Zhao Hanzhang clicked her tongue. Her spear directly pushed aside the gate commander who stood between them, and she came face to face with Gou Chun.
“I’ve always heard that Young General Gou is lenient with himself but strict with others, and extremely harsh toward his subordinates. I used to think these were false rumors, but seeing it today, the rumors are true,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “No wonder the people of Qingzhou rebelled against you as their governor. Who would want such a person—one who doesn’t respect the sovereign above and shows no compassion for subordinates below—as their governor?”
“You!”
“Stop with your ‘you this, you that.’ First you shoot an arrow at the Ministry of Rites official, and now you want to kill the gate commander right in front of me. Isn’t it just to make an example of them and intimidate me?” Zhao Hanzhang had survived under Zhao Ming’s poisonous tongue—how could she care about this minor verbal sparring? She was willing to accommodate Zhao Ming and others because they were working for her, because they were uncles and advisors she respected. But Gou Chun? Why should she accommodate him?
So she snorted coldly, not giving Gou Chun any chance to interrupt. “But I’m not a monkey, and the Ministry of Rites official isn’t a chicken you can kill at will. Gou Chun, you think too highly of yourself. Do you believe me or not—even if I killed you right here at the city gate in front of everyone, His Majesty would only praise me for doing well!”
Gou Chun’s face turned iron-blue. He pointed his long blade at Zhao Hanzhang. “You dare! My elder brother won’t let you off.”
The Ministry of Rites official nearby was sweating profusely, wanting to intervene. But Zhao Hanzhang had already sneered coldly. “The Great General is deeply righteous and knows that you started this trouble, nearly causing war between Yanzhou and Yuzhou, throwing the Jin Kingdom into chaos. He’ll join His Majesty in praising me for doing well!”
She spurred her horse forward two steps, positioning him right within striking range of her spear. Seeing Gou Chun’s hand trembling as he gripped his blade, she stared into his eyes with a half-smile. “What’s this? You don’t believe me? Then why don’t we test it? I’ll carry your head into the palace, and three days later, see if the Great General and I won’t pour you a bowl of wine at your grave.”
With that, her spear thrust out. Gou Chun, frightened, immediately raised his blade to block. But the spear stopped just short of his blade.
A drop of cold sweat fell from Gou Chun’s temple. His lips turned somewhat pale. Zhao Hanzhang withdrew her spear, snorted coldly, and said, “Enter the city!”
Zhao Hanzhang led her troops directly past Gou Chun into the city. The soldiers behind him quickly lowered their heads to avoid her gaze, pressing themselves against the city gate tunnel walls.
Zhao Hanzhang imperceptibly tilted her head to glance at Zeng Yue. He rode to the side, and as the procession entered the city gate together, he deliberately passed by the person who had fallen to the ground. He reached out, grabbed him, and pulled him onto his horse, riding directly into the city.
Gou Chun didn’t notice. His mind was completely blank at that moment, filled only with anger and humiliation. He felt his face burning like fire.
Knowing Gou Chun’s temperament, the gate commander realized that once he recovered, he surely wouldn’t survive. So he stepped back a few paces, grabbed the youngest soldier, stripped off his money pouch and valuables, and while the Zhao Family Army’s cart train provided cover as they entered the city, he stuffed them into the soldier’s hands and whispered, “I won’t survive. Who knows how many will die here today. Leave quickly and deliver these to my family. They live in the east of the city. Though rent is expensive there, it’s safe—many of my colleagues live there. Have them continue living there and never move to those cheap rental areas in the south. My eldest son is already thirteen and can support the family. Let… let him stop being a soldier.”
The young soldier was nearly in tears. “Commander…”
Seeing the last cart of the Zhao Family Army about to enter the city and soon reveal them both, the gate commander quickly pushed the young soldier away.
The young soldier ran off with the items in tears. Two soldiers waited for him inside the city gate. Seeing him hide by the cart’s side and slip in, they immediately pulled him aside and shoved seven or eight money pouches into his hands, quickly instructing him, “These are ours. You recognize our pouches. Get back quickly. The sergeant marked you on leave. No one knows you were guarding the city gate today. Go now!”
The soldiers pushed him, and after shoving the pouches into his hands, they immediately stood at attention, gripping their spears, staring ahead solemnly as if they weren’t the ones who had just handed over the pouches.
The young soldier clutched the pouches, crying as he ran. Before long, he ducked into an alley, wanting to take a shortcut to the eastern part of the city.
Zhao Hanzhang glanced back at the direction he left, frowning. She had just heard his crying.
After riding a dozen or so steps, Zhao Hanzhang still reined in her horse and said to the Ministry of Rites official, “Just now this official was badly frightened. My heart feels very uncomfortable now. I must enter the palace immediately to report Gou Chun’s conduct to His Majesty.”
The Ministry of Rites official’s expression changed. He quickly said, “Governor Zhao, Young General Gou acted improperly. I will certainly report this to my superiors. But with the ceremony imminent, if we stir up conflict over this now, I fear it will displease His Majesty. Why not set this matter aside for now and discuss it after the ceremony?”
Zhao Hanzhang had already kicked her horse’s flanks and headed straight for the Yuncheng palace.
Zeng Yue immediately led the personal guards to follow. The person he had picked up on horseback had long since been handed over to subordinate soldiers and was now sitting on top of boxes of money on a cart.
Seeing Zhao Hanzhang abandon him despite his words and head toward the palace with her men, the Ministry of Rites official nearly broke into tears.
So much for her gentle temperament and humble manner—it was all an illusion! How could a woman who had conquered Yuzhou and Sizhou not have a temper?
He quickly said to his clerk, “Quick, quick! Go to the Great General’s mansion and have him bring Young General Gou to the palace immediately. There’s going to be trouble!”
When Zhao Hanzhang entered the city and this incident occurred, if it escalated further, it would spark a new round of conflict. If she and Gou Xi really started fighting over this, it would truly be his fault.
Though even if they didn’t fight, he would still be guilty of dereliction of duty this time.
However, thinking of Gou Chun’s arrow—if not for Zhao Hanzhang pulling him back, he would already be a corpse by now.
The official inwardly resented the situation but was helpless. Gou Chun was Gou Xi’s younger brother. He was merely a minor official in the Ministry of Rites. Dead or alive, who would care?
Zhao Hanzhang headed straight for the palace. The cart train behind her followed their governor, clattering all the way to the palace gates.
This palace was a converted estate, lacking the grand halls of the Luoyang palace. However, the guards at the palace gates were numerous.
Seeing about a hundred people charging toward the palace gates, all armed with weapons, the guards immediately tensed. Two men rushed forward to block them. “Halt! Who are you?”
Before the Ministry of Rites official could speak, Zhao Hanzhang had already called out clearly, “Please inform His Majesty that Yuzhou Governor Zhao Hanzhang has come to pay her respects to His Majesty and has brought some Yuzhou specialties for His Majesty.”
The palace guards looked to the Ministry of Rites official. Seeing him nod, they confirmed, “This is Governor Zhao of Yuzhou.”
Having confirmed Zhao Hanzhang’s identity, the guards became more respectful but still didn’t allow passage. “Please wait a moment, Governor Zhao, while we report to His Majesty.”
He hurried off to find the general.
Wei Qiao had someone enter the palace to report while he went to meet Zhao Hanzhang.
After stopping Gou Xi from strangling Zhao Zhongyu in the great hall and protecting the Emperor, he had been promoted. He was now the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, primarily responsible for guarding the palace and protecting the Emperor.