Zhao Song and Zhao Hu didn’t co by themselves; they also brought many cousins, as well as other family mbers and relatives.
Zhao Ming saw his cousin whom he hadn’t seen for many years.
Because there were so many people, they directly blocked the street where his residence was located.
Zhao Ming rubbed his forehead and could only have soone select vacant courtyards in the city, rent them from the county governnt first, and temporarily settle them there.
Even though he was the Prefectural Governor, when relatives ca to seek refuge, he couldn’t just give them a place to stay. They still had to rent from the county governnt or the Governor Mansion.
By the ti everything was arranged, a day had passed.
Exhausted both physically and ntally, Zhao Ming returned ho. Truly, it was even more tiring than deploying troops and generals during the Xiongnu’s southern invasion.
Zhao Ming sat blankly on the mat, drank a cup of tea to catch his breath, and then supported himself with his arms to go see his father.
Zhao Song, however, was in good spirits, not at all like an old man who had traveled for five days.
After Zhao Ming paid his respects, he stood indifferently aside and asked, "Why did Father bring so many people?"
Zhao Song said, "Didn’t you and Third Lady always complain about not having enough hands? You even had to use your Seventh Uncle, so I selected so useful ones from the clan and relatives to bring along."
He continued, "That Xiahou Jun originally planned to conduct the talent recruitnt this year, but since Your Majesty went to Yun City, he beca silent and completely ignored the Yu State. The children among the relatives who were waiting to be appointed are now delayed."
Zhao Ming let out a light grunt and asked, "If they’re interested in officialdom, why not participate in this year’s recruitnt exam?"
Zhao Song waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "I don’t care why they didn’t participate. Anyway, they are willing to serve the Third Lady now. Just say whether you want them or not."
Zhao Ming didn’t need to think and imdiately said, "Yes!"
Why wouldn’t he?
Both he and Zhao Hanzhang were not people who adhered rigidly to formalities. Although most of the personnel they used now were selected from the recruitnt exams, they hadn’t abandoned other thods of selecting talent. After all, Zhao Hanzhang had said they had just one attitude: welco talented people from all over the world to co.
But they didn’t just accept anyone.
Zhao Ming curled his lips, with a hint of coldness, "Father must make it clear to them that although Third Lady is not a harsh person, she is also not soft-hearted or timid. She has always been fair and just. If any wrongdoing occurs, even if they are relatives, she will not show lenience."
Zhao Song waved his hand and said, "No need for you to ntion it. I’ve already told them. Even your Seventh Uncle she won’t spare, let alone others?"
Zhao Song paused here, frowning slightly, "Third Lady says Luoyang needs your Seventh Uncle, but I’ve never been able to understand, what does Luoyang need him for?"
He said, "In the past two years, Chang Ning found out quite a few hidden lands of your Seventh Uncle, and the taxes owed year by year have increased. He often scolds Third Lady at ho, and even argued with her over letters a few tis. Aren’t you afraid that Old Seven might go to Luoyang and cause trouble for her?"
Zhao Ming said, "She’s not afraid of trouble." The only fear was Zhao Hu not going.
Zhao Song widened his eyes at him, wanting to get so specific information, but Zhao Ming said nothing, so Zhao Song could only say, "This ti, I’ll go to Luoyang with him."
Zhao Ming then said, "Father, why are you going to Luoyang? Your Seventh Uncle goes to Luoyang mainly because of Zicheng’s father and son being there. It’s a family reunion when he goes, but if you go, our family will be separated."
"Is that a family reunion? That’s a family quarrel," he said. "If I don’t go to watch over them, can Third Lady appease them and their sons?"
Zhao Song said, "Originally, your Seventh Uncle and Third Lady were like the tip of a needle to a wheat awn. Without a diator, they might turn Luoyang upside down."
Zhao Ming, however, was very calm, "Don’t worry, Seventh Uncle won’t cause trouble."
Back then, when Zhao Hanzhang returned ho with the coffin, Zhao Hu couldn’t hold her back, let alone now.
Don’t be fooled by Zhao Hu jumping up and down now; as soon as he faces Zhao Hanzhang, he imdiately lowers his flags and stops his drums.
Zhao Song, however, very much wanted to visit Luoyang, not for anything else, just for peace of mind.
The situation had changed too quickly; he could never have imagined that after being away for two years, Zhao Hanzhang would directly beco the Ru Nan County Duke, a title even higher than Zhao Zhongyu.
She had also taken over Luoyang—Luoyang, no less, that was Luoyang.
Although Luoyang wasn’t very far from Chen County, and the distance was shorter than from Xiping to Chen County, Zhao Ming didn’t want him to endure the hardships of travel.
Moreover, between Chen County and Luoyang, there were still many vagrants wandering, so of whom turned to banditry, specifically robbing passing rchants. He didn’t want Zhao Song to risk traveling.
So, after thinking it through, he removed the purse from his waist and handed the copper coin he had been keeping to Zhao Song.
Zhao Song accepted it with a bewildered look, puzzled, "What’s the money for?"
Zhao Song turned it over, then noticed sothing was wrong. He suddenly opened his eyes wide, raised the copper coin to look at the "Zhao" character on it.
His expression changed, "Soone wants to fra our Zhao Family and Third Lady!"
This conclusion, Father didn’t know whom he overestimated.
He said calmly, "This is the new coin minted by Third Lady."
Zhao Song was stunned.
After a while, he found the words he wanted to say, "This, this... this is simply preposterous. How could she do this? What will Your Majesty think of us, what will the court think of us, what will the inspectors in other places think of us?"
Zhao Ming reassured him, "Father, Xiliang is also minting new coins."
He said, "Luoyang and Yu State are both short of money. Now that Yu State is stable, but the rchants coming and going in Yu State this year rely entirely on Third Lady’s tax exemptions and the exotic goods from the workshops to attract them. Even so, we still don’t have enough money."
"Since Prince East Sea left the capital, how much money was taken away by the officials and aristocratic families of most of the court? Among them was an entire treasury," Zhao Ming said, "All that money disappeared, and now that the court has moved to Yun City, the coins they mint can’t fill this deficit. We have to find a way on our own."
"Even so, it should be reported to the court, and the coins should be minted with Your Majesty’s permission, and they should be comparable to the court’s Five Coin Money. How can you decide on your own to mint new coins? And even print ’Zhao’ on them—does this an you have the ambition to emulate Emperor Wen?"
Emperor Wen, Sima Zhao.
There’s a phrase that resonates more than a thousand years into the future to describe him: "The heart of Sima Zhao is known to all."
Cao Mao said it; Zhao Song didn’t want a few years, or decades later, soone to pass down a phrase, "The heart of Zhao Hanzhang is known to all."
That would be too disgraceful.
Did the Sima Family becoming emperors, was that a good thing?
If it were twenty years ago, Zhao Song wouldn’t have known right from wrong, but today, he can clearly say it was a disaster for the Sima Family and the entire world.
He didn’t want the Zhao Family to repeat the sa old path.
Zhao Ming calmly said, "Rest assured, Father, Third Lady is not Emperor Wen, and I am not of Sima’s ilk. Our actions are for the stability of Yu State and Luoyang."
"It’s truly for stability. Last spring’s battle drove off the Xiongnu, but no one knows when they might return," Zhao Ming said. "Now that we have rare tranquility, we must hasten our steps to build, and all of this requires money."
"Because we have no money, many of the things we want to do are stalled or take great trouble to achieve. Son believes Hanzhang is right—during warti, we must crawl forward, but now that it’s peaceful, we must walk normally. Otherwise, when war rekindles, with no foundation, we won’t even be able to crawl."
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