The conditions set by the yamen for settling refugees were too generous; not only were they being allocated land for free, but the yamen also organized laborers to help build houses for them and provided relief grain. Even if it was just a simple thatched brick and mud house, the relief grain was not much, requiring tight belts and enduring hunger.

However, the children in the school rushed to the registration office for refugees whenever they got a chance, chattering away, calculating for them, saying that the court exempted them from half the tax, and also gave them seeds and farming tools. As long as they survived one year and had a good harvest, the family would have surplus grain...

Not to mention that they were a bunch of fools, even Zhao Hu couldn’t help but feel tempted upon hearing this.

As a result, he couldn’t recruit tenant farmers, even though he had already lowered the rent to forty percent and allowed them to borrow grain in advance for the winter; he still couldn’t recruit many.

He also couldn’t find long-term laborers, and even the capital to buy slaves had increased significantly.

Obviously, it was just after the chaos, a time when vast numbers of people were displaced. It was said that people should be very cheap at this time, at least not more expensive than a chicken. The result, however, was that the price of buying one person now could buy two cows.

To cultivate the land, Zhao Hu had to spend a lot of money to snatch temporary laborers from the yamen and also bought a few people who couldn’t farm to feed themselves, but were good at managing others to oversee them, thereby maintaining the estate.

To be honest, Zhao Hu regretted it a bit. He should have listened to Zhao Hanzhang in the beginning and not bought this piece of land.

Alas, he thought at the time that Zhao Hanzhang was jealous of him. After all, he was someone who could buy an entire qing of farmland near the capital at once.

All connected!

Close to the water!

Even Wang Yan couldn’t accomplish what he had!

As long as Zhao Hu thought about it, he felt proud. This was the foundation he had laid for future generations.

Now, most of this land was lying fallow, and Zhao Hanzhang had issued a decree that any land left fallow for three consecutive years would be reclaimed as state property.

Zhao Hu was lamenting his large estate when he suddenly heard a commotion and became furious, "I’ve been too lenient with them. That’s why the rules have become so lax, and they dare to be impudent in front of us!"

If it were the servants from Xiping, who would dare to make noise in front of them?

The beautiful scenery and the tranquil atmosphere were all destroyed by them!

Zhao Shen glanced at him and said, "Seventh Ancestor, there are guests."

Zhao Hu looked closely and only then realized there were many people at the entrance of the estate. Behind them were a dozen carts and three ox carts, but trailing behind were nearly a hundred raggedly dressed people, clearly refugees.

Zhao Hu was startled and shrank back into the carriage door, urgently beckoning to Zhao Song, "Refugees, Fifth Brother, hurry up, let me run first."

To Zhao Hu, without soldiers on the side, refugees equated to bandits.

They only had about twenty guards; they certainly couldn’t beat these people.

They looked starved and cold; seeing them so wealthy, how could they resist robbing?

Zhao Hu would never risk his life.

Zhao Song didn’t move and waved at him, "What are you afraid of? This is Luoyang."

Isn’t Luoyang frightening?

When people are hungry, why would they care where they are? Even if it were Hell, they would rob; starvation is more terrifying than death.

Of course, Zhao Hu himself had never been hungry, but he had taken in so many refugees and had heard them talk about it enough times.

When people are extremely hungry, they even want to cut off their own flesh to eat, let alone others?

Zhao Shen said, "Seventh Ancestor, you don’t have to be afraid. As long as you bring out food to aid them, they won’t rob you."

"Nonsense, you think you can control them?"

Zhao Shen grinned at him, "I can’t, but isn’t there the Great General?"

"They’ve worked so hard to come to Luoyang, seeing the city ahead, do you think they want to die here? They are here to seek refuge with the Great General."

"Exactly," Zhao Song said, "If they were robbing, your estate would have been looted long ago; they wouldn’t be arguing with your servants at the gate. Let’s go."

Zhao Hu reluctantly shuffled forward.

Zhao Shen supported Zhao Song down the slope. When the people arguing at the entrance of the estate saw them, they immediately stopped. As their carriage arrived, a middle-aged man in the center of the crowd walked halfway towards Zhao Hu on the carriage but hesitated when he saw Zhao Song and Zhao Shen standing by the carriage.

His reason and experience told him that the person wrapped in a fox fur coat with an arrogant face on the carriage was the master. However, upon seeing the youth with an imposing demeanor under the carriage and the gentle and broad-minded elder beside him, his raised hand inadvertently turned halfway, and before he realized it, he bowed deeply, "Kuai Yi from Nanxiang County humbly begs the estate owner."

Zhao Song asked warmly, "You are coming from Nanxiang County?"

Kuai Yi replied with shame, "We have traveled from Lujiang County. Last spring, the Xiongnu invaded southward, and Nanxiang County was attacked. Kuai and his family fled south but found no place to settle in Jiangnan. Upon hearing that the Great General Zhao drove away the Xiongnu and pacified the Central Plains, we returned to seek refuge."

Zhao Song sighed, "Why not return to your homeland?"

Kuai Yi wept, "Our family was scattered. Eight hundred of us migrated south, and only a dozen came back. It is truly shameful; we dare not return home."

Zhao Song hadn’t expected such a tragedy and looked at the people behind him, "Who are all these people?"

"They are fellow villagers fleeing together," Kuai Yi cried, "Some are from Nanxiang County, some are from Xiangyang County, and others joined us while passing through Jiangxia County and Lujiang County."

Zhao Song opened his mouth, unable to speak for a long time.

Zhao Shen thoughtfully glanced at Zhao Song, then asked Kuai Yi, "At most, how many people were traveling north with you?"

Kuai Yi: "More than two thousand three hundred people."

Zhao Song’s body swayed, and Zhao Shen quickly helped him.

Zhao Song choked, "So many people, and only these few remain?"

Kuai Yi said, "Some were too weak to continue and stayed behind. Whether they survived with yamen aid is unknown, but most starved or died of illness. The road is lined with white bones; there’s no need to be sorrowful, sir."

Zhao Shen sighed, "Fortunately, heaven showed mercy, and the Zhao Family could always reside safely in Xiping. When Shi Le attacked, they held the Wu Castle, and Third Lady was always strong. Otherwise, if the Zhao Family had fled south, they could not have escaped such a fate."

Zhao Song’s lips quivered, but he remained silent. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Even the chatty Zhao Hu fell quiet, silently sitting on the carriage shaft.

Hearing Zhao Shen’s words, Kuai Yi’s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Are you from the Xiping Zhao Family?"

When Zhao Shen nodded, Kuai Yi fell on his knees with a thud, knocking his head on the ground with a bang, "I beg General Zhao to save us. The heavens will snow soon; if these old, weak women and children have nowhere to stay tonight, they might freeze to death. Please, General Zhao, save us."

The hundred people behind him also knelt hurriedly, bowing deeply to Zhao Song.

Zhao Song quickly reached out to help him, but Kuai Yi refused to rise without a definite response, firmly kneeling.

Zhao Song glared at Zhao Hu.

Zhao Hu muttered softly, "You’ve already made the decision; can I even object..."

Zhao Song said, "Get up quickly. I will have fires lit and water boiled. Everyone, enter the estate to ward off the cold and warm up."

Only then did Kuai Yi rise and rush to a simple ox cart, from which he supported a pale young man, "Mr. Guo, General Zhao is most generous, allowing us to stay here and get through the cold night."

Zhao Song curiously looked over and met the young man’s gaze. Their eyes collided; the young man raised an eyebrow high, glanced Zhao Song up and down, and smiled, "What an extraordinary demeanor; all of your glory lies in your descendants."

His gaze shifted to Zhao Shen, seemingly amused, "The young master is brimming with brilliance, yet self-pride and arrogance are not sustainable; if you cannot restrain yourself in the future, it might lead to disaster."

Zhao Shen inwardly disdained and remained unmoved, "Where is this immortal gentleman from?"

The young man laughed, "I am Hedong’s Guo Pu."