Chapter 181: Chapter 176 Promise
Zhao Hanzhang was waiting directly on the street outside the county government this time. She called over a child and gave him two cents to send a small note to Chang Ning inside the county government.
Chang Ning was reading in the public room when he received the small note, feeling frustrated inside.
He said he needed to think carefully, how come only two hours later she’s here again?
He was still one of County Magistrate Chai’s people; isn’t she afraid of being discovered?
Chang Ning thought Zhao Hanzhang was quite clever, how could she be so irrational regarding this matter? She’s being too clingy!
Despite thinking this way, Chang Ning still accepted the note and went out.
As soon as he stepped out of the county government, he saw Zhao Hanzhang sitting at a stall across the street. She was with Qiu Wu, eating wontons, and when she saw him, she immediately stood up and waved enthusiastically.
Chang Ning walked forward speechlessly, "Why have you come again, Miss?"
Zhao Hanzhang said with a smile, "At noon, I was only thinking about drinking and forgot to invite you to eat, so I specially came to make up for it. This wonton shop is right across from the county government; the taste should be good. If you don’t mind, sit down and have a bowl."
It was near dusk, indeed almost time for dinner.
The autumn sun sets a bit early; there were people leaving the county government at this time. Chang Ning, as if he were a wife having an affair, glanced back and asked Zhao Hanzhang in a low voice, "Aren’t you afraid the County Lord might see?"
Zhao Hanzhang was definitely not afraid; if County Magistrate Chai saw her, she would take the opportunity to ask for someone.
Of course, she wouldn’t say this in front of Chang Ning; she first ordered him a bowl of wontons, then said, "I’ve thought it over again and again; I’m so anxious. Every moment without your answer leaves me restless."
Chang Ning lifted his eyelids, glanced at her, and asked, "Are you forcing me to make a decision, Miss?"
"Of course not," Zhao Hanzhang immediately said, "I wouldn’t dare to force you, sir. However, there’s something I want to tell you. If you are willing to come to me, I want you to oversee the Household Department of Xiping County."
Chang Ning frowned, "Isn’t Ji Yuan the Chief Clerk of Xiping County? Are you asking me to assist Ji Yuan?"
"No, you’d be the Chief Clerk of Xiping County."
Chang Ning looked at Zhao Hanzhang in surprise. The two of them exchanged a silent glance for a moment — some things need not be spoken, yet they were already understood. Zhao Hanzhang was offering him the position of Chief Clerk.
Ji Yuan would then remain in Shangcai.
What would he do in Shangcai?
Chang Ning could guess easily. He thought about how County Magistrate Chai was increasingly trusting Ji Yuan and sighed slightly.
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t rush him and waited quietly for him to make a decision.
Chang Ning thought for a long time before finally coming to his senses and asking the question he had been meaning to ask, "Third Lady is a woman; by marrying into the Fu Family, she could easily have a life of leisure and security. Why does she want to fight like a man on the battlefield and vie for positions in the officialdom?"
"You first took control of Xiping County and now aim for Shangcai; where does it end?" Chang Ning asked, "Is this what you want personally, or is it the Zhao Family’s directive?"
He needed to understand her purpose before deciding whether to ally with her.
After a moment of silence, Zhao Hanzhang said, "Mr. Chang, in this era, even an empress cannot remain secure. How can a common woman like me feel assured that marrying can guarantee lifelong security?"
"A woman relying on her husband’s family, if even the husband’s family is insecure, can the woman be secure?" Zhao Hanzhang said, "Therefore, I don’t want to place my security on others but want to hold it in my hands. Whether secure or not, it must be under my control."
She answered the second question, "The Zhao Family is the Zhao Family, and I am Zhao Hanzhang!"
Chang Ning heard this, quickly raised his head to look into her eyes, his spine straightened unconsciously, and asked, "Then what does the Miss intend?"
Zhao Hanzhang said, "My ambition rests in Yu State. I wish to use the power of a whole province to protect my family, my clan, and those living throughout Yu State."
This was about staking a claim independently.
Yet, Chang Ning did not panic; he had already thought about it. He believed Zhao Hanzhang and the Zhao Family aimed for Ru Nan County, but she had even greater ambition, the entire Yu State.
Exaggerated... but not impossible.
Chang Ning gulped and said in a low voice, "Third Lady, I am merely from a common clan, without rank, afraid it’s not easy to enter officialdom."
Zhao Hanzhang casually waved her hand and said, "What I value is sir’s talent, and what the people of Xiping County need is your talent and character; rank is not important."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "If sir can achieve great achievements, promotions would naturally be based on merit, rather than one or two people’s arbitrary evaluations."
Chang Ning stared blankly at Zhao Hanzhang, his heart aflame, impulsively agreeing immediately, "Many thanks, Miss."
He raised his nearly cold wonton bowl like a cup and said to Zhao Hanzhang, "My Lord would not abandon Zining, and Zining shall never abandon my Lord."
Zhao Hanzhang heard this term of address for the first time, joyfully lifted her wonton bowl and clinked it against his, the two taking a large sip of the wonton soup, "It’s a deal!"
Zhao Hanzhang kindly asked, "Would you like me to approach County Magistrate Chai?"
"No need," Chang Ning said, "Miss, please return to Xiping first, I will follow shortly after. I shall bid farewell to the County Lord myself; just as we part on good terms, we must also separate amicably."
Chang Ning understood County Magistrate Chai well, knowing what to say could lead him to release him gracefully.
Zhao Hanzhang did not bring it up again, smiling as he said, "Then I shall wait for you in Xiping, sir."
Chang Ning nodded, seeing Zhao Hanzhang lower her head to eat the now-cold wontons, the sunset behind her casting her into a blur of orange-red, softening her originally domineering and sharp persona.
Perhaps the atmosphere was too delightful, so Chang Ning couldn’t help but ask, "Few women possess such ambition; Miss is still young, how did she come to think... of ruling independently?"
"Initially, I didn’t think so much," she said, "I only wanted to build an impregnable Wu Castle in Shangcai Manor to protect myself and my family, but upon arriving in Shangcai, I realized how difficult times were. A Wu Castle simply cannot protect myself nor everyone I care about."
"Moreover," Zhao Hanzhang pointed to the stall owner and the passersby in the street and said, "Doesn’t sir find them adorable? I live here, and they surround me; I can’t ignore their suffering and death, so I wish to do more."
Chang Ning turned his head to observe those people, internally noting: But beyond Xiping and Shangcai lies Yu Yang, beyond Ru Nan lies Yu State, and beyond Yu State lies Central Plains; in the future, she will see more people and larger places, by then, how could one Yu State be enough?
Intuitively, such thoughts seemed extremely rebellious, however...
He aimlessly shifted his gaze to the county government opposite; what he had always desired was precisely such ambition.
For the people, for this world’s ambition, not like County Magistrate Chai, just passing each day muddled and only aiming to avoid reprimand.
Even if this path doesn’t go far, or even ultimately not end well, if it aligns with his aspirations, Zhao Hanzhang might be an exceptional woman—perhaps he could still leave his mark on history with her.
In this way, this life might be worthwhile.
Chang Ning smiled, gesturing with his bowl to Zhao Hanzhang before drinking all the wonton soup.
Zhao Hanzhang became conflicted; her bowl was already empty, surely she couldn’t order another bowl of wontons?