Two heads poked out from the end of the alley. Then several Zhao Family Army soldiers carrying large blades emerged and scolded, “What are you shouting about? Haven’t you seen dead people before? Hurry up and run—the south of the city is that way.”
Hearing this, the young man hugged his bundle and ran in the direction they pointed. The people behind also followed, stepping over the corpses on the ground.
Zhao Shu clicked his tongue. Looking at the corpses on the ground, he still led his subordinates to drag the bodies into the depths of the alley and toss them inside so they wouldn’t frighten people.
But just as they finished disposing of the bodies and turned around, they saw a woman with three children at the far end of the alley, trembling as they stared at them.
Zhao Shu fell silent for a moment. He could only bend down again to drag the corpse lying on the ground to the side, barely leaving half a small path. He gestured to the mother and children, “Go ahead.”
The woman, carrying a bundle on her back and holding a child in her arms, tremblingly pulled two other children past the corpses, then past Zhao Shu, before stumbling away.
Zhao Shu touched his face. “Am I really that frightening?”
“Squad Leader, your beard is too long.”
“What do you know? This is called masculine vigor. Tsk, what am I even explaining to you, a kid who hasn’t even grown hair yet?” Zhao Shu shouldered his large blade and called to everyone, “Hurry up, hurry up. Search some more and see if there are any more Xiongnu people. Find them all and kill them.”
“Yes!”
Killing people was no fun at all. The other side would die, and naturally so would they. Zhao Shu had followed Zhao Hanzhang out from the Zhao family fortress.
But Zhao Hanzhang had never given preferential treatment to clan members in this regard. Moreover, Zhao Shu and Zhao Hanzhang’s relationship… was also somewhat distant, so he had fought his way up step by step.
By now, of those who had enlisted at the same time as him, only two remained by his side. The rest had come and gone—he had sent off batch after batch of comrades.
This current batch had just been assigned to him.
Because this was street fighting and also Zhao Shu’s first time, they were very cautious. Every time they reached a new street, they would peek around for quite a while, confirming that only ordinary common people were coming out before venturing forth. If they saw Xiongnu soldiers looting, they would assess the situation. If they thought they could win, they fought. If not, Zhao Shu would lead them quietly away to find other units to cooperate with.
All this counted toward military merit, as did the common people they brought out.
While Zhao Shu and other Zhao Family Army soldiers were moving through the eastern and western districts, organizing people to leave while killing Xiongnu who had wandered over to loot, the Emperor in the palace excitedly ran up to the tower himself.
The ministers behind him also stumbled after him. General Pei, who was commanding on the tower, saw them and immediately pushed their heads down. Arrows whooshed past overhead, and one official couldn’t dodge in time and was shot.
Seeing this, the Emperor’s face turned pale, but he didn’t retreat. Instead, he grabbed General Pei and asked, “We have reinforcements now, don’t we?”
General Pei said, “The houses block the view—this subordinate cannot see the situation on the main street. But judging by the momentum, yes, we have reinforcements. Your Majesty, it’s the Zhao Family Army from Yuzhou who have come to our aid.”
The Emperor’s tears immediately fell. He cried, “Someone really came to aid the king! We are saved! We are saved!”
Fu Zhi’s face was full of worry. Now that Zhao Hanzhang had come, had Tinghan also come?
Zhao Zhongyu also hadn’t expected Zhao Hanzhang to lead troops to aid the king. For a moment, he was somewhat dazed.
This shout from the Zhao Family Army not only gave the common people hope of survival and made them start fleeing toward the outskirts of Luoyang, but the soldiers in the palace also had their morale boosted and tenaciously blocked Wang Mi’s latest attack.
Wang Mi was so angry his teeth itched. How could they still not breach that palace gate?
Zhao Hanzhang rode her horse forward, trotting up to face Liu Cong directly, smiling as she said, “General Liu should be careful. My spear is sharp. If you’re injured again, I fear you won’t survive.”
Liu Cong snorted coldly. With a kick to his horse’s belly, he accelerated toward Zhao Hanzhang. Zhao Hanzhang also controlled her horse forward. With two clanging sounds, she blocked Liu Cong’s descending blade. Her long spear moved like a snake, winding past his blade toward his chest…
Zhao Hanzhang struck once and hit, withdrew after hitting, and passed Liu Cong on horseback. Both reined in their horses simultaneously.
Zhao Hanzhang looked at his chest. She saw his front garment had a hole torn in it, but there were armor plates inside—clearly he wasn’t injured.
Zhao Hanzhang clicked her tongue. “General Liu has become smarter. Knowing my spear is sharp, you’re actually wearing another layer underneath.”
Liu Cong’s heart hung high, having felt the threat of death. He hadn’t expected that in just half a year, Zhao Hanzhang’s martial skills had progressed so rapidly. Just now, her spear had been so swift he could barely track it.
Liu Cong gritted his teeth and charged at Zhao Hanzhang again.
Zhao Hanzhang’s smile turned serious as she met him head-on. She dared to clash head-on even with Shi Lei—would she fear Liu Cong?
Blade and spear clashed. Zhao Hanzhang grew more excited, her spear thrusts growing faster and faster. But then Liu Cong feinted and fled when they passed each other—he wasn’t fighting anymore!
Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes widened. This was the first time she’d encountered such a situation since coming to this world. She kicked her horse’s belly to give chase, but in horsemanship compared to Liu Cong…
Well, she still couldn’t match him. Zhao Hanzhang was already quite restrained. She immediately reined in her horse to turn back. She calculated she’d be just one step slower than Liu Cong in returning to her own army’s front. Who knew Liu Cong had already quickly put distance between them and roared an order: “Shoot arrows—”
Arrows immediately flew from the Xiongnu army.
Zhao Hanzhang’s pupils contracted. She immediately spun her spear to knock down the hail of arrows…
The Zhao Family Army behind her saw this and roared, “General—”
Ting He and Zeng Yue spurred their horses forward with the personal guards to rescue her. The Zhao Family Army behind them also surged forward. Zhao Hanzhang urgently ordered, “Shoot arrows—”
Only then did the Zhao Family Army become orderly again, with archers advancing to hold the line.
Zeng Yue and Ting He led the personal guards forward to rescue Zhao Hanzhang. An arrow grazed past Zhao Hanzhang’s spear and struck her shoulder. Zhao Hanzhang’s heart turned cold, yet she felt no pain.
Zeng Yue caught Zhao Hanzhang. Seeing the arrow in her shoulder, he was shocked and dismayed. “General!”
Zhao Hanzhang turned to glare fiercely in Liu Cong’s direction and roared, “Liu Cong, you scoundrel! You’re despicable and shameless!”
Liu Cong laughed loudly. “General Zhao, all is fair in war—this is your Han people’s military strategy!”
Zhao Hanzhang was escorted back to the army.
Ting He’s face was pale as she looked at the arrow in her shoulder. “This, this…”
Zhao Hanzhang directly snapped off the arrow shaft and felt herself. “It’s fine. This armor works.”
“General, let’s retreat.”
Zhao Hanzhang pressed her shoulder and asked, “Have all the people in the city withdrawn?”
“No, only some have left. Some are still heading toward the south gate.” The western and eastern districts were quite far from the south gate after all. This was Luoyang, the capital—not some small county town you could walk through in an hour or two.
Here, walking from the western district to the south gate might take a full hour, and the roads weren’t peaceful either.
Zhao Hanzhang gritted her teeth. “Send word—have Zhao Erlang come replace me. Until all Luoyang people have completely withdrawn, we absolutely will not retreat!”
“Yes!”
Zhao Hanzhang donned a cloak to cover the half-arrow in her shoulder, then raised her head high and returned to the army’s front.
Liu Cong had been about to order a pursuit to strike a blow at the Zhao Family Army. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang return, he narrowed his eyes. Zhao Hanzhang reached out her hand, and Ting He placed an arrow in it.
Zhao Hanzhang twirled the arrow in her hand and called across to Liu Cong in the distance, “General Liu must be disappointed. My armor is no less impressive than yours.”
With that, she reached out her hand again.
Ting He hesitated but still placed the bow in her hand.
Zhao Hanzhang nocked the arrow to her bow and shot the arrow from her hand. It landed in front of Liu Cong’s horse, embedding itself deeply in the earth. The swaying arrow fletching showed these were indeed Xiongnu arrows.
Zhao Hanzhang smugly lowered her bow, reined in her restless horse, and called to Liu Cong, “I’m returning the arrow to General Liu!”