Yuan Li raised his head to look at the sky full of stars and sighed, “It’s too late tonight. We’ll have to continue tomorrow.” Perfect timing—he had the entire night to think about what needed to be done next.

Yuan Li went back to lie down and ponder deeply, but Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t finished yet. She had the communications officer contact Zhao Ming: “Order Nanyang and Ruyang to deploy twenty thousand soldiers to the Huai River area and await orders.”

The communications officer acknowledged the command.

Only then did Zhao Hanzhang leave, but the work wasn’t complete. These were urgent matters requiring immediate decisions, while other important but less pressing matters remained.

She planned to inform Ji Yuan and Ming Yu of her decision tomorrow—no need to let them waste mental energy on such matters.

“Have Yuzhou and Yanzhou prepare for war,” the next day, after the morning court session, Zhao Hanzhang kept Ji Yuan and several others behind to discuss. “Start preparations and see whether fighting will break out this winter.”

Zhao Shen hadn’t been present yesterday and was somewhat confused. He asked, “What has Wang Dun done?”

Ji Yuan smiled and asked, “How does Attendant Zhao know it’s Wang Dun?”

Zhao Shen replied, “The Prince of Langya has a weak personality. Being able to maintain a peaceful corner, he naturally won’t provoke us, and we…”

He glanced at Zhao Hanzhang before continuing, “The General seeks stability at this time and wants to give the people rest. Naturally, she won’t initiate provocation either.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s lips curved upward as she nodded approvingly. “Correct. Wang Dun is the one who started it.”

However, Wang Siniang and Wang Xuan weren’t entirely without their own thoughts either. Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes. When the tax grain was robbed, she didn’t report it immediately but let Wang Xuan send troops to capture two cities before reporting. Clearly, the brother and sister were forcing her to make a decision.

She just didn’t know whether this was their mutual intention or someone’s individual idea.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t plan to ask—at least not now.

She glanced at Ji Yuan, who then explained to Zhao Shen and the other ministers the military report they’d received the previous evening, as well as some of Zhao Hanzhang’s arrangements.

Zhao Shen asked, “Isn’t the General worried about the court officials who went south to investigate?”

Zhao Hanzhang replied with a serious expression, “They have the Zhao Family Army as their backing. Even if he had the nerve, Sima Rui wouldn’t dare kill them.”

Zhao Shen thought about the Prince of Langya’s personality—indeed, that was true. He nodded and then said, “But Xuzhou lies between Yanzhou and Yangzhou, which is inconvenient. Do you intend to station all the troops in Yuzhou?”

“Xuzhou…” Zhao Hanzhang lightly tapped the table with her fingers. “I don’t want to touch Xuzhou for now. Liu Kun has an excellent reputation in the south. Not only do the aristocratic families who fled south from the north respect him, but local wealthy families in Jiangnan and Jiangdong also admire him. The Prince of Langya also praises him frequently. I want to ask him to make a trip to Yangzhou and personally persuade the Prince of Langya to return to the capital.”

Zhao Shen understood: No wonder she wasn’t worried about the officials sent to investigate. If Liu Kun followed up by going to Yangzhou, the Prince of Langya wouldn’t kill those officials, if only to give Liu Kun face.

She had already planned it out. If Yuan Li and Liu Kun could jointly persuade the Prince of Langya, then the war preparations would remain just preparations. If they couldn’t persuade him, she would immediately appoint Zhao Ju as General-in-Chief of the Northern Route to Pacify the South, commanding the military forces of Yan and Yu provinces to attack Yangzhou from north to south, while Wang Yifeng would become General-in-Chief of the Southern Route to Pacify the South…

She could also immediately lead elite troops southward. Since they’d decided to begin, they couldn’t delay—they must strike decisively to take Jiangnan and Jiangdong, achieving unification of the realm.

From her deployment, Zhao Shen perceived her ambition to unify the world. His own spirits soared, and even his posture straightened somewhat. “So we begin preparing grain and provisions from now?”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded.

Ji Yuan glanced at the expressionless Changning and reminded her, “Doesn’t the General want to ask the Vice Minister of Revenue about the state of the treasury?”

Zhao Hanzhang immediately looked toward Changning.

Changning lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then clenched both fists. “After allocating next year’s expenses for managing the Yellow River, the treasury has very little remaining. Officials’ salaries, military pay, and next year’s preparations for grain seeds, farming tools, and oxen for the various provinces—even calculating only through the first half of the year, the treasury’s expenditures exceed its revenues.”

They didn’t distribute grain seeds and farming tools to every household every year. Each year, however, the court had new tasks—having localities select grain seeds to submit, which the Bureau of Agriculture would review before making selections and redistributions. For instance, they might buy Type One seeds from the north to send east, or Type Two seeds from the south to send west. These were mainly distributed to commoners of middling to lower economic status, though not in large quantities—perhaps two or three jin per household.

The purpose was to increase disaster resilience. Additionally, seeds from different regions planted together or in adjacent areas could produce new seeds through cross-pollination, avoiding genetic defects that arose from planting the same seed variety for too long.

After all, some wheat seeds became increasingly susceptible to insect damage over time, with plants growing shorter and shorter. At such times, new seeds needed to be introduced.

Wealthy households could purchase new grain seeds from grain shops themselves, but many poor commoners lacked both the ability and the awareness.

The court had to take responsibility.

The same applied to farming tools, which were mainly for households in difficult circumstances.

In reality, most households currently lacked sufficient farming tools. Zhao Hanzhang had always wanted to increase agricultural tool production. To this end, she’d even published diagrams of various farming implements directly in newspapers, allowing each county to operate three iron foundries, hoping more people could buy farming tools.

However, some people still couldn’t afford tools even when available, so the court had to provide assistance.

Farming tools also wore out, so each year they had to allocate funds to counties for supporting agricultural tool expenses.

Beyond this, they had to keep reserves for emergency relief during natural disasters. Officials’ salaries and military pay absolutely could not be reduced. Zhao Hanzhang was somewhat dazed. Speaking of which, how much money did her private treasury currently hold?

While Zhao Hanzhang was calculating her private treasury’s funds, she heard Changning say, “Though difficult, I will do my utmost to raise the necessary grain and provisions, seeing whether I can squeeze some out from elsewhere.”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at Changning with surprise. She’d thought he would oppose her sending troops.

Changning seemed to know what she was thinking and explained, “Recovering the south would naturally be better done in a couple years when the treasury is fuller. But since action has already begun, we must fight quickly and decisively. That way, after unification of the realm, the General can focus on giving the people rest.”

So though it would be somewhat bitter now, after the bitterness would come sweetness. Changning indicated he could endure it.

Seeing his understanding, Zhao Hanzhang was deeply moved and nearly shed tears.

Seeing this, Ji Yuan couldn’t help but snort, as if they hadn’t supported her.

Zhao Hanzhang hurried to look at Ji Yuan reassuringly, indicating that between the two of them, no words were needed—everything was understood without speaking.

Ming Yu: …

Zhao Shen shook his shoulders and rubbed his arms, feeling goosebumps rising. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang and the others turn to stare at him in unison, he pointed outside. “It’s gotten cold. Could it be about to snow?”

Zhao Hanzhang withdrew her gaze and also looked at the sky outside. “Since Jingzhou isn’t peaceful, this year’s grain tax can remain in Jingzhou for now. Store it in local granaries—no need to transport it to the capital yet.”

Zhao Yunshu acknowledged and said, “I’ll write the official document now.”

Conveniently, both Ji Yuan and Ming Yu were present. They could review and approve it on the spot, then hand it to Changning—extremely efficient.

Oh, she’d almost forgotten—it still needed to be filed.

—