Zhao Hanzhang was very pleased and immediately called over the busy Gengrong, having him guide Fan Ying for a bit.
Gengrong was stunned. He hadn’t expected that besides Chen Siniang, the county office would take on another female official. But thinking about how Zhao Hanzhang had become county magistrate, having a few more female officials wasn’t anything impossible.
So he nodded his head and led Fan Ying away.
He was very friendly to Fan Ying. Indeed, everyone in the county office was very friendly to her. Magistrate Fan’s entire family had died fighting for Xiping County—she was the only descendant left.
Fu Tinghan watched Fan Ying leave, asking with some uncertainty: “You did that on purpose?”
Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him. “The county office has one more person who can read and count, doesn’t it?”
Fu Tinghan: “If they continue to incite Fan Ying to cause trouble, with her in the county office doing more work, the destructive potential will only be greater.”
“If they want Fan Ying to be their blade, that requires Fan Ying to be willing,” Zhao Hanzhang raised her chin proudly. “I deliberately won’t let things go their way.”
Fu Tinghan thought of the reverent look Fan Ying had given her just now and couldn’t help but smile. “True. She sees you as both savior and idol. Having been through it once, she shouldn’t make the same mistake again.”
Zhao Hanzhang moved past the matter of Fan Ying, turning her head to look at the county office main hall. “Have someone bring a set of glass cups. You go invite him for a few drinks first. I’m going to change clothes.”
As the saying goes, fine feathers make fine birds. For convenience going out, Zhao Hanzhang wore a set of Hu-style clothing, the color also somewhat light, made of fine hemp—it didn’t look particularly impressive.
That Zhu Chuan, who knows if it was to better enter the county office to watch the excitement, wore fancy formal attire that not only outshone Zhao Hanzhang but also Fu Tinghan sitting in judgment—he outdid them both.
So she decided to go wear a better outfit. Not only cotton wadding—she also needed silk fabrics and cloth. She even needed someone to help her sell glassware to more distant places. In the future, Xiping County’s products would only increase.
Was she someone short on money?
Zhao Hanzhang returned to the rear courtyard and immediately said to Ting He: “Find that set of clothes Mother newly made.”
While Ting He turned to rummage through the wardrobe, she said: “Didn’t Sanniang dislike that outfit for being too thick, heavy and complicated?”
“It’s gotten cold. This is the perfect time to wear it.” Zhao Hanzhang pulled off her clothing ties. Taking the damp cloth the maid handed over, she wiped her face, wiping away the sweat on her face and neck before tossing it back to her. Only then did she pull off her arm guards and remove her outer garment.
This outfit was what Wang Shi had specially tailored for her daughter after learning she’d become Xiping County’s magistrate—ordinary dress. There was also a set of ceremonial robes being made. Supposedly she was to wear them when meeting the heads of various families on the winter solstice. She’d gone back to look at it once—one layer over another layer. Though it had already started getting cold, she still felt suffocated.
The ceremonial robes weren’t comfortable to wear, but the ordinary dress was acceptable.
Zhao Hanzhang changed into this outfit, with wide sleeves flowing freely. She stood before the full-length mirror and spread her arms. Ting He fastened the waist sash for her. Perhaps because she was still young and also practiced martial arts, her waist was slender, just barely a handful, without a bit of excess flesh.
Zhao Hanzhang looked at herself in the mirror very satisfied and lifted her foot to walk.
Ting He quickly reached out to stop her. “My lady, you need to change your hairstyle.”
Zhao Hanzhang glanced at herself in the mirror and obediently sat back down at the vanity. She extended a finger to tap the tabletop, saying to Ting He: “In a bit, go through the storeroom and organize all those things Steward Ji said were hard to sell. Watch for the right moment to send them to the front courtyard main hall.”
Ting He asked: “Are they to be given to that Master Zhu the Second?”
“He’s a merchant. In business, one speaks of business—how can we give them away?”
Ting He understood then. Zhao Hanzhang was hoping to sell things through Master Zhu the Second’s hands.
“Don’t let him know these are my dowry items. Just treat them as some small trinkets from the household.”
“No wonder my lady specially came back to change clothes—this is pretending to be wealthy when broke.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked at her newly redone hairstyle and tapped her on the nose. “You’re so clever. What we’re doing is called casting a long line to catch a big fish, understand?”
Zhao Hanzhang went to the front courtyard to meet Zhu Chuan.
Seeing Zhao Hanzhang arrive in formal attire, Zhu Chuan wasn’t surprised. Young ladies from great families were all like this.
He was instead somewhat surprised by the earlier Zhao Hanzhang. The current her was more like a young lady from a great family.
However, Fu Tinghan and Changning were rather surprised.
The two couldn’t help but exchange glances and hurriedly rose to greet her.
Only then did Changning feel it—oh right, their young lady came from the great Zhao clan of a prominent family.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled as she took the seat of honor, inviting everyone to sit. Only after the three sat down did she do so.
She noticed the cups and goblets on Zhu Chuan’s dining table and asked with a smile: “Second Young Master, how is our Xiping wine?”
“Xiping’s wine is ordinary enough, but this glass cup is rare.” Zhu Chuan picked up the cup on the table, turning his body slightly to let sunlight shine on the cup. The cup body reflected a hint of pale green, flowing with brilliant light—simply beautiful beyond compare. “Such cups are rare in the world, yet my lady can casually use them to serve guests. One can see my lady’s great wealth.”
Zhao Hanzhang sighed. “Unfortunately, no matter how much money one has, one cannot immediately provide the people under my rule with warmth against the cold.”
Zhu Chuan straightened slightly, leaning forward. “Chuan does have a batch of fabric and cotton wadding in hand that might resolve my lady’s urgent need.”
Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes brightened slightly. Her gaze met with Changning seated below Zhu Chuan for an instant before she asked excitedly: “How much is there?”
“I’ve heard my lady has taken in quite a few refugees. The cotton wadding in my hands really isn’t enough, but adding enough for the womenfolk should suffice.” Zhu Chuan smiled faintly. “Not counting silk fabrics and cloth, there are eight cartloads of cotton wadding.”
Zhao Hanzhang said lavishly: “I’ll buy it all.”
Changning immediately called out: “My lady!”
Seeing both Zhu Chuan and Zhao Hanzhang looking at him, he softened his manner and said slowly: “My lady, you haven’t yet inquired about the price. How can you settle on buying everything? What if Master Zhu the Second thinks our offered price is too low and refuses to sell much?”
Zhao Hanzhang quickly asked Zhu Chuan: “I wonder what price the Second Young Master is asking?”
Sitting on the other side, Fu Tinghan poured himself a cup of water and silently watched the two—no, possibly three—of them performing.
Zhu Chuan wore an expression of difficulty, hesitating for a long while before saying: “Miss Zhao, this batch of goods should have been transported to Luoyang, but hearing that Luoyang is currently at war, I changed route to Yuzhou, planning to send them to Jizhou.”
“Originally, given my lady’s righteousness, I shouldn’t ask a high price, but Chuan is making his first trip out to sell goods. If I return with a loss on my first attempt, I’m afraid it will be difficult to account to my clansmen.” Zhu Chuan lowered his eyes to glance at the glass cup in his hand. “But my lady is purchasing for refugees, and if the price is too high, my heart will be uneasy.”
Changning smiled. “The Second Young Master thinks of our lady at every turn. How could our lady bear to put the Second Young Master in a difficult position?”
He said: “What if the Second Young Master exchanges goods for goods, not returning empty-handed, with both sides benefiting—wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded repeatedly. “Yes! Commercial matters should be mutually beneficial, with both sides profiting. How can one side suffer a loss?”
Zhu Chuan was slightly stunned, then laughed. “Miss Zhao speaks truly. We merchants do things that benefit both sides, making mutually beneficial arrangements. Hahaha! Since that’s the case, I won’t be polite. I’d like to exchange the goods in my hands for the glassware in my lady’s possession.”
Well said, well said! Zhao Hanzhang asked with a smile: “Including the silk fabrics and cloth in your hands?”
“This…” The price for that would need careful negotiation. Among the cloth he’d brought were Shu brocades, worth quite a lot—they were originally intended to be sent to Luoyang for princes and nobles.
—