Beside him, there were one or two slightly more sober drinking buddies who quickly stopped him, saying, "Speak cautiously, Zhou Chang, you scared Shangcai Marquis."
The drunken Zhou Chang just laughed heartily and said, "Scare what? Since ancient tis, who doesn’t die? I say Shangcai Marquis is lucky; at least he knows how he will die. Unlike us, we don’t know when or how we’ll die. That’s the real terror."
He was pushed away, originally half-lying on the ground, and now he simply collapsed, spreading out his limbs and lying on the ground in a big character shape, unconcerned that his head was outside the mat, staring at the beams on the roof with eyes filled with sorrow unseen by others, saying, "In this world, death is not to be feared; what is feared is dying without value."
"The highest form of dying is for the country; the second is for righteousness; the third, well, is for family and relatives." He glanced enviously at Zhao Ji and said, "Shangcai Marquis and Minister Zhao are hostages in Yun City; at worst, they die for their family. To die of the third kind of death is a life without regret."
He said, "Unlike us. Think about those who left with Prince East Sea, so many talented people, just died inexplicably in the hands of Shi Le. Their deaths were useless to the country, to the monarch, and to this world. They died in vain, they died in vain..."
Zhao Ji’s head buzzed and throughout, he only heard the word "death." He staggered back ho, wanting to ask his father what exactly they ca to Yun City for. Was it really to be hostages for Zhao Hanzhang?
He always thought they were forced into it, both him and his father.
Mrs. Wu was forced to death by Zhao Hanzhang, his children forced to return to Xiping. He thought what he and his father had to do was use the emperor’s power to take back the Zhao Family and Zhao Family Army from Zhao Hanzhang. He thought...
He had many assumptions, but seeing today, none of them seed to be true.
But when he returned ho, seeing Zhao Zhongyu appear ten years older and watching him frown over his work, he suddenly didn’t dare to speak. He feared getting a definite answer from his father’s mouth.
So Zhao Ji never said anything, but in his heart, he had unconsciously agreed with what Zhou Chang said.
Especially after Ming Yu left, he beca more certain that his father never intended to take Zhao Family back from Zhao Hanzhang but was helping her, helping her gather talents, vie for power and gain profits.
And through all of this, his father not only didn’t tell him but also kept it a secret from him.
Zhao Zhongyu turned to look at him and finally pursed his lips tightly. He stepped forward and stood beside the bed, looking down at him and said, "Do you know how many noble families were exterminated since Emperor Hui’s ascension? Do you know how many prominent families have fallen and dispersed in the three years since the new emperor ascended?"
Zhao Ji, shaken by his questioning, stumbled back, leaning against the headboard, unable to speak.
Zhao Zhongyu’s gaze gradually beca sharp, and his expression grew stern. He stared intently at his son and said, "Let ask you, three years ago, how did the Zhao Family compare with the Wei Family? And how does the Zhao Family compare to the Wei Family today?"
"Our Zhao Family is only an Earl, sealed only with Shangcai County, while the Wei Family is graced with Lanling, holding the title of Duke Lanling. Even if Prince East Sea wants to expand his domain and change Wei Zao to Duke Jiangxia, their power and prestige far exceed ours."
"During your uncle’s ti, he could barely support us. With his reputation, the world knew of the Xiping Zhao Family, but once he left, how many people can rember Xiping Zhao Family? Among the younger generation in the clan who entered officialdom, how many could leverage this prestige?"
"While the Wei Family has the brothers Wei Zao and Wei Jie. Three years ago, between the Zhao and Wei families, who would favor the Zhao Family?" Zhao Zhongyu pressed forward, "But now, Wei Jie went south with his mother and family to protect them, losing touch. Those who stayed with Wei Zao at His Majesty’s side in the capital dispersed. Now, only Wei Zao and a few family mbers hang on. If not for Zhao Hanzhang, if not for the Zhao Family Army, do you think the Zhao Family’s situation would have been good?"
Zhao Zhongyu compared the Wei and Zhao families because Zhao Changyu and Wei Jie’s grandfather, Wei Guan, were very close friends. While Zhao Changyu was alive, the two families were as close as kin.
Wei Guan was older than Zhao Changyu, yet they served in the sa court. During Emperor Wu’s reign, Zhao Changyu opposed Emperor Hui’s succession, proposing Emperor Wu crown another crown prince. At that ti, Wei Guan was the crown prince’s teacher.
But even this teacher believed the crown prince too plain and disagreed with him inheriting the throne, suggesting with many ministers to change the crown prince.
Unfortunately, Emperor Wu was set in his ways.
Once, when Wei Guan was drunk, he pretended to mistakenly shoot an arrow at the crown prince, which caused animosity with Empress Jia.
After Emperor Hui ca to power, Empress Jia frad him, nearly wiping out his family. Although they weren’t exterminated in the end, many were wrongfully killed.
At that ti, Zhao Changyu was also scrutinized, but he was in mourning for his mother and took his family back to Xiping early, avoiding disaster.
Later, when the Wei Family was redressed, they returned to the public eye, but their family’s power was severely diminished.
During Zhao Changyu’s ti, the Zhao Family, with him, slightly surpassed the Wei Family in prestige and power. But once Zhao Changyu died, the main branch of the Zhao Family lacked any outstanding descendants.
Zhao Zhi died early, Zhao Ji abandoned the family, earning a terrible reputation. Zhao Yi had no notable reputation, and Zhao Erlang was a fool, whereas the Wei Family had the famous Wei Jie, and Wei Zao, though not as handso as his brother, had impressive calligraphy skills, gaining repute.
Who wouldn’t think the Wei Family had a brighter future than the Zhao Family?
But in just three years, everything turned upside down. The Wei Family dispersed, while the Zhao Family stood firm on the land of Yu State. No one dared to easily assert that the Zhao Family would be beneath the Wei Family.
Seeing his son’s pale face, unable to speak, Zhao Zhongyu straightened up and coldly said, "So, for the sake of the family, you shall be this hostage whether you want to or not!"
"If you want to live longer, talk less about Zhao Hanzhang here. If you don’t ntion her, not many will rember you’re a hostage." With this, Zhao Zhongyu turned and left.
Outside the door, he summoned the servants attending to Zhao Ji and instructed, "Take good care of him as he recovers. Don’t tell him about outside affairs. He is not to leave the house until he’s fully healed."
The servants responded affirmatively.
Zhao Ji lay on the bed, his chest rising and falling violently, his mind in turmoil as if filled with mush, unable to think anything through.
Yet Ming Yu, en route to Luoyang, was clear-headed, and his spirits were high. Along the way, it was mostly wilderness, with sparse signs of human habitation. There were few people, and those scattered in the fields working seed even fewer.
Still, Ming Yu occasionally had them stop, got out of the carriage, and walked into the fields.
Yuan Li and the others escorting him did not stop him. They followed his instructions, as Zhao Ming ordered them to listen to Ming Yu along the way.
The fields were harvesting millet.
Ming Yu walked into the field, and the person bent over cutting grains looked up upon hearing the commotion, gazed warily at them carrying a knife, and asked, "Who are you?"
Feigning bravado, he waved the knife in his hand and said, "The garrison is not far from here. If we call, the stationed soldiers can co over."
Ming Yu smiled gently and said, "Old man, don’t misunderstand. We’re just passing through. It’s scorching hot, and the water we brought isn’t enough, so we wish to borrow so from you."
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