“General, Wang Mi has sent a letter.”

Zhao Hanzhang, who had been supporting her head and was about to fall asleep again, instantly awoke. “Bring it here.”

Ting He immediately went to receive the letter and present it.

Zhao Hanzhang tore open the letter and quickly scanned it. She stood up abruptly, eyes wide. “Quick, quickly have someone stop Wang Mi. We can’t let him make a move…”

Before she finished speaking, a distant shout of “Kill!” suddenly rang out.

Zhao Hanzhang leaned out the window and looked toward the direction of the imperial palace, where sounds of battle filled the air.

She narrowed her eyes, first suspecting, “So urgent—is he trying to deceive me?”

Fu Tinghan and Ji Yuan had also heard the commotion and woke from their sleep, running over to ask, “Where has fighting broken out?”

Zhao Hanzhang was now unhurried. Mainly because urgency was useless—the fighting had already begun. With her meager relationship with Liu Cong and Wang Mi, could she really stop the two of them?

She turned and showed them the letter. “Send scouts to see if they’re really fighting or just pretending.”

Ji Yuan thought Zhao Hanzhang’s caution was good, but Fu Tinghan felt it couldn’t be a fake battle. “Wang Mi has no choice but to avoid—he can only choose you.”

Hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang sent people to investigate while mobilizing troops. “All troops prepare.”

She also pouted and ordered, “Go to the eastern gate to find General Beigong and Xun Xiu. Have them prepare and await my orders.”

“Yes!”

Zhao Hanzhang began pacing in place. Ji Yuan and Fu Tinghan both knew what she was worried about—she was concerned about the people in the palace.

Seeing this, Zeng Yue stepped forward to request orders. “Young Lady, let me lead a squad to go fetch them.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “The palace gates are closed, with Liu Cong and Wang Mi’s armies in between. How will you get in?”

Fu Tinghan said, “If the two sides really start fighting, we could slip in during the chaos.”

Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. “Very well. Go select a hundred strong soldiers and look for an opportunity to enter the palace.”

Zeng Yue asked, “Do you have any token of identification?”

Zhao Hanzhang became troubled. What token could she have that would gain the trust of those in the palace?

Fu Tinghan thought for a moment and gave him his sword. “This was Grandfather Zhao’s sword. Though the blade has been reforged, the scabbard and hilt haven’t changed. Zhao Zhongyu will definitely recognize it.”

“Right, Great-Uncle will recognize this sword. Take it with you.” Zhao Hanzhang thought again and, feeling uncertain, wrote him a letter. “If they still don’t believe you, give them this letter.”

Zeng Yue acknowledged the order.

Zhao Hanzhang turned to change into her armor, took up her spear, and mobilized the troops.

Just as she finished mobilizing, a scout came racing back. “General, they’ve really started fighting!”

Wang Mi was sincere in wanting to keep Liu Cong and Liu Yao, so his attack was extremely ruthless.

Striking suddenly, both Liu Cong and Liu Yao couldn’t react in time. Fortunately, both were veteran battlefield commanders and both brave. Under the protection of their personal guards, they escaped Wang Mi’s encirclement.

But their soldiers became entangled in battle. Liu Cong had wanted to slip away quietly just moments before, but now he wanted to kill Wang Mi. He pointed his blade at Wang Mi and cursed, “Cunning and vicious! No wonder Han people all curse you, you master-betraying scoundrel. Let’s see who dares employ you in the future!”

Wang Mi sneered coldly. “Just a Xiongnu bastard who presumes to claim Han royalty as his father. Aren’t you Jin subjects too? Didn’t you also rebel against Jin? Where do you get the face to criticize me?”

Liu Cong flew into a rage, raising his great blade to charge at Wang Mi. The two armies clashed in the streets in chaotic battle.

Luoyang’s streets were quite wide, able to accommodate four carriages side by side, but to the soldiers it seemed very narrow. Cavalry couldn’t function here, so everyone abandoned their horses and began slashing at each other with blades and spears.

Battle cries echoed throughout Luoyang. Those in the palace heard it with trembling hearts, but after waiting a while, they realized it wasn’t an attack on the palace.

So everyone quietly climbed up to the city tower to look out, seeing two armies engaged in fierce combat not far from the palace gate, where flames burned brightly.

Zhao Zhongyu swallowed hard, very worried. “Is this Third Niece fighting Liu Cong and Wang Mi?”

Fu Zhi was also concerned. “Have everyone prepare here to support Yuzhou’s forces.”

The other ministers had no objections either, so they dug the emperor out of bed, dressed him, and moved him to a position not far from the palace gate, ready to rush out at any moment.

When Zhao Hanzhang arrived with her army, Wang Mi and Liu Cong were fighting evenly matched. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang, one was delighted while the other was alarmed.

Wang Mi shouted, “General Zhao, come help me quickly!”

Liu Cong’s heart went cold, knowing that if Zhao Hanzhang also joined in, he was mostly doomed.

Seeing such a tragic scene, Zhao Hanzhang knew it was impossible to stop the two from fighting. She loudly agreed to Wang Mi’s call and led her people charging in…

In a two-on-one situation, seeing no hope of escape, Liu Cong roared, “Liu Yao, set the fire!”

“Yes!”

Liu Cong’s eyes turned bloodred as he swung his blade at Wang Mi, pressing the blade down forcefully. His eyes glinted coldly as he said, “Even if I die, I’ll drag you down with me!”

Wang Mi hadn’t expected him to want to set fires. His focus wavered, and Liu Cong’s blade took advantage, pressing down infinitely close to his neck.

Wang Mi strained to hold off his blade, the veins on his neck bulging. Just as he was about to fight desperately, a spear thrust forward. Liu Cong had no choice but to pull back his blade to defend.

Zhao Hanzhang spun around to Wang Mi’s side. The two who had been fighting to the death just the day before, cursing each other’s ancestors back eighteen generations, now stood together.

Zhao Hanzhang asked him, “Is General Wang alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good then,” Zhao Hanzhang nodded. Her long spear quivered like a swimming dragon as she moved forward, blocking Liu Yao who was trying to leave. But she turned her head to shout at Liu Cong, “Liu Cong, what if I let you leave?”

“You’re trying to fool a three-year-old child.”

“I guarantee it on my honor,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “The condition is you cannot burn Luoyang. Liu Cong, you should know I left you an escape route.”

Liu Cong was already fighting with Wang Mi again. Hearing this, he glared viciously at Wang Mi. “You’re willing, but is Wang Mi willing?”

Liu Cong’s martial skills were inferior to Wang Mi’s. Earlier it was only because he was distracted that he had been pressed. Now, Wang Mi could completely sever his head and claim it as a battle achievement.

Moreover, killing Liu Cong would also wash away his previous bad reputation among Han people.

Liu Cong wasn’t stupid—couldn’t he see Wang Mi’s obvious killing intent?

He became even more determined to set the fire.

Zhao Hanzhang ground her teeth and shouted at Wang Mi, “General Wang, this is Luoyang, Luoyang! Let him leave!”

While attacking Liu Cong’s vital points with every move, Wang Mi said, “This is an act that will stink for ten thousand years. I don’t believe he dares do it!”

With his life nearly gone, what wouldn’t he dare do?

Wang Mi dared to think this way only because he believed that even if fire was set, he could still control it.

But…

Seeing Wang Mi truly wouldn’t relent, Liu Cong roared and commanded his personal guards, “Set the fire!”

Immediately personal guards lit fire arrows and shot them out with a whoosh, the arrows landing directly in a large barrel in a courtyard.

Zhao Hanzhang only glanced once before kicking Liu Yao aside, grabbing the battle-crazed Zhao Erlang and shouting, “Go!”