My lord, spare his life!

"Why is Hidan looking at me like that? Is there something dirty on my face?"

Zhang Yang took out a small mirror from her game inventory and looked at herself. The Nuwa graduation project in the mirror was still flawless, without a single blemish. The game designers were bad in every way, but they put effort into designing her character model, which was truly beautiful.

Xia Gengshi was an honest man and didn't know how to lie.

When her lord asked the question, she answered honestly, "This humble general... this is the first time this humble general has ever heard of this hobby of yours..."

Zhang Yang: "People are naturally inclined to prefer the new and tire of the old."

"This humble general does not understand what you mean."

"It means that I might like poetry and songs yesterday, but tomorrow I might like plowing and herding cattle. And there's no rule that you can only have one or two hobbies. Some people appear to be virtuous and upright, but who knows what kind of tastes they have in private." She was referring to Sun Zhaoruo.

Xia Gengshi thought about it and realized that this made sense.

She was merely a marginalized figure, rarely seeing her lord even a few times a year. How could she possibly know his private hobbies? Moreover, she had lost her memory and possessed only a smattering of intuition. What use were these intuitions anyway?

"Does the lord secretly enjoy carpentry?"

Zhang Yang said, "No, I enjoy helping others in private."

These skills are simply the ones she needs to acquire to complete her missions.

Xia Gengshi looked on with admiration.

"After you go back, send some people over to distribute some food rations to these villagers to help them get through these difficult times." Zhang Yang also specifically emphasized to Xia Gengshi, "Try to find tall, good-looking people with an air of righteousness that's almost sinister. Make sure they wear clean and tidy clothes, and don't raise their voices when they communicate with people..."

Despite Xia Gengshi's rugged and unkempt appearance, he was meticulous in his actions, had a good memory, and was also very eager to learn: "This humble general obeys, but there is still one thing I don't understand, why is this necessary?"

If our side can allocate precious military rations to relieve ordinary people, that is already a great act of kindness. Why should the latter nitpick about whether it is beautiful or ugly?

Zhang Yang said, "Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse."

Xia Gengshi asked, puzzled, "What's the connection between the two?"

"Imagine there are two people here who both want to help you, one with a fierce and menacing appearance, and the other with a kind and gentle face. Which one do you think is easier to approach? Which one is more likely to be a good person?"

"One's appearance reflects one's heart; I will be more inclined to be closer to the good-looking one."

"Isn't that right? When someone is ugly, everything they do is easily misunderstood and distorted. Similarly, when someone has a bad reputation, everything they do is easily suspected, and if something bad happens, outsiders will always think of this person first." His adopted daughter, Lü Yuan, has this tendency, and emotional disputes are easily associated with Lü Yuan. In this respect, she is just as well-known as the Prince of Zhennan, as mentioned in the observation sample.

Xia Gengshi stroked his somewhat rough face.

"This humble general is ugly."

"Beauty and ugliness are nothing in the face of absolute strength." Zhang Yang didn't know how Xia Gengshi made that connection. "That's not the point. The point is that the people we've chosen can serve as our 'face' and leave a positive image of our army in the eyes of the outside world."

Ordinary people primarily rely on communication to exchange information.

This method of transmission is very slow and prone to distortion. The more complex the details of a matter, the easier it is for important information to be altered during transmission. What Zhang Yang needs to do is to simplify the "details." When outsiders see that this group of people are all handsome and tall, they can easily remember this label and further reinforce it during information transmission.

Xia Gengshi listened in bewilderment.

But since her lord spoke with such conviction, she found it reliable.

She nodded repeatedly, greatly encouraging Zhang Yang, who couldn't help but talk all the way. Whether Zhang Yang spoke well or poorly, Xia Gengshi would always applaud her, providing ample emotional support. It wasn't until they returned to their tent that Zhang Yang felt parched, just in time for dinner.

Xia Gengshi called her back for dinner, so it was just dinner.

All military affairs were left to Xiao Sui, Han Wo, and their fellow civil and military officials. Only when no one else was qualified to make decisions would they consult Zhang Yang for his judgment. Han Wo had previously worried that this action was tantamount to sidelining Zhang Yang, but he later realized he had been overthinking it.

Warfare boils down to money, food, and manpower.

The money and grain are both in the hands of the lord.

Even if others have their own intentions, they can't stir up any trouble.

Therefore, realizing that Zhang Yang's limited education was insufficient to handle complex military affairs, and with the absence of Fan You, the master teacher who dedicated himself to educating the illiterate, Xiao Sui and the others tacitly chose to work more, as long as their lord remembered to return to replenish provisions and supplies. Yes, calling Zhang Yang back for meals was just an excuse; the real purpose was to ensure the army's food supply and prevent a food shortage crisis.

The county offered little resistance.

The surrounding counties almost all fled at the mere sight of him.

In this situation, Zhang Yang naturally didn't need to be there. She could run around wherever she wanted during the day; she wouldn't get beaten to death outside anyway. The food prepared today was quite sumptuous, with a whole pot of stewed pig's trotters that were tender, flavorful, and incredibly delicious and chewy.

Zhang Yang beckoned Xia Geng to join him in gnawing on the corpse.

Xia Gengshi watched Zhang Yang's unrestrained eating posture and fell silent again. Subconsciously, she told her that her lord should be a very elegant and refined person, and not someone who would just grab a pig's trotter and start gnawing on it.

Would scions of prominent families act this way?

Xia Gengshi was silently stuffed with a large mouthful of food.

Zhang Yang asked her, "Is it delicious?"

Xia Gengshi chewed it and said, "Delicious!"

She couldn't recall ever eating such delicious pig's trotters before, otherwise she wouldn't have liked them so much. Zhang Yang said, "The army cooks' skills have improved a lot; before, they couldn't even caramelize sugar properly..."

Although recipes for making food with attributes cannot be copied in the game world, other recipes are surprisingly useful. Whether it's a cook in the prefectural canteen or a chef in the army, they treat the recipes like treasures. After studying them carefully for a few days, their cooking skills improve by leaps and bounds. Some with high comprehension can even apply what they've learned to other dishes.

"...Wait, how come there's fresh pork in the army?"

Zhang Yang only realized this after he finished eating.

She knew best what ingredients were available in the army.

Xia Gengshi: "Perhaps it was a wild boar hunted in the mountains?"

"Wild boar doesn't taste this good; it must be domesticated."

No sooner had these things been mentioned than it was discovered where this pot of pork came from. When Xiao Sui delivered important military news, she specifically mentioned this matter: "It was brought by two commoners who drove the pig. The lord was not present at the time, so he took it upon himself to accept the pig."

The pigs were checked and found to be fine.

The common people's reason for giving pigs as gifts was simple.

These two commoners were brothers who ran a butcher shop together in the city, while their parents lived out their retirement in their hometown. Their lord had saved their parents and, in doing so, several relatives. Upon hearing the news, the two brothers went to a nearby village to buy two pigs and deliver them to express their gratitude. Xiao Sui did suspect that the two brothers might have poisoned the pigs, but she later dismissed her suspicions.

Because the local magistrate led the county officials to surrender.

Zhang Yang asked, "Where is he?"

Xiao Sui: "We are still in the camp. Would you like to see me, my lord?"

Zhang Yang said, "Of course I should see them. Any sensible child deserves a reward. If they haven't eaten yet, I can have the kitchen prepare an extra meal. I've had a lot of work this afternoon and I'm still hungry."

Xiao Sui, unaware of Zhang Yang's activities during the day, casually asked a question.

Zhang Yang said, "I built houses for the nearby villages, but all the able-bodied men have fled, leaving only the elderly and children. The roofs leak and the walls are leaky. How can they survive the winter in such conditions? When it snows in a while, won't they freeze to death? It just so happens that the county magistrate is coming. I'll ask him how he plans to handle this. Being a local official isn't easy. If he can't do it right, I'll find someone else who can."

Xiao Sui advised from the side, "This magistrate is pragmatic. Even if he hasn't made any great contributions, he has worked hard and is familiar with local affairs. If Your Majesty is not satisfied, you can give him some pointers and give him a chance to make amends."

Surrendering voluntarily can also be considered a merit.

We should still give face to those who have made contributions.

Zhang Yang nodded: "I remember."

The magistrate was a young man in his early thirties. He wasn't wearing an official robe, but rather a faded, starched casual dress with frayed cuffs. He was accompanied by his advisors. Neither of them had expected Zhang Yang to be so young; they were both surprised.

"This humble official greets Lord Boyuan."

Zhang Yang was not quite used to this title.

This world is great in every way, except for the lack of a standardized way of addressing people. For example, Zhang Yang is addressed in all sorts of ways: Zhang Jun, Boyuan Jun, Zhang Gong, Boyuan Gong... These are based on her given name and courtesy name. There are also people who call her Zhang Tianyue, Tianyue Jun, Ming Gong, Zhujun, Zhushang, Zhangjia... Zhang Yang suspects that one day she might be insulted to her face without even knowing it.

She said, "No need for such formalities."

Hearing that her tone was relatively friendly, the magistrate secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Yang: "Xiu Ying said you arrived this afternoon, brought provisions to reward the troops, and even visited our door to express your sincerity, intending to submit to us?"

The magistrate appeared quite frank and honest: "To be honest, Lord Boyuan, our county is short of able-bodied men, and most of the soldiers stationed here are elderly. How can we possibly withstand an elite army? Besides, the county also has very little food and provisions. As the magistrate of this county, I truly cannot bear to send them to their deaths in vain."

Upon hearing the news, they packed up the local specialties and delivered them to the door.

"Not much food?"

The magistrate found it difficult to speak, but he had no choice but to answer truthfully. If he concealed the truth, Zhang Yang might suspect that he was feigning poverty out of fear that the other party would steal his grain, which would cause trouble. He said, "This year's autumn grain was all requisitioned by the prefecture, and there was almost nothing left."

How desperate is he right now?

The county government and its officials are struggling to pay their salaries.

Zhang Yang stared at the county magistrate for several moments and said, "It does sound a bit difficult, but you don't need to worry too much. If the county really can't manage, I can give you some of it. You can pay it back next year when your county is in better financial shape."

Zhang Yang's answer exceeded the county magistrate's expectations.

Historically, it's considered merciful for these separatist warlords not to come and plunder the local area, let alone do charity work.

The magistrate was extremely grateful and thanked him profusely.

Zhang Yang waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so polite.

"Once Hu County comes under my control, its people will also be my children. Raising children is our duty as parents, and we will do our best." Zhang Yang shifted to a more casual sitting posture. "As the local magistrate, you should be very familiar with the county's affairs, right?"

The magistrate asked, "What does Lord Boyuan wish to know?"

"How many people are there in the county? How many types of taxes are there? How much was collected in previous years? Oh, right, how much farmland is there in the area? And how many wealthy families are there?" Zhang Yang's map of Yan was too short; in just a few words, the truth was revealed.

However, the magistrate was unaware of this. Although he hadn't prepared for these questions, he was able to answer them.

He answered carefully, and Zhang Yang listened attentively.

Zhang Yang then asked, "How serious is the issue of hidden accounts?"

The magistrate said somewhat tactfully, "This is a chronic problem that exists in many places, and it is deeply rooted. I am not in a position to judge it."

Zhang Yang nodded knowingly: "Oh, I understand."

The magistrate had heard of Zhang Yang's tough methods, and seeing that he seemed hesitant to speak, Zhang Yang said, "Say what you have to say."

The magistrate said, "I have heard that Lord Boyuan loves the people like his own children, but some things are not entirely the fault of the wealthy households. The problem of hidden households has a long history. Our county is poor and has suffered from many natural and man-made disasters over the years. The government's relief efforts are limited, and the granaries are not full, so we are unable to provide for and resettle them. Without their help, I don't know how many people would have died... Let the refugees who have no livelihood have a place to go and save them from the suffering of being displaced."

Not all hidden households are registered under the names of local powerful families.

Many families with a bit of wealth would acquire land when they had money. Over generations, these properties would be kept clean and tidy, and they would be rented out to earn some rent.

The magistrate did not consider this a mistake.

Zhang Yang's reputation is characterized by a one-size-fits-all approach.

"I understand what you mean, but how can the magistrate guarantee that their land was clean from the beginning and will remain clean afterwards? That the entire process will be completely free of any dirt? If they can prove that every piece of land and every person is clean, I'm not against letting them keep everything, but what if they can't? What are they supposed to do then?"

The magistrate fell silent.

At this moment, the guards brought in the food table.

Zhang Yang looked at the fragrant, thick soup and pointed at it: "If I were to throw a piece of shit into this soup right now, do you think it would still be edible? Whether you drink it or I drink it, would we be able to drink it?"

The magistrate shook his head: "No."

Zhang Yang said, "That's why I can't either."

Magistrate: "..."

Zhang Yang: "In my early years, I made a wide circle of friends, many of whom also came from large and successful families. They told me that their ancestors had also started from scratch, but you can't become an industry leader by doing business cleanly all the time. There's always something unclean about it. The initial accumulation of capital may be clean, but expansion is another story... I don't have the energy to peel away the dung in the soup."

She would simply throw up the soup and make another one.

"Moreover, you've got it backwards. It's not that they're giving refugees a way to survive; they're the ones who've blocked their path. Do you know how many people there are in this county, how much farmland there is? Don't you know that if all that farmland were divided equally among everyone, they could all survive on their surplus grain? Why sell themselves into servitude, why become tenant farmers, and why flee to become some kind of hidden refugee?" Zhang Yang said seriously. "I admire the hard work their ancestors put in to build up the foundation for their descendants, but what does that have to do with me taking action against my descendants?"

Zhang Yang's attitude was firm, and the county magistrate knew that he could not be swayed.

"Xidan, go and see your lord off."

The magistrate was flattered and overwhelmed.

Zhang Yang stared at the red name above the county magistrate's head and sent a message to Xiao Sui: "They'll send more food to reward the troops. Be vigilant."

? ?|??w?`)

Mushroom applied for a fan title event post today. If you don't have a title yet, you can check out the event requirements (if you already have a title, it's best to participate too, as Mushroom has set up a 2 RMB event fund, and the rewards will be split equally after the settlement).