The county magistrate thought another sinister force had emerged and immediately sent people to investigate.

Then various reports came back to the county office. Not just one group was purchasing grain—many groups were, like heavenly maidens scattering flowers, with people in every village energetically calling out. Most alarming to the magistrate was that even local villagers were helping.

This was more frightening than local gentry and merchants colluding, because this represented popular sentiment. The magistrate couldn’t sit still and immediately led people to personally investigate in the countryside.

Then he traced it back to the Zhao Family Paper Mill. Though this was the General’s property, he suspected their county’s paper mill manager had something shady going on when the mill came to the countryside buying grain.

When he tried to investigate further, he heard that villagers helping to buy grain in the neighboring village worked at the Glass Workshop.

The magistrate: …There might be many paper mills with various surnames, but in this world there was only one glass workshop, surnamed Zhao.

While he was puzzled, officers who’d gone out investigating also came running to find him. By coincidence, different forces purchasing grain in different villages, when traced back, all surnamed Zhao.

Good—the magistrate felt relieved. This clearly wasn’t one workshop acting maliciously but following orders.

But why would the General purchase grain?

The magistrate’s eyes lit up—he understood! It was to stabilize prices!

This had been taught in class, even personally taught by Instructor Fu. He remembered it very clearly.

Yes, with so many unscrupulous merchants on the market, to prevent common people from suffering losses from low grain prices, the General had people buy grain to stabilize prices!

The magistrate felt reassured and stopped interfering, only having people keep watch—as long as no major problems arose.

The grain merchants were bewildered. They hadn’t expected this sudden intervention.

Like the magistrate, they quickly traced this back to Zhao Hanzhang’s properties. This person they couldn’t afford to provoke. The grain merchants gritted their teeth and could only purchase grain at the same price, fearing that if they delayed, there’d be none left to buy.

Even offering the same price, they found it very difficult to obtain grain from Zhao Family workshops.

On one side were grain merchants who’d previously suppressed grain prices; on the other was their beloved General. At the same price, naturally they chose to sell grain to the General.

The grain merchants had no choice but to raise prices—and they couldn’t raise them just a little. If they only added one or two wen per dan, people would still choose the beloved General.

Under these circumstances, grain prices rose. Because many grain merchants were competing to purchase grain and hadn’t coordinated their pricing, prices were set on the spot. The peculiar phenomenon emerged where countryside purchase prices exceeded grain shop selling prices that day.

Of course, the grain they were currently purchasing wouldn’t be sold immediately—most would be sold from February to April next year.

At that time, before wheat harvest and with stored grain exhausted, grain prices would rise for a period.

But grain… truthfully, in peaceful times, to grow and prosper, grain merchants relied on small profits and high volume. With the realm visibly stabilizing, the foreseeable grain profiteering would only last another year or two, so their opportunities were diminishing.

During wartime, grain merchants faced great risks but also great profits.

However, most grain merchants still hoped for peace in the realm. Though profits were high during chaotic times, the cost paid might be their lives.

Many counties had similar experiences to this one.

Some counties were poor, and Zhao Hanzhang’s workshops couldn’t reach them. But no matter—in each commandery, at least one county had these workshops, and they could extend into surrounding areas.

After all, not many common people currently had surplus grain to sell. The young mistress said each workshop must stockpile at least one warehouse of grain—that was the minimum, with no stated maximum, so naturally more was better.

With thoughts of achieving merit, they used all profits not yet submitted over three months to buy grain.

Moreover, to buy more grain, workshop managers worked hard at sales—wholesale, retail, buy this much get that much free—stimulating some grain merchants to take out money and buy some products from Zhao Family workshops.

Then the workshop managers turned around and used that money to buy grain.

Zhao Hanzhang never imagined that through her own efforts alone she could raise grain prices across all nine northern provinces, achieving the feat of price stabilization.

Moreover, because workshop managers’ actions were so extensive, even though she’d said it couldn’t be leaked, still… who couldn’t see it?

Thus the entire nation’s people and officials knew. Before Zhao Hanzhang could react, a great wave of praise came washing over her. So all grain merchants in the realm learned that Zhao Hanzhang disliked low grain prices harming farmers.

In this world there were grain merchants who calculated profits single-mindedly, but there were also grain merchants who understood right and wrong and held great principles in their hearts.

Thus merchants immediately followed Zhao Hanzhang’s example, purchasing grain at reasonable prices to help support grain prices.

Such vigorous vitality—even Zhao Cheng couldn’t help praising Zhao Hanzhang at the grand court assembly: “Social customs gradually improve. The people know gratitude, and merchants also understand righteousness. With the General’s benevolent heart, how can the realm fail to be well-governed?”

Even Xun Zu, who’d always disapproved of Zhao Hanzhang, couldn’t help saying privately to his elder brother, “Since the Jin imperial house,礼义道德 collapsed in the realm, and人心不古. It’s rare to see such righteous acts anymore. Zhao Hanzhang has gained more than just popular support now.”

Xun Fan asked him, “Under these circumstances, do you still want to oppose her?”

Xun Zu fell silent. After a long while he said, “She could assist His Majesty and become an eternally renowned minister. Why must she commit treason and ruin her reputation?”

Xun Fan replied, “You’ve lived over half a century yet can’t see through even this? With the young emperor sitting in that position, there are too many variables. Forget about him—even you are unwilling to let her control the court. Over time, who knows how many will oppose her policies?”

“She’s already walked this far and can no longer retreat even if she wished,” Xun Fan said. “If she wants her policies implemented and this realm built according to her vision, there’s no method more legitimate than ascending to that position.”

Xun Zu struggled internally, still clinging to wishful thinking. “Elder brother, perhaps we’re overthinking. Maybe she has no such intention? All this time she’s been respectful to His Majesty. Didn’t you trust her before?”

Xun Fan said coolly, “This price stabilization used her private property. Why do you think she’d use her own private assets to do what the state should do?”

Because she viewed this realm as something already in her grasp.

Xun Zu instantly had no words.

Like Xun Zu, many suddenly awakened. Rumors began spreading among the people. “Sima Zhao’s heart” gained a replacement, becoming “Zhao Hanzhang’s heart.” But unlike during Sima Zhao’s time, common people didn’t react negatively—instead, they mostly felt anticipation.

The General destroyed the Xiongnu-Han State, subdued Shi Le, and even cleaned up the aftermath of the Prince of Donghai and Gou Xi’s rebellion. The Jin imperial house gained its position improperly—shouldn’t it be the General’s turn now?

If it were the General, there shouldn’t be grain price spikes in the future, right?

Of course, this was all after the New Year. At this moment, everything had just begun. Apart from a few trusted ministers, the entire court had no idea that Jingzhou and Yangzhou, thousands of li away, were fighting.

Wang Siniang waited by the telegraph. As soon as the operator decoded the message, she immediately grabbed it to read. Seeing only three large characters “Understood” on the paper, Wang Siniang’s eyes flashed as she immediately comprehended.

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