Chapter 143: The Chaotic Administrative Planning of the Jiang Dynasty

Chunzhi has been in Bianzhou for so long. With her abilities, even if Bianzhou is not indestructible, at least it won't be easily disrupted by just anyone.

Therefore, Su Zhenzhen felt at ease sending Jiang Sijin there. In comparison, Yangcheng needed Chunzhi to stay and oversee things. Moreover, if Hu Wen was still up to his old tricks and tricked Jiang Sijin into doing something, she and Hensheng would be too far away in the south to help.

Before leaving, Su Zhenzhen gave Chunzhi a few more instructions, telling her that if more refugees from the south fled over, she should try to drive them towards the capital. If the refugees lingered outside Yangcheng, they were likely to cause trouble.

To speed things up, Su Zhenzhen chose to ride off on horseback with Hensheng.

Of course, Su Zhenzhen couldn't ride a horse. No one else's legs are as easy to use as one's own. It's a pity that she was born with a special talent. Chunzhi taught her a few times and she learned how to ride.

Su Zhenzhen was held in Hensheng's arms. Aside from being a little uncomfortable at first, she calmly leaned against his warm chest.

This prompted another round of strange shouts from the viewers in the live chat.

Ahhh, so sweet! That horse-riding carry is just so adorable!

The male lead seems a little embarrassed; his ears are even red. Well, for people in ancient times, this would be considered physical intimacy.

Su Zhenzhen didn't dare to move around too much, so she didn't bother to check if Hensheng's ears were red or not. She just thought to herself, "Why do I look like the kind of person who does intimate things with her boyfriend in public? And I've attracted a crowd of onlookers."

Suppressing the strange thoughts in her mind, Su Zhenzhen began to talk to Hensheng about serious matters.

"Hensheng, do you know anything about the administrative system of this dynasty? I've only heard about it from others, and it seems rather confusing to me."

Su Zhenzhen has only unlocked the maps of Bianzhou, Huzhou, and a few small cities such as the capital and Yangcheng. She knows nothing about the situation in the south.

During the twenty years that Hensheng was trapped in the thatched hut, the Xu family prepared many books for him, including a map of the Jiang Dynasty's territory. When Su Zhenzhen asked about it, he immediately and patiently explained it to her.

"The Jiang Dynasty has a vast territory, spanning from north to south, with the Yangtze River as the boundary. It uses two sets of administrative systems. In the north, there are Bianzhou, Huzhou, and Jingzhou, where the capital is located. However, we usually do not call it Jingzhou, but simply Jingcheng. Xijun is the source of the Yangtze River. It is sparsely populated and has a rugged terrain, so it uses the prefecture as its administrative unit."

Hensheng paused here, "Because of the differences between the North and the South, we habitually regard the South as a state, calling it the Southern State, but everyone still calls it the South. In the Southern region, the term 'prefecture' is more common and quite confusing."

Su Zhenzhen raised her question at the right moment, "Why not unify the administrative units? It sounds like the Jiang family dynasty is in disarray."

Hensheng smiled helplessly, “The Jiang family dynasty has lasted for thousands of years. During this time, there have been natural disasters, man-made calamities, and disloyal ministers, which have caused considerable upheavals. Furthermore, all kinds of technologies are in the north, while the south has the advantage of a pleasant climate. Therefore, the rulers have not paid much attention to the south, which has led to political bias.”

Su Zhenzhen was taken aback, and immediately thought of something, "Because of the inequality of resources, whenever there is a disaster in the south, people will run north. Why don't they run south?"

A clear, pleasant laugh rang out from above, and Su Zhenzhen heard Hensheng's gentle reply.

"Further south lies the boundless sea, so they can only head north."

Indeed, this sounds a lot like a period in history from the 906th century.

Su Zhenzhen fell silent. Was this fictional era really randomly generated based on high technology?

Or is there some unseen force at play?

Seeing that Su Zhenzhen didn't speak, Hensheng gently touched her shoulder with the tip of his nose, "What's wrong, Zhenzhen?"

Su Zhenzhen quickly composed herself. "It's nothing. Where's our next town?"

"After passing Chuanbei City, it's another 500 li to the Yangtze River. If it's the dry season, we can walk directly across the exposed riverbed."

Su Zhenzhen thought of the refugees in Yangcheng. She knew without a doubt that the Yangtze River was in its dry season, otherwise these starving people would have been swallowed by the river long ago.

"Let the horses run, let's speed up our journey."

As soon as Su Zhenzhen finished speaking, Hensheng immediately waved the reins. The horse received the command, and its four hooves instantly became like a wound-up spring, no longer touching the ground.

Even though the horses ran very fast, it still took the two of them two days and one night to reach Chuanbei City.

As night fell, bonfires were lit on the city gate. When the guards saw two people and a horse stop below the city, they shouted, "Who are you? Where are you going?"

Su Zhenzhen raised her voice and replied, "We are from Yangcheng and are going south to visit relatives. We would appreciate it if the general could do us a favor."

Yangcheng and Chuanbei City are not far apart, so the soldiers naturally heard that not long ago a group of people calling themselves the Huo Family Army set off from Shanxian and advanced eastward, and it seemed that they had reached Yangcheng.

Even if Yangcheng were to be ruled by a different group of people, it would still be better than the South. The South is plagued by one disaster after another, and refugee waves occur every few days.

Although the soldier didn't understand what the two men were thinking, he still showed respect, but...

"The city gates are already closed. You'll have to wait until tomorrow morning for them to open."

Su Zhenzhen was surprised to have a peaceful conversation here. She thought the city guards would order them to leave, so she started to discuss things with them.

"General, we're in the middle of nowhere, and my wife and I have nowhere to stay. Please do us a favor, and we'll give you some money."

The soldiers became interested when they heard about the silver; the young couple could ride horses, which meant they must have some money.

Su Zhenzhen saw the soldier she was talking to wave his hand behind her, and a moment later the city gate opened. She quickly told Hensheng to drive the horse inside.

At this moment, all the soldiers came down from the city wall and lined up in an orderly fashion to block the road. The one in the lead reached out his hand to Su Zhenzhen.

"Give me the money."

Su Zhenzhen was speechless for a moment, but still took out a piece of silver and threw it over.

Although it's very impolite, I really don't want to dismount and then remount; it's a bit of a hassle.

The leading soldier reached out and took the silver, bit it, and finally confirmed, "It's real."

Su Zhenzhen clearly felt that after those three words were uttered, the morale of all the soldiers rose considerably.

Seeing that the soldiers didn't seem to intend to rob them, Su Zhenzhen tentatively asked, "Generals, shall my wife and I continue on our way?"

The leading soldier stepped forward in twos and threes, speaking rapidly, with a hint of ingratiation.

"Young lady, do you need a hotel? I know which inn in town is cheap. I'll take you there and give you a discount."

Su Zhenzhen: "..."

Why does the art style feel so strange?

Hensheng tugged at Su Zhenzhen's sleeve, signaling her to agree.

Su Zhenzhen had no suspicions. "Then I'll trouble you to lead the way, General. I wonder if it's safe to ride a horse in this city?"