Zhao Hanzhang felt around in her clothes and pulled out a pouch. Opening it, she poured out a piece of dried rations. She casually broke it apart, not very evenly—one large piece and one small. As if not noticing, she extended her hand toward them, indicating they should take and eat.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled at them. “This general only has this little dried rations on me. I must trouble the two young princes to make do.”
This village had no food. During this period, they had relied on Yuan Li and a few others hunting and digging wild vegetables to eat intermittently. They hadn’t eaten rice or flour for a long time. Now seeing dried rations, their eyes widened.
The Prince of Yuzhang swallowed and wanted to reach out, but didn’t dare. He could only secretly glance at the Prince of Qin.
The Prince of Qin also swallowed. He first thanked Zhao Hanzhang, then took the smaller piece from her hand. The Prince of Yuzhang immediately quickly took the remaining piece and also quietly thanked Zhao Hanzhang.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled as she watched them eat.
The Prince of Yuzhang bit down hard. Children’s teeth are sharp, especially those baby teeth that haven’t been replaced. Without any hesitation, with a crack he bit off a piece of dried rations…
The Prince of Qin was also about to put it in his mouth when he saw Zhao Hanzhang. He held it in his hand, wanting to break it in half.
But his fingers turned red from trying, yet he still couldn’t break it.
Zhao Hanzhang looked down at him. The Prince of Qin’s face flushed, but he still offered the dried rations to her, saying quietly: “Inspector Zhao, you haven’t eaten either. Let me share with you.”
Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow, reached out to take it, and with one effort broke it in half. She placed both pieces in her palm and extended them together.
The Prince of Qin didn’t hesitate and directly took the smallest piece.
Zhao Hanzhang held the remaining piece in her hand, looking at it for a while. She couldn’t help but smile slightly and slowly began to eat.
The three sat by the fire eating quietly. For a moment, no one spoke.
Xun Fan and Xun Zu sat to the side and couldn’t help but exchange glances. Their gazes flowed between the three people, and they became anxious, their hearts pounding violently with nervousness.
The Prince of Qin’s action might only have been to curry favor with Zhao Hanzhang, to get her to treat the two well, not an intentional display of anything. But clearly, Zhao Hanzhang was intentional.
They just didn’t know whether she was more satisfied with the Prince of Yuzhang or the Prince of Qin.
After eating, Zhao Hanzhang clapped her hands and asked: “The two princes are not young anymore. What books have you studied at home?”
The Prince of Yuzhang said nothing. The Prince of Qin, being one year older, could only bite the bullet and answer first: “I have only read the Mao Odes and the Analects.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded, then turned to look at the Prince of Yuzhang, who had been keeping his head down.
The Prince of Yuzhang’s small face was deathly pale. Under Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze, he said quietly: “I have only read the Mao Odes.”
Since they had both studied the Book of Songs, Zhao Hanzhang tested them on it, asking: “Can you recite from the Airs of Wei?”
Not only the Prince of Yuzhang, even the Prince of Qin straightened his spine, just like when being tested by his father and teacher. He nodded nervously: “I know some.”
Zhao Hanzhang: “Recite ‘Cutting Sandalwood’ for me to hear.”
The Prince of Yuzhang’s eyes were confused. The Prince of Qin also paused for quite a while before stammering: “They go clop-clop, cutting sandalwood, and place it on the riverbank. The river water is clear and rippling. Not sowing, not reaping, how do you obtain three hundred… bins of grain?”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded slightly. Seeing him gripping his fingers, unable to produce the next line for a long time, she kindly prompted: “Not hunting, not pursuing…”
The Prince of Qin immediately continued: “Not hunting, not pursuing, how is it you see badgers hanging in your courtyard? Those gentlemen there, they do not eat idle meals…”
Zhao Hanzhang had been sitting upright, but now she drew up one leg, her fingers tapping her knee with pleasure as she listened to him stumble through the entire poem.
She smiled and asked: “What is the meaning of this poem?”
The Prince of Yuzhang still looked confused. When the Prince of Qin studied the Book of Songs, the focus was mainly on the Greater and Lesser Odes. When his teacher explained the “Airs,” he went through them roughly. He really couldn’t remember much.
But his literary cultivation was there. After silently reading through “Cutting Sandalwood” in his mind, he said quietly: “The gentlemen neither sow nor reap, do not hunt or pursue game, yet can obtain sandalwood for making carriages and have hunting spoils filling their houses.”
Cold sweat immediately broke out on Xun Fan’s forehead. He quickly changed from sitting to kneeling and kowtowed to Zhao Hanzhang: “Inspector Zhao, the Prince of Qin is young and not proficient in his studies. That’s why he misinterpreted the poem’s meaning.”
The smile on Zhao Hanzhang’s face had disappeared before the Prince of Qin finished speaking. She didn’t tell him to rise, but withdrew her pleasant posture, sat up straight, and asked: “Did your teacher teach you this? Or did the Prince of Wu teach it?”
The Prince of Wu was the Prince of Qin’s father, also quite young, just twenty-nine years old. He had died when Yun City fell some time ago.
The Prince of Qin looked at Xun Fan and Xun Zu kneeling and kowtowing on the ground, then at Zhao Hanzhang’s indifferent expression. He knew he had said something wrong. Feeling extremely uneasy, he said quietly: “I was not diligent in my studies and forgot my teacher’s instruction. I said it carelessly myself.”
Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment and sneered: “Actually, you’re not entirely wrong. In the Jin court, there are many officials and scholars who call themselves gentlemen. These people don’t sow or reap, don’t hunt or pursue, yet enjoy endless grain, carriages, and game meat.”
“When common people die of cold and hunger, they can pave the ground with pearls and hang trees with silk,” Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze fell lightly on him. “But why is that?”
“Just because you were born more noble, chose good parents when being reborn, and are skilled at using cunning methods, you can plunder others’ resources?”
The Prince of Qin’s lips trembled, unable to speak. The Prince of Yuzhang was already terrified, shrinking tightly behind the Prince of Qin, not even daring to raise his head to look at Zhao Hanzhang.
Only then did Zhao Hanzhang say coldly: “‘Cutting Sandalwood’ satirizes greed. Those in power are greedy and base, receiving salaries without merit, while gentlemen cannot advance to office.”
With that, she stood and left.
Only after the footsteps faded did Xun Fan raise his head. His whole body went limp as he collapsed to the ground. He looked helplessly at the Prince of Qin: “Your Highness, Zhao Hanzhang extremely detests those who hold positions without merit. When Grand Commandant Wang was alive, she made many disdainful remarks about him. She most despises those who receive rewards without merit. How could you interpret ‘Cutting Sandalwood’ that way?”
The Prince of Qin felt somewhat wronged. “I had almost forgotten this poem. How could I still remember the interpretation? If she had asked about the Greater or Lesser Odes, I certainly could have answered.”
Xun Fan sighed helplessly upon hearing this.
This was his mistake. He hadn’t expected Zhao Hanzhang to test their lessons, otherwise he would have prepared the Prince of Qin with likely questions.
The topics Zhao Hanzhang would test were actually quite predictable. She was lenient with commoners, so if she asked about the Book of Songs, the probability of testing the “Airs” would be much higher.
Xun Fan felt uneasy in his heart. The Prince of Qin, however, quickly forgot about this matter. As long as Zhao Hanzhang didn’t kill him, getting it wrong was just getting it wrong. After all, he didn’t want to be emperor anyway.
Thinking this way, the Prince of Qin turned to look at the Prince of Yuzhang hiding behind him, feeling pity in his heart. Better a dead friend than a dead poor man—this cousin was destined to be emperor. From now on, his days would be difficult, and he might lose his life at any time.
Thinking this, the Prince of Qin looked at him with even more pity.
The Prince of Yuzhang knew nothing. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang had left, he took out the unfinished piece of dried rations and continued gnawing.
The dried rations didn’t taste good at first, but holding it in the mouth for a while brought out the sweet fragrance of food. He thought it was quite good.
Zhao Hanzhang went to inspect the camp. Yuan Li immediately brought her a piece of dried rations, saying: “Everyone pooled together what they could spare.”
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