Zhao Changyu: "The world has just finished a war, and it’s a time when everything is in need of revival. Life won’t be easy for the next ten years. Reincarnating now, no matter how good the circumstances, is unavoidable from suffering. I’ve already endured enough in my past life, and I don’t want to suffer again in the next."
So he wants to wait until the country is peaceful and prosperous to reincarnate, then become a happy and wealthy family member.
Zhao Zhongyu couldn’t help but snort softly and said, "Brother, you were born noble, when have you ever suffered?"
Wasn’t it him who suffered?
Zhao Changyu glanced at him and said, "I didn’t suffer? Did you suffer? Do you know what kind of life our Zhao Family used to have? Do you think you had that life of commanding servants since childhood? I tell you, all of that was saved penny by penny by me!"
Zhao Zhongyu’s face turned red, unable to refute.
The Zhao Family’s legitimate line has a fine tradition, and that is being an honest official, truly honest.
Zhao Changyu was born the legitimate eldest son. At the time, the Zhao Family was already highly reputable in the Ru Nan area and famous in the entire nation’s aristocratic circles.
The Zhao Family was most renowned for being honest officials, possessing outstanding talent, and winning the people’s hearts.
This tradition started from their grandfather, and the accumulation of the Zhao Family’s reputation also began with their grandfather.
Their grandfather was the Minister of the Ministry of Rites in Cao Wei, granted the title of Xiling Village Marquis by the Wei Ming Emperor, and was honest in office. At that time life was tough, having to sell land and houses to make ends meet.
By the time of Zhao Changyu’s father, he was also an honest official, awarded the title of Shangcai Marquis. He was bold, generous, but never took even a cent from the common people, instead liked to distribute wealth and help neighbors and friends. Whenever anyone came to seek help, his father would lend a hand.
Over time, expenses exceeded income, and the Zhao Family’s life was not actually very good.
Zhao Changyu admired and liked his uncle Xiahou Xuan the most, and many of his behaviors subconsciously learned from Xiahou Xuan, though he avoided the behaviors Xiahou Xuan was criticized and considered troublesome.
Why could he and Zhao Zhongyu survive under Empress Jia?
Because he learned lessons from Xiahou Xuan, remaining sufficiently low-key and perceptive.
It must be known, back then he was one of the ministers who strongly supported deposing the Crown Prince, one of the few ministers who survived after Empress Jia’s demise, while others like Wei Jie’s grandfather Wei Guan died early, and the whole family got implicated.
Yet back then, Wei Guan’s power was far greater than Zhao Changyu’s, and he was even Emperor Hui of Jin’s teacher.
Thus, Zhao Changyu began to consciously restrain his words and actions from an early age.
He was clever, became famous in Yu State since childhood, and everyone who met him praised him.
He was an honest official too. He loved wealth but never used power and office to hoard wealth; his money came from righteous paths.
Accommodating refugees to farm, opening shops, forming trade caravans – that’s expanding income; reducing household servants, planting fruit trees and medicinal flowers in the garden, buying fur in summer and storing ice in winter to save costs. Because of few servants, he also personally went into the river to dig ice in winter and wove rush fans and mats in summer for thrift.
As a local official, he never bought land or opened shops in the jurisdiction, cherished himself, governed with clarity, and wherever he had served, the economy grew rapidly, allowing people to live and work peacefully.
In life, he was never extravagant. A set of clothes could be worn for three to five years; even washed and worn old, he wore them happily, his diet was mostly light vegetarian, and it was through saving penny by penny like this that the Zhao Family’s money accumulated.
He was frugal to uphold the ancestors’ ambition, but this foolish brother was ever eager to show off the family’s wealth, silly generous like his father. Whoever came asking, he’d give money to help.
Why not earn yourself, that’s all his earned money!
Alas, Zhao Changyu didn’t want to speak further, too much said is all tears.
He turned and said, "Let’s go, to Yin Si Mansion to fetch Third Lady’s offerings for us. Later see if you can find a ghost messenger to buy two pieces of land in the underworld, let ghosts build a few small houses there, then relocate all the guests from the mansion."
Third Lady has ascended the throne, and they could leave.
But they couldn’t sweep everyone out the door, still needed proper arrangements.
"The next depends on Third Lady’s abilities. If she can keep the world peaceful for a few years without war, the number of reincarnating ghosts in the underworld will surely increase; those ghosts will reincarnate soon, then reclaim the houses and sell them again..."
Though they may not recover the cost, any bit regained is worthwhile.
Zhao Zhongyu found it hard to understand, "We receive so many offerings every year, why bother earning this money? Wouldn’t gifting the houses be better?"
Their family had Hanzhang ascending the throne, making them part of the Imperial Family. Every year during New Year, Qingming, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, there were rituals, even during the autumn harvest, certain ritual events – each time was a state ceremony, no lack of finances and livestock.
The two were Zhao Hanzhang’s closest elders, others... oh, not others, it’s ghosts – all basically reincarnated, and the ritual offerings mainly were taken by Zhao Changyu, he took the smaller share. Even so, it was considerable, and he couldn’t understand; these things can’t be brought at birth, nor spent away, no descendants to inherit here, why bother earning money in the underworld?
Zhao Changyu: "One who lacks foresight has worries at hand; do you know if I will live for two hundred years in the underworld, or five hundred years?"
Zhao Zhongyu was speechless.
He went to carry out orders.
The disappearance speed of ghosts in the underworld was beyond their expectations, after Zhao Hanzhang ascended the throne, the reincarnation pace accelerated, in the third year after her ascension, there was a sharp drop, every day a large number of ghosts drank Meng Po Soup and crossed Naihe Bridge.
There was a huge shortage of ghosts cooking Meng Po Soup, Yin Si Mansion posted notices offering high prices for help, and Zhao Zhongyu was puzzled that Zhao Changyu, wealthy as a nation in the underworld, actually went to apply.
Meng Po Soup isn’t cooked by any random ghost; it required high qualifications, and coincidentally, Zhao Changyu was an eligible ghost.
Thus, he had the fortune to stand at the bridgehead and watch ghosts line up to cross Naihe Bridge, jumping one by one into a circle for reincarnation.
After two days, Zhao Changyu stopped going, collected his wages, and told Zhao Zhongyu, "I’ve gathered all the info, drinking Meng Po Soup doesn’t immediately erase memories; you forget step by step crossing Naihe Bridge, once reaching the end, it’s all erased, then you just need to enter the cycle of rebirth to reincarnate."
Zhao Zhongyu didn’t expect his brother to gather such info; blinking, he questioned, "Didn’t the elder brother say he didn’t want to reincarnate for now?"
Zhao Changyu: "I don’t want to, but don’t you want to?"
Zhao Zhongyu felt awkward. A few days ago, he asked the ghost messenger about reincarnation; life on earth has improved much in recent years, and ghosts from earth say now ordinary families can eat half-full, rarely seeing refugees outside, even bandits are fewer.
Zhao Changyu earnestly said, "We’re brothers; I hope you can reincarnate well. After receiving another state ritual, maybe reincarnate well."
He paused, unable to hold back saying, "Reincarnation only changes destiny; can’t change intelligence. You’re not very smart; better choose a loyal rich family to reincarnate."
Otherwise, he fears his brother won’t live to adulthood.
Thinking anyone can have harmonious brotherly relations like him?
Luckily Zhao Zhongyu wasn’t aware of Zhao Changyu’s thoughts, or he’d surely vomit blood. Since childhood, criticized and reprimanded by the brother, often embarrassed in public; he calls this brotherly love?

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