Zhao Hanzhang handed the official documents to Fu Tinghan, saying, “These are some documents from the Ministry of Personnel that need handling. They can’t manage them and need to consult you. I brought them up for you on the way.”
Fu Tinghan opened them to look. They were all diagrams and various technical questions. For example, at Xiangshan, a newly discovered iron mine—the craftsmen decided to follow the diagrams Fu Tinghan provided to build new iron-smelting and steel furnaces. The iron content of that iron mine was quite good, calculated to produce excellent steel. But problems arose during furnace construction. The Ministry of Works had already sent two experienced craftsmen to handle it, but somehow even they couldn’t resolve it.
So they could only report upward to consult Fu Tinghan.
Also, a craftsman at the Xiping Book Bureau invented a new printing press. When arranged with movable type, it could print images, meaning they could have artists draw pictures, then reverse-carve them and combine them with movable type for printing. Though troublesome, it meant besides books, they could also print illustrated albums.
But the printing press quickly showed ink-smearing problems. After research, they discovered it should be an issue with the printing press materials.
They wanted to test more and better materials, so they applied upward. The craftsman also took the opportunity to ask Fu Tinghan if he had any recommended materials.
Zhao Hanzhang said, “The Ministry of Revenue reported data from the spring planting until now on cultivated land acreage, total population, and tax revenues. I’ve processed it all. Just these—I can’t handle them, so I could only find you.”
All technical questions.
Fu Tinghan accepted them, “After I finish processing them, I’ll have my guards send them down the mountain to you.”
He turned to bring out a stack of diagrams, “The farming tools we discussed last time—I compared them with the hoe these past few days. Here are the diagrams. Have someone make them to test.”
“These are the iron chisels and hoisting equipment for well-digging. Jizhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou all lack water—we still should dig more wells.”
Zhao Hanzhang took the diagrams to look, “Just having equipment isn’t enough. We also need to train craftsmen skilled in water detection and well-digging. Finding suitable places to dig wells is twice as effective with half the effort.”
Zhao Hanzhang wrote a small line beside the diagrams, planning to specially train a team for water source surveying and well-digging.
Fu Xuan sat to the side, staring blankly at the two of them, discovering he couldn’t get a word in.
On this mountain, they had to do everything personally. Even though personal guards were quietly stationed around to protect them, Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan weren’t idle. They rinsed rice to cook porridge, adding firewood to the stove while discussing business.
Before they finished discussing matters, the porridge was ready first.
Zhao Hanzhang took out a food box from the large bamboo basket. Inside were a few simple side dishes they could eat with the porridge.
“Erlang and Xie Shi have already reached Chang’an. When the people of Chang’an learned of Grandfather’s death, they were deeply grieved. Local gentry and village elders want to send some representatives here to pay respects to Grandfather. I agreed. In a few days they should arrive in Luoyang and will come directly to the mountain.”
Fu Tinghan turned to look at the grave marker, saying, “Grandfather disliked extravagance. The journey from Chang’an to Luoyang is quite distant—making a round trip is time-consuming and laborious. Just this once. In the future, don’t have them come. It wastes resources and troubles the people.”
Fu Xuan finally got to contribute, “Right. If the old master knew of this, his heart would also be uneasy.”
Zhao Hanzhang agreed.
She agreed to let the representatives come not only to mourn Fu Zhi but to use this opportunity to strengthen ties with Yongzhou, to help the gentry and village elders within Yongzhou accept her faster. This way, Zhao Erlang and Xie Shi’s work in Yongzhou could proceed more smoothly.
After finishing all business discussions, it was past noon. Zhao Hanzhang went to sit quietly before Fu Zhi’s grave, Fu Tinghan accompanying her.
This was a rare quiet time for thinking for both of them.
Here, what Zhao Hanzhang thought about most was Yongzhou matters. Previously with Fu Zhi in Yongzhou, she only gave policies and basically didn’t directly participate in Yongzhou affairs, so her control over Yongzhou wasn’t great.
Now with Yongzhou managed by Zhao Erlang and Xie Shi, she could not only directly govern Yongzhou, but relations with Xiliang also needed changing.
The Western Regions—there were many resources and species that the Central Plains didn’t have. The Silk Road had been severed for a long time. According to later historical inference, cotton was already being grown in the Western Regions area during the late Eastern Han period, but never reached the Central Plains.
Zhang Gui kept helping her search, but there had been no news so far. She felt she needed to send her own people and expand the search range.
Cotton—she must find it!
Besides cotton, the West had many species they needed. According to historical records, the farthest place reached was the Persian Gulf. Once they crossed it, they could reach the Roman Empire.
As long as they could open the Silk Road.
Zhao Hanzhang’s heart surged with passion, but after lifting her eyes, she slowly calmed down, suppressing her emotions, telling herself in her heart not to take steps too large. Right now she still didn’t have the strength to make the Western Regions submit—she couldn’t open the Silk Road.
She could only first search for cotton in the Western Regions.
Whom should she send?
Zhao Hanzhang went through all her subordinates again and again but couldn’t find a suitable person. Sigh, it seemed she still didn’t have enough people.
Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze shifted, turning to ask Fu Tinghan, “What do you think about placing two large message boxes in front of the imperial city gate?”
Fu Tinghan’s mind was still on the furnaces, confused, “Message boxes?”
“Right. One specifically for collecting suggestions from the people—not only can this pool wisdom but also discover talents,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “The other would be for people to appeal injustices.”
The more she spoke, the better she felt about this method, “Perhaps we really could find suitable talent for missions to the Western Regions.”
Fu Tinghan asked, “Should we set them up in other provinces as well?”
Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment then shook her head, “No. We should concentrate power in Luoyang, so only establish message boxes in Luoyang.”
Setting them up in other provinces would require too much manpower. Moreover, channels obtained too easily would always have people wanting to fish in troubled waters.
Fu Tinghan didn’t object.
Zhao Hanzhang looked at Fu Zhi’s grave marker and asked, “Grandfather wouldn’t object either, would he?”
The breeze stirred gently. Zhao Hanzhang said on her own, “See, Grandfather doesn’t object either. This matter is settled then.”
Zhao Hanzhang stayed overnight on the mountain. Fu Tinghan went to cut much wormwood to fumigate mosquitoes. After fumigating once, he placed the excess wormwood by the fire pit to let it burn slowly.
He also hung his medicine pouch on Zhao Hanzhang’s waist, “There are many mosquitoes on the mountain. Don’t get bitten.”
Fu Xuan, who kept scratching behind his ear, thought: …
He couldn’t help asking Zhao Hanzhang, “How is the princess these days?”
Zhao Hanzhang said, “Quite well, just occasionally thinking of Grandfather and then crying.”
Fu Xuan sighed, “Comfort her more. People all must die. Father foresaw this day long ago and passed peacefully. There’s really no need to harm her own health over this. Father wouldn’t be happy knowing.”
Fu Tinghan remembered, quickly asking, “Has Shen Ruhui sent back any news? Is the person living in seclusion in the mountains who knows water management a Fu family member?”
Zhao Hanzhang replied, “No news yet.”
Fu Tinghan frowned, “By now the news of you pacifying the Xiongnu should have spread throughout the realm. We’ve also held our wedding. Logically, if Second Uncle and the others are still alive, they should have heard the news, right?”
If they heard the news, how could they not return to Luoyang?