Fu Tinghan had never known that the hardships of people’s livelihood were actually this difficult.

He murmured, “If only we had cotton.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Generally speaking, when we talk about cotton in our era, we’re referring to American cotton. However, this era isn’t entirely without cotton.”

Fu Tinghan looked at her.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “It’s kapok. There is some in the south. Even now there are people in the south using kapok floss to fill bedding and clothing, and some people use it to weave clothes. However, production hasn’t formed, much less spread to the north.”

“It’s too late anyway,” Zhao Hanzhang pillowed her hands behind her head, looking at the sky full of twinkling stars. “The round trip would take too long, and purchasing would also require time. We can only think of other solutions.”

Fu Tinghan said, “If people can stay indoors, then charcoal is one heating method. What about heated brick beds?”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “I’ve thought about this method too. This is one of the reasons I’ve always wanted to build brick and stone houses.”

Brick and stone houses were not only more windproof and warm, making heated brick beds was also more convenient.

Thatch houses…

She was very afraid of heating brick beds and then setting the thatch houses on fire.

Fu Tinghan also thought of this and muttered, “Looks like we really do need to prepare to build brick and stone houses.”

The two of them were worried and anxious, but the natives weren’t very concerned about this issue.

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

After pledging allegiance to Zhao Hanzhang, they could eat three meals every day—truly three meals. Even though not a single meal allowed them to eat their fill, at least they wouldn’t go hungry.

This was already very rare in the present situation.

Not to mention that Zhao Hanzhang also wanted to build houses for them and even prepare winter clothing and bedding.

Originally when they fled, the best outcome they imagined was reaching Luoyang to beg. They would sleep in the streets and alleys, eating irregularly, and after surviving this winter, they would see if they could return home.

The saying goes, “A tree dies if transplanted, but a person survives by moving.” As long as they went out and wandered, they could always stay alive. If they really couldn’t survive, they’d deal with it then.

So regarding the current situation, they were very satisfied.

But this distressed the upper echelons of Xiping County.

Changning was also doing everything he could to contact people he knew from before to buy supplies. Only now did he experience the benefits of following a generous lord.

Money and wealth were at his disposal, as long as he could buy back goods of corresponding value.

She also didn’t stint on giving things to the people to use—so much more straightforward than the stingy, hesitant County Magistrate Chai.

So although exhaustingly painful, it was also joyfully exhausting. Changning spent money like water, in pain yet happy.

Comparatively, Ji Yuan was much calmer. Though he spent even more money than Changning, he had after all served as an advisor to Zhao Changyu and handled considerable sums of money. In comparison, this was all small matter.

So he was very composed, composedly buying supplies everywhere, composedly facing the probing inquiries coming from all sides.

The relief forces who had been stubbornly staying in Quyang finally left. Although they didn’t get much benefit in the end, at least they made the Inspector bleed a little.

As the various relief forces returned to their respective homes, Zhao Hanzhang’s name spread throughout all of Yuzhou.

Now people in every commandery and county knew that the Xiping Zhao clan had produced a Third Miss Zhao, styled Hanzhang, who actually acted as Xiping County’s magistrate, and not only did the Zhao clan not oppose this, they supported her from behind. Even Inspector He acknowledged her position.

It was said that though she was only fourteen years old, on the battlefield she was a fierce general. Not only had she repelled the Jie barbarian Shi Lei outside the Zhao clan fortress, she had also driven away the rebel army from Xiping County, captured Xiping County seat, and when going to aid Quyang, had consecutively killed two great Xiongnu generals.

That’s right, Liu Jing had also died.

News of his death had just emerged. However, he didn’t die in Yuzhou. It was said he fled all the way to Shangdang, and because he didn’t receive good treatment on the road, his wound never healed. After returning to Shangdang and seeing Liu Yuan, he died from his severe injuries.

The wound on his body came from Zhao Hanzhang. It was said that when Zhao Hanzhang pursued Liu Jing, her final arrow shot through his back—it was this arrow that caused his injury to linger until he finally perished.

Therefore, not only Yuzhou, even Luoyang had heard of Zhao Hanzhang’s name.

However, compared to other great generals currently attacking Luoyang, the news of Liu Jing’s death was merely an insignificant piece of information. The magnates of Luoyang scanned over it without taking it to heart.

Only two people were exceptions.

One was Fu Zhi, the other was Zhao Zhongyu.

However, their moods were completely different.

For Fu Zhi, joy predominated within complexity, while for Zhao Zhongyu, worry predominated within complexity.

He had already sensed that his command over his hometown of Xiping was growing weaker and weaker, his control far inferior to when his elder brother had been clan head.

Such an important matter as Zhao Hanzhang becoming Xiping County’s “magistrate,” he actually heard about it from other sources rather than from Xiping.

This showed that the Xiping Zhao clan was deliberately concealing things from him.

If he were merely Zhao Zhongyu, this wouldn’t matter. But he was also the Zhao clan’s head! When his elder brother was clan head, would the Zhao clan have dared conceal such important matters from him?

Even when a fat turtle suddenly appeared in Zhao Hu’s pond, Zhao Song would write to inform Zhao Changyu.

Zhao Zhongyu couldn’t help but summon Zhao Ji. “This winter solstice, you return home to worship the ancestors. Come back after the New Year.”

But Zhao Ji refused to leave. “Father, Luoyang is currently surrounded. Not only would it be difficult for us to leave, even if we could leave, I cannot abandon the city and flee. How bad would that look if word got out?”

Zhao Zhongyu frowned slightly. “Recently many families have fled outside the city. In matters of life and death, what’s wrong with that?”

Zhao Ji still felt that staying with the Prince of Donghai was safest. “Once out of the city, the roads are even more dangerous. Father, is there something in Xiping that absolutely requires me to return?”

Zhao Zhongyu looked at him quietly for a while. After a long moment, he waved his hand. “Forget it, if you won’t return then don’t.”

He suddenly thought that Zhao Ming was now Xiping County’s Assistant Magistrate, and he himself had petitioned for that appointment. If Zhao Hanzhang truly held actual control of Xiping County, then Zhao Ming stood on her side.

Zhao Ji couldn’t even compete with Zhao Ming, much less against Zhao Hanzhang and Zhao Ming standing together.

Forget it. His return wouldn’t mean much anyway.

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

Zhao Zhongyu could pretend not to know, but Liu Yuan could not. He remembered deeply the name Zhao Hanzhang.

Liu Jing was Liu Yuan’s clansman. He had always valued him highly. Although Liu Jing had done some things that displeased him—which is why he punished him by sending him to attack Yuzhou and didn’t summon him back even when ascending the throne—

That didn’t mean he could sit by and watch him be killed.

Liu Jing was one of his fierce generals!

Liu Jing had been dead for three days, but Liu Yuan still felt heartache whenever he thought of him. He remembered the words he said on his deathbed: “This woman’s martial skills are extraordinary, her gaze clear and bright. She must be no ordinary person. Your Majesty, if you wish to seize the Central Plains, this person must be eliminated.”

Liu Yuan took note. However, this was a critical time for attacking Luoyang, and he temporarily couldn’t spare the manpower.

So he decided that after capturing Luoyang, he would definitely strike directly at Runan’s Xiping and take that Zhao Hanzhang’s head.