After respectfully seeing off Zhao Hanzhang, Ming Yu looked at Ji Yuan. “If we marry into the Zhao clan, wouldn’t we be even closer to my lady?”
Ji Yuan had followed Zhao Hanzhang from the beginning and understood her plans for the Zhao clan’s future better. He said, “Our relationship with my lady is no less close than my lady’s relationship with the Zhao clan.”
He continued, “We don’t need to use the Zhao clan to get closer to my lady. Chief Censor Ming, you must look further ahead. Ten years from now, my lady’s relationship with the Zhao clan won’t be what it is now.”
Ming Yu nodded. So the question was, whom should they marry?
The two looked at each other, then quickly looked away. Forget it—better to care for their single subordinates and urge them to set a good example for the common people.
Because Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan’s happy occasion was announced, more people in Luoyang got married. Many wanted to marry in the same year as Zhao Hanzhang.
At the same time, Zhao Hanzhang’s famous saying “Marry a wife for a good New Year, marry a husband for a good festival” also spread out from Luoyang, expanding in all directions.
The common people all thought the Grand General was right. This year had seen much sorrow—many people had died due to warfare and natural disasters, but there were also happy events.
The warfare had ceased.
The nine provinces of the Central Plains and the North were all in the Grand General’s hands. Currently, there seemed to be no military force that could contend with the Grand General, meaning that for a long time to come, there would be stability.
They would no longer be caught up in warfare, becoming displaced and losing their families. They had also received relief grain from the court. The Grand General was a woman with a soft and kind heart. They felt that days ahead should improve.
So marrying at this time was a doubly joyous great occasion.
Moreover, young men wanted a family with a wife who could help them, and young women also wanted a family with a husband they could rely on.
Thus many people hit it off immediately and went straight to the county office to register their marriage.
That’s right—as a county office, it had the duty to register marriages for the common people.
The county magistrates, mostly selected from the academy and the merit examinations, were seventy percent single. As if to avoid being pressured by the court to marry while making their own county’s data look better, the magistrates not only personally handled marriage registration procedures but also stood at the county office entrance calculating auspicious days for passersby, encouraging everyone to select marriage partners before the good days arrived. The magistrates not only calculated dates for free but could also hold collective wedding ceremonies for newlyweds.
Under these circumstances, Zhao Xin was escorted back in complete bewilderment by Zhao Shen’s personal guards, then accepted Zhao Hanzhang’s mission and left in equal bewilderment.
As he was being seen out the city gate, he finally came to his senses and quickly said, “Grand General, I haven’t yet reported the results of my investigation into the Liang County fortified estate case…”
Zhao Hanzhang said unconcernedly, “Zhao Shen will handle it himself. Go to Chang’an with peace of mind. Remember to tell Magistrate Fu that the nation is currently poor, and for the good development of local marriage customs, please prepare a modest betrothal gift.”
Only then did Zhao Xin’s attention finally return. He asked, “Shouldn’t betrothal gifts be as generous as possible?”
Zhao Hanzhang said righteously, “No. Tinghan and I’s wedding will be as simple as possible in every aspect, starting from the inquiry about the date.”
Zhao Xin: …Asking about a date requires personally dispatching me, a censor—how is this simple?
However, Zhao Xin’s trip to Chang’an wasn’t just to inquire about the date, but to obtain tokens and letters from Fu Zhi to go to Shu and bring people back.
It just so happened that going to Shu also passed through Yongzhou, so making a detour to Chang’an wasn’t far.
Zhao Hanzhang said, “This matter is urgent. I still hope Princess Hongnong can return to witness the wedding.”
Zhao Xin pondered for a moment and asked, “What if I can’t make it in time?”
“Then Magistrate Fu must be present.”
Zhao Xin felt a bit less pressure. He raised his hand solemnly. “Grand General, rest assured. Xin will not fail this mission.”
With that, he turned to mount his horse. Grabbing the reins, he still couldn’t help turning back to ask, “Grand General, about the Liang County fortified estates…”
Zhao Hanzhang’s smile faded slightly. She said, “Last night someone already received orders to go to Liang County. Since they’re bandits, we’ll suppress them to prevent traveling merchants from feeling unsafe and disrupting Luoyang’s trade routes.”
It was precisely at the critical moment of building her nation—whoever dared cut off her roads, she would dare cut off their lives!
Zhao Xin didn’t know whether to feel sad or happy, his expression complex.
In the past four days when he had lost contact with Luoyang, it was because on the fourth day after arriving in Liang County, he had discovered clues. When he took people to gather evidence, he was confronted by the county magistrate and the fortified estate working together.
Although Zhao Xin was a censor, in this era, which censor couldn’t wield a brush while dismounted and kill enemies while mounted?
Though Zhao Xin didn’t have Zhao Shen’s martial prowess and talent, he could still put up a fight. He led his subordinates fleeing into the mountains, hoping to use the terrain to evade pursuit and seek help from surrounding counties.
Since Liang County was not far from Yuzhou, his plan was to escape back to Yuzhou for reinforcements.
While they were maneuvering, Zhao Shen descended like a god, rescuing him from the mountains.
Although he hadn’t died or been injured, those four days of being forced to flee for his life in the mountains, nearly losing it several times—honestly, when he heard Zhao Hanzhang was going to suppress them as bandits, he did feel some satisfaction.
But along with the satisfaction came worry and sorrow. “What about their families and clansmen…”
Zhao Hanzhang considered for a moment before saying, “If they’re willing to surrender, I’ll only prosecute the principal offenders.”
After all, surviving in chaotic times wasn’t easy. She could tolerate them having bandit tendencies, having formidable martial prowess and drive.
Zhao Xin felt relieved. He leaped onto his horse, glanced at the diplomatic mission behind him, and waved his hand grandly. “Depart!”
He rode off spiritedly toward Yongzhou. He felt that diplomatic missions and such were more suitable for him. Contending with those great figures was endlessly amusing. As a censor, sometimes watching the people suffer, watching those innocently implicated and ignorantly drawn into conflicts suffer, made him suffer too.
Fu Zhi had already received Zhao Hanzhang’s letter first and immediately took out his calendar to calculate dates. He had just calculated two dates when Zhao Xin arrived.
Fu Zhi immediately went to meet him.
Fu Zhi was surprised. “Bring back Princess Hongnong?”
Zhao Xin smiled and nodded. “Yes. The marriage between the Zhao and Fu families is also a marriage between the Zhao clan and the imperial house. As the elders, Princess Hongnong and the Prince Consort should be present by all rights.”
Fu Zhi came to his senses. Yes—this wasn’t just a marriage between the Zhao and Fu families. With Princess Hongnong present, this was also a marriage with the imperial house!
Fu Zhi suddenly felt elated and said solemnly to Zhao Xin, “This matter is entrusted to the envoy.”
He then took out his seal and gave it to Zhao Xin so that he could gain the trust of Fu Xuan and his wife when he went to Shu.
Zhao Xin didn’t linger long in Chang’an. After obtaining the token, he set off for Shu.
Shu had long since established independence. Separated by great mountains, Li Xiong had first declared himself King of Chengdu. Seeing that the Jin state had no time to spare for him, he simply declared himself emperor, establishing Shu as the state of Cheng, with the era name Yanping. Of course, outsiders didn’t acknowledge this—at most they called it the State of Shu.
However, since Zhao Xin was going to ransom people, he still had to observe proper etiquette. When he left for Chang’an, he had already sent people ahead with the Jin state’s official document.
So when he reached the Shu border, officials from Shu were already waiting there. With them leading the way, though the road was difficult, he still smoothly reached the Shu imperial palace and met Li Xiong.