Zhao Hanzhang hadn’t expected them to have this understanding. She couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows. From a practical standpoint, what they said wasn’t wrong.

But just because reality was like this didn’t mean it was right. Liu Yuan, the founding emperor of Han-Zhao, obviously realized this point as well, which was why he hoped the Xiongnu and Han people could be as close as one family.

Although Liu Yuan was Xiongnu, he had received Han cultural education from childhood. In his youth, he had been a hostage in Luoyang, and his cultivation in Han culture was no less than that of a Jin person. Therefore, he greatly promoted Han-style governance.

Zhao Hanzhang believed that his choice of “Han” as the state name was not only because he considered himself a descendant of the Han imperial house, making it legitimate to inherit Shu-Han’s rule (though this was an excuse), but also because of the education he received from childhood.

Now that he had just established his state, he promoted governing barbarians with Han methods.

Don’t look at how he had launched wars against Luoyang for two consecutive years – actually, he had been constantly restraining his armies, hoping they wouldn’t harm the common people. This was both to win popular support and achieve his goal of “using the Han name to embrace people’s hopes.”

He wanted to place himself on equal footing with the Jin State, replacing the old with the new. For one dynasty to replace another, it had to break through the capital and destroy the ruling power.

What Liu Yuan wanted was never to establish a Xiongnu Han State. What he wanted was to replace the Jin State and unify all nine provinces.

Currently, the conflicts between the Xiongnu and ordinary Han people weren’t actually irreconcilable. Liu Yuan’s initial rule over Han people tended toward moderation. It was just that his subordinates disobeyed one after another. The nomadic people’s characteristic was to plunder wealth after occupying territory, and they were more accustomed to managing common people as slaves.

Even Han generals like Wang Mi killed Han people without mercy, not to mention plundering wealth and population.

In a few more years, they would kill even more people, and only then would the conflicts between the Han and Xiongnu peoples become truly irreconcilable. At that point would he abandon governing barbarians with Han methods and implement “separate governance for barbarians and Han.”

People would be divided into classes – the Xiongnu would be first class, above all other ethnicities. The Han people would seem to become the lowest, but actually the most oppressed and looked down upon would be the Jie barbarians.

Otherwise, the Jie barbarians wouldn’t later rebel against the Xiongnu and establish their own regime.

Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes in thought. Now the Xiongnu Han State already showed such tendencies. It seemed that even having proclaimed himself emperor a year early, Liu Yuan still couldn’t control the situation.

She curved the corners of her mouth slightly. The Jie barbarians had always been slaves of the Xiongnu. Han people were miserable, but their treatment was actually worse than that of Han people.

The Xiongnu looked down on Han people but would learn Han culture, knowing in their hearts the value of Han civilization – an attitude of both inferiority and contempt toward Han people.

Toward the Jie barbarians, it was contempt and looking down from the bottom of their hearts.

But were the Jie barbarians really inferior to the Xiongnu?

No ethnicity was inferior to another. Each had their own ethnic characteristics in their blood. Would the Jie barbarians just keep their heads bowed and accept slaughter forever?

It was just that the time hadn’t come yet.

Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes in contemplation, her mind turning through countless thoughts. She quickly made up her mind and asked, “The Li family stronghold had already gathered provisions for you. Why did you still massacre them completely?”

Cheng Da said, “We were merely following orders.”

He continued, “The general ordered us to gather provisions, so we gathered provisions. He ordered us to capture common people, break strongholds, and plunder wealth, so we could only obey.”

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t know how much to believe, and asked, “Where is the plundered wealth?”

Cheng Da pointed toward the central tent, the one from which the main general had run out earlier. The things inside had already been ransacked by Zhao Hanzhang. She withdrew her gaze. “Is there nothing else?”

Cheng Da shook his head. “The common people here are all very poor. Only the Li family stronghold had some money, but not much. Everything that could be taken was taken.”

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Do you have family at home?”

Cheng Da was startled and asked Zhao Hanzhang, “Will you Han people go to our country to capture our relatives? This is war – it shouldn’t involve family.”

Zhao Hanzhang sighed deeply and said, “In this war, both you and I are just soldiers innocently caught up in it. Although you killed our Han people, I am willing to give you a chance at life.”

However, Cheng Da wasn’t moved at all, responding flatly.

He and his companions had experienced such situations many times. He had surrendered and was a prisoner. If Zhao Hanzhang found them burdensome, burying them alive would be normal.

If she found them useful, they would merely change from being Xiongnu slaves to Han slaves.

He and his companions had changed masters several times. When one general lost, they followed the new general. When the new general looked down on them, either he would bury them alive or drive them to the front lines as cannon fodder. People around him died one after another – this was all very normal.

They had never had a choice.

So Zhao Hanzhang’s meaning was that she wouldn’t kill them but would keep them as slaves?

Already numb and thinking of living one more day at a time, Cheng Da hesitantly thanked her, “Thank you, General.”

But in his heart he was still puzzled, not understanding what this had to do with his family.

Nevertheless, he answered, “I still have a mother and younger brother. I haven’t been home in many years and don’t know if they’re dead or alive.”

So if you have the ability, go to the Han State and capture them – at least then he’d know whether they were still alive.

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Can you farm?”

Cheng Da blinked, even more confused. Wei You beside him had already answered first, “Yes! I can grow wheat and soybeans!”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at them and said, “Then stay and be soldiers for me. When the time comes, I’ll give you some land. When you’re not fighting, you can farm. Later when you have money, you can even bring your families here.”

The five men stared blankly at Zhao Hanzhang. Coming to their senses, they hastily asked, “Give us land? Will we farm for the general, or…”

“Just like the soldiers under my rule. You are soldiers and don’t need to pay taxes. Whatever the fields produce will be your private property.”

“We can have private property?”

A slave’s body and mind belonged to their master. Even if they currently had possessions, when the master needed them, those possessions could disappear.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Of course. Once it’s yours, even I cannot unreasonably seize your property.”

The five fell silent, uncertain whether to believe Zhao Hanzhang.

But whether they believed or not, what difference did it make? They were prisoners now anyway.

Yet a thread of hope still rose in their hearts, a slight warmth in their chests. When Zhao Hanzhang asked more questions, they cooperated much more. For instance, “Qiao Xi is cruel. The reason he suddenly had us plunder Han people was because he heard that Wang Mi took advantage of collecting provisions to plunder much wealth. He was envious, so he also had us plunder Han people and turn over all the seized wealth to him.”

They also said, “Qiao Xi has long been unable to take Guancheng and fears the Emperor’s blame. He was planning to dig up the Dongfeng Canal and flood Guancheng with water.”

Upon hearing this, the smile faded from Zhao Hanzhang’s lips. She leaned forward slightly, looking at them seriously. “Is it about to be dug up?”

“It’s not easy to dig,” Wei You said. “We were ordered to dig a small opening. Now that it’s nearly winter, the river water is low. Even if we dig it open, it will be hard to flood all of Guancheng, though the good farmland below will probably all be washed away.”