Zhao Hanzhang met Xun Xiu on a narrow path at the main quarters’ entrance.

At that moment, Xun Xiu was being carried by two soldiers holding his arms, his feet slightly suspended. When they met, the two soldiers and the suspended Xun Xiu all looked at Zhao Hanzhang with stiff expressions.

Zhao Hanzhang clicked her tongue twice, surveying them before her gaze settled on a certain part of his body. “General Xun is impressive. Having taken thirty military rod strokes, you’re more relaxed than General Mi who only took twenty. Already able to get up?”

Xun Xiu quickly had the soldiers put him down. Supporting his lower back, he barely stood upright. “Governor, I was just bored at home, so I had people carry me over. I really can’t get up much on my own.”

Zhao Hanzhang said to his two soldiers, “What are you standing around for? Hurry and carry your general back.”

The two soldiers immediately lifted Xun Xiu to leave. Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes widened. “Where are you carrying him?”

Zhao Hanzhang jutted her chin, indicating they should carry him into the house.

The two soldiers looked at Xun Xiu.

Xun Xiu said, “What are you looking at me for? Quickly obey the governor’s command.”

Having his arms held like this was very tiring!

The two soldiers hurriedly carried him into the house. Zhao Hanzhang followed behind.

Mi Ce, lying on a mat, saw Xun Xiu returning, acting as if he knew nothing, his face full of surprise. “How is General Xun back again?”

Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze swept over the distance between him and the door. They’d been talking at the entrance without lowering their voices—she didn’t believe he hadn’t heard.

Mi Ce seemed to just notice Zhao Hanzhang, greatly startled. “How did the governor come?”

He pushed with his arms to rise and bow. Zhao Hanzhang raised her hand. “Enough, no need for excessive courtesy. Just lie down, stay lying.”

Mi Ce glanced carefully at Zhao Hanzhang’s expression. Finding it acceptable and not seeming angry, he explained, “General Xun was bored during his illness, so he came over to talk with me.”

As he spoke, he returned to lying down. Perhaps the movement was too large—it stirred up a breeze, and a paper pressed beneath him whooshed out, rolled itself, and landed at Zhao Hanzhang’s feet.

Xun Xiu’s eyes widened. He reached out to grab it, but first, he was too far away, and second, he was still being held up by people, so not only did he fail to reach it, he also pulled at the wound on his buttocks.

Zhao Hanzhang bent to pick it up, finding it was a simple map of Luoyang with streets drawn and various districts circled.

On this map, over a dozen circles were marked with vermillion ink.

Zhao Hanzhang examined it carefully, finding the circled areas included both residences and shops, scattered widely with varying quality locations.

Xun Xiu and Mi Ce looked at each other blankly, then honestly lay still without moving.

Xun Xiu also lay down now. His heart was bleeding.

Zhao Hanzhang beckoned to Mi Ce’s soldiers.

The soldier, very good at reading expressions, brought over a mat, spread it opposite Mi Ce and Xun Xiu, and thoughtfully fetched a cushion.

Zhao Hanzhang knelt facing them, extending her hand to Mi Ce. “Are there more?”

Mi Ce couldn’t help but glance at Xun Xiu.

Xun Xiu kept his head down, chin resting on the back of his hand, neither speaking nor looking at Mi Ce.

Zhao Hanzhang persisted in watching Mi Ce. Mi Ce slowly raised his upper body and pulled two more sheets of paper from beneath him to hand to Zhao Hanzhang.

The papers still showed Luoyang, but the other two sides.

Aside from the mostly burned north district, this covered the south, west, and east districts!

Zhao Hanzhang counted the circled numbers and asked, “What’s the pattern for these shops and mansions? People living nearby?”

Seeing Xun Xiu and Mi Ce stunned, she knew she’d guessed correctly. She smiled slightly and nodded. “This method is good. Right now everyone’s busy, especially Zhao Kuan. The empty mansions and shops in Luoyang haven’t yet been reclaimed and catalogued. Choosing an empty mansion near already-occupied ones, placing someone inside can secure a large house. Luoyang is in the midst of reconstruction from ruins—the yamen clerks won’t inspect very carefully. Even if they’re thorough, it doesn’t matter—spend a little money and it’s fine.”

Xun Xiu and Mi Ce: …

Why didn’t their lord seem like a genteel family miss but rather like a worldly-wise old clerk?

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and handed the papers to Xun Xiu.

Xun Xiu didn’t dare accept them, quickly saying, “I wouldn’t dare. These were meant to be handed over to the lord anyway.”

Zhao Hanzhang lifted her eyelids to look at him. Seeing sweat forming on his forehead, she smiled. “I’ll pass them to Zhao Kuan.”

He was the Luoyang County Magistrate—these matters all fell under his jurisdiction.

Zhao Hanzhang casually handed the three papers to her guard, then began examining the two lying on the mats.

Xun Xiu and Mi Ce felt uncomfortable under her gaze and couldn’t help shifting their bodies.

Zhao Hanzhang asked with a gentle gaze, “Are the injuries better?”

The two nodded together. “Much better.” Otherwise they couldn’t have gotten together to plot acquiring assets.

This was Luoyang! Though the emperor had moved the capital, they all felt that once the realm stabilized, the emperor would surely move back. By then, a mansion here would be worth considerable money.

“Good that they’re better,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “Then after resting two days, return to Yuzhou.”

Both widened their eyes. “Return to Yuzhou?”

“Yes,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “Earlier I petitioned for your merits, and His Majesty has already approved. You’re not only generals now but also magistrates of Yingchuan Jun and Yiyang Jun. Both places cannot be without their magistrates for too long.”

Xun Xiu couldn’t help exchanging glances with Mi Ce.

Previously, though they had authority to command troops, they lacked power to govern localities. Inspector He had also intended to constrain them. After Zhao Hanzhang took over Yuzhou, though she frequently assigned them tasks, she also relied on them more heavily.

This time she even petitioned for them to be appointed as magistrates, giving them this authority made supporting troops much more convenient.

Zhao Hanzhang indeed wanted them to support their own troops, at least relaxing restrictions to a degree. So the three discussed garrison policies.

Currently, the best garrison policy was implemented in Runan Jun. “The troops under Zhao Ju’s command can basically sustain themselves during non-war times. Right now commoners are scattered and wasteland is plentiful. Take your soldiers back—it’s perfect for opening wasteland and establishing garrisons.”

Xun Xiu and Mi Ce had both heard of Zhao Hanzhang’s garrison farming in Runan Jun, settling nearly a hundred thousand soldiers. Those people were soldiers during war, civilians during peace, training during agricultural slack. Bringing them onto battlefields resulted in far fewer deaths than fresh conscription, and didn’t waste farmland.

Xun Xiu and Mi Ce both nodded.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “For garrison troops, I have only two requirements: first, do not encroach on commoners’ good farmland; second, do not treat garrison soldiers poorly.”

She said, “The Xiongnu are wildly ambitious, and even the Xianbei covet our lands greedily. Luoyang and Yuzhou block their path southward. Therefore, whenever war erupts, Yuzhou bears the brunt.”

“As long as we take the battlefield, we must rely on our soldiers. Otherwise, no matter how heroic we are, we’re only individuals. So don’t treat them poorly,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “What I want is an army I can entrust my back to.”

Xun Xiu and Mi Ce wore solemn expressions, nodding seriously. “Yes.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded and stood. “Fine, you continue chatting. I checked—three days from now is an auspicious day. Have your subordinates muster the troops and prepare to depart.”

Xun Xiu and Mi Ce’s faces simultaneously fell, feeling waves of pain in their buttocks. They quickly called out, “Governor, could you grant a few more days’ extension?”

Zhao Hanzhang flashed them a toothy smile. “Cannot!”

Keeping them one more day meant one more day’s provisions. Two armies of over fifty thousand people—how much grain would they consume in a day?