Zhao Yunxin hadn’t been in Luoyang before, but she had learned from the records, and nodded. “Because it’s the Wang family’s former site, many people in the court want this land, even Master Ji asked about it.”

Oh, her Master Ji most likely wanted to raise the land price for her, because although he had money to buy land, he definitely didn’t have money to build a house.

Sigh, speaking of it, her meritorious officials were still somewhat shortchanged. Next time there’s a battle, she’d have to give them a larger share of the spoils—she couldn’t deny them just because they didn’t go to the battlefield.

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “What price did Changning suggest?”

Zhao Yunxin replied, “Six hundred thousand coins.”

Zhao Hanzhang clicked her tongue. This price was enough to directly buy a courtyard house in present-day Luoyang, yet this was just the price of a plot of land. To actually build the house would cost at least another million coins.

Zhao Hanzhang silently clicked her tongue twice, pondered for a moment, then said, “This land cannot be sold to Seventh Uncle-Grandfather. Quietly spread the word that this land carries imperial auspiciousness and can ensure a family’s prosperity for a hundred years.”

Zhao Yunxin said, “…This land is in such a good location, is the General not keeping it for herself?”

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand dismissively. “Forget it, such good things are better left for others. I won’t compete for it.”

Six hundred thousand coins—if competition formed, it might sell for even higher. Right now, nothing was more important than money, and she didn’t lack houses to live in.

The Zhao Mansion was also in the inner city, though half of it had been burned. The thing was, it was quite a distance from the imperial city.

Everyone thought Zhao Hanzhang should build a luxurious mansion right at the foot of the imperial city. She was now the sole regent minister—shouldn’t her residence match her status?

A mansion that could match her current position would either be Wang Yan’s former residence or Prince Donghai’s palace.

Prince Donghai’s palace was still intact, just somewhat distant from the imperial city. It was a palace he had created after attacking Luoyang by combining three princely residences.

It was large, certainly, but in terms of refinement and luxury, it was far inferior to Wang Yan’s residence.

Wang Yan’s residence had meaning in every stone and water feature, every flower and tree. It was said that the carved paintings on their corridor beams and pillars were all done by masters over many years.

Of course, it had all been destroyed in a fire.

However, even though the buildings had burned, that property still held great attraction for people, especially for renowned scholars across the land.

After Wang Yan’s death, public opinion about him varied, but many people still idolized and admired him, especially among the aristocratic families. His residence held a special allure for the aristocracy.

Especially after the Wang family weathered storms without falling, belonging to two different camps yet standing firm in both, this reached a peak.

Many believed that the Wang family’s current situation was entirely due to Wang Yan’s deep scheming.

He must have seen Zhao Hanzhang’s potential, which was why he had Lady Wang Four befriend Zhao Hanzhang from childhood. After Zhao Hanzhang rose in Yuzhou, he made arrangements, allowing Wang Xuan and his sister to become Zhao Hanzhang’s trusted confidants.

He must also have foreseen Dajin’s crisis, knowing that one of Dajin’s futures lay with the Prince of Langya, so he had Wang Dun serve as Qingzhou Inspector, coordinating with Wang Dao in Xuzhou, ready to support the Prince of Langya’s move south of the Yangtze.

If Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t hold back the Xiongnu, the Prince of Langya could divide the Yangtze with the Xiongnu in the Jiangnan and Jiangdong regions. If Zhao Hanzhang held back the Xiongnu, even simpler—his son and daughter could rise to prominence through Zhao Hanzhang.

Look, didn’t the current situation verify his planning?

Great talent, truly great talent.

The more everyone speculated, the more convinced they became, as if they were parasites in Wang Yan’s belly, fully grasping all his thoughts.

So it was all due to that residence’s good feng shui!

Everyone was waiting for Zhao Hanzhang to claim the land and rebuild, also to benefit from this feng shui.

The result was that they received news that Zhao Hanzhang had dispatched troops to search through these abandoned buildings once more.

As soon as Zhao Erlang received his sister’s order, he immediately mustered a thousand soldiers and prepared to rush into Luoyang city.

This frightened Xie Shi, who had just woken from his afternoon nap. He didn’t even have time to dress, running out in just his undergarments.

He stretched out his hand to block Zhao Erlang, anxiously asking, “Did the General say what you’re bringing troops into the city for?”

Zhao Erlang replied, “She didn’t say, but it must be something good.”

“If it’s good, you especially cannot bring so many people into the city. Just take three hundred people in, dismiss the rest.”

Zhao Erlang was unhappy. “Only three hundred? What my sister wants me to do must be something big—how will this few people be enough?”

Xie Shi patiently instructed him, “Erlang, things are different now from before. Luoyang city doesn’t just have the General anymore, there’s also the Emperor.”

“In the past, you could bring ten thousand people to the capital and I wouldn’t stop you,” though he would still stop him, just for different reasons. “But now the General is in the public eye, and as her younger brother, you should be even more careful in your words and actions. Things like bringing troops into the city that easily cause misunderstandings require particular caution.”

He continued, “Just take three hundred people. If that’s not enough, take the General’s token and send someone back to transfer more—the military camp isn’t far from the capital anyway.”

Although Zhao Erlang found it troublesome, he was a good child who listened to advice. Muttering and grumbling, he agreed, waving his hand backward to select three hundred of his personal guards to follow.

Xie Shi breathed a sigh of relief and finally had time to ask him, “What exactly did the General say?”

Zhao Erlang raised his chin proudly. “Sister said she has two important tasks for me, told me to immediately bring people into the city—the more the better.”

If he didn’t need to ask Xie Shi’s permission to mobilize more than a thousand men, he would have actually wanted to bring ten thousand into the city. Sister said the more the better, so naturally the more the merrier.

Xie Shi wearily waved his hand, deciding that after handling military affairs, he too would need to enter the city.

He needed to talk with Zhao Hanzhang. Even for secret orders between siblings, they should be more precise.

With Zhao Erlang’s simple nature, if you say “the more the better,” believe it or not, he could move the entire military camp into the capital.

Zhao Erlang cheerfully took his men and left. When Xie Shi entered the city that evening to find him and Zhao Hanzhang, he saw the personal guards his general had brought being directed along the main road into the imperial city, strenuously carrying out stones and wood.

Xie Shi halted his horse, looking down from his elevated position at the dusty personal guards with black smudges streaked across their faces, his gaze slowly moving to what they were carrying out. “What is this?”

The personal guards replied, “Stones and wood.”

Xie Shi said, “I know they’re stones and wood. I’m asking why you’re carrying them out.”

The personal guards answered, “To stockpile them and sell for money later.”

Xie Shi gave a cold laugh. “These things are valuable? Who told you to move them?”

“The General!”

The General, not just their officer.

So this was something Zhao Hanzhang had them do?

Xie Shi couldn’t understand and immediately pulled his horse’s reins to enter the palace.

A personal guard called out behind him, “Sir, are you going to see the General?”

Xie Shi grunted in acknowledgment, then heard the guard say, “The General is over there.”

Xie Shi turned back to see the guard pointing toward an abandoned residence.

He fell silent for a moment, then quietly dismounted, lifted his robe, and leaped across the collapsed stones into the weed-filled abandoned garden, then followed the direction the guard had indicated.