After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 552 - 546 Guy City

Zhao Hanzhang led the army and the Qihu Army to Guy City.

After half a day’s journey, they were already in the territory of Guy City.

The scenery of Guy City was not much different from the outside. It was the time of the spring breeze, with green wild grass about a finger length growing in the fields, which, from afar, looked like the sight of wheat seedlings turning green in previous years.

But upon closer inspection, one could see it was batches of green grass.

Zhao Hanzhang reined in her horse, stood at the edge of the fields, and gazed far ahead. Chen Wu and a few others dismounted and looked forward as well, but their eyes were almost blank, not knowing what they were seeing.

The soldiers passing by couldn’t help but turn their heads for a glance. Wasn’t it just a wasteland? What was there to see?

When looking, they slowed down a step, and the person behind them gave them a shove, "Stop looking and hurry up, you are not the General, what can you see? Look at Zhao Family Army, how neat they are."

Their General also couldn’t see much. After looking ahead with Zhao Hanzhang for a while, he said, "This grass grows really well."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "That’s right, it’s growing very well. What does the General see?"

Chen Wu hesitated for a moment and said, "The grass is so good, perhaps cattle and horses would love to eat it. We could raise cattle and horses?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "...General Chen, that’s a good idea. Then raise more cattle; they will be useful for plowing."

She stated, "This grass grows so well, which shows the land is fertile. From here to all the abandoned fields under Guy City’s gates, you all can cultivate."

Chen Wu hesitantly asked, "What if the refugees return and want to farm?"

"I will allocate other lands for them," Zhao Hanzhang said, "These abandoned lands will be directly nationalized, now they’re all mine... Yours, Majesty’s, they belong to government land. Since I say you all can farm them, you can rest assured and cultivate."

Chen Wu exhaled in relief and asked, "What about the seeds?"

"I’ll have people send them over soon." Zhao Hanzhang mounted her horse and tugged on the reins, saying, "Let’s go, let’s take a look at Guy City."

Guy City’s gates were wide open, the streets were deserted, many weeds and wild trees sprouting from corners and walls, looking like a ghost town.

In fact, it was nearly so. When Wang Mi and Liu Cong moved south, everyone who could escape had fled, leaving only some old, weak, sick, and disabled behind.

The people at the county government had all fled too, a layer of fallen leaves and dust covering the ground, the rapid footsteps kicking up dust that choked the air.

Zhao Hanzhang wiped the dust off the table in the main hall, clapped her hands, and said, "Clean up this county government; I’ll appoint a new County Magistrate for Guy City later."

She looked down the street and finally pushed open a big mansion to the left of the county government. She directly said to Chen Wu, "This house is nice, it’s yours General Chen. The General Mansion will be set here, and General Chen will office here in the future."

Chen Wu: ...

He glanced around and saw that although the house was overgrown with wild grass and seemed uninhabited for quite some time, it was well arranged, and a little tidying would make it livable.

After hesitating for a moment, he nodded, "Thank you, General Zhao."

Zhao Hanzhang generously stated, "For the houses in the south and west of the city, apart from those still occupied, you can choose any one, but only one per household, soldiers can only station in the camp, the four city gates and camps are yours. Three days later, you all make your own nameplates and hang them outside your doors. I will send people to record them, and the nameplate must also state the head of the household and their name."

Chen Wu agreed.

Zhao Hanzhang left, and to express her support, she prepaid for their food expenses for the next month.

This time she provided money instead of grain.

The soldiers carried in sacks of copper coins, and Feng Long opened them, took out a string of copper coins, unwrapped them, took one and examined it carefully, saying to Chen Wu, "It’s government-made."

Chen Wu exhaled and said, "Send someone to buy grain."

"Yes."

With everyone nearby having fled, to buy grain they needed to travel quite a distance to Hedong County or Jingzhao County.

Feng Long agreed but didn’t leave; he hesitated and said, "General, I remember the news saying the Emperor only appointed the County Magistrate for Luoyang County, who is a member of the Zhao Family, while there are no officials in other counties in Henan County. Aren’t these places out of Zhao Hanzhang’s jurisdiction?"

Chen Wu sat on the steps, silent for a while and then said, "There’s no one here, no officials, whoever takes it will own it. If she says she’ll appoint, she’ll appoint. Where there are people and officials, things can still be seized; what’s so strange about this?"

"It’s not strange, but she is acting under the Emperor’s name. If word spreads, and if the Emperor sends people over, which side do we listen to?"

Chen Wu said, "Unless Zhao Hanzhang betrays the country and defects, we will listen to whoever pays us."

If the Emperor is willing to pay to support them, he would listen to the Emperor, but would he pay?

Li immediately nodded and said, "Yes, we listen to whoever pays."

Chen Chuan couldn’t help but say, "If word spreads won’t the world condemn us for ’having milk and calling it mother’?"

Chen Wu waved his hand indifferently, "Let them condemn, as long as we survive."

Feng Long and the others thought the same, and then they packed up the money onto their oxcarts and sent soldiers out to buy grain.

The Qihu Army had a dedicated grain-buying team, weary and hungry, sitting casually on the street, watching the grain-buying team driving several carts out, with sacks on the front two carts, they knew they were going out to buy grain.

Thus, the Qihu Army who were somewhat lifeless were suddenly lively and happily greeted the grain-buying team, "Stay safe on the road."

"Come back soon."

When Chen Wu came out and was told to pick houses in the south and west of the city, they went enthusiastically.

Previously, they wouldn’t have bothered; houses were not hard to get now, but grain and money were rare.

They continued their usual practice, several families living in one house, to take care of each other daily and respond quickly in case of war.

They didn’t consider Guy City as a place to stay long-term, even if Zhao Hanzhang would send seeds for them to plant, they didn’t think they’d stay long.

Since leaving, they hadn’t stayed in any place for a full year.

So they casually chose houses, opening doors, confirming there were no traces of habitation, and living in individual rooms, or even families occupying a room.

Therefore, when Zhao Hanzhang sent people to record the nameplates, they saw several wooden nameplates hanging outside each door.

The logistics officer from the army immediately went to report this situation to Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said, "Record it as it is, it’s fine. It can accommodate more people; as long as they don’t cause trouble in the future."

Because of these words, when the logistics officers went to record the nameplates, they repeatedly asked, "Is this allocation confirmed, not changing?"

The Qihu Army found them annoying and replied impatiently, "Confirmed, confirmed."

A young teenager leaned against the door, shaking his leg, saying, "I’ll be in the army in half a year, not living here anymore. Why ask so many questions? Can this house support me for a year?"

The logistics officer glanced at his leg and said, "As long as you don’t regret it in the future, once registered, it can’t be changed."

The teenager dismissively rolled his eyes, "There are so many empty houses, if I really want to live alone, I can just find another one."

"That won’t do, now those houses are all our Commander’s, outsiders can’t occupy them at will."

The teenager said, "Who’s living in them? There are only a few families in West City apart from us, who else would live here?"

Soon enough, they found out.

Fu Tinghan led people to deliver seeds and bring over a group of people.