Chapter 427 - 421: Reality
Chang Ning: "Governor Zhao is the lady’s uncle, a close relative, why didn’t he propose directly to the lady, instead of asking you to pass it on?"
"It shows that this is not a reasonable matter and the lady most likely won’t agree," he said. "Now the lady is not in charge of just one county but the entire state of Yu, which comprises ten prefectures, and each prefecture has several counties. If the lady wishes to inspect them one by one, it will take too long."
"She is the ruler of Yu State, and being away from the state capital for too long is probably not good. If there is an urgent matter, where would everyone find her?"
Fu Tinghan felt a headache coming on. He understood why Zhao Ming asked him to convey the message and vaguely comprehended why Chang Ning did not want Zhao Hanzhang to personally inspect the prefectures, but he didn’t know why both of them suddenly came to him.
Fu Tinghan sighed internally and said to Chang Ning, "I will also pass your thoughts on to her."
As for what to do, she will decide for herself.
Chang Ning: "...Does the young lord really want to be apart from the lady for such a long time? Inspecting the entire Yu State would take at least seven to eight months, or even one to two years."
Fu Tinghan didn’t think it mattered. He liked Zhao Hanzhang, but he had his own things to do, and Zhao Hanzhang also had her own tasks. They were both busy, and as long as they knew the other was safe, there was no need to be together all the time.
Furthermore, he didn’t believe that Zhao Hanzhang needed such a long time to inspect the entire Yu State.
Fu Tinghan sighed and directly found Zhao Hanzhang, who was handling official documents, and relayed Zhao Ming and Chang Ning’s words to her one by one. Ji Yuan, who was also sitting nearby working, raised his head to look at the standing and seated pair upon hearing this.
Zhao Hanzhang pondered, holding the pen, "Uncle Ming is not wrong in his concerns, but he’s being overly cautious. Would I suspect him of opposing scholars just because he is from an aristocratic family?"
She said, "Mr. Ji is also a generous and broad-minded person, and would not get angry because of this, right, Mr. Ji?"
Ji Yuan: ... Can he say yes?
Ji Yuan nodded solemnly, "Yes."
Zhao Hanzhang then smiled at him, lowered her eyes, and began to ponder. Having Ji Yuan go to kill someone for her and doing it herself would result in different outcomes and obstacles, and even the subsequent reactions would be different.
Initially, she intended for Ji Yuan to make the trip on her behalf because she wanted to stay in Chen County to take charge. But Zhao Ming was not wrong in his suggestion, and she started to think deeply about it.
Ji Yuan put down his pen and said earnestly, "Lady, Zhao Zinian is right. If you personally come forward to establish authority at this time, the effect will be different."
"If you can inspect all five prefectures, even without a formal court appointment, no one will be able to shake your position in Yu State."
Zhao Hanzhang tapped the table lightly twice, decisively, "Alright, I will go on the tour."
Ji Yuan immediately stood up and saluted, "Yuan will go make arrangements right away."
The scale of Zhao Hanzhang’s tour is naturally different from his. The center of Yu State moves with her, so not only must military generals and soldiers accompany her, but also officials from the Yu State Governor Mansion to connect with those in Chen County.
Zhao Hanzhang was still pondering matters. Seeing Ji Yuan drafting the list, she said, "I was just about to speak with you, Sir. I intend to promote Sun Linghui to the position of County Magistrate of Yu Yang County."
Ji Yuan was slightly surprised, "She’s going to be a County Magistrate? This..."
Zhao Hanzhang asked, "What, is she not competent enough?"
Ji Yuan thought carefully and shook his head, "Not that, it’s just that there are few female officials. I thought the lady would keep her by your side, like with Fan Ying."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "She is meticulous yet bold and has the talent for governing regions. Keeping her by my side for errands would be a waste."
She said, "Being a County Magistrate is good; we can also see her abilities. If she proves capable, she will be of even greater use in the future."
Ji Yuan only hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
With Zhao Hanzhang as this precedent, having another woman as the main official is not impossible.
After all, Zhao Hanzhang can now handle the appointment and dismissal of officials by herself.
The current Prefectural Governor of Ru Nan County is Zhao Ming, and the appointment and dismissal of the county magistrate of Yu Yang County must still go through him.
Fortunately, Zhao Ming did not oppose. He only pondered for a moment before agreeing and personally signed the appointment order for Sun Linghui.
The Sun Family never expected that their daughter could not only become an official but also a County Magistrate!
A County Magistrate is different!
This is the main official of a county, even though Sun Linghui’s previous official position was not low, the majority often assumed she was just a female official by Zhao Hanzhang’s side, assisting Zhao Hanzhang with miscellaneous tasks.
But being a County Magistrate is different. Even though the rank of a County Magistrate isn’t particularly high, governing a region requires having one’s own ideas.
Sun Family parents swallowed nervously, having previously favored Zhao Kuan, their preferred son-in-law candidate, also the County Magistrate of Yu Yang. Now their daughter could hold the same position as Zhao Kuan...
In that instant, they suddenly no longer felt the urgency to marry off their daughter.
Sun Linghui’s mother, Zhao Qi, even told her, "If you really don’t want to marry, then let’s not discuss marriage for now."
This shocked Sun Linghui, "Mother, do you not like Cousin anymore?"
"That’s not it; your cousin is still very good. It’s just that seeing you so unwilling, we shouldn’t force it," Zhao Qi said realistically, "Your brother is useless. Although he has attended the civil service examination for years, he hasn’t ranked, and I see his heart is not in the public career. In Ru Nan, the Sun Family is far inferior to the Zhao Family. We also can’t compare to your maternal grandfather’s family. Your father and I have always worried that after we pass, our branch might decline."
"That’s why we thought about marrying into your uncle’s family, and you know Kuan’er, not to boast, but in the new generation of the Zhao Family, apart from Hanzhang, Kuan’er is the most outstanding. If you can marry him, your future would be secure, and you could support your brother. But now you can achieve what Kuan’er has, marrying anyone no longer matters, and you just need to look after your brother in the future."
Sun Linghui promptly agreed, "I will definitely look after my brother!"
To dissuade her mother from the idea entirely, Sun Linghui added, "Mother, our governor mentioned that close relatives like Cousin and I should not marry because it could result in unhealthy offspring."
"Nonsense, you’re healthy, and your cousin is healthy, so why would there be unhealthy children?"
"It’s true. Even doctors say that the governor is right. With her knowledge, would she deceive us?"
Zhao Qi pondered, "Could it be that she doesn’t want the Zhao and Sun families to intermarry again?"
Sun Linghui: "...Mother, you’re overthinking. She just mentioned it casually and didn’t mean that."
"True intentions are often expressed inadvertently."
Sun Linghui: ... She found it difficult to correct her mother’s perception, so she had to give up and change the subject, "Mother, I’m going to Yu Yang County as a County Magistrate. You and father must be cautious and restraint upon returning home. Our governor is about to reform Yu State’s officialdom. If I can’t restrain my family, the governor will hold me accountable."
"Don’t worry, your father and I will restrain the servants. But you shouldn’t be too anxious; we are family with Third Lady. Surely she will show some consideration for relatives, wouldn’t she?"
At this time, Zhao Hanzhang was treating everyone equally.