—I don’t begrudge the money. I just need to understand. Given First Uncle’s wealth, even the imperial family wasn’t as rich as him. Would he not leave them money?”

“He did—wasn’t it all stolen?” Zhao Song thought about it and felt some heartache. “All that dowry, all lost. Sigh.”

Zhao Ming said, “Your son means that besides that dowry, there should be other things.”

He continued, “Father, don’t forget Ji Yuan. He was First Uncle’s most capable advisor. Such a formidable advisor—could he really not preserve even the slightest bit of wealth?”

Zhao Song put on an expression of ‘I won’t listen, I won’t listen, I just won’t listen,’ glaring at him and demanding, “Just tell me—will you add it or not?”

Zhao Ming silently looked at his unreasonable father for a moment, then finally nodded silently and went down to add money for Zhao Hanzhang.

Only then did Zhao Song feel satisfied.