After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Zhao Hu felt a stirring in his heart, both calm and tense, he bit his lip and still asked, "If I act as a guarantor for you and pay off the court debts, what will you give me in return?"

Zhao Hanzhang lowered her voice and said, "The rich waters shouldn’t flow into outsiders’ fields."

Zhao Hu slapped the window with a straightforward expression, "Alright! I’ll be the guarantor."

He trusted Zhao Hanzhang’s words. Naturally, the benefits should favor the family; how could such good things like the salt permit be given to outsiders?

Zhao Hu happily reached an agreement with Zhao Hanzhang, and the earlier anger vanished, bringing back familial affection.

Zhao Hu waited until Zhao Hanzhang rode away, and then his smile slowly faded.

His follower Wu Yin constantly kept his head bowed, kneeling at the side. When Zhao Hu let down the curtain and put away his smile, Wu Yin brought forward the wine he had kept warm and poured a cup for him, "My lord, acting as a guarantor for the court might be too risky. Wouldn’t it be better to directly lend the money to the court..."

Lending money to the court, at most one loses the principal, yet they can also obtain the salt permit. Acting as a guarantor... that means paying interest for the court, who knows what major pitfalls may appear later?

Zhao Hu said, "How could I not know this risk? But the amount Zhao Hanzhang wants clearly isn’t just tens of millions; how much of my fortune could I lend her?"

He sighed, "Having me act as a guarantor is merely to draw other wealthy people into the fray. Although I often quarrel with her, undeniably, she is a person who keeps her word."

"The court?" He snorted coldly, "The court can’t borrow money from me, let alone have me act as a guarantor. I’m doing it for Zhao Hanzhang’s sake."

The Jin Court does not have the credibility.

Wu Yin was very worried and asked, "What if Third Lady fails? If the court doesn’t acknowledge the debt by then..."

Wu Yin hadn’t finished speaking when Zhao Hu slapped him on the head, "Are you stupid? Zhao Hanzhang is now the regent; if she really fails, do you think I could survive without lending money or acting as a guarantor?"

"Let me tell you, if she fails, everyone in the Zhao Family, including us, would have to go down with her!"

Given Zhao Hanzhang’s current power and the Zhao Family’s prestige, whoever replaces her will not allow the Zhao Family to exist.

This is the difference between the Zhao Family and Mrs. Wang.

The Langya Wang Family survives by investing everywhere. If the east doesn’t shine, the west does, so no matter who ascends, as long as Langya Wang Family has capable people, they can continue to exist.

But the Zhao Family...

Zhao Hanzhang drew the Zhao Family onto her boat when they were still inconspicuous. The young generation of the Zhao Family are now under her command, and the Zhao Family’s commercial activities are intricately linked to her influence. So, if she fails, it means the entire Zhao Family’s downfall.

This is why Zhao Hu, although unhappy, still pays the calculation money, pays various taxes when she collects them, and even supports her privately;

It’s the reason why the other branches of the Zhao Family donate grain when Zhao Family Army needs supplies; whenever Zhao Family is required to contribute money and manpower, despite the complaints and curses, they still contribute...

Because everyone is on the same boat, no one can escape.

Zhao Hu is merely striving to gain more benefits for himself while maintaining Zhao Hanzhang’s power.

Zhao Hu is not smart, but that doesn’t mean he’s stupid, especially with Zhao Song around. The previous war saw the Zhao Family already preparing seeds to leave Yu State, just in case Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t win against the Xiongnu, to leave behind a few bloodlines for the Zhao Family.

These matters remain unspoken, but it doesn’t mean Zhao Hanzhang is unaware.

She’s well aware.

That’s why she’s willing to trade salt permits with Zhao Hu. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

As she said, the rich waters shouldn’t flow into outsiders’ fields. The Zhao Family bets their lives on her, so she must reward them with something.

The salt permit, concerning the salt policy, she is willing to let the Zhao Family earn this first gold, and it signifies she wants them to tread the water for her.

In the history she knows, this salt policy is advanced, but she isn’t sure if it fits the current situation, so she wants to try it on a small scale.

Zhao Hu is her touchstone.

With his identity, even if there’s an accident, she can protect him, whereas others might have to go with the tide.

Zhao Hanzhang rode on horseback, her heart hard as iron, immediately deciding the next place for the arrival of salt permits.

At night, when they camped, Zhao Hanzhang went to a tent guarded strictly, inside were sounds of dripping drops.

Song Xin was inside the tent watching soldiers receive information. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang, he immediately approached and bowed, "Lady!"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded and asked, "What news is there?"

"We have made contact with Youzhou over there, following your instructions, the communication soldiers sent are under the jurisdiction of the Youzhou Governor Mansion, the Wei Family sent items to Mr. Wei and they’re all arrived in Youzhou together, Mr. Wei says the Inspector Mansion hasn’t shown suspicion."

Although Fu Tinghan had long made a radio station, this device was difficult to produce, Zhao Hanzhang only allowed a few confidants to use it, primarily for urgent matters.

Then it was training the army on these aspects and training communicators quickly.

The radio station made for battle commands was first given to Zhao Ming and Beigong Chun, later to Zhao Erlang and others.

Shi Le couldn’t get a set until she returned to Chen County.

But he knows this good thing exists, so he writes three letters a day urging, in the morning she just received a letter asking for the radio, at noon a second letter saying he misses her, many affairs in Youzhou he can’t decide on his own, wants to chat with her; at dusk the third letter received, complaining she favors this over him, her relationship with Beigong Chun is in harmony, clearly doesn’t need much contact to understand each other, whereas they just started together, it’s the time to communicate feelings more, yet she hasn’t given him a shortcut for communication, instead gave it to Beigong Chun...

He even accused her, "Zu Ti is only in Jizhou, just by your side, sending a message in the morning can reach by evening, you gave him the divine tool of communication, while I’m a thousand miles away, why not give me one? Do you truly trust me this much or deem Shi Le, Youzhou unimportant?"

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but find a way to give him one, but two were sent to Youzhou together, and another to Wei Jie.

Zhao Hanzhang said to Wei Jie, "Don’t doubt those you use, trust those you employ, this machine is not for use on Shi Le, therefore you need not report Shi Le’s affairs to me, this machine is for the voice of the Youzhou people, to inspect the duties of officials."

She decided to delegate the intelligence agency, starting with Youzhou as a pilot, Wei Jie would be the pioneer.

She said to Wei Jie, "Youzhou is a thousand miles away from Luoyang, above the County Magistrate is the Prefectural Governor, above the Prefectural Governor is the Inspector, and between the Inspector and us there’s the court’s dozens of officials, the common people are even below the County Magistrate."

"Therefore, Your Majesty and I can hardly hear the people’s voice. What we see might be what others want us to see, what we hear might be embellished voices, so this machine is used as the voice of the people."

"The people I sent are outstanding scouts from the reconnoitre camp, make good use of them, let them take root in Youzhou, hope they can manage in Youzhou for a hundred years, even two hundred years, three hundred years, or longer..."