After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

With money in the hands of the common people, the shops that had remained closed, unwilling or afraid to reopen, began to gradually open. Additionally, some families started discreetly selling grain, significantly alleviating the government’s relief efforts.

At this time, the second batch of relief grain from Yu State arrived.

The students from the academy not only excel in disaster relief but also in shaping public opinion. As soon as the relief grain arrived in Youzhou, they spread the word: the Great General had sent a second batch of relief grain, and each county government would receive grain in due time. Although the county government would not be overflowing with grain, survival would not be an issue.

The will to survive among the people of Youzhou surged instantly, and everyone worked hard to earn more money to buy grain.

Each county had special positions for children, the elderly, and the weak, ensuring that everyone could be utilized to earn money for grain.

At the same time, local officials encouraged those with the means to buy grain, "Currently, large quantities of grain are stockpiled in Yu State, Xuzhou, and Yangzhou. However, the military transport is slow, requiring movement from state to prefecture, then to county, making the process lengthy. That’s why grain prices remain high. If you personally go to trade grain, you won’t have to worry about your own food and can earn some money by selling it to others."

They enticed further, "The Inspector is vigorously quelling bandits, and it’s heard that Governor Zu of Jizhou is acting more swiftly. Just after taking office, he led people to suppress bandits all over. Now, bandits in Jizhou dare not show their faces, let alone rob. If it’s like this in Jizhou, it’s even safer in Yu State."

Upon hearing that grain prices in the south were around two hundred cents per stone, they couldn’t help but be tempted.

Although the government was already controlling grain prices, given Youzhou’s situation, prices remained very high.

So those with the means to scrounge up travel expenses immediately set out for Yu State and Xuzhou.

They did not consider Yangzhou; after all, it was King Langya’s territory.

Although they knew little about it, they had heard that King Langya was not aligned with their Great General, so they did not want to buy grain in his territory. What if the two sides started fighting and they, as northerners, were detained?

So, they headed to Yu State and Xuzhou.

Youzhou was recovering at an observable pace. States controlled by Shi Le were in such a state, so Bingzhou and Jizhou would recover even faster.

Beigong Chun had a sincere heart, but he wasn’t adept at civil affairs, so he relied heavily on the officials Zhao Hanzhang deployed in various prefectures and counties, delegating civil matters to Huang An and Linghu Sheng, while he focused on military training and defending Bingzhou.

Surprisingly, Huang Shi and Linghu Sheng both had a knack for governance, especially Huang Shi, who said, "Even though my memory cannot compare to Fu Tinghan’s, having seen the Zhao Family perform disaster relief and take in refugees many times, I still know what to do and how to do it."

Moreover, he wasn’t merely copying; he had made summaries. He stated, "The Great General once said that everyone has desires, and if we can fulfill their most urgent desire, we can win their hearts. Once we have their hearts, other desires can motivate people to move forward."

"Currently, the overwhelming desire for the majority of Bingzhou citizens is to obtain grain for survival and to get through this winter. The aristocrats desire to be employed and serve under the Great General, seeking a path to advancement."

Hearing this, Beigong Chun, who only knew about training troops and loving the people, was left dumbfounded and asked, "When did the Great General say this?"

Huang Shi replied, "She mentioned it during a lecture for military officers."

Beigong Chun said, "...Wasn’t that lecture targeted at the Colonels and Assistant Generals? When did you attend the lecture?"

Huang Shi answered, "I always listened in, didn’t you know, General?"

Beigong Chun didn’t know, had he mentioned it?

Huang Shi had indeed mentioned it, but at that time Beigong Chun was not fully committed to Zhao Hanzhang, and Huang Shi was eager to return to Xiliang. He attended the lectures because he noticed Zhao Hanzhang’s skill in winning over the people. On one hand, he thought Zhao Hanzhang was generous in supporting them with grain and provisions, but on the other, he feared that if they became adversaries, she would be troublesome.

In this era, nothing was impossible; even close brothers or fathers and sons could turn against each other, let alone two generals?

So, adhering to the philosophy of knowing oneself and one’s opponent, Huang Shi sneaked in to listen. Of course, he would never admit that his initial purpose was to scrutinize Fu Tinghan for flaws.

At that time, the lectures for the officers were given solely by Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan. Fu Tinghan taught them how to calculate grain and fodder, balance military expenses and revenues, and even taught them geography.

Seeing Beigong Chun always admiring Fu Tinghan with glowing eyes made Huang Shi extremely envious.

No, no, no, initially he went to "gather intelligence and understand potential future opponents," confirmed his thoughts, and changed the subject, "General, the Great General has relocated some Xiongnu civilians. How should they be arranged? Should they be sent back to their places of origin?"

Beigong Chun recalled Zhao Hanzhang’s letter and shook his head, "No, relocate them north of Jinyang. There are grasslands here, allowing them to graze and raise horses."

The Xiongnu simultaneously yearned for the prosperity and comfort of the Han people’s lifestyle while also unable to resist following their pastoral traditions. Thus, they migrated south, capturing arable lands from sedentary agricultural societies, yet turned these farming areas into pastures, raising livestock on fertile fields.

For Zhao Hanzhang, this was a prodigious waste.

It not only wasted the arable lands but also squandered their potential talents.

Hence, Zhao Hanzhang wrote to Beigong Chun, advising him to arrange for Xiongnu and Xianbei people skilled in raising cattle and horses to settle in pastoral areas. They could have small plots for farming, while the rest is supplemented by cattle, horses, and sheep, allowing for grazing in these areas.

To this end, she allocated a special fund to Beigong Chun specifically for purchasing seeds of cattle, horses, and sheep, distributed to herders whose family assets were less than a thousand.

She told Beigong Chun that this was a special assistance project for herders. They would provide calves, lambs, and foals, and by the next autumn, they needed to prioritize selling the cattle, horses, and sheep to the government at prices at least twenty percent above the market rate.

Although Beigong Chun didn’t fully understand Zhao Hanzhang’s actions, he knew that in terms of governance measures, he could never compare to Zhao Hanzhang, so he didn’t act on things he didn’t understand and directly followed Zhao Hanzhang’s instructions.

While he didn’t understand, other officials in the Inspector Mansion did, and they could execute Zhao Hanzhang’s policies well. Beigong Chun just needed to give them enough freedom.

Jizhou, on the other hand, was recovering even faster than Bingzhou.

Zu Ti was a very capable person; not only was he outstanding in military affairs, but he also had his own opinions on governance.