The Shangcai manor had greatly changed. Surrounding the Zhao clan’s manor, houses for long-term workers and retainers were built, enclosing the Zhao clan’s separate residence and the tenant farmers’ village in the middle.
All of Shangcai was quietly passing the winter, except for this area.
This place was lively every day, with people coming and going to work. Many villagers came from the other side of Shangcai County. Even without wages, just for the two meals a day provided here, it was worth working here.
Ji Yuan was methodically managing all this while also handling messages from the capital.
Ji Yuan was reading intently when Zhao Tong hurried in and reported, “Teacher Ji, Magistrate Chai has arrived.”
Ji Yuan put all the letters on the desk into a box and locked it, asking, “What is he here for?”
Zhao Tong paused before saying, “Looking at his expression, it doesn’t seem to be good news. I asked the person accompanying Magistrate Chai and heard that many people from Shangcai have run off to Xiping County.”
Ji Yuan was immediately at a loss for words. He was silent for quite a while before saying, “Invite him to the front hall. I’ll go right away.”
Zhao Tong acknowledged.
Magistrate Chai was very unhappy. He had just received news that this year many people from villages near Xiping County had all run to Xiping County, and he didn’t know if they would return.
Zhao Hanzhang had gone too far. Not only did she take his Chang Ning, but she even wanted to take the people under his jurisdiction.
Ji Yuan represented Zhao Hanzhang in Shangcai and naturally couldn’t let her relationship with Magistrate Chai deteriorate. He said, “There may be a misunderstanding in this. How does the magistrate know they went to Xiping and don’t plan to return?”
Magistrate Chai snorted and said, “Their ward chiefs said so.”
Ji Yuan thought for a moment and said, “May I meet with these ward chiefs? As far as I know, our lady has no intention of taking people. Right now refugees are everywhere. If Xiping County lacks people, gathering refugees would suffice. Why compete with a neighboring county for people and create unpleasantness?”
Magistrate Chai was instantly persuaded by him, feeling what he said made sense. He immediately took Ji Yuan to meet the ward chiefs who had come to complain.
The ward chiefs: …
The new year was approaching, and winter was getting colder. The ward chiefs feared too many people freezing or starving to death in their districts, which would be bad, so they went to inspect the small villages below.
Entering a village, they discovered many able-bodied men weren’t home. Even twelve or thirteen-year-old youths and thirty or forty-year-old middle-aged men (tears streaming) were gone. They were terrified at the time, thinking the village people had gone to become bandits.
Upon inquiry, they learned they had gone to work in the neighboring county and had been gone quite a while.
The ward chiefs waited several days. Seeing that even after the wage payment day they hadn’t returned, they became increasingly worried, very afraid they would stay in Xiping County and not come back.
Most critically, one ward chief panicked and discussed this matter with the neighboring ward chief, only to discover the neighboring ward chief also had many people under his jurisdiction who had gone to Xiping…
So one ward chief found another, and they all networked together, discovering there were so many people who had gone, and it was one village bringing another village, deliberately avoiding the villages where they were located.
Most critically, although they avoided the villages where they were located, people from their villages had also secretly run over after hearing the news, hiding it from them.
How frightening! After the new year came spring, and when spring arrived it would be time for spring plowing. If they didn’t return, what would they do about spring plowing?
If the population of their jurisdictions decreased significantly, the magistrate certainly wouldn’t fare well, and if the magistrate didn’t fare well, could they as ward chiefs fare well?
So after discussion, the ward chiefs traveled together to the county town to file a complaint.
We’ve already reported this. Whether you can snatch these people back from neighboring Xiping County’s hands is now a contest between you magistrates.
Ji Yuan felt they definitely didn’t have conclusive evidence. Sure enough, when he questioned them, they really didn’t. Everything was just suspicion.
So Ji Yuan felt relieved. His expression darkened as he began refuting them.
Would their lady, who was noble and magnanimous with a kind heart, be the type of person to snatch away a neighboring county’s population?
She merely pitied the Shangcai County people’s winter hardships, so she hired them to work, allowing them to earn money to support their families.
This was an expression of friendship between Xiping and Shangcai. How could these ward chiefs judge a noble person’s heart with the mind of a petty person?
Ji Yuan with a grave expression enumerated Zhao Hanzhang’s reasons for doing this. “Shangcai and Xiping are the same—both are our lady’s homeland. Don’t forget, our lady’s grandfather was the Earl of Shangcai, with his fief in Shangcai!”
Magistrate Chai’s eyes brightened slightly. Yes, how had he forgotten this point?
Even the ward chiefs began doubting themselves. Could it really not be for snatching people?
Of course not!
Even if it was, Ji Yuan could refute it.
After successfully pacifying Magistrate Chai and the ward chiefs, Ji Yuan was about to return to the manor to write to Zhao Hanzhang. Leaving the government office, he thought for a moment and said, “Magistrate, this year there were two additional tax levies. The people’s lives are difficult. With the new year approaching, yet there are few people at the market buying new year goods, showing theirå›°é¡¿. If the magistrate could provide some relief at this time and bestow grace upon them, they would certainly be grateful.”
Magistrate Chai sighed. “I naturally know this, but the county office is impoverished. What do we have to provide relief?”
Ji Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to offer a suggestion. The county office didn’t have anything, but they could contact the major households in the county.
But thinking about it, currently the biggest major household in Shangcai County was Zhao Hanzhang. He swallowed his words back. This matter required asking Zhao Hanzhang.
So returning to the manor, besides writing to tell Zhao Hanzhang to be more subtle, as Shangcai’s side had already expressed dissatisfaction with her people-snatching behavior, Ji Yuan mentioned this matter.
When Zhao Hanzhang received the letter, she had just returned from the banquet. Without thinking, she agreed to Ji Yuan’s request and wrote back: “Take the lead in donating some grain and cloth. Teacher can determine the specific amounts yourself.”
Zhao Hanzhang wrote: “No need to mind the competitive relationship between counties. Although I was born in Xiping, my family ancestor was the Earl of Shangcai. Whether Xiping or Shangcai, both are my homeland.”
“Actually, we need not even mind whether they are people of these two counties. We donate grain more to save people, to let the people receiving aid happily spend this new year festival. It’s not because they are Shangcai people or Xiping people. So why must we be particular about what kind of people they are?”
Helping people was a very joyful thing. Otherwise, why throughout history would there be so many people happy to help others?
Zhao Hanzhang also loved helping people. Within her capabilities, she didn’t stint on helping.
After Zhao Hanzhang finished writing the letter, she blew the ink dry, read through the letter again, then sealed it. She couldn’t help chuckling.
Fu Tinghan, sitting at a desk not far away, heard the laughter and looked up at her. “What is it?”
“Nothing, just thinking about the joy of helping people.”
Fu Tinghan: “…Like how you helped Zhu Chuan at the banquet today?”
“That’s not worth mentioning. I’m talking about the joy of donating grain to the common people.” Zhao Hanzhang touched her chin. “If Shangcai County has relief grain for the new year, shouldn’t my Xiping County also distribute something for the new year? It needn’t all be grain…”
Zhao Hanzhang began contemplating. She needed to organize a program to lead the people under her jurisdiction in happily celebrating the new year.
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