Chapter 438: Chapter 438

Zhu Chuan watched, unable to resist reminding, "Governor Zhao, there’s a saying that with a gift of a liter of rice comes gratitude, but with a gift of a bushel comes resentment; please be cautious."

Zhao Hanzhang smiled lightly, "It’s just a meal of meat, merely to help them through the cold night."

Zhu Chuan noticed her officers had no objections and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking that this person would surely achieve great success in the future; even as a woman, she could become a dominant figure.

This was the first time the refugees had received such a friendly reception from officials since their flight.

Moreover, they had previously been in a relationship of bandits and soldiers, if you want to frame it that way.

At the moment, they gathered around the campfire, quietly observing Zhao Hanzhang from afar.

The new governor is so kind; is it because she’s a woman?

Having caught them in the act of looting on the spot, there were no killings to claim military achievements, nor were they enslaved; instead, they were given relief with grain, and even meat...

Savoring the meat soup they’d just consumed, a few of the lucky ones had even managed to eat two pieces of meat.

A few young men who had planned to escape by night huddled together, discussing quietly, "Maybe we shouldn’t run. Governor Zhao seems to be a truly benevolent official, and she’s so formidable. What if she kills us the moment we flee?"

"Yes, let’s not run. This cold is unbearable. Even if we manage to escape, we’d likely freeze or starve to death."

As they chatted, they discouraged each other from thinking of escape.

The younger ones were still considering running, but the old, women, and children resigned themselves to fate, going with the flow.

In the past, when caught by soldiers who traded people, they had no choice but to run alongside them. If they managed to escape, that was good; if not, they would obediently follow the soldiers to be sold for labor. If luck was on their side, they might meet a kind master and survive.

But no master would treat them as well as the lady did today.

The elderly and women silently watched Zhao Hanzhang’s shadow in the distance, deciding not to escape and to stay close to Zhao Hanzhang, as she might truly find them a path to survival.

The children were more direct. Sensitive to gestures, they had already made up their minds to follow them when Fu Tinghan wrapped the little girl in his cloak.

After eating their porridge and meat, their resolve strengthened even further; nothing could take them away now.

The night passed silently, with seemingly no changes, but no one realized that during this one night, a spark had been planted in many hearts, buried deep within, waiting to grow and flourish when nurtured...

With the break of dawn, the camp became lively, and the children went to collect firewood on their own initiative, even helping to fetch water.

Zhao Hanzhang took up her long spear and found an open space to practice, wielding the long spear like a flowing dragon, moving gracefully in her hands.

Zhu Chuan was awakened by the noise, and by the time he got up, she had already practiced back and forth twice, stretching out her body, feeling warm despite the cold weather.

Nearby, Fu Tinghan was leisurely practicing boxing. He first performed a set of health exercises to awaken his body, then began practicing the military boxing Zhao Hanzhang had taught him.

There was always someone protecting him, and if he ever needed to fight, it would either be from a distance or up close, so he consistently planned his training.

For distance, he only practiced archery, and he was starting to show some results; for close combat, it was military boxing and Zhao Hanzhang’s grappling techniques.

Originally, Zhao Hanzhang wanted to teach him to run because preserving life was crucial. His endurance was decent, but his sprinting speed was not. Even if he could run for a long time, his inability to run fast meant that he could easily be captured if he turned around. Given this, learning military boxing to resist a little was better.

"If you can’t escape, then play dumb," Zhao Hanzhang instructed him, "Surrender first and find a chance to escape. I will come to rescue you."

She said, "In this era, even facing the nemesis who killed one’s father, as long as the other party has value, he can be forgiven. Stay away from the front lines, don’t make enemies, and given your talent, whoever captures you will treat you well, so don’t worry. Just surrender and ensure a good life to survive first."

Fu Tinghan rotated his elbows with force, relaxing his body. Hearing this, he asked, "And what about you?"

"Me?" Zhao Hanzhang gestured with her long spear, sighing, "It might be a bit difficult for me. I’ve made quite a few enemies, and I look like the kind of person who doesn’t listen very well. If I come across a magnanimous and open-minded person, they might be fooled by my flowery words and keep me as a general. The rest might want nothing more than to eliminate me."

Fu Tinghan pursed his lips, about to speak when he saw Zhu Chuan approaching, prompting him to hold his words.

Zhao Hanzhang also noticed, smiling as she tossed the long spear to Ting He, taking the cloth towel from her, and tossed another to Fu Tinghan. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and face, smiling as she asked Zhu Chuan, "Mr. Zhu, did you sleep well last night?"

How could anyone sleep well in the freezing cold outdoors?

Nevertheless, Zhu Chuan smiled and responded, "Not bad."

He praised, "I’ve long heard of Governor Zhao’s bravery and prowess on the battlefield. Seeing it today, it is indeed true."

Zhao Hanzhang smiled modestly, "It’s just a modest amount of strength, nothing more."

Fu Tinghan let them exchange pleasantries, nodding slightly to Zhu Chuan after wiping off his sweat, and turned to leave. Zhu Chuan quickly called out to him, "Mr. Fu, may I ask if what you said last night still holds?"

Fu Tinghan stopped and tilted his head to look at him, "Which part?"

Although he hadn’t said much the previous night, it wasn’t very little either.

Zhu Chuan said, "Last night, when the wine was flowing, Mr. Fu mentioned that if I were interested in the glazed formula, we could collaborate."

Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow, and seeing Fu Tinghan look her way, she gave a slight nod.

Fu Tinghan said, "Let’s have breakfast, and we can discuss it over the meal?"

Zhu Chuan noted that he looked amiable and not troubled, so he immediately agreed, "Sure."

In ancient times, transportation was very inconvenient, especially now during turbulent times; the cost of travel was quite high. The most update n0vels are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩

The price of glazed products in Ru Nan County was already low enough that even middle-class households could afford them, but outside of Ru Nan County, they were still precious.

This was true even in Yu State, let alone beyond it.

The glazed products Zhu Chuan had previously taken back, he hadn’t even managed to circulate throughout Shu Land before selling them at astronomical prices.

This profit was what drove him to return to Ru Nan County, of course, accompanied by his hearing in Shu Land of Zhao Hanzhang’s rise from County Magistrate to County Deputy, then quickly to becoming the ruler of Yu State. He wanted to see for himself and confirm these stories.

Although Shu land was currently aloof from the conflicts of Great Jin, it was not entirely stable either, and for the Zhu family to seek development, they needed to keep an eye on various facets.

And their focus shouldn’t be solely on Shu land; they needed to look beyond as well.

However, while keeping an eye on the future, the present had to be considered. Therefore, he was very interested in what Fu Tinghan had said about the glazed formula.

If there were a Glazed Workshop in Shu land, wouldn’t the Zhu family be able to amass great wealth?

Nowadays, the three most important things are grain, troops, and money.

And with money, grain and troops will follow.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t interfere with their negotiations. She wiped her hands with the cloth towel, lowering her head as she chuckled to herself; Zhu Chuan wanting to gain an advantage from Fu Tinghan? That wouldn’t be easy.