After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 567 - 561 Revitalize the Economy

The clerk replied, "It’s because the magistrate has set a large order. The coffin shops need to make extra efforts to gather wood boards, and considering you’re a member of the imperial family, there’s more attention to details, hence the higher cost."

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand and said, "Just a regular coffin, no need for anything fancy."

She frowned, "Is it difficult to gather wood boards?"

The clerk nodded, "There have been too many people ordering coffins these past two days. Originally, there were twelve coffin shops in Luoyang City, but now only four remain. Their previous stock of coffins was insufficient, and now many are waiting for them to make coffins."

Just as Zhao Hanzhang was about to speak, Zhao Erlang burst in with a proud and boisterous expression, "Sister, I have coffins, I have coffins."

Zhao Hanzhang’s words got stuck in her throat as Zhao Erlang pulled her to see the coffins laid out in the courtyard, roughly sweeping her gaze over them; there were twenty or thirty of them.

Zhao Hanzhang paused and then asked, "Where did you get these?"

"I had people carry them over."

Zhao Hanzhang gave his head a tap and asked, "Tell the truth."

Zhao Erlang covered the place where he was hit and complained, "They were carried over. I was on patrol today and saw many households dismantling doors to sell them to coffin shops to make money. Then I remembered, I have several coffin shops, all with coffins in them, so I called people to carry them over."

He added, "Sister, if you don’t want them, I’ll sell them to the coffin shops to make money."

Too many issues at once, Zhao Hanzhang decided to ask the key question, "...You have coffin shops?"

"Yes, of course. General Xun said, we conquered this city, so it’s ours. All the unowned properties and shops here can be taken over. I took many, but later some people returned to live there. There are still many places where no one has returned, so aren’t they mine?"

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t speak for a while, and under Zhao Erlang’s clear gaze, she patted his shoulder and praised, "Nicely done, but Erlang, those aren’t yours, they’re mine."

She said, "All war spoils have to be handed over to me for safekeeping and distribution. Of course, I won’t shortchange you. Is there a particular property you like, sister will assign one to you."

Zhao Erlang grinned and shook his head, "Give them all to sister. I like living in the barracks."

Living at home or in a property, Mr. Xie always comes looking for him. In the barracks, Mr. Xie would only come looking for him every other day.

Zhao Hanzhang looked at her good brother with relief, then at the coffins arranged in the courtyard, "Count how many are still missing, see if there are coffin boards in the unowned coffin shops, send them to the coffin shops to be made into coffins, and sell the excess to those shops."

The clerk agreed, paused, and then asked, "Lady, many people in the city are dismantling their doors to sell to coffin shops, do you want to stop them?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "If they’re selling their own, it doesn’t matter, but mine, ahem, I mean, they can’t steal from others, nor take unowned ones."

"Understood." The clerk went to make arrangements.

Zhao Hanzhang pulled Zhao Erlang, who was about to run out the door, back, and asked, "Are you still hanging out with Xun Xiu?"

Zhao Erlang shook his head, "Didn’t Xun Xiu get caned by you? He’s lying on a bed and can’t get up, so today it’s my turn to patrol, I didn’t play."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded and asked, "How is Xun Xiu?"

Zhao Erlang shivered and said, "It’s so tragic, lots of blood from his buttocks and lower back. He says he can’t move."

Zhao Hanzhang sneered; didn’t she know the soldier administering the caning was lenient?

It just looked tragic.

However, she still warned Zhao Erlang, "Don’t copy him. He was lucky this time; he didn’t delay operations. If it were during wartime, it wouldn’t be just a spanking, heads could roll."

On his way back, Xun Xiu’s scouts detected a convoy returning after delivering supplies to Shi Le.

The supplies for Shi Le’s army were transported by slaves driven by Jie Clan and Xiongnu officials. Xun Xiu discovered that half of the slaves were Han people, so he immediately led troops to divert and capture this convoy.

There weren’t many supplies, but a large number of people were captured.

Thus, the officials who were supposed to escort the supplies became slaves, and the Han slaves were brought back and became free people, while the barbarian slaves remained slaves.

Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t angry at him for acting on his own to capture people; she was annoyed he didn’t return to the capital on time. Credit was due, but faults were faults, so Xun Xiu was punished and beaten rather harshly, more so than Beigong Chun and Mi Ce.

The coffin business in Luoyang City suddenly thrived, so much so that even neighboring counties heard about it, attracting merchants to transport coffins to Luoyang.

Merchants are just that keen; in these times, as long as you can exchange it for money, silk, and food, someone will be willing to do it.

With foreign merchants entering Luoyang, expenses for board and lodging ensued.

The entire Luoyang City didn’t have a single inn, so resourceful Luoyang residents opened their doors to attract these merchants, charging only a small fee.

More people began selling vegetables from their gardens and wild herbs collected from the field at their doors.

It’s spring, the time when everything comes back to life, and wild herbs taste the best. Although the merchants weren’t fond of eating them, when they’re hungry, they’ll eat whatever is available, so they eagerly opened their money pouches to buy them.

When others saw this, the next day some people began to hunt in the mountains, carrying game to peddle in front of those houses. The merchants didn’t buy, but nearby households, which were well-off, did.

Thus, the once dormant Luoyang City unexpectedly came back to life.

Zhao Hanzhang listened in silence; she never imagined that the economy of Luoyang City would revive from coffins.

Ji Yuan watched all this and immediately said to Zhao Hanzhang, "Lady, didn’t Second Son occupy several restaurants and inns? They can be cleaned up to welcome guests."

Now that Luoyang City at least has over a hundred thousand people who have "come back to life," businesses can naturally start up again.

Although Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t too concerned about these matters initially, she couldn’t help but pay attention lately due to excessive spending. "We need to open them up, I entrust you with this task, sir. Please select several clever and business-savvy individuals."

Ji Yuan said, "We can select from Xiping Academy. Those who excel in accounting and cooking skills can try. Some are in Chen County, which isn’t far, but..."

"But opening a store requires capital, Lady, there’s no money in your public account now."

Zhao Hanzhang opened her mouth wide, "Didn’t we just uncover the treasure grandfather left in Luoyang?"

Ji Yuan said, "You have so many soldiers to maintain, and the refugees you brought back also need relief. Just in this period alone, we’ve spent an unimaginable amount on grain and supplies. Moreover, Mr. Fu constantly needs money because he’s established a brick factory, a Glass Workshop, a papermaking method, a soap workshop, and he’s been dredging rivers..."

"By the way, just for the river dredging alone, he spent one million coins," Ji Yuan glanced at Zhao Hanzhang and said, "Lady, you now have less than ten thousand coins left in your public account."

It sounds like a lot, but when converted to silver, it’s only about a hundred taels. She humbly asked, "How much is left in my private account?"

Ji Yuan replied meaningfully, "That, Lady, you should ask Ting He."

Zhao Hanzhang’s private accounts have always been managed by Ting He. All expenses for her, Zhao Erlang, and Fu Tinghan’s food, clothing, housing, and transportation are withdrawn from Ting He.