Zhao Hu’s heart stirred, feeling both comforted and nervous. He bit his lip and still asked, “If I stand as guarantor for you and repay the court’s debts, what will you use to repay me?”
Zhao Hanzhang lowered her voice and said, “Don’t let fertile water flow to outsiders’ fields.”
Zhao Hu slapped the window and said cheerfully, “Good! I’ll be this guarantor.”
He believed Zhao Hanzhang’s words. Benefits would naturally favor the clan. How could such a good thing as salt certificates be given to outsiders?
Zhao Hu happily reached a deal with Zhao Hanzhang, his earlier anger dissipating like smoke. The two returned to their harmonious grandfather-granddaughter relationship.
Zhao Hu waited until Zhao Hanzhang rode away on horseback before the smile on his face slowly faded.
His chief attendant Wu Yin had been kneeling quietly to the side. Only when Zhao Hu lowered the curtain and withdrew his smile did Wu Yin come forward with wine that had been kept warm, pouring him a cup. “Master, won’t standing as guarantor for the court involve too much risk? Wouldn’t it be better to lend the money directly to the court…”
Lending money to the court would at most risk losing the principal, but they could still get salt certificates. Standing as guarantor… they would also have to pay interest for the court. Who knows what pitfalls might emerge?
Zhao Hu said, “How could I not understand these advantages and disadvantages? But the amount Zhao Hanzhang wants is clearly not just ten or twenty million. How much of my family wealth could I lend her?”
He sighed and said, “She’s asking me to stand as guarantor just to drag other wealthy families into this. Although she and I always quarrel, I cannot deny that she is a person who keeps her word.”
“The court?” He snorted coldly. “The court cannot borrow money from me, let alone ask me to stand as guarantor. I’m looking at Zhao Hanzhang’s face.”
The Jin court did not have that kind of credibility.
Wu Yin was extremely worried and asked, “What if Sanniang fails? If the court doesn’t acknowledge the debt then…”
Before Wu Yin could finish, Zhao Hu slapped him on the head. “Are you stupid? Zhao Hanzhang is now the regent minister. If she truly fails, do you think I could survive by not lending money or standing as guarantor?”
“I’m telling you, if she fails, the Zhao clan, every single one of us, will all have to be buried with her!”
Given Zhao Hanzhang’s current power and the Zhao clan’s prestige, whoever replaced her would not allow the Zhao clan to exist.
This was also the difference between the Zhao clan and the Wang clan.
The Langye Wang clan survived by investing everywhere—if the east didn’t shine, the west would—so no matter who came to power, as long as the Wang clan still had capable people, they could continue to exist.
But the Zhao clan…
When the Zhao clan was still inconspicuous, Zhao Hanzhang had already pulled them all onto her boat. The younger generation of the Zhao clan now all served under her. The Zhao clan’s commercial activities all had countless connections to her power. So if she failed, it would mean the destruction of the entire Zhao clan.
This was also why, although Zhao Hu was unhappy, he still paid when she collected poll taxes and various donations, and even privately supported her.
This was also why other branches of the Zhao clan donated grain when the Zhao family army needed provisions. Whenever the Zhao clan needed to contribute money or people, although there were those who grumbled, they still had to contribute…
Because everyone was on the same boat, no one could escape.
Zhao Hu was merely trying to secure more benefits for himself while maintaining Zhao Hanzhang’s power.
Zhao Hu wasn’t brilliant, but that didn’t mean he was stupid. Besides, there was still Zhao Song. During that last great battle, the Zhao clan had already prepared seeds to leave Yuzhou, just in case Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t defeat the Xiongnu, to preserve a few bloodlines for the Zhao clan.
These matters, though unspoken, didn’t mean Zhao Hanzhang didn’t know.
She understood perfectly well.
That’s why she was willing to trade salt certificates with Zhao Hu.
As she said, don’t let fertile water flow to outsiders’ fields. The Zhao clan risked their lives for her, so she had to give them something in return.
Salt certificates, related to salt administration—she was willing to let the Zhao clan earn this first pot of gold. Of course, it was also meant for him to test the waters.
From the history she knew, this salt administration policy was progressive, but she wasn’t sure if it suited the current situation, so she wanted to test it on a small scale.
Zhao Hu would be her touchstone.
Given his status, even if an accident occurred, she could protect him. If it were someone else, they would very likely have to go along with the times.
Riding on horseback, Zhao Hanzhang’s heart was as hard as iron, and she immediately decided where the salt certificates would arrive.
When they camped that evening, Zhao Hanzhang went to a heavily guarded large tent where there were beeping sounds.
Song Xin was inside watching soldiers receive messages. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang, he immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “My lady!”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded and asked, “What news is there?”
“The Youzhou side has contacted us. Following your instructions, the communications soldiers sent have been placed under the Youzhou Provincial Administration’s jurisdiction. The things the Wei family sent to Young Master Wei have arrived in Youzhou along with the people. Young Master Wei says the Provincial Administration doesn’t suspect anything.”
Although Fu Tinghan had long since created the radio, this equipment was difficult to produce. Zhao Hanzhang had only given it to a few trusted subordinates for use, basically only for urgent matters.
Then came accelerating the military’s research in this area and training communications personnel.
Previously, to facilitate battlefield command, the radios produced were first given to Zhao Ming and Beigong Chun, then to Zhao Erlang and others.
Shi Le hadn’t been able to get one even by the time she returned to Chen County.
But he knew about this good thing, so he sent three letters a day urging her. In the morning, she had just received a letter asking about the radio. At noon, she received a second letter saying he missed her, that there were many affairs in Youzhou he couldn’t decide on his own, and wanted to discuss them with her. In the evening came the third letter, complaining that she was playing favorites. She and Beigong Chun had long been on good terms and didn’t need much contact to understand each other, but he and she had just gotten together and precisely needed more communication to cultivate their relationship, yet she hadn’t given him a quick means of communication but had given one to Beigong Chun…
He also complained, “Zu Ti is in Jizhou, right by your side. A morning letter can arrive by evening. You even gave him this divine communication device, yet I’m a thousand miles away—why not give me one? Do you truly trust me this much, or do you think I, Shi Lei, am unimportant, that Youzhou is unimportant?”
Zhao Hanzhang had no choice but to arrange to get him one. But two units were sent to Youzhou together—one was delivered to Wei Jie.
Zhao Hanzhang told Wei Jie, “Don’t employ those you suspect, don’t suspect those you employ. This device isn’t for use on Shi Le, so you don’t need to report to me about Shi Le’s affairs. This device is for the common people of Youzhou, for the voice of the people, to oversee all officials.”
She decided to decentralize the intelligence organization. Youzhou would be a pilot location, and Wei Jie would be the pioneer.
She told Wei Jie, “Youzhou is a thousand miles from Luoyang. Above a county magistrate stands the prefect, above the prefect stands the governor, and between the governor and me lie dozens of court officials. The common people are even below the county magistrate.”
“Therefore, His Majesty and I find it very difficult to hear the voice of the people. What we see may be what others want us to see. What we hear may be embellished voices. So this device will be used for the voice of the people.”
“The people I’m sending are all excellent scouts from the Reconnaissance Battalion. Use them well, let them take root in Youzhou. I hope they can operate in Youzhou for a hundred years, even two hundred years, three hundred years, or longer…”