"It's finally done!"
"With my brother's aid, I am like a tiger that has grown wings," Zhang Xin said, unable to hide his delight.
The phrase might be old-fashioned, but it captured his feelings perfectly.
Guan Yu threw his head back and laughed.
Now that he had secured Liu Yu's favor and gained Guan Yu's allegiance, Zhang Xin was in high spirits. He mounted his horse and rode through the city, inspecting the progress of resettlement.
Deng Xing and the others had already followed his instructions, erecting simple enclosures outside the city to hold the livestock. Hu Cai and Li Le had also organized the construction of camps for soldiers and their families.
With the coordination of county and prefectural officials—and the cooperation of the Yellow Turban troops—the resettlement was proceeding smoothly.
Zhang Xin walked through the newly built camp.
The conditions were still crude, but at least there was shelter from wind and rain. With the recent spring rains and the people occupied with plowing, it had been impossible to mobilize large labor forces. Under the circumstances, this was already a commendable effort.
He summoned Hu Cai and Li Le, praised them generously, and then returned to the prefectural office.
"For now, this will have to do…"
The Yellow Turban soldiers, along with their families and the captured Wuhuan women, numbered over twenty thousand. Such a large population could not remain in temporary camps forever.
But Yuyang City could not accommodate them either. Zhang Xin decided that after the summer, he would begin constructing a new city.
That, however, was a matter for later.
The urgent problem was the strain on supplies caused by the sudden influx of people and livestock.
Back at the prefectural office, Zhang Xin told Guan Yu to rest, then ordered the attendants to summon all the officials currently stationed there.
Soon, more than thirty officials gathered in the main hall, standing in two rows. Their expressions varied—some anxious, some uneasy, others curious or surprised.
Looking at these unfamiliar faces, Zhang Xin sighed inwardly.
When he had first arrived, only a handful of young officials remained. Aside from diligent men like Chen Song—who stayed out of concern for the spring planting—the rest had either fled or stayed reluctantly, fearing the loss of their livelihood.
Now, even before his formal appointment from the court, these officials had all returned of their own accord.
Status truly meant everything.
These thirty-odd men were only those within the city. Dozens more were still outside, overseeing resettlement.
At that moment, a middle-aged official stepped forward and bowed.
"We greet Attendant Zhang."
The others followed suit.
Zhang Xin waved his hand lightly. "No need for formalities. When I first arrived, you were all ill and unable to attend, so I regrettably missed meeting you."
He smiled faintly.
"Now that I have returned from campaign and see you all recovered, I am pleased. However, I do not yet know you. Please, introduce yourselves."
At these words, the tension in the hall visibly eased.
Everyone understood his meaning—what was past would remain past. He would not pursue their earlier absence, nor use it against them.
All that mattered now was their future service.
"I am Xianyu Fu, a minor official currently serving as county clerk. Greetings, Attendant Zhang," the leading man said.
"Xianyu Fu?" Zhang Xin repeated, slightly surprised.
He had heard of the powerful Xianyu clan upon arriving in Yuyang. To encounter one of its members here—and in such a position—was unexpected.
"Yes," Xianyu Fu replied respectfully.
"I have long heard of your reputation," Zhang Xin said with a polite nod.
The introductions continued.
"I am Xianyu Yin, serving among the Five Offices…"
Zhang Xin raised a brow. "And your relation to Gongcao?"
"He is my cousin," Xianyu Yin answered.
Zhang Xin nodded, though his thoughts stirred.
The Gongcao oversaw personnel appointments and could even manage affairs in the prefect's absence. Combined with the supervisory role of the Five Offices, these were positions of immense authority.
To have both controlled by members of the same clan—
Unacceptable.
He made a silent note to adjust their roles once his appointment was formalized.
As introductions concluded, Zhang Xin observed that aside from the Xianyu clan, the Zhang family also held significant representation, with only a few officials from other surnames.
Once again, he was reminded of the overwhelming influence of aristocratic families in this era.
Suppressing his thoughts, he moved to business.
"Before my campaign, I instructed Chen Song to organize merchant caravans to purchase grain from places like Jizhou. What is the result?"
Xianyu Fu stepped forward. "Reporting to you, Jizhou and other regions suffered great turmoil last year. Grain is scarce, and little has been acquired."
"And other supplies?"
"Cloth is abundant, but other goods are limited."
Zhang Xin nodded.
Cloth, at least, had its uses.
"Now that I have returned, the population of Yuyang has increased by over twenty thousand. A shortage of food is inevitable."
He looked across the hall.
"If grain cannot be obtained from outside, what solutions do you propose?"
Xianyu Fu answered, "You captured hundreds of thousands of sheep. That should suffice to sustain us through the year."
Zhang Xin shook his head.
"Sheep can solve immediate needs, but I have greater plans for them. We cannot simply slaughter them all."
He fixed his gaze on Xianyu Fu.
"What, then, of the remaining shortage?"
Xianyu Fu hesitated. "Then… we could requisition grain from the counties?"
"The people themselves suffered disaster last year. Where would such grain come from?" Zhang Xin replied calmly.
Then, after a brief pause, his tone sharpened slightly.
"The Xianyu clan is one of Yuyang's great families," he said, looking directly at him. "Surely… your household has reserves?"