A shopkeeper from a nearby thatched stall overheard this and spat before replying, “Commander, don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s just being cunning. Every time the Young Master passes by his stall, he runs out to snatch the Young Master’s water pouch and fill it, or offers him tea. After the Young Master drinks his water, he feels too embarrassed to go to other shops. His noodles aren’t as good as my wontons—if you don’t believe me, come try them yourself.”

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at the bowl of noodles before her and said decisively, “Then bring me a bowl of wontons too. I’ll eat both.”

When Fu Tinghan arrived with Fu’an, he found Zhao Hanzhang with two shopkeepers standing beside her, eating alternately from two bowls of noodles and wontons.

Seeing Fu Tinghan, she quickly waved to him and asked, “Do you want noodles or wontons?”

Fu Tinghan swept a glance at the two bowls before her and said, “Wontons, I suppose.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled brightly and asked the shopkeeper to bring another bowl of wontons.

She told the two men, “The noodles are very chewy, and the wonton filling is very fresh. Both are excellent—I love eating both.”

Only then did the two shopkeepers leave contentedly.

Zhao Hanzhang quietly let out a breath and asked Fu Tinghan, “Why have so many food stalls opened near the workshop?”

Fu Tinghan replied, “The grain allocation from above was insufficient. When the workshop prepared meals themselves, the workers often caused trouble over food issues, so I just gave them meal subsidies and let them figure out their own food.”

After that, many thatched shelters began appearing near the workshop, specifically selling food.

Because the workshop was guarded by soldiers, initially only the workers’ family members dared to set up stalls nearby. Later, people in the city discovered that as long as they had household registration and didn’t cause trouble, the soldiers wouldn’t make things difficult for them, so more people built wooden shelters.

It was mealtime, and shortly after Fu Tinghan sat down, workers gradually began trotting over to eat.

The small stalls on either side quickly filled with people, keeping the shopkeepers too busy to pay attention to Zhao Hanzhang.

The workers who sat down all bowed to Fu Tinghan and Zhao Hanzhang before taking their seats.

Zhao Hanzhang looked around and smiled, “I didn’t expect this place would be the first to accept tall tables and tall stools.”

Fu Tinghan’s wontons were brought out. “It’s convenient. Common people accept new things quickly. These wontons are good.”

Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow and asked, “You’ve been here so long—don’t tell me you’ve only eaten at this one noodle shop?”

Fu Tinghan ate his wontons without speaking.

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but laugh aloud, telling him, “Next time, take a different route and circle around from there—then you won’t arrive at this noodle shop first.”

Fu Tinghan replied, “That wastes time, and the noodles really do taste quite good.”

“But doesn’t eating the same thing for so long get boring?”

Fu Tinghan thought for a moment before shaking his head. “Not particularly boring.”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him carefully before shaking her head with a smile. After they finished eating, they went together to inspect the workshop.

Fu Tinghan said, “The items you requested have been completed by both the glassworks and the ironworks.”

Because Luoyang was large and faced strong enemies, the workshops here weren’t separated but were all arranged in the southern part of the city.

There was a stretch of half-burned houses and a large tract of farmland here. Fu Tinghan had relocated all the original residents and cordoned off this entire area for building workshops.

The glassworks, the ironworks for forging weapons, the papermaking workshop, and the printing bureau were all established here. The roads in and out were guarded by Zhao family troops, making it difficult for outsiders to approach the workshops.

The workshops themselves also maintained strict separation—only workers from each specific workshop could enter their own facility.

Fu Tinghan first took her to see the glassworks.

Workers were still working overtime, carefully placing finished glass into boxes, filling the compartments with wheat straw and hay, securing the glass before adding wooden boards and frames, then padding more hay and placing in more glass.

Manager Liu of the glassworks immediately came forward to greet them. He had been selected from the army and was extremely pleased to become manager of the glassworks.

The managers of Luoyang’s several workshops had all been chosen from the army. They were all very happy and treasured this opportunity.

Being a workshop manager basically meant no advancement path and couldn’t compare to the promising prospects in the military, but war meant death.

As soldiers, they weren’t afraid of death, but if they could avoid it, that was naturally best.

The casualty rate on the battlefield was too high, so they didn’t regret giving up advancement opportunities to become workshop managers. At least Manager Liu was very satisfied.

He was also very loyal. He bowed and said, “General, Young Master, all the glass has been completed. This batch being sent to Xiliang will be delivered to the Xiliang military camp before evening.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “Prepare the gift list properly.”

“Yes.”

After inspecting this batch of glass, Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Is the batch of glass Tinghan requested completed?”

Manager Liu immediately replied, “There’s still a bit more, but it’s almost done.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded slightly and asked Fu Tinghan, “Should we build a warehouse nearby to store it? That would make transfers easier too.”

Fu Tinghan thought for a moment before nodding. He couldn’t let Gao Hui come into contact with the workshop personnel, but he also couldn’t make too many obvious moves. Building a warehouse for transactions was the best option.

Fu Tinghan looked at Fu’an. “This matter is in your hands.”

Fu’an agreed. When you already have many lice, a few more don’t matter—he already had enough responsibilities, so one more was nothing.

Then they went to the ironworks.

Fu Tinghan had people build a blast furnace and forged a sword according to her requirements.

The blacksmith had also made a scabbard. Thinking it was for Zhao Hanzhang to wear, he had expended great effort. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang arrive, he took out the treasured sword stored in a box and presented it.

Zhao Hanzhang slowly drew the long sword. The blade gleamed with cold light in the slanting sun—clearly a fine sword.

The blacksmith said from the side, “It’s all thanks to the Young Master. Without the blast furnace the Young Master built, I couldn’t have forged this sword.”

Zhao Hanzhang flicked the long sword in her hand, and the blade rang softly. She couldn’t help but praise, “An excellent sword!”

She looked at Fu Tinghan with bright eyes. “Thank you.”

Fu Tinghan smiled faintly. “You’re welcome.”

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at the sword box and said directly, “This box isn’t worthy. Find a good wooden box later and line it with brocade.”

She declared, “This sword shall be named the Nation-Stabilizing Sword.”

This was the sword name Zhao Hanzhang had decided on last night when writing to Zhang Gui. She would send this sword to Zhang Gui—he was Dajin’s nation-stabilizing sword!

Of course, if the Emperor sent this sword, the effect would certainly be maximized, but why should she do good deeds for Emperor Jin and Dajin?

Zhao Hanzhang sent it under her own name instead.

Zhao Hanzhang brought the sword back to Zhao Mansion and had Ting He and the others search through the storerooms for half a day before finally finding a purple sandalwood long box.

Ting He said, “This box was confiscated by the Second Young Master—who knows whose house he took it from. See if the sword fits inside?”

Zhao Hanzhang placed it inside and discovered the wooden box was still a bit too long, but it didn’t matter. She pretended not to notice, closed the box and said, “Quite suitable.” At this moment, there wasn’t time to make a new box.

The timing was too rushed. If not for waiting for this sword, she would have sent Huang An to Xiliang long ago.