After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 824 - 814: Master of Balancing Sides

As soon as the idea emerged, Zhao Hanzhang was at her most active thinking phase. She almost instantly created two small stories of karmic retribution and vengeful ghosts in her mind.

No sooner said than done, she lit a lamp that night and began writing the stories, then pushed a few unfinished documents towards Fu Tinghan. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Fu Tinghan helped her handle them, and when he looked back at her, he saw her writing with shining eyes, with five or six sheets of paper filled with words beside her.

He picked them up to take a look.

Stories are different from poems and essays; they don’t require strict adherence to allusions, couplets, or musical rhythm, resembling more the way people narrate things in everyday speech.

Zhao Hanzhang had already simplified it, unlike modern novels that are verbose, so the story was well-concentrated, the writing smooth, and Fu Tinghan, who knew her purpose, read with great interest.

Each story was about ten thousand words. Zhao Hanzhang wrote most of it in one night, and by noon the next day, she completed the ending during her break.

Then she handed the story to Fu Tinghan, "Wait until I have time to write a few more, and then you help me print them all together, and find people to stage a play."

Fu Tinghan received the manuscript and asked, "What about the author’s name?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Hanzhang replied, "I don’t know what to call it, let’s just call it Unknown."

Fu Tinghan saw her being so casual and couldn’t help but smile and wrote down the pen name for her, "Fourteen sheets of paper, nearly ten thousand words. If only you had this enthusiasm when doing your proper work."

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but mutter, "I’ve always been enthusiastic."

With the speed at which she handled documents, who dared to say she wasn’t enthusiastic?

As Zhao Hanzhang handed the manuscript to Fu Tinghan, by the time she walked out of the side hall, it was already 1:00 PM. Not far from her in the main hall, cries filled the air; tomorrow, Liu Yuan will be buried, and many people came to mourn him today.

The doors of the Imperial Palace were wide open, guards on watch. Anyone wanting to enter and pay respects to the Emperor could do so as long as they relinquished their weapons.

Although Liu Yuan’s policies were not well implemented, this was related to the structure of Xiongnu. In fact, he was quite revered among the Xiongnu. Before him, Cao Cao divided the Xiongnu into five parts, ordering them in Bingzhou. Before the War of the Eight Princes, the Xiongnu had stayed obedient in Bingzhou for nearly eighty years.

During these eighty years, the five parts competed for living resources among themselves, not intensely on the surface, but none willing to submit fully.

When Jin was strong, they were naturally willing to obey central commands, but after the War of the Eight Princes, when Jin Court saw death day after day and national strength waned, they naturally wanted to restore their ancestors’ glory.

And Liu Yuan being able to be recognized and recommended as leader by the five parts showed his prestige among the Xiongnu.

His biggest conflict with Xiongnu after ascending was trying to implement Han governance, but Xiongnu refused.

Yet they didn’t fall out, for the Xiongnu, especially the mid-to-upper class, viewed Liu Yuan as sacred and inviolable, resenting Zhao Hanzhang even more than their courtiers in the court.

This part had a greater influence and proportion in Pingyang City.

How many ministers from Xiongnu Khanate are left?

Besides Xuan Yuxiu and Liu Qin, the other ministers followed the Prince of Xiongnu, leaving those behind from the mid-to-upper and lower classes, and among them, the lower class mostly listened to the mid and mid-to-upper classes.

Zhao Hanzhang did not want to massacre the city, nor did she want to slaughter the Xiongnu people; she wanted a complete Pingyang City, so she had to find a way to resolve grievances.

She was willing to acknowledge Liu Yuan, always unrecognized, as the Han Emperor, being willing to give him imperial honors in burial was one way to respect him, another to respect the Xiongnu Clan, providing them a place to vent their sorrows.

The palace gates of Pingyang Palace were kept wide open, and funeral announcements posted, but for the first five days, no one dared enter the palace to mourn; besides Liu Yi, Xuan Yuxiu, and Liu Qin who brought captured Han courtiers to mourn, it was just Zhao Hanzhang and others who went to pay respects.

However, many people came today. When the first person tried entering the palace and safely exited, Pingyang City’s always tightly closed doors, pretending no one was home, opened one after another, with many bringing their children and nephews to mourn and cry.

As Zhao Hanzhang walked out of the side hall, they were weeping loudly in the mourning hall.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t approach but stood with her hands behind her back in a corridor watching.

Ji Yuan and Ming Yu appeared from nowhere, one on each side of her, and said, "Lady, I observe that after their crying, their resentment seems diminished. Once Emperor Liu is buried, Pingyang City can be settled."

From the other side, Ming Yu remarked, "Lady Governor, someone has quietly contacted Liu Yi, but it’s still unclear whether they intend to rescue him or plot to seize power."

He warned, "Lady Governor should be cautious of Liu Yi."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "Have people keep a close watch on him."

Ming Yu saw her alert and not blindly trusting Liu Yi or being generous, and nodded approvingly, "I will ensure close supervision."

Ji Yuan shook his fan and said, "In my opinion, there’s no need to watch too tightly, the Prince of Xiongnu took most of the court and fled, we’re short on information now. Better to relax a little, and start from Liu Yi. If we can infiltrate their side, it would be even better."

Zhao Hanzhang was skilled at taking advice and immediately said, "That idea is also good. Mr. Ji can proceed."

Ming Yu frowned, "But we’re in the Imperial Palace, the Lady Governor’s safety is the priority, how can we risk so much?"

Ji Yuan remained calm, "Without entering the tiger’s den, how can we get Hu Zi? Precisely because the lady is here, whoever we send will be more credible to the other side."

Ming Yu: "I do not agree, it’s too dangerous. The Lady Governor’s safety is paramount."

Ji Yuan thought he lacked flexibility, while Ming Yu felt he couldn’t differentiate priorities, and the two began arguing from each side of Zhao Hanzhang.

Stuck in between them, Zhao Hanzhang’s ears nearly deafened, she hurriedly raised her hand to interrupt their debate, "Mr. Ji is considering the battle situation, his words make sense and the solution is good, but Mr. Ming is taking the whole picture into account, and his concerns are not wrong either..."

Ming Yu: "So the Lady Governor stands with me?"

Ji Yuan was displeased, he pressed the fan he had been shaking against his chest and looked at Zhao Hanzhang, "The lady had just agreed with me, and now it’s forgotten."

Zhao Hanzhang hurriedly said, "No, no, both of you are correct, you can completely follow your own ideas, right?"

Ming Yu almost pulled out his beard, "These are two completely opposite views. To ensure the Lady Governor’s safety, the danger should be eradicated, how can we still confuse the enemy and penetrate?"

Ji Yuan also looked at her but said nothing.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Why not? Mr. Ming, you keep your people on tight watch over Liu Yi, Mr. Ji, you have your people discreetly approach Liu Yi to create trouble, each doing their own things, occasionally exchanging information, there’s no need to negate one aim for the sake of another."

Ji Yuan revealed a smile, "The lady’s reasoning makes sense."

Ming Yu: "Make sense, my foot. The Lady Governor is also staying in the Imperial Palace, what if they rebel and harm her?"