Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan brought back a batch of iron blocks and agricultural tools to the county office, just as Da Hua and her father were also being delivered to the county office.

Zhao Hanzhang quite liked this decisive young woman, and asked her, “I’m short a messenger. Would you be willing to stay by my side?”

Da Hua immediately knelt and kowtowed, “This servant is willing.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled, “I’m not asking you to be a servant, but to work as a clerk.”

“The county office has commissioned people to make quilts, clothes, rub dried grass, and make shoes. Someone is managing this in the city, but no one can take charge in the countryside.” Zhao Hanzhang said, “Previously, the clerks from the office were responsible for it, but because they are men, they weren’t meticulous enough, or acted too roughly, and the finished products collected were very poor. You’re a girl who can endure hardship, so I want you to manage this matter.”

Da Hua hadn’t expected she would actually become an official. She was so nervous her hands and feet went numb, and she stammered, “But, but I can’t read.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “I know, so you’ll also need to take half a day each day to study.”

Zhao Hanzhang directly led Da Hua to the school.

Zhao Cheng was teaching a class. When he saw her, he turned his eyes away and wouldn’t look at her.

Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t annoyed. She obediently stood outside the window with Da Hua, waiting for Zhao Cheng to finish his lesson before leading Da Hua forward.

“Uncle, you’ve worked hard.” Zhao Hanzhang personally offered tea to Zhao Cheng.

“You only come when you need something. Speak, what brings you here this time?”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled ingratiatingly, “Uncle, you misunderstand me. Am I that kind of person?”

Zhao Cheng looked at her quietly.

Zhao Hanzhang chuckled and beckoned Da Hua forward, “I’ve come to send you a student. This is Da Hua, who has just become a clerk in my office. She can’t read, so I’d like to ask uncle to teach her to recognize some characters and learn some arithmetic.”

Zhao Cheng frowned, “Why do you keep sending all kinds of people my way? There are already quite a few clerks and military officers in the school. Now there’s even a female clerk?”

“Uncle, whether you herd one sheep or a flock of sheep, you’re still herding. Adding one more sheep to the flock makes no real difference.”

Zhao Cheng fumed, “You say there’s no difference? The others have already studied for nearly two months, and she’s only just arriving. How can she take the same classes as the others?”

Da Hua nervously lowered her head, clenched her fists, then suddenly raised her head and said, “Teacher, I don’t need special instruction. I’ll catch up.”

Zhao Cheng looked at her. Da Hua swallowed and said, “I mean, I don’t need to start from the beginning. Whatever you teach them, I’ll learn. I’ll make up the missed lessons on my own.”

Seeing Zhao Cheng’s expression soften and his attitude relent, Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said, “Uncle, please help me and accept one more student.”

Zhao Cheng asked, “You have plenty of capable people under you, and I don’t believe you don’t know. Your Uncle Ming has already ordered that any clan members willing to enter the world may follow you. Why do you specifically choose an illiterate woman?”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “The young men are naturally excellent, but the work Da Hua needs to do, they can’t do well.”

“In Xiajiao Village, though she’s just a girl, she could independently manage a team digging water channels, most of them men, and no one dared disobey her.” She said, “Right now I’m desperately short of people, so I plan to put the rural women and children to use as well.”

“Their strength may not match grown men, but they’re no weaker than men at other tasks, and can even surpass them. It’s about division of labor—if divided well, you get twice the result with half the effort. Da Hua is the thread I need to organize this division. If you teach her well, the threads below won’t become tangled.”

“Zhao Kuan and the others won’t do? They’ve traveled for many years and suffered every hardship. You needn’t worry they can’t endure hardship.”

Zhao Hanzhang knew this was because she had never used the Zhao clan’s young men, which had caused Zhao Cheng’s dissatisfaction.

Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment and explained, “Uncle, Cousin Kuan and the others can indeed endure hardship, but this matter can’t be accomplished through endurance alone. A large part of why I chose Da Hua is because she’s a woman.”

“Cousin Kuan and the others are brilliantly talented—they’re blades that should be used in better places.”

“Such as?”

“Right now the most suitable position for them is this school,” Zhao Hanzhang said, “Uncle, this school isn’t just about teaching children to read and write—it’s also about teaching them principles. These people will all serve me in the future, and the ideas they absorb all come from the Zhao clan.”

“Now, nearly half the clerks in the office, and the squad leaders, section leaders, and unit commanders in the army and my retainers, are all studying with the Zhao clan’s young men. Do you know what this means?” Zhao Hanzhang said with a smile, “It means their consciousness is instilled by our Zhao clan. They’ll naturally favor the Zhao clan, even favor you, uncle.”

Zhao Cheng stared at Zhao Hanzhang dumbfounded. After recovering, he said angrily, “What do you mean by this? What have you turned teaching and educating into? Teaching students is meant to help them learn to think for themselves, not become your shadow…”

Zhao Hanzhang was unceremoniously driven from the school, but Da Hua was allowed to stay.

Da Hua was quite in awe of this teacher who dared to expel the County Magistrate. She shrank her neck and stood to the side, not daring to speak.

Zhao Cheng huffed angrily as he paced back and forth. He finally understood why Changning came to teach two major classes every ten days, and why even Ji Yuan from Shangcai would occasionally come to the school to lecture—this was their plan all along.

Before, he had only found it embarrassing when these two praised Zhao Hanzhang during their lectures, but now, what didn’t he understand?

Zhao Cheng angrily paced back and forth, saw Da Hua, and waved his hand, “Go prepare yourself. First go collect writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone. Come to class tomorrow.”

Da Hua happily agreed.

Zhao Cheng thought for a long time but couldn’t figure it out. He felt this contradicted his educational philosophy, so he irritably ran back to the fortified manor to find Zhao Ming and complain, “I don’t know where she got all these schemes, calculating everything from the start. She’s having me cultivate devoted followers for her.”

Zhao Ming calmly poured him a cup of wine, and poured one for himself as well.

Zhao Cheng saw he showed neither sorrow nor joy, and couldn’t help frowning, “You knew already?”

Zhao Ming nodded.

Zhao Cheng suppressed his anger and asked, “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

Zhao Ming took a sip of wine and said, “Do you know how much it costs to support a child’s education in the clan?”

Zhao Cheng frowned, “Hmm?”

Zhao Ming said, “Take Zhao Kuan for example. He’s already quite frugal and able to endure hardship. Every year he travels with you, but his food, clothing, housing, and transportation all require money, not to mention the brushes, ink, paper, inkstone, and books he needs for studying.”

“An ordinary primer book can sell for one hundred coins outside.”

Zhao Cheng pressed his lips together, “The books Zhao Kuan and the others use were all used by their fathers and brothers before them. They don’t cost money.”

“What about the literary collections bought every year, and the various books they exchange for? Were those also used by their fathers and brothers?” Zhao Ming said, “Every year he spends no less than fifty thousand coins on books, not to mention the consumables like brushes, ink, and paper. Especially paper and ink—have you calculated how much you spend each year?”

Zhao Cheng paused and said, “Elder brother, I’m talking to you about Hanzhang’s school.”