Chen Wu actually did know Chen Wan. The other party was not only his brother but also his subordinate.
He sighed. “Back then when we fought Shi Lei in Jizhou, an entire squad was scattered. I thought he had died. I didn’t expect he’d joined under the General’s command. He has good fortune.”
Chen Wu cupped his fists with a smile. “In the future, I ask General Zhao to take good care of him.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded in acknowledgment, feeling even more confident about keeping the Qihuo Army.
Zhao Hanzhang introduced Fu Tinghan to him. “This is Fu Tinghan, my betrothed. If I’m not here and the General has matters to discuss, seeing him is the same as seeing me.”
Chen Wu was puzzled. “What matters would we still have between us?”
Zhao Hanzhang: “…The construction of Gucheng’s military defense—don’t we need to discuss that together?”
Chen Wu couldn’t help but look at Li Tou and the others nearby.
Li Tou spoke bluntly. “Aren’t we just guarding the city gates and watching outside? If enemies come to attack, we fight.”
Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan: …
Zhao Hanzhang quickly said, “No, no, no. We still need to build military defenses. Forward posts and passes—we need to build what should be built. I’ve seen that you have very few arrows. Defending a city consumes arrows enormously. How can you have none?”
Chen Wu felt her heart was truly big. “General Zhao, it’s not that we’re unwilling, but we don’t have any.”
He said, “In my view, where troops are stationed, food is most urgent. As long as you give us sufficient provisions and fodder, the Qihuo Army will definitely hold Gucheng firmly.”
“But you must be able to hold it, and hold it at a smaller cost,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “If the entire army is wiped out with heavy casualties, what meaning is there in my defending this city?”
Chen Wu frowned. “Isn’t Gucheng to protect Luoyang?”
Zhao Hanzhang said with a serious expression, “Luoyang has natural defenses. It’s important, but Gucheng is also important. The people in Gucheng are also important.”
She said, “If you don’t have arrows, then we’ll make arrows. With so many people, we can always find those who know how to make arrows. Everyone can learn and set up an arrow workshop.”
Chen Wu couldn’t help but feel frustrated. “General Zhao, we don’t have arrowheads.”
“That’s exactly what I want to discuss with the General. I have arrowheads.” Zhao Hanzhang looked at Fu Tinghan.
Fu Tinghan said, “I brought several craftsmen this time. They know how to forge arrowheads.”
Chen Wu listened and seemed to sense something. “General Zhao, are you going to buy iron for us?”
“No, we’ll smelt iron,” Zhao Hanzhang grinned at him. “Gucheng has an iron mine.”
Chen Wu’s eyes slowly widened.
This was what Fu Tinghan had found while searching through the Luoyang prefectural office. Every year a tax payment came to the prefectural office, meaning this iron mine was privately operated.
But starting from the year before last, the iron mine stopped sending taxes to the office. Gucheng had also fallen three times. One could imagine the mine’s condition wouldn’t be good.
Fu Tinghan had also found the blueprints. Following them, they found that iron mine.
Zhao Hanzhang led her horse around half a circuit and discovered this iron mine was not small. Originally, quite a few workers must have been employed in mining. There were many rotted corpses in the mine tunnels. From the still relatively intact clothing, they could tell that among the dead were mining workers, guards, and Xiongnu people.
Chen Wu followed to visit and looked at the scale of this iron mine, his heart itching. “General Zhao, why don’t I dispatch troops to guard this iron mine?”
With this iron mine, Zhao Hanzhang should employ them long-term, right?
Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow and refused with a smile. “Such a small matter can be left to subordinates. However, the iron mine is also within Gucheng’s range. If outside enemies come to attack, we indeed need General Chen to provide assistance.”
Zhao Hanzhang decided to forge arrowheads here, but to build an arrow workshop near the military camp. The arrow workshop would be jointly operated by Chen Wu and the Gucheng county office, where arrows would be assembled.
These arrows wouldn’t only supply Gucheng, but Luoyang as well.
The corners of Zhao Hanzhang’s mouth lifted slightly as she exhaled. From among her people, she selected one person to manage the iron mine and had Zeng Yue choose a team to protect it.
Fu Tinghan walked around half a circuit, measured quite a bit of data, and after having a clear idea of how to arrange the iron mine, he said to Zhao Hanzhang, “Let’s go back.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded.
Bringing Chen Wu and the others back, she smiled and said, “General Chen, from now on Gucheng and the iron mine will be entrusted to you.”
The contemplative Chen Wu came back to his senses and quickly nodded. “Of course, of course.”
Returning to Gucheng, Zhao Hanzhang continued to have a headache about the Gucheng county magistrate candidate.
The list of this year’s selected talents was spread out on the table.
Fu Tinghan glanced at it and asked, “Still haven’t selected anyone?”
Zhao Hanzhang sighed and closed the list. “The suitable ones have already been dispatched and can’t be transferred again. The unsuitable ones—putting them in this position poses too many dangers.”
“Your courage is quite great, directly exposing the iron mine to Chen Wu.”
Zhao Hanzhang smiled. “It can’t be hidden either. He may not know now, but as long as outside enemies attack Gucheng and the iron mine calls for help, he’ll know.”
“Since he’ll know anyway, might as well maximize the benefits,” she said. “Give him half the operating rights to the arrow workshop. Not only will this win his heart, it will bind him more deeply to me. Overall, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.”
Fu Tinghan: “So the Gucheng county magistrate must be chosen with extreme care. They must be both meticulous and bold.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “Exactly.”
She trusted the Qihuo Army now, but not completely. So she needed to leave someone to check and balance Chen Wu.
But she really didn’t have a suitable candidate right now.
Fu Tinghan also understood her difficulty. After pondering for a moment, he said, “There’s quite a bit that needs to be done in Gucheng. The five hundred households I brought from Luoyang need to settle. Why not leave it to Fan Ying?”
Zhao Hanzhang used Fan Ying very smoothly and was reluctant to send her out to a post.
Fu Tinghan said, “Let her manage it temporarily. When you find the right person to take over, summon her back.”
Only then did Zhao Hanzhang nod. “That works too.”
Fu Tinghan said, “Let’s go. There are many matters waiting for you in Luoyang. Zhao Kuan just arrived in Luoyang, and only because General Beigong and General Mi had strong attitudes, the refugees who were forcibly moved back to Luoyang are all very resentful. These past two days, quite a few have been escaping.”
Those were all good citizens—neither criminals nor slaves, nor military registrants. They couldn’t just kill people for migrating, could they?
Right now, refugees were fleeing everywhere in the realm.
Zhao Hanzhang also knew Luoyang’s matters were more urgent, so she left Yuan Li with a detachment of personal guards to help Fan Ying, and the next day set out to return to Luoyang.
Chen Wu saw them off outside the city. Watching them go far into the distance, he turned to look at Fan Ying. “County Magistrate Fan, I’ll be troubling you from now on.”
Fan Ying bowed slightly. “We all serve our lord and fulfill our duties loyally. In the future, if General Chen needs anything, just come find me.”
From now on, the Qihuo Army’s provisions and fodder would also be her responsibility.
Chen Wu nodded with a smile. The two parted at the city gate. Fan Ying returned to the county office while Chen Wu went to inspect the military camp under construction.
Chen Chuan watched her figure disappear and couldn’t help saying, “Zhao Hanzhang just left so easily. The Yuan Li she left behind only has one hundred troops, and most of those are clerks and supply officers.”
Chen Wu asked, “Do you want to occupy Gucheng?”
—