Zhao Hanzhang did not meet the “Wang Xuan” waiting ahead. She directly led people out of the city to look at the crops.

This year Yuzhou also had little rain, but fortunately they had dug wells in advance and excavated channels. During several critical times, most of the wheat fields and rice paddies were irrigated.

At this time the wheat was completely yellow. Zhao Hanzhang went to the fields and felt the plump grain heads, feeling physically and mentally relaxed. “Give the order to begin harvesting. Dry and store the wheat in the granaries as soon as possible.”

“Yes.” Zhao Yunxin paused before asking: “Your Excellency, what should we plant after the wheat harvest?”

In previous years, after wheat harvest came the last stretch of the rainy season. Areas near water could plant rice—late rice that would be harvested after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Areas with less water would plant beans, which could be harvested before Mid-Autumn, after the spring-sown rice was harvested. This way the autumn harvest would span the entire autumn.

But now, Zhao Hanzhang hesitated. She walked around this field, finally stopping at the field ridge and seeing a group of people in tattered clothes walking this way in the distance.

Zhao Yunxin also looked over and explained: “They should be refugees from Jizhou. Recently many Jizhou refugees fleeing the drought have flooded into Yuzhou, increasing banditry within our territory.”

Only then did Zhao Hanzhang make up her mind. “Plant soybeans. Locusts don’t like soybeans. Have them hurry to harvest and replant. Since so many refugees are pouring in, find ways to put them all to work. As long as people have work to do and food to eat, public sentiment will be stable. With stability, banditry will decrease.”

Zhao Yunxin acknowledged the order.

“Locust prevention work must continue. Like along riverbanks in low-lying areas—as soon as larvae are discovered, exterminate them immediately. The schools must also assign tasks. They’re about to have summer harvest vacation anyway. Have them go back and promote this more among the villagers. In the future if they encounter adult locusts, the villagers will know what to do.”

Zhao Yunxin acknowledged the order. “Your Excellency, can the locusts from Jizhou really fly all the way to our Yuzhou?”

She said: “I see they don’t fly very far—they always fly a bit then stop. Jizhou is so far from Yuzhou, how could they possibly get here?”

In history, the locusts from Jizhou not only flew to Yuzhou, but also to Sizhou and Bingzhou. The entire Central Plains and northern regions all suffered severe disaster.

But this time, she had also reminded Zu Ti to prevent locusts and tried to exterminate more of them. She had even written letters to Shi Le and Liu Yi. The disaster situation should be different, right?

Zhao Hanzhang said: “Let’s prepare for the worst-case scenario and have each commandery do prevention work well.”

“Yes.”

Zhao Hanzhang beckoned to a nearby bodyguard, glanced again at the refugee group gradually approaching, and turned her head. “Yunxin, in a moment you and a few bodyguards stay behind and send these refugees to the county office. Have County Magistrate Gao properly settle them.”

“Yes.”

Zhao Hanzhang took the reins from the bodyguard and was about to mount when her gaze swept over the approaching refugee group again. Her motion paused as she narrowed her eyes and carefully scrutinized the group.

She tightened her grip on the reins and beckoned to a bodyguard. “You go forward and ask who their leader is. Bring their leader to see me first.”

The bodyguard acknowledged and quickly ran forward to stop the gradually approaching refugees. Before long, he led over a youth in tattered clothes with a thin build.

The man had disheveled hair, an unkempt beard, and a face full of dust and weathering. Only his eyes were bright and spirited, making him different from ordinary refugees.

He had an aura of vigorous vitality about him.

The closer he came, the brighter the light in his eyes grew. Finally, he even passed the bodyguard leading the way and rushed toward her in quick steps.

The bodyguards waiting behind Zhao Hanzhang saw this and stepped forward several paces to block in front of her.

Zhao Hanzhang pushed them aside. The youth also quickly walked up to her, looking at her excitedly. “Third Sister Zhao!”

Zhao Hanzhang felt his voice sounded somewhat familiar. She stared hesitantly at his face, but unfortunately with his unkempt hair and dirty face, after looking for a long time she still could not recognize him. However, his bone structure was quite good—presumably after tidying up, he would be quite handsome.

Quite handsome?

Zhao Hanzhang examined the man’s build. A name surfaced in her mind, but for a moment she did not dare respond.

The youth was already excitedly announcing his identity. “Third Sister, I’m Wang Mozi!”

Zhao Hanzhang’s lips trembled as she looked at the dozen or so strips of cloth wrapped around him, mostly blue and gray rough hemp, obviously torn from other people’s clothes and patched on, barely managing to cover the damaged clothing.

Her gaze moved downward to his feet wearing straw sandals with only one strap, woven from thatch grass. Both feet were covered in mud, not to mention his nail beds, which were dark gray throughout.

She found it truly difficult to imagine this was the Wang Xuan she once knew, the number one young gentleman of the capital’s aristocratic families.

Seeing her reaction, Wang Xuan knew she recognized him. He could not help but smile broadly, laughing heartily. “I finally found you! You have no idea how long I’ve been traveling.”

A full year!

This year, he had entered bandit lairs, served as a military advisor, recruited troops himself, and somehow become a bandit chief, only to be “suppressed” and absorbed by others. He had also been a beggar, begging everywhere, and finally became a refugee, fleeing with others.

In between, he had even gone to county offices, revealed his identity to local officials, and wanted them to send him back to Luoyang, but ended up being thrown in jail as a fraud every time…

Going round and round, when he was close to reaching Luoyang, he was swept up by bandits again and taken to Jizhou. He finally wandered there for a while. When the drought hit, he found a way to escape and followed refugees all the way to Yuzhou.

Because he heard Zhao Hanzhang was now in Chen County in Yuzhou, he led people all the way there, declining recruitment offers from counties along the way to reach Chen County.

Oh, the people behind him were all people he had recruited along the way. Everyone fled together, but they recognized him as their leader.

Zhao Hanzhang quickly invited him to return home together, leaving the remaining people to be arranged by the bodyguards.

Wang Xuan turned back to give the refugees a few instructions, then mounted a horse and returned to the county seat with Zhao Hanzhang.

He asked anxiously: “I heard on the road that Second Sister and Siniang are both working under Third Sister?”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “Sister Huifeng stayed in Luoyang. Siniang just accepted an assignment two days ago to go to Ruyin Commandery, but counting the days, she should be returning soon. I’ll immediately have someone send her a message to have her hurry back.”

Wang Xuan relaxed, his eyes somewhat red. “I was just worried that as two women in this chaotic world, they would have difficulty surviving. Now knowing they are safe and sound is enough.”

He smiled at Zhao Hanzhang. “Thanks to meeting you, Third Sister—it’s you who protected them.”

Zhao Hanzhang quickly said: “Elder Brother, you underestimate them. Their current achievements are based on their own abilities.”

Wang Xuan smiled at her without arguing, but he knew in his heart how difficult it was for two women to survive alone in this world.

Especially when Wang Huifeng and Wang Yifeng had fallen into Shi Le’s hands. With their status, they would certainly be given as war spoils to those Hu generals and soldiers. And with his second sister’s and fourth sister’s characters of preferring death to dishonor, they probably would have…

Wang Xuan turned his head away. Only after forcing back his tears did he turn back, smiling as he changed the subject. “I also have some abilities. Please do not disdain me, Governor Zhao, and give me an opportunity as well, how about it?”

Hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang laughed heartily. “It would be my great fortune!”

—