After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Chapter 1130 - 1112: Beigong Tuanyuan

In contrast, Shi Le and Zu Ti were much more direct.

Shi Le was a barbarian, lacking the many notions of Han scholars, so under his rule, the capable took charge. Zhao Hanzhang even dispatched female County Magistrates; was it not normal to send a few female village chiefs and female village elders?

He would not overthink it, directly letting the villagers choose for themselves, electing individuals of renown to serve as village elders, including elderly women who led them in fleeing the calamities or capable young ladies.

In Shi Le’s view, these straightforward women were much more useful than the powdered scholars.

Zu Ti, on the other hand, intentionally increased the proportion of female village chiefs and female village elders, "Women are meticulous, better at spotting details when managing affairs. Moreover, since the Great General is a woman, they have a spirit in their hearts, and for court orders, they will find ways to implement them effectively."

Zu Ti chuckled lightly, "The court and the local administration have always been mutually supportive and yet opposing in relationship. The court aids local management, and locals should reciprocate to the court, but with benefits comes competition."

"Thus, court orders have always struggled to reach villages," Zu Ti said to Zhao Shi, who was deep in thought, "Traditionally, court orders only reached the county government, but the Great General established villages and elected village and district elders to assist village chiefs in managing local affairs. With schools beside them aiding the dissemination of decrees, the locals are no longer places where village chiefs and local powerful families can dominate unilaterally."

The young Zhao Shi suddenly understood, "Students at the schools are responsible for reading official documents and publicizing orders. Most commoners are illiterate, and village chiefs are often local powerful families taking responsibility themselves or recommended to the government, so information for commoners in villages mainly comes from them. But now with students in the schools, it’s different."

"With orders reaching everywhere and village elders and district elders reporting upwards, the court can involve itself in local management, no longer dominated by local powerful families."

Zu Ti nodded with a smile, "Indeed, the Great General’s land equalization policy can gather all those who lost their land, and these people will pay taxes for the court, protecting the nation and home. What the Great General wants is the dissemination of orders, so that all the people can know what she has in mind and benefit from the decrees. Zhao Shi, you should now go out and inspect, ensuring that village and district elders are elected fairly everywhere, solidifying this path of the dissemination of decrees."

Zhao Shi responded with a serious face, "Yes."

Zuo Min only asked after Zhao Shi went far away, "Your Excellency, isn’t the Zhao Family now the largest local powerful family? So, does the Great General intend to deal with the Zhao Family?"

Zu Ti shot him a glance and said, "If you can’t think, then think less, lest your brain gets fried. Right now, the Great General and Zhao Family have aligned interests, so why would she deal with it? And the Zhao Family would not openly oppose the Great General on such matters."

Didn’t you say this decree was to deal with local powerful families monopolizing local areas?

Zuo Min seemed half-understood.

Zu Ti turned to leave, but if an entire state were labeled with Zhao Hanzhang, wouldn’t she then be the largest local powerful family?

Yu State... The Inspector is Zhao Ming, but from Zhao Ming downwards, who doesn’t regard Zhao Hanzhang as their lord? As long as she doesn’t place herself on the opposing side of Yu State, she can use Yu State as her arm, how foolish would she have to be to think of dealing with her own arm, cutting it off?

Zu Ti and Shi Le’s neighbor Beigong Chun had fewer thoughts; he simply and honestly executed Zhao Hanzhang’s decrees, passing each one down with instructions, letting Huang An and Linghu Sheng devote themselves entirely to local matters, while he went to negotiate with Tuoba Yilu and, incidentally, patrolled the borders to strengthen security.

Linghu Sheng felt much more at ease with Beigong Chun, unlike dealing with Liu Kun, which was exhausting. He was completely assured of General Beigong’s military capabilities.

Moreover, Beigong Chun was different from Liu Kun; he was generous to his soldiers but very stingy to outsiders, not thinking Tuoba Yilu could profit from him, so he confidently managed local administrative affairs with Huang An.

He knew that conducting transactions with Tuoba Yilu was the intention of General Zhao. Although deep down he wanted to reclaim Dai Country, he understood that the court currently needed to cooperate with Tuoba Xianbei, so it was not suitable to start a war.

This time Beigong Chun went on border patrol, taking his daughter Beigong Tuanyuan, named after they reunited as a family and then Beigong Chun wept and named her after the reunion. Before this, she had no name and was called Miss Beigong.

Taking the name Tuanyuan not only symbolized the hope for family reunion but also wished that his Xiliang soldiers could reunite with their families too; he... still wanted to lead the Xiliang Army back to Xiliang to reunite with family.

But for now, that was not possible. First, guard the border, serve the nation, and later, when he laid down his armor and returned to the fields, he would surely lead everyone back to Xiliang for a reunion.

Beigong Tuanyuan was thirteen years old this year. Before coming to the Central Plains, she learned cooking, weaving, sewing, and even herding and farming from her grandmother and mother. As for characters, she recognized a few with her mother but knew little.

After arriving in the Central Plains, she was enrolled in a school to study.

In the school, she discovered how fascinating the outside world was, and the world in books was just as splendid.

It had been some time since her parents reunited. Last year, her parents worked hard, but her mother still hadn’t given her a brother, seeing her mother so worried that she lost her appetite, she considered taking advantage of the New Year festivities to add a concubine to her father.

Her mother said if the concubine doesn’t conceive, then it’s likely her father’s issue, and she could resign herself to it.

Beigong Tuanyuan couldn’t bear her mother being so sad. Just then, the news of the Great General’s reform of the female household system and inheritance law arrived. Beigong Tuanyuan immediately sought out her father and said to her not-so-familiar father, "Father, I want to be a general like the Great General."

Beigong Chun was only briefly stunned before nodding, "Good, you’re tall and strong. I hear from your mother that you can herd three hundred sheep and even kill wolves, which shows your riding and archery skills are good."

Seeing her father not object, Beigong Tuanyuan immediately pushed further, "Father, I also want to inherit your property and glory."

Beigong Chun was slightly surprised, silent for a moment before saying, "That depends on your abilities. My glory is more than the Xiliang Army."

If it were before, Beigong Chun naturally wouldn’t have considered obtaining great glory; leading the brothers back to Xiliang alive was good enough. But now, he believed that with effort, he could certainly achieve high positions.

Zhao Hanzhang trusts him, relies on him, and will certainly use him heavily.

Thus, his future glory would never be lacking, the daughter wishing to inherit these requires more than just "being a general."

Beigong Tuanyuan was greatly delighted and immediately promised, "Father, I will certainly not disappoint you!"

From that day onward, Beigong Tuanyuan stayed by Beigong Chun’s side, practicing martial arts and studying. Beigong Chun even recruited a team of female soldiers for her to train personally.

This time, going out on border patrol, he also planned to take her to eradicate bandits, intending to let her try her hand.