Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him. “I can gather craftsmen myself to construct the buildings, then sell them. Luoyang is about to prosper, and talented people from across the realm will gather here. Don’t you think houses in the inner city will sell?”

Zhao Hu fell silent.

Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t a Great General ignorant of practical matters. The workshops under her command earned no less than he did, with countless craftsmen at her disposal. If pushed to it and she didn’t sell a single plot but built the houses herself, could they really refuse to buy?

This was the inner city close to the palace, once home to various powerful nobles and aristocratic families. If they wanted to return to Luoyang and return to the political center, would they not purchase?

And there were the newly prominent who wanted to squeeze into this circle—people like Ji Yuan and Beigong Chun. Would they not buy a house?

Well, they already had some—distributed by Zhao Hanzhang. But those were some distance from the palace, and besides, could what they bought themselves be the same as what Zhao Hanzhang distributed?

What they bought themselves could be passed down through generations. What Zhao Hanzhang distributed—who knew if it might be reclaimed in the future if they committed some offense…

Zhao Hu always thought of others in terms of worst-case scenarios.

In any case, houses in that location wouldn’t lack buyers—as long as they could be built.

Right now the land was in Zhao Hanzhang’s hands, making it her decision. This was a seller’s market.

Zhao Hu sighed and said, “Fine, five years then. But I get to choose the locations first.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “Good. I’ll give instructions to let Seventh Uncle-Grandfather choose first before selling to others.”

She poured more tea for Zhao Hu and smiled. “I know Seventh Uncle-Grandfather knows many people and has some close friends and brothers. The inner city houses won’t lack buyers. This is essentially a sure-profit business. Please help publicize this matter, Seventh Uncle-Grandfather.”

“Publicize?” Zhao Hu murmured the word twice, then slapped his thigh laughing. “Announce and proclaim—yes, this must be widely proclaimed. Once these houses are built they still need to be sold. I’ll help you, but you have to help me too, right?”

Zhao Hanzhang shook her head with a smile. “Seventh Uncle-Grandfather, I represent the court. I cannot help with this.”

Zhao Hu just looked at her quietly.

Zhao Hanzhang laughed heartily and said, “However, I will have Erlang and Zhao Zheng help you.”

Zhao Hu’s spirits lifted, his eyes brightening as he asked, “How will they help?”

“Though cousin Zheng is young, he excels in governance. Luoyang’s civil affairs have relied heavily on him these past six months. So I want to appoint him County Magistrate of Luoyang County. As for Erlang, his whole heart has been in the military camp lately and his temper has grown increasingly volatile. Luoyang happens to need a county magistrate, so let him fill the vacancy and learn some of cousin Zheng’s cultured scholarly temperament.”

Zhao Hu froze, his brows slightly furrowing.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “It’s not convenient for me to openly help Uncle-Grandfather, but those two—one County Magistrate of Luoyang, one County Magistrate of Luoyang—the county’s economy falls within their responsibilities. So I’m entrusting this matter to them.”

Zhao Hu’s face showed changing expressions, clearly struggling.

Zhao Hanzhang asked curiously, “Does Seventh Uncle-Grandfather have some difficulty?”

Zhao Hu’s face went through various changes before he finally couldn’t hold back. “Having Zheng’er serve as magistrate under Erlang isn’t appropriate, is it? Erlang can’t even read all his characters. This isn’t a battlefield where brute force works. Governing a locality requires brains…”

Zhao Hanzhang’s perpetual smile dropped flat instantly. Expressionless, she said, “Seventh Uncle-Grandfather, Erlang does struggle with reading, but that’s called reading disorder—there’s nothing wrong with his brain.”

She said somewhat angrily, “What of reading characters? Just having two literate attendants by his side solves that. What being an official requires is a heart that loves the people and the wisdom to govern. Do you think warfare only requires swinging a spear with brute force? If he can command an army, that proves he’s not stupid!”

“But isn’t it Xie Shi who manages the army for him…”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him coldly.

Under her gaze, Zhao Hu’s voice grew lower and lower. He shifted position and coughed lightly. “Fine, if he’s to be county magistrate, let him be.”

Zhao Hanzhang snorted coldly, glanced at the noodles before him, and said icily, “The hour grows late. I’ll have someone escort Seventh Uncle-Grandfather out of the palace.”

With that, she summoned guards to escort Zhao Hu out.

Zhao Hu stood and walked to the hall entrance. He couldn’t help turning back toward the side hall to snort. He hadn’t said anything wrong! How could Zhao Erlang be worthy of having Zheng’er serve under him as magistrate?

Zhao Zheng was well-read and learned, knowledgeable as an ocean, while Zhao Erlang only had brute strength and barely recognized a few characters. Just thinking about it made Zhao Hu feel wronged.

Zhao Hanzhang was also very angry. As soon as Zhao Hu left, she paced circles in the hall furiously, saying to Ting He, “Is our Erlang stupid? Our Erlang can now recite Master Sun’s Art of War, the Six Secret Teachings, and the Three Strategies backward and forward. So what if he struggles with reading? At his age, he’s less sensible than an eight-year-old child, yet he has the nerve to look down on our Erlang?”

Ting He quickly soothed her. “Yes, Seventh Great-Uncle is just jealous. He envies that our Erlang is now a general with high position and great power. You’ve always known what he’s like. Why be angry with him?”

“Hmph! I’m not stooping to his level.” Zhao Hanzhang took two deep breaths and looked down at the noodles on the low table. She immediately said, “Pour these unfinished noodles out for the dogs!”

Ting He acknowledged and was about to take them.

Just as she was about to carry them away, Zhao Hanzhang ultimately couldn’t bear it and called her back, asking, “Are there dogs in the palace?”

Ting He said, “There are both cats and dogs, though not kept as pets. The guards feared they might hurt His Majesty or you, my lady, so they were planning to kill them.”

“Just catch them and release them outside the palace—no need to kill them. Have someone sort through them; if there are good dogs, send them to the county office and army as breeding stock.”

Ting He acknowledged the order.

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand. “Never mind, take all the bowls and chopsticks down and let the kitchen handle them.”

Ting He smiled and curtsied, beckoning maids to clear things while saying, “Your servant thanks you on their behalf, my lady.”

The palace servants’ lives weren’t easy. Feeding such noodles to dogs would be wasteful.

Zhao Hanzhang tapped the table, deciding to vent the fire in her heart. She said, “Send someone to the military camp outside the city to summon Erlang back. Have him bring more people. I have work for him to do.”

Ting He acknowledged and withdrew.

Zhao Yunxin arrived carrying an armful of materials—all documents on the burned properties, including area sizes, previous owners, even property deeds with detailed structural house plans.

Besides these, there were also previous house prices and recent price comparisons.

Zhao Yunxin unfolded a large diagram that completely covered the entire low table. In the end, maids had to come forward to spread the diagram before Zhao Hanzhang.

With one glance she said, “Find a wall to nail it up.”

Zhao Yunxin acknowledged and had people nail up the diagram.

Zhao Hanzhang stood before it looking. Zhao Yunxin took a vermillion brush and stood beside her explaining. “This is the row of houses closest to the palace. You estimated the price at one hundred twenty thousand. This row is the second. Here’s an estate spanning from here to here, occupying two lanes alone and positioned right in the center. Inside is a large lake. Exit the door, turn left less than two hundred meters to reach the main street leading directly to the palace. This estate has been designated the ‘land king.’ Seventh Uncle-Grandfather has always wanted to buy it.”

Zhao Hanzhang glanced once and said, “This used to belong to the Wang family.”