Zhao Hanzhang found it difficult to utter the words, her expression turning stern.
She was carried by servants to the table and set down. A maidservant moved to lift her onto the chair, but she raised a hand to stop her. Leaning on Ting He’s arm, she rose unsteadily and bowed to Zhao Changyu. “Grandfather.”
She had no choice but to address him thus.
Zhao Changyu frowned, glancing at her legs before saying, “Why bother with such formalities? With your legs in this state, taking care of yourself is the true filial piety. Sit down quickly.”
“Yes.” Zhao Hanzhang respectfully took a seat opposite him, lowering her gaze to the teapot on the table.
Zhao Changyu studied her carefully. In truth, they had spent little time together as grandfather and granddaughter. He had been preoccupied with state affairs, often neglecting family matters.
But this did not mean he was unaware of his two grandchildren. Quite the opposite.
Though they seldom met, he had always inquired about their studies, their temperaments, and even their daily needs, such as food and clothing.
Thus, he knew that his grandson was naturally dull-witted, but his granddaughter was intelligent and resilient. Since it had long been decided that the family title would pass to the Second Branch, this child had always shown forbearance toward her cousins from that branch—a very sensible girl.
Yet her recent behavior differed markedly from before, displaying more assertiveness and less restraint.
With Zhao Hanzhang’s head bowed, Zhao Changyu could not see her expression, only the top of her head. “Cheng Bo tells me you’ve lost your memory?”
Zhao Hanzhang paused briefly before replying firmly, “Yes.”
Zhao Changyu could not help but smile. “Look up when you answer.”
Zhao Hanzhang raised her head to meet his gaze, her eyes clear and resolute, unwavering in her statement.
Zhao Changyu looked at her face and asked, “Having lost your memory, do you still remember anything else?”
Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment before replying, “I still remember my younger brother, my mother, and you, Grandfather.”
The smile on Zhao Changyu’s face slowly faded. He tapped the stone tabletop lightly with his fingers. After a long silence, he said, “My intention was to arrange a prestigious marriage for you. The nation is in turmoil, the people displaced. A powerful marriage alliance would not only protect you but also safeguard your younger brother.”
He continued, “Emperor Hui serves as a cautionary tale. I never intended for your brother to inherit the Earl’s estate. I thought that by securing you a prominent marriage, even if the estate could not be relied upon in the future, you and your brother would remain safe and secure.”
Zhao Hanzhang replied, “Grandfather, if even close relatives like our uncle cannot be trusted, how can we place faith in a marriage alliance formed along the way?”
Zhao Changyu fell silent.
Zhao Hanzhang pressed on, “If Emperor Wu had not designated Emperor Hui as heir, would Emperor Hui have lived a better life?”
Zhao Changyu frowned, his gaze sharpening. “Do you wish for your brother to inherit the earldom?”
“No,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “Back then, when you advised Emperor Wu against designating Emperor Hui as heir, I supported your view. Emperor Hui was simple and guileless, unfit to rule a nation. Had Emperor Wu heeded your counsel back then, Great Jin would not be facing the calamities it endures today.”
Describing Emperor Hui as “simple and guileless” were Zhao Changyu’s exact words from that time—a polite way of saying the emperor was too naive and foolish to be a ruler.
Since awakening, aside from the shock of soul transmigration, Zhao Hanzhang had been astonished by the historical moment she found herself in. Moreover, the young girl she now inhabited was the granddaughter of the renowned Zhao Qiao of the Jin Dynasty.
Last November, Emperor Hui of Jin had died suddenly in Luoyang. The Imperial Younger Brother then ascended the throne, designating the era name as Yongjia.
It was now the second month of the first year of Yongjia. The new emperor had been on the throne for less than three months, while outside the city walls, rebel armies and displaced refugees roamed everywhere.
She earnestly addressed Zhao Changyu, "Yong is foolish, incapable of either enhancing the clan's glory or safeguarding the family. Grandfather's decision is not mistaken; he truly is unfit to inherit the Count title."
Entrusting the Earl's estate to Zhao Yong might lead to an outcome similar to handing the nation over to Emperor Hui—not only would the Zhao Family's glory be lost, but the very foundation of the clan might be damaged.
Zhao Changyu's expression softened slightly.
"But Grandfather, is the Second Branch truly worthy of entrusting our eldest branch to?" This was not only her question but also one that the original owner had long wanted to ask.
This question weighed heavily on her heart, constantly stirring doubt and a search for answers. It was only when she chased out of the city to save her brother that she found the answer, though by then it was too late to share it with her grandfather.
Now, Zhao Hanzhang voiced it on her behalf. "Over a mere unconfirmed rumor, without Uncle seeking confirmation from you or Father even inquiring as if unaware, Erlang ventured out of the city and nearly lost his life. Are you truly comfortable entrusting Mother and us siblings to the Second Branch?"
Zhao Changyu tightened his grip on the teacup, his lips pressed firmly together.
His heart felt as if scalded by boiling oil. After a long while, he spoke with difficulty, "A single tree cannot form a forest. Without relying on the clan and the Second Branch, you two siblings would struggle to survive in this world."
He sighed deeply. "Though the new emperor has ascended, he cannot govern independently. Internal unrest persists, and externally, the Xiongnu stir trouble, while the Jiehu and Qiang people watch covetously. The world is on the brink of chaos. If you do not attach yourselves to the clan, how will you survive in such turbulent times?"
Recalling the lingering soul she could not call back, Zhao Hanzhang asked sorrowfully, "What if reliance turns into a threat to our lives?"
Zhao Changyu glanced at Cheng Bo, the only one remaining in the courtyard. Understanding his intent, Cheng Bo immediately entered the room and retrieved a memorial.
Zhao Changyu placed the memorial on the table. "This is a petition to appoint Zhao Ji as Heir. Submitting this will ease their minds."
It was indeed a solution, but…
Zhao Hanzhang lifted her gaze from the memorial to meet Zhao Changyu's eyes. "Without conflicts of interest, Uncle and Father would naturally not begrudge us sustenance. But there will inevitably be times when interests clash again. As you said, the world is descending into chaos. In such times, can we truly rely on others?"
Zhao Changyu, struck by the determination in her eyes, asked in surprise, "Then what do you intend to do?"
Zhao Hanzhang replied, "Power is safest when held in one's own hands. Relying on others is never as dependable as relying on oneself."
Zhao Changyu looked at her in astonishment. After a long pause, he threw his head back and laughed heartily, his eyes gleaming. "Good, good! Truly worthy of being my granddaughter!"
He stood up and paced back and forth a few times before slapping the wutong tree and stopping in front of her, his gaze intense. "You have grown up. If I recall correctly, you will have your hair-pinning ceremony next year, won't you?"
Too young—Zhao Hanzhang, already twenty-eight in her heart, nodded with tears in her eyes. "Yes."
Zhao Changyu reached out and gently patted her head, looking at her tenderly. "Good, good, very good. I may not live to see your hair-pinning ceremony, so let me give you a courtesy name in advance."
Zhao Hanzhang was taken aback. After lowering her eyes in thought for a moment, she said, "Grandfather, may I choose my own courtesy name?"
She still wanted to call herself by her original name.
Zhao Changyu smiled and said, "Don't you want to hear the courtesy name I've chosen for you first? I think you'll definitely like it."
Zhao Hanzhang smiled and waited for him to continue.
Zhao Changyu looked at her gently and said, "Back then, your father named you Hezhen based on a divination, drawing from the Kun hexagram in the Book of Changes. Today, I will give you 'Hanzhang' as your courtesy name."
Zhao Hanzhang stared at him in a daze, her eyes gradually moistening. Holding back tears, she murmured in a slightly hoarse voice, "Containing elegance, one can be steadfast…"
Her father had also taken her name from this.
"That's right," Zhao Changyu replied with a smile, looking at her. "'Containing elegance, one can be steadfast, acting in accordance with the times. Serving the king's affairs, one knows how to shine brightly.'"
"Hezhen, you are a good child. My granddaughter has always possessed virtue but has kept it hidden and unassuming. Your grandfather hopes you will continue this way in the future, so that you may achieve a favorable outcome." As he spoke, Zhao Changyu grew somewhat sorrowful.
He had always known this child was intelligent but had rarely paid it much mind. If not for the brilliance she had recently displayed, he might have misjudged her and, in doing so, misjudged the entire eldest branch of the Zhao Family.