As ice and snow melted, wheat turned green, and spring flowers bloomed, Zhu Chuan left Xiping with his remaining goods to return to Shu.

Zhao Hanzhang personally saw him off, even generously giving him two boxes of glass products—one box of glass bottles, one box of small glass mirrors.

“After this parting, who knows when we’ll meet again. I hope Master Zhu has a smooth journey,” Zhao Hanzhang smiled. “We in Xiping lack grain and cloth. Next time you come, Master, please bring more of these goods.”

Zhu Chuan glanced at the farmers working on both sides of the road, smiled and nodded. “As long as Xiping County’s magistrate is still Miss Zhao, I’ll definitely come!”

In commerce, not all cities were safe, and not all cities were welcoming.

Some county towns, to prevent outside merchants from taking up local commercial space, would think of various ways to drive away traveling merchants.

Zhu Chuan had spent these months in Xiping very happily. Not only did Zhao Hanzhang welcome him, but the local gentry and wealthy people of Xiping were also very friendly to him.

How could they not be friendly?

Silks and brocades from Shu were very popular.

Zhu Chuan’s return to Shu required passing through Shangcai. He only stayed in Shangcai for one night. When leaving the next day, seeing the people enthusiastically digging channels and building water conservancy along the road, he let out a deep sigh.

His attendant saw him only sighing without speaking, and couldn’t help asking, “Young Master, such a wonderful scene—why do you sigh?”

“I sigh that the people of the Central Plains finally have a glimmer of hope,” Zhu Chuan said. “Though our Shu region isn’t peaceful either, it’s much better compared to the Central Plains where battles occur every few days.”

“Previously when traveling out, everywhere I passed had starving corpses, and people’s faces showed only numbness, especially in early spring,” he continued. “It should be a time when everything begins anew, when life should be flourishing, yet people’s eyes held only despair. Only this time have I seen hope in their eyes.”

Zhu Chuan said, “She may have ambitions, but who can deny the benefits she brings to the people?”

Clearly, Zhu Chuan knew that the changes in Shangcai were because of Zhao Hanzhang.

Actually, not only did Zhu Chuan know—the common people of both Xiping County and Shangcai County all knew.

Ji Yuan never hesitated to praise and promote his lord. Besides, Shangcai had employed so many people from the Zhao clan.

So the people of Shangcai all knew that their previous relief grain and current work-for-relief money and grain all came from Zhao Hanzhang. Of course, their county magistrate had asked Zhao Hanzhang for it.

It was said that the two counties had now formed brother counties, so in the future, Shangcai would help Xiping, and Xiping would help Shangcai—the two counties would progress together.

Therefore, relations between Upper Corner Village and Lower Corner Village became even better. When working in the fields and meeting, though they were people from two different counties, everyone was very warm in greeting each other. The resentment from competing for work before the New Year had faded considerably, and people even started claiming kinship.

“Our two villages have always intermarried. Now our two counties have become brother counties, so our relationship is even better.”

“Yes, yes, exactly.”

Zhao Hanzhang not only massively gathered refugees in Xiping, but also began doing so in Shangcai. With her financial and grain support, although County Magistrate Chai was anxious and uncertain, he still followed Ji Yuan’s advice and provided large amounts of government farmland and wasteland to settle the refugees.

Shangcai’s bricks began selling within the county, being bought to build houses for refugees. Well, the money was provided by Zhao Hanzhang, but the profits flowed back into her hands…

The gentry and wealthy people within the county also took the opportunity to gather some refugees. Unfortunately, County Magistrate Chai had suddenly become much more assertive, inspecting especially strictly and not allowing them to hide unregistered households again. All hired long-term workers had to go through the county office. Not only did they have to report names and origins, but they also had to clearly state the treatment they gave these workers.

They suspected this was Zhao Hanzhang’s idea, because the soft-hearted and easygoing County Magistrate Chai didn’t have such thick skin. But they had no proof.

Watching the Zhao clan estate and all of Shangcai County bustling so prosperously, even if they were dissatisfied, they could only suppress it. Otherwise, forget about soup—they wouldn’t even get dishwater.

Because Zhao Hanzhang was setting an example, gradually registering and recording all the hidden households in her estate.

County Magistrate Chai was…

County Magistrate Chai was stunned. He knew Zhao Hanzhang’s estate had hidden households, but he hadn’t expected there to be so many.

What shocked him even more was that although she registered and recorded them, she made two sets of books. One set was to be kept in the county office’s public room for superior officials to review. In Ji Yuan’s words, this was the list from which Shangcai County needed to collect taxes.

The other set was kept in both his county office and the Zhao clan estate. In Ji Yuan’s words, this was the tax revenue that Shangcai County should actually receive.

County Magistrate Chai couldn’t understand at first.

Ji Yuan pointed it out directly: “The court cannot sympathize with lower counties. When collecting taxes, they always calculate at the maximum rate. However, when localities suffer disasters, the court cannot provide relief. If the county magistrate doesn’t retain some wealth locally to prepare for next year, should you seek help from our Young Lady every time disaster strikes?”

County Magistrate Chai was stunned for a long while before asking, “Does Xiping do the same?”

Ji Yuan didn’t speak, tacitly agreeing.

Actually, not only did Zhao Hanzhang do this, but Xiping County’s previous County Magistrate Fan had also intercepted finances. Moreover, he could guarantee that other counties more or less had this practice.

There weren’t many people as honest as County Magistrate Chai anymore.

However… Ji Yuan smiled. “This is only done when the court isn’t functioning. If the court can operate normally, our behavior benefits neither the country nor the people, and naturally shouldn’t be done.”

“County Magistrate is now one of our own, which is why our Zhao estate has released all hidden households.” See, our Young Lady trusts you so much, so you shouldn’t disappoint her trust either.

County Magistrate Chai was indeed moved. After thinking it over, he tacitly approved Ji Yuan’s operation.

Since even the Zhao estate no longer hid households, Ji Yuan naturally wouldn’t allow other families to muddy the waters. Previous cases aside—it wasn’t appropriate to make bigger moves now—but from now on, no family was permitted to hide the refugees they gathered.

Ji Yuan enjoyed struggling against people and Heaven immensely, and in this happiness, Shangcai County improved day by day.

As for Xiping, there was no need to mention it. Under Fu Tinghan’s efforts, the paper workshop finally determined five different paper-making formulas. Three types of paper were very suitable for writing, and their costs and qualities were divided into upper, middle, and lower grades.

There was also one type suitable for fine brushwork—cooked paper. Fu Tinghan even slightly modified this formula, creating half-sized paper and raw paper suitable for ink wash painting.

Then he accidentally made toilet paper.

Zhao Hanzhang was very satisfied with this.

While adjusting paper-making formulas, the paper workshop was finally renovated. Fu Tinghan led the craftsmen in creating curtain beds, and simultaneously prepared lime water and plant ash water to speed up the decomposition of paper materials. Now the paper workshop could produce large quantities of paper daily.

Xiping County office would never lack paper again. Even Shangcai County began purchasing large quantities of paper from Xiping County for basic infrastructure use.

After all, gathering refugees and recording various information required large amounts of paper.

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