Zhao Hanzhang put down her tea bowl and looked up. “I consider myself someone with strong willpower, but even I have occasional thoughts of laziness several times a year. Here at Seventh Great-Uncle’s place, there are not only high beds and soft pillows but also exquisite porcelain and gorgeous clothing. I also love beauty and can’t resist vanity—I want people to praise and admire me. But becoming famous through talent is too difficult.”

“I’ve risked my life several times, saved Xiping, saved Yuzhou—only then did I barely gain the world’s recognition. But not being known for war and righteousness, if I changed to literary talent, even after ten or twenty years, there probably wouldn’t be many in the world who knew the name Zhao Hanzhang,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “Zheng has studied with Uncle Cheng since childhood, but all I know is that he’s mature beyond his years and has some talent in mathematics. His literary talent and knowledge aren’t outstanding.”

“Among our generation of clan children, there’s the capable Zhao Kuan, the free-spirited Zhao Shen from Uncle Ming’s family, and the sharp-tongued Zhao Xin. They have little fame throughout the nine provinces. What about Zheng, who can’t compare to them?” Zhao Hanzhang said. “When his abilities fall short of others, won’t Zheng think of taking shortcuts to become famous through wealth?”

Zhao Hu said, “I have money and I’m happy to spend it. If he doesn’t want to study but wants to become famous through wealth, what’s wrong with that?”

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Seventh Great-Uncle wants Zheng to display wealth like Shi Chong, but does Zheng have Shi Chong’s ability to protect himself? Even Shi Chong, with such abilities, couldn’t protect Luzhu and himself. In this world, there are many more ruthless and capable people than Sun Xiu. How can Seventh Great-Uncle think Zheng could protect himself and his world-famous wealth among a pack of wolves?”

Zhao Hu opened his mouth but didn’t speak for a moment.

Zhao Hanzhang sighed. “Seventh Great-Uncle, I was once wealthy too. When Grandfather was alive, my family’s wealth was no less than yours. But Grandfather never allowed us to be extravagant and ostentatious. No one in the world could fathom exactly how much money our family had. Yet even so, when Grandfather fell ill, a pack of jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards surrounded us, all wanting that share of Grandfather’s wealth.”

“He was the renowned former Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. At that time, Great-Uncle was also an official at court. Although the Zhao clan dare not claim to be an aristocratic great family, we were once prestigious and formidable. Even this couldn’t stop outsiders’ covetousness. If it were Zheng instead, what do you have to protect him, to make outsiders fear him?”

Zhao Hu held so much wealth and kept developing it only by relying on the Zhao clan, on Zhao Changyu, Zhao Zhongyu, and others. He dared not expand his business beyond Runan Commandery.

Because he knew that within Runan Commandery, the Zhao clan and people like Zhao Changyu and Zhao Zhongyu could protect him, but outside Runan Commandery, that wasn’t certain.

It was only after Zhao Hanzhang became Yuzhou Provincial Governor that his reach began extending out of Runan Commandery toward other commanderies and kingdoms.

Zhao Hanzhang’s questioning wasn’t intense, yet it deeply struck Zhao Hu. After a long silence, he still refused to yield. “Don’t we still have you? Aren’t you Zheng’er’s backing?”

Zhao Hanzhang, who had prepared a belly full of words to continue persuading, was stunned. For a moment she couldn’t help asking, “Seventh Great-Uncle, you have such confidence in me?”

Zhao Hu frowned, displeased. “What do you mean? Are you like those outsiders, wanting to covet my wealth?”

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand. “That’s not what I mean. I’m an upright person—I certainly wouldn’t do something like forcible robbery. I’m just very surprised Seventh Great-Uncle has such confidence in me. I… I’m somewhat flattered.”

Zhao Hu snorted. “Though you’re slippery, in your bones you’re like Big Brother—an upright person.”

He said, “These are the only two things about you that most resemble Big Brother.”

Zhao Hanzhang humbly asked, “What’s the other thing?”

Zhao Hu was silent for a moment. Though he felt it somewhat disrespected Big Brother, he still said, “Desperately fond of money.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s smile disappeared from her face as she pulled the straying topic back from afar. “Seventh Great-Uncle, in this world, relying on others is worse than relying on yourself. Even if I’m willing to protect him, how many years can I protect Zheng?”

She said, “And Zheng still has children and grandchildren to come. Who knows how long I can live? What if I die on the battlefield tomorrow?”

“Bah bah bah! With that crow’s mouth of yours, if you can’t speak properly, keep your mouth shut less,” Zhao Hu, a very superstitious person, quickly put his palms together to pray to passing deities. “The child speaks carelessly and has given much offense. All you immortals, just pretend you didn’t hear.”

After praying to all the deities, Zhao Hu said, “Then I just won’t let Zheng’er show off his wealth. With you here, he can enter office with just a word from you if he wants.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him. “Then Zheng must have Seventh Great-Uncle’s money-gathering abilities. Otherwise, if he’s devoted only to pleasure with no great talent, why should I employ him?”

She looked at him proudly. “There’s so much talent in the world. If I’m going to employ people, naturally I’ll use the capable ones. Taking another step back, even if I’m bestowing favor on the clan and taking talent from within, I’d still prioritize the able. Zheng is my brother, but which of the clan children isn’t my brother, isn’t my sister, or isn’t my uncle or nephew?”

In other words, even relying on kinship, she would still choose the talented first.

Zhao Hu was somewhat angry, glaring fiercely at her before saying, “Then our Zheng’er just won’t enter office. Like me, he’ll be a wealthy man.”

He said, “I never held office either, but I haven’t lacked for meat porridge, haven’t lacked for porcelain or glass, and haven’t lacked for silk and satin. Life is just as happy!”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Seventh Great-Uncle’s aspirations lie there, so naturally you feel happy. But Zheng, like Uncle Cheng, is someone with great ambitions. If he accomplishes nothing in life, how painful would that be?”

Zhao Hu sneered. “What pain? I grant him glory and wealth. What others have, he has. What others don’t have, he can have too. His life is better than the vast majority of people in this world. Look outside—those common people, those refugees, even former aristocratic nobles—who among them lives better than him?”

No wonder Zhao Cheng and Zhao Hu always talked past each other. She was almost angered to the point of explosion by these words.

This truly was: how can a sparrow know the aspirations of a swan?

Zhao Hanzhang smiled bitterly. “Seventh Great-Uncle, this world doesn’t consist only of eating, drinking, and playing. There’s also benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust. The essence of humanity is actually exploring the unknown, so Uncle Cheng pursues learning. He wants to find his own path in ancient texts and pass his path down.”

“Though Zheng is young, he also has his own aspirations. If life were only about eating, drinking, and playing, then their lives would be wasted.”

Zhao Hu disagreed and asked, “How many people spend their whole lives just pursuing food and clothing? Go ask around outside—this is what countless people seek in life. Are all their lives wasted too?”

—