Zhao Hanzhang looked regretful. “Is that truly the case? She possesses such great talent, and I hold her in high regard. I’ve recently been keeping her by my side for training, planning to send her to Pingyu County to serve as county magistrate once she gains more experience.”

Sun Zhengyang and Zhao Qi’s eyes widened.

Zhao Dong and Lady Dong, who had been sitting quietly, also opened their eyes wide in shock.

Zhao Hanzhang seemed not to notice, continuing to sigh. “I was thinking that since Pingyu is right next to Quyang, Linghui could learn the ways of governance from Cousin Kuan. If her administrative achievements prove stable in the future, she might even be able to enter the prefectural government.”

Sun Zhengyang swallowed hard, glancing at Zhao Qi.

Zhao Qi was equally moved. Actually, it was better for girls to marry, but if she could become a county magistrate… delaying marriage negotiations by a couple of years would be acceptable…

The couple exchanged glances and both fell silent, their minds turning to how they would deal with their parents and elders when they returned home.

They hadn’t wanted to agree, but the prospects Zhao Hanzhang offered were simply too promising.

In the end, Sun Zhenghe and Zhao Qi didn’t take Sun Linghui away, instead entrusting her to Zhao Dong and his wife. “Let her live with Yunxin. The two sisters have always been close and can keep each other company.”

They didn’t dare entrust her to Zhao Hanzhang, since Zhao Hanzhang was her superior after all.

It was strange—though Zhao Hanzhang and Sun Linghui were similar in age, both juniors to the couple, and she smiled warmly, just sitting there she naturally exuded an imposing presence that made them not dare act presumptuously, and naturally they didn’t dare ask her to look after Sun Linghui.

Zhao Dong was still somewhat dazed. He readily agreed to his sister and brother-in-law’s request, and after seeing them off, he stood at the door in a stupor for quite some time before coming to his senses. “Linghui… is also going to become a county magistrate?”

Lady Dong’s eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously. “Yes! Our Zhao family has produced another female county magistrate, and this time it’s completely legitimate!”

Zhao Dong thought it over and shook his head. “This one isn’t from our Zhao family. It’ll only count as ours when your daughter becomes a county magistrate.”

Lady Dong: …

She felt her husband was right.

So the couple turned their attention together to Zhao Yunxin.

Extraordinarily, neither of them brought up her marriage again, but Zhao Yunxin didn’t feel much better. Within a few days, she and Sun Linghui were planning to move out of the fortress and live in the county town.

Their reason: “Official duties are busy. The city gates open and close at fixed times every day. If we work overtime, we can’t get home, but if we don’t work overtime, we can’t finish processing all the official business on time. Not only will the Assistant Administrator blame us, but our colleagues in the government office will also reproach us.”

Zhao Dong and Lady Dong now cared greatly about their daughter’s official advancement. All obstacles standing in the way of this goal had to be cleared, so the couple agreed and even wanted to take out money to buy her a small courtyard in the county town.

Zhao Yunxin refused because she had already found lodging.

To get closer to her idol, Fan Ying generously invited Zhao Yunxin and Sun Linghui to live at her house, claiming her house was too large with only her living there, so she wanted to clean up a courtyard to rent out.

Zhao Yunxin and Sun Linghui also felt living with a colleague would be better. Fan Ying was now part of the prefectural government, working in the household registration office. As Zhao Hanzhang’s secretary, they had frequent dealings with Fan Ying.

Through their interactions, all being young ladies of similar age with ambitious desires to accomplish great things, they naturally found common topics. Back and forth, they became friends.

Zhao Yunxin and Sun Linghui rolled up their belongings and moved into Fan Ying’s home with their personal maids. From then on, their commute to the county office became much more convenient. The three of them working together directly drove the male officials in the county office to turn pale.

People of the Wei-Jin period, even the most diligent among them, all possessed a certain carefree elegance, emphasizing following one’s heart and nature. Like these three who seemed to torture themselves with such discipline and diligence…

Everyone wiped their faces. They didn’t want to follow along, but whether in the prefectural government or the county office, all matters were interconnected from top to bottom.

Official documents processed by Zhao Hanzhang were issued by Sun Linghui and sent to each department for execution according to the documents’ instructions. She checked twice a day—even those who deep down wanted to procrastinate lazily couldn’t do so.

Documents reported from below were verified by Zhao Yunxin, who also pressed urgently. If they wanted to work leisurely, they would be nagged:

Even Chen Siniang, who wasn’t on their track and mainly managed the charity hall and school, was driven to work more diligently by them, let alone those who worked directly with them.

At this point, they finally saw the abilities of these three women, and no one dared privately doubt anymore that they had entered the government office through connections.

Of course, getting them to submit was also impossible. They felt they could do it too—these women were capable, but their ability to stay by Zhao Hanzhang’s side was mostly because they were female.

Zhao Hanzhang paid no mind to the undercurrents among her subordinates. She had received two calling cards and was happily spinning in circles. “This Wang Nie and Xie Shi are from the Wang and Xie families. That they could come to join me shows my current reputation.”

Ji Yuan: “…Congratulations, Miss. However, these two are merely branch members of the Wang and Xie families.”

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand dismissively. “Whether they’re branch members or not doesn’t matter. They have their own pride. That they’re willing to come is enough.”

Ji Yuan: “Will Miss employ them?”

Zhao Hanzhang: “After they pass the examination. We’ll hold another recruitment exam on the fifteenth of next month. Many people have been entering the city recently—perhaps there are hidden dragons and phoenixes among them.”

Ji Yuan ignored the latter half, lest he couldn’t help but retort to his mistress. He asked, “Miss values these two so highly, why not directly recruit them to show your regard?”

“Who said I value them highly?” Zhao Hanzhang looked at Ji Yuan in surprise and explained, “I value the significance of their choosing me, as for whether they can be employed, that’s a matter for after the examination.”

Zhao Hanzhang continued, “If they’re like Wang Yan, no matter how talented, I won’t employ them.”

Ji Yuan hadn’t expected her to be so cautious in selecting talent. Generally, when encountering young men from the Wang and Xie families seeking to join, who wouldn’t rush out to welcome them with shoes on backwards?

Zhao Hanzhang set down the two cards, smiling as she told Ji Yuan, “I won’t go meet them, lest outsiders speculate the examination is unfair. Master Ji, you go meet them and tell them if they’re interested, we’ll see them on the fifteenth of next month at the examination grounds.”

“This…” Ji Yuan was somewhat worried. “I only fear they’re proud and unrestrained. Having Miss make them take an examination, testing alongside common folk, they might misunderstand that Miss is insulting them…”

Zhao Hanzhang said seriously, “Master, don’t forget—the recruitment notice states our goal is to help the people live and work in peace. We seek those who share this vision. If they cannot even work alongside common folk, how can they love the people?”

Ji Yuan, hearing this, agreed and immediately took the cards to meet Wang Nie and Xie Shi.

The two didn’t see Zhao Hanzhang, but they weren’t disappointed. Learning they needed to pass an examination to enter the prefectural government didn’t anger them either. They agreed readily, then turned around and went to the Zhao family fortress to ask Zhao Ming for lodging.

Zhao Ming, knowing of their arrival, hurried out beyond the main gate to welcome them in.