Zhao Hanzhang was unexpectedly gentle, beyond their expectations. Everyone felt her goodwill. She discussed the advancement paths that the aristocratic families wanted; she also opened up paths for minor gentry to enter officialdom; for impoverished scholarly families wanting to revitalize their clans, she also provided conditions of support…

After one banquet, she hired Lu Heng as an Imperial Censor, the head of the Jiang family, Jiang Feng, as a Grand Academician, and several other talented individuals she had examined. They were either directly hired as officials or accepted as students at the Grand Academy to continue their advanced studies.

Those with keen minds calculated and discovered that among the selected students, there were those from Jiangnan aristocratic families, minor gentry, displaced people—among whom were divided between established families and already-impoverished scholarly clans, and even two students were from commoner families.

The perceptive ones immediately understood that Zhao Hanzhang did not particularly favor any one side. She preferred balance, even considering commoner families.

Although opportunities were diluted, wasn’t this also their chance?

Once this thought clicked, everyone’s mental outlook immediately became different—faces flushed, eyes bright and clear, spirits high and ambitious.

Prince Langya sat dazed to one side watching. This kind of mental outlook, he had only seen when he first began employing Jiangnan gentry, but it quickly dissipated because the conflicts between those from north and south of the Yangtze were too great. Both sides inevitably clashed, and each time, regardless of whom he ruled against, both sides were quite unhappy.

This fighting spirit gradually dispersed, leaving only mutual wariness and resentment.

Prince Langya tightened his grip on his wine cup, his mouth moving faster than his brain, “General, I have a worthy talent to recommend.”

“Oh?” Zhao Hanzhang leaned forward with interest, “Who might that be?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Prince Langya regretted it, but Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes were fixed on him intently, and everyone else looked over as well, so he could only say, “My Chief Clerk, Diao Xie.”

All the aristocratic families, including Zhou Yu, turned dark-faced, even Wang Dao was stunned for a moment, then looked at Prince Langya with an ambiguous gaze.

Diao Xie himself was also stunned, but he quickly reacted, immediately rising to bow to Prince Langya, looking at him somewhat sadly, “Does Your Highness wish to abandon this subject?”

Zhou Yu, sitting to one side, sneered coldly, directly flicking his sleeve and walking to the side to look up at the plum trees, no longer watching them.

Jiang Feng, Lu Yuan, and the others also turned their faces away, making it clear they were very unwelcoming to Diao Xie.

Although Wang Dao did not leave his seat, he also lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Zhao Hanzhang remained as before, unaffected by Zhou Yu and the others, her attitude showing no change. She asked Diao Xie, “Master Diao has been in Jiangnan for many years and must have insights into governing the south. Do you have any different views on the policies just discussed?”

Diao Xie had already calculated before coming how to showcase his talents to Zhao Hanzhang. He was not pleased that Prince Langya publicly recommended him.

With Prince Langya returning to Luoyang, his own prospects were already limited to a certain range. He could either hang himself on the same rope as Prince Langya, or seek another path.

If it were the former, he would not have even come to this banquet. It was precisely because he wanted to seek a path through Zhao Hanzhang that he came.

Since he came, he did not want to walk Prince Langya’s path anymore. Otherwise, when he entered the court, no matter what he did, he would be branded with Prince Langya’s mark, which would not be good for him.

This was not a good time.

Although it was not a good time, he could not just let it pass, so Diao Xie thought briefly and said, “Yes, the General has issued new orders that after the war, all settled common people can equally divide land. Although Jiangnan has much land, very few ordinary people have land, and even if they do, the acreage is not much.”

“But they are not naturally landless. Rather, they were schemed out of their land by treacherous people. Currently, most of Jiangnan’s land is in the hands of dozens of families headed by the Zhou, Lu, Jiang, Zhu, and Zhang clans. The remaining million people must all depend on these families to survive, so I request the General reclaim Jiangnan’s land and redistribute it.”

Zhou Yu and the others were already accustomed to Diao Xie’s audacity and shamelessness, but at this moment they still could not help being angered to the point of smoke rising from their heads.

Lu Yuan had the most explosive temper. He turned and rushed toward Diao Xie, raising his foot to kick him, “Shameless villain! My family’s fields and properties were all left by our ancestors. By what right do you redistribute them?”

Diao Xie sneered, “Left by ancestors? Your Lu clan took advantage of heavy taxes and corvée labor, forcing people to sell their land, forcibly enclosing sixty qing of land outside Jiangning County. Is this also what your ancestors left?”

“You are a petty man who likes to judge gentlemen by a petty man’s heart. What ‘forcing’? I saw the people’s lives were difficult and they could not pay enough in taxes, so I kindly lent them money and grain. In your mouth, even the best deeds can become bad.”

“Lent? Hmph, if it was borrowed, how did their fields end up in your hands in less than a year? You’re just a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Calling it ‘lending’ when it’s actually stealing, robbing!”

Lu Yuan was furious and about to retort when Zhao Hanzhang suddenly spoke, “Enough, I have heard Master Diao’s suggestion. Let this matter rest for now.”

Zhou Yu then pulled back Lu Yuan, who still wanted to argue, whispering a warning, “Enough is enough, she’s already annoyed.”

Lu Yuan’s rationality returned. He looked at Zhao Hanzhang and indeed saw that her face no longer showed a smile.

But if this matter was not clarified, it would leave a very bad impression of the Lu clan with Zhao Hanzhang, which would inevitably be detrimental to Lu clan descendants seeking office. At this moment, Lu Yuan hated Diao Xie to the bone, wishing to eliminate him quickly.

This banquet, aside from this small incident, was generally smooth and pleasant. It was not until evening that Zhao Hanzhang let them leave.

When Lu Yuan and the others were being seen off, they still had not quite come to their senses and could not help asking the General’s Mansion guards, “Is drinking and merrymaking not allowed in Luoyang after nightfall?”

The guard looked bewildered, “There’s no such regulation, but there is a curfew. As long as people don’t walk the streets and drink at home, it’s not regulated.”

Lu Yuan: Who would dare regulate Zhao Hanzhang anyway?

The guard, seeing the confusion on his face, instantly understood and explained, “Our General is self-disciplined and advocates frugality. Banquets in the mansion never extend past the Hour of the Pig.”

And with so many people attending this banquet, darkness easily breeds ill will. To prevent accidents, it naturally had to end before dark.

These famous scholars often drank until dawn. Some, when drinking to their height, would take Five Stone Powder, pull open their robes and run around barefoot everywhere, acting wildly uninhibited with reckless speech. The Central Plains had just corrected this trend, and he did not want these things to reignite, so he reminded, “Even if you don’t violate curfew, our General also dislikes court officials drinking excessively and particularly detests those who consume Five Stone Powder.”

Lu Yuan frowned slightly, “Five Stone Powder can treat cold damage illness.”

The guard said, “Our General has mentioned this, but also said that those who consume Five Stone Powder mostly do not do so for cold damage illness, but for pleasure, which actually damages their life force.”

Lu Yuan disagreed, “The reason we do not suffer from cold damage illness is precisely because we consume Five Stone Powder. Look at our age—we have far exceeded ordinary people. Isn’t this the merit of Five Stone Powder?”

The guard’s tongue was not as nimble as his and did not know how to refute him, so he could only insist on Zhao Hanzhang’s view, “Consuming Five Stone Powder is wrong, harmful to life, harmful to morals. If sir consumes it in Jiangnan, we cannot control it, but in the north of the Yangtze, especially in Luoyang, no one is permitted to consume it. Once discovered, all will be arrested and prosecuted.”

Lu Yuan’s expression was not good. He had been repeatedly opposed today. First by Diao Xie, and now even a lowly common soldier could lecture him in public?

This was only in Luoyang. If it were in Jiangnan…

Jiang Feng and the others beside him tried to console and restrain him. Lu Yuan then reluctantly suppressed the anger in his heart, flicked his sleeve, and left first.

The others also left one after another.

Zhao Hanzhang personally saw off Prince Langya and his three sons to their carriage, keeping Diao Xie behind to talk.

After the carriage departed, Zhao Hanzhang also withdrew her gaze from Lu Yuan and the others and asked Diao Xie, “Would Master Diao be willing to enter the court as an official?”

He had previously been an official of the Great Jin, serving in Xuzhou. Following Prince Langya’s escape to Jiangnan, when Wang Dao became Governor of Yangzhou, he succeeded Wang Dao as Prince Langya’s Chief Clerk.

One could say he was already a Great Jin official.

But a new sovereign brings new ministers, not to mention the complicated relationship between Prince Langya, the court, and Zhao Hanzhang. If he remained as Prince Langya’s Chief Clerk, he would naturally not be favored by Zhao Hanzhang.

He needed to change positions, essentially starting over completely.

Diao Xie thought briefly then bowed, “This subject is willing to exert himself like a dog or horse for the General, for the Great Jin, for the common people of the realm.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded slightly, “Please rest assured and return to await news.”

Diao Xie suppressed the excitement in his heart, knowing that what he said at the banquet had entered Zhao Hanzhang’s heart. He knew his understanding of Zhao Hanzhang would not be wrong.

Although they had never met before, Prince Langya’s opponent was Zhao Hanzhang. As Prince Langya’s trusted confidant, Diao Xie naturally studied Zhao Hanzhang thoroughly.

To study a person when you cannot see or hear them directly, you observe their words and actions, examine their policies for governing the country and army, read Luoyang’s official gazettes, read every public document from north of the Yangtze, and you can always glimpse a thing or two.

Zhao Hanzhang, like Prince Langya, also disliked being controlled by aristocratic families. She liked to employ impoverished scholarly families and commoners. She valued loyalty and righteousness yet also placed great emphasis on people’s livelihood and interests.

This could be seen from the people around her. Apart from a small number of scions from established families, middle and lower-level officials were basically from impoverished scholarly families and commoners. Among upper-level officials, there were her commonly used Ji Yuan, Ming Yu, Fu Tinghan and others. The rest were mostly Zhao clan members, showing her extreme emphasis on loyalty and righteousness.

These seemed to be advantages, but the disadvantages were also obvious. As long as one side was used as bait, it could be used against the newly risen Jiangnan aristocratic families.

They had no comradeship with Zhao Hanzhang, had not jointly experienced the tribulations of war. For the two to be harmonious would be difficult!

He understood those aristocratic families best. Those people were both proud and suspicious. He did not believe that when facing them, Zhao Hanzhang could trust them wholeheartedly. At that time…

Diao Xie had already planned in his mind how to use these things to climb up step by step. He did not hope to compare with the likes of Ji Yuan and Ming Yu, but he should at least be stronger than Wang Dao and Zhou Yu, right?

Zhou Yu and Wang Dao were separately invited to the study to wait, knowing Zhao Hanzhang was seeing off guests, so the two looked for books among the bookshelves.

Zhou Yu found many rare editions on the shelves. There were five annotated editions of the Analects alone, three of which were carved on bamboo slips, showing their preciousness.

Zhou Yu could not help but sigh, “Does the Wang clan have a collection of this scale?”

Wang Dao walked around and thought to himself: Of course there is, but that was the entire clan’s effort. Seeing how easily Zhao Hanzhang let them into the study, clearly the books here were not the Zhao clan’s collection, but Zhao Hanzhang’s personal collection.

Wang Dao stroked the bookshelf and sighed, “In the Battle of Luoyang, most of my Wang clan’s book collection was lost.”

He referred to when Prince Donghai led the aristocratic families fleeing Luoyang. At that time they were still relatively composed. Wang Yan brought all the Wang clan’s books, and before that, he had sent part of the collection to Xuzhou in two batches. The first successfully arrived, but most of the second batch was lost, with only a small portion delivered.

As for the largest portion of books Wang Yan carried, their whereabouts were already unknown. At that time, Wang Huifeng and Wang Yifeng were both stripped of their hairpins and jewelry. They could not even hide a knife, let alone those books.

Box after box of books also contained many calligraphy pieces, paintings, rare ancient texts…

All gone.

Wang Dao walked along the bookshelf forward, reaching the end where there were steps. He looked up curiously, “I wonder if upstairs is also a book collection?”

Zhou Yu urged him, “Go up and look.”

Wang Dao shook his head, “That would be rude.”

Zhou Yu looked down on him, pushed him aside and walked up, “Since General Zhao invited us in, this place must not contain secrets. So hesitant, like a woman.”

Wang Dao followed behind him, saying, “Don’t let General Zhao hear that. She is quite decisive.”

Zhou Yu shut his mouth, taking several steps at once. When he reached the top of the stairs and looked up, he exclaimed in amazement, “This, this, this… vast as a sea of smoke! I dare say your Wang clan’s collection cannot compare to this place!”

Wang Dao pushed past him to look, and saw that the entire second floor was filled with rows of bookshelves. Each level of shelving nearly touched the ceiling, each shelf neatly arranged with paper books and bamboo slips.

Four large porcelain vats were placed in the four corners, containing rolled paintings. Although not opened to view, it was still sufficiently shocking.

The bookshelves were separated by passages wide enough for one person. On the wall directly facing them hung a piece of calligraphy. Wang Dao walked forward in a daze, looking up at the characters.

Zhou Yu followed, walking over. The interior was brightly lit, and at a glance one could see a seal impression in the corner, “This is Grand Commandant Wang’s calligraphy?”

Wang Yan was famous for his scholarly elegance, and his calligraphy was also famously excellent. One could not say it was worth a thousand gold pieces and hard to obtain, but at least it was not something that circulated freely outside.

Zhou Yu: “I heard that Duke Zhao and Lord Wang did not get along well. I did not expect the Zhao family to collect Lord Wang’s calligraphy, and I’ve never heard that your eldest brother gifted Duke Zhao any calligraphy. Could this piece have been given by your niece?”

Wang Dao said gloomily, “This piece of calligraphy was given to me by my elder brother, but when we left Luoyang in great haste, I did not take it. At that time, this calligraphy was left in my private residence. How did it end up here?”

Zhou Yu naturally did not know. Turning his head, he saw a painting beside it and went over to look, exclaiming involuntarily, “This is Liu Bao’s ‘Milky Way Diagram,’ an authentic work!”

Wang Dao immediately rushed over, staring wide-eyed to study it for a while. After confirming it was authentic, he stamped his foot, “This painting is also my elder brother’s collection. Liu Bao has another painting called ‘North Wind Diagram’ stored in the palace. My brother requested it several times but the palace would not allow it. He always wanted to collect both paintings together, but this wish could not be fulfilled. How is it that now even the ‘Milky Way Diagram’ is lost?”

Zhou Yu said faintly, “Someone has fulfilled Grand Commandant Wang’s wish for him.”

Wang Dao turned his head and looked in the direction Zhou Yu pointed. He saw another diagram hanging on the wall. With just one glance, he felt cold.

Previously, he had only heard that viewing the ‘Milky Way Diagram’ made one feel hot, while viewing the ‘North Wind Diagram’ made one feel cool. This was used to describe Liu Bao’s profound painting skill. Today, seeing it, it truly lived up to its reputation.

But…

“How did they all end up in Zhao Hanzhang’s hands?” At this moment, Wang Dao finally stopped politely addressing her as General.

His heart filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

Hating that he was not the owner of this place!

—