Zhao Hanzhang raised the spyglass in her hand. “I saw it with this.”
Zhao Ming looked at the spyglass, frowning. “Saw it?”
“Yes, I read their lips to decode it.”
Zhao Ming: “…You can read lips too?”
“It’s not that hard. Watch a few more times, study a few more days, and you remember it.”
Zhao Ming: “He was speaking the Jie language, right?”
“There are Jie people in the army. I learned Jie language from them.” Zhao Hanzhang said, “Not only Jie language—I can also speak Xiongnu language and read lips in it.”
Seeing Zhao Ming’s dazed, disbelieving expression, Zhao Hanzhang was eager to try. “Why don’t you test me? Don’t make a sound, or I’ll watch from far away. I’ll definitely be able to distinguish what you’re saying.”
Zhao Ming knew many languages. Supposedly he even knew several minority languages from the Western Regions and several dialects from Baiyue. All told, he knew twelve languages.
Zhao Hanzhang had always been good with languages. After going blind, she learned languages even better. Basically, after hearing a language several times, she remembered it. Even if she couldn’t speak it, she could understand it.
And being able to understand meant being able to speak wasn’t far off.
Zhao Ming observed her carefully, slowly relaxing. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. “Truly a member of my Zhao family.”
He was quite curious about Zhao Hanzhang’s lip-reading ability, so he lifted his chin, signaling her to go farther away and try.
Zhao Hanzhang’s interest rose. She immediately grabbed the telescope and ran to a distance.
To let her see the movements of his mouth when speaking, Zhao Ming even walked to the doorway. Seeing she was far enough away, he turned to Ting He and said, “Your mistress is getting more and more foolish. I tell her to go and she really goes.”
Ting He: …
Zhao Hanzhang, watching clearly through the telescope: …
After finishing one sentence, Zhao Ming paused, then used Xiongnu language, still speaking to Ting He: “Tell your mistress that she and Tinghan’s wedding has been delayed long enough. After this war ends, no matter what, she must get married. Now Tinghan is quite a catch. There are countless people in the world who want to have him.”
These past years as Zhao Hanzhang studied various barbarian languages, Ting He was right beside her, also learning some. Her learning ability wasn’t as strong as Zhao Hanzhang’s, but she could understand simple things.
So she understood.
She nodded with deep conviction.
Zhao Hanzhang, holding the telescope, thought darkly: Was she deliberately delaying the wedding? Wasn’t it all because wars broke out and accidents occurred?
This time, Zhao Ming didn’t pause again. After finishing one sentence, he immediately switched to Jie language and said, “Wang Cheng is already dead. No matter how much you disliked him before, you should now give him a grand burial and great honors. Only when his reputation grows greater will Wang Dun and the Prince of Langye lose more popular support.”
Zhao Hanzhang lowered the telescope, lost in thought. She hadn’t thought of giving Wang Cheng a posthumous title or anything. Mainly because she felt he didn’t quite deserve it.
But if it was to maximize the use of his death, that was acceptable.
Zhao Hanzhang picked up the telescope and returned. She immediately summoned her ministers, handing this matter to them.
Now that she had newly established the Crown Prince, many official positions could be filled accordingly. This meant she could form a new court.
The previous ministers had either died or been captured by Liu Cong. So the newly formed court had many vacant positions. Zhao Hanzhang had no psychological burden and directly employed people she could use.
As for the Crown Prince, he was currently reviewing the Book of Odes and the Analects. After reviewing them, he still had to continue his studies.
So all court affairs were handed to Zhao Hanzhang.
The subordinates drafted a posthumous title. Zhao Hanzhang directly issued it in the Crown Prince’s name. This counted as the court’s generous reward to Wang Cheng, encouraging those like him who supported northern expeditions. Your choice was not wrong.
If you launch northern expeditions, you can achieve merit and establish your career. If you die, you can still receive a posthumous title, honor after death…
What do you get from following the Prince of Langye?
News transmission required time, and fermentation also required certain time. After announcing to the world, Zhao Hanzhang turned her gaze to the Northern Ji region.
She summoned Fan Ying and told her, “Immediately contact General Beigong and people in Northern Ji. Ask about the situation in Northern Ji.”
Fan Ying responded and left.
Shi Lei received the news. Zhao Hanzhang only received it one day later, the next day.
In these two months, the situation in Northern Ji had also changed greatly.
Northern Ji was originally under Liu Kun’s control. The battle they fought at the beginning of the year was for Northern Ji. As a result, Liu Kun obtained Northern Ji but hadn’t even warmed it up yet when Liu Cong, bringing Emperor Jin, fought all the way into Jizhou while retreating.
When fighting Zu Ti in Southern Ji, there were wins and losses. Later, when Beigong Chun came to support Zu Ti, Liu Cong lost more than he won. He simply stopped struggling with them over Southern Ji, only occupying a dozen cities before turning north.
In the Northern Ji area, because Liu Kun’s control over these places wasn’t strong and his directly controlled forces were also limited, the cities were relatively easy to capture.
Especially since they held Emperor Jin and half the court’s civil and military officials captured with him.
When unable to take a city after prolonged siege, he would parade Emperor Jin and Jin’s civil and military officials around. The people on the city walls wouldn’t resist very strongly. At that point, the city became very easy to capture.
Some cities didn’t even need attacking. Just pushing Emperor Jin to the front of the formation would make people inside open the gates to welcome them.
This trick was especially effective in Northern Ji. Of course, some stubborn officials not only didn’t soften upon seeing Emperor Jin but directly rebelled against Jin, raising their own banners of independence.
So in just two months, three princes who declared themselves kings appeared in Northern Ji alone. Fortunately, they still had some self-awareness and didn’t declare themselves emperors.
Zhao Hanzhang said nothing, and Liu Cong destroyed them, occupying their cities.
Besides Liu Cong, Wang Jun, who had been ignoring Zhao Hanzhang’s mobilization orders, also sent troops to Northern Ji. He told Liu Kun he wanted to borrow passage to attack Liu Cong.
Liu Kun had his people make way for him. As a result, Wang Jun entered Northern Ji and didn’t go fight Liu Cong but directly seized cities, occupying them and refusing to leave.
For this, Liu Kun specifically wrote to Zhao Hanzhang, sending it across enemy-occupied territory to reach her, complaining: “…His heart is so vicious, his actions so deceitful, he can truly be called unique in the entire world.”
Liu Kun said, “He likely has treasonous intentions.”
Zhao Hanzhang of course knew Wang Jun had treasonous intentions, but she currently had no way to deal with him. In fact, she even hoped he’d occupy more territory, preferably enough to confront Liu Cong directly.
So she wrote to Liu Kun, telling him to withdraw from Northern Ji and concentrate his forces mainly in Jinyang to protect it.
Ma Jing, who was attacking Jinyang, hadn’t withdrawn all his people. At this time, Liu Kun defending Jinyang wasn’t easy either.
Zhao Hanzhang occasionally even worried Liu Kun would lose Jinyang. Compared to Northern Ji, Jinyang’s geographical position was more important, so she’d rather he temporarily abandon Northern Ji and focus on defending Jinyang.
Zhao Hanzhang persuaded him: “Liu Cong’s ambition is Jizhou, and Wang Jun also wants Jizhou. Let these two fight each other. We may reap the fisherman’s profit.”
Of course, Zhao Hanzhang’s methods didn’t stop there.
She placed even more hope in Ming Yu.
And Ming Yu didn’t disappoint her. He not only successfully provoked Liu He’s killing intent toward Liu Cong but also helped Liu He争抢了一支兵力 from Liu Cong, enabling them to fight even more fiercely.
All this was truly thanks to the gold, silver, and jewels they brought!