The weather is getting colder, and the northern citizens have covered the important wheat seedling fields with straw, and everyone is starting to have some free time.

It is at this time that Zhao Hanzhang issued a military service order. Considering that the war has just ended this year, she did not issue a heavy service order, just requiring each household to provide one person to serve for fifteen days.

They might dig channels, level official roads, or repair village roads and houses. If there are no adult men at home, women serve half the service. She instructed the village chiefs in each state and county to arrange carefully, not to exhaust the people’s strength.

The directive was not only sent to various states and counties but also to schools in each county, requiring each institution to assist the counties in explaining the work and to help manage those in service. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

In fact, there is also an intention to supervise.

The County Magistrates aren’t foolish. They know Zhao Hanzhang is trying to prevent them from withholding or misappropriating the servicemen’s food and wages.

Indeed, serving now is somewhat different from before; the county government provides food and even pays a certain wage.

Though the wage is very minimal, the feeling is different.

Previously, they had no wages for serving, and some places didn’t even provide food. They needed to bring their own food to serve.

Zhao Hanzhang has always trusted the students in the academies, and those students have indeed lived up to Zhao Hanzhang’s trust—passionate and driven, not only the orphans and children from poor families but even the aristocratic students who joined later have become ardent shortly after entering the academy, eager to sacrifice for Zhao Hanzhang, for the nation, and for the people.

Zhao Hanzhang has also opened channels for exchanges between county academies and the Imperial College, allowing students to write letters to communicate with students and teachers at the Imperial College, ask questions, and even communicate important matters up to the imperial level.

Oh, like filing complaints to Zhao Hanzhang, such as accusing the County Magistrate of corruption, bribery, or oppressive governance.

Word has it that last month, there were County Magistrates from two counties who misappropriated relief grain issued by the court, resulting in dozens of deaths from starvation, so a student wrote to the Imperial College.

Once students at the Imperial College received the letter, they immediately passed it to the Imperial Censorate, which promptly made its way to Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang immediately ordered imperial censors to investigate these two counties, and indeed there was corruption, so the County Magistrates were replaced. Moreover, the homes of these two County Magistrates were confiscated, and they were imprisoned, and brought to Luoyang for trial.

Nobody knows if they will be executed.

According to the Jin laws, corruption might not lead to execution, often resulting in demotion instead. However... they caused serious consequences, and Zhao Hanzhang, known for her love for the people, facing the first corruption case following the war, any insightful official believes the County Magistrates face dire prospects.

It is likely Zhao Hanzhang will use severe measures as a deterrent.

This cannot be blamed on Zhao Hanzhang; rather, it is the two individuals’ folly. Even if intending to be corrupt, they could at least wait for a period longer; now is a time when everything is recovering and governance being consolidated, Zhao Hanzhang is ready to establish authority, and these two have handed themselves over. How could she miss this opportunity?

These two counties, one in Yan State, one in Yu State, and the reason everyone knows so quickly and clearly is because the Imperial Decree is being widely distributed nationally, oh, except for Jiangnan and Jiangdong.

The so-called Imperial Decree existed since the Han times, though rare. Each county official in the Capital City records recent court decrees, edicts, ministers’ statements, and major court affairs, then dispatches them back to their counties.

Generally published twice a month, though in extraordinary cases in the court, may be sent more frequently, possibly every three or four days.

Thus, southern officials can be aware of northern happenings, and northern officials understand southern situations, while the Capital City serves as a political information hub.

Of course, such operations are only feasible in peaceful years. Before Zhao Hanzhang reinstated the Imperial Decree, its national distribution had ceased for over twenty years; only influential Inspectors and Prefectural Governors would dispatch people to stay in the Capital City to gather and send back such information.

Zhao Hanzhang used to read Zhao Zhongyu’s Imperial Decree; whenever he received one, he had a copy sent to her, supplementing with additional content not featured in the decree.

When Zhao Hanzhang herself started the Imperial Decree, she no longer needed this.

Because the craftsman at the paper mill proved competent, and after years of exploration and testing, they not only produce good paper from bark but also from straw and other materials mixed together.

This type of paper is cheaper in cost, and the paper mill expanded, producing large quantities of paper daily.

With paper, coupled with the increasingly mature movable type printing technique at publishing houses, Zhao Hanzhang could expand the Imperial Decree.

She entrusted the Imperial Decree to the Imperial College and publishing houses, establishing an Imperial Decree Office at the Imperial College, staffed by students.

She requested a publication every two days, featuring not only edicts, decrees, and significant court events occurring within two days but also officials’ opinions and suggestions on certain political affairs, and even including good essays or poetry.

Thus, the Imperial Decree was not just for the officials at various counties but also distributed to county academies, where students received it for free yet carried the responsibility of reading aloud the edicts, decrees, and important court measures related to citizens’ vital interests.

Simultaneously, the Imperial Decree accepted submissions from officials and notable figures nationwide.

Of course, one need not be a notable figure; as long as the submission is substantial, Zhao Hanzhang allows its publication. Oh, because the cultural level required for the Imperial Decree is high, Zhao Cheng serves as its director.

He also handles the responsibility of reviewing submissions, with Zhao Hanzhang occasionally checking.

Once the Capital City produces the Imperial Decree, it is dispatched via post stations to each state, from states to counties, with each county further printing and distributing identical decrees.

Nonetheless, currently, Zhao Hanzhang’s publishing houses and paper mills have only opened eight locations; some counties lack them, thus relying on purchases from neighboring states and counties.

Buying the Imperial Decree costs little, mainly the high transportation cost. Therefore, Youzhou Governor Shi Le and Bingzhou Governor Beigong Chun have petitioned for the court to open more publishing houses and paper mills in their regions.

Zhao Hanzhang agreed, ordering states and counties to find locations for building publishing houses and paper mills and assembling craftsmen, while she would provide blueprints.

Currently, local publishing houses and paper mills are modeled after those in Xiping, which are the most advanced, having expanded three times with the paper mill achieving a daily output of over fifty thousand sheets of paper, reaching up to ninety thousand sheets at most.

These are large sheets, which can be trimmed. Each for printing books can be cut into sixteen pages.

Even though production has increased, paper is still insufficient.

Not to mention anything else, the court’s daily office paper consumption is significantly high.

Gathering refugees, creating registries, managing household registration, and recording all sorts of information—all require large amounts of paper.