When Fu Tinghan returned home, she had already written a great deal. “Tomorrow I need to invite officials from all departments to the house to discuss some matters. You should also stay home.”
Fu Tinghan: “Discuss what matters?”
Zhao Hanzhang showed him the portion she’d written, saying: “Reform. Taking advantage of the chaotic times, extend our reach further. Otherwise, once their interests become fixed later, trying to change will face difficulty after difficulty.”
Fu Tinghan discovered that what she wanted to change ranged from villages to city wards, from agriculture to handicrafts and commerce. Regarding the military, except for military medicine and some logistics systems, nothing was listed here.
“Didn’t you want to divide the army into two parts—one part as elite troops and the rest all farming? Why isn’t this written here?”
“Military matters don’t need to be discussed with them. I can make decisions after consulting with Ji Yuan, Ming Yu, and several generals.” Asking them was also to check for omissions and fill gaps, to determine some detailed issues. She didn’t plan to bring military system matters to the court for discussion. Currently, she needed to ensure absolute control over the military.
Fu Tinghan nodded: “I have no objections.”
“Did you gain anything from going to the glass workshop today?”
Fu Tinghan: “A little. Master Jian is very capable. We tried several times—I dare not say we succeeded, but we did achieve some curvature. With continued research, I believe we can make it.”
Master Jian was the master craftsman of the Luoyang glass workshop and also the person in charge. He was very skilled at making glass—much more capable than Fu Tinghan, who was revered as the “founding ancestor.”
Many things Fu Tinghan wanted were described orally by him and researched and made by Master Jian, who could also extrapolate and make many things they hadn’t even thought of.
In Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes, he was no longer just a craftsman but a scientist, an engineering scientist. Very impressive.
So Zhao Hanzhang really liked him and said to Fu Tinghan: “Master craftsmen and scientists like them have difficulty entering officialdom based on technical skills. To put it bluntly, officialdom is actually a place for management and development. Their skills in scientific research would be completely wasted if they entered officialdom.”
“But they have great merit for the nation and the people and should be given corresponding honors. I want to establish a Mozi List, held once every three years. Each time, the top three on the list not only receive monetary rewards but also should have ranks. Give them all the honors given to top scholars. Oh, and those with outstanding contributions can also be granted noble titles.”
Zhao Hanzhang said enthusiastically: “I want everyone in the world to know that not only civil and military officials can be enfeoffed as marquises—scientific contributions can too.”
Fu Tinghan’s eyes also brightened: “This is good. How should the scope be defined? Should I gather people from the Ministry of Works for collective brainstorming? The Bureau of Agriculture should also count as within the Mohist scope, right?”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded: “Of course. Agriculture is the top priority and needs strong support.”
Currently, the most urgent matters were still agricultural efficiency and yield per mu. Zhao Hanzhang drew a circle in front of this matter to indicate importance, planning to discuss specific details with Ji Yuan and the others later.
The two discussed for a while. Ting He knocked on the door outside: “My lady, sir, dinner is ready.”
Zhao Hanzhang suddenly didn’t want to go to the dining hall to eat, feeling it was too troublesome to walk back and forth. Also, the study had been burning charcoal for so long and was so warm—the dining hall definitely couldn’t compare. So she said: “Have them bring the food here.”
Ting He acknowledged.
Before long, Ting He and the maids brought in the food and also brought two basins of warm water for the two to wash their hands.
Zhao Hanzhang said: “We hunted deer and rabbits today. Tonight we’ll eat rabbit meat, tomorrow we’ll eat deer meat.”
Fu Tinghan nodded and sat with her on the couch to eat.
“Rabbits reproduce quickly, but I looked carefully—wild rabbits now haven’t been domesticated, and the meat quantity is still too little. Besides grain being important for the nation, edible meat is also very important. Doesn’t the Bureau of Agriculture have a department specifically responsible for animal husbandry?”
Fu Tinghan: “There is. It was just established last year to research pig breeding and swine fever, but we only snatched one veterinarian from a horse farm. Right now Luoyang’s pig raising depends on circumstances, so what we can do is limited.”
Zhao Hanzhang said: “Why not have the Bureau of Agriculture cooperate with villages? The Bureau provides guidance and seeds. The court will give some subsidies. Of the pigs, chickens, rabbits, and such things raised, the Bureau picks out thirty percent as seeds. The rest all belongs to the farming people who raised them—how about that?”
Fu Tinghan thought for a moment and said: “This cooperation model is good, but I need to calculate the costs before deciding on the distribution.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded in agreement: “Pay attention to this matter. After spring plowing is a good time for breeding. We can select a few areas to pilot first. If it’s suitable, it can be promoted from Luoyang to other places.”
Zhao Hanzhang gave him a rabbit leg: “And there are cattle. Oxen for plowing are very important. Right now we lack labor. Besides improving tools to increase efficiency, all that’s left is raising more cattle.”
“Most cattle on the grasslands are beef cattle, but some cattle can also be used for farming after training. This requires domestication from when they’re calves,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “I plan to strengthen cooperation with the Tuoba Xianbei through this. Well, in that case, leaving this matter to your Bureau of Agriculture wouldn’t be appropriate. Let me see who’s suitable.”
Fu Tinghan thought for a moment and said: “Zhao Shen?”
Zhao Hanzhang pondered: “That’s not impossible. I’ll talk to him later.”
The two ate while chatting. This meal lasted until late at night before they dispersed.
Over the next two days, Zhao Hanzhang kept discussing various military matters with Ji Yuan and the others. Officials and staff members who had been accustomed to seeking her out at Zhao Mansion all shifted to the Great General’s Mansion, gradually adapting to the layout here.
Each morning when she woke, she could receive calling cards from the gatekeeper—all from officials coming to request audiences. Clearly, everyone hadn’t been idle during New Year’s. Besides those coming to cultivate relationships and give gifts, most brought documents to discuss government affairs with her.
Zhao Hanzhang stood in the courtyard experiencing the rolling cold wind and said to Ting He: “Have the gatekeeper clean out both side rooms to the left and right of the main gate, furnish them with tables and chairs. All visitors should temporarily be invited into the side rooms to sit, serve hot tea and charcoal braziers—don’t let people catch cold and fall ill.”
Ting He bowed and left.
The Great General’s Mansion was thronged with visitors. In contrast was the palace’s desolation.
But the young emperor greatly enjoyed this desolation. He wished the palace would always be this quiet—no ministers entering the palace, no teachers coming in. The entire palace would have only the Forbidden Army, palace servants, palace maids, and him.
He could sleep whenever he wanted, eat whenever he wanted—how pleasant and comfortable!
However, this comfort was interrupted on the evening of the seventh day. As soon as it got dark, a palace servant reminded the young emperor: “Your Majesty should rest. Tomorrow morning you must attend morning court.”
The young emperor had been staying up late these past few days and couldn’t fall asleep at this time, so he used his special privilege to play for another hour before falling asleep in a daze.
The young emperor was pulled out of bed to get dressed and escorted outside. The cold wind hit his face and he shivered involuntarily.
Looking at the sunrise on the horizon, the young emperor was somewhat dazed and asked: “What time is it?”
A young palace servant said: “The first quarter of the hour of chen. Your Majesty, all the ministers have already entered the palace. If you have some breakfast, the timing will be just right when you go.”