As soon as the music started in the General’s Mansion, in less than an hour Zhao Zhongyu knew about it.

He exhaled a breath, both relieved and somewhat worried.

He sat sullenly in a daze.

Seeing this, Zhao Ji sneered coldly. “Gou Xi wallows in sensual pleasures, his ambition gone. Doesn’t this suit Zhao Hanzhang’s wishes? What are you worrying about?”

Zhao Zhongyu glared at him, then said, “Our greatest enemy right now is still the Xiongnu and Jie Hu, not Gou Xi. His abandonment of duty through pleasure is also greatly harmful to us.”

Put simply, now was not the time for Gou Xi to abandon duty through pleasure. If there were no powerful enemies like Liu Yuan and Shi Le, if he wanted to wallow in sensual pleasures, Zhao Zhongyu would be delighted.

But worldly affairs could not possibly all develop according to their wishes. The Qingzhou matter achieving this outcome was already their great good fortune.

If Gou Xi and Zhao Hanzhang truly started fighting, the first to die would definitely be Zhao Zhongyu and his son.

So at this moment Zhao Ji was full of resentment. He couldn’t stand seeing his father like this. He said resentfully, “Father, when Zhao Hanzhang acts, she never considers your life or death. Even now, you still wholeheartedly scheme for her—what’s the point?”

Zhao Zhongyu glanced at him. “If you were in Hanzhang’s position, I would also be willing to sacrifice my life for you. You must never consider my life or death either.”

Zhao Ji opened his mouth, eyes wide in disbelief. “You, when did you come to value her so highly? Clearly back when competing for the title…”

Zhao Ji spoke without thinking. “Back then when competing for the title, you hardly held back in your conflicts and schemes against First Uncle. Why now do you only think of the first branch?”

Zhao Ji almost suspected his father had been possessed by his first uncle.

Zhao Zhongyu frowned. “The title and family property should rightfully be inherited by you and Dalang. The Shangcai Earl title was bestowed by your grandfather as a legacy. Your first uncle has no successor, so naturally you should inherit it. As for the family property…”

He pressed his lips together. “Of course, much of it was your first uncle’s savings, but much of it was also the accumulated savings left by our Zhao family ancestors. Given Erlang’s condition, for the sake of the family, naturally our second branch should inherit.”

“Family wealth—the eldest legitimate son receives seventy percent, the remainder distributed among the other descendants. This is precisely to accumulate strength and cultivate future generations, ensuring continuous ancestral rites,” Zhao Zhongyu said. “But now, you lack the ability to control the Zhao clan, nor do you have the virtue to gain the family’s recognition. So these things should go to the more capable Sanniang.”

Zhao Zhongyu’s eyes shone with light. “Do you think we’re competing with the first branch? No. We’re competing with the Zhao clan’s collateral branches, with other aristocratic families in Yuzhou, with Gou Xi, with the great and small aristocratic families throughout Dajin, with the Xiongnu, and with this entire realm!”

“If we succeed, our Zhao clan can achieve great deeds in the future, leave our names in history for eternity, and ensure continuous ancestral rites!”

In this world, all fame, profit, and glory could ultimately be summed up in one phrase—for the sake of uninterrupted ancestral rites!

Only with endless descendants and a continuously strong family would ancestral rites continue uninterrupted.

Zhao Ji’s mouth hung open. It took a long time before he found his voice. “But, but Zhao Hanzhang is a woman. She’ll eventually marry!”

Zhao Zhongyu glanced at him. “So what? Even if she marries, she’s still a Zhao daughter. Aren’t there enough historical examples of maternal relatives monopolizing power? And the Zhao clan isn’t even maternal relatives—Zhao Hanzhang is the actual person wielding power. How many of the people she currently employs are Zhao clan descendants? How many are students brought out by Zhao Cheng?”

Just thinking about this point, Zhao Zhongyu couldn’t help but reveal a gratified smile. He turned to stare fiercely at Zhao Ji. “So stop going out and causing trouble. Continue recuperating at home during this time. You are the Shangcai Earl, inheriting our ancestors’ legacy. I don’t ask you to bring glory to our ancestors, but you must at least not cut off the clan’s prospects or ruin ancestral rites!”

Zhao Ji’s breathing became rapid, his face full of discontent.

Zhao Hanzhang would eventually marry into another family. As an outsider woman, opposing her would ruin ancestral rites? Were all these Zhao clan descendants just for show?

Zhao Zhongyu saw his discontent. This expression was all too familiar to him, because he himself had been just like this, very discontented with his older brother.

Was this some kind of retribution?

Because of his former foolishness, heaven was now punishing him with his son’s stupidity.

Zhao Zhongyu took a deep breath. Rarely showing good temper, he spoke heart-to-heart with him. “Jizhi, even if we don’t think about this problem from the clan’s perspective, but instead prioritize stabilizing the realm, do you think Sanniang is worth helping?”

He continued, “The realm is in such chaos. Obviously, it will only get more chaotic in the future. You are both the Shangcai Earl and an official at court. Have you thought about where the realm will ultimately end up, how to bring peace to the common people?”

Zhao Ji said, “Our Zhao clan takes loyalty and integrity as our principle…”

“I’m not asking you to rebel against the state and harm the ruler now,” Zhao Zhongyu opened his mouth, but in the end swallowed back his words. He sighed. “Forget it. When you’re idle, think more about it. Read more books. Maybe you’ll figure it out.”

He said sadly, “It’s my fault. I gave birth to you somewhat dull-witted. Otherwise you wouldn’t still not understand after I’ve said this much. If it were Sanniang, before I even began, she would have already thought it through. In this regard, she really resembles your first uncle.”

Speaking to this point, Zhao Zhongyu still couldn’t help but sigh. “What a pity Erlang was born dull-witted. If he had even half of Sanniang’s cleverness, you and Dalang would have nothing to do with any of this.”

His words carried considerable regret.

Zhao Ji: …

Was this really his father?

Zhao Ji left in a huff.

Zhao Zhongyu sat without moving. Zhao Dian stepped forward to pour him tea, saying quietly, “Grand Master, we’ve been watching the Master. We won’t let him leave the house.”

Zhao Zhongyu looked up at Zhao Dian. “Do you also think I’m being too harsh with him?”

Zhao Dian shook his head repeatedly. He was a retainer of the Zhao household, different from Zhao Ju. He was a hereditary household servant, which was why he had been granted the Zhao surname.

So when Zhao Changyu fell ill and died, whether for his family or his own prospects, he chose to follow Zhao Zhongyu.

As a household servant, he naturally understood very well the matters between the two grand masters. So seeing Zhao Zhongyu frowning, he offered consolation. “Second Grand Master, you and the First Master are different. You truly admire and respect the Old Master’s talent and virtue from your heart.”

Zhao Ji’s discontent toward Zhao Hanzhang came from deep within—he was discontented with her from inside to outside.

While Zhao Zhongyu’s relationship with Zhao Changyu was strained and he was often discontented, it was only directed at Zhao Changyu looking down on him.

As for Zhao Changyu’s talent and virtue, he was sincerely convinced and admiring. Though he didn’t say it aloud, like Zhao Song, he took pride in Zhao Changyu’s talent and character.

He was only discontented that Zhao Changyu looked down on him.

Zhao Changyu was too brilliant. Among those of his age and generation, few could surpass him. Yu Yi praised him as a thousand-zhang pine, calling him pillar material. Jia Chong also highly valued him, and Emperor Wu immediately promoted him upon meeting him.

Zhao Zhongyu was not much different in age, but from childhood he could not compare with his older brother.

Going out together, his brother was better-looking than him, his essays were better than his, his character was always praised. Young people all took him as their leader—who could see Zhao Zhongyu following behind him?

Most infuriating was that Zhao Changyu himself felt Zhao Zhongyu was very stupid. In his youth, he would often scold him in front of outsiders. What Zhao Zhongyu was most discontented about was precisely this point.

He didn’t feel he was much inferior to his brother. He was just slow to react.

But looking at the gap between Zhao Ji and Zhao Hanzhang, Zhao Zhongyu increasingly doubted himself. Perhaps in his brother’s eyes, he was exactly this kind of foolish person—just like Zhao Ji appeared in his eyes now?

Every time he thought of this, Zhao Zhongyu felt his heart ache with dull thuds, as if pierced by ten thousand arrows, becoming even more melancholy.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t know Zhao Zhongyu was currently doubting his own intelligence. At this moment, she was lying in a field roasting rabbits.