She lifted the corner of her mouth, asking with no small amount of malice, “Right now, isn’t Grandfather still the one in charge of the Zhao family?”

Zhao Ji’s expression changed. Wu Shi and their three children all looked at Zhao Hanzhang in surprise, not expecting her to dare say such things openly.

Even Wang Shi couldn’t help but look at Zhao Hanzhang in astonishment, unable to resist lightly tugging at her sleeve.

Zhao Hanzhang pretended not to notice, still smiling as she looked at Zhao Ji, waiting for his answer.

Zhao Ji calmed himself. The anger on his face quickly subsided, and he said evenly, “Sanniang has just woken up and doesn’t remember matters of the household, so she’s misunderstood. I’m doing this for the peace of the household. If we let the servants spread rumors freely, even the best masters will be corrupted by their instigation.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded slightly. “First Uncle is quite right. We should indeed investigate thoroughly. Although I don’t remember much, since waking I’ve learned quite a bit. It seems that all those rumors and gossip from outside have been spreading from outside the first branch inward. To investigate, we must get to the root. How about this—let Aunt and Mother investigate together. Mother will investigate the first branch, and Aunt will investigate the second branch. Let’s see which servants are sowing discord, then dismiss them all together. What does First Uncle think?”

Zhao Hanzhang had grown up under his nose. He knew this child was clever, but she had always been gentle and compliant. This was the first time she had so directly challenged him to his face.

However, meeting Zhao Hanzhang’s unfamiliar gaze, Zhao Ji couldn’t even get angry. He could only reluctantly agree.

In the end, this visit came to nothing. They only left behind the medicinal ingredients they’d brought and departed after barely exchanging a few words.

Walking quickly out of Qingyi Pavilion, Zhao Ji suddenly stopped and turned to look back at the pavilion in the dim lamplight.

Wu Shi, who had been hurrying to keep up behind him, was startled. She and the three children also stopped, standing with lowered heads.

Zhao Ji said expressionlessly, “She’s not pretending—she truly has lost her memory.”

Wu Shi nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes. I hadn’t seen her before and also thought she was pretending, but seeing her today, it’s actually real.”

Though Sanniang had occasionally been rebellious before, she had always acted steadily. Her relationship with the second branch had always been good. No matter what she thought internally, the two branches had always maintained harmony on the surface.

Such disrespectful questioning as today had never happened even once.

Zhao Ji’s head began to ache. He realized that Zhao Sanniang pretending to have memory loss was bad, but her truly having lost her memory was even more disadvantageous for them.

With memory loss, not remembering things, there was no emotional attachment, no fear. All their previous efforts had vanished in an instant.

And tonight…

Thinking of her confrontational attitude earlier, Zhao Ji only felt pain in his chest, feeling suffocated and blocked. “What happened just now must not spread outside.”

Wu Shi said quietly, “Even if we don’t say anything, won’t this side report to the main courtyard?”

Of course they would!

As soon as they left, Zhao Hanzhang had the kneeling servants rise and dismissed them, keeping only Qinggu. “The physician hasn’t come yet. Qinggu, you personally make a trip to the main courtyard and tell Grandfather that I’ve woken up. I’m just dizzy and nauseous, but otherwise fine. However, Mother’s chest hurts from anger.”

She asked, “If Grandfather asks why Mother is angry, you know how to answer, right?”

“What else could it be but anger at the second branch?”

However, Qinggu looked at Zhao Hanzhang carefully, then, combining it with Sanniang’s previous teachings, said quietly, “I should say it was Sanniang who angered her. Sanniang was disrespectful to the First Master…”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded slightly. “Just say that Sanniang has forgotten all her previous etiquette and morals, and the Second Madam is extremely upset.”

Wang Shi: …She actually wasn’t that angry. In the past, of their family of three, only she got angry at the second branch. Her son was too simple to hold grudges, and though her daughter was shrewd, she always told her to be patient, saying things like temper should be saved for important occasions, and if you lose your temper too often, people won’t take it seriously when you do.

This was rare—her daughter finally losing her temper at the second branch. Wang Shi only felt refreshed and invigorated.

She hesitated. “Is it alright to say this? What if your grandfather gets angry at you?”

“Getting angry is inevitable, but I think Grandfather will definitely be more angry at someone else than at me.” Zhao Hanzhang’s mouth curved up as she tapped her knee. “Over these years, the first branch has fed the second branch’s ambitions. First Uncle’s family has become too arrogant, believing the title is already in their pocket. With such arrogance, how could they not fail?”

She continued, “I’m certain that luring Erlang outside the city was something Eldest Sister and the others did privately. First Uncle and the others didn’t know. Otherwise they would definitely have stopped them. They would never think Grandfather would pass the title to Erlang. Precisely because they’re certain of this, even knowing our siblings’ injuries are connected to Eldest Sister and the others, they’re not worried. They’ve even moved to cover up the evidence for them and deny it. After all, Grandfather won’t give the title to Erlang anyway.”

Wang Shi felt sad and aggrieved. “Why won’t he give it to Erlang? Erlang is his real grandson.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “…Mother, Erlang can only write his own name. How could he be a good family head? For him, the title isn’t a good thing—it’s something that would cost him his life.”

“Then why did you speak to the second branch that way? You used to always tell me to endure it.”

Zhao Hanzhang replied, “Different times call for different measures. At that time, I thought that we shared one bloodline after all, and having grown up together, we had some affection.”

She continued, “Upper and lower teeth still knock together sometimes. For a family living together, quarrels and disputes are perfectly normal. Yielding on unimportant matters is fine. But now it seems their ambitions are too great, and they’re too heartless. Depending on them is no longer possible.”

Wang Shi was stunned. “If we don’t want the title and can’t depend on them, then we…”

“Mother, the title is just an honor. There are many good things in this world. Just because we don’t want that dazzling title doesn’t mean we don’t want other things,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “And those things are still in Grandfather’s hands.”

Wang Shi’s eyes lit up. “Money?”

Her father-in-law was famously stingy, and had a reputation for business acumen. He must have quite a bit of money.

At this moment, only the three of them and Qinggu remained in the room. Zhao Hanzhang said meaningfully, “Money is only secondary.”

What mattered most were the people in Zhao Changyu’s hands!

In chaotic times, money and grain were important, but people were equally important.

Whoever had people and grain could survive and live well. Right now, all of Great Jin was in chaos. Even Luoyang, which seemed stable now, had just been bloodily purged. Previously, unrest occurred every three to five months. Luoyang had been bloodily purged again and again. Without some manpower, Zhao Hanzhang felt she wouldn’t even dare step outside.

So she coveted the people in Zhao Changyu’s hands.

Qinggu immediately understood and knew what to say. She was clever too. She wiped her eyes to make them redder, then curtsied to Zhao Hanzhang. “This servant will not fail Sanniang’s trust.”

She turned and left.