Although the young Emperor was born into the imperial family, he wasn’t born knowing everything. The responsibilities and powers of officials at all levels, and the procedures for handling government affairs all had to be learned.

In the first ten years of his life, three years were spent in a state of ignorant confusion, another three years belonged to a carefree state of happily exploring the world, and the remaining four years were spent wandering with his father and brothers.

Conflicts would break out around him from time to time, taking away his cousins, father, and uncles one by one, until even the Emperor could be captured and taken away by the Xiongnu, and he himself became Emperor.

In such circumstances, combined with the Jin imperial house’s mentality of living for the day and taking each day as it came, the young Emperor’s previous cultural level was limited to recognizing some characters. He hadn’t even finished the primer “Cangjie Pian,” and had only studied a few chapters of “The Analects” intermittently.

So when he suddenly became Emperor, Zhao Hanzhang found many accomplished Confucian masters to teach him.

Besides Xun Fan, Xun Zu, Zhao Ming, and others, he heard she also wanted to send people to Jiangdong to invite several great Confucian masters to teach him—just thinking about it made him shudder.

Among them, Xun Zu was teaching him the official system. He had to memorize the official titles of the Great Jin, the ranks of officials, the selection system for officials, and their respective powers and responsibilities—to avoid situations where, when discussing government in the future and someone mentioned a certain official, he wouldn’t know what that person did.

The young Emperor had been memorizing for several days without success. Combined with not sleeping well last night, his expression was very poor when he saw Xun Zu. Before long, Xun Zu, watching the young Emperor with half-closed eyes, his head nodding bit by bit, also looked displeased.

It was dawn. After the young Emperor finished his morning meal, according to regulations, he had to go to the main hall to study memorial approval with Zhao Hanzhang.

Xun Zu dared to occupy other teachers’ time but didn’t dare occupy Zhao Hanzhang’s time, so although his expression was sour, he still let the young Emperor go.

The young Emperor went apprehensively to see Zhao Hanzhang. He submitted the approved memorials, then presented those he really couldn’t approve, hanging his head as he said, “Government affairs are complex. The Grand General was right—the court needs a Director of the Secretariat and an Attendant of the Chancellery. Scholar Ji and Scholar Ming are very suitable.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s lips curved upward as she agreed. Because of the Emperor’s timely retreat, Zhao Hanzhang gave him half a day off, no longer constraining him to study memorial approval here.

The young Emperor’s eyes lit up at this. He immediately bowed and took his leave. Upon returning to his room, he collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.

Who could understand? A ten-year-old child, sleeping for less than an hour and a half in a day…

The remaining Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes to look at the memorials. She reached out and picked up an approved one. On it was the young Emperor’s childish handwriting, but one could tell at a glance that the phrasing wasn’t something he could manage.

She summoned Zhao Yunxin. “Go ask who was with His Majesty last night.”

Zhao Yunxin acknowledged and soon returned to report, “It was Xun Fan. After noon yesterday, he was with His Majesty and stayed overnight at the Imperial Garden, not leaving until this morning.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, lowering her eyes to contemplate Xun Fan as a person. The more she thought, the more interesting she found him. “Though Xun Fan and Xun Zu are brothers, they’re completely different. Interesting.”

Zhao Yunxin kept her head lowered without speaking.

Zhao Hanzhang tapped the table. “When we depart for Luoyang this time, have Xun Fan attend His Majesty.”

Chenxian and Luoyang weren’t far apart. She could reach it in a day on a fast horse, but the court’s relocation definitely wouldn’t be this swift. If they could arrive in Luoyang within five days, that would be considered fast. Holding to the principle that time shouldn’t be wasted, Zhao Hanzhang decided to have the young Emperor continue studying on the road, though she chose a teacher he preferred more.

This migration saw Zhao Hanzhang directly taking over twenty thousand people from Chenxian, plus the Zhao Family Army she was taking, totaling about one hundred fifty thousand people.

Of course, they didn’t all depart on the same day. The past few days had already seen advance troops departing in succession—thirty thousand had gone ahead to Luoyang, twenty thousand were clearing and opening roads ahead, while she led the central army, falling back a step.

Zhao Ming led the officials of Yuzhou to see them off respectfully outside the city gates. He glanced at Zhao Hu in the crowd and couldn’t help lowering his voice to advise Zhao Hanzhang, “Seventh Grand-Uncle has always been short-sighted and acts confusedly. If he does anything to anger you, just write back and tell the clan. The clan will have people who can handle him. I hope you’ll be lenient and spare his life.”

Zhao Hanzhang said with a half-smile, “Uncle Ming worries too much. We’re all relatives, and I’ve received much support from the elders. As long as it doesn’t touch the law, I’ll naturally be accommodating. But if it touches national law, even with the will, I lack the power.”

Zhao Ming understood her bottom line. Usually competing for power and profit was nothing. Turning a blind eye to Zhao Hu using her name to facilitate his business dealings was one thing, but if it harmed the people’s lives and interests and touched national law, she absolutely wouldn’t be lenient.

Zhao Ming glanced at Zhao Hu in the crowd, who was smiling broadly and cupping his hands in farewell to friends. He couldn’t help but snort coldly in his heart, then nodded at Zhao Hanzhang with a pleasant expression. “I understand.”

Zhao Hu was going to Luoyang, and just the people he was bringing numbered nearly a thousand.

He was going to reunite with his son and grandsons.

Zhao Song looked at his grandson whom he rarely saw and also wanted to go, but then turned to look at his son and ultimately chose to stay.

With Zhao Hanzhang as Grand General and Prime Minister, and the realm already tending toward stability, the Zhao clan was even more incomparable to before. He had to return to Xiping to oversee things, or the clan would likely have problems.

Oh yes, Zhao Zhongyu’s remains had also been transported back. He would take them back for burial. Under Zhao Hanzhang’s direction, his posthumous name was “Wenzhong” (Cultured and Loyal), and he was posthumously ennobled as Marquis of Xiping, a rank even higher than Zhao Changyu’s Earl title.

Of course, this was an honorary title, just a designation that allowed burial with a marquis’s rites, with no fief or stipend.

But for civil officials, Zhao Zhongyu’s achievement lay not in the title but in the posthumous name “Wenzhong.”

How many scholars pursued the posthumous name “Wenzhong” their entire lives!

When Zhao Changyu died of illness, the court gave him the posthumous name “Jian” (Simple). Oh, taking the opportunity of giving Zhao Zhongyu a posthumous name, Zhao Hanzhang used her public position for private gain and added “Wen” (Cultured) to her grandfather’s name, making it “Wenjian” (Cultured and Simple). She thought that if she truly ascended to the great throne in the future, she’d add more for her grandfather.

Zhao Ji had also died, but unfortunately Zhao Hanzhang showed him no favor, even stripping him of his title of Earl of Shangcai. He would be buried beside Zhao Zhongyu, borrowing some of his father’s funeral ceremony.

This was Zhao Song’s insistence.

This grand-uncle of hers, with his firm temper yet soft heart, was furious for several days upon learning of Zhao Ji’s conduct when captured, cursing repeatedly. But after Zhao Hanzhang stripped him of his Earl of Shangcai title, he still couldn’t help but soften and came specially to tell Zhao Hanzhang, “We can’t let him be a lonely soul out there. Your grand-uncle in the underworld would be uneasy if he knew.”

He said, “The dead are greatest. Past grievances have already dissipated like smoke. Why not let him be buried beside your grand-uncle? At least there will be incense offerings, so he won’t truly become a wandering ghost.”

Zhao Hanzhang agreed, so Zhao Song had to return to oversee the funeral.

As for the Earl of Shangcai title, Zhao Hanzhang wanted to give it to Zhao Dalang, but out of respect for her mother, she wanted to hear Wang Shi’s opinion.

Zhao Song seemed to perceive this as well, so he told Zhao Hanzhang, “After I return to Xiping and finish overseeing the funeral, I’ll have someone escort Wang Shi to Luoyang to reunite with you.”

Zhao Hanzhang bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, Grand-Uncle.”

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