Zhao Hanzhang had never intended to report this matter to the court, let alone tell Zhao Zhongyu.

She said she would establish the Office of Imperial Stud and the Office of Medicine and Health, so she would just do it directly.

She made a circuit around the county office and simply pointed to two rooms, saying, “Clean them up. From now on, these will be the offices for the Office of Imperial Stud and the Office of Medicine and Health.”

The bailiffs agreed without thinking and went to clean up. Standing beside her, Changning narrowed his eyes. “Office of Imperial Stud and Office of Medicine and Health?”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “The Office of Imperial Stud manages cattle, horses, and the six domestic animals. The Office of Medicine and Health, as the name suggests, naturally manages medicine.”

Changning said, “County Magistrate, cattle, horses, and the six domestic animals fall under the jurisdiction of the Revenue Department. As for medicine, shouldn’t it also fall under the Revenue Department?”

“You see, you yourself are uncertain,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “Although the Revenue Department manages them, it’s only rough supervision. It neither fulfills the responsibility of encouragement nor provides the benefit of cultivation. Better to establish a separate department to oversee them.”

Zhao Hanzhang continued, “I’ve already thought it through. The Office of Imperial Stud should encourage private citizens to raise horses and cattle, sheep and pigs, chickens and ducks. It will be responsible for providing corresponding technical support, and when necessary, also provide some medicinal materials to prevent livestock diseases.”

“Otherwise, relying solely on our county office opening horse farms and cattle farms for breeding would be too slow.” The power of the common people was very strong, and Zhao Hanzhang planned to make full use of it.

Two-pronged approach—her cattle farm would open, but private citizens could also get started.

Changning paused before asking, “What about the Office of Medicine and Health?”

He said, “Seeking medical treatment and medicine has always been an individual matter. If County Magistrate forcefully conscripts pharmacies and doctors like this, I fear it will scatter people’s hearts.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes widened. “Who said I’m going to conscript pharmacies and doctors?”

Changning also widened his eyes. “If you don’t conscript pharmacy doctors, where will the medicine for your Office of Medicine and Health come from, and where will the doctors come from?”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “I’ll buy them and hire them. Do I look like someone short on money?”

Changning sneered coldly, “Then we’ll see if you can hire anyone.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “I’ll offer high wages!”

Changning gave her a meaningful look, then turned and walked away.

The next day, Zhao Hanzhang had someone post a public notice.

Quite a few people came to apply for the Office of Imperial Stud. They all claimed to have many years of livestock-raising experience—some skilled in raising cattle, some skilled in raising sheep, and some skilled in raising chickens.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t understand these matters very well, so she had asked Chief Wei to come early to supervise. These would all be his subordinates in the future, so naturally he needed to review them.

Chief Wei took on the responsibility without hesitation and began the examination process.

However, there was no movement at all from the Office of Medicine and Health. The monthly salary she offered was considerable—at least as much as, if not more than, what resident doctors earned outside. But strangely, not a single person came to apply.

Not even an apprentice came.

Zhao Hanzhang sat there in a daze. Fu Tinghan appeared beside her at some point and said to her, “Medical practice is different from animal husbandry. They value inheritance very highly. I asked around—generally, when doctors take on apprentices, they keep them by their side for study for over ten years. Even if they’re not father and son, they’re like father and son.”

“As for the relationship between doctors and pharmacies, either it’s their own family business, or they’ve been studying at the pharmacy since childhood. Basically, they’re contracted to the pharmacy for life. Leaving not only requires paying high penalty fees but also greatly damages their reputation. So it’s very difficult for you to recruit doctors this way.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “I just wanted to work on public health and medical services while establishing the Office of Imperial Stud.”

“I know,” Fu Tinghan said with a smile. “You could perhaps seek doctors from elsewhere, or directly conscript them.”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at Fu Tinghan in surprise. “Conscript?”

Fu Tinghan nodded. “You were just staring at the pharmacy shopkeeper who came to watch the excitement outside with brooding eyes. Weren’t you thinking exactly that?”

Zhao Hanzhang coughed lightly, her gaze drifting. “You noticed that?”

Fu Tinghan nodded, but was curious. “What are you hesitating about?”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Don’t you think it’s wrong? Conscription means depriving them of their freedom to choose.”

Fu Tinghan said, “Labor service, military service—which one isn’t conscription? Right now with refugees wandering displaced, they no longer have to serve, but are they free?”

He said, “They are less free than anyone.”

“Even you, the person who truly makes decisions in Xiping County, don’t have freedom. Do you think they would think about freedom?”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “They may not have clear thoughts in their minds, but they would certainly be dissatisfied.”

Fu Tinghan smiled and said, “I thought you would say that for the benefit of the majority, you could sacrifice the interests of a minority.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said, “If necessary, I might choose that way, but as far as this matter is concerned, it hasn’t reached that level.”

If she couldn’t recruit people here, she would recruit from elsewhere.

Right now there were people everywhere outside. She didn’t believe she couldn’t find a few doctors.

Fu Tinghan smiled at her and pulled out several sheets of paper covered with writing from his sleeve.

Zhao Hanzhang took them. They were densely covered with numbers. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Although I consider myself quite good at mathematics, your math problems are still…”

Zhao Hanzhang saw what was listed on them and her words paused as she began reading carefully.

“If you really can’t establish the Office of Medicine and Health independently, then cooperate with them.” Fu Tinghan said, “This is the development plan I made for the Office of Medicine and Health. I believe they’ll find these numbers very tempting.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “This is quite expensive. You’ve found me a big headache.”

Fu Tinghan said, “Aren’t you quite good at persuading people? Drawing prospects is not difficult for you, is it?”

Zhao Hanzhang, who was just drawing prospects in her mind and thinking about how to persuade people later, immediately said, “How can you call it drawing prospects? What I say is all true.”

Fu Tinghan nodded. “It’s just unknown when it will be realized.”

It seemed he had thoroughly understood Zhao Hanzhang’s personality.

Still wanting to pretend a bit in front of the person she liked, Zhao Hanzhang immediately stopped pretending and laughed cheerfully, “Life is so difficult, we always need to give everyone more hope.”

She waved the manuscript in her hand. “Thank you. I’ll go handle this right away.”

Zhao Hanzhang had invitations sent to all the pharmacies and doctors in the county town, inviting them to the county office to discuss important matters.

The pharmacy owners and doctors all went somewhat fearfully, afraid that Zhao Hanzhang would conscript them.

Actually, this operation was indeed possible.

However, during peacetime, Zhao Hanzhang wouldn’t do something so harmful to people’s hearts, so she sought them out for cooperation.

Zhao Hanzhang had someone bring in a blackboard and directly wrote down the approximate current population of Xiping County on it, saying, “Now our Xiping County has this many people. Each person will fall ill once or twice a year, though illnesses vary in severity. But among so many people, those who can afford to see a doctor when ill are only about one or two in ten…”

The Office of Medicine and Health that Zhao Hanzhang wanted to establish was actually just to have doctors train more doctors and teach the county’s people some basic medical and health knowledge.

With her current financial resources and capabilities, she could only distribute some preventive medicinal materials during epidemic seasons each year.

Her main goal was to have doctors cultivate more doctors for her, especially military physicians.

—