After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Zhao Hanzhang initially didn’t plan to leave out Yongzhou. In her eyes, if she had already taken Si Province, then naturally Yongzhou beside it also belonged to her, or rather, to the court.

Fu Zhi was a loyal and patriotic person, as long as she stood by the Little Emperor, he would remain loyal to the court she managed. By approximation, Yongzhou was hers.

So for this relief grain, she also prepared for Yongzhou.

However, the death of Prince Nanyang was unexpected to her. She didn’t foresee that despite having defeated the Xiongnu, the Prince Nanyang, who historical records say should have died at the hands of the Xiongnu, still died.

Zhao Hanzhang truly regretted it. She appointed Fu Zhi as the Governor of Yongzhou, originally planning to transfer Prince Nanyang back to Nanyang, then find an excuse to send him to Jingzhou...

Cough, the southern gentry, and the northern gentry who fled to the south aren’t considering supporting King Langya to compete with her?

Then she would send a prince over to them. Considering it, although Prince Nanyang’s bloodline was not as close as King Langya’s, his rank was high.

King Langya would have to call Prince Nanyang "Uncle" upon seeing him.

Most importantly, his brother, Prince East Sea Sima Yue, once dominated the land and served as a Regent King for a while. Truth be told, many of the fleeing gentry and nobility now fondly remember Prince East Sea.

If he were to go to Jingzhou, settling at the edge of Yangzhou, and live next to King Langya, it would be quite lively.

If he could move to Yangzhou, it would be even livelier, but alas, he died.

Zhao Hanzhang felt regret, then let the matter go. She discussed with Ji Yuan and others and eventually agreed with Fu Zhi to exempt Yongzhou from the calculation money and to exempt Jingzhao Mansion’s taxes for two years.

Due to the poor situation in Chang’an, Zhao Hanzhang also squeezed out ten carts of grain from Zhao Family Army’s reserves to send to Chang’an.

Zhao Hanzhang’s reply and the grain were sent to Chang’an together. Fu Zhi’s tears wet his clothes as he climbed onto the shaft of the cart, addressing the locals of Chang’an who were staring at the grain eagerly, "This is the relief grain sent by the Great General. The Great General says that once Yu State acquires enough grain, more will be sent over, the court has not forgotten Chang’an, and Your Majesty has not forgotten Chang’an."

The people’s expressions froze, stunned and silent.

Fu Zhi wiped away his tears and spoke to the people surrounding the grain carts, "Go back and get your bags and household registration. Those who are poorer shall receive first, homes with elderly and young receive relief grain first. I will distribute so each household receives relief grain; any shortage will be compensated with the next batch."

Upon hearing this, people dashed towards the county government or their homes. Some immediately queued at the county government, while others went to fetch bags, not believing in the next batch compensation—who knows when the next relief grain would arrive?

Government words are taken lightly unless it’s Fu Zhi speaking; otherwise, they wouldn’t even bother listening.

Fu Zhi kept his promise, didn’t intercept any of the relief grain, distributing all to the people, which led to dissatisfaction among Chang’an officials and soldiers.

But as they approached, Fu Zhi sighed and said to them, "I know why you’ve come. It’s unfortunate for you this time."

The General sat despondently on a mat, his face bleak, "The Secretariat can’t just care for the people and ignore the troops. We must guard the gates and fight off bandits; we can’t let soldiers starve."

"Indeed, Secretariat, the army can count rice grains in the rice water they’re cooking. They should at least have a bowl of thick porridge a day, if not a full stomach. How else can they exert effort?"

Officials were also concerned and said to Fu Zhi, "Chang’an hasn’t distributed salaries for three months. While we’re managing, the lower officials can’t keep delaying—they have families to feed."

Fu Zhi repeatedly acknowledged, "I understand, but there has been famine in Chang’an for years, with many starving to death. Prince Nanyang’s recent passing needs calming to prevent turmoil in Chang’an. Therefore, the relief grain prioritizes the people first."

The generals and officials were still dissatisfied, and Fu Zhi then cooled his face slightly, saying, "Now the relief grain has been fully distributed; unless another batch arrives, I have nothing more to offer. However, I have a method to gather grain."

He said, "Calculation Order: you’re also included. For the welfare of the many soldiers and officials, everyone should tally their assets and pay calculation money according to the law. I think this can somewhat alleviate Chang’an’s difficulties."

The generals and officials immediately fell silent.

Fu Zhi then softened his expression, saying to them, "Calm the soldiers and officials; I will again request relief funds and grain from the court."

Only then did they rise and withdraw.

Fu Zhi exhaled, fatigue deep in his features. He brought out a notebook he carried and began to write a diary; the people of Chang’an had reached their limit, and Fu Zhi felt he was nearing his limit too.

Recently, he felt physically exhausted, his spirit declining, causing his thoughts to become chaotic.

He didn’t know what the future of Great Jin would look like, nor what fate would befall the Fu Family.

His sons were scattered everywhere; only his eldest remained in contact, and he didn’t know if the others were alive or dead over the years.

And his eldest...

Thinking of his eldest detained in the Shu region and the Princess, Fu Zhi pondered for a long time, still took out the letter he had long written.

He wanted to tear it up but was unwilling, eventually spreading out the paper and wrote another letter.

He knew Ting Han and his eldest son and the Princess didn’t have a good relationship; there were problems between their parents and children, which led to years without contact or inquiring about each other. He wasn’t sure about the future, but now the Shu region detained the eldest and the Princess, clearly intending to use them as hostages to gain something from Zhao Hanzhang.

Thinking about this made Fu Zhi even more worried.

Fu Zhi was different from Zhao Changyu.

As Zhao Changyu lay dying, he thought about national affairs and family, whereas Fu Zhi believed that children have their own destiny; the rise and fall of the family need not be forced.

He felt he had done his best raising his sons; the future depended on their own living—they only felt pity for his grandson, raised strictly without enjoying parental affection.

Regarding family matters, he was understanding; regarding national affairs, he was reluctant to let go easily.

The latter concerns millions of families’ survival.

Fu Zhi wasn’t an inflexible person; he was loyal to Emperor Jin because chaos is worse than peace. If the Emperor Jin fell, the land would fragment, and everyone could claim emperorship. Then the suffering of the people would truly have no end.

Therefore, no matter what happens, he strongly supported the Jin Dynasty because the land needs a high authority to stabilize it.

But now Zhao Hanzhang’s prestige and capabilities brought doubt to his heart—would the Jin Dynasty truly fare well under these circumstances?

Especially with Chang’an’s generals and officials worried, Fu Zhi was more exhausted in spirit; so, perhaps it required a change in leadership for these people to change with it, for the land to regain vitality?