Chapter 1261: Chapter 1228: Resignation from Office
Yuan Li selected someone to take over the secret division in Jiangnan, and he started looking for an office for the Investigation Department in the Capital City.
"The Investigation Department involves confidential matters, and sharing a place with the six ministries is inconvenient, so I want to find an office in the Capital City."
Zhao Hanzhang agreed and allowed him to choose from the court’s properties.
Yuan Li didn’t choose immediately and decided to treat his face first, believing the scar ruined the feng shui of his face. Choosing a location right now might not be the best timing, and since the new year was approaching, these matters would only start after the new year, so he wasn’t in a hurry.
The next day, he entered the palace to ask Zhao Hanzhang for the Imperial Physician.
Zhao Cheng formally submitted a resignation to his office, which shocked the entire court; they thought he had quarreled with Zhao Hanzhang and urged him to reconsider.
Zhao Hanzhang originally wanted to approve it immediately but, seeing so many people urging him, decided to hold the resignation letter quietly and wait.
Zhao Cheng only said that his knowledge was inadequate and wanted to study and travel for a few years, insisting on resigning.
He didn’t know if it was the issue of the world or his own issue, but Zhao Hanzhang was getting closer to that position, yet almost no one tried to stop her.
The ones who tried to stop her were not doing it for loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness, but rather for their own interests.
Zhao Cheng was puzzled. Great Jin had gained power improperly, but did Zhao Hanzhang taking over the country set things right?
Regardless of how Jin attained its rule, they were now Jin Ministers, and if Emperor Jin was incompetent and brutal, for the sake of benevolence and righteousness, they should oppose him;
However, the current emperor is still young and has not committed evil acts. Though not extremely intelligent, working hard to learn, he might eventually become a qualified ruler.
Zhao Cheng admitted he had developed a teacher-student bond with the Little Emperor, but even if he removed this sentiment, he still believed the Little Emperor should be given a chance.
Yet he felt he could not persuade Zhao Hanzhang nor the clan, so he had to leave due to differing paths.
During the year of teaching the Little Emperor, he constantly wrote letters to Zhao Ming and even sent the Little Emperor’s homework for Zhao Ming to review.
Among the Zhao Family, if Zhao Ming were willing to stand by him, he would have had the capital to persuade Zhao Hanzhang.
Unfortunately, Zhao Ming, who originally opposed Zhao Hanzhang’s actions, insisted on defending her, writing back to rebuke him, "You claim self-righteous virtues, yet you are the most unvirtuous one."
This was too harsh a statement, and Zhao Cheng unilaterally severed ties with Zhao Ming.
Zhao Hanzhang was unaware that Zhao Ming had secretly defended her. Seeing everyone’s attempts to persuade Zhao Cheng failing, and after his second petition for resignation, she agreed.
Zhao Cheng was particularly relentless with himself. Upon successfully resigning, he immediately packed up to leave the Capital City.
Seventh Ancestor was furious. Every day when he passed by Zhao Cheng’s house, he could hear his strong voice swearing.
It started as curses directed at Zhao Cheng, but later even towards Zhao Hanzhang. If Fifth Uncle hadn’t stopped him, he would have stormed into the Capital City to confront Zhao Hanzhang.
He firmly believed, "Zitu only knows how to study; someone must have bullied him, and Zhao Hanzhang didn’t help him, that’s why he wants to resign."
Seventh Ancestor even engaged in conspiracy theories, "Is it because of the Marquis Taozhu title, and she is settling scores afterwards?"
Zhao Song retorted without words, "Since when is Third Lady so petty? Besides, she proposed the title herself, which shows she believes you deserve it from the bottom of her heart."
"I also think I do," Zhao Hu exhausted himself with curses, sat down to drink tea and continued cursing, "She must have wanted Zitu to do something bad, and being a gentleman, Zitu refused, so she forced him to resign."
"Such a wicked heart, our family from old to young has been used by her. I give her money, Zitu teaches her students, Zheng’er does the hard labor. Our three-member household has worked so hard, even if there’s no credit there’s hard work, right? Yet at a disagreement, she forces resignation, such a petty person, we simply cannot live—"
Zhao Hanzhang came to see him off, hearing it from afar. Luckily, she had held the resignation letter and waited for him to submit twice before agreeing, otherwise who knows how the rumors outside would have spread.
Zhao Hanzhang strode into the courtyard, "Seventh Ancestor, am I such a petty person?"
Seeing her, Zhao Hu snorted and turned his back to her, she had finally come after two days of cursing.
Zhao Hanzhang handed the two jars of wine to the servant, "I’ve come to see off Uncle Cheng."
Zhao Hu was so angry he turned around and glared at her, "You didn’t say you’d persuade him to stay. Yet you came to see him off? Do you know today is the twenty-fifth, in four days it’s the new year!"
"I know," Zhao Hanzhang said, "Today the court seals its offices, so I have time to see Uncle Cheng, otherwise I could only go to the city gate tomorrow to see him off."
She looked around and asked, "Where is Uncle Cheng? How has he packed his things?"
Zhao Song held back the raging Zhao Hu, "Quickly explain to your Seventh Ancestor the reason for Zitu’s resignation, or else we’ll become the laughingstock of the whole Capital City."
Zhao Hanzhang was silent, and Zhao Song and Zhao Hu stared at her seriously because they really couldn’t figure out the reason for Zhao Cheng’s resignation.
He didn’t utter a word, making it impossible for them to probe.
Facing their bright-eyed gaze, especially Zhao Hu’s, which was almost set aflame, and considering the crowd outside the residence probing for gossip and news, it indeed couldn’t continue with Zhao Hu’s cursing.
So she said, "I’m not a good person."
Zhao Hu nodded, he already knew that long ago, how could a good person make it to her position?
Zhao Hanzhang continued slowly, "Being not a good person, naturally one must do some evil deeds, Uncle Cheng is learned, morally upright, loyal, filial, benevolent, and righteous, not lacking in any qualities, with loyalty as the chief among virtues."
Zhao Hu: "Hmph, stop flattering him, your Uncle Cheng is not loyal to the Jin Dynasty, he said long ago that the world couldn’t be stable without the Jin Dynasty’s eradication."
"But times change, now the Little Emperor is Uncle Cheng’s student."
Zhao Hu still wanted to deny, but suddenly recalled Zhao Cheng’s redundant paternal love.
He was exceptionally good to his students, so good that Zhao Hu couldn’t help but feel jealous.
Every student he taught, whether family members, children sent by relatives, or students he accepted as Imperial College Sacrificial Officer, he taught them like his own children.
Why did Zhao Zheng live so economically as Luoyang County Magistrate?
Because of having Zhao Cheng as his father.
His father couldn’t help him at all, but constantly used Zhao Zheng’s salary to help impoverished students, so Zhao Hu refused to give him money to try to change this bad habit.
Secretly providing Zhao Zheng, but not in cash form—instead food and necessities—otherwise it wouldn’t be preserved.
Zhao Hu immediately realized he must have loved the Little Emperor like a student son, sympathizing greatly.
He grew angrier, jumping up and spinning in circles, startled Zhao Hanzhang as she carried tea, nearly dropping it.
"Fool, fool, how could I have a son this foolish?" Then he cried, "Fifth Brother, why is my life so bitter, he can empathize with that Little Emperor but not think from my perspective? For one matter, he’s held a grudge against me for fifteen years!"
Zhao Hu cried in Zhao Song’s arms.
Zhao Hanzhang watched on, stunned.
Zhao Song understood, hugged his head and sighed, then glared at Zhao Hanzhang peeking at Zhao Hu’s tears.
Zhao Hanzhang silently averted her gaze, placed down the tea cup, stood to bow, and quietly left.
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