Zhao Song personally escorted Zhao Hu to the Ten-mile Pavilion outside the city, repeatedly urging along the way, "Once you reach Luoyang, speak well with Zicheng, don’t always annoy him."
Zhao Hu replied helplessly, "Fifth Brother, am I his father, or is he mine?"
"You get upset at the slightest comnt. When will you change this temper?" Zhao Song continued, "You’re so old now; can’t you be a bit more gentle? The Third Lady has a firm temperant too; rember to yield to her, don’t always argue. If I’m not around and she does sothing to you, no one can stop her."
Zhao Song still rembered when Zhao Hanzhang first t Zhao Hu, she dared to drag him along with Zhao Changyu to accompany the latter in burial. Speaking of firmness, don’t be fooled by her constant smile; her temper was much tougher than Zhao Hu’s.
Zhao Hu could bend and yield sowhat, so Zhao Song advised Zhao Hu, once in Luoyang, to bend more often and show restraint.
Zhao Hu felt so reluctant that he considered turning back to Xiping.
Zhao Ming hurriedly persuaded his father, "Father, didn’t you say there’s sothing you need Seventh Uncle to bring to the Third Lady?"
He had a hard ti convincing them to go to Luoyang, hoping his father wouldn’t talk him out of it again.
Only then did Zhao Song rember, taking out a thick letter from his bosom to hand to Zhao Hu, "You must deliver this letter to the Third Lady."
He paused, then sighed softly, saying, "You must remind her not to forget that our Zhao Family remains loyal and righteous; never betray or rebel. As you go to Luoyang, keep a close watch over her; don’t let her do anything too outrageous."
After Zhao Ming, Zhao Song inherited his son’s thoughts, intending to guard against Zhao Hanzhang’s potential rebellion.
However, Zhao Ming now had a different perspective. After observing from the sidelines for a year and working with Zhao Hanzhang for two years, Zhao Ming vaguely understood her intentions.
"Father, I don’t think the Third Lady has such intentions."
Zhao Song glanced at him sharply, "Didn’t you always insist she was disloyal? Why, now that you’re her Prefectural Governor, are you starting to make excuses for her?"
Zhao Ming replied helplessly, "Father, you know I’m not that kind of person."
He lifted the curtain to peek outside, then lowered his voice, "I think she doesn’t have a disloyal heart. You can tell from her attitude towards Your Majesty; she’s more likely eager to beco a Duke."
Zhao Song was slightly taken aback.
Zhao Hu’s eyes lit up, "A Duke would be great! By then, she could take over Si Province and Yan State, and Yu State would be surrounded, definitely the safest."
Zhao Song and Zhao Ming: ...
Zhao Hu’s ambitions grew, "Actually, just taking Si Province isn’t enough. The Xiongnu are right in Bingzhou; they could reach Luoyang quickly. It’d be best if she also took Bingzhou; that way, they couldn’t attack Yu State even if they tried, only reaching as far as Luoyang."
He chuckled, "By then, as long as Luoyang and Chang’an are secure, Yu State will be safe."
Zhao Song took a deep breath but couldn’t contain his fury, "Why not suggest she take Jizhou and Youzhou too; that way, the Northern Xianbei’s southern route would be blocked, safeguarding Bingzhou."
Zhao Hu contemplated, "That wouldn’t be bad, but could she really hold such a large territory?"
Zhao Ming held his forehead, indeed leading Zhao Hu to be soundly beaten by his father, "With Youzhou, Jizhou, and Bingzhou in her hands, how is that different from owning the entire world? Are you trying to incite her to rebel?"
Zhao Ming turned away to look out the window, pretending not to see his father’s actions. Sigh, when elders fight, it’s a sin for the younger generation to watch without intervening, but intervening goes against one’s conscience, so it’s better to pretend not to see.
In the end, Zhao Hu left unhappily, pouting, and Zhao Song wasn’t happy either. After a harsh glare at Zhao Ming, he boarded the carriage without letting his son board again, telling the driver, "Go back to the city."
Zhao Ming folded his hands, standing aside. The driver kept sneaking glances at him as Zhao Ming estimated the ti it would take to walk back, eventually stepping onto the vehicle. Instead of entering the carriage, he sat on the shaft.
The driver sighed in relief and hurriedly drove back to the city.
Almost at the city gates, Zhao Song suddenly spoke through the curtain, "Zhao Ming, Si Province aside, Yan State is now where His Majesty resides; you must not lay a finger on it."
Zhao Ming responded, not telling his father that Yan State isn’t yet in the Emperor’s control but belongs to General Gou. However, before long, the Emperor should seize half the power in Yan State, and with his innate status, claiming Yan State as his wouldn’t be wrong.
Zhao Song sighed deeply, turning his troubled gaze out the window. The carriage entered the city, where people bustled about, smiles on every face, with rchants loudly peddling their wares. It was school ti, and children aged seven or eight dashed through the streets carrying cloth bags. Nearby, a vendor laughed, "Ergou, you’re late for school again. The teacher will surely punish your palms later."
Zhao Song watched quietly, his lips moving slightly, pondering if with several provinces under Zhao Hanzhang’s rule, would the world beco like Chen County?
He hadn’t witnessed the chaos in Chen County, but Zhao Song had seen much in his life, including cities captured by enemy forces and even massacres.
How devastated was Xiping back then?
Yet now it’s more prosperous than Chen County, and the people live peacefully, seemingly having forgotten the pain of past wars.
At least the city bore no such traces anymore.
Not everyone could achieve this, yet Zhao Hanzhang managed in record ti.
Zhao Song’s lips trembled, deciding against retracting his earlier remarks, though his inner thoughts wavered for a mont.
Zhao Ming wasn’t aware of his father’s internal struggle. Upon returning to the Governor Mansion, he glanced at the person hiding in the corner and then jumped off the cart, saying through the curtain, "Father, I’ll go handle official duties first; you can rest."
Zhao Ming strode away, and at the turn, a soldierly attendant scurried up to him, whispering, "They’ve picked up Ming Yu, but General Gou’s n pursued them. General Zhao Ju led so across the border, alarming Gou Chun, and they’re likely to clash."
Zhao Ming frowned and said gravely, "Let Zhao Ju act tactically, but he must not escalate the conflict or harm Gou Chun."
He paused, then added, "Tell him to find valid reasons for crossing the border."
The attendant looked troubled, "What reasons?"
Zhao Ming halted, frowning at him, "Any reason will do. Doesn’t Gou Chun often cause trouble at the border? Just say his n killed one of ours, and that man could be Zhao Ju’s sworn brother-in-law; or..."
Zhao Ming’s gaze darkened, "Recently, Gou Chun has beco increasingly harsh. The people at the border suffer unbearably, and many of the villages at the Yan and Yu State borders are adjacent. I’ve heard of villages being split in half. If that’s the case, can Gou Chun truly differentiate, ensuring that those he plunders and punishes are strictly Yan State people? Or would he bother to distinguish?"
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