Seeing Zhao Changyu, Yu Zhongji immediately lowered his head and retreated three steps, respectfully smiling: “Since Minister Zhao has family here, I won’t say more. The officer’s residence is four li to the north. If you have any questions, you can find me there.”

Having said this, he respectfully bowed to Zhao Changyu, then retreated two steps before turning to leave.

Zhao Zhongyu watched dumbfounded, his feelings very complex.

His brother was getting along well even in the underworld.

Zhao Changyu only nodded slightly at Yu Zhongji. Seeing Zhao Zhongyu still standing there dazed, he frowned: “Come with me.”

Zhao Changyu brought him to a large mansion. The little ghost guarding the gate saw him and immediately opened the door to invite them in.

Zhao Zhongyu curiously glanced at the gatekeeper a few more times.

With just one glance, Zhao Changyu knew what he was thinking. He said in a deep voice: “The underworld isn’t much different from the mortal realm. In fact, the rules here are simpler and clearer.”

“These little ghosts come from poor backgrounds, or their families are all dead with no one to worship them,” he said: “Without incense offerings, and unable to queue for reincarnation, in a few years their soul forms will waste away. At most ten years they’ll starve to death, dissipating between heaven and earth.”

Zhao Zhongyu became anxious and asked: “Are there many opportunities to earn incense in the underworld?”

The corner of Zhao Changyu’s mouth twitched in a half-smile: “The mortal realm is in chaos, like hell itself. How good do you think hell can be?”

He said: “Every day countless ghost souls come down from the mortal realm. The underworld is already overcrowded with ghosts. Yet the number of pregnant women in the mortal realm decreases year by year. The ghosts who can reincarnate are very few. The remaining can only wait in the underworld – out of ten thousand ghosts, perhaps not even one can find work.”

What could one do in the mortal realm? Farm. What could one do in the underworld?

At best, brush horses for some wealthy ghosts, lead horses, watch mansions, serve rich ghosts – but there weren’t many rich ghosts either.

“Many aristocratic families have had their ancestral worship cut off.” Zhao Changyu’s mansion was very large. This mansion didn’t house just him alone – aside from the main courtyard, the other courtyards basically all had ghosts living in them.

He said: “They’re all deceased old friends whose worship lines have been severed.”

He directly brought Zhao Zhongyu to the study in the main courtyard. As soon as he sat down, he asked directly: “Is the mortal realm at war again?”

Zhao Zhongyu said “Mm.”

Zhao Changyu then asked: “Could it be that Sanniang wants to become Empress?”

Zhao Zhongyu’s eyes widened immediately. He quickly asked: “Why does elder brother ask this?”

Zhao Changyu: “A few years ago, I encountered Zhang Shijie in the underworld. As soon as we met, he pointed at my nose and cursed, saying he was harmed by Sanniang.”

Zhao Zhongyu’s mind raced, thinking: Who is Zhang Shijie? In recent years quite a few people have been killed by Zhao Hanzhang…

Zhao Changyu glanced at his expression and calmly reminded: “Zhang Shijie was the Governor of Yuzhou’s Ruyin Commandery…”

Oh, Governor Zhang!

Zhao Hanzhang’s stepping stone to formally entering the court.

Zhao Zhongyu’s eyes shifted and he said: “Governor Zhang died heroically resisting the Xiongnu, sacrificing himself bravely in the battle to protect Yuzhou…”

Zhao Changyu’s face was full of mockery: “He said he was stabbed in the chest by Hanzhang with one strike, murdered in public.”

Zhao Zhongyu: …This person has such a big mouth. Inferior in skill, killed by a young girl, yet still has the face to proclaim it.

Zhao Zhongyu touched his nose and said: “Now Hanzhang is the Great General of the Jin state. When I died, she was commanding the Jin state’s military power, leading troops to expel the Xiongnu and recover lost territory.”

Hearing this, Zhao Changyu frowned: “Then how did you die? I heard that you and the Emperor were captured by the Xiongnu. She didn’t rescue you?”

This was also one of the reasons he suspected his granddaughter had treasonous intentions. If she didn’t have such thoughts, she should have tried every means to rescue Zhao Zhongyu, then push him to the front while she could control the Jin state from behind by controlling Zhao Zhongyu.

Zhao Zhongyu breathed a sigh of relief and explained: “I was poisoned by Liu Cong. Elder brother, that Liu Cong’s mind isn’t clear, his heart is narrow, easily angered and explosive. Not only me – His Majesty was also poisoned by him.”

Hearing that the Emperor was also poisoned, Zhao Changyu stood up in shock. After a moment, he sat back down with an ashen face: “With His Majesty’s death, all Jin people will fight Liu Cong to the death.”

Zhao Zhongyu nodded: “That’s why I say his mind isn’t clear. He captured His Majesty and court officials – clearly he had hope of becoming legitimate, yet he neither treated Jin people well nor treated His Majesty and Jin officials well.”

Speaking of this, Zhao Zhongyu paused before speaking of how the Emperor was humiliated under Liu Cong.

Hearing that the Emperor was actually forced by Liu Cong to wear cloth clothing and hold wine pitchers to pour drinks in the Xiongnu court, and was even forced to compose poetry and dance on the spot, Zhao Changyu’s face turned blue with rage. His eyes full of fury stared directly at Zhao Zhongyu: “You too are an incompetent person. As Minister, you could actually let His Majesty suffer such humiliation!”

Zhao Zhongyu had nothing to say.

Zhao Changyu had never been easy to get along with. With outsiders he was still willing to wear a veneer of refined elegance, but with his own younger brother, he didn’t hide his nastiness at all, directly cursing him from inside out.

“You’ve been stupid and dull since childhood. I thought after I left you could stand on your own, but I didn’t expect that even after becoming Minister, you’d still be so incompetent. When the Emperor was humiliated, you could neither prevent it nor plead for him, nor could you help the Emperor endure it and preserve our Jin state’s backbone. What use were you alive?”

Even as a ghost, Zhao Zhongyu was still scolded until his face turned red and his chest heaved violently. He instantly made a decision – he didn’t want to live with his brother!

He stood up abruptly and said sullenly: “That’s why I died!”

Zhao Changyu’s eyes blazed as he glared at him – he actually dared to talk back.

Zhao Zhongyu turned away: “If elder brother has nothing else, I’ll leave first. I still need to collect my offerings and find a place to live.”

Though he hadn’t yet figured out the underworld’s operating system… he scanned the study. There were many familiar things here.

He glanced at the “Lotus Sutra” on the desk. The handwriting was very familiar – even the ink stain on the cover page was so clear.

That was something he had burned for him not long ago. After being captured, he had constantly been thinking about ways out, about life and death, about the Jin state’s future, and also about his family and the world’s common people’s future.

When his mind was troubled, he would transcribe the “Lotus Sutra,” and the unwillingness and timidity in his heart would slowly dissipate, finally solidifying into a resolute will toward death.

He didn’t know why, but at that time he had inexplicably burned it to Zhao Changyu.

At that time he suddenly understood his elder brother – being a family head was truly difficult. If it had been elder brother, he certainly could have done better than him, right?

Whether as family head or as a state official, he was called the court’s thousand-zhang pine. After his death, the dynasty indeed declined.

But even if he was a thousand-zhang pine, he still didn’t want to live with him anymore.

He was already dead – why should he still have to live looking at his face?

Zhao Zhongyu turned to leave. Since the things he burned could reach him, then the things burned for him in the mortal realm could also reach him.

He had died, and died at Liu Cong’s hands. With Hanzhang’s character, she would certainly hold grand worship ceremonies for him. Money and goods would certainly be plentiful, otherwise those ghost officers and Yu Zhongji wouldn’t be so polite to him.

He would collect the items himself, buy a house himself, and absolutely not depend on him!

A vein throbbed at Zhao Changyu’s temple as he called out to stop him: “I still have many things to ask you.”

Zhao Zhongyu said: “I’m already dead, and before death I was captured and imprisoned in the Xiongnu army. I know nothing of outside affairs. Since so many people have died recently, elder brother can go find others to ask. Why insist on asking just me?”

If he asked properly, he would of course be willing to tell him, but with his brother’s temperament, while talking he would certainly start cursing him again.

He was already a ghost – why should he still suffer this grievance?

Zhao Zhongyu turned and strode away, quickly running far off.

Zhao Changyu: …