When they returned to the Governor’s Mansion, it was already past noon. Liu Kun had just woken up. Xu Run had been waiting at the Governor’s Mansion since early morning.

However, he didn’t dare go see Zhao Hanzhang. Instead, he continued waiting in Liu Kun’s quarters.

Knowing that he had offended Zhao Hanzhang, Liu Kun said dismissively, “Don’t worry. Commissioner Zhao is a magnanimous person. She won’t mind such trivial matters.”

Xu Run didn’t have Liu Kun’s confidence. He had risen from the bottom ranks and had an entirely different perception of Commissioner Zhao than Liu Kun did.

To a renowned scholar like Liu Kun, Zhao Hanzhang’s series of achievements represented benevolence and generosity. Since she was generous and benevolent, naturally she would extend this to everyone—Xu Run should be included as well.

But to an ordinary citizen like Xu Run, Zhao Hanzhang’s series of achievements showed that she loved the people and was just and strict.

Xu Run was self-aware that he had done wrong, so he was worried and afraid. He was the “harm” that should be eliminated for the people’s benefit, not one of the “people.”

Seeing him so worried, Liu Kun laughed heartily after changing into luxurious robes and pulled him along to pay respects to Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang was speaking quietly with Ming Yu and others. Seeing Liu Kun pulling along a pale-faced, handsome young man, she stopped talking and smiled as she watched.

Liu Kun asked cheerfully, “Commissioner Zhao, you rose so early. Is the arrangement at my mansion not to your liking?”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled. “I’m not accustomed to resting during the day, so I only closed my eyes briefly. The mansion’s arrangements are excellent.”

Liu Kun felt relieved and introduced the young man beside him. “Commissioner Zhao, this is my Jinyang Magistrate.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s smile remained unchanged. She even nodded at the young man and smiled. “I’ve long heard that Magistrate Xu is exceptionally skilled in music. I wonder when I might have the honor of witnessing it?”

Liu Kun immediately replied, “Tonight would be perfect.”

He laughed loudly. “I consider you a kindred spirit, and Runlang is also my kindred spirit. That melody ‘Heaven and Earth Unite’ that you gave—oh, that you sent me—he performs it best. After you hear it, you’ll surely consider him a kindred spirit as well.”

Zhao Hanzhang indeed showed interest and smiled. “That would be wonderful.”

She looked at Xu Run, her gaze warm. “Then I’ll appreciate Magistrate Xu’s artistry tonight.”

Though she was very gentle, Xu Run couldn’t help but shiver, giving him a sense of great danger. His face paled slightly as he forced a smile and nodded.

Liu Kun was completely oblivious to this. Seeing this, he even laughed heartily and reached out to pat Xu Run on the shoulder. “You see, I told you Commissioner Zhao is a magnanimous and generous person who wouldn’t hold grudges.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s expression didn’t change. She merely glanced lightly at Xu Run before looking at Liu Kun with puzzlement.

Liu Kun explained, “His subordinates were unruly and offended Commissioner Zhao today. He’s been terrified and came specifically to apologize. I said Commissioner Zhao is magnanimous and wouldn’t hold such small matters against him, but he was still afraid of slighting you.”

“Oh?” Zhao Hanzhang smiled and asked, “I encountered many things today. I wonder which incident Magistrate Xu is referring to?”

Xu Run broke out in a cold sweat. Just as he was thinking how to respond, Liu Kun had already waved his hand dismissively. “They’re all trivial matters. Commissioner Zhao, since you and I are kindred spirits, we can’t be so distant. You should call me by my courtesy name.”

They had been pen pals for four years, but in their letters, aside from moments of excitement when they would call each other by their courtesy names, at other times they used official titles or respectful forms of address.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled in agreement and called him “Yueshi,” indicating that he could also call her by her courtesy name.

So the two began warmly calling each other by their courtesy names. Liu Kun stated that to properly host Zhao Hanzhang, he would definitely entertain her well that evening.

Although he said “evening,” it actually began at three o’clock in the afternoon, which was the shen hour—the time when people of this era typically ate their evening meal.

Zhao Hanzhang’s people were all very busy. They were accustomed to three meals a day and typically didn’t stop working until around the xu hour, while Zhao Hanzhang worked even later, usually not putting down her brush until hai hour or even later.

So suddenly returning to the normal schedule of this era’s aristocracy—starting the evening banquet in the middle of the afternoon—they weren’t quite adjusted. Why was the evening banquet starting so early in the afternoon?

Fan Ying paused for a moment, then went with Ting He to prepare the clothing and accessories for Zhao Hanzhang to attend the banquet. But after going through all three people’s bundles, they couldn’t find a single luxurious garment.

They had come to wage war, traveling in forced march no less. How could they bring such things?

Ting He had packed a trunk, but it was with the rear army, which wouldn’t arrive for at least two more days.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t mind and directly wore her simplest clothes, saying to the two, “I no longer need to rely on luxurious garments.”

Ting He was still conflicted, but Fan Ying had already caught on and immediately said, “That’s right. My lady relies on martial prowess and civil governance, not luxurious clothes and beautiful ornaments.”

Zhao Hanzhang laughed heartily. “It’s still a bit early to speak of martial prowess and civil governance. All right, stop worrying about what I’m wearing. Go have Zeng Yue bring up a few more personal guards. Tell them to drink less and pay more attention to security, especially Young Master Fu’s safety.”

Fan Ying lowered his head and responded, “Yes, my lady.”

Zhao Hanzhang attended the banquet in simple clothing, but no one dared to look down on her.

Liu Kun invited her to sit with him at the main table.

Zhao Hanzhang walked forward and took her seat. Fu Tinghan sat below her, with Shi Lei seated beside him. Master Ming and others sat one seat further down, while across from them were Jinyang’s generals and officials.

Xu Run sat below Liu Kun, and moreover above Linghu Sheng.

Zhao Hanzhang raised her eyebrows slightly. After taking her seat, she asked, “Will the Jinyang Magistrate be performing tonight?”

Liu Kun smiled in affirmation. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang so eager, he assumed she also greatly loved music and immediately had people prepare to serve dishes and music and dance.

Servants filed in, presenting fine dishes.

Zhao Hanzhang naturally didn’t expect them to be as frugal as she was, but Jinyang had been under siege for over a month, and before that, there had been constant warfare, so supplies would be somewhat scarce. Therefore, it wouldn’t be too extravagant.

But she was wrong. Human potential was limitless. Among the dishes served, there was not only beef, mutton, chicken, and duck, but also river delicacies. She even spotted tender young vegetable shoots among them.

They were blanched to perfection, and the plating was beautiful. But having concerned herself with agriculture these past years, including vegetables, Zhao Hanzhang knew that such small shoots were only consumed by the privileged. From sowing to pulling the seedlings took only ten to fifteen days. Beyond fifteen days, the elite considered the shoots too old and the taste inferior.

Therefore, in both Chen County and Luoyang, there were considerably large plots of land dedicated to growing these shoots, requiring massive amounts of labor to tend them daily.

After learning this, Zhao Hanzhang forbade such shoots from appearing in her household and at banquets she attended.

When those above have preferences, those below will take them to extremes; when those above show dislikes, those below will follow suit.

Knowing that Zhao Hanzhang detested this wasteful extravagance that consumed vast amounts of labor and land fertility, the officials and generals below followed suit, no longer consuming such shoots and disciplining their households accordingly. Through the influence of officials and generals on other gentry and wealthy families, such tender young shoots could no longer be seen on dining tables in most of the commanderies under Zhao Hanzhang’s jurisdiction.

Even Zhang Bin, the newly arrived advisor, knew of Zhao Hanzhang’s taboo. So everyone looked at the shoots on the table in silence, and no one dared to use their chopsticks.