Zhao Hanzhang wiped the blood from her face and leaned against a tree. “They went ahead. We’re stopping the pursuing troops here.”

Her gaze swept over the people behind him. Seeing that the First Squad Leader, Third Squad Leader, and Fifth Squad Leader were all fine, she noticed a few familiar faces were missing from behind them.

Zhao Qianli followed her gaze and said quietly, “We lost five men.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, her gaze sweeping over a self-contained group on the side—there appeared to be seventy or eighty people.

Zhao Qianli said, “These are our family’s retainers. Their leader is called Zhao Dian.”

He called over to that side, “Zhao Dian, come here.”

Zhao Dian immediately ran over. The man obviously didn’t yet know that Zhao Qianli intended to part ways with them, so he respectfully clasped his fists. “Squad Leader!”

“This is a young lady from the household—Sanniang.” Zhao Qianli introduced her.

Zhao Dian immediately bowed to Zhao Hanzhang. “Sanniang.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, also anxious to return and find Madam Wang and Zhao Erlang. She ordered, “Prepare yourselves. We’re going to catch up with Uncle.”

Zhao Qianli had captured five horses plus various weapons.

The weapons were distributed evenly among the subordinate retainers. As for the horses, before he could arrange them, Zhao Hanzhang had already waved her hand broadly to distribute them evenly among the men of the Third and Fifth squads.

Zhao Dian couldn’t help but look over. These people were obviously retainers, only he’d never seen them before. But they wore clothing bearing the Zhao family’s mark.

He’d wanted to ask for a long time, but today had been spent either fleeing for their lives or searching for people. Now with the master present, this was the best opportunity. “Sanniang, these people…”

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t hide it, stating directly, “They’re retainers Grandfather left to me.”

Zhao Dian fell silent.

Zhao Hanzhang’s horse was found. She watched people bury the guards’ bodies, then mounted her horse. “Let’s go. We need to catch up with them before dark.”

They’d fought a battle here and stopped for quite some time. Most of the retainers had no horses, relying on their two legs for rapid marching. So she felt if they could find them before dark, that would be good. Who knew that after running forward for just over an hour, they heard earth-shaking cries and shouts from the other side of a half-mountain away.

Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan exchanged glances, immediately kicking their horses’ bellies to gallop forward for a look.

Just rounding the bend, the two saw complete chaos ahead. A group of ragged people wielding clubs and swords were catching people and stealing things everywhere.

The fleeing commoners screamed and scattered in all directions. But they couldn’t run far before being caught up. A club to the head, and the attackers began looting everything on them—some even had their clothes stripped off.

Zhao Qianli and Zhao Dian also rode up on horseback. Seeing the people in the wilderness, their expressions changed. “It’s a vagrant army.”

Zhao Hanzhang swept her gaze over the rebel troops in the wilderness, her eyes looking into the distance at small figures still faintly running toward them—apparently also vagrant army.

But not many commoners had been intercepted—it should be the middle and rear sections that were cut off.

She made a quick decision. “Break through and scatter them, let the commoners continue fleeing. We’ll fight quickly and decisively—just scatter them, don’t get entangled in battle.”

Fu Tinghan was somewhat nervous, his eyes looking everywhere for the best route. Then he saw several people hiding below a field ridge, along with overturned carriages and horses.

He suddenly froze, quickly reaching out to grab Zhao Hanzhang on the horse beside him. “Hanzhang, look—is that Grandfather Zhao?”

Zhao Hanzhang turned to look, seeing the coffin that had fallen beside the field ridge. Her pupils contracted. Then seeing Madam Wang and others hiding below the ridge, she was even more shocked.

The vagrant army had also spotted them. Over a dozen people ran toward them. Seeing the young and beautiful Ting He, their eyes lit up as they immediately reached out to grab her.

Ting He screamed and pushed at the hands reaching for her, accidentally exposing Madam Wang whom she’d been protecting.

Seeing the even more exquisite Madam Wang, they directly pushed Ting He aside to pull at Madam Wang. “Can sell for high price, can sell for high price…”

Madam Wang cried out in alarm, continuously shrinking backward.

Zhao Erlang had been protected behind her. Seeing them bully his mother, he shouted in anger and pushed his mother to the side with force. He threw himself at them to fight.

The vagrant army didn’t take the young Zhao Erlang seriously. They clenched their fists to trade blows with him. But when fists met, the man felt like he’d punched solid rock. He howled and his arm went limp.

Zhao Erlang had already pounced on them, fighting desperately toward their heads and faces.

Over a dozen people—whenever his fists swept over them, they immediately felt burning pain. They became furious and simply surrounded him to beat him up.

Chengbo protected Madam Wang as they retreated while directing Zhao Cai and the driver. “Quickly save Erlang, quickly save Erlang…”

Zhao Cai and the driver were also fighting, though mainly being beaten.

Seeing her son surrounded and beaten in the middle without even the strength to fight back, Madam Wang felt both sad and angry. She groped around on the ground randomly, found a rock, and crawled over. Not caring who it was, she smashed it toward their heads…

When Zhao Hanzhang saw them, she had already drawn her sword and charged down from the mountain base. Zhao Qianli and Zhao Dian were also frightened and led their cavalry to chase after her.

Fu Tinghan’s horsemanship was average, falling two steps behind. He watched Teacher Zhao charge past without slowing, stabbing one person, then wheeling her horse back to slash another…

Warm blood sprayed out, splashing Madam Wang and the vagrant army’s faces. Those addicted to beating Zhao Erlang finally came to their senses. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang on horseback and the bloody sword in her hand, they abandoned Zhao Erlang and Madam Wang to turn and flee.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t spare a single one, pursuing them with Zhao Qianli to kill all dozen people.

The others alarmed the remaining vagrant army, driving them all out from among the fleeing crowd. On the broad wilderness, it gradually quieted down. The commoners who had been constantly terrified silently looked at the corpse-strewn fields, slowly kneeling on the ground and weeping.

Zhao Hanzhang jumped down from her horse and rushed forward to embrace Zhao Erlang. Seeing that although his face was bruised and swollen he had no major injuries, she breathed a great sigh of relief. “Good that you’re all right, good that you’re all right.”

Madam Wang, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly burst into loud tears with a “Wah—” She threw herself forward to embrace Zhao Hanzhang, patting her back as she cried breathlessly. “You disobedient child, I told you not to listen. You know we almost all died. I said not to go, but your grandfather, your grandfather…”

Her eyes blurred with tears, she looked around in all directions. Seeing the coffin lying to the side, she cried even louder and crawled over to embrace the coffin wood, weeping bitterly. “Father-in-law, father-in-law, open your eyes and look! That murdering nephew of yours abandoned us and left. You still gave him the title!”

Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes also reddened. Knowing she’d been frightened, she quickly went forward to hold her. “I won’t go again, won’t go again. Mother, let me turn the coffin over.”

Madam Wang had been badly frightened and simply couldn’t stop. She closed her eyes and continued crying.

Zhao Hanzhang looked helplessly at Fu Tinghan.

Fu Tinghan quickly stepped forward, half-kneeling before her. “Madam…”

Madam Wang opened her eyes a crack to see him. Her crying immediately stopped, then continued by inertia with sobs. She didn’t cry anymore. “Son-in-law, oh my, it’s son-in-law.”

She quickly wiped away her tears, looking at Fu Tinghan then at Zhao Hanzhang, breathing a great sigh of relief. She immediately grasped his hand and asked, “Did son-in-law save Sanniang?”

Fu Tinghan wanted to say no. Zhao Hanzhang had already answered first, “Yes, it was Young Master Fu who saved me.”

Madam Wang looked at him with a face full of gratification. “Good, good. Son-in-law has shown his heart. Quickly, quickly lift up your grandfather.”

With Madam Wang finally no longer crying, everyone breathed a great sigh of relief. They worked together to lift up and properly position the coffin.

Only then did Zhao Hanzhang look around in a circle and ask, “Where’s Qinggu?”

—