After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 924 - 909: Jinyang Comes Alive

Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes, pondering for a moment, then asked, "Where is Governor Liu now?"

"At the Inspector Mansion."

Zhao Hanzhang then stood up and went to the Inspector Mansion.

Liu Kun was having afternoon tea, listening to music and drinking wine, with his eyes slightly closed enjoying the moment, when someone approached him and quietly reported that Zhao Hanzhang had arrived.

Liu Kun opened his eyes and saw Zhao Hanzhang standing not far away, watching his band. He immediately laughed and got up to boast, "I spent years finding these talents. Each has their own strengths; some are skilled with the zither and flute, others with the erhu and suona, as well as the hujia and drums, but in terms of expertise in the zither, Xu Run is the best."

Liu Kun asked, "How is Xu Run’s illness?"

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t expect Liu Kun to be so lavish at this critical time and heard that he first inquired about Xu Run. Her expression slightly dimmed, "She’s somewhat better, but the fever hasn’t yet subsided. The military doctor is still attending to her."

Liu Kun sighed in relief, "That’s good. If she’s not well, I won’t be at ease."

Liu Kun invited her to sit and enjoy wine and music together. Zhao Hanzhang sat down and asked, "Is it that since Yue Shi is so at ease, refugees inside and outside Jinyang have been properly settled?"

"Jinyang is a large city accommodating people from all sides. The number of people coming and going daily is countless, most of whom are refugees. Therefore, refugees cannot be completely settled; there are existing procedures, and the Jinyang County Magistrate will take care of it," Liu Kun said.

Zhao Hanzhang: "After Xu Run, who will be the Jinyang County Magistrate?"

Only then did Liu Kun remember that Zhao Hanzhang had taken his Jinyang County Magistrate away, and now Jinyang had no magistrate.

Seeing him hesitate, Zhao Hanzhang took the opportunity to say, "Simply discussing refugee settlement, the officials from Yu State are very experienced. I dare say on the path of refugee settlement, if they claim second, no one would dare claim first. We still need to stay in Jinyang for some time; why not let me recommend someone to you, and you can let her temporarily govern Jinyang."

"Who is Hanzhang referring to?"

"Fan Ying," Zhao Hanzhang said, "She is meticulous and bold, and follows me with rich experience in managing refugees."

Liu Kun pondered silently.

Zhao Hanzhang then smiled and said, "In refugee resettlement, besides distributing land, the main thing is using workshops for placement. Town construction cannot be without bricks, so whenever we arrive at a place, we construct many brick workshops. I’ve seen suitable clay for bricks around Jinyang."

She added, "Besides that, there are also glass and textile workshops. As long as suitable materials can be found, they can be established."

Liu Kun’s eyelids trembled, and he asked, "Are all the manpower selected from the refugees?"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded.

Liu Kun: "Are they to be sold?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "If they were sold, it wouldn’t appease the people. They are merely working in the workshops and receive wages that can sustain them, remaining good citizens."

Liu Kun finally relaxed, "I have heard of Fan Changshi, she’s Hanzhang’s right-hand woman, isn’t it too much of a grievance to make her Jinyang County Magistrate?"

Zhao Hanzhang said dismissively with a smile: "It’s only a temporary appointment. Once Yue Shi finds a suitable person for the position, and the refugees are properly settled, she’ll naturally return to my side."

She continued, "You need not worry about her low rank, because I will also recommend a County Magistrate to you."

Liu Kun: "Who is it?"

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said: "Shi Le."

Liu Kun was stunned for a moment and carefully scrutinized Zhao Hanzhang’s expression. After confirming she was serious, he became slightly excited, "Is Hanzhang really willing?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Perhaps Yue Shi doesn’t know, traffickers have been rampant lately, and young girls often go missing in the city." Her eye’s smile vanished, leaving only coldness, "In my life, apart from tyrants and corrupt officials, I most detest traffickers."

"Shi Le is a Great General, with a righteous aura that can surely suppress these villains."

Although last time Zhao Hanzhang caught him trying to win over Shi Le, he hadn’t given up the idea. After all, Shi Le was too ferocious; if he could employ him, he would have nothing to fear from Wang Jun.

Even the formidable situation with the Xianbei Clan could be improved.

Placing Shi Le in the Jinyang County Government was just convenient for him, wasn’t it?

From then on, he could legitimately interact with Shi Le, and win him over anytime...

Thinking this, Liu Kun felt a bit guilty and suspiciously looked toward Zhao Hanzhang.

She knew well his thoughts toward Shi Le, why still put Shi Le before him?

Zhao Hanzhang certainly dared because she knew that no matter how Liu Kun tried, Shi Le wouldn’t lean towards him.

Knowing he couldn’t move Shi Le, why would Zhao Hanzhang mind their contact?

So the matter was settled like that, Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t very interested in Liu Kun’s lavish afternoon tea, and after discussing the affairs, she left.

Fan Ying and Shi Le received the orders and moved into the Jinyang County Government the same day.

Fan Ying mainly focused on settling the refugees entering the city.

With Jinyang City relieved, apart from the previously large influx of refugees, nearly a thousand refugees arrived each day in recent days. These refugees were arranged separately in several vacant areas in the city. Aside from initially receiving free relief porridge from the government office, later, they had to vie for aid from wealthy households or find work to exchange for food.

But there were only so many jobs in the city; the original residents were already at leisure. With suddenly so many refugees, how could everyone be employed?

With a large idle population, social conflicts sharply increased, and fights, robberies, and murders happened frequently.

Liu Kun, with his unique charm, attracted many refugees, but he lacked corresponding measures to retain them.

People said when Liu Kun first arrived at the desolated Jinyang, he personally led the people to reclaim wasteland and build city walls, sharing hardship with the citizens, thereby reconstructing Jinyang in just a year.

Unfortunately, not long after Jinyang recovered its vitality, he reverted to his former profligate ways, though still diligent, he couldn’t resist indulgences.

Upon entering the Jinyang County Government, Fan Ying found that Liu Kun’s refugee settlement policies were quite similar to theirs. It involved land distribution, arranging refugees and local residents to help each other, assisting in building homes to stay, and work-based relief.

However, these policies had stagnated for about a year. Judging from the records, most refugees entering in that year were hardly arranged, only a few arrived with wealth and were properly settled.

Yet, as Fan Ying dispatched people to investigate, those ’well-settled’ refugees also paid a considerable amount of money and felt bitter.

Thinking of the previous Jinyang County Magistrate, Xu Run, Fan Ying couldn’t help but rub her forehead. Instead of using the Yu State approach, she implemented Liu Kun’s set refugee policies, except she executed them properly and added workshops, repaired waterworks, allowing refugees to work for relief.

Reclaiming wasteland, farming, repairing city walls and roads, establishing workshops, fixing water infrastructure, suddenly Jinyang became bustling, everyone visited the county government, seemingly finding suitable jobs, with daily minimum grain wages.

And a day’s grain pay was sufficient for two people to eat for a day.

Jinyang, instantly burst into life.