Chapter 175: Chapter 170: Not Sleeping
Zhao Hanzhang rubbed her chin and started thinking. Ji Yuan interrupted her fantasies, "The young lady has just been upfront with Inspector He, it’s better to be obedient and follow rules for now. Things like seizing people or recruiting them, if you can avoid doing them, you should. If you offend people and the case reaches the court, Inspector He will not protect you."
After pausing for a moment, he added, "Your grandfather had an ordinary relationship with Inspector He, there was even a slight discord."
So it’s better to lay low, just because Inspector He acknowledges you doesn’t mean he likes you. He might just be settling for the second best, and you are just the second best.
Zhao Hanzhang met Ji Yuan’s gaze and read the unspoken words in his eyes.
What else could Zhao Hanzhang say? She could only suppress her thoughts, but it was such a pity.
She stood with her hands behind her back in front of the tent, looking distantly at the flickering lights in the darkness not far away, where groups of people gathered, possibly very experienced fighters.
"The most precious thing now is people, how could they afford not to keep them well-fed?"
Ji Yuan stood beside her, "Only the young lady would think this way. Most people believe that the least lacking thing now is people. Lives are less than worthless compared to precious money, and grain. How could they waste these treasures on lives less than worthless?"
Zhao Hanzhang pursed her lips without speaking.
Ji Yuan continued, "The young lady is very good, but actually they’re not wrong. People are indeed plentiful now; if you set out food on any main road and rally them, there would be many people coming to pledge their allegiance."
"As long as the young lady can afford to support them, people from all over the world can be recruited."
Zhao Hanzhang pondered, "Would someone like you also pledge allegiance for five pecks of rice?"
Ji Yuan smiled, "Someone like me also needs to eat, and I didn’t pledge allegiance to the young lady for five pecks of rice..."
His gaze stayed steadfastly on Zhao Hanzhang and said, "I’ve come for the young lady who can provide five pecks of rice to many people."
Zhao Hanzhang met his eyes, saw the seriousness in them, and slightly nodded, turning to continue looking at the various lights glowing in the darkness, "Someone once told me, a person’s ability determines their societal responsibility. Heaven should be fair, since you’ve been given an intelligent mind, you should bear more pain, and you will also gain more joy."
Ji Yuan looked puzzled at Zhao Hanzhang, not quite understanding her words.
Zhao Hanzhang continued, "I once lived a luxurious life, even if I achieved nothing all my life and had disabilities, I could still live comfortably and prosperously, but that kind of happiness is very short and small. It’s baseless and cannot withstand scrutiny. He said such happiness is illusory and low-level, and since I’m so smart, I should attain a higher level of happiness."
Ji Yuan, utterly confused, asked, "So what is higher-level happiness?"
Zhao Hanzhang softly said, "Fulfilling one’s societal responsibilities and contributing skills corresponding to one’s intelligence; this was my prior expectation and goal for myself, and it is equally applicable now."
Ji Yuan understood this time, and after holding back, couldn’t help but say, "The young lady should read more, so you can speak more concisely."
But he still gave a compliment, "The young lady has ambitious goals; if you can protect these people, it is indeed a very joyful thing."
Actually, he thought her ambition could be greater, expanding the scope further.
Ji Yuan, at this point, was also full of ambition and asked with a smile, "Who said this to the young lady?"
Her grandfather! Her biological grandfather.
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t answer him, instead exhaled a long breath, raising her hand to casually wave across a large area in the air, "One day, this place will also belong to us."
Iron mines and such, will all belong to them, and they will no longer be constrained by others.
Ji Yuan’s eyes also sparkled as he looked around at this area.
After arranging the wounded, Zhao Ju came over and saw the old and the young standing in front of the tent, their eyes fixed on the bonfire in someone else’s camp.
Zhao Ju couldn’t help but look over as well. It was the same bonfire, neither rounder nor bigger than ours, what’s there to see?
Zhao Ju stepped forward, "Young lady, the casualties have been tallied."
Zhao Hanzhang snapped back to her senses, turned around, and said, "Let’s go inside the tent to discuss."
Governor Zhang had not left the city, and the leaders from other counties didn’t know what their considerations were, but they stayed with him at the post station and also didn’t leave the city.
So there was no one to make decisions for the army outside the city. They subsisted on the little grain sent by Yu Yang City, supplemented with their dried rations, barely making it through the night.
The light in Governor Zhang’s room stayed on without extinguishing. Until late at night, after sending off another group of people, he looked outside and couldn’t help asking, "Has Zhao Hanzhang still not returned?"
"No."
Governor Zhang frowned, "Could she have stayed overnight at the county government?"
Lu Xiyuan went to inquire and soon returned, reporting, "She left in the evening directly out of the city and didn’t come to the post station."
Governor Zhang lowered his eyes in thought, pondering for a moment before asking, "What does Xiyuan think of this person?"
Lu Xiyuan said, "Though she is a woman, she is no ordinary person. Master, we had underestimated her before."
Governor Zhang pinched his hand and said, "Is she planning to ally with Inspector He? Is the Zhao Family to be used by Inspector He?"
Lu Xiyuan shook his head, "The Zhao Family still has Zhao Zhongyu in the court. At most, they can cooperate and form an alliance; Inspector He is not qualified to use the Zhao Family."
After all, they are a noble family. Zhao Zhongyu is a Chief of Staff in the court, a position far above Inspector He. Why would the Zhao Family not listen to their own Clan Leader but listen to Inspector He?
Similarly, the Zhao Family would not listen to Governor Zhang either.
Governor Zhang sighed, muttering softly, "I thought the Zhao Family was at odds internally, with the main house and the second house fighting against each other..."
It turns out Zhao Hanzhang was remarkably capable, and the Zhao Family truly stood behind her.
Lu Xiyuan pretended not to hear, so neither of them would feel awkward.
Governor Zhang came to his senses, waved, and said, "Forget it, no need to worry about her. It’s late, sir, you should rest."
But he couldn’t sleep. After extinguishing the light, Governor Zhang tossed and turned, his heart as if burning with fire. Clearly, he was the first to see Zhao Hanzhang, and the relationship between the Zhang Family and the He Family should be closer, right?
Why did Zhao Hanzhang choose Inspector He?
The Zhao Family, the Zhao Family...
In Yu State, the Zhao Family represents something he could not be clearer about. To get their support would be equivalent to getting a county’s support.
Governor Zhang tossed and turned, finally sat up, and decided to find an opportunity to test the Zhao Family.
Zhao Hanzhang, unaware of Governor Zhang’s plans, had just finished checking the casualties and lists with Zhao Ju and decided on the things for condolence.
Seeing the late hour, she let them return to rest. Before they left the tent, Zhao Hanzhang suddenly remembered something, "By the way, Inspector He is injured. I suspect his injury is serious. His direct acknowledgment of me may be related to his health. We can boldly assume that he might not have long to live."
Ji Yuan: "... Why did the young lady wait until now to say such an important thing? And since she already waited until now, why not wait until tomorrow to say it?"
Will he be allowed to sleep tonight or not?