After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Zhao Hanzhang looked sad, "I was thinking of sending someone to replace Uncle Ming’s glass windows first, but who knew you would hurt Third Lady’s feelings so."

Zhao Hu sneered, "Don’t try to fool me, your man said that right now, you only have one team of craftsmen who can make the glasshouse."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "That glasshouse, from the proposal to construction, is a matter of days. As for the craftsmen, they can be taught on the spot. As long as the glass produced is qualified, the rest, like woodworking, all have a basic foundation."

Zhao Hu was taken aback.

Zhao Hanzhang got up and stepped forward, bowing repeatedly to Zhao Hu, "Seventh Uncle, please forgive me, Third Lady also knows, I’ve wronged you today."

Zhao Hu turned his head aside heavily snorting, "Talking fairness with me here, don’t forget, when you were gathering provisions earlier, I provided quite a lot of grain, and now with Yu State lacking food, when you couldn’t buy grain anywhere, I sold all my remaining grain to you when merchants offered one hundred and twenty cents a dou I still didn’t sell, specially reserving it for you, how much have I lost?"

"Yes, yes, Hanzhang knows and keeps it in mind," Zhao Hanzhang said, "If it were an ordinary matter, I would definitely mediate between you two, but this matter is different."

"How is it different? Today I’m not your Seventh Uncle, have you not benefited from me before?"

Zhao Hanzhang helplessly said, "Seventh Uncle, you said it yourself, you’re my Seventh Uncle, within and outside Xiping, who would argue such a minor issue with you and bring it before me?"

"Plus, it caught Uncle Ming when he was away."

When Zhao Hu heard, his eyes widened, "Are you saying he did it deliberately?"

Zhao Hanzhang asked, "What do you think?"

Zhao Hu began to ponder seriously, then slapped the table, angrily saying, "I knew he wasn’t well-intentioned, otherwise how could he have paid the deposit just ahead of me? So in this matter, I’m still in the right!"

Zhao Hanzhang smiled pleasantly, "From a reasoning perspective, he has more reason."

Zhao Hu glared at her.

Zhao Hanzhang laughed, "Seventh Uncle, being an official isn’t done like that, I can suspect, but as an official, judgment is based on actions, not intentions."

Zhao Hu: "... After talking so long, you still think I’m at fault."

Zhao Hanzhang shook her head, "Seventh Uncle isn’t wrong, people tend to hold biased views favoring themselves, you’re a civilian, so is he. He can appeal, naturally, you can also appeal your thoughts..."

Zhao Hu directly waved his hand to interrupt, "With all that talk, I still don’t understand, just tell me, whose side are you on?"

"If he has ulterior motives, then I naturally stand with Seventh Uncle!"

Zhao Hu was waiting for this sentence and directly asserted, "He definitely has ulterior motives!"

He then turned his eyes, and all kinds of wicked ideas emerged, "Isn’t Treasure Pavilion planning to build a glasshouse for him? Have those craftsmen make a mess of it, best calculate the timing, when he invites people to view, let the glasshouse collapse."

Zhao Hanzhang: "..."

"Seventh Uncle, are you trying to harm him, or are you trying to harm me, that glasshouse is built by my Treasure Pavilion."

She and Fu Tinghan specifically made several glasshouse models at the Glass Workshop to earn their money, if it collapses, Treasure Pavilion’s reputation is finished.

"This won’t do, that won’t do, then how will you help me take revenge?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Do what would hurt him the most, what he least wants me to achieve, that is the best revenge."

Zhao Hu: "What?"

Zhao Hanzhang saw his confused look and knew he didn’t understand, so she pulled him, explaining in detail, "Seventh Uncle, do you think him coming with you to report to me has ulterior motives?"

"Yes! It must be!" Even if not, it has to be, how else would he share common ground with Zhao Hanzhang?

"But why would he do so?"

Zhao Hu tilted his head and thought carefully: "Could it be I unintentionally offended him? But I truly don’t remember this person; could it be the household servants offended him; it can’t be Zitu offending someone outside?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "... Seventh Uncle, he’s doing it to deal with me."

Zhao Hu returned to focus, "Oh, right, you’re the Inspector, so it’s possible to deal with you, but what’s the point?"

Zhao Hanzhang broke it down for him, "...Between the Zhao Family and the talented individuals of the world, I choose one."

"Oh~~" Zhao Hu said meaningfully: "So now how you judge chooses talented individuals worldwide over the Zhao Family?"

Zhao Hanzhang surely had the most speechless moments in a year today, she nearly collapsed, grasping Zhao Hu’s hand, holding it tightly, and with tears in her eyes said, "Seventh Uncle, can you think a bit more? What relationship do I have with talented individuals, and what with the Zhao family?"

"You’re my kin, with the Zhao Family I’m blood-related, with misunderstandings I can shout ’misunderstanding’, whereas with those ethereal talented individuals we’re strangers, would they hear my plea?"

Zhao Hu nodded in agreement, halfway feeling it’s wrong, then lifted his head, "But you’re letting me suffer grievances?"

"Now have you suffered grievances?"

"How could I not suffer grievances, I..."

"Tomorrow I will have Glass Workshop’s craftsmen measure the window sizes of your home, then begin customizing glass and window frames, install it for you when ready, already giving you a ten percent discount on negotiation, now I personally grant another ten percent, you’ve gained speed and price benefits, what grievances are left?"

Zhao Hu opened his mouth but didn’t speak.

"Oh, and the fight with Fang Jing, think about it, his schemes have become visible in our midst, all his calculated matters have fallen through, I not only gained a reputation for valuing talent but also became closer with kinfolk, isn’t he even more troubled?"

Seems that way indeed.

But Zhao Hu still felt something wasn’t right, until being sent out by Zhao Hanzhang, finally realized, "What if he didn’t scheme, what if this matter is purely coincidental?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "Wouldn’t that be even better? In that case, no one is wronged, isn’t that great."

"But I..." Zhao Hanzhang smiled and looked over, meeting the somewhat improper Zhao Hu.

Zhao Hu hesitated, settling into silence.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Seventh Uncle, Hanzhang is Yu State’s Inspector, hundreds of thousands of people in Yu State, our Zhao Family is just a drop in the ocean; for fairness, I abide by law in everything."

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"For kinfolks they’re different, for Zhao Family, like Uncle Ming, I would fight and die, for Yu State people, I would also fight and die!"

Whether Zhao Hu understood or not is unknown, but behind him Sanjin did, supporting Seventh Grandfather as they returned, upon reaching Wu Castle, he spread the word, exclaiming, "To speak of ability, it has to be Third Lady, such a malicious plan was broken by her, our Grandfather was also smoothly pacified by her."