Wang Shi stared blankly, still not having recovered.
Zhao Erlang had endured and endured, but couldn’t hold back any longer. He tugged at Zhao Hanzhang’s sleeve, saying aggrievedly, “Elder Sister, can we eat now? I’m hungry.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked at the innocent and naive Zhao Erlang and waved her hand. “Eat, eat.”
Zhao Erlang immediately returned to his seat and picked up several large pieces of meat for Zhao Hanzhang, saying attentively, “Elder Sister, you just vomited. Eat all of these.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked at the bowl full of large meat pieces without speaking, only feeling her head ache again, her chest tighten, and nausea rising.
Wang Shi quickly took the meat away. “Your elder sister won’t eat it—you eat it yourself.”
She looked at Zhao Hanzhang with concern. “Sanniang, why don’t you just eat some plain congee? Look at you, you’ve vomited until your face is pale.”
The massive memories surging in her mind had mostly integrated. Zhao Hanzhang’s head no longer hurt much, though her appetite wasn’t great either, so she nodded.
She sat watching Wang Shi serve food to Zhao Erlang, who ate with relish, consuming everything placed in his bowl.
Zhao Hanzhang found it amusing and asked him, “Could you eat this well in the ancestral hall too?”
Zhao Erlang shook his head miserably. “No meat, only steamed buns.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded with satisfaction. This was what being punished should be like.
While Qingyi Pavilion had quieted down, the main courtyard was anything but peaceful.
Qinggu knelt and tearfully recounted everything, and only after receiving permission did she rise, bowing as she quietly withdrew.
When she left the courtyard, her back was soaked with sweat.
Zhao Changyu sat cross-legged on the bed platform, motionless. Chengbo brought up a bowl of tea, saying softly, “Master, tonight the second branch did indeed overstep.”
Zhao Changyu sighed. “It’s not just the second branch overstepping—Sanniang overstepped too.”
Before Chengbo could speak, he continued, “But it’s understandable. I’ve always known Second Brother has some resentment toward me. I just didn’t expect it had already influenced Zhao Ji to this extent. Now while I’m still here, he can treat Wang Shi this way. When I’m gone, with them being orphans and a widow, where would they have any foothold in the Zhao family?”
“I didn’t know the situation had become so severe,” he sighed. “Do you think Sanniang’s actions were truly just to vent her frustration? She’s forcing me to make a choice.”
When Zhao Changyu reached this point, he smiled. “She’s quite clever…”
Chengbo remained silent. You’re the one saying the bad things, and you’re also the one saying the good things. In any case, you’ll always find justifications for your granddaughter.
He silently pushed the tea bowl closer to Zhao Changyu.
Zhao Changyu picked it up and took a sip, pondering. “Actually, there’s no choice to be made. I’m… not a person of great righteousness.”
Chengbo quickly said, “Master, why do you belittle yourself so?”
Zhao Changyu was quite frank. “This is the truth. If I had great righteousness, at this moment, for the family’s long-term development, I should send you to reprimand Sanniang.”
“Only when the family’s strength is concentrated together can it help the Zhao clan advance further. Moreover, in these chaotic times, we shouldn’t scatter the family’s forces. Yet I…” Zhao Changyu sighed. “What I’m about to do is split the family’s forces.”
Ever since his conversation with Sanniang, Zhao Changyu had been hesitating. How much should he leave for Sanniang?
According to the original plan, he hadn’t intended to split the family’s forces for her. Aside from Chengbo, he hadn’t planned to leave any people for the first branch.
His grandson was simple-minded. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, Zhao Erlang was indeed mentally deficient. A twelve-year-old youth who could communicate normally in daily life, yet his mental capacity was no different from a six or seven-year-old child.
Other six or seven-year-olds could already recognize a hundred characters, but after six years of study, he could count on two hands the characters he recognized.
With Emperor Hui as a cautionary precedent, Zhao Changyu naturally couldn’t give the family business to him.
So he had always intended to let the second branch inherit the family business and entrust the first branch to their care.
In recent years, as the situation at court changed and the conflicts between the first and second branches deepened day by day, he saw it and felt anxious. That’s why he wanted to give the first branch one more guarantee.
So he began seeking a high-ranking marriage match for his granddaughter. He had power, money, and people. He wanted to arrange everything for Sanniang before he left. In the future, with her husband’s family to rely on, she could also look after her mother and brother. Who knew that just as he began making some progress, rumors spread through the household, and then Erlang and Sanniang had their accident.
Tonight—was it really the second branch pressuring the first branch?
It was clearly Sanniang forcing him to make a decision.
Though Zhao Changyu knew she had dug a pit, he… still had to step into it.
After thinking for a long while, Zhao Changyu came to a decision and said to Chengbo, “Tomorrow, have Zhao Ju and Ji Yuan come see me.”
Chengbo bowed. “Yes.”
Zhao Hanzhang had thought Zhao Changyu would need time to deliberate. After all, this grandfather of hers was a famous capable minister in history, known as a thousand-zhang pine tree, a pillar of the realm.
Such a person, even if wanting to show favoritism, would struggle for a while. Between the great family plan and his own bloodline, most scholars of this era would choose the family, let alone someone as far-sighted as Zhao Changyu.
She hadn’t expected that by noon the next day, just as she was about to eat lunch, Chengbo would arrive with people to fetch her. “The master is concerned about Miss, so he sent this servant to bring Miss over for a talk.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded and sat in the sedan chair. Only then did she realize that Chengbo hadn’t called her Sanniang, but rather Miss.
The corner of her mouth couldn’t help but curve upward, and she hadn’t suppressed it even when entering the main courtyard.
This time, she felt no psychological burden as she called out to the middle-aged man sitting in the courtyard, “Grandfather.”
Zhao Changyu nodded at her. When she reached him, he introduced the two people beside him. “You’ve come at just the right time. Come meet your Uncle Ji.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked over. No matter what, she couldn’t bring herself to address as “uncle” the fair-skinned, beardless, gentle-looking young man who appeared only about thirty years old.
Seeing her stare at the person in a daze, Zhao Changyu frowned slightly. “Sanniang.”
Zhao Hanzhang immediately bowed slightly and called out, “Mister Ji.”
Ji Yuan’s eyes brightened as he nodded slightly. “Miss seems in good spirits today.”
Zhao Changyu looked at Zhao Hanzhang with some surprise but didn’t correct her. Instead, he went along with it, smiling. “She’s been sturdy since childhood. Ziyuan knows this—Zhizhi only left behind two children. With Erlang being as he is, I couldn’t help but raise her as if she were a son.”
Ji Yuan fell silent.
Zhao Changyu didn’t need him to make an immediate decision. He said to Zhao Hanzhang, “Sanniang, Mister Ji is Grandfather’s right arm. In the future, you should regard him the same as you would Grandfather.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang’s expression became serious. Gripping the sedan chair, she rose with difficulty, managed to stand, then bowed deeply to Ji Yuan. “Uncle Ji.”
Zhao Changyu: …That’s not quite necessary.
However, Ji Yuan’s eyes lit up brightly as he excitedly reached out to support her. “Good child, you’re injured—there’s no need for such ceremony. Quickly sit down.”
“If Uncle Ji doesn’t sit, how could Sanniang dare to sit? You should also please sit quickly.”
Zhao Changyu’s forehead veins twitched. He quickly interrupted the two. “This is Zhao Ju, Grandfather’s left arm.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked over. This height was quite modern—probably about 182 or 183 centimeters, powerfully built. Though it was now spring and Luoyang’s temperature was still low, he wore only simple barbarian-style clothing. The fabric clung to his body, revealing his muscular strength.
Zhao Changyu said, “He commands the household troops.”
Zhao Hanzhang’s heart stirred. One civil, one military—was Zhao Changyu planning to give her his entire foundation?