Zhao Ming hadn’t come to Luoyang openly, but had hidden in Zhao Song’s entourage.

Although Chenxian was very close to Luoyang, he was currently managing Yuzhou. If officials and common people knew the chief official had left Chenxian, they might cause trouble.

Moreover, the border with Yanzhou was also not very stable.

So Zhao Ming took advantage of his rest day to spread word that he wanted to retreat and contemplate, refusing to see people for the near future. Then he came to Luoyang with his father.

He had traveled so far, labored so hard, and worried so much, yet when Zhao Hanzhang returned, she was talking with Fu Tinghan about raising pigs and sheep, showing no urgency to see him at all.

This infuriated him!

Seeing her in plain cloth clothing, looking even more travel-worn than him who had come from afar, made his anger flare up even more. “Hurry up and change your clothes before coming to see me. This appearance is truly an eyesore.”

Zhao Hanzhang said with a laugh, “Uncle, don’t mind it. I just came back from the fields. Don’t you also go down to the fields every year during spring plowing?”

Though she said this, Zhao Hanzhang still pulled Fu Tinghan away to change clothes.

Fu Tinghan only had time to raise his hand in a half-bow, not even bending at the waist before being dragged away by Zhao Hanzhang.

Only then did Zhao Ming exhale and feel refreshed. He turned to Ji Yuan and said, “For her marriage, Tinghan is still the most suitable.”

Ji Yuan stroked his beard with a smile and said, “Naturally. They are a match made in heaven. In this world, I’m afraid it would be impossible to find a second gentleman who is so tolerant of the young lady and dares to be subordinate to her.”

So, it was impossible for Zhao Hanzhang to gain the support of those great clans through a marriage alliance. Ji Yuan didn’t quite agree with that approach either—there were too many variables.

If it were a different person, this team might fall apart, with power struggles. When people engaged in too many power grabs, they would forget their original intentions.

Ming Yu had been listening quietly on the side. Hearing this, he looked up and said, “As for marriage alliances, the governor need not do it personally.”

His gaze swept across Zhao Ming and Ji Yuan, saying pointedly, “Someone like Governor Zhao would also be very suitable.”

Zhao Ming’s hand holding the wine cup trembled.

Ming Yu said, “Everyone in the world knows that the governor and the Zhao clan are inseparable. So the children of the Zhao clan can all be used for marriage alliances, strengthening connections with noble families from various places and gaining their support.”

Ji Yuan frowned, not quite agreeing in his heart. If the Zhao clan’s children became too entangled with local powerful families, in the future when Zhao Hanzhang sat in that position, the Zhao clan would instead become her greatest obstacle.

Ming Yu glanced at him. This was still just the first stroke of the character—why worry about it? Better to focus on immediate benefits.

But Zhao Ming also disagreed. In Chenxian, after perceiving Zhao Hanzhang’s ambitions, he had already taken precautions.

Once she truly achieved it, if the Zhao clan was so powerful, it would inevitably become an obstacle to her. At that time, either she would die or the Zhao clan would perish. This was a prediction he absolutely could not accept, so he directly refused Ming Yu’s suggestion. “My heart is like still water. I have no plans to remarry.”

His gaze fell on Ming Yu, returning the courtesy: “Master Ming and Master Ji would be more suitable.”

The two immediately began to decline.

They were advisors with great ambitions, calculating exhaustively every day, wishing they could squeeze out even their sleeping time. How could they have time to marry and have children?

In this chaotic world, if they couldn’t ensure the safety of their environment, marrying and having children would only bring more pain of separation and death in the future.

If the world was not yet pacified, how could they establish families?

All three fell silent.

Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan soon changed into lighter clothing. Both had been busy all day and were already starving.

But Zhao Ming and the others had already eaten their evening meal, so she simply invited them to the pavilion in the back courtyard for a barbecue.

“Quickly, have the kitchen send over a basket of steamed buns first to tide us over.”

Ting He agreed and ran to the kitchen with Fu’an. Soon they brought back steamed buns and pre-marinated cut meat.

Fu’an crouched down to start the fire, placed the stone slab commonly used for barbecuing on it, then stepped aside and took out a large lump of clay from a basket and put it in the stove.

Zhao Ming frowned and looked away in distaste, asking, “What is this?”

Fu’an explained, “This is beggar’s chicken, a new way of eating that the young lady and young master came up with.”

During the recent period, Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan often went to the fields. The autumn air was crisp and the wild chickens were plump. When night fell and it got a bit cold, Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but turn the wild chickens they hunted into beggar’s chicken by the fire.

However, autumn and winter wild chickens, though plump, still couldn’t compare in taste to domestic chickens.

Domestically raised chickens were both fat and tender. Stuff some ginger and mushrooms inside, marinate carefully with seasonings, wrap in lotus leaves, then coat with mud and toss into the fire…

When the beggar’s chicken was done, crack open the mud, peel it away, and there was fragrant, tender chicken. Pull gently and the drumstick would come right off. Fu’an felt he could eat an entire one by himself.

Unfortunately, there weren’t many chickens at home. After the young lady caught two, the kitchen staff guarded the chickens very tightly, saying they needed to save some for the year-end to entertain officials and generals.

Today it was only because Old Master Ming had come that the kitchen killed one, marinating it in advance for Zhao Hanzhang to use.

Zhao Hanzhang assured Zhao Ming, “Don’t judge it by its appearance—it’s delicious.”

Zhao Ming snorted lightly and said, “You also say steamed buns mixed with wheat bran are delicious.”

Seeing her munching on the gray-white steamed bun in her hand with relish, Zhao Ming felt a bit sorry for her, though his words didn’t spare her. “There are obviously easier paths to take, yet you insist on forcing yourself into this situation.”

He glanced at Fu Tinghan, who was also eating a gray-white steamed bun with his head down, and said, “Even dragging those around you to suffer together.”

Zhao Hanzhang turned to look at Fu Tinghan, then raised her head to ask Zhao Ming, “Uncle Ming, why do you say this?”

Zhao Ming said, “Didn’t I mention to you before that a few months ago, the Fan clan came to pledge allegiance? You only needed to raise your hand slightly, and they would have offered large amounts of money and wealth.”

Zhao Hanzhang sighed, “Didn’t I have them take the talent recruitment examination? As for buying land, even Seventh Grand-Uncle couldn’t be an exception. How could I not impose restrictions on the Fan clan?”

Zhao Ming said, “In chaotic times, such minor matters can be temporarily set aside.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Are you asking me to settle accounts after autumn?”

She continued, “I don’t mind being criticized, but I’m afraid my abilities are limited. Once I open that door, I might not be able to stop myself in the future.”

Zhao Ming raised his eyebrows and simply followed the topic, asking, “Why do you want to revise the tax laws? Don’t you know that once you change them, there will be suspicion of changing orders from morning to evening, and your authority will be lost?”

“This is my fault, but I cannot knowingly continue with what is wrong,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “If I don’t revise it and impose restrictions, the small and medium-sized noble families and gentry of Yuzhou and Luoyang won’t be able to bear the taxes and will flee, and they might even develop rebellious intentions.”

Zhao Ming pondered for a moment and asked, “Then why not restore the old system? Hanzhang, what kind of tax system do you actually want?”

He said, “Tax exemption has always been the emperor’s reward to meritorious ministers, and also the glory of those ministers. Your grandfather inherited his ancestor’s title, and the fief he received and the right to tax exemption are all inherited benefits. Because of this, he was utterly loyal to Great Jin.”

Zhao Ming paused and then said, “If you want to… tax exemption is unavoidable.”