Chapter 60: Just This One

No one gave Wen Gu a formal introduction, but the various details along the way from that Patrol Lieutenant Yang had already proven the identity of "Cousin."

Seeing Wen Gu offer a salute, Tietou, who was beside him, also followed suit and called out, "Cousin."

Although the relationship was more distant, Tietou himself lacked such awareness, and Wen Gu had also told him to just follow along and call him that, without worrying about anything else.

Thus, in front of everyone, Tietou called out "Cousin" very naturally, looking as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

The young man in fine clothing had been steady and dignified when stepping off the carriage, but upon walking over and looking at Wen Gu and the other, he had already become kind and modest.

"You have finally let me wait for you!"

Hearing Tietou follow along and call him that, he did not show any strange expression. He had already learned of Tietou's situation and knew to treat Tietou as a big child.

Zhao Shaozhu looked Wen Gu over.

Against the backdrop of Tietou, Wen Gu indeed looked a bit frail.

Sweeping his gaze over the five-hundred-person group behind Wen Gu, he patted Wen Gu on the shoulder:

"Good! Truly, very good!"

Zhao Shaozhu grabbed Wen Gu's arm and called for Tietou:

"Let's go, get in the carriage first; it is warm inside."

Wen Gu followed the force and walked forward two steps, then paused slightly and looked behind him.

Zhao Shaozhu said, "Do not worry, the group will be taken care of."

Wen Gu nodded toward Head Escort Lin and County Lieutenant Zhou and the others, signaling that they should just follow the arrangements.

Watching Wen Gu and Tietou follow him onto that large carriage, the cavalry on both sides also mounted their horses again to escort the vehicle back to the city.

Over here, the group hesitated and dared not move.

"Should... should we kneel?" a villager asked, feeling uneasy and trembling with fear.

"There is no need for that; the Young Master does not care for such empty formalities," said Patrol Lieutenant Yang.

Meanwhile, the others in the group, who had been lost in their own thoughts, finally came back to their senses.

The north wind was biting, and the tips of their noses were frozen red, but at this moment, their hearts were burning hot, and their breathing had become rapid.

The Zhao Clan, the Young Master!

What is this? This is the crown prince of a local warlord's household!

Our Leader Wen is cousins with the crown prince!

First cousins!

Xiao Liu was so excited that he was shaking even more violently than when he saw the Corpse Driver; only, back then it was out of fear, while now it was entirely out of excitement.

He Da and the others also had eyes shining with light.

My old He family is going to strike it rich!

I am a lackey under Leader Wen! No one is to fight me for it!

They watched the carriage leaving ahead, stretching their necks and wanting to shout, but they dared not, and could only shout silently in their hearts:

Leader Wen! Please don't forget that we are still here!

And at this moment, inside the magnificent large carriage.

Medicinal incense drifted with smoke, but it was not pungent or choking.

A heater was also placed to the side.

An attendant had placed a small side table with two plates of snacks and a pot of tea.

After getting on the carriage, Tietou sat on the side eating and drinking; Cousin said to be at ease, so he was truly at ease, as there was nothing else to do anyway.

Wen Gu, however, was quite clear-headed.

Cousin Zhao putting on such a grand display, so ceremoniously, was likely not because of his own group.

They were not yet at that level.

Wen Gu did not hold back; at this point, facing this powerful aristocratic youth who was also his own cousin, there was no need to act deep and scheming.

Thus, with the appearance of "speaking one's mind to a relative," Wen Gu asked for the reason.

Cousin Zhao smiled and told him about today's coincidence.

Today there was a sacrificial ceremony outside the city, a date that had been chosen long ago.

Several important defensive works in the Outer City District were to have their groundbreaking on an auspicious day, which was today, officially starting.

To honor the mountains, rivers, sun, and moon, and to sacrifice to the heavens, earth, ghosts, and gods. In this era, people placed great importance on these sacrificial rites.

Just after the sacrifice was finished, hearing that his cousin Wen Gu had arrived with five hundred people, he came out of the city to welcome them.

This display was not because of Wen Gu, but, having encountered this auspicious day, Zhao Shaozhu was also willing to put on a grand procession to welcome them personally.

Wen Gu and his people were the first five-hundred-person-level group to arrive this year!

The city defense soldiers had gone out on patrol several times and had not brought back as many people as Wen Gu had brought along the way.

Everything is about the implication.

Before they had even met, Zhao Shaozhu's first and deepest impression of Wen Gu was—this cousin is quite auspicious.

As the carriage returned to the city, Cousin Zhao told Wen Gu that for groups arriving from afar, except for a few people with special status who could enter the city early, most of the people in the group needed to stay in the Outer City District for a day or two.

All groups migrating north received the same treatment.

Wen Gu expressed his understanding.

Understood, quarantine.

Aside from the Evil Plague, it was to prevent other diseases. Direct quarantine was the simplest and most labor-and-resource-saving method.

Cousin Zhao said, "There is medicinal soup and porridge over in the outer city; you can exchange for whatever you need, so you need not worry."

Seeing Wen Gu's curiosity about Xinzhou City, he introduced the current management model of the city.

The Outer City District of Xinzhou City, which was currently being expanded, would have wards partitioned off in addition to the defensive works, mostly military wards.

The Neicheng is also divided into wards and markets; the wards are residential areas for residents, and the markets are commercial areas.

They can be viewed as individual communities under closed-off management.

Every ward is surrounded by walls on all four sides, with gates that open and close at set times. This effectively combines the security concepts of a Wubao with urban management.

The carriage entered the city and went directly to the residence.

The place where the Zhao Family currently resides was formed by merging and renovating several large mansions.

After the Zhao Family gained power, they also built many small courtyards here. Relatives kept coming to seek refuge, so they needed places to stay.

For instance, this time, when Wen Gu and his brother arrived, the Zhao Family had prepared a courtyard in advance.

Even though the facilities cannot compare to those of wealthy families in the past, in these times of severe material shortages, this courtyard is very precious and rare.

Not everyone can be directly assigned a courtyard.

The servants were busy under the direction of the steward; the rooms had been fumigated once in advance, and they were fumigated again today before moving in.

Wen Gu's aunt, Lady Shen, specifically sent people over and placed some exquisite daily necessities there.

Wen Gu and Tietou were brought to this courtyard.

Although the buildings in the courtyard were not built with much refinement due to current conditions, they were spacious and bright, and even had flowers and trees planted.

Only in the courtyards of wealthy families could one see such ornamental flowers and trees; outside, they would have long since been burned as firewood.

After changing clothes, they were taken to see their aunt and uncle to attend a small family banquet.

The cousin-in-law was also there, bringing along their five-year-old cousin-nephew.

Having come in a hurry, they had not prepared any gifts for the meeting, so Wen Gu said he would make up for it next time.

He himself, however, had received quite a few things.

As for the gift he mentioned and sincerely emphasized he would make up for, no one took it seriously.

In these times, being able to arrive in Xinzhou alive is already very difficult; where would there be any extra conditions to prepare gifts?

The aunt looked pained and had people add some more clothing and utensils for him.

This aunt now has a different status, possessing more dignity and appearing more graceful, but in terms of appearance, she is indeed very similar to the birth mother in Wen Gu's memories.

During this family banquet, Wen Gu had a moment of genuine emotional outpouring, reminiscing about old friends and past events with his aunt.

The slight sense of alienation that had existed originally vanished as they chatted.

The uncle, the Head of the Family of the Zhao Clan, had suffered a leg injury when the chaotic times first began; he had been receiving treatment, and the results were decent—he can walk for a short while every day now, but in general, walking is inconvenient.

His mental state is quite good, his mind is clear, and his will is resilient; when he saw Wen Gu, his smile was kind and hearty.

No one dares to underestimate this helmsman of the Zhao Clan.

Nowadays, most affairs are handled by the cousin, but the one controlling the overall situation from behind the scenes is still this uncle.

Because walking is inconvenient, craftsmen made a spacious, large "wheelchair" that looks like a carriage cabin; strictly speaking, it is more like a wheeled cart.

Craftsmen serve the nobility, and they generally make things as magnificent and imposing as possible.

Seeing that this uncle does not shy away from his leg ailment, Wen Gu said:

"When I was on a Study Tour, I saw a type of wheelchair made by a craftsman; although it wasn't as grand or comfortable, it was compact, agile, and easy to control. When I go back, I will draw the blueprints for my cousin."

The Head of the Family of the Zhao Clan had originally intended to politely decline, but upon hearing it was easy to control, he did not refuse and smiled kindly, "You brought five hundred people here this time, which is a merit. Think about what you want in return and go find your cousin tomorrow."

It was a small family banquet without other members of the great Zhao Clan; the meal was eaten quickly, as everyone was busy with affairs, and they went to attend to their own business after eating.

Wen Gu also returned to the small courtyard and took out a pen to start working.

The matter of the wheelchair is simple; he draws the diagram, and as for the rest, the Zhao Family's craftsmen will naturally refine and build it.

After finishing the wheelchair diagram, Wen Gu pondered his next plan.

The Six Great Clans likely all have mines in their hands. The Zhao Clan should hold coal mines.

Based on his observations, people at this time have long been in contact with coal, using it for heating and smelting Iron.

But nowadays, most wealthy families still use charcoal—high-quality Smokeless Charcoal—which is also more elegant.

Most other people, after the difficulty of cutting firewood increased, use more coal.

Hmm, the Honeycomb Coal Stove is added to the plan.

Involving coal mines, it is not easy to make contact at the beginning; one must first achieve some results before it is easy to bring it up.

This small courtyard is quite comfortable to live in, but it is too restrictive to his potential.

He still has to move out.

The next day, Wen Gu first ran over to his aunt's place to make his presence felt, then went to find his cousin.

Having made an appointment yesterday, Wen Gu went straight to find him.

This Zhao Clan Young Master is indeed busy with affairs, with people coming and going constantly; when he finally got a moment of free time, there were still two scholars in the study constantly copying and organizing something on the side.

When Wen Gu entered the room, the cousin did not have them withdraw.

People like this are clearly trusted aides, and Wen Gu did not mind; in any case, he wouldn't be speaking about sensitive matters yet, and when it involves them later, he won't need to say anything—this cousin will naturally clear the room.

First handing over the wheelchair blueprint, Wen Gu said: "This is the type I mentioned yesterday; Cousin, see if it will work."

How to use it and in what context to use it—those are for the cousin and the uncle to judge; Wen Gu only provides the blueprint.

Cousin Zhao took the blueprint, glanced at it, and praised: "It is indeed ingenious and agile; you have put your heart into this!"

However, the matter to be discussed today is not this.

Handing the blueprint to one of the scholars, Zhao Shaozhu looked at Wen Gu again, his tone easygoing:

"Gathering refugees and bringing in population—these are all things that deserve merit. Have you thought it through? Tell your cousin directly what you want."

As soon as he became easygoing, Wen Gu scooted over and sat on a nearby chair, leaning forward to ask: "Can I be an official?"

A natural smile appeared on Zhao Shaozhu's face: "Sure! Nowadays, there is a shortage of talent..."

As he spoke, he picked up a book from the side, which contained various new and old official positions, opened to the page with vacancies, and was about to hand it to Wen Gu.

Wen Gu said: "I want to be a Ward Chief."

The book in Cousin's hand fell onto the desk with a "clatter."

The room suddenly went quiet.

The scholar writing nearby had his brush tip slip, and he couldn't help but look up.

Cousin Zhao withdrew his hand, his eyes filled with confusion: "This Ward Chief you speak of, is it the 'ward' from 'neighborhood ward'?"

Managing a Village is a Village Chief, or Village Magistrate.

Managing a ward, that is a Ward Chief, or called a Ward Magistrate.

He had originally thought Wen Gu was going to ask for the moon, but he hadn't expected this cousin's pursuits to be somewhat unconventional.

Is a Ward Chief even worthy of being called an "official"?

Wen Gu sat up slightly, his expression earnest:

"I brought five hundred people here this time; since we are here, we must settle in. Since I brought them here, I must get them settled; this is what I promised them."

Cousin Zhao looked at him as if he were some strange species.

"How about you reconsider?"

The relatives who came to him asking for official positions could not be counted on two hands; some had little ability, yet their ambitions were higher than the sky.

But this cousin, why did he go against the grain?

Even if you can bring yourself to ask for it, I can't bring myself to give it; I don't have the face for it!

Cousin Zhao weighed his words and said: "A Ward Chief, perhaps it is not as easy to be as you think."

He raised his hand toward the side.

A scholar at his side immediately handed over a scroll, no need to say a word.

Wen Gu felt envious. He pondered that he should teach his little secretary Cheng Zhi well in the future.

Before him, Cousin Zhao had already unfurled the scroll; it was a map of the wards in Neicheng of Xinzhou City.

Square unit structures were distributed across the map, forming the Neicheng of Xinzhou City.

Those square structures varied in size and were marked with text and different patterns that outsiders could not understand. But there were also some that were unmarked.

Cousin Zhao pointed to the wards near the Zhao Family residence.

"This area is where the nobles and wealthy families live."

Then he moved outward.

"These areas here are mostly merchants and commoners. The refugees taken in will also be dispersed and settled into the wards here."

"What about this side? This area near the city wall."

Wen Gu pointed to the square frames that had no markings at all.

"There is no one there; it is vacant," Cousin Zhao said.

"I want this kind."

Wen Gu tapped his finger on a monotonous square frame, his face clear and upright, his eyes filled with the determination of a young man describing his ambitions and aspirations.

"Starting from a vacant place will better allow me to display my talents!"

(End of chapter)