Zhao Hanzhang swept her gaze over everyone’s feet and the clothes on their bodies, discovering that very few were wearing shoes and socks. She couldn’t help but feel distressed, and exhorted them: “After you return, you must pay attention to keeping warm and take care of your health. Next year, plant more mulberry and hemp, and strive to all wear new clothes and new shoes and socks next year.”

Everyone responded loudly.

Zhao Hanzhang invited Li Xiang and Li Ban to observe the water mill’s operation. The two men watched as soybeans were poured into the grinding disc, and the disc rotated automatically without anyone operating it, actually grinding out fine soybean powder. They were greatly shocked.

“This is…”

“This is water power, and also water conservancy,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “I know that Shu also has many waterways, and the common people live along the water. Since this is so, why not also build water mills to save the common people labor?”

Li Ban immediately knelt down and said: “Please grant Shu skilled craftsmen, Great General.”

Zhao Hanzhang supported him with one hand, smiling: “This matter is not urgent. Let us discuss it when we return. This water power can benefit not only the people, but also the military.”

Zhao Hanzhang led him out of this water mill and to another. There were no common people there, but soldiers standing guard instead, and inside there was constant clanging and banging.

Walking inside, waves of heat surged forward. Li Ban saw that they were actually using the lever he had just seen to drive hammers to forge iron…

Li Xiang’s eyes lit up brightly, wishing he could rush forward to examine it closely. “I’ve long heard that the Zhao Family Army’s weapons are excellent, especially the Zhao clan’s spear heads, broadswords, and longswords—rarely seen in the world.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled: “This is how they’re forged.”

Li Xiang tugged at Li Ban’s sleeve, signaling him to kneel again.

Li Ban hesitated. If this were about people’s livelihood, if he knelt, Zhao Hanzhang might agree, but this concerned military and political matters—would she agree?

But Li Ban still gritted his teeth, turned around, and knelt before Zhao Hanzhang again. Just as he was about to speak, Zhao Hanzhang still extended her hand to grab him, forcibly pulling him up, smiling: “I know what Your Highness means. Let’s discuss it in detail when we return.”

Since she had brought them to see it, naturally it wasn’t for nothing.

Actually, for the current Great Jin, Shu was also a border region.

After they submitted, they would also have to undertake border defense duties. To their west, in the former Tibet and western Sichuan areas, currently belonged to the Qiang tribes.

The Qiang tribes were not internally unified—the various tribes now governed themselves separately. But from her perspective, in the future they would definitely erode eastward, so preparations had to be made in advance.

Moreover, Li Xiong’s clan were also Qiang.

With such favorable conditions, how could Zhao Hanzhang not want them to recover that vast land to the east?

Therefore, Zhao Hanzhang wanted to cooperate deeply with them.

The water mill and iron smelting formulas were her sincerity.

The steel-making formula was not to be thought of, and it was impossible to completely replicate their ironware. But giving a new formula to advance their ironware development would benefit not only military affairs but also agriculture.

Li Xiang fell silent for a moment, knowing the main event had arrived.

Yesterday they had talked for half a day and had preliminarily agreed that Chengguo would submit to Great Jin, but they had not yet reached agreement on some details.

Today Zhao Hanzhang had shown them salt, then shown them the water mill and iron forging—clearly this was enticement. If they still didn’t agree, would the next step be intimidation?

Li Xiang naturally didn’t want it to reach that point, and neither did Li Ban.

The two discussed for a bit, then sat down properly with Zhao Hanzhang to talk.

Because Li Ban was the Crown Prince, Li Xiong had given him great decision-making authority, so he could make decisions on the spot.

Needless to say for Zhao Hanzhang, as long as the two of them agreed, the matter was basically settled.

Both were straightforward people. Zhao Hanzhang had already shown her sincerity, and Li Ban was also unambiguous, immediately settling the matters that hadn’t been properly discussed yesterday.

Li Ban indicated he could submit the diplomatic credentials to the Emperor tomorrow.

Zhao Hanzhang laughed heartily, saying straightforwardly: “The rewards for the King of Cheng and the Crown Prince will also be prepared by the court before tomorrow.”

With matters settled, everyone returned to the city happily.

Ji Yuan had already received advance notice and specially waited at the post station to welcome Li Ban, finalizing with him the details of tomorrow’s court audience.

Li Xiang watched the triumphant Ji Yuan, still feeling somewhat uneasy in his heart. He turned to ask Zhao Hanzhang: “Great General Zhao, the craftsmen…”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled: “Three days before the envoys return to Shu, I will deliver the list to you. They can bid farewell to their families. The Crown Prince and Envoy Li can also review the selection again—if any are unsuitable, just replace them.”

Li Xiang was startled: “Their families won’t accompany them?”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled: “I won’t force their families. Of course, if the state of Shu offers generous terms and treats craftsmen well, I believe they will also be willing to relocate.”

Li Xiang’s eyes brightened. With such a high degree of freedom, it meant Zhao Hanzhang had no intention of controlling those craftsmen.

“This subject—no, this official thanks the Great General.”

Zhao Hanzhang raised her hand slightly and bid them farewell. After checking the time and seeing it was getting late, she hurried: “I made an appointment with Princess Hongnong for noon. We must return quickly.”

Zhao Hanzhang pulled Fu Tinghan as they rushed back to the Zhao residence. Princess Hongnong had already been sitting and chatting with Wang Shi for half a shichen. Fu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, gazing blankly at the half-withered plum tree.

He couldn’t join the conversation in the room, so he might as well come out and enjoy the breeze.

Wang Shi and Princess Hongnong were conversing very happily. The two had engaged in detailed communication about the wedding details. The night before last, Fu Tinghan had only mentioned the general outline—the details still needed to be discussed with the in-laws.

Wang Shi had money, people, and resources. Because Zhao Hanzhang had said the wedding should be frugal, her main approach was understated luxury.

Princess Hongnong currently lacked everything, but her experience was there. So she hit it off immediately with Wang Shi, and the two became more and more compatible as they talked.

Princess Hongnong sighed inwardly—for so many years, she had never spoken so much in a single day. Indeed, men couldn’t compare to women in being attentive. She had no words for the Prince Consort, but women understood women.

Wang Shi also sighed inwardly. The Princess was indeed a princess—knowledgeable and far-seeing, daring to propose and speak, unlike others who were excessively flattering, making conversation meaningless after too much talk.

In the past, Wang Shi had often been isolated and mocked because of her husband’s death and Zhao Erlang’s situation. She had a bit of an inferiority complex inside. But after Zhao Hanzhang came to power, the clan members all fawned over and flattered her, going directly from one extreme to another.

To be honest, Wang Shi had enjoyed it at first.

After all, those who had once mocked and cursed her, and those who had treated her with indifference, now had to surround her as diligently as bees.

But no matter how enjoyable, after continuing for so many years, she was tired of it.

She only had one son and one daughter. This wedding was the first she was presiding over, so naturally she wanted it to be as perfect as possible. But when she mentioned it to her sisters-in-law in Luoyang, they would only flatter her.

When she mentioned it to people like Zhao Song, they wouldn’t agree with her and would look down on this and that—very annoying.

What she wanted was someone who could agree with her yet also offer different opinions, allowing her to progress—a friend.

Looking at the serious Princess Hongnong, Wang Shi’s eyes sparkled. She felt she had found one.

Indeed, weddings should be discussed with in-laws. Why had no one reminded her of this key point before?

Zhao Hanzhang: “My mother will definitely pull the Princess to discuss the wedding. Generally speaking, if two mothers have different aesthetics, they can easily have disagreements. We need to hurry over, or if they start arguing, that would be bad.”

The two rushed into the courtyard. As soon as they crossed the threshold, they saw Fu Xuan standing under the plum tree with his head raised, lost in thought.

Zhao Hanzhang thought: It’s over, it’s over. Did the two of them argue, and Fu Xuan couldn’t stand it and ran out to hide in peace?

Fu Xuan heard the commotion and came back to himself. Seeing them, he revealed a smile: “You’ve returned?”

—