After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 568 - 562: Out of Money

Zhao Hanzhang had just opened her mouth when Ting He came over with a worried look, holding a money box, and opened it to show her the empty box.

Zhao Hanzhang could hardly believe it, "Am I this poor?"

Ting He said, "When we were in Xiping, because Treasure Pavilion made money, Mr. Ji would allocate a sum to the inner courtyard every month. But since leaving Xiping, the expenses outside have increased, and Mr. Ji hasn’t allocated money to the inner courtyard anymore."

Actually, Zhao Hanzhang’s monthly income isn’t small either. Her Treasure Pavilion, Papermaking Workshop, Bookstore, Glass Workshop, and more are all making money. But she earns more and spends even more.

The money only exists in the account books. Since leaving Xiping, Zhao Hanzhang hasn’t seen the money she made, only the accounts.

But looking at it hurts her more, because in the accounts, she always spends more than she earns, to the extent that she constantly needs to supplement from the assets Zhao Changyu left her.

So Zhao Hanzhang has developed a habit of not looking at the account books.

As long as she doesn’t look, she isn’t in debt.

She just didn’t expect that the debt had already extended from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard, "Then our current expenses for eating and usage..."

Ting He took out a very large money bag, pulled out two strings of coins and three more, and said, "This is all we have left. Rice and flour can last for another two months, and these coins are for buying vegetables and meat, which can also support for a while. However..."

Zhao Hanzhang got nervous, "However what?"

"However, it’s visibly getting hot soon, and Miss, the eldest son, and the second son all need new clothes, these coins are absolutely insufficient."

Zhao Hanzhang immediately said, "What new clothes? I am still observing mourning. There will be no new clothes this year."

"..." Ting He said, "I was about to tell you, Miss, you and Second Son are about to come out of mourning and need to get new clothes."

"Just take out the old clothes from before and wear them," Zhao Hanzhang said, "The clothes from before weren’t worn much before they were put away."

"But Miss, Second Son has grown taller, even the eldest son has grown bigger than last year, those clothes no longer fit..."

In conclusion, new clothes must be made.

Zhao Hanzhang stared at her with big eyes for a while before coming up with a good idea, "I remember there’s a saying that for those who haven’t grown up, new clothes are made with an extra section left, so when they grow taller, they let out a bit, and the clothes can be worn continuously."

Ting He said wordlessly, "Miss, how could our family be in such difficulty? When the lord was here, you had four sets of clothes every season regularly, apart from that, during big festivals and banquets, the lord would give cloth for maids to make new clothes for you. Now being the master, you can’t be worse than before, right?"

"You don’t realize how expensive grains, oil, salt are until you manage a household. I think my grandfather was too wasteful before, so it’s decided. When you make new clothes, remember to leave an extra section, leave more," Zhao Hanzhang paused and added, "By the way, isn’t there cloth among my loot?"

"Mr. Ji took them all," interrupted Ting He, "saying it was to buy grain and linen."

Zhao Hanzhang: ...

Zhao Hanzhang decided to check her granary. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Mr. Ji also graciously let her take a look, precisely when the army’s logistics team came to pick up grain.

She watched the soldiers loading bags onto the carriages and then the carriages transporting them away. The granary that was full now emptied more than half.

Mr. Ji accompanied her and said, "This is their food supply for five days."

Zhao Hanzhang felt a chill in her heart, "Five days?"

"Otherwise, where do you think all that money went?" Ji Yuan said. "A military unit is a gold-consuming beast, and besides the Zhao Family Army, you have three other gold-swallowing beasts: Beigong Chun, Xun Xiu, and Mi Ce. Now, Guy City adds to the expenses. If not for Zhao Ju’s self-sustaining army, you’d be even poorer."

Zhao Ju’s army was mostly recruited refugees in Xiping, who were given land to farm after enlistment, training during agricultural downtime.

So, they are barely self-sufficient when not at war.

When assembling to battle, only then do they ask Zhao Hanzhang for food supplies, their army costs the least.

Currently, several major armies in Luoyang are solely dependent on Zhao Hanzhang’s provision; so many people, even just eating without training costs a lot of grain, let alone training and combat.

Zhao Hanzhang felt the pressure, immediately said, "Shi Le and Liu Cong are fighting over Shangdang now and won’t invade south imminently. Let Xun Xiu and Mi Ce take the troops back."

She said, "Returning now, resting for a while would be just right to harvest the wheat."

Leave a crack troop to maintain training, others, combine farming with training, protecting the territory is important, but so is having enough food.

Ji Yuan had no objections, but... "General Mi and General Xun are injured, can they travel now?"

Zhao Hanzhang got depressed, after all, she caused the injuries.

Thus, she decided to visit the two Generals.

Mi Ce and Xun Xiu occupied two separate mansions, adjacent to each other.

Not that they share similar tastes or views, but both mansions were occupied by Xun Xiu.

However, Xun Xiu knew his time in Luoyang was short, knowing he couldn’t keep them all, so he generously gave Mi Ce, who came to Luoyang later and acquired nothing, one mansion. He wanted to give Beigong Chun one too, but since Beigong Chun refused, he directly asked Zhao Hanzhang for one.

Zhao Hanzhang went to see Xun Xiu first, but the soldiers guarding the gate hurriedly ran into the courtyard, while one stopped Zhao Hanzhang to speak, "Master, did our General say we could keep the things we searched for when we entered Luoyang?"

At that time, Luoyang had nothing left, and what they found were trivial items. Zhao Hanzhang didn’t bother disputing even with the soldiers, even though now she is very poor, not even a mosquito leg.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, with her gaze following the soldier running away, watching him zip to the wall, step on it and jump over, pushing with his hands to hop into the neighboring mansion.

The soldier stopping Zhao Hanzhang wanted to continue talking, but Zhao Hanzhang had already stepped back a few paces, slightly leaning back to look at the adjacent big door, "Next door is General Mi’s house?"

The soldier forced a smile, "Yes."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, stepping towards the adjacent mansion, "Then I will see General Mi first."

"No, Master, hasn’t our General’s merit surpassed General Mi’s? How could you see General Mi first before our General?"

The soldier hurriedly followed over to the adjacent mansion, wanting to stop Zhao Hanzhang but dared not.

Zhao Hanzhang’s trusted aide, seeing the soldier daring to follow, glared at him, stepping forward with a blade.

The soldier indeed dared not follow further, only watched Zhao Hanzhang go to the adjacent mansion, "Our General’s injuries are severe..."

Zhao Hanzhang replied, "General Mi is older, I will see General Mi first and then visit General Xun."

Her face showed an odd smile, "Or, I could perhaps see both Generals at once."

General Xun’s mansion was difficult to enter, but General Mi’s wasn’t. The soldiers guarding the gate didn’t dare stop Zhao Hanzhang, sending someone inside to report while allowing Zhao Hanzhang entry.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t go to the front hall, she directly strode towards the main house.