Chapter 152 - Kneel

Chapter 152: Chapter 146: KneelZhao Hu saw Zhao Hanzhang and couldn’t help but sit up straight, "Isn’t Xiping County busy? How come you are back?"

Zhao Hanzhang made Zhao Erlang kneel, "I’m bringing Erlang back to pay respects to Seventh Ancestor."

Zhao Erlang had already knelt to several people before and was quite skilled at it; after kneeling, he kowtowed repeatedly.

Zhao Hu silently accepted this, patted himself down, and handed a jade pendant to Zhao Erlang, "Go play."

He looked at Zhao Hanzhang and said with interest, "I have another jade pendant here, will my grandniece kowtow for one as well?"

Just as Zhao Hanzhang was about to sit down, she immediately stopped upon hearing this. Thinking it over seriously, she simply lifted her robe and knelt down.

Zhao Hu did not expect her to be so straightforward, frightening him so much that he crawled backward two steps from his seat, "You, you, you..."

Zhao Hanzhang looked up at him with a gentle smile and said, "Seventh Ancestor, I am no gentleman; the jade is useless to me. Please give me something else instead."

Zhao Hu regretted his impulsive words, and while hiding to the side, he asked, "What, what do you want?"

"I am a mundane person; I like fields, land, and things like that."

Zhao Hu did not expect her ambition to be so grand, to kneel and want to seize his family property, and he was extremely annoyed. Therefore, he timidly stepped forward, pointed at her, and said, "You, you can forget it, I won’t give it!"

"Seventh Ancestor hasn’t even heard where I want, so why won’t you give it?" Zhao Hanzhang said: "It’s not a good place, worth much less than a good piece of jade."

Zhao Hu then asked, "Which piece of land do you want?"

Zhao Hanzhang, still kneeling, said: "Just the piece outside the suburb west of the city, near the mountain. Look, our Wu Castle is outside the suburb south of the city, most of the land is in this area and the suburb east of the city. Your piece in the western suburb is barely farmed; leaving it is just to let it go to waste, so why not give it to Third Lady."

Zhao Hu tried hard to remember but couldn’t recall. He turned his head to ask the steward, "Do we still have land outside the western suburb of the city?"

The steward thought for a moment and replied, "Indeed we do. A few years ago there was a disaster in Ru Nan, many people fled, and the county government couldn’t collect taxes, so County Magistrate Fan called everyone to buy land. Lord, you’re generous, and you took a fancy to that plot through which a small river flows, so you bought about a hundred mu there, but..."

The steward smiled fawningly, "But the family was short of hands, and the distance was far, so we couldn’t farm there and had to rent it cheaply to a few tenant families; not all of it was cultivated, so it was left alone."

Hearing that it wasn’t good land, Zhao Hu breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang still kneeling, he composedly sat down and after tidying his robe said, "Isn’t it just about a hundred mu of land? You can have it, but you must tell me upfront what you’re going to do with that piece of land?"

Zhao Hu said, "Don’t fool me, saying you’re going to farm there; I don’t believe you. With so much land in your hand, how could you have none to farm?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "I intend to use it for grazing."

She added, "You know, I am now raising so many retainers there—horses, cows, sheep—they use up so much; raising them myself is cheaper."

Zhao Hu presumed she wanted the land for grazing meat animals and disdainfully curled his mouth, "You’re so stingy; kneeling down just for a few pieces of meat on the table."

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him and then kowtowed once, "Thank you, Seventh Ancestor, for the grant."

Zhao Hu was startled, shrinking back, then composed himself and waved his hand, "Get up, get up."

Then he instructed the steward to go find the land deed for that piece of land; wasn’t it just about a hundred mu barely farmed?

He had plenty of them!

Zhao Hu told himself not to feel the pain, but after turning around, his expression was somewhat bitter.

Zhao Hanzhang tucked the land deed into her breast, smiling as she said to Zhao Hu, "Seventh Ancestor, once my ranch is done next year, I’ll invite you for some lamb."

Seeing Zhao Hanzhang leave, the steward couldn’t help but say, "Lord, since you fear her, why do you insult her?"

Zhao Hu stiffened his neck and said, "Who says I’m afraid of her? I’m her elder; she kowtowed to me, so what? Can’t I accept it?"

The steward mumbled quietly, "But you shouldn’t say such things; if word spreads, it will damage Third Lady’s reputation..."

Ting He was also a bit upset, jogging up to Zhao Hanzhang, "My lady, Seventh Grandfather is just too unfair."

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at her, "How was he unfair?"

"He made you kneel."

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand dismissively, "He’s an elder, and I’m a junior; what’s the harm in kneeling? During holidays when we seek rewards, don’t we also have to kneel?"

"But it’s not the same; what he said just now was clearly insulting you," Ting He said, "You’re now the ruler of Xiping County; if such things spread, others might misunderstand and think you’re servile and weak, easily bullied, what then?"

Zhao Hanzhang stopped, touched her nose with a finger, and laughed, "If someone truly thinks that, I’d be a bit happier. Let’s go, today’s goal has been achieved; let’s go check out the newly acquired land."

She wasn’t short of money to buy, just that it’s easy to buy land from small households, but with large households, especially those with connected plots, unless they’re short of money, who would sell land?

"Let Erlang play in the Wu Castle, tell him to return to the city before dark, we’ll go ahead."

By the time Zhao Ming learned Zhao Hanzhang had arrived at the Wu Castle, she was already out of sight.

The young messenger, Zhao Le, reported, "Uncle Ming, Seventh Ancestor made Third Lady kneel and kowtow before the servants; do you think she will hold a grudge?"

Zhao Ming continued flipping through the scroll in his hand without lifting his head, "What’s there to hold a grudge about? Haven’t you often kowtowed?"

The youth: "But at that time Seventh Ancestor said Third Lady was kneeling and kowtowing just for a few pieces of meat, such an insult..."

Zhao Ming raised his eyelids to look at him and said blandly, "Whenever a senior grants something, no matter if it’s valuable or not, the junior must accept it. What, given a few pieces of meat, you’d despise them and not take them?"

The youth: "...I wouldn’t dare."

Zhao Ming then snorted coldly, scolding, "Good that you wouldn’t dare. Even if they gave you a cup of cold water, as long as it’s from a senior, you must receive it with both hands. You’ve read so many sage’s books yet understand even less than your Third Sister; now get back."

The youth bowed and withdrew.

Zhao Song, however, had a different view from his son, knowing the matter he angrily went to scold Zhao Hu, "Isn’t it just a hundred mu of land? What’s with the fuss, if you don’t want to give it, ask her for money. Bullying a child, are you not ashamed?"

Zhao Hu sat to the side without a word.

Zhao Song: "You’re just angry about the crystal matter. Zi Nian was also involved; why don’t you insult him? You’re soft and afraid of hardness."

Zhao Hu: "...Fifth Brother, that’s your son."

Zhao Song casually waved, "I don’t mind, go ahead."

Zhao Hu had no words to respond.

Only after venting did Zhao Song ask, "Why does Third Lady want that piece of land? Is she short of land?"

Zhao Hu smirked, "Big Brother left her so much land; how could she lack it? Moreover, the eighth uncle gave her so much, saying it’s for grazing; she’s probably unwilling to use her good land."

Zhao Song furrowed his brow, "Why use good land for grazing? Aren’t we different from barbarians? It’s enough to have tenant households raise some; why specifically build a ranch?"