Two days ago, Zhao Hanzhang had personally written an article wishing the people of Jin a happy New Year’s Eve and looking forward to the future. She used considerable space to praise the officials, laborers, and soldiers currently managing the Yellow River.
They had given up the opportunity to reunite with their families and continued to persevere along the Yellow River banks even during New Year’s, braving cold and hardship to dredge the Yellow River and prevent flood disasters in the coming year. Their merit was supreme!
Every person in Jin should be grateful to them, because dredging the Yellow River wasn’t just for themselves or for the people along the Yellow River banks.
As people of the same nation under the same sky, their fates were interconnected. Everyone in this realm enjoyed the contributions of their hard work.
This draft was published in yesterday’s gazette and delivered to the camp at noon today.
This was an official’s privilege—officials of sixth rank and above could receive a free copy of the gazette. For chief officials like Shen Ruhui who were presiding over work in the field, courier station personnel would even personally deliver the gazette to their hands along with official documents.
Shen Xian brought over a stool. Shen Ruhui stood on it, holding the megaphone and addressing everyone: “Everyone, the General wrote you all a letter yesterday. Let me read it to you.”
The lively camp gradually quieted as everyone turned to watch Shen Ruhui.
Shen Ruhui held up the gazette and declared loudly, “To the people of the realm—Han people, Baiyue, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie tribes, all who live upon Jin’s soil—in this past year, we finally ended the chaos of war and achieved north-south unification…”
Fu Tinghan stood on a stool holding a megaphone: “The calamity of war has departed, and half our suffering has gone. The remaining hunger and cold, we shall overcome one by one in the future…”
Across the great river, on the other side of the Yellow River in the stationed military camp, General Chen bellowed loudly, “If the Yellow River breaches, the calamity affects ten thousand li. For the benefit of all living beings, they brave the cold to clear away silt and repair embankments. To this day, when ten thousand households can reunite with their families, they remain beside the Yellow River excavating mud and earth…”
Along both banks of the Yellow River, in the camps, firelight shone as bright as the stars in the sky. Looking from high ground, the bonfires appeared like pearls adorning both sides of a belt. All the major camps were reading this letter from Zhao Hanzhang.
This was their achievement, and also her gift to them.
In the crowd, someone sobbed quietly, choking up. “The General says we have merit and praised us before all under heaven…”
“I’m twenty-five years old this year. I’ve served corvée labor three times before. Never has any official praised us. They only whipped us, cursed us as lowly, said we were slow and only dragged down progress. But the General says our service has merit…”
Zhao Hanzhang not only said this in the gazette but also at the palace banquet. “The officials, laborers, and soldiers keeping watch along the Yellow River banks this year have worked hardest and contributed most.”
Changning immediately proposed, “The people suffer such hardship—the hundred officials should share in their suffering. This year’s New Year celebration should emphasize frugality. Please, General, order that the people not be excessively extravagant.”
Zhao Hanzhang smiled. “This year has brought joy after joy. It’s natural for everyone to be happy. As for the common people, whether officials are frugal has little bearing on them. The officials surely wouldn’t appropriate the people’s goods for extravagance, would they?”
Everyone hurriedly agreed, stating no official would dare misappropriate public funds.
Zhao Hanzhang nodded with satisfaction. “Rather than sharing suffering, I prefer sharing prosperity with the people. You should all consider how we might reward the laborers and soldiers working so hard to manage the Yellow River.”
She certainly wouldn’t require them to be frugal during New Year’s. Who knew how many workers in Luoyang were hoping the powerful and wealthy would hold banquets so they could earn a bit from it?
Though what the common people earned might only be mosquito legs, weren’t mosquito legs still meat?
Advocating frugality just left the wealthy’s money in their storehouses to benefit themselves—the common people gained nothing from it.
However, while wealthy outsiders could celebrate prosperously, the emperor and she could not.
She told the young emperor, “We cannot force others to be frugal with us, but as those in positions above, we should lead by example in frugality. Moreover, our food and provisions all come from the people’s fat and blood. If we are more frugal, the people’s burdens are lighter.”
Besides agreeing, how could the young emperor dare refuse?
The banquet lasted only until the Hour of the Pig. As Zhao Hanzhang was leaving the palace, she told the young emperor, “Since it’s rare to have New Year’s, this year you have no lessons or state affairs until the Lantern Festival. I also wish to rest properly for a few days, so I’ll temporarily refrain from disturbing Your Majesty.”
The young emperor, delighted beyond measure, suppressed his joy as he escorted Zhao Hanzhang outside the great hall. Returning to his sleeping quarters, he excitedly rolled twice on the bed.
Finally, a year when he didn’t have to write homework or review official documents during New Year’s! He was so moved he nearly cried.
Zhao Hanzhang returned to the General’s Mansion. Not long after, a hundred-man cavalry unit appeared silently on the main street.
The cavalrymen all wore armor and cloaks. Because it was winter, to shield against wind and cold, their faces were covered.
Zeng Yue stood at the main gate watching them depart. Once they were far away, he ordered the gate closed, then returned to the inner courtyard. Through a doorway, he and Ting He exchanged a glance before silently turning to rest in the adjacent quarters.
This hundred-man unit smoothly reached the west city gate. After showing the gate official their orders and token, they were allowed through.
Naturally the city gate couldn’t be opened—that would make too much commotion. They opened the small side door that allowed only one horse to pass through.
After these hundred people exited and the door was closed again, a soldier whispered, “The one leading them looked like Zhao Ya, the female attendant beside the General. Could they be delivering something to Minister Fu?”
“The General’s household affairs are not for you to discuss! Go back and copy the military regulations ten times!”
The soldier’s skin tightened as he lowered his head and replied, “Yes.”
Winter nights were long—darkness fell early and dawn came late.
Fu Tinghan had given an early order that everyone could rest on New Year’s Day, so the entire camp slept in. Everyone allowed their consciousness to drift hazily until rich porridge fragrance wafted over, and only then did they slowly open their eyes.
Looking outside, the sunlight was dazzling. They couldn’t help squinting. “What time is it?”
“It’s noon already. Hurry and get up. The kitchen staff also slept in, alas. We’ll miss one meal—today there are only two meals.”
One person patted his belly and grinned. “I ate so much last night, I still feel full now.”
“Then give me your portion.”
“No way. Though I’m not hungry, my belly can still hold more.”
Everyone laughed and joked as they rose, simply washing up before taking their large bowls to the kitchen for food.
Today’s combined breakfast and lunch was also very generous—a large bowl of meat porridge and two steamed buns.
It was truly meat porridge. Almost everyone’s bowl contained visible bits of minced meat, and the porridge was cooked thick and rich with barely a trace of watery broth.
One laborer carefully took a small sip first to avoid spilling any. The savory taste exploded on his tongue. He smiled with satisfaction. “Delicious, delicious. If only every day were New Year’s.”
He carried it to an open area, wanting to eat while basking in the sun. Casually lifting his head, he saw a patch of black rapidly moving toward them in the distance.
He lowered his head, but when his brain registered what it was, he jerked his head up again, staring hard at that spot. “Cav—cavalry! Is it the Xiongnu?”
The person beside him also saw it and reacted faster than him. “What Xiongnu? The Xiongnu king is presiding over mud-digging sixty li upstream from us, isn’t he? That—that must be the General’s people, right?”
While they speculated here, scouts had already rushed to find Fu Tinghan, happily reporting, “Minister, the General has come to see you—no, to see the laborers and soldiers.”
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