After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Fu Tinghan needs to go to Qingzhou and Guangzhou. Zhao Hanzhang thought about it, then appointed Shi Hongtu and Lu Daxuan beside him as Assistant Generals, allowing them each to lead a thousand troops. Together, they would escort Fu Tinghan to Qingzhou.

Zhao Kuan and Sun Linghui had set off a few days earlier. Considering the time, they should have arrived by now. When Fu Tinghan arrives, they should be familiar with the area and ready to start pondering over the salt matter.

The secret department’s Gao Hui, upon hearing that Fu Tinghan was heading to Qingzhou, immediately took the secret department’s trade caravan and followed along.

Although he didn’t know what Fu Tinghan was going to do, he hadn’t been active for quite a while. Ever since the Xiongnu moved south, causing chaos everywhere, he could only go back and forth between Yu State and Si Province, not daring to venture too far lest he inadvertently get robbed by bandits.

Once Fu Tinghan left, the Calculation Order, centered on Yu State and starting from Chen County, began vigorously.

Zhao Hu, enduring his heartache, reported his assets and the quantity of vehicles and boats to the county government, then had the accountants prepare the money to be delivered to the government office.

Oh, not carried, but hauled.

When the first cart reached the county government, the last one was still in the corner of the street, not yet turned out. For fun, someone followed the carts to count them, and soon returned to a companion, clicking his tongue, "Do you know how many carts there are?"

"How many?"

He showed two fingers, which surprised his companion, "Twenty carts? All money?"

The companion, suppressing excitement, replied, "All money!"

The government officials carried the boxes down from the carts, opened them to verify, and prepared to carry them to the warehouse. Unexpectedly, the man in charge of delivering the money stopped them, "Hold on, this money is yours, but the boxes must be returned to us."

The old master had specifically reminded them to bring the boxes back. These boxes were made of good wood and were worth quite a bit themselves.

If it weren’t considered too shabby, they would have preferred to pack the money in sacks. But the old master was both frugal and cared about appearances, insisting on using boxes, which had to be brought back once emptied.

The government official: ...

If this were an ordinary person, he would have scolded them for not wanting to leave the boxes. Just use sacks in the first place.

But this was the steward from Zhao Hu’s family. As the saying goes, ’a seventh-ranked official under the Prime Minister’s gate’, the steward from Grandmaster Zhao Qi’s family wasn’t a seventh-ranked official, but still not someone to easily offend. So, he had no choice but to turn around to find the accountants and bring out dozens of sacks. A group of people started counting money, recording accounts, and stuffing money into sacks not far from the county government gate.

There was too much money to count all at once. The County Magistrate himself came out to see and then ran to the school. Not long after, the senior students’ lessons were temporarily changed to practical exercises, led by the arithmetic teacher to help count the money.

The students, having grown up, were seeing so much money for the first time. To be honest, it was also a first for the mathematics teacher and the magistrate.

Chen County’s Magistrate Wei Chao had just been promoted by Zhao Hanzhang. He was previously the magistrate of Zhencheng County, and although both positions were the same title, the roles and status were different.

He was very diligent and meticulous, and this time, he counted straight into the night, with the county government directly lighting candles to continue counting. After all the money was verified, he personally oversaw its storage, locked the doors, stationed five government officials to guard it, and hurried with the keys to see Zhao Ming.

There was too much money; it took up half of the county government’s treasury. If the money wasn’t moved, he certainly wouldn’t sleep well at night.

Zhao Ming wasn’t asleep either. He was quick with handling official affairs, and this time stayed up late to verify his family’s assets. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

If Zhao Hu was the paragon of elite wealthy families, then Zhao Ming represented elite officials. Only when both of them led by example would others follow suit.

Zhao Ming counted his assets with a restless heart. Holding back, he finally threw down his pen and called the steward, "Shan Bo, when will our accounting department arrive?"

Shan Bo, bowing, quietly replied, "I have been urging them. They will come up once they finish verifying the family’s assets."

Zhao Ming snorted, "They’re too slow. Seventh Uncle’s family has so many assets, yet they finished quickly, and the money has been sent to the county. Whereas our accountants aren’t here yet."

Shan Bo lowered his head, not daring to retort.

Zhao Ming waved him away.

Shan Bo retreated, raising his posture only when outside, spotting Fifth Grandfather playing with chess pieces by a stone table; he walked over.

Without looking up, Zhao Song asked, "Got scolded?"

Shan Bo clasped his hands in front, standing behind him, watching him play with pieces, and sighed, "Seventh Grandfather’s family supports eighteen accountants alone. How can our family compare? Naturally, it’s slower. But saying that our accountants can’t match theirs, I disagree. Young master wants precise asset counts; our accountants surely dare not slack, ensuring every grain and measure is counted, unlike Seventh Grandfather’s household..."

He paused there, lowering his voice to ask Zhao Song, "Does Fifth Grandfather really think Seventh Grandfather reported his assets honestly?"

Zhao Hanzhang wanted the Calculation Money, so of course, it wasn’t feasible to dispatch accountants to audit everyone’s property before levying a tax. She directly ordered each qualifying family to report their assets and then pay the Calculation Money.

Zhao Hu reported a figure to the county government, with a list of vehicles and boats, and paid according to what was listed, the Calculation Money and the vehicle and boat tax.

Shan Bo merely suspected, while Zhao Song directly confirmed, "He certainly wouldn’t be that honest."

Shan Bo, hearing this, worry filled his heart, "The Third Lady won’t have a falling-out with Seventh Grandfather, will she?"

Zhao Song sighed, "Who knows?"

Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t making a fuss. Upon hearing that Zhao Hu was publicly sending twenty cartloads of money to the county, she couldn’t help but laugh. She then said to Zhao Yunxin beside her, "Take note, tomorrow I will write a scroll for Seventh Ancestor to reward him for setting a good example."

Zhao Yunxin complied, sneaking a glance at Ji Yuan, Ming Yu, and others sitting cross-legged below, unable to resist quietly asking, "Does the governor truly believe Seventh Ancestor paid the full Calculation Money?"

"Of course," Zhao Hanzhang replied with a gentle smile. "I never doubt the character of Seventh Ancestor. Since he took the initiative to pay, he must have paid in full."

Zhao Yunxin looked at Zhao Hanzhang’s smiling face, feeling deeply ashamed. Internally, she apologized to Seventh Ancestor repeatedly, realizing she had used a petty person’s heart to measure a gentleman’s mind.

The governor was well-informed, speaking with such certainty. It must be that she had confirmed Seventh Ancestor hadn’t evaded taxes this time.

Zhao Yunxin took out her notebook to jot down the writing matter, ensuring to remind Zhao Hanzhang the next day.

Zhao Hanzhang turned her head to say to her, "You’ve worked hard today, go and eat, then rest."

Zhao Yunxin scanned the room, guessing they had confidential matters to discuss, and bowed before leaving.

Once Zhao Yunxin left, Ji Yuan smiled and asked, "Does the governor truly believe Seventh Grandfather reported his assets fully truthfully?"

Zhao Hanzhang replied, "He turned over twenty cartloads of money. Roughly calculated, the amount exceeds ten million. Moreover, he delivered it to the county government in grand fashion for public counting; that’s more than enough."

Ji Yuan thought over it and laughed, "After today, cautious elites may rush to report their assets. Truly exemplary. The governor should send that scroll."