Zhao Hanzhang said unconcernedly, “If they know, they know. If one or two famous scholars from the court come, I would welcome them gladly.”

Wang Shi tapped her forehead, “Such boastful talk – I don’t know who you inherited this boldness from.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at her and lowered her head to continue eating noodles.

Wang Shi saw she was eating with gusto, but had lost a whole circle of weight. Although she said it was lean muscle, that she had muscles on her body, Wang Shi just felt heartache.

“Hanzhang, doing all this is so exhausting – are you happy?”

Zhao Hanzhang saw the worry in Wang Shi’s eyes and comforted her, “Mother, I’m very happy.”

Wang Shi looked completely unconvinced, “A few days ago because of the autumn tax submissions from various counties, you were so anxious you couldn’t sleep at night and kept losing your temper. I even saw you cry.”

Zhao Hanzhang: …That time I really wasn’t crying – it was just that there were many flying insects at night. Because only her room had candles lit and she was enjoying the cool air with the bamboo blinds raised, some tiny insects fluttered in and flew right into her eyes. She couldn’t help shedding a tear, and just so coincidentally, Wang Shi came to bring soup and caught her.

No matter how she explained, Wang Shi wouldn’t believe it, looking as if she had suffered some great grievance.

Zhao Hanzhang sighed. Forget it – if she couldn’t explain it clearly, she wouldn’t explain.

She thought carefully, then answered Wang Shi seriously, “Mother, although it will be very hard, and happy moments may be few, this is something I want to do.”

Speaking of this, Zhao Hanzhang became somewhat dazed. In this past year of rushing about, she had almost forgotten her original intention for doing all this.

It was merely to give Wang Shi and Zhao Erlang a chance to settle down and live, to create an opportunity for her and Fu Tinghan to return.

Now, she rarely thought about going back anymore.

She pressed her lips together and said, “Human life is but a short hundred years, and the years we can actually live may be only half that – the time is even shorter. In such a short time, we cannot simply pursue happiness. As long as it’s something I want to do, no matter how much suffering I encounter, I accept it gladly. Although the process may be painful, I only seek to have no regrets.”

To have no regrets, one must work hard to do it. Whether she ultimately succeeds or fails, she will have tried her best.

Even if she fails, she can accept it calmly.

Zhao Hanzhang said seriously to Wang Shi, “And everything I’m doing now is what I want to do.”

Wang Shi stared blankly at her daughter, reaching out to touch the stray hairs at her forehead, murmuring, “My daughter seems to be glowing…”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled radiantly at her.

Wang Shi’s heart also became peaceful. After thinking for a moment, she said, “If you want to do it, then go ahead and do it.”

Zhao Hanzhang happily said, “Thank you, Mother!”

Zhao Hanzhang distributed the accepted candidates to various places. She established the commandery seat in Xiping – ahem, although she didn’t have that authority, but since she, the commandery governor, was here, naturally the commandery seat was here too.

So quite a few officials were needed. She didn’t directly assign them ranks, but had them start as clerks, learning to handle various government affairs.

In the past, officials taking office had to feel their way along, engaging in battles of wits with colleagues and local gentry and wealthy families, or after getting along harmoniously, gradually figuring out the way of being an official.

Here, Zhao Hanzhang directly minimized such influences as much as possible, having them learn directly from Ji Yuan, Changning, Fan Ying, Song Zhi and others.

Old hands training newcomers – although at first it was simply following orders, when you do something enough times and become familiar with it, naturally you’ll think about what’s the best way to do it, and then they’ll become proficient.

Of course, she did this to familiarize them with government affairs procedures, to let them know that she was their highest superior!

Although the Xiping county yamen suddenly gained sixteen people, everyone was still frantically busy.

Zhao Hanzhang divided the county yamen in two, giving the main hall and western office rooms to Changning, the Xiping County magistrate, while she as commandery governor occupied the eastern side, taking Ji Yuan and others to handle commandery affairs there.

Ji Yuan had once suggested selecting a location in Xiping County to build a commandery office, completely establishing the commandery seat in Xiping.

However, Zhao Hanzhang refused, “The people are still suffering, and the realm is unstable. Today the commandery office is in Xiping – who knows where it will be tomorrow?”

“There’s no need to spend a large sum building structures for the sake of a title.” If she had money, wouldn’t it be better to buy grain and stockpile it?

Ji Yuan said no more, so the commandery office officials crowded into the eastern office rooms of Xiping County. Sometimes Changning felt sorry for Zhao Hanzhang just looking at it.

The first time Sun Linghui entered the county yamen, and as an official at that, she held her head slightly high. When she saw Zhao Hanzhang sitting behind a desk, she immediately lowered her head, slightly dropping her eyes, stepped forward and bowed, “I pay respects to the Commandery Governor.”

Zhao Hanzhang saw her bow fully and couldn’t help smiling, “No need for such formality – please be seated.”

Because space was limited, Zhao Hanzhang had directly replaced all the floor cushions in the Xiping county yamen with tables and chairs – one chair and one small table per person, and that space was their office.

Three desks could be placed front to back, facing each other, so one room could hold twelve desks.

Even Zhao Hanzhang had to share an office with Ji Yuan and Fu Tinghan.

Now Ji Yuan no longer found tables and chairs unseemly. Even Zhao Ming, after coming here many times, became accustomed to sitting in chairs.

Don’t mention it – after sitting for a long time, it really was more comfortable than kneeling.

Zhao Hanzhang could never have imagined that the final catalyst for promoting tables and chairs would be having too few buildings and insufficient office space.

Zhao Hanzhang pointed to the documents on the desk, “These are official documents submitted from various counties today. Sort them for me by urgency and importance.”

Sun Linghui froze for a moment, then immediately agreed and stepped forward to open the documents and read them.

Zhao Hanzhang lowered her head to continue reviewing the documents in her hands – there were still many letters waiting for her to examine.

Since she became commandery governor, not only did the Provincial Governor’s office occasionally send down documents and write letters to understand the situation in Runan Commandery, but other commanderies also wrote to communicate with her.

When she was out on inspection tours, most documents and letters were handled by Ji Yuan on her behalf, with only some requiring her personal response.

Now that she was back, all these matters fell onto Zhao Hanzhang at once.

So she was very busy and urgently needed a secretary, or rather more secretaries to help.

Previously Ji Yuan and Fu Tinghan helped her screen documents and letters, but now with new people brought in, Ji Yuan was very busy and Fu Tinghan wasn’t idle either, so the two let go and had her find new people, while they busied themselves with their own affairs.

Zhao Hanzhang first thought of using Sun Linghui, then Zhao Yunxin.

These two – one had thoughts that suited her taste, the other wrote official documents in an orderly fashion, so Zhao Hanzhang thought of them first.

This made Fan Ying feel rather jealous, quietly saying to Chen Siniang, “If I’d known passing the examination would let me go directly to the young lady’s side, I would have taken the exam too.”

Chen Siniang: …You already have an official rank – what are you competing with a bunch of newcomers for?