Zhao Song had already prepared the grain, along with a chest of jewels and a chest of glassware.
The glassware had been sent to the fortress by Zhao Hanzhang a few days earlier, entrusted to Zhao Song to sell to wealthy families in Xiping.
He had it carried out directly in its chest.
Cart after cart of grain was transported out. Zhao Ming had people open two chests to show Shi Lei the jewels and glassware inside.
When Shi Lei saw them, he couldn’t help but spur his horse forward several steps, stopping just short of the drawbridge.
Seeing this, Zhao Hanzhang reached out her hand and had someone pass her a glass cup, then threw it toward Shi Lei.
Shi Lei caught it with one hand and admired it in his palm. “The Zhao clan is truly wealthy indeed, to be able to produce so many such fine items.”
“To send General Shi on his way, I must show some sincerity.”
Shi Lei noticed the fresh blood staining the cup and knew it came from Zhao Hanzhang’s palm. He smiled slightly. “Actually, there’s another way. You and I need not be locked in mortal combat. If you would just surrender to me…”
Zhao Hanzhang interrupted him. “General Shi, if surrender were possible, my uncle would have surrendered yesterday. The Zhao clan fortress defended itself to the death with over a thousand lives—not so that I could surrender when it came to me.”
Shi Lei gazed at her with profound eyes.
Zhao Hanzhang continued, “You and I both know that General Shi won’t remain in Runan for long. This is the Central Plains—the court won’t sit idle while the heartland falls. They will surely dispatch a great army. When that happens, General Shi can slap his backside and leave, but the Zhao clan’s roots are here. What would become of us then?”
Therefore, the Zhao clan would not surrender.
For the sake of their century-old reputation, and for the sake of Zhao clan members traveling abroad, they could not surrender.
Shi Lei said nothing more. With a wave of his hand, he ordered his men forward to inspect the grain.
The people from the Zhao fortress watched intently as they approached, slowly retreating to yield the grain carts to them, though hatred was impossible to conceal in their eyes.
Taking advantage of the time while they inspected and tallied, Zhao Hanzhang chatted with Shi Lei. “General Shi, if you’re recruiting soldiers and gathering horses to join Liu Yuan, why not go to Yingchuan instead of coming to Runan?”
Shi Lei looked puzzled. “Yingchuan?”
“Yes, Yingchuan,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “The disaster in Yingchuan is severe, with people displaced and refugees everywhere. Recruiting soldiers and gathering horses there would be much faster than forcibly seizing them in Runan.”
Standing beside his horse, Zhao Ming’s temple began to throb.
Shi Lei replied, “Yingchuan is too close to Luoyang.”
“But Runan is in the heart of the Central Plains. While entering is easy, leaving won’t be so simple,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “Liu Yuan has already attacked Luoyang itself—would he fear mere Yingchuan? General Shi, coming here was a strategic error. Had you gone to Yingchuan, Liu Yuan would likely hold you in higher regard.”
Shi Lei sneered coldly. “My coming to Runan was at General Liu’s instigation. What would a mere woman like you understand?”
“Though I am a woman, I studied at my grandfather’s side from childhood and consider myself to have some understanding,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “If I were General Shi, I wouldn’t think of submitting to Liu Yuan.”
She continued, “The Jie people have always been driven by the Xiongnu and treated as inferiors. General Shi, you possess extraordinary talent and have already carved out territory in Jizhou. Why would you turn to serve Liu Yuan?”
Shi Lei didn’t think himself superior to Liu Yuan. He genuinely wished to submit to Liu Yuan. However, Zhao Hanzhang’s words pleased him, so he elaborated, “General Liu is of noble Xiongnu lineage.”
“Are General Shi’s ancestors necessarily poor slaves then? Going back several generations, who isn’t descended from princes and kings?” Zhao Hanzhang asked. “I’ve heard that General Shi’s grandfather was a tribal chieftain. So between you and Liu Yuan, who is truly inferior to whom?”
Shi Lei looked at Zhao Hanzhang with surprise. He had been born a slave—as a child, a poor farmer; at fourteen, he worked as a porter, then was captured by soldiers and enslaved, passed from one master to another. Each master treated him like livestock, driving him to perform the hardest, most exhausting work.
Aside from a few friends, everyone looked down on him. This was the first time someone from the aristocracy had told him he wasn’t lowborn.
Shi Lei grew interested and directly told her, “I killed Sima Teng, the Duke of Dongying, in Jizhou.”
The Sima clan were the Zhao clan’s masters. Weren’t the Zhao clan loyal subjects? He wanted to see if she would still say he wasn’t lowborn.
Yet Zhao Hanzhang didn’t even furrow her brow. She said to Shi Lei, “Then Jizhou is your domain now. Why come to Runan?”
Shi Lei’s interest deepened, and he laughed heartily. “All along my route, when I told bandits I’d killed Sima Teng, they all clapped and cheered. When I told Jin officials, they all cursed me as a rebel. Only you ask why I didn’t stay in Jizhou. Ha ha ha ha! Young woman, could it be that your Zhao clan also plans to rebel against the Sima family?”
Zhao Hanzhang shook her head. “Sima Teng was himself a disloyal traitor. His death is actually fortunate for the Jin realm. General Shi, you’re a loyal subject.”
Zhao Ming was speechless.
Shi Lei was also stunned. “I’m a loyal subject?”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded affirmatively. “Yes. If General Shi were to present this achievement and surrender at Luoyang, the Prince of Donghai would certainly grant you an official position.”
Shi Lei listened and curled his lip. “Everyone in the Sima family is enemies with each other. If we’re speaking from the Prince of Donghai’s perspective, I might truly be a loyal subject. So your Zhao clan belongs to the Prince of Donghai, I see.”
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t refute this, but instead engaged him in casual conversation. “General Shi, you didn’t stay in Jizhou because of Sima Ying, the Prince of Chengdu?”
Shi Lei sneered. “What’s there to fear from him? If it weren’t for Gou Xi…”
He paused and didn’t continue.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said, “Gou Xi’s military tactics are divine. I’ve heard he has the title ‘Butcher.’ Is General Shi temporarily avoiding his edge?”
Shi Lei snorted inwardly. Temporarily avoiding his edge, my foot! Gou Xi had beaten him down to just himself—he’d had no choice but to flee.
Originally, he’d planned to go directly to Shangdang to recruit soldiers and horses before submitting to Liu Yuan. But halfway through his escape, he heard that Liu Yuan had already attacked Luoyang and would soon declare himself emperor and found a new state. Wanting to catch the opportune moment, he also headed south, making straight for Luoyang.
As he traveled, he gathered men. Through a combination of physical strength and persuasive talk, he’d managed to threaten and convince quite a few to serve under him.
Then, as he neared Luoyang, he encountered Liu Yuan’s great army withdrawing.
Liu Yuan gladly accepted his submission and sent him out to plunder. They wanted to seize all of Yuzhou, using Luoyang as the dividing line—the east would belong to them in the future, while the west would remain under the Jin for now and wouldn’t be touched.
Naturally, Shi Lei couldn’t tell Zhao Hanzhang all this. But if even a single Zhao clan fortress was so difficult to overcome, could they truly take all of Runan, all of Yuzhou?
Zhao Ming watched Shi Lei’s expression carefully and gently tugged Zhao Hanzhang’s stirrup, signaling her to stop there—any more questions would spoil things.
Though Zhao Hanzhang felt regretful, she still heeded the advice and held her tongue.
Shi Lei’s men had also finished their inspection, confirming that the sacks all contained grain, and nodded to Shi Lei.
Shi Lei beckoned for his men to carry everything over. He looked at Zhao Hanzhang. “Lady Zhao, I hope we never meet again.”
Zhao Hanzhang replied, “I too hope never to meet General Shi again.”
—