Han Qian naturally also urgently wanted to repair the Snowy Peak Mountain post road. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have requested his other reward field at Huaxi Stronghold at the eastern entrance of the post road. It was just that repairing the Snowy Peak Mountain post road would be far too costly and expensive.
Longya Mountain was merely a branch of Wuling Mountain, with relatively gentle terrain and a relatively easy-to-repair post road. But Snowy Peak Mountain was a main mountain range separating southern Hunan and southwestern Hunan, stretching five to six hundred li from north to south. Reconstructing this ancient post road would require over ten times more work than reconstructing the Longya Mountain post road.
The costs of repairing the Longya Mountain post road had already been included in military expenditures. Now if they were to repair the Snowy Peak Mountain post road in the name of the Hunan Regional Administration, given Shen Yang’s stubborn temperament, he would most likely send it back for Xuzhou to take full responsibility.
After Xuzhou’s field tax reform, plus transit taxes and market harbor taxes, although they could collect one hundred twenty thousand shi of grain and nearly fifty thousand strings of cash annually, the salaries of prefectural and county officials, public treasury funds, and the maintenance costs of the provincial garrison—after deducting the thirty thousand shi of grain and twenty thousand strings of cash paid annually to the Regional Administration—they could only squeeze out thirty to forty thousand shi of grain each year for engineering expenses like city and road construction, river canal and embankment projects.
The key issue was that this money and grain couldn’t all be invested in repairing the Snowy Peak Mountain post road. Linjiang, Zhongfang, Qianyang, Langxi, and Tanyang counties—which county didn’t need allocated funds for public works construction?
Bottom line, Xuzhou still had little farmland and few people. Over twenty thousand civilian households didn’t even equal two upper-tier counties in Tanzhou or Yuezhou. With 1.6 to 1.7 million acres of farmland, only about two hundred thousand acres qualified as high-yield irrigated land—the proportion was still too low.
“How much money and grain can the prefectural office squeeze out?” Han Qian asked his father.
“The prefectural office has limited money and grain, but now that the autumn harvest is past, we should be able to recruit quite a few workers to repair the post road before spring. Since June, Longya City and the weaving workshop haven’t needed to provide additional subsidies to the Wuling Army. Should be able to squeeze out quite a bit of money and grain, right?” Han Daoxun stared at Han Qian with blazing eyes.
“Hey, I come back for a visit and you bring this up—aren’t you hurting our father-son relationship!” Han Qian scratched his head.
“You need to give me a definite number so I can instruct Zheng Tong to immediately prepare the project.” But Han Daoxun had no intention of letting Han Qian off, insisting he state a specific amount.
Although Han Qian had been responsible for logistics and supplies on the western front right up until Tanzhou fell, the captured goods and donations from local gentry after recovering Wuling, Hanshou, Shishou, and other cities compensated for the military expenses during that period.
After recovering Tanzhou City, when Han Qian disbanded the Wuling Army, he also transferred logistics matters to Shen Yang, Zhou Yuan, and others.
Actually, starting in May, Longya City and Wufeng Mountain stopped subsidizing the Wuling Army. Even if they continued supplying military provisions to the various armies, and even the four double-deck oared war sail ships built at the shipyard to supplement the provincial naval garrison, everything was calculated at price. They no longer kept fuzzy accounts like before.
During Han Qian’s “escape” to Xuzhou, he had once transported massive resources to Xuzhou—as much as sixty thousand shi of grain and nearly one hundred thousand strings worth of money and materials. This money and grain, plus later supplementary field tax collections, confiscations from the four major clans, and spoils from capturing enemy cities, were all mixed into one accounting ledger with unified expenditures.
Of course, there was no way to sort out the accounts clearly.
But after May, especially after welcoming the Third Prince into Tanzhou City, the Third Prince made it explicitly clear to Han Qian that the shipyard, plantations, iron smelting works, weaving workshop, weapons and armor workshops, and other enterprises the Han family had established in Xuzhou over these years would all be counted as Han family private property.
This time, Longya City and the nearby three thousand acres of land, along with the attached buildings, workshops, and so on, were explicitly granted as rewards for his and his father’s meritorious service.
Adding the dividends from the Xi-Xiang-Yang three-family fleet and various rewards accumulated over time, after deducting the quite substantial daily expenses, Longya City still had over fifty thousand strings of cash in reserve.
This was the huge sum of money Han Qian had saved up again. He hadn’t expected that before he could even warm this money in his hands, his old man was already scheming after it.
Seeing Han Qian hesitate, Han Daoxun said, “Opening the Snowy Peak Mountain passage will also benefit Longya City’s goods entering Shao and Heng provinces. We shouldn’t rely entirely on the prefectural office’s strained public funds. No matter how tight your finances are, this winter you must first squeeze out thirty thousand strings for me…”
Seeing the prefectural government really couldn’t squeeze out much money and grain, Han Qian agreed accordingly.
Thirty thousand strings could hire over three thousand strong laborers for one winter, probably enough to clear out the twenty-plus collapse sites and particularly steep sections along the Snowy Peak Mountain post road.
To further widen it and straighten curves would require building bridges—even three hundred thousand strings wouldn’t be enough.
When discussion turned to recruiting family troops, Han Daoxun’s interest waned. In the end, he only sighed lightly and told Han Qian, “You decide these matters!”
Seeing the faint worry locked in his father’s brow, Han Qian sighed inwardly. He knew his father’s political ambition was to establish principles for the people’s livelihood, eliminate powerful clan nobles, enrich the state treasury, thereby reunify the realm and reduce warfare. Over these three months since capturing Tanzhou City, his father had written him multiple letters discussing the possibility of implementing the new field system across Hunan’s eight prefectures, building on the victory of vassal reduction. He hadn’t expected that none of his father’s political proposals would even have a chance to surface for discussion, while the Han family had now become one of Hunan’s premier powerful families.
Recently in Langxi County, a case had occurred where an uncle accused his nephew’s wife of adultery, but was counter-accused by her of usurping family property. Li Tang couldn’t make sense of the case in Langxi County, so Han Daoxun ordered the accused parties sent to the prefectural office for his personal judgment.
The accused had only been transported over before dark. After drinking, with night already deep, Han Daoxun first returned to his study to read the case files, preparing to hold court and interrogate the accused first thing in the morning.
Han Qian also prepared to return to the East Courtyard to rest when Fan Xicheng called out to him, saying:
“Chengzhi has now established a family and career, and I’m already quite old. If I don’t set out for Liang territory to search for my wife and daughter soon, I fear half my body will already be buried in the earth and I won’t be able to move anymore. The master has permitted me to depart in these next few days. I’m telling the young master here as well.”
Han Qian was slightly stunned. Looking at Fan Xicheng’s half-frosted beard and hair, he hadn’t expected that he still couldn’t let go of the wife and daughter he’d been separated from over a decade ago in the chaos of war. He actually wanted to use what strength he still had, embracing what he knew was only the most remote sliver of hope, and insist on going to Liang Kingdom to search.
Han Qian sighed inwardly. The lower Huai River had once been the focus of Liang-Chu warfare, swept by bandits, through vast changes and transformations. Everything had long since changed. Even if Fan Xicheng’s wife and daughter were still alive, who knew in what corner they struggled to survive? How could they possibly be found?
Han Qian wanted to try persuading Fan Xicheng, but seeing him stand ramrod straight, revealing an unbending will, he secretly felt that if he insisted on blocking him, Fan Xicheng might leave without notice, and with this knot in his heart unresolved, would sink into despondency from then on.
Han Qian’s relationship with Fan Xicheng couldn’t be called particularly pleasant, but Fan Xicheng was utterly loyal to his father. Han Qian didn’t want him to die miserably in a foreign land in his old age, without anyone even by his side to see him off at the end. He said:
“Three years as the limit—if after three years there’s still no news, Elder Fan will return, agreed? In the future, Chengzhi will remain by my side to handle affairs, but Elder Fan must still remember those three siblings.”
Fan Chengzhi was a family soldier’s son whom Han Qian had forced Fan Xicheng to adopt years ago. After Fan Wucheng and Fan Dahei died, he was Fan Xicheng’s only adopted son.
Fan Chengzhi also had two younger sisters who, along with their widowed mother, had married Fan Xicheng and been adopted into his family.
Fan Chengzhi had just turned eighteen this year, and Fan Xicheng had impatiently arranged a marriage for him. His two younger sisters had also been betrothed to others this year. When Han Qian was in Tanzhou, he had specifically asked Zhao Ting’er to help him prepare gifts. He hadn’t expected Fan Xicheng to be so anxious—mainly to leave without too many attachments.
Fan Xicheng nodded, agreeing to the three-year term Han Qian proposed, thinking that after three years of outdoor meals and sleeping rough while wandering, he probably wouldn’t have the strength to keep moving either.
Han Qian removed a fine steel ring from his right hand and handed it to Fan Xicheng, saying, “Elder Fan, take an Xi clan youth with you as an attendant, and keep this ring on you. If you need any help along the way, at major water and land transportation hubs, flip the ring face over—you might be able to obtain some assistance…”
The fine steel ring looked plain and unremarkable, but pressing a tiny spring on the side could open the ring face, revealing inside a small disk with two seal script characters: “Jinyun.”
Naturally there wasn’t just one token for contacting Jinyun Tower’s secret agents, but the token Han Qian carried personally was necessarily of the highest grade.
“Thank you, young master.” Fan Xicheng thanked him and prepared to leave first.
Han Qian waved his hand and designated an Xi clan youth to follow Fan Xicheng away, so he could attend to Fan Xicheng’s daily needs along the journey. In this era, people entered old age once they passed fifty. Even though Fan Xicheng had practiced diligently with blade and bow, approaching sixty he already showed some signs of aging. Han Qian even worried whether he could endure three years of harsh traveling.
“Elder Fan is a man of deep sentiment. These past two years since Fan Dahei died in battle, his health has been somewhat worse than before. He’s always been talking about searching for his wife and daughter. Even if he dies in a foreign land on this journey, his heart will be more at peace.” Han Laoshan walked with Han Qian to the East Courtyard, chattering rather sentimentally.
Han Qian nodded. Fan Dahei’s death had deeply affected him, and he knew it had greatly changed Fan Xicheng. After all, Fan Chengzhi was someone he had forced upon Fan Xicheng. Fan Wucheng and Fan Dahei were the two whom Fan Xicheng had truly devoted his heart and effort to.
Han Qian had never mentioned the true cause of Fan Wucheng’s death to anyone to this day, and there was no need to bring it up now. He just thought that during this return to Qianyang City, he should somehow find an opportunity to pay respects at Fan Dahei’s grave.
Han Qian remembered something and told Han Laoshan, “Han Dong works very hard at Huaxi Stronghold. To repair the post road, we need to recruit workers on both ends and proceed in multiple locations simultaneously for faster progress. After the new year, I’ll recommend him to the Works Bureau to learn administrative work under Zheng Tong. You can adopt Han Dong as your own to care for you and Aunt Zhou in your old age.”
Han Laoshan and his wife had no children. Han Dong was their nephew, but having previously been a household slave, he had always served under Han Daoming and Han Jun father and son. During Han Qian’s “escape” period, when the Han clan was forced to disband their family troops, they also released some household slaves. At that time, some people had trekked across mountains and rivers to seek refuge in Xuzhou.
Sometimes relationships within the Han clan couldn’t simply be cut clean just because Han Qian said so.
Han Laoshan and his wife had no children and had long wanted to adopt their nephew Han Dong, wanting someone to care for them in old age and see them off at the end. But they hadn’t figured out the young master Han Qian’s thoughts and didn’t dare bring it up, only keeping Han Dong by their side to help.
Over these years, Han Laoshan had rendered service if not merit. Han Qian wouldn’t bother getting upset with them over such a small matter, so he simply broached the subject for them.
Seeing the young master not only permit them to adopt Han Dong but also say he would appoint Han Dong as an official after the new year, Han Laoshan immediately beamed with joy, watching as Han Qian entered the East Courtyard.
Han Qian strode into the bedroom to see both Zhao Ting’er and Xi Ren present, with Zhao Ting’er’s face full of displeasure. He asked her curiously, “I haven’t been back in such a long time—instead of keeping your parents company, why do you look so unhappy?”
“Old man Zhao looks very honest, but he’s thinking that now the Han family is large and prosperous, he doesn’t expect his own daughter to be the principal wife, but he hopes his own grandson can be the Han family’s eldest grandson,” Xi Ren sat to the side laughing. “And now, forget about holding a grandson—seeing his own daughter’s cloud-like hair still unchanged, how could he hold back from scolding her a few sentences?”
“How can you make it sound so terrible?” Zhao Ting’er complained.
“Right, right, I made it sound too terrible,” Xi Ren said with a yawn. “I’m so tired, perhaps I didn’t hear clearly and got it wrong. I’m going to sleep in the outer room—you attend to the master’s washing up…”
Seeing Xi Ren about to leave, Zhao Ting’er quickly grabbed her.
Han Qian recalled how after the Jingxiang conflict ended, when returning to Jinling, old man Zhao had taught Ting’er to seduce him. He smiled inwardly. He hadn’t expected two years to pass in the blink of an eye. Staring at Zhao Ting’er, he saw she was no longer the pure and beautiful young girl of those years, but had developed more voluptuous beauty.
In the past, Han Qian hadn’t taken Zhao Ting’er into his chambers partly because childbirth was like passing through death’s gate for young girls whose bodies hadn’t fully matured, but also because over the past few years, he had constantly thought that one day he might flee to the ends of the earth and didn’t want attachments.
He hadn’t expected Zhao Ting’er to bear such great additional pressure because of this.
Thinking of how Fan Xicheng had spent these years worrying about his scattered wife and children, Han Qian thought that having someone to worry about probably wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Han Qian looked at Zhao Ting’er’s exquisitely beautiful face that set his heart swaying, and those intoxicating, evasive eyes, and asked, “You won’t feel you’re wronging yourself?”
“Serving as a slave and maid by your side for life—what’s there to feel wronged about?” Zhao Ting’er nearly buried her head in her chest, releasing Xi Ren’s hand and murmuring softly.
“Now you think I’m in the way?” Xi Ren teased.
Zhao Ting’er raised her hand to strike Xi Ren, who jumped to dodge.
Han Qian reached out and caught Xi Ren.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Xi Ren startled, staring at Han Qian.
“Where did your mind go?” Seeing Xi Ren glare at him fiercely, Han Qian laughed. “Although I can’t give Ting’er the status of principal wife, the proper礼数 (ritual courtesy) of informing my parents cannot be omitted. For this matter, I’ll need you to help Ting’er make arrangements—Elder Fan is leaving Qianyang to search for his wife and daughter. At the very least, we should let Elder Fan drink at mine and Ting’er’s wedding celebration before letting him depart.”
Xi Ren inexplicably blushed and smiled. Without saying anything more, she took Zhao Ting’er’s hand and walked out.