Hearing this, Zhao Song nearly fainted with anger again. He quickly looked at Zhao Hanzhang, seeing her eyes also wide with shock, staring at Zhao Hu.
Zhao Song pointed at Zhao Hu angrily: “Shut up! One day, Sanniang will be led astray by all of you.”
Zhao Hu clicked his tongue, truly unable to understand why Zhao Song had such great trust in Zhao Hanzhang, as if all the bad came from others, not knowing she was the one leading.
Zhao Hu wanted to shatter his illusion. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Zhao Hanzhang sitting sideways lift her eyelids and glance at him. All his words stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word for a long while.
Zhao Hu ultimately didn’t dare provoke Zhao Hanzhang. He muttered quietly: “Fine, I’ll shut up. I won’t talk to you anymore anyway.”
With that, he swept his sleeves and left, his retreating figure extremely proud—this was his final stubbornness.
Zhao Shen stood to the side with lowered head and hands, standing still and silent.
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t look at him either, but turned back to comfort Zhao Song. “Fifth Great-Uncle, Seventh Great-Uncle speaks without thinking things through. Please don’t take it to heart. My wedding is approaching, uncles from both sides will return, and there are many matters that will trouble Great-Uncle. Please take care of your health.”
Zhao Song’s expression softened. He gripped Zhao Hanzhang’s hand tightly, confirming with her: “Sanniang, Ji Yuan and the others’ excessive behavior doesn’t accord with your wishes either, right?”
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t nod, but didn’t shake her head either. She just smiled and gripped his hand back. “Great-Uncle, rest assured.”
Zhao Song thought he’d received affirmation and breathed a great sigh of relief. The qi blocked in his chest finally dispersed. With Zhao Hanzhang’s support, he lay down in bed.
Zhao Hanzhang pulled the covers over him before standing to let the waiting imperial physician come in to examine Zhao Song.
After the physician finished examining and prescribed medicine, Zhao Hanzhang instructed the household servants to fetch the medicine and take good care of Zhao Song before taking her leave.
Zhao Shen saw her out.
Standing in the courtyard, Zhao Shen looked at her with bright eyes and asked: “Third Sister, are you truly without ambition?”
Zhao Hanzhang turned her head to look at him. “If I have no ambition, what will Elder Brother do?”
Zhao Shen stared at her, truly unable to discern her thoughts. Only then did he say in a low voice: “The Zhao clan can no longer step down. You know this—once we fall, the Zhao clan will be utterly destroyed.”
Zhao Hanzhang’s expression didn’t change, showing no emotion. She just asked softly: “Elder Brother asks me this only for the Zhao clan?”
“Not entirely.” Zhao Shen looked into her eyes and replied: “This realm—you’ve changed it too much. If not for you, it would still face tremendous change, likely great disaster.”
“Even for the realm’s common people, I cannot permit you to retreat.” Zhao Shen said in a low voice: “So Third Sister, do you understand? Grandfather and I, even Father and Grandfather, are different.”
Zhao Hanzhang withdrew her gaze, saying softly: “Fifth Great-Uncle is elderly. At this time, we should let the old man feel at ease.”
Zhao Shen raised his eyebrows, carefully observing her expression. After a moment, he nodded: “Very well.”
He escorted her to the gate.
After Zhao Hanzhang’s figure disappeared, he turned back to check on Zhao Song.
He increasingly couldn’t read this cousin. So ah, how nice to be like Seventh Great-Uncle—he most hated concealing joy and anger.
The servants finished preparing the medicine and brought it up. Zhao Shen attended to his grandfather taking the medicine. Just as he was about to go down, the anxious Zhao Song grabbed his sleeve.
Zhao Shen turned back. Zhao Song looked anxiously toward the tray of honey candy.
Zhao Shen looked down at it and said: “Grandfather, the physician said you’d best eat less sweets.”
Zhao Song finally spoke: “It’s bitter!”
Zhao Shen: “Who told you to get so angry? If you didn’t take medicine, nothing would have happened.”
Zhao Song turned away angrily, refusing to acknowledge him.
Zhao Shen quickly moved forward. “Aiya, don’t brood again. You treat me the same as Father—if you’re angry, just take a stick and beat me. Keeping it bottled up inside, won’t that make you sick?”
Only then did Zhao Song realize—so Zhao Ming’s constant provocation was actually for his own good?
Zhao Shen wanted to achieve what his father had, but alas, looking at his handsome face, he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to strike. Grandsons and sons were ultimately different.
Zhao Song couldn’t bear to.
Seeing he really wouldn’t act, Zhao Shen could only put the honey candy in his mouth and sigh: “Grandfather, after the harsh winter passes and the weather warms, why don’t you return to Chen County? Father is there. Whenever you want to hit him, you can anytime—better than being stifled in Luoyang.”
Zhao Song couldn’t help but swat him. “That’s your father!”
Zhao Shen smiled ingratiatingly at him.
Zhao Song swatted him once. Combined with Zhao Hanzhang’s counsel and the imperial physician’s medicinal soup, his heart felt much more at ease.
But a stone still pressed on his heart. He felt this was his ordeal—if he couldn’t think it through, he couldn’t cross it. He might not close his eyes even in death.
He previously firmly believed he was correct, but… watching the changes in the outside world, Luoyang becoming more prosperous and lively day by day, along with Ji Yuan and the others’ words and mockery, and Zhao Hu’s words, he began to doubt his own convictions.
He gripped Zhao Shen’s sleeve, asking earnestly: “Shen’er, between Seventh Uncle and me, whose side are you on?”
Zhao Shen looked down at the hand gripping his sleeve, just like when he was small and clutched his sleeve, afraid of getting lost.
He sighed, unable to deceive him. “Great-Grandfather, you want her loyal to the Jin court so you can face our ancestors without shame. But have you considered that one day, if Sanniang fails and the Zhao clan faces utter destruction, could we truly face our ancestors then?”
Zhao Song’s eyes widened looking at his grandson. After a long pause, he argued: “The young emperor worships and respects her. In the future when she returns power to His Majesty, surely…”
“Great-Grandfather.” Zhao Shen interrupted his fantasy, saying gravely: “Since ancient times, regents who ended well with new sovereigns are extremely rare. On what basis do you believe Sanniang will be the exception?”
He said: “Her current actions are like sailing against the current—either advance against difficulties and ascend to the summit, or capsize and perish. Walk through Luoyang city, look at the world beyond—with such governance strategies, besides the originator, who can take over, who would dare take over?”
“She has already made this realm unable to live without her!” Zhao Shen said: “Now it’s not just the Zhao clan that cannot live without her—the common people of this world cannot live without her!”
“People who’ve seen the dawn, if forced back into darkness, will go mad. This realm will become even more chaotic and dark because of their madness.” Zhao Shen said in a low voice: “If our ancestors knew they’d bear such consequences after death, could they truly rest in peace?”
Zhao Song was speechless.
Zhao Song fell ill, gravely ill. Zhao Hanzhang had to visit Zhao Hu’s residence daily, attending to medicine together with Zhao Shen.
The imperial physician changed prescriptions twice to little effect, only saying: “Heart ailments require heart medicine. Once the old gentleman thinks things through, the illness will naturally improve. Otherwise, the medicine I prescribe only treats symptoms, not the root.”
Treating symptoms was still necessary. Zhao Hanzhang had him do everything possible to save the patient.
Because Zhao Song fell ill, Ji Yuan and the others, thinking they’d angered him, saw Zhao Hanzhang’s stern expression as she stated they would use Zhao Ming’s sketch. They didn’t dare argue further.
The wedding garments’ style and colors were thus determined. The embroiderers worked urgently. When Princess Hongnong reached Luoyang’s outskirts, the wedding garments were just completed. When Zhao Hanzhang returned from court to try them on, Zeng Yue hurried to report: “My lady, a messenger reports that Duke Chengguo’s delegation and Princess Hongnong’s party have reached the station outside the city. They’ll enter the city tomorrow morning.”
—