Chen Wan was very afraid she was deceiving him, but his gaze swept over the soldiers behind her, and he still silently went with Qiu Wu.

Once he left, Zhao Hanzhang had people throw all the confiscated weapons to one side, then said to the common people waiting to be arrested, “I know you’re afraid Magistrate Sun will settle accounts after autumn. I’m also afraid that with him here, I cannot fulfill my promise to you. So please lend me your assistance.”

Immediately someone asked, “Are you having us charge in and kill Magistrate Sun?”

“But you’ve taken our blades and staffs. If we charge in, wouldn’t we be going to our deaths?”

Zhao Hanzhang raised her hand to suppress their voices. “Lower your voices. This place isn’t far from the county office walls. If you keep shouting, people will hear.”

Only then did everyone quiet down a bit.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “You don’t need to charge in—just stay here and make noise. Shout a few times, like ‘kill the dog official’ or whatever you want to shout.”

“You’re not trying to use this opportunity to frame us and then kill us, are you?”

Zhao Hanzhang became excited and immediately pointed at the crowd, asking, “Who said that?”

Everyone fell silent and shifted around, not daring to speak, also shielding the person who had spoken.

“This is talent!” Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze swept brightly over the crowd from which the voice had emerged. “Come out quickly so I can see you. It would be too wasteful for such talent to be scattered in the fields.”

No one knew if she was speaking truthfully or falsely, but the person hiding in the crowd still parted the others and walked out. Wealth and honor are sought amid danger—what if Zhao Hanzhang really thought he was talented?

A sallow-faced, thin and sickly youth walked out.

Zhao Hanzhang looked him up and down and asked with a smile, “What’s your name?”

“This humble one is Xiang Yu.”

“Good name. I’ll put you in charge of these people for now. You lead them in making noise. We’ll charge into the county office to rescue Magistrate Sun and then send him away. You just need to shout loudly on this street—don’t attack, don’t damage property, understand?”

Xiang Yu hadn’t expected her to assign him a task right away, actually trusting him this much. For a moment, he stood frozen.

“What, you can’t do it?”

Xiang Yu snapped to attention and immediately said, “This humble one can do it!”

Only then did Zhao Hanzhang nod with satisfaction. “Then let’s begin.”

Xiang Yu tentatively raised his hand and shouted, “Kill the dog official!”

The rioters looked at each other. After a long pause, they began shouting sporadically, “Kill the dog official…”

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t mind. She looked toward Ji Yuan.

Ji Yuan immediately shouted loudly, “Negotiations have broken down! There’s nothing to discuss. We’re charging in to rescue Magistrate Sun!”

After shouting, he led a group of men past these rioters and rushed straight toward the county office gates.

Having just surrendered their weapons, the rioters didn’t dare obstruct them for the moment and just watched him pass with wide eyes.

Xiang Yu suddenly had an absurd feeling. If this was Zhao Hanzhang’s trick to induce surrender, they would definitely die without burial.

Fortunately, this was not an inducement to surrender. Zhao Hanzhang kept her word. Ji Yuan only took twenty or thirty men to charge forward while she and the remaining soldiers still stood there.

Ji Yuan encountered no obstacles as he rushed to the county office gates and began pounding on the door, shouting to those inside, “Open the door quickly! Reinforcements from Xiping County have arrived—”

The people in the county office didn’t move. They had just heard that something wasn’t quite right outside. Although they couldn’t hear very clearly, the rioters’ reactions outside were also suspicious. What if it was a trick?

Seeing they wouldn’t open the door, Ji Yuan became furious. While having men break down the door, he shouted, “Call your general over here! I am Ji Yuan from beside the County Magistrate of Xiping County. I also came for the battle to relieve Quyang City last year—he definitely recognizes me. Our County Magistrate is also here…”

After shouting, he looked back toward Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang immediately called to everyone, “Start shouting quickly, start shouting!”

Everyone instinctively looked toward Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu gritted his teeth and raised his arm with a shout: “Kill the dog official—”

Everyone followed with loud shouts: “Kill the dog official!”

The sound echoed through the county town, also startling Magistrate Sun hiding deep in the county office. He spun around anxiously and hurriedly asked Commander Ding, “Why are those rioters making noise again?”

Just then, a soldier came to report: “General, County Magistrate, they’re saying outside that reinforcements from Xiping County have arrived and are fighting with the rioters. Should we let them in?”

Magistrate Sun was shocked and hurriedly asked, “How many people are there?”

“We don’t know yet, but they say the County Magistrate of Xiping County has also come, and there’s someone called Ji Yuan.”

“Zhao Sanniang! Is the leader a woman? I know Ji Yuan—he’s a trusted aide beside Zhao Sanniang. He used to be Lord Zhao’s advisor.” Magistrate Sun said excitedly, “Let them in quickly.”

The soldier looked toward Commander Ding.

Commander Ding also knew of Zhao Hanzhang. Last year when Quyang was relieved, he had watched her duel from atop the city wall. So he nodded slightly and instructed, “Have the archers prepare. Don’t let the rioters approach the county office, much less let them enter.”

“Yes.”

“Commander Ding, didn’t you say we don’t have many arrows left?”

“That’s why we need to use them sparingly. Ask Ji Yuan how many men County Magistrate Zhao brought.”

Ji Yuan and his twenty-plus men were let into the county office. Outside, the rioters’ shouts shook the sky. Fortunately, they didn’t attack the county office. By now, the sky had completely darkened. Looking into the distance while lying atop the walls, one could only see a mass of people in the distance. Their voices were noisy and loud—no telling if they were hiding.

Other parts of the county town still occasionally showed firelight. The situation didn’t look too good.

As soon as Ji Yuan entered the county office, he rushed straight toward Magistrate Sun.

Both Magistrate Sun and Commander Ding had met Ji Yuan before, so they recognized him immediately upon meeting. Magistrate Sun hurriedly asked, “Advisor Ji, where is County Magistrate Zhao?”

Commander Ding asked, “How many men did County Magistrate Zhao bring?”

Ji Yuan, covered in sweat, said, “There’s no time for details. Magistrate Sun, our mistress has drawn the tiger away from the mountain—she’s holding back those rioters in front while having men lure away the rioters surrounding the back gate. Let’s leave the city quickly.”

“Leave the city?” Magistrate Sun was surprised and doubtful. “Why must we leave the city? I… how can I abandon the city and flee?”

“But the entire city is in chaos! When we entered the city, all the county’s people had mobilized and were wildly plundering the wealthy households’ property. Otherwise, why do you think there are so few people surrounding the county office?” Ji Yuan said, “The County Magistrate must leave the city quickly—either go to a neighboring county or go to Chen County to request reinforcements. Otherwise, not only will Magistrate Sun be trapped, even our mistress might be trapped here.”

Commander Ding kept asking, “How many men did County Magistrate Zhao bring? I have over two hundred men here, all well-trained troops. If we coordinate from inside and out…”

“How many people are there in the entire city? Just ask Magistrate Sun and you’ll know,” Ji Yuan said. “They’re determined to rebel. How can our few men possibly hold them back?”

Magistrate Sun nodded repeatedly. “Right, we can’t hold them back!”

“So let’s go quickly, Magistrate Sun. Take your family with you—I, Ji Yuan, will escort you out of the city.”

Magistrate Sun looked hesitantly toward Commander Ding, afraid he would obstruct him.

Commander Ding lowered his head in thought for a moment, then said, “County Magistrate, go request reinforcements. We’ll hold the county office here and wait.”

Magistrate Sun immediately nodded. “Commander Ding, rest assured—I will definitely find reinforcements.”

Magistrate Sun walked out with Ji Yuan. To gain Commander Ding’s trust, he chose not to bring a single family member, leaving them in the county office as hostages.

Ji Yuan: …

However, he didn’t mind. He immediately escorted Magistrate Sun outside.

—