After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

After receiving the letter, Wei Jie immediately understood its implications, feeling excited, he promptly had someone adjust the equipment and used the radio to send a reply at their agreed time.

Of course, the transmission and reflection of the signal took time, and Zhao Hanzhang had just received it at this moment.

Soon, a soldier brought up a piece of paper.

Song Xin took it and glanced at it, then said: "Mr. Wei mentioned that when he had someone test the equipment just now, he seemed to pick up messages on another channel, though he doesn’t understand them. Could it be that others can also hear the messages they are sending out? Would Governor Shi suspect him and if asked, should he admit it or deny it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang laughed heartily and said to Song Xin, "Tell Wei Jie to go to Shi Le and confess to this, saying that these are scouts from the Zhao Family Army, the future flying eagles of the court, who will be spread across the counties to gather public opinion for the court."

Youzhou is a pilot area because there is the Duanbu Xianbei there; she plans to first see results in military affairs, then move to civil affairs, and if successful, model this to place intelligence departments in each state.

Of course, she currently has intelligence personnel in various states. This group is presently under Mr. Ji’s management, though they are scattered without any formal organization.

Now, she is considering dividing them into two parts, covert and overt, for unified management, with Yuan Li and Song Xin being the people she selected to manage this intelligence department.

Currently, Yuan Li is in the dark, Song Xin in the open, and they will gradually separate from Ji Yuan’s management, ultimately being responsible only to Zhao Hanzhang.

Song Xin was perplexed, "Since there’s no need to hide it from Governor Shi, why did you initially make them conceal their movements and enter Youzhou secretly?"

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him, "Can you guess?"

Song Xin: ...

How could he guess, and how dare he?

Zhao Hanzhang did not explain but instead asked, "Keep an eye on the news from Jiangdong, and report to me as soon as Yuan Li gets the radio."

Not long ago, Zhao Hanzhang secretly sent a caravan carrying three radios to Jiangdong, one to be sent to Jingzhou, and two to be given to Yuan Li.

Those were spares for him, to ensure replacements in case of emergencies, and also to allow him to operate more flexibly in Jiangdong. Even the communication soldiers assigned to him were the best.

The stance Zhao Hanzhang publicly showed in court has always been that Jiangdong is not worth mentioning, seemingly more concerned about the northern border defenses. However, only a few close confidants know that she is more wary of Jiangdong.

Many resources were secretly allocated toward Jiangdong.

Not only did she send this trusted aide Yuan Li during the intense battles in the Northern Land, but she also set up many caravans to travel back and forth to Jiangdong.

Do you really think those caravans are there just to trade and buy grain?

Most of the people chosen for these caravans are elite selected from the Zhao Family Army, among them are outstanding scouts being groomed for Assistant General positions.

So many talents being sent to Jiangdong shows her regard for Jiangdong, and also her esteem for Yuan Li.

Song Xin’s heart skipped a beat twice, feeling both envy and disappointment, he bowed his head respectfully as he responded.

Due to the checkpoints and the need for concealment, the caravan did not reach Jiangdong quickly.

It wasn’t until Zhao Hanzhang approached Luoyang that they received a telegram from Jiangdong, informing them that Yuan Li had successfully met with the contacts and received the radios.

At this moment, Yuan Li was standing behind a communication soldier, watching as he used an Analects book to convert the written words into numbers before sending them out.

Listening to the beeping sounds and watching the tapping on the keyboard, Yuan Li’s hanging hand also began tapping his thigh, his eyes shining brighter and brighter, shocking Xue Hong beside him.

Xue Hong was the leader of this team of communication soldiers. Although he was in charge of only ten people, he held a position comparable to a contingent leader, with the rank of Colonel.

Yet Yuan Li had already been conferred the title of General, but it was downplayed, and no one in Chen County mentioned him, with everyone tacitly ignoring his existence, as if Yuan Li did not exist.

However, in the Zhao Family Army, Yuan Li’s reputation was not small, though not particularly good.

It was said he loved to catch spies planted within the Zhao Family Army, and once caught, unless they quickly defected and made meritorious contributions to exchange for their lives, they’d face a fate worse than death.

When Xue Hong was assigned to Jiangdong, he’d been on edge. Although Yuan Li appeared well, with fair skin unlike their battle-weary troops’ darker complexions, his occasionally fleeting gaze sent chills down Xue Hong’s spine.

Especially given that Xue Hong worked in intelligence, and Yuan Li’s methods were notorious.

Once the communication soldier had finished sending, Yuan Li turned to ask Xue Hong, "So now the lady will receive the message?"

Xue Hong nodded, "Yes, she’ll receive it very soon."

Yuan Li was particular, "What if she doesn’t receive it?"

Xue Hong replied, "We’ll send it every fifteen minutes; it’s a rule in the army, communicative messages like these need to be sent three times, at set intervals. So even if they don’t receive it the first time, they’ll surely receive it on the second or third."

Yuan Li didn’t quite understand, "Simply tapping a few fingers can send a message out? And someone thousands of miles away can receive it in an instant?"

Xue Hong was about to explain, when the communication soldier reported, "General, a message has come."

Xue Hong perked up, immediately ordering, "Take note."

The communication soldier put on headphones, listening intently, quickly jotting down words on paper for quite a while before stopping and handing it to a colleague for translation.

Of the ten people Xue Hong brought, five were men and five were women, to facilitate Yuan Li’s work.

In certain areas, women could operate more conveniently. They were female soldiers from the Zhao Family Army, few in number, but each one an elite, their abilities on par with male soldiers.

Taking over the deciphered message from her, Yuan Li’s eyes sparkled as if they were radiating sunlight.

The tone of the message unmistakably indicated Zhao Hanzhang as the sender.

She ordered Yuan Li to establish a covert department in Jiangdong, stating that she would have the caravans gradually deliver funds to him for development needs.

She decided to establish a department called the Min’an Department, divided into Bright and Dark sections, directly under her control.

The Min’an Department is primarily engaged in collecting public opinion, conducting reconnaissance, making arrests, interrogations, military intelligence gathering, and subversion of enemy officials and generals.

The work in Bright and Dark sections differ, with tasks like Yuan Li’s, operating directly in other territories being categorized as the Dark section, while on her own territory, tasks are divided, yet less dark and more bright.

Though Zhao Hanzhang did not explicitly say so, it was clear now that Yuan Li was in charge of the Dark section, while Song Xin was responsible for the Bright, and the position of Commissioner of the Min’an Department remained open, awaiting his success and return.

Yuan Li understood Zhao Hanzhang; if she hadn’t had an eighty percent certainty, she wouldn’t have promised him this prospect.

Though it wasn’t yet known what rank the Commissioner of the Min’an Department would hold, being directly answerable to Zhao Hanzhang, it was imagined to be of high status. He folded the message, set it on fire, watching it burn away completely, smiling uncontrollably at the corners of his lips.

Although he couldn’t be a general commanding troops like Ji Ping, Li Tian, and others, nor protect the lady like Zeng Yue, he could still be her support, an indispensable force, paving a path for his own career and future.