Chapter 137 - License Plate

Chapter 137: Chapter 131 License PlateFu Tinghan couldn’t help but laugh out loud, "You’d best take it slow, you still have to plead with Zhao Ming for a title."

"How do you know he agreed?"

"Seeing how happy you are walking over here, I guessed."

"You guessed pretty well," Zhao Hanzhang said, "I wanted to make you the County Magistrate, but your identity isn’t suitable to be placed in the forefront right now, so we both have to keep a low profile for now."

Fu Tinghan gestured with the book in his hand, "Then this..."

"Keep it for now, we’ll talk about it after this period," Zhao Hanzhang was patient, and didn’t want to make anyone unhappy at the moment.

The immediate priority is still saving lives and calming the people’s hearts.

The effect of Zhao Hanzhang personally stepping out to calm the masses was quite good. The citizens of the city saw that the chaotic army had been driven away, and Zhao Hanzhang had brought so many people to live in the county government. Hearing that Zhao Ming from Zhao’s Fortress had come to assist her, their confidence immediately multiplied, and they no longer thought about fleeing.

Zhao Hanzhang was true to her word. After roughly counting the number of survivors in the city, she began to open the granaries and distribute grain, with everyone being able to receive enough rations for three days at once.

Song Zhi and Chen Si Niang, who came to report for duty, hadn’t had time to introduce themselves before Fu Tinghan directly asked Qiu Wu to take them to the relief point, "The people who registered yesterday have all received number plates. Today, they will bring their plates to receive relief grain. Your task is to mark the names of those who come to receive the relief grain. Those over fourteen are considered adults; adults receive two and a half pounds of grain for three days, while those under fourteen receive two pounds."

This was the booklet filled out by Fu Tinghan when listing the names of survivors yesterday. He used quite a bit of paper from the county government and cut them into number plates for this purpose.

They were advised when receiving them that any relief would be collected based solely on these number plates, and if lost, they should come report it.

So, he thought, they should be very careful with their number plates.

Also because of this, the county government is particularly lacking in literate people now. After all, whether it’s counting survivors or distributing relief grain, matching the numbers is required.

No wonder Zhao Hanzhang wants to bring anyone who can read and write to her side.

Song Zhi took a book and went to the relief area, where four lines were lined up. Besides them, there were two other clerks with books in their hands. One of them was even wearing mourning clothes. Song Zhi looked carefully, finding the person somewhat familiar, and it took him a while to recognize, "Geng Rong?"

The expressionless young man looked up, saw Song Zhi, paused for a moment, and then raised his hand in salute, "Song Liulang."

Song Zhi hesitated as he looked at the white hemp tied on him, "Your family..."

"My father died protecting the city along with County Magistrate Fan."

Song Zhi sighed and said, "My condolences."

Geng Rong glanced at Chen Si Niang beside him, also wearing mourning clothes, "You too."

The four stood silently in front of the relief platform, each accompanied by two servants; one was beside them responsible for weighing the grain, while the other was maintaining order at the front, ensuring people lined up according to their number plate ranges.

"Number plates from one to five hundred line up here, five hundred to one thousand line up in this row, one thousand to one thousand five line up over there..."

Most people couldn’t read, but when they received their number plates yesterday, the person who gave them told them, and many remembered; but some couldn’t recall, so they went to find the servants to read.

The servants had no clue, so they took them to the front to find Song Zhi and the others to read it.

Song Zhi glanced at it and said, "Number five hundred eighty-nine, line up in my row."

So the servant led the person back to queue.

The relief area was orderly, Zhao Ming stood by and watched them match number plates to find names in the booklet. Generally, a family would be grouped together, so one person could bring their family’s number plates to collect for everyone, and they were recorded as one household in the booklet.

Initially, Zhao Ming thought this was very orderly, though a bit of ink and paper was spent, but it required fewer people than direct relief.

But when he saw unregistered people running to register because they couldn’t receive relief grain, he slowly came to realize.

Zhao Ming silently turned back to find Zhao Hanzhang, she was meeting the heads of households in the county today, who reported the casualty lists from their homes, mostly among their servants and laborers.

Seeing Zhao Ming, the household heads were startled, quickly greeting him with respect.

Zhao Ming smiled and nodded in return, walked over to Zhao Hanzhang, and lowered his voice, "Come over, I have something to say to you."

Zhao Hanzhang raised her head and nodded to the household heads with a smile, and then stepped aside with Zhao Ming to speak in whispers, "Are you registering to investigate hidden households?"

"Of course not," Zhao Hanzhang denied decisively, "Aren’t we, the Zhao Family, the biggest hidden household in Xiping County? Why would I do such a thing?"

Zhao Ming: "...I thought you didn’t know. Not registering means not getting relief grain. Do you know how many hidden households can be ferreted out this way?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Uncle, we have a rule at Zhao’s Fortress; anyone who comes to seek shelter, the rent they pay for farming the land is the lowest in all Xiping. Those not on the county government book register pay less tax to the fortress every year than to the county government. But outside, it’s different, the hidden people will initially pay a small sum of protection money, but after some time, they’ll find their lands gone."

"I am indeed short on people now, but honestly, in these chaotic times, I can send someone to Yingchuan or Luoyang casually and bring back quite a few people. I won’t compete for short-sighted gains with the hidden households."

Zhao Ming felt a stir in his heart, "Are you competing for land?"

Zhao Hanzhang gave him an approving look and lowered her voice, "What do people rely on to live? Land, isn’t it? With land, naturally, we’ll have people, and with people, we can protect the whole Zhao’s Fortress and Xiping."

Zhao Ming: "If the households know your sinister intentions..."

"It’s too late," Zhao Hanzhang said softly, "After today, many who can’t make it will come to register, and even if they disapprove, it’s useless. Aren’t you still behind me?"

Zhao Ming: ...Such sinister intentions, he was slightly regretting coming here.

Zhao Hanzhang reassured him, "Don’t worry, as long as our Zhao Family treats those tenants and hidden households well, they won’t despair and come to the county to collect relief grains."

The Zhao Family is not poor, anyone who fell in battle, whether they were servants, laborers, tenants or hidden people, received compensation, and their families would be taken care of. So why would they care for these few pounds of rice from the county?

Zhao Ming asked, "How many days can you relieve them with your grain?"

Zhao Hanzhang assured him, "I’ve thought it through. Each number plate can receive six days of rations for free. After six days, I’ll employ them for the relief work."

Six days is enough for her to understand the situation in Xiping County, and to be prepared.

Zhao Ming looked at her, "You’re that confident?"

Zhao Hanzhang urged, "Uncle, please write a letter to Luoyang, first to inform them of Xiping’s matters, and second to finalize the County Magistrate and Chief Clerk."

Zhao Ming gave her a deep look, nodded slightly, then glanced at the household heads standing not far away, and asked in a low voice, "Should I go back to the fortress now?"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "Leave the county city to me, Uncle, please return to the fortress first, they can’t do without you there."