Chapter 32: The First Thing

How bad it gets, we will know in a couple of days.

On the sixteenth, the legal advisor from Yangmen County arrived.

"Lord Meng, a portion of the goods has arrived. Here is the ledger. Our Lord intended to deliver it personally, but he has gone to the countryside to arrest people."

Meng Changqing took the ledger and asked while flipping through it, "Arrest whom?"

The legal advisor from Yangmen County gave a dry laugh. "The people you want arrested. Our county is short on conscripted labor, so our Lord went to the countryside personally to investigate the matter."

"How many people are there now?"

"Barely a thousand," the advisor explained. "It is not that our Lord is not diligent, but this matter is truly difficult to handle."

"I understand. Thank you for making the trip. Go back and tell your Lord to send whatever they have as soon as it is ready."

"Yes." Before leaving, the advisor took a careful look around the area. Upon returning and speaking to Mao Chunfang, he said, "The living conditions in Beishan County are much like those of the Jiewan savages. The county magistrate's office is just an adobe house, and the main gate is held together by wooden strips. Little Lord Meng is quite pitiful."

Mao Chunfang had just returned from scolding people in the countryside, his throat parched and smoking. He had to gulp down two bowls of water before speaking. "People are born different. Don't look at how pitiful he is now; he will never spend his whole life stuck in Liangzhou."

The advisor continued pouring him water. "Could it be that this Little Lord Meng... is exceptionally talented?"

Mao Chunfang laughed loudly while holding his bowl. "I can't tell if he's talented, but I know he has a powerful backer."

"You might as well tell me, lest I accidentally offend that backer."

"You think you can offend him? You and I will likely never even meet that person in our lifetimes." Mao Chunfang returned to the matter at hand. "What did Little Lord Meng say about the laborers?"

"Little Lord Meng said to send whatever they have as soon as it is ready."

Mao Chunfang said, "That is all that can be done."

As soon as the legal advisor from Yangmen County left, Meng Changqing immediately took the ledger back to the office.

The goods were arriving in trickles; various supplies she had requested were arriving in small amounts. Meng Changqing recorded the numbers and took out a fresh sheet of paper.

"Bafang, I have a task for you," Meng Changqing said while writing. "Take this slip and lead men to Yangmen County to collect the goods. Our own horses and carriages certainly won't be enough. Ask Yangmen County to lend us a few more, and remember to stay safe on the road."

After finishing, she stamped the slip and handed it to Bafang.

Bafang scratched his face. "Young Master, which men should I take? I've never done anything like this. How about I go with Brother Dai?"

"Look at the items on the slip," Meng Changqing instructed him. "Most of them are tools, and tools take up a lot of space. To transport these items back, we will need at least seven or eight carriages, with at least three men assigned to each.

The route passes through dangerous mountains, so to be safe, we need even more people.

Go to the kitchen construction site and find thirty men."

Bafang looked troubled. "The men under Captain Zhang have quite bad tempers. If I tell them to do something, I'm not sure they'll listen."

Meng Changqing's hand, which was about to use the abacus, paused. "It is not about you telling them what to do. You are my person; your words are my words. If you speak and they do not listen, then go find Zhang Yuan.

If Zhang Yuan follows his subordinates and disregards your words, then come back to me."

"Alright," Bafang said unconfidently. "I'll go try."

"Bafang," Meng Changqing called out to him. "You must have a method. Though you are young and lack influence, there is no need to be intimidated by them.

Even if those men complain, it has nothing to do with us.

Their exhaustion and hardship are not something I, your Young Master, am imposing upon them. Everyone is working for the Imperial Court."

"Mm! I know what to say now."

"Let me teach you another principle: the logic of handling any matter is the same. Do not bypass the middle management to find trouble for yourself.

You don't need to personally call out names to recruit people. Go directly to Zhang Yuan and ask him for men. If you are afraid they will be hard to manage, take Zhang Yuan with you.

Just give the orders to Zhang Yuan. If he cannot manage his subordinates, that is his problem and his loss of face. You just stand by and watch the show."

Bafang gave Meng Changqing an "OK" sign. "I understand, Young Master."

Meng Changqing calculated the time for Bafang, wondering how long his round trip would take.

Inside the pit, the air was filled with the sound of abacus beads clacking. Having finished the last set of numbers, Meng Changqing was about to blow out the candle and head out when the door curtain was lifted.

Her mother walked in, followed closely by her nanny, who was carrying a small clay pot.

"Mother, Nanny," Meng Changqing pulled over small stools to help them sit.

"Your nanny boiled some red date soup for you. Drink it while it's hot," Lady Wen said. "Knowing you dislike the skins, your nanny peeled them before boiling."

"Thank you, Nanny."

Lady Wen helped tidy the items on the table and waited until Meng Changqing had nearly finished the soup before saying, "When I came by, I saw Bafang leading men out."

"I sent him to collect goods."

"Changqing, this is, in the truest sense, the first thing you have done for the Emperor. No matter how bitter or difficult it gets, you must never give up halfway."

"Rest assured, Mother. I am not that kind of person."

From the moment she proposed this, Meng Changqing had never thought of giving up. She had anticipated the countless problems she would encounter, even wondering: what if the Yan army ignores the Jiewan and attacks directly?

She had thought of solutions for every possible problem, which was why she had promised Wei Fangyun that the city walls could be built within two months.

Her mother was right; this was the first thing she, Meng Changqing, was doing in her own name for the Emperor.

The success or failure of this matter would not only affect how the Emperor and the court officials viewed her, but would even impact her father's reputation.

After noon, Bafang had not yet returned, but the soldiers from Hongjia County arrived first.

Hua Rujin had brought them personally.

After receiving the report from Cai Tong, Meng Changqing hurried to meet him. "Lord Hua, why did you come personally?" Meng Changqing reached out to help him dismount. "The wind is strong outside; please follow me inside to rest, Lord Hua."

"Don't be too busy, Little Lord Meng. Let's get to business first." Hua Rujin pulled a two-inch-thick roster from his robe. "There are two thousand men here in total. Who will verify them?"

Meng Changqing turned around. "Captain Yang, please check these."

Hua Rujin handed the roster to Yang Zheng and said to Meng Changqing, "I had them each bring five days' worth of dry rations, so there is no need to prepare meals for them for the next two days."

"Lord Hua is very thorough. As you can see, I only have three iron pots here; I truly cannot manage everything at once."

Meng Changqing led him to the kitchen and poured him a bowl of hot water.

"Haha!" Hua Rujin laughed as soon as he entered, even slapping his thigh as he sat on a small stool. "This is actually a kitchen! Before coming in, I thought this was your magistrate's office."

Meng Changqing said, "I am temporarily working in the pit; that place is not as comfortable as this."

"It's a hardship for you, child. It will be better once these two months are over." Lord Hua looked around the kitchen. "I must say, it really is warm in here."

Meng Changqing introduced him to the use of the heat wall. After they chatted for a while, they waited until Yang Zheng entered to confirm there were no discrepancies in the personnel, at which point Hua Rujin stood up to take his leave.