The vice-administrator never imagined his headache wouldn’t be how to receive the suddenly arriving governor, but rather a group of refugees and soldiers.

Setting up tables was impossible. Even if he wanted to, he didn’t have that many seats. So after a moment of silence, he said to the troubled-looking steward, “Set up several long tables, arranged on the left and right sides. The left side for the soldiers, the right side for the refugees.”

He continued, “Have people start cooking. Get everyone working.”

The steward asked, “Shall we cook rice for everyone?”

There were so many people.

The vice-administrator had already vaguely sensed Zhao Hanzhang’s displeasure. He gritted his teeth. “Serve rice to the soldiers. For the refugees, cook porridge, but make it thick. If there’s not enough grain, take it from the storehouse, borrow from the mill…”

In short, first appease Zhao Hanzhang’s anger.

Not just the vice-administrator—the other officials’ drunkenness vanished at once. Pretending not to see the vice-administrator’s frantic state, they followed behind Zhao Hanzhang in a crowd as she entered.

At this time, the back courtyard was lively. The women were strolling through the garden, their laughter like bells, making one’s heart happy just to hear it.

Zhao Hanzhang glanced back at her burly guards, then at the simple and honest Zhao Erlang. She felt it would be better not to go inside and frighten people. So her gaze shifted and she headed directly toward the main banquet area.

Wine jars were arranged everywhere there.

As soon as she got close, the rich wine fragrance was overwhelming. The glutton in her belly was stirred. She picked up a jar to pour, but Fu Tinghan was quick to press it down.

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him.

“Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for the stomach. Eat something first.”

Zhao Hanzhang could only reluctantly withdraw her hand. The officials behind felt they had found their purpose and hurried forward with smiles. “If the governor wants to drink, how can there be no meat? Someone, quickly bring the roasted venison!”

The roasted venison used spices. The tender loin meat was cut finger-thick, fresh from being roasted on stone slabs, sprinkled with spices and salt. The aroma kept burrowing into Zhao Hanzhang’s nose.

She casually handed the plate to Zhao Erlang, who was watching eagerly, then sat down with Fu Tinghan at the main seat. “Everyone must be hungry. Do you only have venison here?”

The officials understood immediately. “Quickly have the kitchen send the best dishes, and roast more venison.”

Another official lowered his voice to order, “Only send loin meat here.”

The servants of the vice-administrator’s household had no time to ponder these officials overstepping their bounds. Hearing the orders, they left.

Roasted venison kept being sent over. Besides that, there was also various other roasted meats and vegetables.

That’s right—in the dead of winter, the vice-administrator’s household not only had cooked vegetable soup but also vegetables for roasting.

This was even more rare and precious than venison loin. The corners of Zhao Hanzhang’s mouth curved in a smile as she gained further understanding of the extravagance of Nanyang Principality’s officials.

She wasn’t angry at all.

Wealthy subordinates had their advantages. Zhao Hanzhang thought that the vice-administrator’s position was neither high nor low, and he still had ambitions to advance further. Such a wealthy subordinate, if not put to use, would weigh on her conscience.

Zhao Hanzhang looked at Zhao Erlang with affection and placed more meat in front of him. “Eat more.”

Such delicious food was hard to come by when they were out and about.

Zhao Erlang nodded repeatedly as he ate. After more than a year in the army, he had long forgotten the etiquette he learned before. When eating, there was just one word: fast!

Zhao Hanzhang was in no hurry. With Fu Tinghan even cutting the venison into pieces for her with his knife, she was even less rushed.

While eating, she also looked around, praising generously, “Your arrangement is excellent. It blocks the wind while allowing such a view of the snow. Roasting meat over fire pits with fine wine and delicious food—excellent, excellent.”

The officials smiled along happily, then heard Zhao Hanzhang ask curiously, “But if I remember correctly, the office hasn’t been sealed today, has it? Are you all truant from work?”

Everyone’s expressions stiffened. The vice-administrator finally arrived and hurried to explain, “I was just about to report to the governor. Our administrator resigned his seal and left. We have already reported the specific circumstances. The document should be on its way, probably just missed you.”

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand dismissively. “Missed it, missed it. I know about Administrator Pei resigning to return to seclusion. But what does this have to do with you all being truant? With the administrator absent, shouldn’t you all be more attentive?”

The officials all froze, momentarily at a loss for how to defend themselves.

Zhao Hanzhang poured herself a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp before sighing. “The wine is good wine, the meat is good meat, but I’m eating with a bad taste in my mouth.”

Everyone quietly lowered their heads to listen.

Zhao Hanzhang continued, “When I entered the city, I saw many refugees in ragged clothes sitting and lying on both sides of the road outside. Inside the city, the whole place reeks of wine. Beggar children ran past me saying they were coming here to wait for your household’s slop water.”

The vice-administrator’s face became even more rigid, his heart growing increasingly anxious.

Zhao Hanzhang sighed. “Now seeing such liveliness and prosperity inside this mansion, while outside there are many people starving and freezing to death.”

“Those people outside starve and freeze because their ancestors couldn’t shelter their descendants, and they themselves are incompetent. What does it have to do with my father?” A young woman standing in the corridor asked.

At some point, the women from the garden had all come over and were now standing in the nearby corridor watching.

Hearing his daughter speak to Zhao Hanzhang this way, the vice-administrator broke out in a cold sweat and quickly shouted, “Ying Niang, don’t speak nonsense! This is the governor. Come pay your respects at once.”

Yin Ying walked over with a calm expression and bowed to Zhao Hanzhang, but still looked directly at her. “Governor, please forgive me. Although Father stopped me, I must still say—those lowly people starving and freezing to death, what does it have to do with my family entertaining guests?”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and first asked the vice-administrator, “Do you think there’s a connection?”

The vice-administrator’s face reddened. “There is…”

Zhao Hanzhang raised her hand to stop him and turned to ask Zhao Erlang, who had already eaten five plates of meat, “Erlang, what do you say? Is there a connection?”

Zhao Erlang thought for a moment then nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

Zhao Hanzhang asked with a smile, “Then tell this young lady what the connection is.”

“Her father is the vice-administrator. The people in this principality are all his responsibility. If they’re not doing well, it’s because he’s not doing well,” Zhao Erlang said. This was what his sister had taught him—that if his soldiers couldn’t fight well or weren’t living well, it was because he, as their general, wasn’t good! “It’s the same principle. If the common people aren’t living well, naturally it’s because their ‘general’ isn’t good. Also, today isn’t a rest day. They’re not at the office but drinking and making merry at home—this is truancy and should have their salaries docked!”

Several times when he should have been training but ran off to play instead, his sister docked his salary and wouldn’t let Mother give him spending money. He couldn’t even buy candied figurines.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded approvingly. When she raised her head to look at the young girl again, only coldness remained in her eyes. “You eat from Nanyang Principality’s stores and use Nanyang Principality’s resources. Your silks and satins, the fine wine and delicacies in this mansion, and your honor all come from my Nanyang Principality. Now you say the hunger and cold of my Nanyang Principality’s people have nothing to do with your father?”

Zhao Hanzhang turned to look at the vice-administrator, her voice cold. “Yin Sheng, you’ve taught your daughter poorly.”

Yin Sheng’s face flushed deep red as he hurriedly bowed. “This official has failed in teaching. I beg the governor’s forgiveness.”

Yin Ying’s face also flushed nearly to the point of dripping blood.