Zhao Cheng didn’t stay long. After speaking with Zhao Hu, he immediately took Zhao Zheng to catch up with the people who had already departed for Ruyin Commandery.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled slightly and didn’t go disturb Zhao Hu either. Patting the official documents in her hand, she went to find Zhao Ming.
Zhao Ming had already finished all the work at hand. His work ability was just that strong—he knew the situation throughout Yuzhou, and with one glance at documents submitted from local areas, he could provide solutions. The remaining two documents were for Zhao Hanzhang to sign.
So at this moment, he was sitting under a large tree outside his study, enjoying the breeze while drinking wine.
It was somewhat hot indoors at this time. During the day, he still preferred sitting outside in the breeze.
Zhao Hanzhang handed him the documents. “This is what Mister Ji and I discussed—the number of corvée laborers to be conscripted, the number of short-term workers to be recruited this time. Tinghan has calculated all the required materials and funds. You can take a look.”
Zhao Ming reached out to take it, opened it for a glance, then asked, “Why do we need so many stone mills?”
“To save labor,” Zhao Hanzhang took off her shoes and sat across from him. “We have gunpowder, don’t we? This time we also plan to build several water-powered mills near water sources. First, it’s convenient for the people’s livelihood. Second, we can use water power to forge weapons. When the time comes, we can also use water power to cut stone mills.”
Zhao Ming nodded and mentally noted down the various numbers. Comparing them with Yuzhou’s current population and the contents of the storehouses, he had a clear picture in his mind.
“Having just finished the summer harvest, various places all have some grain stored, so we don’t need to worry about grain for now. But money…”
Zhao Hanzhang said, “Copper is still being mined. From smelting copper to minting coins takes time, but we’re already minting. If the quantity isn’t enough, we can first borrow from local gentry.”
“What will you use as collateral?” Zhao Ming said, “Each time new money is issued, it must have corresponding value. Otherwise, if there’s too much currency, its value will greatly depreciate, which won’t benefit the people’s livelihood.”
“I know,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “So each commandery will have to work hard. I have only one requirement: except for land and military authority, everything else can be mortgaged as collateral. If that’s not enough, temporarily borrow from people, and repay it next year or the year after. Tell them I’ll strive to repay within three years.”
Zhao Ming lowered his eyes. “Three years—who knows what will happen within three years? They’ll probably be unwilling.”
Zhao Hanzhang was very confident. “There will always be people willing.”
It was venture capital—it just depended on whether they were optimistic about her and the Zhao clan. If they invested successfully, the returns would be abundant. If they failed, they could only suffer together.
Zhao Ming raised his eyes to look at her, then said, “Recently someone told me that Xiahou Jun is now an honored guest of Gou Xi. He has ordered that in August this year, he will hold a talent selection and ranking session for the court in Dingtao County of Jiyin Commandery. The order has already been sent to Yuzhou.”
He pulled out one of the two documents on his left to give her. “This is the official document, just waiting for you to sign it.”
Zhao Hanzhang opened it for a glance and sneered. “He’s my Yuzhou Grand Impartial Judge. How did he run off to Yanzhou? And he actually wants to conduct talent rankings in Jiyin Commandery.”
She closed it and tossed it aside, not intending to sign it.
Jiyin Commandery belonged to Yanzhou. There was no reason for her Yuzhou Grand Impartial Judge to run to Yanzhou to hold a ranking session yet demand people from Yuzhou.
Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes in thought, then said, “I’ll petition His Majesty to change the Impartial Judge, or directly eliminate the position of Impartial Judge.”
Zhao Ming: “…Let’s just change him. If you change the Grand Impartial Judge, whether you hold merit-based recruitment examinations or conduct ranking evaluations, it’s all up to you. If you directly eliminate the Impartial Judge position, the various clans within Yuzhou alone won’t accept it.”
Having a buffer would give people something to hope for, preventing them from causing trouble now.
Zhao Hanzhang felt he made sense, so she mentally reviewed suitable candidates, slowly shifting her gaze to Zhao Ming.
Zhao Ming didn’t even lift his eyes. He said to Zhao Hanzhang, “Sometimes a provincial Grand Impartial Judge is concurrently held by the Governor. You’re the most suitable candidate.”
So don’t look at him—he wouldn’t do it. Moreover, “I don’t have sufficient qualifications.”
Zhao Hanzhang held military power and didn’t need to care about things like qualifications. But Zhao Ming was different.
The Grand Impartial Judge position wasn’t like a Commandery Administrator who only managed one commandery’s affairs with a Governor above to provide support. The Grand Impartial Judge had to report directly to the court. The talents selected not only served the province but also had to be sent to the court.
Within Yuzhou, Zhao Hanzhang could directly make Zhao Ming a Commandery Administrator or deputy to manage the Governor’s office affairs. But outside Yuzhou, he truly lacked sufficient qualifications.
Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “Fine, if I do it, then I’ll do it.”
Zhao Ming gave her the last document. “This is the proposed commercial tax reduction policy from this year to April next year. Each commandery differs slightly.”
Zhao Hanzhang reached out to take it and read it carefully, pondering aloud, “Add Henan Commandery. Announce to the world that Luoyang and the surrounding counties of Henan Commandery will all have a tax rate of one forty-fifth. For goods like grain and hemp cloth, commercial tax is completely waived.”
Zhao Ming’s eyebrows twitched. The most favorable commercial tax rate among the commanderies was one-fortieth, which was already much more favorable than the previous one-thirtieth and one-thirty-fifth.
He hadn’t expected Zhao Hanzhang to set even more favorable terms for Luoyang.
But thinking of Luoyang’s current miserable state, Zhao Ming didn’t object and nodded in agreement.
He took the document and added it. Only then did Zhao Hanzhang sign it, taking out her personal seal from her pouch to stamp it.
With business concluded, the uncle and niece faced each other. Zhao Ming’s brows furrowed slightly. “The Governor should attend to her duties.”
But Zhao Hanzhang sat without moving. “Uncle Ming, where is Cousin Shen now? It’s very chaotic outside. Why not write a letter asking him to return home?”
Zhao Ming looked at her for quite a while. “You want to use him?”
Zhao Hanzhang smiled. “The army is short of people.”
She said, “Cousin Kuan and the others are adequate at managing internal affairs, but somewhat lacking in battlefield combat. I heard that Cousin Shen once wanted to gain experience in the military, but because he offended the Impartial Judge, he couldn’t get ranked, so he went traveling.”
Calling it study travel was the formal term, but actually he went off with a sword to be a wandering knight-errant.
She had mentioned it casually during dinner last night and learned from Zhao Song that when Zhao Shen went out to study, he mainly visited famous scholars in various places to discuss military strategy with them.
Zhao Hanzhang said, “There are quite a few Zhao clan disciples, but most have strengths in internal affairs and scholarship. They’re somewhat lacking in military matters. If Sizhou needs a garrison in the future, I’d like Zhao clan disciples to command it.”
Zhao Ming’s mouth twitched. Is Sizhou yours? You’ve already planned out Sizhou’s garrison forces.
However, Zhao Ming didn’t ask this aloud. He feared that if he asked, in a few days she really would seize Sizhou for him.
He thought for a moment, then said, “Communication is inconvenient now. I’ve written several letters out, but haven’t received any replies. But with Yuzhou’s great changes, he should have already received the news. He’ll return eventually. Even if he doesn’t return, he’ll find a way to write back.”
Hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang nodded, knowing that Zhao Ming didn’t oppose Zhao Shen returning to serve her, and she was satisfied. As for finding him—if Zhao Ming couldn’t find him, she could ask others to help.
She currently cooperated closely with Zhu Chuan in Shu. Both she and Fu Tinghan exchanged letters with him. She could just ask him to search in the Shu region.
Zhao Ming glanced at her and couldn’t help asking, “You persuaded Seventh Uncle?”
Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him.
“I’m not surprised you could persuade Seventh Uncle, but I’m curious how you persuaded Zitu. What reason did you use?” Zhao Ming asked. “Was it those children at the school?”
Zhao Hanzhang lifted the wine cup that had been sitting untouched in front of her, drained it in one gulp, then said, “Uncle Cheng has a stern face but an extremely soft heart. What he least wants to see is others being implicated because of him. Right now, his students are spread throughout Yuzhou and may spread throughout the world in the future, so he was the easiest to persuade.”
He was someone who would rather suffer himself than let others suffer.
Zhao Hanzhang set down the wine cup and stood up. “I still need to leave the city in a bit, so I’ll be going now.”
Zhao Ming gripped his wine cup tightly, gave a slight nod, and watched her leave.
—