This question is easy to answer, the farmers replied, "The land over there is too good. Even if we planted it now, it would be of no use. In a few years, maybe some noble will come to buy it, and weren’t we just working for free for a few years then?"
"It’s better to choose a piece of decent land and cultivate it now, and nourish the land."
Although the land is good, burning or pulling out the grass is quite labor-intensive. They are also afraid that if they cultivate the land well, a noble might come along and with a wave of their hand, take over the land they have cultivated.
That’s still okay, but what if there’s still grain growing in the field and they take the grain as well?
Such things aren’t unheard of.
This is one of the reasons why more people tend toward selling themselves into slavery.
But selling oneself into slavery makes one even less self-determined, so as long as there is still hope, they do not wish to sell themselves.
The farmer who chose to sell himself did so to get money to treat his mother’s illness.
Zhao Hanzhang gained the understanding she wanted and directly said, "You can go directly and choose the land you fancy for cultivation. As long as you can break ground and grow grain, I will have the county government make a deed for you."
She added, "Do you have enough seeds saved? If not, apply at the county government, I will send some over, and you can go directly to the county government to collect them."
The farmers frowned upon hearing this, and Zhao Hanzhang lowered her head to glance at their farming tools.
They were loosening the soil directly with a hoe and then scattering wheat seeds, which was not only slow but also did not allow for deep plowing and fine work.
However, it is understandable, as there was not enough manpower, nor beast power, so they could only take on the work themselves with hoes.
Finding a few cattle to send over might not be easy for Zhao Hanzhang, but sending some farming tools should not be difficult.
She said, "I will give your county government some more farming tools, striving for twenty plows per mile, and you shouldn’t be rigid, if there are fewer people at home, neighbors can help each other."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "Form partnerships in threes, cultivate one family’s land today, another’s tomorrow, isn’t the collaboration of three more efficient than one person working alone?"
Zhao Hanzhang looked down at the wheat seeds just sown and said disdainfully, "Not to mention the soil clumps being too big to bury, even if they could be buried, can wheat seedlings survive the winter in such shallow pits? Fertilizing next year won’t be easy either."
The farmers blushed slightly, and then everyone was shocked and looked at her.
They quietly shifted their eyes to examine her, swallowed some saliva, and nervously asked, "Mistress, you are?"
"I am Zhao Hanzhang."
The farmers fell to their knees with a plop, prostrating themselves in worship, "Master~"
Zhao Hanzhang was frightened and stepped back two steps, then reacted, quickly moving forward to help them up, "No need for this, not being able to make you comfortable as good citizens and resorting to selling yourselves for survival is my fault."
The person Zhao Hanzhang helped up was trembling all over, tears streaming down their face, unable to speak.
Actually, there’s another reason they chose to sell themselves: the labor this year was quite heavy. They had just completed one month of service. Although the government hadn’t publicized it, they felt that the labor next year would be even heavier.
But heavy labor doesn’t mean they don’t respect Zhao Hanzhang.
Although living as good citizens has become difficult, they are still grateful to Zhao Hanzhang for giving them a relatively safe place to live.
Before, this area was fought over repeatedly, and they were repeatedly robbed by different forces: the court, then the Prince East Sea, then the Xiongnu, and even by passing refugees and bandits...
Their parents, siblings, and even spouses and children mostly died or were scattered during these processes, making it difficult to reunite.
And now, above them there is only Zhao Hanzhang.
The court’s tax collection doesn’t reach them, nor do the Xiongnu invade. Occasionally encountering refugees and bandits, the troops from Luoyang and Chen County occasionally come out to suppress bandits and protect them.
They only need to deal with Zhao Hanzhang alone.
Thus, even though her labor was heavy this year, they could still accept it.
If there weren’t truly few people at home, making it difficult to harvest, they would be very willing to be her subjects.
With Zhao Hanzhang’s apology, they cried even more intensely, ashamedly raising their hands to cover their faces and said, "We are ashamed to see the Master."
One farmer explained, "It’s not that we don’t want to be the Master’s subjects, but that life is truly hard. There’s only me and my twelve-year-old sister in my family. She injured her hand during the escape, and relying on me alone for farming, I truly can’t support two people."
Zhao Hanzhang held back her tears, firmly supported the person who wanted to kneel again, and nodded, "I understand, it’s not your fault, it’s the court that cannot protect you, and it’s me who failed to provide you with a stable life."
If one could live well as a person, who would want to be a slave like livestock, life and death reliant on someone else?
Zhao Hanzhang asked, "If I provide you with land deeds to ensure you can farm the land you desire, I provide you with seeds and farming tools so you can cultivate more fields, and you help each other in partnership, under such circumstances, would you be willing to continue being my subjects?"
Several farmers glanced at each other and immediately knelt down, saying, "The humble subjects are willing!"
Zhao Hanzhang breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the tears off her face, pulled the person up and said, "If one cannot reach the land of blooming flowers alone, why not form an alliance with fellow travelers, helping each other along the way?"
The efficiency of one person farming three acres of land is not the same as three people farming nine acres together; the former is much slower than the latter.
Each household has too few people; they can just pair up.
Zhao Hanzhang pondered, how many people in Luoyang and Yu State are still struggling to survive alone because their families have been separated?
Without family to help them, they could fully seek alliances themselves.
The same goes for her; besides Xiliang and Gou Xi, she should also seek more help. The isolated region of Shu, caught trembling between her and Xiliang, Chang’an, and now Jiangnan, which is the financial and grain support of the court...
Zhao Hanzhang pondered, while Zhao Hu, standing nearby, was so angry that he blew his beard, "Zhao Hanzhang, it’s one thing for you to intercept people, now you’re not even selling me land!"
Zhao Hanzhang instantly snapped back, soothing him, "Seventh Ancestor, there are not even birds dropping here, let alone people; what are you buying this land for? Don’t you already have enough land?"
She said, "Look at the land I let you buy, in Chen County and Luoyang, all top-notch places, with plenty of people. Once slightly operated, they became prosperous, and you won’t lose then. If you buy this piece of land now, you’ll still end up finding no one to cultivate it and it’ll go to waste here."
"Let me make this clear upfront, even if you are my Grand Uncle, you have to follow the rules I set. If the purchased land is not cultivated for three consecutive years, I will take it back." Zhao Hanzhang sincerely said, "I don’t let you buy the land here for your good."
Zhao Hu’s mood improved slightly.
This place is indeed remote, and though the land is good, farmers are hard to find. Buying it would be useless if no one cultivates it.
Zhao Hu finally gave up the idea.
Zhao Hanzhang also withdrew her gaze from this vast wasteland, thinking if Zhao Hu bought the land, it would at best be cultivated, but the area was remote and rare for merchants to come by, so the economic benefits for those who could be supported there would be minimal.
If Zhao Hu has this money, it would be better to open more shops and set up more workshops elsewhere.
The group returned to the road, just as the carriage caught up. Zhao Hanzhang did not ride a horse again, but directly got into her carriage, however, she had Fu Tinghan, Zhao Cheng, and Wei Jie join her inside for a discussion.
The discussion went on until they stopped at dusk and still had not ended. Zhao Cheng’s several students and Zhao Zheng acted as clerks, recording their orders one by one.
Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan crafted a few policies. Once they reached Luoyang, they could make them known to both regions, while the Ministry of Industry was to be responsible for sending farm tools to various places.
On the carriage, they determined the quantities one by one, thanks to Fu Tinghan being able to remember how many townships were in each county, even without consulting records.
Having Zhao Zheng and others take notes, Zhao Hanzhang sat by the campfire, turning her head to look outside.
There were a dozen scattered thatched cottages and mud houses, all in disrepair, with a few houses on the verge of collapse, showing signs of toppling in the cold wind.
The house they were currently staying in was the best in this small village, yet even looking up, one could see the sky with scattered stars through the holes in the thatch.
This was an abandoned village.
And in both Si Province and Yu State, there were many such villages, with even more in the areas beyond the two provinces like Jizhou and Bingzhou.
As she worried, Ting He came in with a flushed face, whispered to her ear, "Mistress, I had someone set up a screen in the house not far away."
Zhao Hanzhang gave her a glance, thinking ’convenience is convenience, a screen? Didn’t she take convenience lightly in the wild while leading the army?’
Zhao Hanzhang got up directly.
Ting He followed to attend, lowly complaining, "The lady specially set up the screens when we set out, but they haven’t been used on this journey, and now we finally have a chance to use them tonight; Zeng Yue is still oblivious."
Zhao Hanzhang indifferently said, "The cycle of the five grains is normal. It’s only because you politely refuse to speak of it, making it even more embarrassing."
She said, "Say it openly and honestly; who would dare to peek at it?"
Zhao Hanzhang continued, "If there is, you tell me, I’ll gouge out their eyes for you."
Ting He: "...I’m afraid for your embarrassment, Mistress."
"I’m not embarrassed at all," Zhao Hanzhang said, "If I were embarrassed, I shouldn’t be the commander of the Zhao Family Army."
Zhao Hanzhang walked into the room, which was an even more leaky mud house, now surrounded by a screen inside, with a chamber pot placed in it.
Zhao Hanzhang twitched her lips, actually preferring to dig a hole outside to settle the matter, otherwise someone would have to clean the chamber pot...
She loosened her belt, just about to proceed when there was a scream from Ting He outside the screen, and Zhao Hanzhang swiftly pulled aside the screen, stepping forward to shield her, sharply looking ahead.
The person outside was also startled; Zeng Yue drew his long knife, quickly rushing to the door and loudly asking, "Mistress, what’s wrong?"
Fu Tinghan also ran out, "What’s wrong?"
Zhao Hanzhang had already seen what scared Ting He, her voice slightly low, she said, "It’s nothing."

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