Young Zhao Zheng was deep in thought. Before he could decide, he heard a quiet voice ask: “Ranked for what?”
He looked up to see Zhao Ming, and instinctively straightened his back with a serious expression like a little adult, bowing. “Uncle Ming!”
Zhao Hanzhang chuckled. “Uncle, you returned so quickly. I thought you wouldn’t be able to escape until evening.”
“Stop grinning foolishly. Do you know who that was?”
“Don’t know, don’t recognize him,” Zhao Hanzhang was quite frank. “But he should be from the Pei County Xiahou family, right?”
“Correct. This year’s Rector is Xiahou Jun. Xiahou Ren is Xiahou Jun’s clan brother, with whom he has a good relationship. He’s been helping him recruit talented people,” Zhao Ming said. “If they discover you’re raising so many private soldiers and retainers in Xiping County, none of us will have an easy time. So you’d better behave yourself around him.”
Zhao Ming felt somewhat troubled. “When sending out invitations, I specifically avoided Inspector He and General Xiahou’s people. I didn’t expect Xiahou Ren would still find his way here.”
Zhao Hanzhang: “Coming without an invitation—did he specifically seek me out after hearing of my reputation?”
Zhao Ming glared at her. “You know that too. Ji Yuan has been building up your reputation everywhere, buying horses and grain. Combined with your feat of shooting Liu Jing, others may not know, but within Yuzhou you’re now famous. Of the literary gentlemen attending this banquet, three or four out of ten sentences discuss you.”
At this moment, Zhao Ming felt her absence from the banquet was absolutely the right decision.
Zhao Hanzhang remained cheerful. “Reputation naturally has both disadvantages and advantages. Uncle needn’t worry too much.”
“I’m not worried,” Zhao Ming glanced at her. “If this matter attracts the Emperor’s and Prince Donghai’s attention, at worst we’ll just send you to the capital.”
Zhao Hanzhang still smiled cheerfully, taking it all on herself. “Uncle, rest assured. I won’t let him discover those private soldiers and retainers under my command.”
Apart from her subordinates and some Zhao family members, no one knew she commanded a large number of private soldiers and retainers. Even Zhao Ming only knew roughly, not the specific numbers.
So Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t worried.
Not to mention the Zhao clan members wouldn’t be foolish enough to inform on her—even if they did, she had ways to respond so they couldn’t catch any evidence.
Zhao Ming’s expression softened somewhat.
Zhao Hanzhang glanced at Zhao Zheng, then moved closer to Zhao Ming, asking cheerfully: “Uncle, look—I have ties with the Xiahou family. Could I perhaps ask them to handle some matters?”
Whether Zhao Cheng wanted to be ranked she didn’t know, but she had a whole group of useful people under her command. If she could place them in advance throughout Runan’s counties…
Even the steady and composed Zhao Ming couldn’t help reaching out to touch her forehead. “You’re not feverish. Why are you talking nonsense?”
He scolded angrily: “Do you have no idea what ties you have with the current Xiahou family? Why don’t you go find the Emperor and tell him you’re related to him, asking for some benefits?”
Zhao Hanzhang actually began seriously considering this.
Zhao Ming was shocked when he saw her genuinely contemplating. “Are you serious?”
Zhao Hanzhang said: “The world’s hustle and bustle all pursue profit. Having ties is just an excuse, but with this excuse, things become much easier to handle. As long as there’s mutual benefit with them, it’s not impossible.”
Zhao Ming: “…”
He examined Zhao Hanzhang carefully and couldn’t help saying: “How did your great-uncle raise you? He was a renowned gentleman-scholar, yet you…”
Zhao Ming felt those words were too harsh for a young woman, so he held back.
Zhao Hanzhang, however, had experienced modern society’s self-deprecating culture and casually finished for him: “Single-mindedly pursuing profit, thick-skinned?”
Zhao Ming gave up and waved his hand. “Fine, do as you please.”
In any case, she wouldn’t be the one at a disadvantage. If she didn’t lose out, neither would the Zhao family. Let her do as she wished.
Zhao Ming hadn’t yet noticed his principles were retreating again and again. Zhao Hanzhang was already counting on her fingers her closest connection to Xiahou Ren, so she could claim kinship when they met.
Zhao Ming heard her muttering: “General Xiahou should call Grandfather ‘cousin uncle,’ so he should call my father…”
Zhao Ming rubbed his forehead with a headache. “Stop calculating. Your maternal great-uncle’s family was executed to three generations. The remaining Xiahou family has little blood relation to you. If you really want to claim kinship…”
His gaze fixed on her face.
Zhao Hanzhang touched her own face upon seeing this. “What, do I look like someone from the Xiahou family?”
Zhao Ming had a complex expression. “I never met that Master Xiahou, but I heard that when your father grew older, everyone said he resembled Master Xiahou. And you resemble your father.”
The Master Xiahou that Zhao Ming spoke of was Xiahou Xuan, Zhao Changyu’s maternal uncle and also the elder brother of Sima Shi, one of the founders of the great Jin Dynasty.
How remarkable was Xiahou Xuan? Her formidable grandfather idolized Xiahou Xuan throughout his life. Many renowned scholars of the same period took him as their model, praising him as “bright and clear as the sun and moon entering one’s embrace.” He was one of the Four Intelligences of the Cao Wei period. This showed how high his intellect and reputation were.
The Sima family wanted to usurp power, and Xiahou Xuan was an insurmountable obstacle. So Xiahou Xuan was falsely executed, and three generations of his family were killed.
Therefore, the current Xiahou family’s relationship with the Zhao family was very distant—more than eighteen turns removed. Zhao Ming continued: “Great-uncle didn’t like Xiahou Jun. Since Master Xiahou’s death, relations between our Zhao family and the Xiahou family have also grown cold.”
So working connections wouldn’t work. Of course, Zhao Hanzhang could offer sufficiently large benefits, but why bother? The Zhao family had no shortage of marriage connections, and there were other ways to accomplish things besides going through the Xiahou family.
Zhao Ming stood up. “If you want to try, then try. Right now in Yuzhou, Xiahou Jun is the Grand Rector. If nothing unexpected happens, he’ll continue for several more years. Many young clan members are coming of age and need to be ranked for service. Having good relations with the Xiahou family isn’t a bad thing.”
He paused, then said: “Call Tinghan over to meet Xiahou Ren too. Though his talent and fame are widely known and his family background isn’t poor, to be ranked highly, he still needs to leave enough of an impression before the Rector.”
This time Zhao Hanzhang didn’t object and agreed readily. But whether Fu Tinghan would come was another matter.
He wouldn’t enter Dajin’s service, but in this era, having reputation was still better than not having it.
After all, sometimes reputation could save lives.
The adjacent garden was bustling with festivities. Xiahou Ren was surrounded in the center. With his great reputation and being the cousin of this year’s Grand Rector, he was very popular.
However, quite a number of people ignored him, gathering together to admire themselves in the mirrors and discuss topics of their own interest.
Zhao Cheng was one of them. He had his own circle of friends. Seeing he really liked the full-length mirror and kept looking at it, a friend said: “Stop looking. I’ll send you one later.”
The friend turned back immediately. “You have one?”
Zhao Cheng nodded. “I have one in my room. Purchasing one isn’t difficult. I’ll send you one later.”
Hearing this, the friend immediately returned to sit beside him. “There are rumors outside that the Shangcai Zhao family has a glass workshop producing glass like celestial treasures. Is that Zhao family yours?”