Chapter 1150: Chapter 1132: Anding County
Zhao Hanzhang asked someone to bring Xie Pi’s sword over; she also picked up a sword and looked at Xie Pi, "Mr. Xie, kindly enlighten me."
Xie Pi was a bit nervous, but did not show it on his face. He nodded and saw Zhao Hanzhang standing firm, so he took the initiative to attack first.
Zhao Hanzhang raised her hand and blocked with a clang, pressing the sword forward to stab at an angle towards him. Xie Pi retreated swiftly; she was calm and unhurried, but the tip of her sword was always pointing steadily three inches from his neck. Just a fierce thrust with the sword in her hand could take his life...
Xie Pi raised his hand to deflect her sword, flipped, and jumped out of her attack range.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled slightly; as soon as he landed, her sword had already attacked. Xie Pi responded immediately, and the two exchanged moves rapidly, with offense and defense reversing continuously.
Xie Pi noticed Zhao Hanzhang had not exerted her full strength, as she was only using one hand until now.
Xie Pi’s swordsmanship was nimble, aiming to prolong the time. As long as he exhausted her energy more, he still had a chance to win.
Xie Pi was defending more than attacking, and Zhao Hanzhang noticed it too; but she truly wanted to spar with him, so she was familiarizing herself with his techniques and did not want a quick victory.
Though she didn’t want a quick win, she still wanted to win. Seeing Xie Pi beginning to repeat his sword moves, Zhao Hanzhang accelerated her attack; her previously leisurely posture quickly transformed — right foot gripping the ground, left foot kicking off, body half-crouched as she swiftly turned. In an instant, she moved from in front of him to the side rear, her sword first striking his wrist that was stabbing backward, then smoothly lifting to press the blade against his neck.
Feeling the cold touch of the sword blade, cold sweat broke out on Xie Pi.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled slightly, withdrew her sword, and cupped her fist saying, "Apologies."
Xie Pi promptly cupped his fist in return, "Thank you, Great General, for your mercy."
Yang Yi and others who were watching felt their hearts swell with excitement, and they all came up to offer praise.
Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand, saying, "You should not neglect your skills in riding, shooting, and martial arts. The Great Jin will need you all for protection in the future."
Yang Yi and others respectfully agreed.
Ting He came to report, "Lady, Mrs. Wang has arrived and is waiting in the garden to meet Young Master Yang."
Zhao Hanzhang then directed Yang Yi and the others to pay their respects to Mrs. Wang, leaving Xie Pi alone.
Yang Yi and the others couldn’t help but glance at Xie Pi before bowing and leaving.
Why did Zhao Hanzhang treat Xie Pi with special regard?
Xie Pi himself was pondering this question.
Zhao Hanzhang inserted the sword back and handed it to the trusted aide behind her, smiling, "Are you wondering why I am treating Mr. Xie differently?"
Xie Pi replied, "I am. Please enlighten me, General."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "Among all the gentlemen, only Mr. Xie has had experience as an official and is older. Having held office indicates your thoughts are more mature than theirs; you’re familiar with political matters and have deeper insights into the relationship between the nation and its people. Being older means you have more experience and won’t easily be fooled by others, possessing your judgment. If I employ you, you can immediately start working. As for them, it would take at least a year or even more to transform and adapt before they can take office."
Xie Pi paused, then asked, "Is the Great General employing me just like that? I was once King Langya’s confidant; don’t you suspect I’m a spy?"
Zhao Hanzhang replied, "If you were a spy, then I hope King Langya sends more like you over. I urgently lack officials like you by my side."
She laughed, "I employ you to govern the people. As a gentleman like you, even if you are loyal to King Langya, would you put the people you govern into peril for him?"
Hearing this, Xie Pi’s heart became complicated, filled with the joy and emotion of being acknowledged and praised, mixed with a trace of subtle sourness. Before he could sort out these emotions, she continued, "As long as you do not let down the people under your governance, whether your loyalty lies with me or King Langya, I will not probe deeply."
"So, Mr. Xie, are you willing to take office?" Zhao Hanzhang stopped walking and smiled at him warmly.
Xie Pi gripped his sword tightly. He had followed his brother’s instructions to come to the Central Plains, but deep down he still hesitated, as his relationship with King Langya was genuinely good.
But at this moment, that hesitation disappeared, and Xie Pi bowed respectfully, saying resolutely, "Pi will not fail the mission!"
Seeing him agree, Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but laugh heartily, helping him up and saying, "Good, rest well tomorrow. Report to the office the day after, and come to the palace to receive your appointment."
She smiled, "There is a vacancy for a Prefectural Governor in Anding County; go and take office there."
Xie Pi was shocked; he would directly become a Prefectural Governor?
His brother is currently only a Provincial Record Keeper.
"Isn’t this too fast, Great General?"
"Not too fast, not too fast," Zhao Hanzhang laughed, "I know, your talents extend beyond martial arts; your abilities in civilian governance are not weak either. Days are hard in Anding County now; after years of disasters in Yongzhou, the population of the county is barely one hundred thousand."
"You will likely endure some difficult days over there; are you afraid?"
Xie Pi said solemnly, "Rest assured, Great General; when I escaped south, I saw how refugees lived and experienced hardships myself, even witnessing cannibalism. In those times, one not only had to fight against hunger and cold but also guarded against mountain bandits and rogue soldiers, and kept wary of refugee groups. It won’t be as hard now as it was before."
"With Central Plains now stable and no wars, the people can settle to farm. As long as the Great General allows us time to recover, I believe the people of Anding County can overcome the hardships!"
Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "Yongzhou is one of the three provinces exempt from levies and drafts, with land rent halved. I believe County Magistrate Xie can lead them out of the grain shortage and protect Anding County well."
The north of Anding County faces the Qiang Hu, who are internally conflicted, causing friction with Yongzhou to be minor skirmishes. But no one can predict the future; moreover, the Qiang Hu area is in northern Shanxi, originally part of Bingzhou and Yongzhou.
When the country grows strong and the treasury has surplus money, she must reclaim that area.
As for the Qiang Clan, she will ensure their survival there better than before, avoiding internal tribal conflicts over leadership.
Xie Pi, both literary and martial, was mainly used in martial roles by King Langya. However, several political insights and articles mentioned in the intelligence sent back by Yuan Li showed him to be a proficient civil administrator.
His capabilities in civilian governance are not inferior to his military prowess, so only employing him in the military would be a waste.
With no immediate wars, military talents can be gradually cultivated. But individuals skilled in civil governance cannot be developed overnight, requiring recruitment from other places.
She doesn’t care whether Xie Pi is sent by King Langya; she’d rather have him send more people like Xie Pi. The Central Plains and Northern Land are vast, with positions available to accommodate talent.
Not only would she utilize their skills, but also ensure they cannot connect with King Langya or share interests.
She believes that regardless of their initial intentions, one day she can turn them all into loyalists just for her.
