After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 776 - 766: Golden Buddha (Respectfully Welcoming Mo Yan)

Chapter 776: Chapter 766: Golden Buddha (Respectfully Welcoming Mo Yan)

Zhao Hanzhang sighed and said, "I’m not thick-skinned enough. After all, I’ve just gained a state, so I must give something in return."

Zhao Ming glanced at the boxes being loaded onto the cart, nodded, and said, "Do you think a few carts of money can exchange for a state? Shameless!"

Saying that, he turned and left.

Zhao Hanzhang touched her nose and quickly chased after him, "Uncle Ming, we can send money to Your Majesty, but what should we send to Gou Xi?"

Zhao Ming pulled back his sleeve, smoothed it, and said, "We send gifts to Your Majesty because we feel guilty; why give gifts to Gou Xi? Are you trying to seize his Yan State?"

"Please don’t talk nonsense, it’s daylight now. If someone hears and misunderstands, it won’t be good," Zhao Hanzhang said, "I want to repair my relationship with Gou Xi. After all, we’re colleagues, and it’s better to help each other."

Hmph, can’t talk during the day, but can at night?

Zhao Ming gestured for her to continue.

Only then did Zhao Hanzhang say, "There’s news from Youzhou and Jizhou that some counties have locust plagues. I’m worried that if the plague grows, it will affect Bingzhou as well."

Zhao Ming’s face grew solemn, his light-hearted cheer vanishing, replaced by a dark aura. "Are you worried that if the locust plague spreads to Bingzhou, Liu Yuan will send troops?"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded.

"Ordinary people and capable ones, when encountering disasters, think of dealing with the disaster first before going to war. But Liu Yuan is neither ordinary nor capable," Zhao Hanzhang said, "The Han Kingdom is riddled with internal conflicts, and Liu Yuan is barely holding it together. If the locust plague affects Bingzhou, to avoid internal collapse, he might start a war to transfer the conflicts outside."

As long as a war is started, the internal conflicts of the Han Kingdom will have to be put aside, otherwise, the locust plague might cause their internal conflicts to spiral out of control.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Once a war breaks out, even if Gou Xi can’t be completely entrusted, I hope he won’t drag us down but share the pressure."

So, taking advantage of the meeting during the Heaven Worship ceremony, she wanted to repair their relationship. After overcoming this crisis, they could fall out again if need be.

Zhao Ming was silent for a long while, then lightly nodded at her and said, "When giving gifts, naturally you should send something the recipient likes. Gou Xi loves beauties and gold, silver, and glass. You can choose from these."

Zhao Hanzhang decided, "Let’s send glassware then."

Zhao Ming said, "...Haven’t you sent him enough glassware over the years? Every time it’s glassware. Don’t you think it’s neglectful?"

Zhao Hanzhang looked serious, "I don’t think so. I gift with sincerity."

Zhao Ming asked, "Does Gou Xi think the same?"

Zhao Hanzhang immediately fell silent. If someone kept gifting her spears every time, even if each spear was different, she’d feel the other person was not sincere and was being perfunctory.

If it were just anyone, it wouldn’t matter. After all, receiving a gift is itself pleasant. But her relationship with Gou Xi is not ordinary.

Most of the time, they are colleagues with fierce competition, but sometimes they need sincere cooperation. To achieve great performance, Zhao Hanzhang needs to repair the rift caused by their rivalry.

A perfunctory gift obviously wouldn’t express her sincerity.

Zhao Hanzhang reluctantly said, "Then I’ll give him gold!"

She said, "I remember Grandfather once had a gold Buddha. Although Gou Xi is not a believer in Buddhism, he loves to show off. This is made of gold. If I give it to him, he will definitely be pleased."

However, it’s heart-wrenching because that gold Buddha’s value alone is comparable to the few carts of money sent to the emperor.

In comparison, the emperor’s gift seems a bit cheap.

Zhao Ming said, "Compared to the gold Buddha, Gou Xi should love beauties more, especially those with insight."

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand carelessly, "Forget it. The beauties I send might just gather dust, as he won’t use them. Why degrade someone?"

Besides, Gou Xi is severe and not a good superior. Even Ming Yu moved over to my side, how could I bear to send beauties to Gou Xi?

Zhao Hanzhang made up her mind, "Let’s go with the gold Buddha."

The inheritance left by Zhao Changyu is not much, and almost all liquid assets have been used by Zhao Hanzhang. The remaining assets, which are easy to realize, have mostly been spent. What’s left are heirlooms or things hard to sell.

As soon as Zhao Hanzhang ordered people to rummage through the warehouse, Mrs. Wang knew. She saw Ting He holding the gold Buddha, her heart ached to the point of speechlessness. She quickly followed behind to find her daughter, "This gold Buddha was given to your grandfather by a merchant from the Western Regions. It’s invaluable. After receiving it, your grandfather said it should be left for the Second Son, so that even if we fall into hardship, selling a piece from this Buddha could support the family. Are you going to sell it now?"

She said, "If you urgently need money, I have some here. I’ll give it to you. How about you leave this gold Buddha with me?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "I’m taking it as a gift. Since it’s for the Second Son, I’ll keep a record and return it to him when I’m wealthier. But let’s not make it look like a Buddha. It’s hard to break and doesn’t look good if broken. When I’m able, I’ll craft it into a gold tree, with leaves, fruits, and branches made of gold. If he truly falls into poverty, it’ll be easy to break any part without looking bad."

Mrs. Wang asked, "...To whom will you give it?"

"To Gou Xi." Zhao Hanzhang had the weight of the gold Buddha measured, instructed Ting He to record it, then had it packed into a box. As she embraced Mrs. Wang’s shoulders, she escorted her out, "Mother, out with the old, in with the new. Don’t worry, Fu Tinghan is already looking for gold mines. These copper mines can’t be used to mint coins freely, but once a gold mine is found, it’s different. Then I can mint gold freely. The first batch of gold, I’ll make a gold Buddha for you. The second batch will be a gold tree for the Second Son, how about that?"

Mrs. Wang, escorted out, babbled on, "You’re just sweet-talking me. Every time you make empty promises. You also assured me you’d find a suitable wife for the Second Son’s marriage. Yet, nearly a year after mourning, not to mention marriage prospects, he hasn’t even met a young woman. He spends all day in the military camp, focusing solely on training..."

Zhao Hanzhang kept apologizing, soothing her out to the courtyard to hand her over to Qing Gu, about to sneak away when Mrs. Wang suddenly grabbed her, squinting knowingly, "Let’s not talk about the Second Son. When will you and Ting Han get married?"

She looked around, pulled Zhao Hanzhang close, and whispered, "Tell me honestly, is your marriage with Ting Han delayed because your Fifth Uncle and Uncle Ming don’t want you to marry out and wish to break the engagement? Or have you fallen for someone else?"

"No, no, mother, you’re overthinking it," Zhao Hanzhang hastily said, "Ting Han and I are just too busy. Look, he hasn’t returned to the city for three days. When he returns, I might have to go to Yun City. How can we marry with such a hectic schedule?"

Mrs. Wang pursed her lips, "Worldly matters never end, and marrying doesn’t take much time. Here’s my suggestion: just nod, and I’ll handle the rest. You two only need to show up on the wedding day, agreed?"

Mrs. Wang, holding her hand, said, "I know you’ve achieved a lot and are not like other women focused on managing a household. I just wish you had someone close by, to share your burdens. You work late into the night, and it pains me."

Although she and Fu Tinghan aren’t married, Fu Tinghan already shares her burdens. Even if they wed, it’s not like he could handle political duties he’s not adept at—those tasks would still fall on her.

Meeting Mrs. Wang’s eyes, Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "Alright, I’ll follow your lead. Go ahead and arrange it."

Mrs. Wang beamed with joy, "Then I’ll get to it."

"Go ahead," Zhao Hanzhang said.

Mrs. Wang happily left, forgetting all about the gold Buddha in her thoughts.