Although Gou Xi was outside the city, his contact with the Emperor inside had never ceased.

Prince Donghai didn’t stop their communication either. He still harbored a bit of hope that the Emperor could persuade Gou Xi to leave.

However, he certainly didn’t expect that Gou Xi wouldn’t discuss Prince Donghai with the Emperor, but instead brought up Zhao Hanzhang.

But while Gou Xi wanted to discuss Zhao Hanzhang, the Emperor didn’t want to.

In his view, Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t worth mentioning yet. The most urgent matters were still Gou Xi and Prince Donghai, and himself!

The Emperor didn’t want to stay in Luoyang anymore. He still wanted to relocate the capital!

It had snowed. The weather was getting colder and colder. Luoyang, already desolate, became even more bleak. The people lacked food and clothing. Though the Emperor lived in the imperial palace, he could feel their gradual descent toward desperation.

So he wanted to leave Luoyang, preferably taking the city’s people with him. Perhaps there would be a way to survive.

So at this time, how could he care about some Zhao Hanzhang?

But since Gou Xi had written to mention it, ignoring it would seem like he didn’t value the other party. He still counted on him to either charge into Luoyang to rescue him or stand against Prince Donghai in a division of power within Luoyang.

So the young Emperor summoned Zhao Zhongyu and asked about the Zhao family. “I heard the Zhao family is gathering large quantities of grain and cloth. What is the intention behind this?”

Zhao Zhongyu was shocked and hastily said, “Your Majesty, this must be a rumor. My Zhao family is utterly loyal—how could we harbor disloyal intentions?”

The Emperor also thought it was a rumor. The main line of the Zhao clan was all in the capital. Even if they wanted to rebel, this wasn’t how it would be done. Most likely, there was conflict between Yuzhou and Yanzhou, and since Zhao Hanzhang was now Governor of Yuzhou, Gou Xi was attacking the Zhao family.

The Emperor sighed deeply and looked at Zhao Zhongyu with sorrow. “I naturally know your heart. But outsiders don’t know.”

Zhao Zhongyu’s mind raced. Was this “outsider” Prince Donghai or Gou Xi? Or someone else?

He had heard that Prince Donghai had nearly been cut down by Sanniang, so he bore a grudge against her. His repeated memorials requesting her appointment as Governor had been rejected because of him.

Was Prince Donghai finally finding an excuse to go after him?

Or was it Gou Xi?

Today Gou Xi sent a letter to the palace. His letter arrived and the Emperor immediately summoned him—it was hard not to connect the two.

But weren’t Sanniang and Gou Xi allies?

He had heard they cooperated very well before. Gou Xi helped her drive out the Xiongnu, and she helped Gou Xi defeat Prince Donghai, even yielding all the fruits of victory to Gou Xi.

Zhao Zhongyu lowered his head in thought. When he raised it again, his expression was calm. “The innocent are self-evidently innocent. This minister and the Zhao family have hearts pure as ice toward Your Majesty. We fear no baseless slander. I also ask Your Majesty to believe in our Zhao family.”

The Emperor naturally expressed his trust, then asked curiously, “I once heard that your Zhao family’s Sanniang and General Gou were on good terms. When Yuzhou was besieged by the Xiongnu, so many requested General Gou send troops to aid, yet he remained unmoved. Only your Zhao family’s Hanzhang could move him. Clearly their friendship ran deep. How is it that recently they… are on poor terms?”

Zhao Zhongyu understood immediately—it was Gou Xi stabbing them in the back.

He lowered his eyes and sighed. “With the capital besieged and communications cut off, this minister has not received family letters in a long time.”

The sovereign and subject sighed at each other.

After leaving the palace, Zhao Zhongyu immediately returned home. He didn’t pause, going straight to his study to start writing a letter.

He didn’t know what had happened between Zhao Hanzhang and Gou Xi, but clearly Gou Xi was breaking their alliance. Yuzhou and Yanzhou were too close, especially with half of Yuzhou now in Gou Xi’s hands. The Zhao family’s position wasn’t looking good.

The capital was under siege, but his letters weren’t impossible to send out—they would just be slower and fewer.

The letter was for Zhao Hanzhang, directly warning her to beware of Gou Xi and telling her about him slandering them to the Emperor.

After finishing this matter, Gou Xi stopped concerning himself with Zhao Hanzhang and continued focusing on forcing Prince Donghai out of Luoyang.

In his view, Zhao Zhongyu should be able to slightly slow Zhao Hanzhang’s steps. She could act on such a large scale only because she relied on the Zhao family’s support.

Otherwise, where would the Governor’s Office treasury get the money?

Let alone her personally—those large quantities of supplies, didn’t they all require money?

Where did the money come from?

Naturally from the Zhao family.

Not only did Gou Xi think this way, even many within the Zhao family thought so.

So they had been waiting for Zhao Song to bring it up, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Yet Zhao Song never mentioned it, as if he truly didn’t need them to produce money.

Even Zhao Song couldn’t hold back anymore. On a certain snowy afternoon, he finally stormed aggressively to Xiping County town, finding his son who was drinking warm wine by a brazier in the pavilion behind the county office. “How much money do you plan to take from the clan to buy these things for Sanniang? How will each family divide it? How will you convince them? What benefits will they get in return?”

Holding his wine cup, Zhao Ming was stunned. He asked, “Father, who told you this money must come from our Zhao family?”

Zhao Song frowned. “If you don’t pay, does Sanniang have money? She’s already spent so much before.”

Zhao Ming said, “Whether Sanniang has money or not, I don’t know. But she hasn’t asked me for money, nor has she shown any intention of having the Zhao family pay.”

Zhao Song’s frown deepened. “Could she be waiting for you to volunteer?”

“Does Father think I would volunteer?”

Zhao Song said irritably, “You wouldn’t!”

“Then that’s settled,” Zhao Ming said with a slight smile. “Her understanding of me is no less than Father’s. Father knows I won’t volunteer, and she knows even more.”

Zhao Ming’s eyes deepened slightly as he swirled the wine in his cup. “It’s not good business to chase after someone. If she wanted the Zhao family to pay this sum, she would have to bring it up herself. This isn’t a small amount.”

Although the Zhao family could produce it, it would require breaking bones to get the marrow—after all, it was supplies that could support half of Yuzhou.

But…

“Now all the families are almost ready, and she still hasn’t mentioned it. Clearly she doesn’t have this intention. This money—she must have another source.”

Zhao Song said irritably, “Can she conjure money out of thin air? The biggest support behind her is our Zhao family, isn’t it?”

“Don’t be so stubborn either. Sanniang is young after all, thin-skinned. Many things are hard for her to say outright. Why don’t you give her a way out? Right now, the most capable person in our Zhao family is her. If she does well, our Zhao family can also have more security…”

The previously leisurely Zhao Ming, who had been drinking alone, suddenly sat up straight, his expression gradually becoming serious.

Zhao Song’s words halted as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhao Ming gripped his wine cup. “Father, you said—seeing that Zhao Ji was useless and the clan head was getting on in years, with only Sanniang among the grandchildren most resembling him, might Great Uncle have privately given her a huge fortune?”

Meaning that Zhao Changyu very likely gave Zhao Hanzhang assets that originally should have gone to the clan or the clan head’s line.

Zhao Song instinctively denied it. “Don’t talk nonsense. Your great uncle isn’t that kind of person.”

After saying this, Zhao Song also seemed to feel guilty, pausing slightly before saying, “Even if he privately left something for Sanniang, it’s because Sanniang is exceptionally outstanding.”

Zhao Ming quietly looked at his father.

—