Wang Heng also sensed something was wrong at this point. Just as he was about to raise his head to speak, Zhao Hanzhang kicked her horse’s belly and charged forward. Leaning down, she swiftly drew the sword he was holding, the sword point dropping to aim at his throat as she shouted furiously, “Are you the soldiers I need—to charge into battle for me, to throw your heads and spill your blood, to die on the battlefield?”
“The Xiongnu have been destroyed, external enemies have been cleared. This general hoped that from now on there would be no more warfare, that you could recuperate and live in peace and happiness. Yet at this time you raise the banner of rebellion against me, then come to surrender to me, wanting to become my soldiers, wanting to throw away your lives on the battlefield?”
“Zhao Jia Shi!” Zhao Hanzhang shouted loudly. “He is the magistrate I personally selected for Ji County! He is an orphan, raised by me. Because of his outstanding studies, he was granted the surname Zhao. He is gentle and kind-hearted. After the great drought and locust plague in the northern lands, not a grain remained, and Ji County had long run out of grain to provide disaster relief. Before him, who had ever provided relief!”
“He argued forcefully and obtained relief grain from me, all of which was distributed into your hands. He worked himself to exhaustion for you all. Just because the grain produced wasn’t enough to supply all the disaster victims, you followed such a traitor to kill him? Zhao Hanzhang’s tears couldn’t help but slide from the corners of her eyes as she lowered her head, glaring angrily at the person kneeling before her. “Wang Heng, this general knows what you want. What, because my Zhao Family Army treats prisoners well and treats surrendering troops well, you’ve developed delusions of grandeur, thinking that if I grant you amnesty you can rise to prominence?”
Wang Heng’s face turned deathly pale as he shook his head repeatedly. “No, I didn’t. He embezzled funds and was brutal and inhumane……”
“The students educated in my school, the people I personally selected—would I not trust their character?” Zhao Hanzhang turned her head and shouted loudly at the kneeling crowd, “Where are the people of Ji County? Is Zhao Jia Shi loyal or traitorous, good or corrupt? You tell me!”
The rebel troops raised their heads to meet Zhao Hanzhang’s bloodshot, tear-filled eyes, trembling and not daring to speak. Among them, some regained their rationality and remembered Zhao Jia Shi’s actions after taking office, as well as their jovial conversations while digging the earth together with him. Their bodies went weak and they couldn’t help but prostrate on the ground, crying out loud.
With the first person, there was a second. Among these twenty thousand plus people, those from Ji County made up the majority, with the remaining small portion from Fucheng. With one person crying, a second began to remember Zhao Jia Shi, and they all burst into tears.
Now they didn’t need to speak—everyone understood.
Zhao Hanzhang turned her head, her eyes bloodshot as she stared at Wang Heng, saying word by word, “Not only did you kill Zhao Jia Shi, you also caused the death of the Fucheng County magistrate, Zhao Yi Cheng. He was also my student!”
Wang Heng’s eyes widened in terror. Zhao Hanzhang raised her sword high and, in her fury, used all her strength to forcibly cut off his head with the sword.
Wang Heng’s head rolled away with a gurgling sound, blood spraying and splashing all over the heads and faces of those kneeling behind him. The head even rolled to their feet.
The dozen or so people kneeling close by screamed and fell backward, collapsing on the ground.
Zhao Hanzhang gripped the sword, her gaze unwavering, staring coldly at them. “You are all Wang Heng’s good subordinate generals? Which means you’re the rebel leaders?”
In the crowd, one person immediately leaped up, shouting loudly, “Zhao Hanzhang wants to kill us all to avenge the magistrates. Kill her……”
Zu Ti’s gaze sharpened. The long spear in his hand flew out, directly impaling the person and sending him flying. The rebel commoners, frightened and trembling, actually didn’t dare move for a moment. When they recovered their senses slightly, they heard Zhao Hanzhang say, “Rest assured, the law does not punish the masses. You number too many—I naturally won’t hold you accountable. I will only kill the rebel leaders!”
Everyone’s hearts settled slightly, then they heard Zhao Hanzhang sneer coldly. “All those who followed Wang Heng in the uprising, anyone holding the position of squad leader or above, will be seized! Those who hide and conceal them share the same crime! Those who report them will be credited and rewarded with one string of cash!”
The Zhao Family Army upon hearing this shouted “Hah!” in unison. The archers stepped forward, drawing their bows fully and aiming at the surrounded twenty thousand plus rebel troops. Then squad after squad of Zhao Family Army soldiers charged in from behind, heading straight for the dozen or so people at the front.
Naturally they didn’t want to wait for death either, so they grabbed their knives and scrambled up to resist.
Zhao Hanzhang said quietly, “I have already sent people to Ji County. Those who stubbornly resist—their clans will be held accountable!”
At these words, more than half of the dozen who had stood up sorrowfully and indignantly put down their knives. The remaining ones who didn’t couldn’t fight either, and the leadership hidden among the rebel troops didn’t even need the Zhao Family Army to act—the surrendering soldiers themselves pinned them down and brought them forward.
What surprised Zhao Hanzhang was that among them were two people wearing ordinary hemp clothes, different from the leading Wang Heng and others who wore armor.
Fu Tinghan, sharp-eyed, rode forward and pulled open the person’s collar, exposing the inner garment beneath.
He was slightly surprised and turned to tell Zhao Hanzhang, “It’s silk.”
“Silk indeed,” Zhao Hanzhang rode her horse forward. “Even Wang Heng probably couldn’t afford to wear undergarments made of silk, could he?”
She also didn’t avoid the issue, directly using her sword to lift the middle-aged scholar’s chin and examine him for a moment before asking, “Which aristocratic family’s young master is this?”
The middle-aged scholar kept his face pale and said nothing.
Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand, having these two dragged away, then swept her gaze around the two hundred thirty-eight people who had been pulled out and directly ordered, “Behead them all. Hang their corpses on the city gate tower for me. Without my order, no one is permitted to take them down or give them burial!”
“Yes!”
In front of the twenty thousand plus rebel troops, the Zhao Family Army beheaded all two hundred thirty-eight people. Blood flowed down the road, flowing to where their knees were. Everyone’s faces turned deathly pale.
But this wasn’t over yet. Zhao Hanzhang didn’t leave. She stood in front of the city, staring at them, loudly proclaiming, “If anyone dares again to scheme for power and position at the cost of my people’s lives, regardless of who they are—rebel leaders will have their clans exterminated! Followers who hold power will be beheaded!”
The rebel troops were terrified, while the Zhao Family Army and the Zu Family Army brought by Zu Ti all echoed loudly in response, extremely excited!
Zuo Min also stared intently at Zhao Hanzhang with burning eyes, raising his fist and shouting loudly along with them.
Zu Ti exhaled a breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart. When he turned back, he saw Zuo Min’s eyes red with excitement. Zu Ti: ……
He silently turned back and rode his horse forward several steps, distancing himself from Zuo Min.
The gates of Wuyi County, which had been silent all along, finally slowly opened. A dozen or so figures ran from the distance. The person in the lead wore the magistrate’s official robes, with blood on both clothes and face, eyes red with dark circles beneath. She ran forward in one breath. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang, her knees went weak and she knelt on the ground, tears falling in large drops onto the earth, her voice barely audible: “My lady, my lady……”
Zhao Hanzhang stepped forward to help her up, pressing her shoulder and praising, “Well done. You held Wuyi County.”
Zhao Yi Gui tried to smile in response, but thinking of her two deceased classmates and colleagues, tears couldn’t help but fall again in streams, making her facial expression quite ugly.
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t mind and even raised her hand to wipe the tears from her face.
Zhao Yi Gui couldn’t help but sob aloud, almost throwing herself into Zhao Hanzhang’s arms to cry. Remembering this was outside with so many people present, such an action would not only make her lose prestige but would also embarrass her lady, she forcibly held back her tears.
She tried hard to grin at Zhao Hanzhang, then stepped aside to invite Zhao Hanzhang into the city.
—