Zhao Hanzhang was surprised: “So many?”

Fu Tinghan said: “Some children insisted they had no father or mother and no adults with them. Even if I knew otherwise, I couldn’t very well expose them. Anyway, you plan to bring them into Nanyang Kingdom first. When you’ve settled them properly and they have relief grain and fields, they can survive. Naturally they won’t bear to be separated from their own flesh and blood.”

If even at that point no one came to claim them, then taking these children with them would be for the best, wouldn’t it?

Zhao Hanzhang thought about it and nodded: “That’s fine too.”

Without adult care and affection, these children wandering outside would find it hard to survive. Even if they could survive, life would be very difficult. Better to put them in the Charity Hall.

So many children—in a few years they could all become her labor force. If she could raise one or two talents among them, she would profit greatly.

Zhao Hanzhang agreed with Fu Tinghan’s proposal.

With the grain Zhu Chuan donated, there was much more Zhao Hanzhang could do. She directly had Fan Ying lead people to take over the supplies Zhu Chuan had donated.

Zhu Chuan, seeing she didn’t distribute the grain to the people as relief, but first handed it over with him and took complete control, couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows.

Zhao Hanzhang was indeed cautious and domineering, very methodical in her actions!

Fan Ying moved quickly. Even without Fu Tinghan, counting wasn’t difficult for her. She soon finished tallying the supplies and came to find Zhao Hanzhang with her ledger: “Besides three carts of valuables and the goods of the small merchants traveling with the caravan, Master Zhu donated a total of twenty carts of grain and ten carts of cloth. The cloth is mainly fine linen and fine cotton.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, showing understanding. His intention was to do business, so naturally he would bring higher-value fine linen and fine cotton. He wouldn’t bring coarse linen.

Zhao Hanzhang swept her gaze over the refugees who were barely clothed and shivering, and said to Fan Ying: “Have people go count those who can cut and sew clothes, shoes, and socks. Keep all the fine cotton. Distribute all the fine linen for them to make clothes and footwear.”

Fan Ying acknowledged and turned to leave.

Zhao Hanzhang walked to the refugees sitting obediently and heard the faint cries of hungry children among them. She clapped her hands to draw everyone’s attention, then said: “Now, those of you who know each other, sit together. Ten people make one squad, ten squads make one company. Children, women, and elderly all count.”

Everyone looked at her blankly, but they knew who they were familiar with. They immediately began moving, soon clustering together. Most couldn’t count large numbers, but they could still count to ten.

With soldiers also entering to help, pulling excess people aside to form another squad, then selecting the eldest or those who looked more honest to be squad leaders, ten squad leaders formed one company.

Soon, four company leaders with their squad leaders were crowding before Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang scanned them and found it quite interesting. Besides a few squads that were clearly family, clan, or fellow villagers clustered together, the remaining combinations were quite interesting.

Small children huddled with bigger children, women with women, women with children, women and elderly with children formed groups.

Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze swept over them, and she had a good idea. She beckoned over the older children representing squad leaders and said: “You lead your people to gather firewood in the nearby forest. We’ll need to light fires to cook soon.”

The children’s eyes all brightened.

She called over several more children: “Your squads will stay here to tend the fires.”

Several children happily agreed and ran back to call their squad teammates to stand aside.

Zhao Hanzhang assigned tasks one by one—going up trees to break dry branches and gather leaves, moving stones and earth blocks to build stoves. These were jobs for adult men.

Women and elderly were arranged to take containers to water sources to fetch water.

Only the merchant caravan had wooden buckets. Most people still used bowls, jars, and pots they carried with them to fetch water.

Fu Tinghan calculated the head count and also figured out how much grain they would need for this meal.

Zhao Hanzhang had Fan Ying lead soldiers to weigh out the grain.

The small merchants who had depended on the caravan for protection grew hesitant, gathering together to discuss quietly: “Should we also donate some?”

Someone immediately said with a bitter face: “Several bolts of my cloth were trampled. If I donate more, I’ll really be returning empty-handed this trip.”

“But this is the Provincial Governor—such a high official. We have no gesture at all. I’m uneasy. Didn’t you see Master Zhu donated most of his fortune?”

“Not really. I think those three carts of goods Master Zhu kept are the most valuable.”

“Even so, he used thirty carts of goods to ensure his safety. Can we really not contribute anything at all?”

Though this Magistrate Zhao didn’t seem like that kind of person, they were still afraid she might suppress them as bandits.

At these words, everyone grew hesitant. They couldn’t help discussing in low voices, finally pushing each other to go find Zhao Hanzhang, expressing that they too were willing to donate a batch of supplies.

Zhao Hanzhang looked at them in surprise, then craned her neck to look at their luggage, asking with a smile: “Are all of you gentlemen’s family fortunes very abundant?”

Several people swallowed, not daring to say they weren’t abundant, but also not daring to say they were. So they said: “It’s… passable…”

“So it’s just average,” Zhao Hanzhang sighed: “Though the rise and fall of the nation is everyone’s responsibility, right now Hanzhang still has capacity. Your family fortunes are average—how could I let you hurt yourselves donating supplies?”

She said: “Put them all away. Right now, look after your own small families first. In the future, if you can bring more grain, cloth, cattle, and sheep to northern Yuzhou, that would be a very good contribution to my Yuzhou.”

Several people gaped, not expecting Zhao Hanzhang would refuse, and it looked like… she wasn’t lying.

Zhao Hanzhang had already nodded at them and walked toward Zhu Chuan, asking with a smile: “Master Zhu, I’m setting out for Nanyang Kingdom tomorrow. I wonder if Master Zhu will travel together?”

Zhu Chuan didn’t want to enter Nanyang Kingdom. He had just come from Nanyang. It was still very chaotic there. Looking at Zhao Hanzhang’s aggressive manner, she was clearly going to kill people.

He wanted to sell Zhao Hanzhang a favor and invest in this new Yuzhou Provincial Governor, but didn’t want to get too deeply involved.

His foundation was still in Shu. Making trouble in Yuzhou—who knows how he’d die. So he’d better go to the currently stable and prosperous Xiping instead.

So Zhu Chuan said with a regretful expression: “I also want to experience the scenery of Nanyang Kingdom, but my men have many casualties, especially wounded who need urgent medical treatment. So I’ve decided to go to Runan Commandery instead.”

Hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang didn’t insist. She just pointed at the small merchants not far away: “These people have suffered fright for no reason. Ultimately it’s Hanzhang’s fault. Please, Master Zhu, take good care of them.”

Zhu Chuan said: “They all paid escort fees to join my caravan. Magistrate Zhao, rest assured—I will safely bring them all to Xiping.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and nodded. Go, go—after seeing Xiping’s prosperity and gaining confidence in making money, you’ll come often in the future!

—