Chapter 84

"Ah..."

Zhang Han let out a soft exclamation, finally understanding what Jiang Kui was laughing about.

It turned out that the topic below was about his own marriage. This matter had always been handled by the Chang family. Zhang Han joked that he didn't care, even if his mother brought him a fierce woman, he would still accept it, as everything was ultimately decided by his mother.

Zhang Han's attitude naturally pleased the Chang family. Although it was normal for parents to arrange their children's marriages, Zhang Han's situation was different. He managed all external affairs, and did so with great success. In matters of marriage, Zhang Han could have had a say, but since he didn't ask, the Chang family was happy to take charge.

The Chang family didn't know that Zhang Han's plan was to let them choose a match of equal status. As for beauty, once his career was stable and everything settled, he would be middle-aged with a vast fortune, and with a leisurely life, finding beautiful women would be easy. At that time, there would be plenty of them!

The Chang family, unaware of Zhang Han's thoughts, was wholeheartedly focused on finding a wife for their son. This time, the chosen candidate was Chang Ning, who had just moved to Xinping Fort with her family.

This was a very reasonable choice. Chang Ning's appearance was beyond description, a one-in-a-million beauty. Wealthy families might produce ordinary women, but the probability was much lower compared to poor families. Even if a wealthy person had an ordinary appearance, after a few generations, with wives and concubines all being beauties, the genes would naturally improve, making it difficult to produce an ugly daughter. The Chang family praised Chang Ning's appearance, and Zhang Han smiled, acknowledging that while virtue was the primary criterion for choosing a wife, a beautiful wife was always a good thing.

As for family background and character, there was nothing to criticize. They knew each other well, and this was a marriage between relatives, which made the Chang family even more eager. They wished Zhang Han would immediately return to Xinping Fort and finalize the matter.

"This letter, I'll reply to it myself."

Zhang Han was also satisfied with this marriage. Since his mother said Chang Ning was beautiful, gentle, and had a steady and dignified personality, making her a suitable choice for a wife, he decided to agree.

In his heart, he was indifferent to this choice, thinking it was fine either way.

Having lived two lives, and having experienced the secular world in his previous life, he had become quite indifferent to matters of love and marriage.

Another reason he agreed was that his blood relation to Chang Ning was distant. Chang Ning was the daughter of Chang Jin, whom Zhang Han called his uncle, but only a distant uncle. If Chang Ning were the daughter of Chang Jinquan, she would be his direct cousin, and he would never have agreed to the marriage.

"Master, something's happened."

Just as Zhang Han was about to write, Jiang Yi burst in, wiping the rain from his face, and said quickly, "Cai Jiu went to the south of the city to recruit people, and was beaten by the Han family."

"Hmm?" Zhang Han put down his pen and frowned. "Was there anyone from the Han family in charge?"

"They say no," Jiang Yi said with hatred. "It was just a group of lackeys from the Han family."

"Are there any miners or tenant farmers involved?"

"There are definitely some, but those who acted were definitely the Han family's guards and hangers-on."

"Then inform Liang Xing, gather our people, and fight back. Add more people to our side, and make as much noise as possible. Don't be afraid of trouble!"

"Alright!"

Jiang Yi agreed and left with a satisfied look on his face.

Recently, the Han family had caused a lot of trouble for Zhang Han's side. Conflicts occurred frequently, and because the construction schedule was important, Zhang Han mostly chose to endure it, which only emboldened the Han family. This time, even Cai Jiu was beaten. If someone of Cai Jiu's status were to be beaten without retaliation, Zhang Han's iron mine in Dongshan would be seen as a soft target, and everyone would come to bully him. The miners, who were brave and had a sense of honor, would not work for such a weak and ineffective boss. Mining and smelting were dangerous jobs, and without courage, no one would do them. If Zhang Han continued to endure, the hundreds of people he had recruited would likely all leave.

"Wait a moment!"

Zhang Han's mind was working quickly, and he called Jiang Yi back.

"Take my letter to the magistrate, and invite Uncle Three, Li Dayong, and others. Tell them I'm inviting them to mediate, and we'll go to the county office to talk things over with Han Tong."

"Ah?"

Jiang Yi was surprised, and Jiang Kui also stopped writing, both looking at Zhang Han in confusion.

"Stop being so surprised," Zhang Han said, kicking him playfully. "Watch how things are done, and you'll learn. If Yang Qiu were here, he would already be thinking about my intentions."

The Jiang brothers had similar qualifications to Yang Qiu, having followed Zhang Han for a long time and always been by his side. However, Yang Qiu was now independent, leading dozens of subordinates at the silver vault. Many of the East Master's secret dealings and interactions with high officials were entrusted to Yang Qiu, and many people suspected that Yang Qiu had the task of monitoring everyone to prevent collusion with outsiders. Everyone still remembered Liu Dequan's case clearly.

When they were all bandits, there was no hierarchy, but now, working for He Yusheng, the entire organization had over a thousand people, with dozens of managers. Zhang Han was constantly thinking about how to clearly define the internal hierarchy, including the security company, which had nearly three hundred guards. With the recent large-scale recruitment by Wang Changfu, the number of guards would likely exceed five hundred in a year or two. The position one could secure in such a team was very important.

Zhang Han's guidance made the Jiang brothers look serious, but he didn't want to say more. Insight was a natural talent; if one had it, they would understand, and if not, they wouldn't. He wasn't their father, and he had many subordinates. He needed to maintain a balance of kindness and authority, or others wouldn't respect him, and everyone would want to work for him, causing chaos in the system.

"I'll think about it carefully," Jiang Yi said, his mind in a mess, but he still followed the instructions and left to do the task.

Zhang Han was satisfied with Jiang Yi's performance. His loyalty and straightforwardness were the main reasons he was being mentored.

After Jiang Yi left, Zhang Han smiled and said to Jiang Kui, "Don't rush to write the letter. Go get Liang Xing."

...

The drizzle continued, and the sky remained a grayish mist. It would be dark in an hour, and the mountain paths would be difficult to navigate. Jiang Yi returned with his clothes soaked, saying that the message had been delivered. The magistrate had agreed, and then Zhang Xuezeng and Li Dayong also said they would go to the county office.

"Ha," Zhang Han laughed, but it sounded more like a cold laugh. "Besides Uncle Three, I wonder what they're planning. Let's go now."

Zhang Han's style was always decisive. He gave the order, and the Jiang brothers immediately put on his oilcloth and straw hat. A horse was already waiting outside, and Zhang Han, who was particular about cleanliness, didn't like walking in mud. This was one of his privileges. The horse was brought to the eaves, and he could step onto the clean blue bricks to mount, avoiding the mud.

In addition to the Jiang brothers, Li Laibin led a team of nearly twenty guards, all mounted and wearing straw hats and oilcloths, with knives at their waists. From this, it was clear that even the magistrate of Lingqiu couldn't match Zhang Han. Even if the magistrate had to go out in the rain, he might not be able to gather so many people in such a short time. Moreover, Li Laibin and his men exuded a fierce aura, all strong and fierce, and even a border military commander below the rank of general might not have as many capable guards.

"Everyone, it's tough in the rain," Zhang Han said casually as he mounted his horse. "Let's have a special meal tonight, with a pot of wine at each table. How about that?"

"Great, thank you, Master!"

All the guards were overjoyed. Although it was just a pot of wine, they were usually not allowed to drink. They couldn't drink during training, while on duty, or during transport. They could only drink a little on their one day off every six days, and even then, they had to be careful not to show any signs of drinking the next day. Working for Zhang Han, they couldn't expect to drink at all. The rain had been continuous, and the cold of autumn was severe, so being able to drink a little was a treat. Moreover, the respect and kindness shown by the Master were more important than the wine.

The pay was one thing, and the guards' pay was already very generous, even better than that of the border military guards. The more they earned, the more they were rewarded, especially those who had distinguished themselves in the recent anti-bandit campaign. As the Master said, those who were qualified and performed well would earn more, while those who were lazy or ineffective would see their pay decrease and eventually be dismissed.

Most of the guards came from humble backgrounds, and now they had such a good job. No one wanted to lose it. No matter how much they earned, the Master's consideration and kindness made them feel good.

"Let's go, we need to hurry."

Zhang Han led the way, whipping his horse, which galloped forward, splashing mud. The others quickly followed, and soon they were on the mountain path. The Jiang brothers and Li Laibin followed closely, with two guards sent ahead as scouts and two as messengers to relay messages. The rest guarded Zhang Han, maintaining order as they headed for Lingqiu City.

After Zhang Han and the others left, a group of people came out from the miners' living area. The continuous rain had prevented any outdoor work, so Cai Jiu had the carpenters and others make wooden tools for the mine, as well as furniture like beds and tables. These items, though not valuable, were appreciated by many.

...

These past two days have been tiring. First, my eldest child caught a cold, then it spread to the second child, then to my wife, and finally to me. Now they are mostly better, but my cold is getting worse. I've been sitting for long hours without time to exercise, and I feel weak.

I won't complain further. In the new week, we will continue to update as usual. I bow in gratitude for your support.

[AD begins]

[AD ends]