After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 648 - 642: I am Generous

Actually, Zhao Hu is not a stingy person, really. Compared to Zhao Changyu, even to other elders of the Zhao Family, Zhao Hu can be considered generous.

He liked a servant so much that he spent a lot of money to buy him, and he was willing to give the servant to Zhao Changyu for burial;

The servants in his hands, when Zhao Hanzhang said she wanted them, he casually gave them (though he regretted it afterward). So he truly is a very generous elder.

However, no matter how generous, he cannot afford to suffer a loss.

Why can he give gifts as he wishes? Because he has money!

So he needs to make money.

In the pursuit of making money, one cannot be too sentimental; when it’s time to bargain, one must bargain. If he truly loves the younger generation, he can give them gifts afterward.

Therefore, in business, Zhao Hu doesn’t want to exchange new money with Zhao Hanzhang right now.

She actually doesn’t have money!

Although she explained that she doesn’t have private property and the treasury has money, Zhao Hu remains skeptical.

He is a cautious person. When he has doubts about an investment project, he chooses not to invest temporarily or even decides not to invest directly.

Because if you don’t understand the project and have doubts about it and those executing it, it’s like gambling on luck.

Zhao Hu has no other advantages, but there is one thing, he absolutely does not gamble.

He is not a speculator. Just like Zhao Changyu, when he has money, he likes to buy land, buy shops, and save money!

He does not participate in businesses with too high risks.

Right now, in his eyes, Zhao Hanzhang is a high-risk project.

Exchanging new money? Humph, you don’t even have money yourself. If I exchange your new money, and one day it becomes unusable, wouldn’t the money in my hands become worthless?

Zhao Hu turned and left, "It’s not about money, I’m hungry, and I’m going to Luoyang for breakfast, you guys have fun yourselves."

Seeing him leave without hesitation, Zhao Hanzhang looked at Fu Tinghan, "Are you going back to Luoyang?"

Fu Tinghan said, "The craftsmen are working on the new waterwheel. They should finish it today, and it might need to be taken to the riverbank for installation. I need to go check it out."

Zhao Hanzhang was also supposed to go see it today, but...

Fu Tinghan smiled and said, "You should go. Mr. Ji is still waiting for money to go to Jiangnan."

They don’t have much interaction with Jiangnan for the time being and are unsure if they will accept the new money from Luoyang, so they need to prepare for both possibilities. Otherwise, sending someone there would be a waste of money and time.

Speaking of Jiangnan, the rice there, the silk, porcelain, cloth, and tea are all great things.

Zhao Hanzhang swung her riding whip and went after Zhao Hu.

Zhao Hu had just gotten into the carriage and traveled a bit when Zhao Hanzhang caught up on horseback, strolling leisurely beside him, asking through the carriage curtain, "Seventh Ancestor, are you staying at my place, or looking for another place to stay?"

Zhao Hu lifted the curtain, "My sons and grandsons are here, I will naturally stay with them."

Zhao Hanzhang sighed, "Seventh Ancestor, it’s not that I’m neglecting Uncle. I’ve arranged a courtyard for Uncle, the best guest courtyard in our house, and even bought another courtyard for him, fearing he might feel uncomfortable. But he didn’t stay, choosing instead to stay with Zheng Di and the others at the Imperial College."

Zhao Hu frowned, he was never surprised by whatever his son did, but he couldn’t help feeling displeased.

"Uncle, you are getting older, it’s not suitable for you to live at the Imperial College anymore. Affecting the students’ studies is a small matter, but your discomfort is a real issue. The rooms there are only so big, and your bed is almost the same size as those rooms, wouldn’t it be uncomfortable to live there..."

Zhao Hu asked her, "Then where should I stay?"

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said, "Seventh Ancestor can stay at Zhao Mansion, Uncle’s courtyard has been reserved for you, and the furnishings are all the best."

The courtyard where Zhao Zhongyu once lived.

Zhao Hu turned his eyes and asked, "Then what about the courtyard where your grandfather lived?"

Zhao Hanzhang sighed, without speaking, Zhao Hu thought she was reluctant to let him stay there and immediately snorted, dropping the curtain decisively to sit properly.

Nonetheless, he did not oppose going with Zhao Hanzhang.

The people of Luoyang City, now there’s no one who doesn’t recognize Zhao Hanzhang. Seeing her escorting a carriage, they couldn’t help but be curious.

Who is worthy of Zhao Hanzhang’s personal escort?

Upon entering the city, Zhao Hu lifted the curtain to look. After all, since he was already here, he would feel unsatisfied returning empty-handed, so he wanted to take a good look at Luoyang City now.

In fact, Zhao Hu had only been to Luoyang twice, and this was his third time.

The first time was when he was young, just a teenager, following a few clan brothers to Luoyang to study, but eventually, he realized he couldn’t endure studying. He had no talent in it, and it was hard to gain fame.

Without fame, he couldn’t get ranks, and without ranks, he couldn’t enter officialdom, so he returned home straightforwardly to farm, planning to be a farmer.

Back then, Luoyang was flourishing, the streets were bustling with people, the roadside shops were never closed, shouts of vendors were incessant, faculties came from north to Ping City, east to Lai State, south to He Pu, west to the Western Regions, with personnel and commercial exchanges aplenty;

Then came the visit ten years ago, Zhao Hu stole a glance at Zhao Hanzhang silently.

At that time, Emperor Hui had been in power for ten years, and the year before was the ninth year of Yuan Kang. That year, Empress Jia, who had controlled the court for eight years, still couldn’t produce a son, so she framed the Crown Prince for treason. Sun Xiu persuaded Wang Sima Lun to help, and they successfully poisoned the Crown Prince.

But before Empress Jia could revel in her success, Sun Xiu backstabbed her by rehabilitating the Crown Prince, forged an edict from Emperor Hui, and eradicated Empress Jia’s faction, even killing Empress Jia herself, with Sun Xiu and King Zhao achieving a grand victory.

King Zhao, Sima Lun, intended to replace Emperor Hui, but King Hejian and Chengdu King were not convinced. They raised troops to enter the capital and killed King Zhao and Sun Xiu in return, and in that year, due to this series of chaos, Luoyang lost a hundred thousand people.

Zhao Changyu barely survived the power struggle and then fell ill.

During his illness, he summoned Zhao Song and Zhao Hu to the capital to convey his intent of passing the title to the second branch, Zhao Ji.

Because, at that time, it was already apparent that the five-year-old Zhao Erlang was intellectually challenged.

He couldn’t recognize characters and would become agitated and furious whenever he saw books, tearing them apart.

The children of the Zhao Family, regardless of the official start of enlightenment, as long as the family conditions allowed, would start recognizing some character cards and reciting poems with adults around the age of three.

That was the first time Zhao Changyu hinted at relinquishing the title. Back then, Luoyang was also bleak, but the population still exceeded today, and most shops were open. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Even though people had just died recently, they still put on smiles to continue their livelihoods after dawn.

But now, there are pedestrians on the street, though most of the shops are closed, with sparse shops and scant people, yet they wore smiles on their faces with a vitality and resilience unseen before, glancing curiously at the carriage and sneaking peeks at Zhao Hanzhang, smiling at her.

Some bolder individuals couldn’t help but call out as Zhao Hanzhang walked past, "Governor, who’s in the carriage to merit your escort?"

"Could it be Mr. Fu?"

Everyone laughed jovially, teasing gently without malice.

Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t angry, smiling as she replied, "It’s my clan’s Seventh Ancestor."

"Ah, the Seventh Grandfather." They didn’t recognize Zhao Hu, but thought, a grandfather who could be escorted by Zhao Hanzhang must be a highly respected elder, right?

So they stood solemnly, using their eyes to respectfully send off Zhao Hu.

Zhao Hu: ...

He silently lowered the curtain, but couldn’t help feeling secretly pleased, quite happy inside.