The more he used him, the more Yuanli understood why Zhao Hanzhang had sent him to the south. It wasn’t just his abilities, but also his tolerance and gentleness, which gave the subordinates who were frightened under Yuanli’s high-pressure methods a safe harbor. Only then could the secret department he led become truly loyal.
Even Yuanli himself couldn’t help but develop some affection for this department operating in the darkness of night, some feeling for those subordinates who could be abandoned at any time.
Zhao Bingzhong’s suicide wasn’t just to preserve secrets—it was also to protect Yuanli.
Only with his death would Yuanli’s utility value reach its maximum, and Wang Dun wouldn’t easily kill him.
That child had always been clever. When he committed suicide, he must have thought of this too, right?
Wang Dun, seeing his eyes turn red, actually gained a measure of respect for him: “I thought General Yuan didn’t care about his subordinates’ lives.”
Yuanli didn’t speak and even closed his eyes slightly.
Wang Dun didn’t mind. When the items arrived, he took out the radio and set it before him: “Is this the thing rumored to allow you to transmit voices across a thousand li?”
Yuanli only raised his head to glance once, his gaze quickly sweeping over the stack of papers on the plate. Many papers showed burn marks; some were reduced to mere scraps.
He didn’t see the book. This relieved him—if these materials were all burned, the codebook should have been burned first.
He sneered mockingly. So what if they obtained the radio?
Could they build another one?
In this world, except for their Lady, no one else could possess this divine instrument.
Yuanli settled down and continued to resign himself to hanging there.
Wang Dun examined those materials and questioned Yuanli. Even though he didn’t say a word, Wang Dun confirmed that Zhao Hanzhang indeed possessed something that could transmit voices across a thousand li.
This overturned Wang Dun’s longstanding understanding. He asked: “Was this device blessed by Guo Pu?”
Without waiting for Yuanli to answer, he negated it himself: “No, there were already rumors about Zhao Hanzhang having methods to transmit voices across a thousand li, and at that time Guo Pu hadn’t yet gone to Luoyang…”
So heaven truly chose Zhao Hanzhang, which is why she possessed so many extraordinary items? That’s why Guo Pu, upon meeting her, chose to remain in Luoyang…
Wang Dun’s breathing became rapid. He gripped the paper in his hand tightly, his eyes fierce with malice: “I refuse to believe in fate!”
He knew Yuanli wouldn’t confess, and looking at him with eyes brewing malice: “If Zhao Hanzhang sends troops, hang him before the battle lines and let Zhao’s army’s arrows shoot him to death.”
His attendants acknowledged the order.
Wang Dun turned and left.
He had passed final judgment on Yuanli, meaning his torture had ended.
The torturer looked at Yuanli with full regret and had people drag him back to his cell: “You’re the most ruthless person to yourself I’ve ever seen.”
Yuanli grinned.
The torturer rarely offered advice: “You won’t survive. If you want to die with some dignity, find a way to end it yourself.”
But Yuanli wasn’t one to give up easily. Even if he were truly hung before the battle lines, he would watch the arrows pierce his chest with his own eyes.
Zhao Hanzhang had long since received news of Yuanli’s capture. Yuanli understood the principle of not putting all eggs in one basket, so he kept the two radios Zhao Hanzhang gave him in separate locations.
He had set up another small team with a single-line connection to him. Besides him, no one knew this team’s information. Once something happened to the private residence’s radio, this team would be activated. Normally they remained silent.
They had been silent for two years. For two years, their daily life was like that of many southern commoners—maintaining production and memorizing codebooks.
After Yuanli released the signal flare, all the agents in Jiankang moved into action, quietly transferring locations. Only this one team remained unmoved, staying in place.
They observed everything in Jiankang. After searching several places without finding any information Yuanli left behind, they confirmed Yuanli had also met with trouble. Seeing the Court of Judicial Review’s soldiers flooding into various restaurants and teahouses searching for mysteriously disappeared workers, even some wealthy households being questioned, they knew their people had already transferred.
The team only quietly took out the radio at night to send the telegram activating it. The first message sent was: Jiankang in crisis, Yuanli captured.
So the next morning before dawn, Zhao Hanzhang was awakened from sleep and learned this news.
She could use this as a pretext to attack the south, but was attacking the south what she lacked a reason for?
She could also send troops to pressure Wang Dun into handing over Yuanli, but pressuring Wang Dun was not as good as pressuring the Prince of Langya.
Pressuring the Prince of Langya to use troops against Wang Dun, then she would send troops to attack from both sides.
The prerequisite was having sufficient provisions.
Zhao Hanzhang sat up through the night. The next day she ordered Wang Siniang to dispatch special forces soldiers, ensuring Yuanli’s life must be preserved.
Then among the ministers she searched and finally selected Wang Nie of Nanyang Jun and his brother Wang Gui. She asked Wang Gui to personally go to Lujiang to persuade Dai Miao, requesting he rescue Yuanli.
After arranging these matters, Zhao Hanzhang went to find Zhao Song.
She sat in Zhao Song’s mansion for a day, then returned to personally write an edict ennobling him. She ennobled him as Marquis Taozhu. Zhao Hanzhang personally affixed the jade seal and handed the edict to Zhao Yunxin, sighing: “Tomorrow you personally go proclaim the edict.”
Zhao Yunxin accepted it. Seeing her melancholy and unhappy, she couldn’t help saying: “Great General, since you don’t want to ennoble Seventh Great-Uncle, why not ask Fifth Great-Uncle to intercede? With Fifth Great-Uncle’s guarantee, Seventh Great-Uncle should be willing to lend you money.”
Zhao Hanzhang shook her head: “It’s not that I don’t want to ennoble Seventh Great-Uncle. With Seventh Great-Uncle’s merit in supporting Zhao’s army, he rightfully deserves to be ennobled as a marquis. I’ve been suppressing it only because I feared he’d become arrogant and harm himself instead.”
“Though I’m not generous, I’m not so stingy as to begrudge elders their rewards. But to the elders, while ennobling wives and sheltering children is important, the family’s continuation and stability is more important. Given Seventh Great-Uncle’s character, I’m very afraid that after gaining glory he’ll take the wrong path. And I cannot abandon public duty for private feelings—when that time comes, it will still hurt Seventh Great-Uncle.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded and wagged her head: “When parents love their children, they plan deeply for them. My heart toward Seventh Great-Uncle is the same.”
This rank, she had originally wanted to give him when she advanced further, but now… forget it, let’s see about the future. People cannot always worry about the future; they should also focus on the present.
Zhao Yunxin’s eyes rolled. When proclaiming the edict, she deliberately stayed a while longer. After the servants withdrew and only Zhao Song and Zhao Hu remained, she spoke some confidential whispers.
Hearing Zhao Hanzhang claiming to be his parent, Zhao Hu’s face flushed red: “Talking nonsense! Simply shameless! She dares claim to be my parent—that would make her my great-great-grandfather!”
Zhao Song glared at him: “What nonsense! That’s a metaphor. If you don’t understand, read a few more books with Zhenger.”
He scolded him: “Why does Hanzhang worry so much about you? Isn’t it because you act flamboyantly and behave arrogantly? Learn from past examples—you should be humble and modest in your conduct, understand? If you were just a bit more reliable, would she worry about these things?”
Zhao Hu wanted to retort, but glancing at the edict in his hand, he swallowed his words. Forget it—he was happy today; he wouldn’t argue with them.
Seeing him fall silent, Zhao Song assumed he’d listened and let him off: “But Hanzhang is indeed improper. There are so many marquis titles—why give you Marquis Taozhu? I’ve never heard of anyone using Taozhu as a title.”
Zhao Yunxin wanted to speak but hesitated, only able to look toward Zhao Hu.
Zhao Hu looked up at the sky and down at the ground, just not at Zhao Song. This title was something he himself had strongly insisted upon. Taozhu—great wealth, the wealthiest person. He thought this title was excellent—pleasant sounding with good meaning too.
—