Fu Tinghan asked, “Does it look good?”

Without examining it carefully, Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “It looks good.”

Fu Tinghan smiled and explained, “Yuan Li gave them to me. I also thought they looked good—the jade quality is excellent, and they happen to be a pair, so I’m giving you one.”

Only then did Zhao Hanzhang look carefully. Seeing the jade was translucent and indeed top-quality jade pendants, she raised her eyebrows. “He’s quite thoughtful.”

Fu Tinghan nodded. “Very thoughtful indeed.”

Zhao Hanzhang accepted it and turned to hand it to Ting He to put away. Only then did she ask, “How many days will our grain and fodder last?”

“Only twelve days.”

That was very little. Because Wang Mi and Liu Cong’s main forces had entered the city ahead of them, and the enemy had thirty thousand troops outside, who knew how long this battle would last.

Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes in thought for a long while before finally deciding, “First find a way to transfer the remaining people in the city out. We can’t let them become hostages for Wang Mi and Liu Cong.”

Fu Tinghan said, “There are enemy troops in the city, and their numbers exceed ours. It won’t be easy for you to transfer people out, will it?”

“Yes, so someone needs to attract their attention. Only then can we succeed.” Zhao Hanzhang looked around and found only two people suitable—herself and Beigong Chun.

Whether Wang Mi or Liu Cong, both had been defeated by her and Beigong Chun. Either of them appearing would be enough to draw hatred.

Although their ability to draw aggro was the same, in terms of trash talk…

Zhao Hanzhang thought about it and still said, “Forget it, I’ll go. General Beigong, Wang Mi wants to deal with Shi Lei. Don’t bother with those twenty thousand men of Wang Mi’s. As for Liu Cong’s ten thousand men, have people keep close watch on them, but don’t engage. You just lead the main army to garrison outside the south city gate. Guard the south gate, and you guard my rear.”

Beigong Chun acknowledged the order.

Zhao Hanzhang went to select troops to enter the city.

Ting He helped Zhao Hanzhang put on her armor. Seeing the jade pendant on her hand, she asked, “My lady, will you wear this?”

“Who wears this sort of thing into battle? Even if it doesn’t get broken, it’ll get damaged. Put it away. I’ll wear it later when I change to regular clothes.”

Ting He acknowledged.

Although Zhao Hanzhang didn’t wear the jade pendant, because Fu Tinghan had given it in the presence of many people, word quickly spread through the personal guard camp.

Yuan Li had given a pair of jade pendants to Young Master Fu, who immediately gave half to the lady. Though the jade pendants were originally a pair, everyone clearly understood something different from this.

Thus, as Fu Tinghan walked back to his main tent, he encountered countless generals, deputy generals, squad leaders, and section leaders. They all produced spoils of war they considered good to give to Fu Tinghan.

Fu Tinghan was speechless.

He refused them one by one. Finally returning to the main tent with difficulty, he discovered the tent had also received quite a few items.

Fu’an had gone out once and returned laden with goods. He looked helplessly at Fu Tinghan. “Young master, I tried hard to refuse, but they stuffed the items in and left. No matter how I declined, it was useless.”

Fu Tinghan held his forehead and asked, “Do you remember who gave what?”

“I remember this. When they gave gifts, they announced their names, repeating them several times. I couldn’t help but remember.”

Fu Tinghan nodded. “Return them one by one. If they refuse to accept, tell them that anyone who doesn’t accept will be dealt with according to the rules for bribing superiors and their families.”

Fu’an acknowledged, “Yes.”

Fu’an organized all the items properly. Before going, he recalled who had given what. Some he really couldn’t remember, but he knew the general area. He decided when the time came to find them and have them reach out to take their items back themselves—then he wouldn’t need to fret.

Just as Fu’an was walking around the camp with a pile of gifts to return them, Zhao Hanzhang was also leading her main army through the south city gate toward the palace.

From far away, they could hear sounds of battle cries.

Naturally, Wang Mi and Liu Cong also knew she had come.

They had known since late last night that a large army had arrived outside the city. When their scouts failed to return on time, the army knew something was wrong, so they quietly sent out several more scout teams.

However, Zhao Hanzhang and Beigong Chun were skilled. With army patrols within a twenty-mile radius, it was difficult for them to slip through and investigate. In the end, only three people returned.

They only returned after dawn, reporting that the banners in the opposing army bore the Zhao Family Army and Western Liang Army insignia.

Wang Mi and Liu Cong could guess who it was just by thinking with their toes.

Although they had both been defeated by these two before, their wariness of Beigong Chun ran even deeper.

Now that the two who had previously defeated them had joined forces against them again, Wang Mi and Liu Cong felt indescribable complexity.

Wang Mi deeply resented Prince Donghai and Prince Nanyang. “A bunch of worthless fools! They couldn’t even hold onto Beigong Chun. He’d already reached Chang’an, yet they still let him escape to Yuzhou to join Zhao Hanzhang.”

Liu Cong also thought Prince Donghai and his brother were worthless. He told his subordinates, “Zhao Hanzhang and Beigong Chun have come. We must fight quickly and decisively. The longer we delay, the worse for us. Send word to Wang Mi—combine our two armies and first capture the palace before discussing anything else.”

He added, “The first to attack into the palace will be rewarded with a marquisate of a thousand households.”

Hearing this, the generals’ eyes brightened, and they acknowledged the order before departing.

Wang Mi also had to temporarily set aside his grudge with Liu Cong and first capture the palace.

So early in the morning, the palace gates were pressed again. Some brought siege equipment to ram the palace gates, but before they could approach, they were driven back by a hail of arrows from above. At the same time, stones were thrown down from the tower.

Liu Cong’s Xiongnu army wasn’t skilled at sieges—this was a Xiongnu weakness. But Wang Mi was skilled at it.

This was also why he had been able to attack into Luoyang ahead of Liu Cong.

Originally, because Liu Cong was nearby, he was unwilling to exert full effort, lest he and the Jin army exhaust each other, only for Liu Cong to reap the benefits.

But now with Zhao Hanzhang present, he couldn’t worry about so much. He immediately had cloud ladders brought out and directed everyone to attack forward in an orderly manner.

Liu Cong was also perceptive. Knowing this wasn’t the time to compete for glory—or at least not this moment—he also sent troops to assist from the side.

The enemy suddenly became fiercely determined. The general commanding on the tower noticed and immediately had people hurry to throw stones and shoot arrows. Then he ran down to find the emperor and court officials.

The emperor sat in the upper seat, while below sat Fu Zhi, Zhao Zhongyu, and other officials.

The general clasped his fists. “Your Majesty, for some reason, they’ve suddenly combined forces for a fierce attack. We’re running low on arrows, and even the stones are nearly depleted. Please, Your Majesty, leave quickly.”

Did the emperor not want to leave? He could only leave if he was able to! Now their palace gate was blocked, with enemy troops everywhere outside the palace walls. Even climbing over the walls to escape was impossible.

The emperor looked to Fu Zhi. “What does Vice Director Fu think we should do?”

Vice Director Fu seemed to have aged ten years this past year. He said, “Your Majesty should make preparations. If we cannot hold, we ministers will die for the country alongside Your Majesty.”

The emperor fell silent.

Zhao Zhongyu and the other court officials all remained silent, tacitly agreeing.

Zhao Ji, seated at the very end, felt cold all over and deeply regretful. When Luoyang was breached, their family shouldn’t have followed the other officials’ families in withdrawing to the palace. They should have fled the city instead—perhaps there would have been a glimmer of hope for survival.