Chapter Nine, The Jester

Wang was waiting in the hall after receiving the maid's report. After Zhao Ping greeted his aunt respectfully, he presented the brocade box in his hands with great reverence, saying: "This is ginseng from Changbai Mountain, purchased by my uncle, which is quite effective for strengthening the body. Grandfather, my parents, and you each have two pieces. Please accept it, Aunt!"

Zhao Ping sneered coldly in his heart, recognizing this as an obvious trick by Lu Yuan and others. Lu Yuan's actions were clearly not well-intentioned; regardless of whether this matter succeeded or failed, it further estranged Zhao Ping's clan from the Jin Yang Zhao family. Although Zhao Ping's family had a complicated history with the Jin Yang Zhao family, for various reasons, they had not formally severed ties. Lu Yuan's actions would undoubtedly exacerbate the conflict between the two families

Zhao Lin shifted his tone and sighed, "This is also acceptable; Your Majesty is weak, and our dynasty is likely unable to escape the path of defeat! It may happen within these few years!" With that, he let out another long sigh, filled with reluctance, helplessness, and sorrow, which fully reflected Zhao Lin's current feelings. As a loyal and devoted old minister, the hardest thing to accept is the dismal end of the court to which he has dedicated his entire life, fading into the long river of history.

Zhao Ping nodded slightly, took out a silver ingot weighing approximately ten taels from his sleeve, and casually tossed it to the leader, saying, "Please enjoy some tea." The leader quickly declined, but Zhao Ping smiled and shook his head, so the leader no longer held back and personally went to the training ground to invite Qin Qing, who was leading the soldiers in training.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ping furrowed his brow. Although Lu Yuan was generally a magnanimous person, his two sons were somewhat lacking, particularly his eldest son, Lu Che. Lu Che was extremely sullen, deeply calculating, and harsh with little kindness. Although he possessed some talent, his virtues did not match his abilities. Confucius once said: "If one possesses the talents and virtues of the Duke of Zhou, yet is arrogant and miserly, there is nothing else worth observing." Moreover, it is unlikely that Lu Che could possess the talents of the Duke of Zhou.

Zhao Ping had extensive interactions with Lü Che, and thus he was well aware of his character; Lü Yuan's second son, Lü Zheng, lacked the ruthlessness of his elder brother but possessed a greater degree of brutality, making him certainly not a person one could rely on for a lifetime

Outside the training ground, a group of soldiers stationed there saw Zhao Ping and quickly bowed in greeting, exclaiming in unison, "We meet the young marquis!" Zhao Ping reined in his horse, dismounted, and smiled as he said, "You all need not be so formal. Is General Qin present?"

Not only Zhao Ping, but even Zhao Ye himself harbors deep resentment towards the Later Han Dynasty. Zhao Ping's aversion to the Later Han Dynasty can also be attributed to Zhao Ye, which is why Zhao Ye does not intend to dwell too much on this topic. Clearing his throat, Zhao Ye interrupted his father's contemplation and said: "Lü Yuan's actions are clearly not well-intentioned; it seems he seeks to deceive our Zhao family!"

Without mentioning that Zhao Ye left his father Zhao Lin's study with an excited heart, it is said that Zhao Ping, after mounting his horse, headed straight for the military camp in the city.

Zhao Lin let out a cold snort and said: "Short-sighted! Do you really think that my Zhao family cannot do anything about him? Without my approval, let alone the Yanmen Iron Cavalry, how could the garrison of Jinyang possibly obey his orders?"

In order to restrain his arrogant and overbearing second son, Lü Zheng, Lü Yuan, after much maneuvering, finally secured a position for him as a Deputy Commander of the Valiant Guards from the court. Reluctantly, Lü Zheng had to spend most of his time in the military, as his father, although the Governor of Bingzhou, still needed to maintain good relations with the military. He could not afford to be negligent, alternating between work and idleness, and thus had no choice but to stay diligently in the barracks.

Yuan Jia nodded slightly, offering Zhao Ping a sweet smile. With his elder brother present, Yuan Jia's worries dissipated, and his smile became even more radiant. At that moment, his laughter resembled the blooming of spring flowers, captivating and enchanting.

Zhao Ye nodded slightly but did not speak. He was well aware of his son; indeed, his father's words were not empty. However, Zhao Ye also understood that his son was not only indifferent by nature but also harbored a deep resentment towards the Later Han Dynasty. It was clearly impossible to expect him to serve the Later Han. With this thought, Zhao Ye could only shake his head and respond with a bitter smile. He was well aware that his son was not only indifferent by nature but also harbored a deep resentment towards the Later Han Dynasty. It was clearly impossible to expect him to serve the Later Han. With this thought, Zhao Ye could only shake his head and respond with a bitter smile.

After receiving his grandfather's tacit approval, Zhao Ping was about to take his leave. Zhao Lin gently raised his hand, making a gesture to wait a moment. He glanced at Zhao Ye and Zhao Ping, pondered for a moment, and then instructed in a deep voice: "Cang Shu, go and summon Qin Qing and the others, and set it for tonight at the hour of You." Zhao Ping accepted the order and left.

Zhao Ping felt a sense of relief in his heart upon seeing that his sister had finally made some recovery, and he no longer spoke much, turning to leave.

Zhao Ye certainly understood that his father's words were not empty. Zhao Lin held a supreme position in the military of the three states in Hebei, especially in Bingzhou, where a single word from Zhao Lin was as powerful as the imperial tiger talisman. Currently, there are over 100,000 troops stationed in Bingzhou, and nearly all the commanding officers were promoted by Zhao Lin himself. The military leaders are not like the scheming civil officials and politicians; most of these leaders are straightforward individuals who are grateful and loyal, having not yet fallen prey to the vices of politicians. Zhao Lin not only had the duty of recommending them but also the obligation of teaching and nurturing them. Moreover, the strongest military force, the Governor of Yanmen, Ma Huan, is Zhao Ping's father-in-law, which means that the military power in Bingzhou is firmly in the hands of the Zhao family.

Due to Zhao Ping's aunt, Wang, and Yuan Jia's mother and daughter not wanting to disturb Zhao Lin, Lü Yuan did not report the matter of proposing marriage to Zhao Lin. After Zhao Ping left the villa where Wang resided, he first informed his father, Zhao Ye, about this matter. Upon hearing this, Zhao Ye did not dare to be negligent and immediately went with Zhao Ping to Zhao Lin's study, where he detailed the entire situation.

Zhao Lin, however, remained quite calm, stroking his beard with a composed and indifferent expression. After Zhao Ping finished speaking, he smiled faintly and asked Zhao Ping, "Did Yuanjia agree?"

Seeing Zhao Ping shake his head, Zhao Lin continued, "I have long heard that Lu Zheng is usually quite restless; this matter can be considered by Chang Shu himself."

Yuan Jia escorted Zhao Ping to the gate, and seeing his frail sister, Zhao Ping felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. He gently patted Yuan Jia's thin shoulder and said, "Sister, please go back."

Watching Zhao Ping's figure as he walked further away from his study, Zhao Lin and Zhao Ye remained silent for a long time. After a while, Zhao Lin finally sighed deeply and lamented, "It is a pity that Cang Shu has such a carefree personality; if it were not for this, our Han Dynasty would have gained another unparalleled general"

However, neither grandfather nor father had mentioned this matter to him, indicating that they were evidently unaware. He maintained a calm demeanor and softly reassured his younger sister: "Yuanjia, just relax; this matter will be resolved by your foolish brother. I want to see how capable that Lü Zheng is to dare marry Zhao's sister." With that, he took Yuanjia into the front hall

Zhao Ping originally intended to teach Lü Zheng a good lesson. Now, with his grandfather's hint, he has become even more unrestrained, seizing this opportunity to make Lü Zheng understand that not everyone in Jinyang City is someone the Lü family can afford to provoke

According to Zhao Ye's speculation, his father might mobilize the garrison in Bingzhou to intimidate those restless clowns with military might. Upon this thought, Zhao Ye's usually proud and composed demeanor was unexpectedly shaken, and he could not help but feel a surge of excitement within him. After all, he was still not yet fifty years old. Although his ambitions had been deeply buried in the monotony of life, as a former renowned general, the desire to achieve great deeds had never truly faded. The opportunity to revive his family and accomplish significant achievements had always been Zhao Ye's aspiration. After all, he was still not yet fifty years old. Although his ambitions had been deeply buried in the monotony of life, as a former renowned general, the desire to achieve great deeds had never truly faded. The opportunity to revive his family and accomplish significant achievements had always been Zhao Ye's aspiration

Zhao Lin coughed lightly, glanced at his son, and said calmly, "You may return for now; we will discuss it again in the evening." Zhao Ye bowed in response, as he had already guessed his father's intention. Indeed, the Zhao family had been silent for too long, long enough for the people of Jinyang to have forgotten this once-mighty family.

Unfortunately, most of the prominent families in Bingzhou did not recognize this. They only saw that Zhao Lin had been dismissed from his position as governor, but did not consider how a governor who had been punished and removed could still possess fiefdoms and territories comparable to those of a feudal lord. They were focused on seizing the power vacuum left by Zhao Lin's dismissal, completely disregarding other matters. To this day, they have almost become accustomed to underestimating the Zhao family, entirely overlooking the hidden influence of the Zhao family.

A soldier resembling a leader stepped forward and bowed, saying: "The general is present, please wait a moment, young lord." As he spoke, he respectfully took the reins from Zhao Ping's hands.

Wang smiled as she accepted the ginseng presented by her nephew, saying, "Cang Shu is thoughtful." After chatting casually for a while, Zhao Ping took his leave, and before departing, he solemnly stated, "Aunt, this matter will be entrusted to your little nephew."