After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 520 - 514: Warning Hint

Zhao Zhongyu was thinking this in his heart and also said, "How can a Luoyang compare with Your Majesty?"

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at him and said, "Great-uncle, I want Luoyang because the more than two hundred thousand soldiers and civilians taken by Prince East Sea are in my hands, and I need to settle them."

Zhao Zhongyu’s eyes widened instantly, "Then, then you’re pushing Your Majesty away."

Zhao Hanzhang helplessly said, "Great-uncle, whoever holds Your Majesty, the eyes of the world will focus on them. My intention is to keep Yu State stable, to prevent the Zhao Family from being caught in the tumult of war. If Your Majesty moves the capital to Chen County, our Zhao Family cannot avoid it and would be the foremost clan under Your Majesty, but what kind of benefit is that?"

"Although we would be at the pinnacle of power, we would not escape criticism. Look at Prince East Sea now, what is his fate? When he governed, his power far surpassed ours." Zhao Hanzhang paused slightly and said, "To speak unpleasant but truthful words, Prince East Sea took away most of the courtiers and Luoyang aristocrats, and the Jin Court is already in name only."

So, how useful is it to hold an emperor in one’s hand?

Zhao Zhongyu: "Did you not say you rescued more than two hundred thousand people from Shi Le’s hands, and that most of Jin Court’s officials are also in your hands, plus Your Majesty..."

"Shi Le is unwilling to release them," Zhao Hanzhang said lightly, "So they are all in Shi Le’s hands now."

Zhao Zhongyu: ... For some reason, he suddenly had a feeling that Zhao Hanzhang seemed to intentionally not rescue these courtiers. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Zhao Hanzhang advised, "This time, the mandate for loyal officials from Your Majesty, besides Gou Xi and me, who else came?"

The role of the emperor is to command the nation, but now no one listens to the emperor, not even loyalists respond; who still obeys his decrees?

And Zhao Hanzhang, being a woman, lacks the prestige to command respect from inspectors and aristocrats across the land, so having the emperor in her hands brings more harm than benefit.

Zhao Zhongyu lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, "If someone from the Zhao Family were to come forward, perhaps..."

Zhao Hanzhang smiled faintly, looking at Zhao Zhongyu and asked, "Who does Great-uncle think is suitable to take over the power in my hands?"

Zhao Zhongyu lowered his eyes in deep thought.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled slightly, "In the entire clan, the only one who can be mentioned is Zhao Ming, but Great-uncle, he is currently my Ru Nan Governor, beneath me; if he were to take over the power in my hands, he would at least need to be the Clan Leader of the Zhao Family."

Zhao Zhongyu replied without thinking, "No, only our direct line can hold the position of Clan Leader; the fifth branch is already a collateral line, how can they take the position of Clan Leader?"

Zhao Hanzhang knew this would be the result.

She tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Uncle Ming is not suitable, then how about the eldest uncle?" Zhao Hanzhang said bluntly, "He is short-sighted, lacking in personal virtue, and the eldest aunt harbors a deadly grudge against me; if they wish to wield power on my behalf, ha, unless I’m truly dead."

After speaking, she turned and left.

Zhao Zhongyu’s face changed dramatically; he hurriedly caught up, not caring to reprimand her for her comments about elders, grabbing her and asking, "What deadly grudge?"

Zhao Hanzhang pulled her hand back, "Is Great-uncle truly unaware or just pretending?"

"Three years ago, when I fell off my horse while saving the Second Son outside the city, wasn’t it the handiwork of the eldest aunt?" Zhao Hanzhang softly asked, staring into his eyes, "Perhaps the eldest uncle also had a part in it?"

"Impossible!" Zhao Zhongyu hastily denied, realizing such a hasty denial was unhelpful, he calmed himself and said, "It was indeed an accident back then, it was the eldest aunt acting on her own, she was punished at the time..."

"Great-uncle," Zhao Hanzhang interrupted him, her gaze steady on his face, "I, Zhao Hanzhang, am not a petty person who demands revenge for every small grievance, but I will never forget this grudge; for me, the disaster of that day is unresolved."

"At that time I acknowledged grandfather’s resolution simply to spare him worry while he was ill, and," Zhao Hanzhang paused before saying, "I truly considered a thread of familial affection back then; as grandfather said, apart from mother and brother, the eldest uncle’s family is most closely related to me by blood."

"Yet I never expected the eldest uncle to abandon grandfather’s coffin and leave it amidst the chaos of soldiers."

Zhao Zhongyu’s heart sank more and more; the thing he feared most had happened.

Zhao Hanzhang bore this grudge and could not forget.

He was momentarily sorrowful, heartbroken, and weary, unable to speak for a while.

Zhao Hanzhang ended the topic and turned to leave.

The grudge over the abandoned coffin could be settled later, but the mortal grudge against the little girl could indeed be avenged.

Ting He and Zeng Yue, standing somewhat far away, could vaguely hear Zhao Hanzhang and Zhao Zhongyu’s conversation, but they dared not slight Zhao Zhongyu, hastily saluting and then hurrying after Zhao Hanzhang.

The courtiers standing farther away couldn’t hear the conversation between the grandfather and granddaughter, but judging from their expressions and body language, the conversation seemed unpleasant.

Speculation arose.

"Could Zhao Zhongyu be unable to persuade Zhao Hanzhang, and Zhao Hanzhang intends to emulate Prince East Sea?"

"Possibly, alas, even a woman today can dominate above us."

"It’s not unprecedented; it’s been just nine years since Empress Jia was executed." Before Jia Nanfeng’s death, was not Great Jin governed by a woman?

"Alas, suffering from the lack of military power."

If the emperor held military power, how could he suffer repeated humiliation?

The remaining courtiers who stuck with the emperor, or were left by Prince East Sea to watch over the emperor, were not very powerful; at this moment, they all felt a sense of shared suffering with the fallen rabbit, unsure when the chaotic court would end, feeling weary!

Everyone had different thoughts; there were all sorts of speculations.

At this moment, Fu Zhi was having a private conversation with Fu Tinghan.

The grandfather and grandson, one truly honest and upright, the other genuinely straightforward, communicated rather smoothly.

"I never knew you and Third Lady had grown to this point," Fu Zhi sighed, looking at his increasingly composed grandson, "You have grown up too."

Fu Tinghan listened earnestly.

Fu Zhi did not hide his intentions in front of his grandson and asked directly, "How do you plan to proceed? Do you still intend to solely dominate Yu State, or will you emulate Prince East Sea?"

"We only wish for the Jin Dynasty to continue; we do not intend to wield the emperor to command the dukes."

Fu Zhi sighed and said, "That’s good too; Gou Xi has arrived, and Third Lady and he are equal in power and wisdom. Third Lady has the merit of saving the sovereign, but Gou Xi’s fame shakes the world. If the two of them do not let each other, the court will fall into another round of infighting, which is not worth the loss."

Zhao Hanzhang’s willingness to take a step back was within his expectation, but he couldn’t help being surprised by the definitive answer.

After all, with power easily within reach, few are willing to relinquish it.

Fu Zhi pondered for a moment and said, "I will petition Your Majesty to confer more titles upon Third Lady."

Fu Tinghan nodded, standing with Fu Zhi on the tower of the Imperial City, watching as the large fire below gradually extinguished, pointing to the largely burnt northern part of the city and said, "Grandfather, Luoyang is already desolate, nearly a dead city, let us manage this part."

Fu Zhi frowned, shook his head, and said, "Since you intend to solely dominate Yu State and seek only stability, then don’t do anything that raises suspicion."

Fu Tinghan pursed his lips and said, "Then what of Luoyang? Here... it’s all ruined, can we just leave it be?"

Fu Zhi was silent for a moment, softly said, "It will have its own fate."

Fu Tinghan didn’t believe in fate; he began to think seriously.