Zhao Hanzhan had people dig out a number of empty trunks and bring them up to the library, where she immediately set about filling them with books.

When Ji Yuan heard what was happening, he came scurrying over eagerly, wanting to help pack as well.

Cheng Bo stood by watching as they loaded scroll after scroll into the trunks, and could only hover around them, urging caution. “Easy now, easy now — be careful you don’t end up unable to leave with all of this.”

Indeed, they could not go too far. In the eyes of the clan, Zhao Erlang’s roots were still supposed to be here in Xiping, their ancestral home. If she took too many books away, it would carry the whiff of disloyalty — of elbowing out one’s own family.

Zhao Hanzhan reined herself in, and said to Ji Yuan, “Take these for now. Once we’ve made copies and sent them back, we’ll swap them out for another batch.”

Ji Yuan was startled. “Copy all of them?”

Zhao Hanzhan looked at him. “Is that so difficult? Just hire more people who can read and write.”

Ji Yuan had been about to say that literate people were not so easily come by — and besides, how many people would it take to copy this many books?

But Zhao Hanzhan was already speaking with an earnest expression. “We need to gather capable people wherever we can. The household retainers and their families we brought along, together with the refugees who joined us on the road, already number over a thousand. Managing that many people takes considerable manpower, and the ability to read is the most basic requirement.”

She continued, “Luoyang is already in chaos. Even if the rebel forces withdraw from Luoyang, the people who have already been displaced will not be able to return home immediately — they will become wandering refugees scattered across the land.”

Ji Yuan looked at her in surprise. “Young Miss intends to take in refugees?”

“Why not?” Zhao Hanzhan looked back at him with equal surprise. “Is that not exactly what my grandfather has been doing all along? That alone shows it is the right course of action.”

She went on, “The world is already in disorder. It is impossible to protect ourselves relying on just a few hundred able-bodied men. And furthermore — they protect us, so we must protect them. Given that, the greater the strength we hold in our own hands, the better.”

Ji Yuan replied, “Young Miss has admirable ambitions — but the court has explicit regulations prohibiting noble families and great clans from keeping more than a thousand household soldiers. The Zhao clan already has a considerable number of such retainers, and for a single individual such as yourself, Young Miss, the regulations allow no more than a hundred.”

Zhao Hanzhan regarded Ji Yuan with a smile that was not quite a smile. “Sir, in this great fort of the Zhao clan — do you truly believe there are only two thousand household soldiers?”

Ji Yuan was quiet for a moment, then said, “At least nominally, yes.”

“Then rest assured, I will not fall short nominally either. With an estate as large as the one I have in Shangcai, a great many farmhands and tenant farmers are naturally required. And besides — if the county magistrate does not investigate, who is to know how many people are sheltered on my estate?” Zhao Hanzhan said. “And even if he does investigate, can it be certain he would find anything?”

Ji Yuan felt a surge of excitement rise within him. He glanced over at Fu Tinghan, whose expression remained calm and untroubled — showing no displeasure at all toward the young miss’s forcefulness. Inwardly, Ji Yuan’s delight only deepened, though his mouth remained stubborn. “If Young Miss intends to conceal household members, is that not undermining the very foundation of the court?”

Zhao Hanzhan dropped the smile from her face and spoke in earnest. “If one day the realm sees the rise of a wise and capable ruler who is able to command the court, I will naturally disband the concealed households and the soldiers.”

She went on, “If the realm is stable and can protect my life and my property, I will have no need of household soldiers. If the court can give the people peace and security, those concealed households will not wish to remain with me on their own — and when that day comes, I will not hinder them from leaving.”

But for now, the state could not protect her life or her property. The people wandered without shelter. Her estate could offer them a lifeline — why would she not do it?

In truth, were it not for the great distance of the Jiangnan region, and the prohibitively high cost of travel in this age, she would have considered relocating there already.

Just thinking of what lay ahead — the North and the Central Plains plunging entirely into warfare, with close to a hundred years of grinding conflict ahead as one force after another clashed and cut each other down — she felt a deep and pervasive sense of crisis.

But then again, the Jiangnan region was entirely unfamiliar territory, with established local clans dominating every corner. As northerners, they would not necessarily fare any better there. Here in Runan, at least, they had kinsmen to rely on.

Weighing all of this, she had chosen to remain in Shangcai. And Shangcai was also somewhat closer to Luoyang — if they ever found a way back, they might well need to make for the gates of Luoyang to leave.

Having made the choice to stay, she had to plan for what lay ahead. Ensuring the safety of her own life and the lives and property of those around her was the foremost priority.

To achieve this, the first necessity was having enough people. Then, sufficient wealth and resources. And finally, people capable of managing it all.

Ji Yuan felt the full weight of Zhao Hanzhan’s ambitions. Though he thought it somewhat ill-suited to the times for a young woman to harbor such aspirations, what did that matter?

She still had Fu Tinghan by her side. Her capabilities could be channeled through Fu Tinghan, or through Zhao Erlang — and the status these two men held, simply by virtue of being men, would allow them to gain political footholds in the court. As for whether it was truly they who held these resources, or Zhao Hanzhan standing behind them who commanded it all…

He could not be bothered to concern himself with that. All he needed was to follow them, to find his path to distinction through this route, and to realize the ambitions he carried within him.

Ji Yuan swallowed, his eyes gleaming. “Then I will return at once and begin gathering suitable refugees.”

Zhao Hanzhan gave a nod.

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

Zhao Hanzhan replied, “We’ll set out in two days.”

Two days it was — and when the second day arrived, Zhao Hanzhan went to bid farewell to Zhao Song. “On this journey, we were protected by loyal servants, and along the road we met righteous and honorable people who had fled together with us. Without their help and support, we could never have brought Grandfather’s remains safely home. Such a great kindness — I must return and make proper arrangements for them.”

At this, many of the words Zhao Song had prepared to urge her to stay simply could not be said. He could only sigh and consent. “I’ll have Ziming escort you back. From now on, if you ever find yourself in difficulty, send word.”

Zhao Song could see that their household staff had lost many people on the road, and said, “Let me send some servants with you — it simply will not do for you to travel without anyone to attend to you.”

Zhao Hanzhan immediately refused. “In observing the mourning period for Grandfather, even if we cannot go so far as Wang Rong’s extreme austerity in grief, we certainly ought not to indulge in comfort. Please, Fifth Great-Uncle, do not put Third Young Miss in a difficult position.”

Seeing how devoted she was in her filial duty, Zhao Song felt an even warmer regard for her, and was heartened. He called over Zhao Ming, then, and said, “Add more money to her trunks.”

Zhao Ming said, “…”

He could not help but speak up. “Father, it is not that I begrudge the money — I have no cause to begrudge it. But in the span of just three days, you have told me three times now to add more to what we are sending. I am genuinely worried, Father. If Third Young Miss were to ask you outright one day, would you simply hand over the entire family fortune to her?”

Zhao Song said irritably, “She is your niece — young, and small. She lost her father when she was a child, and now she has lost all her property and servants too, and must support an entire household. What is wrong with me giving her a little more money? You begrudge even this small amount — when did you become so stingy?”

“Father, do you truly think that someone as clever and thorough as Great-Uncle would not have left a way out for Third Young Miss and Erlang?” Zhao Ming said. “I say this again — I do not begrudge the money. I simply think the matter should be reasoned through clearly. Given Great-Uncle’s wealth, even the imperial family could not match it — would he truly leave them nothing?”

“He did leave them things, but they were taken! All those dowry goods — stolen, every bit of it.” Zhao Song thought of it and felt a pang of his own. “All those trousseau items, all gone. What a pity.”

Zhao Ming said, “What I mean, Father, is that apart from those trousseau items, there should be other things.”

He added, “Father, do not forget Ji Yuan. He was Great-Uncle’s most indispensable advisor. A man of such skill and acumen — could he really have failed to preserve even the smallest portion of the wealth?”

Zhao Song put on the air of a man who refused to hear a word of it — he simply would not listen — and fixed his son with a glare. “Never mind all that. I’m asking you: will you add more to the trunks or not?”

Zhao Ming looked in silence at his unreasonable father for a long moment. At last, without a word, he nodded and went off to add more money to Zhao Hanzhan’s trunks.

And only then did Zhao Song finally feel a measure of ease settle over him.