"They think he doesn’t match, so they want you to take him in," Mrs. Wang hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "They also want you to take male concubines."

Zhao Hanzhang widened her eyes and asked, "Mother, is this really what the elders in the clan think?"

Mrs. Wang nodded repeatedly, then moved closer to her, whispering in her ear, "Do you know your Uncle Qing?"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded.

Mrs. Wang whispered, "Others may have these thoughts and have sent your aunties to sound me out, but your Uncle Qing directly approached your Fifth Uncle, saying you should take male concubines, making your Fifth Uncle very angry. When they came to Luoyang this time, he wasn’t allowed to enter the city with the group but was left outside the city."

Zhao Hanzhang clicked her tongue in amazement, "I must be... inexperienced, unlike my uncles who are so formidable."

Mrs. Wang reached out and tapped her, scolding, "These are just words to listen to, you shouldn’t think that way."

She whispered, "I don’t know many great truths, but I do know that integrity is paramount in life. When our family was in distress, the Fu Family was willing to ally with our Zhao family, and during hard times, they remained steadfast, always by your side."

"In this world, everything is easy to obtain, but true affection is hard to find. You have gone through life and death together, and your feelings are unlike others," Mrs. Wang reached out and stroked her hair, sighing, "Third Lady, listen to your mother, Ting Han is the most suitable person for you. I know you dislike constraints, act decisively, and have a domineering personality, seemingly making a timid husband more suitable for you, but what matters most in life is having a confidant who understands and reconciles with you, like water to fish, much better than those men who are only good-looking."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang burst into laughter, happily saying, "Mother, you don’t really think I’m serious about taking in husbands and concubines, do you?"

"Don’t worry, I don’t have such thoughts or the energy," Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment and, to ease her mother’s mind, immediately promised, "When Ting Han returns, we will discuss marriage."

Mrs. Wang breathed a sigh of relief, joyfully saying, "That’s good, that’s good. I’ll write to Fu Zhongshu tomorrow to inform him of this good news."

Zhao Hanzhang asked, "Did Grandfather Fu also inquire about the marriage?"

"Of course he asked," Mrs. Wang scolded, "You didn’t pay attention. Even after the war ended, you didn’t send him a letter to ease his mind. Now that you hold a high position, Fu Zhongshu feels unsettled and it’s not proper for him to ask you directly, so he can only write to me and indirectly inquire."

Mrs. Wang was very satisfied with Fu Tinghan. At present, she only recognized him as her son-in-law.

But... Zhao Hanzhang’s decisions were no longer hers to make, so in not knowing her thoughts, Mrs. Wang didn’t dare to directly make promises to Fu Zhi.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "It’s indeed better for Mother to handle this matter, so I’ll leave it to you." She didn’t mention that she had discussed this with Fu Zhi before, but because Fu Tinghan had gone to Qingzhou, the marriage discussion had been temporarily put aside.

Moreover, with the war just over and everything needing to be rebuilt, she was genuinely busy.

Qing Gu brought in the servants to serve the food, surprisingly with a large bowl of lamb soup, full of meat and bones, and a plate of pork slices; Zhao Hanzhang looked over.

Mrs. Wang frowned slightly and said to Qing Gu, "Why serve so much meat, it’s late, you should eat more vegetables, meat is hard to digest..."

The maid was about to turn around to change it, but Zhao Hanzhang hurriedly stopped her, "No, no, it’s easy to digest, it’s easy to digest."

With one foot on the ground, Zhao Hanzhang reached out to take the tray from the maid’s hands, placing all the meat on the table before reaching for Qing Gu’s tray.

Qing Gu dared not let her do it herself and quickly stepped forward to place a pot of rice and the remaining two dishes in front of her.

Zhao Hanzhang, smelling the fragrant lamb soup, first served herself a bowl to drink before eating.

This lamb soup must have been simmered for a long time, with a gentle tug, the meat came off the bone, and with a slight chew, it melted.

This lamb doesn’t taste like it’s from Yu State, but more like it’s from the grasslands; while eating, Zhao Hanzhang asked, "Where did this lamb come from?"

"I sent someone to buy it," Mrs. Wang scolded, "With such a large household and so many people, we didn’t even raise a single sheep, leaving the kitchen with just plain soup and water, no wonder you’ve lost so much weight."

The current aesthetic favored a slender, delicate look, which Mrs. Wang found appealing in others, but for her own child, she thought they should be a bit plumper and fairer.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "This meat is good, take note of this family; next time we buy lamb, let’s buy from them."

Mrs. Wang turned her head to Qing Gu, saying, "Remember this, and buy a few more sheep to raise tomorrow, so the family can have some whenever they want."

Zhao Hanzhang hesitated, "Isn’t that a bit extravagant?"

"Alright, don’t pretend to be polite with me. These days you all have been eating at home, I know you don’t have money, I can’t help you with much else, but there is money for meat."

Zhao Hanzhang gave her a silly grin and continued eating the meat joyfully.

After she finished eating, Mrs. Wang asked, "Should we send some to Second Son?"

Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment and said, "It’s very late, he must have eaten and gone to sleep by now, let’s send some tomorrow."

Mrs. Wang glanced at the hourglass, realizing it was indeed late, and agreed.

Qing Gu took the maids to clear the dishes and pour a cup of warm water for Zhao Hanzhang before retreating to the side.

Zhao Hanzhang took a sip of water to rinse her mouth before speaking with Mrs. Wang about important matters, "Mother, Uncle Shangcai has already been buried, now there’s only the matter of inheriting his title left."

Mrs. Wang’s eyes lit up, and she sat up straight, asking, "You’re not thinking of taking the title for Second Son, are you?"

Zhao Hanzhang shook her head, "I plan to give it to Zhao Yi."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang was displeased, "Why give it to him? Second Son is no longer the same as before, he can become a general now, showing he’s not foolish, both reasonably and emotionally, the title should return to our main family."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "In the future, Second Son will have an even more prestigious title, and it will be one he has earned, better than the Shangcai Marquis."

Mrs. Wang bit her lip, silent for a moment, but still said, "That’s what he earned, but the title of Shangcai Marquis should also belong to him."

"What Mother says is true, both reasonably and emotionally, this title indeed could go to the Second Son, but when he has an even more prestigious title in the future, this would harm without advantage."

Mrs. Wang was about to argue, but Zhao Hanzhang quickly raised her hand to stop her, holding her hand and saying, "I understand, Mother just can’t swallow the grievances of the past."

"But if you look at it from a broader perspective, the world knows Second Son is my biological brother. No matter my future, with his achievements and current status, being titled as a marquis is just a matter of an edict. After he becomes a marquis, the title of Shangcai Marquis will naturally be that of another marquis based on the Shangcai Marquis title, thus, the Zhao Family would have two titles."