Zhao Zhongyu thought this way and said as much. “How can Luoyang alone be compared with His Majesty?”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him and said, “Great-uncle, I want Luoyang because the over two hundred thousand troops and civilians Prince Donghai took away are in my hands. I need to settle them.”

Zhao Zhongyu’s eyes immediately widened. “Then, then why are you pushing His Majesty away?”

Zhao Hanzhang said helplessly, “Great-uncle, whoever has His Majesty in their hands will have all eyes under heaven upon them. My original intention is for Yuzhou to be stable, for our Zhao clan to avoid the disasters of war. If His Majesty moves the capital to Chen County, we Zhao clan cannot avoid it—we would be the foremost family under His Majesty. But what good thing is this?”

“In terms of power and influence, we would indeed be supreme, but we would inevitably attract criticism. Look at Prince Donghai now—what was his fate? When he governed, his power and influence far exceeded ours.” Zhao Hanzhang paused, then said, “To speak bluntly and honestly, Prince Donghai took away most of the court ministers and Luoyang’s young aristocrats. The Jin court already exists in name only.”

So what use was it for her to hold an emperor?

Zhao Zhongyu said, “Didn’t you say you saved over two hundred thousand people from Shi Le’s hands? Then most of Jin court’s officials are also in your hands, along with His Majesty…”

“Shi Le was unwilling to release them,” Zhao Hanzhang said indifferently. “So they are all currently in Shi Le’s hands.”

Zhao Zhongyu: … For some reason, he suddenly had a feeling that Zhao Hanzhang had deliberately not saved these court ministers.

Zhao Hanzhang urged, “When His Majesty issued the call to rally the king, besides me and Gou Xi, who else came?”

The Emperor’s function was to command the entire nation, but now no one listened to the Emperor’s words—even refusing to rally to the king. Who would listen to decrees issued through him?

And Zhao Hanzhang was female, with insufficient prestige to make provincial governors and aristocratic families submit, so having the Emperor in her hands brought more harm than benefit.

Zhao Zhongyu lowered his eyes in thought, then said, “If a Zhao family descendant came forward, perhaps…”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled, looking at Zhao Zhongyu indifferently. “Who does Great-uncle think is suitable to take over the power in my hands?”

Zhao Zhongyu lowered his eyes in contemplation.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled lightly. “In the entire clan, the only one worth mentioning is Zhao Ming. But Great-uncle, he is currently my Runan prefect, under my command. If you want him to take over the power in my hands, he would at least need to be the Zhao clan leader.”

Zhao Zhongyu replied without thinking, “Impossible. The position of clan leader can only be held by our direct line. The fifth branch is already a collateral line—how can they assume the position of clan leader?”

Zhao Hanzhang knew this would be the result.

She curled her lips. “Uncle Ming won’t do, then what about Eldest Uncle?” Zhao Hanzhang said bluntly, “His vision is short-sighted, his private virtue flawed. Eldest Aunt also bears a mortal grudge against me. For them as husband and wife to take over my authority—hmph, unless I’m truly dead.”

With that, she turned and left.

Zhao Zhongyu’s expression changed drastically. He hastily pursued her, catching her arm and forgetting to rebuke her for commenting on her elders this way. “What mortal grudge?”

Zhao Hanzhang pulled back her hand. “Does Great-uncle truly not know, or are you pretending not to?”

“Three years ago, when I left the city to save Second Brother and fell from my horse—wasn’t that Eldest Aunt’s doing?” Zhao Hanzhang stared into his eyes and asked softly, “Or perhaps there was also Eldest Uncle’s intention in it?”

“Impossible!” Zhao Zhongyu urgently denied. He also realized that such urgent denial was futile, so he composed himself and said, “That year was truly an accident. Eldest Sister-in-law acted on her own authority. She was also punished that year…”

“Great-uncle,” Zhao Hanzhang interrupted him, her gaze falling on his face, her eyes determined. “I, Zhao Hanzhang, am not narrow-minded or vindictive, but this grudge is forever engraved in my heart. For me, that day’s disaster has not been concluded.”

“At that time, I accepted Grandfather’s handling of the matter only because I didn’t want Grandfather to worry while he was ill. Moreover,” Zhao Hanzhang paused, “at that time I did cherish some familial affection. As Grandfather said, besides Mother and my younger brother, Eldest Uncle’s family had the closest blood ties to me.”

“But I never imagined that Eldest Uncle would abandon my grandfather’s coffin, leaving Grandfather behind amidst the chaos of soldiers.”

Zhao Zhongyu’s heart kept sinking. What he feared most was still happening.

Zhao Hanzhang remembered this grudge and could never forget it.

He was filled with grief, sorrow, and exhaustion, unable to speak for a long while.

Zhao Hanzhang stopped there, turning to leave.

The grudge of abandoning the coffin could be settled later. The grudge of harming the young lady’s life, however, could now be repaid.

Ting He and Zeng Yue had stayed farther away, able to vaguely hear Zhao Hanzhang and Zhao Zhongyu’s conversation. However, they didn’t dare slight Zhao Zhongyu, hurriedly bowing before chasing after Zhao Hanzhang.

The ministers standing farther away couldn’t hear the conversation between the grandfather and granddaughter, but from their expressions and body language, the exchange didn’t seem very pleasant.

Speculation arose.

“Could it be that Zhao Zhongyu couldn’t dissuade Zhao Hanzhang, and she also wants to imitate Prince Donghai?”

“It’s possible. Alas, now even a woman can tower above us all.”

“It’s not unprecedented. It’s only been nine years since Empress Jia was executed.” Before Jia Nanfeng’s death, wasn’t the Great Jin controlled by a woman?

“Alas, we suffer from lack of military authority.”

If the Emperor had military authority in hand, why would he be bullied by people in turn?

The remaining ministers either followed the Emperor or were left behind by Prince Donghai to watch the Emperor. None held high power or office. At this moment, they all felt a sense of shared sorrow, wondering when this chaotic court would end. So exhausting!

Everyone’s thoughts varied, thinking of all sorts of things.

At this time, Fu Zhi was having a heart-to-heart with Fu Tinghan.

Grandfather and grandson—one truly upright and serious, the other truly straightforward—therefore communicated quite smoothly.

“I never knew that you and Sanniang had grown to this stage.” Fu Zhi sighed, looking at his increasingly steady grandson. “You’ve also grown up.”

Fu Tinghan listened attentively.

Fu Zhi didn’t hide anything from his grandson, asking directly, “What do you intend to do—continue dominating Yuzhou alone, or imitate Prince Donghai?”

“We only want the Jin royal house to continue and have no intention of controlling the emperor to command the lords.”

Fu Zhi sighed. “That’s good. Gou Xi has come. He and Sanniang are equal in power and strategy. Sanniang has the merit of saving the Emperor, but Gou Xi’s fame shakes all under heaven. If the two don’t yield to each other, the court will fall into a new round of internal strife—more loss than gain.”

That Zhao Hanzhang was willing to yield a step was within his expectations, but receiving definite confirmation still made him feel unexpectedly pleased.

After all, power was within easy reach. Very few people were willing to give it up.

After thinking for a moment, Fu Zhi said, “I will petition His Majesty to bestow honors upon Sanniang.”

Fu Tinghan nodded, then stood with Fu Zhi on the palace city wall, looking down at the gradually extinguishing fire below. Pointing to the burned half of the northern city, he said, “Grandfather, Luoyang is already desolate, nearly a dead city. Please let us manage this area.”

Fu Zhi frowned and shook his head. “Since you want to dominate Yuzhou alone and seek only stability, don’t do things that make people suspicious.”

Fu Tinghan pressed his lips together. “Then what about Luoyang? Here… devastation everywhere. Will it just be left unmanaged?”

Fu Zhi was silent for a moment, then said softly, “It has its own fate.”

Fu Tinghan didn’t believe in heavenly mandate. He thought seriously.

—