After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 693 - 685: The Benefits of Being Good-Looking 1
Zhao Hanzhang and the others quickly returned to Luoyang.
Zhao Erlang heard that his sister was back and immediately dropped his plow to run back.
The young lad who used to be rather fair-skinned had grown quite a bit since last autumn and was now slightly taller than Zhao Hanzhang.
However, his entire face was sunburned, and Wang Yu was embarrassed to admit that Zhao Erlang looked like him.
In a rare moment, Wang Yu found a topic to discuss with him, "Erlang, you’re a young man now, you should pay some attention to your appearance. Without a father or older brother, perhaps your uncle can teach you how to groom yourself?"
Zhao Erlang flatly refused, "My sister said men shouldn’t use powder. We men of Yu State pride ourselves on our masculine beauty."
He clenched his fist and showed off his strong arms to Wang Yu, saying, "Uncle, look, am I particularly manly now?"
Wang Yu was dumbfounded; masculine he was, but his nephew’s aesthetics were questionable.
Zhao Hanzhang saw no issue with it and only reminded him, "It’s okay to tan, but don’t get sunburned, or your face will hurt with a fiery pain and be uncomfortable."
Zhao Erlang replied, "Sister, you’re saying that too late; I’ve already experienced the fiery pain. Look, here’s some skin peeling on the side of my face, that’s from July’s sun."
Zhao Hanzhang touched it and indeed, it felt quite rough.
Her brother was so handsome; she couldn’t let such a good face be wasted. She hurriedly said, "I’ll ask Ting He to give you a bottle of face cream, the same one I use regularly; you should apply it."
Zhao Erlang did not want to apply it.
Zhao Hanzhang said, "If you take care of your face, every time your personal guard applies for provisions, I’ll give an extra ten percent."
Zhao Erlang changed his tune instantly, "Really?"
Zhao Hanzhang nodded.
Zhao Erlang agreed.
Fu Tinghan was curious, "Why would applying cream earn him an extra ten percent of provisions?"
Zhao Hanzhang explained, "Fan Ying just reported that three-tenths of this year’s taxes are still uncollected. With the autumn sowing over, those uncollected taxes should be gathered. I’m planning to send Erlang to collect them, and he needs to look good."
Not only Erlang but everyone who goes to collect the remaining taxes should look good, both men and women selected from the army and government offices.
Even Wei Jie who had just arrived in Luoyang was sent out to collect taxes by her.
Zhao Hanzhang personally escorted Wei Jie to the door and said to him, "Besides collecting the remaining provisions, you can also discuss next year’s provisions with each family. The army is facing difficulties, especially in Guy City, which is still employing the refugee army; they consume quite a bit of provisions each month. Currently, I’m both poor and troubled."
Wei Jie, doing this for the first time, awkwardly nodded in agreement and turned to take a deep breath before boarding the ox cart.
Zhao Hanzhang turned to go back home, and just after passing through the courtyard, she saw Fu Tinghan walking towards her.
Fu Tinghan paused upon seeing her and turned to leave.
Zhao Hanzhang quickly called after him, jogging to catch up, "Tinghan, I was just going to find you, there are a few people you need to visit."
Fu Tinghan replied, "...Doesn’t the Ministry of Industry handle taxes?"
Zhao Hanzhang laughed and said, "It’s not about taxes, or rather, it’s not just about taxes. I heard from Wang Hufeng that after we left Luoyang, Zhang Xie and Xiahou Yan came down from the mountain. They helped build the waterworks around Luoyang and Guy City, and Zhang Xie even came up with a plan to manage the Luoshui River. You should go see them; if they could stay down the mountain permanently, it would be great."
Fu Tinghan asked, "Are you still planning to collect their taxes at this time?"
Zhao Hanzhang replied, "That’s a separate matter. I’m recruiting them, willing to offer rewards and honors, but they must still pay the appropriate taxes."
Fu Tinghan considered and nodded, "I can do the latter, but the former... "
"You can handle the former together; you’ve been working on waterworks construction lately, you must have a lot in common, hurry up, hurry up, should I get horses for you and Fu An?"
"No need," Fu Tinghan said, drooping his shoulders, "I’ll walk there; I heard they’re not living far."
Zhao Hanzhang nodded repeatedly and again escorted Fu Tinghan to the gate.
Ting He was puzzled, "Miss, you’ve never let Mr. Fu worry about such matters, why did you specifically assign him this task this time?"
"He’s been quite moody on the journey, and even after returning to Luoyang, he seems unhappy, always laboring over calculations in the study. I’m worried he’ll become depressed; he should go out for a walk."
Ting He whispered, "But sending Mr. Fu to do such a potentially embarrassing task of collecting taxes, isn’t that risky?"
Zhao Hanzhang said, "As long as he goes out, it’s fine. Besides, Zhang Xie and Xiahou Yan are prominent individuals, while others might get scolded, he certainly won’t. A bit of embarrassment might actually be helpful."
Zhao Hanzhang nodded in affirmation of her decision, "It’s quite good."
Ting He: Fine, if you say it’s good, then it’s good.
It’s Wei Jie’s first time doing such a thing, and even more so for Fu Tinghan.
He’s never had the experience of urging someone to pay back, let alone collecting taxes.
So when he reached the entrance of Zhang Xie’s house, he hesitated and stopped, pacing back and forth.
This house was arranged by Wang Hufeng for Zhang Xie, it’s a government property because Zhao Hanzhang said before leaving that as long as Zhang Xie and Xiahou Yan came down the mountain, they must be courteously treated.
Hence, they were given this house.
The servants inside were also assigned by Wang Hufeng.
The concierge saw Fu Tinghan pacing at the door five or six times, finally couldn’t help but put hands on hips at the steps, "Young sir, are you going to knock or not? If you’re not knocking, go away, don’t hover at my door."
Fu An, who had been following Fu Tinghan around, was displeased and stepped forward to say, "How can you say that, my young master can knock if he wants, he doesn’t have to knock if he doesn’t want to, what’s it to you?"
"As he’s lingering at my door, it is my concern."
Fu Tinghan quickly stopped the two from arguing, "Alright, alright, Fu An, go knock."
Fu An snorted at the concierge, walked up the steps, and knocked on the door.
The concierge said only after they knocked, "Don’t bother, my master isn’t home."
Fu An: ...
He couldn’t help but jump up, "If he’s not home, why didn’t you say sooner, instead of waiting until I knocked?"
"How would I know if you were knocking on our door or the neighbor’s? Besides, haven’t you seen me standing here, just ask me anything instead of knocking."
Fu An found his words reasonable and looked at Fu Tinghan.
Fu Tinghan rubbed his forehead, turned and said, "If he’s not home, let’s go back."
It’s not that he doesn’t want to do it, but the host’s absence isn’t his fault.
He hadn’t even turned fully when the door opened from inside, a servant came out and bowed to Fu Tinghan, "Mr. Fu, my master would like to see you."
Fu Tinghan: ...
Fu An glared at the concierge, "Didn’t you say your master wasn’t home?"
Concierge: ...Earlier the master told him to say he wasn’t home regardless of who visited.
But the concierge wasn’t the least bit guilty, and righteously said, "Our house doesn’t have just one door; isn’t it possible for our master to return through another door?"
Fu An snorted in anger, unable to help saying, "Do you know who my young master is?"
Concierge: "Why should I care? I only need to know who my master is."
"Alright," Fu Tinghan stopped further argument, sighed with sadness, and said to the servant, "Please lead the way."
The servant promptly bowed and invited him inside.
