After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Chapter 1272: Chapter 1239: Visiting

The day before yesterday, Zhao Hanzhang personally wrote an article wishing the people of the Jin State a happy New Year’s Eve and looking toward the future, in which she gave great praise to the officials, laborers, and soldiers managing the Yellow River.

They gave up the opportunity to reunite with their families, and during the New Year, they still stayed along the banks of the Yellow River, braving the cold and hardships to dredge the river, preventing next year’s flood disasters, and their achievements are outstanding!

Every person in Jin State should be grateful to them because dredging the Yellow River is not just for themselves, but for the people along the Yellow River’s banks.

Being citizens of the same country, sharing the same sky, their fates are closely interconnected, and everyone under this sky enjoys the fruits of their hard work.

This article was published in yesterday’s news bulletin and was delivered to the camp today at noon.

This is an official privilege; officials of rank six and above can receive a copy of the news bulletin for free. For chief officers like Shen Ruhui who work externally, even the courier staff will personally deliver the news bulletin to him together with official documents.

Shen Xian then moved a stool over, and Shen Ruhui stood on it, holding a megaphone and addressing everyone: "People, the Great General wrote you all a letter yesterday. I shall read it to you."

The bustling camp gradually quieted down, and everyone turned their heads to watch Shen Ruhui.

Shen Ruhui held the news bulletin and said loudly: "To all the people under heaven, Han people, Baiyue, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie Clan, all those living on Jin land, in the past year, we have finally ended the chaotic warfare and achieved unification of the north and south..."

Fu Tinghan stood on a stool with a megaphone, "The ravages of war are gone, and half of the suffering is gone too. The remaining hunger and cold, we will also conquer them in the future..."

Across the big river, in the camp stationed on the other side of the Yellow River, Assistant General Chen shouted loudly, "If the Yellow River bursts, it would be a disaster across thousands of miles. They clean the silt and repair the embankment, risking cold for the sake of thousands, and today, while thousands of households reunite with their families, they still dig earth beside the Yellow River..."

In the camps on both banks of the Yellow River, the firelight was as bright as the stars in the sky. From a high point of view, the bonfires looked like pearls decorating the two sides of a belt. All the camps were reading Zhao Hanzhang’s letter.

This was their merit, and also a gift she gave them.

Among the crowd, someone sobbed lowly and choked up, "The Great General says we have merit, and even praises us in front of the people..."

"I am twenty-five years old this year. I have served three terms, but no official ever praised us before; they only whip us, curse us as lowly, and slow, only dragging progress, but the Great General said our service is meritorious..."

Zhao Hanzhang not only said this in the news bulletin, but also at the palace banquet, "This year, the officials, laborers, and soldiers who stood guard along the Yellow River were the hardest working and contributed the most."

Chang Ning immediately proposed, "The people are so difficult, the officials should share in the suffering. This year, during the New Year, we should strive for frugality, and please ask the Great General to order that there be no excessive extravagance among the populace."

Zhao Hanzhang laughed and said, "This year has been filled with events worth celebrating, and it is right for people to be a little happier. For the people, whether officials are frugal does not have much to do with them, right? The officials won’t embezzle the people’s things for luxury, will they?"

Everyone hurriedly agreed, stating that no official dared embezzle public funds.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded satisfactorily and said, "Rather than sharing hardships, I prefer to share wealth with the people. Why not think of a way to reward the laborers and soldiers who diligently managed the Yellow River?"

She wouldn’t ask them to be frugal over the New Year. Luoyang has who knows how many helpers eagerly waiting for the wealthy and powerful to hold banquets, hoping to earn something from them.

Although what the people earn may just be like a mosquito leg, a mosquito leg is still meat, isn’t it?

Advocating frugality would only leave the money of the wealthy and powerful in the storeroom, making them richer, while the common people wouldn’t see any of it.

However, while the wealthy outside can enjoy a prosperous New Year, the emperor and she cannot.

She said to the Little Emperor, "We cannot force others to be frugal with us, but as leaders, we should set an example of frugality, besides, everything we consume is from the people’s hard work, so if we are frugal, the people’s efforts will be spared some."

The Little Emperor dared not refuse and could only agree.

The banquet lasted only until 9 p.m. When Zhao Hanzhang was about to leave the palace, she said to the Little Emperor, "It is rare to celebrate the New Year. You have neither coursework nor government affairs to attend to before the Lantern Festival. I also want to rest well for a few days, so I will not intrude upon You Majesty in the palace for now."

The Little Emperor was more than happy, suppressed his excitement to send Zhao Hanzhang outside the main hall, and returned to his chamber excitedly rolling on the bed twice.

Finally, a New Year without having to write assignments and review official documents, he was moved to tears of happiness.

Zhao Hanzhang returned to the General’s Mansion, and soon, a team of a hundred cavalrymen appeared silently on the street.

The cavalrymen were all clad in armor and cloaks, with their faces covered for wind and cold in the winter.

Zeng Yue stood at the gate watching them leave, ordered the gates closed after they had gone far, then returned to the inner courtyard, exchanged a glance with Ting He through a door, and silently turned to rest in the adjacent room.

This hundred-man team smoothly reached the West City Gate, showed the city gate officer their orders and token, and were allowed to pass.

Of course, they wouldn’t open the city gate as the commotion would be too great, so they opened the small side gate, barely allowing a rider through.

After these hundred people went out, they closed the gate again, and only then did a soldier whisper, "The leader seems to be the female attendant Zhao Ya by the Great General’s side. Could they be heading to deliver something to Minister Fu?"

"The affairs of the Great General’s family are not for you to comment on! Go back and copy the military regulations ten times!"

The soldier straightened his posture immediately, lowering his head and answering, "Yes."

In winter, the nights are long, darkness falls early and takes a long time to break.

Fu Tinghan ordered early on, a rest on the first day, so the whole camp followed and woke up late, allowing themselves to remain in a sleepy daze until the rich aroma of porridge finally roused them to open their eyes.

Looking outside, the sunlight was dazzling, and they couldn’t help squinting their eyes, "What time is it?"

"Noon, get up quickly, the cooks also got up late, sigh, no breakfast, so there are only two meals today."

One person touched his stomach and laughed, "I ate too much last night, and I still feel full now."

"Then give your share to me later."

"Nope, I might not be hungry, but my stomach can still fit more."

The crowd rose amidst laughter, washed briefly, and took their bowls to the kitchen for food.

Today’s brunch was also hearty, with a large bowl of meat porridge and two buns.

It was really meat porridge, with almost everyone having bits of meat visible in their bowls, and the porridge was thickly boiled, with barely any porridge water in sight.

A laborer carefully tasted a sip to avoid spilling the porridge, and as the savory taste exploded on his tongue, he smiled contentedly, "Delicious, delicious. If only every day were New Year’s day."

He moved to an open spot, wanting to eat while basking in the sun. Occasionally, when he looked up, he saw a patch of black moving quickly towards them from afar.

He lowered his head, and when his brain realized what it was, he snapped his head up again, glaring at that spot, "Cavalry, is it Xiongnu?"

The person next to him also saw it and reacted faster than he did, "What Xiongnu, the Xiongnu king is at a point sixty miles away from us overseeing earth digging, right? That, that must be the Great General’s men, isn’t it?"

While they were guessing, scouts quickly ran to find Fu Tinghan, reporting happily, "Minister, the Great General has come to see you, no, to see the laborers and soldiers."