A routed army has no formation or discipline. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang clinging tenaciously behind them, unable to shake her off no matter what, some began to break away from the main force with their own bundles and scatter in all directions.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t pursue these stragglers, but kept her teeth sunk into the main force.

Qiao Cheng, their leader, was beside himself with fury. He simply forced a portion of his troops to stay behind and block Zhao Hanzhang. “You must hold them off for me.”

Then he led the remaining men away first, rolling up the property and hostages.

Zhao Hanzhang saw some people ahead stopping and turning to face them with weapons, but their formation was sparse and scattered. She sneered, drew her sword, and ordered, “Charge through.”

“Yes!”

The group accelerated their charge. They killed their way through. The troops left behind had barely engaged with Zhao Hanzhang when they were slain.

The group charged through. Ji Ping looked back and couldn’t help but sigh. “Sanniang, cavalry against infantry is just too easy.”

Zhao Hanzhang replied, “That’s why we need to raise horses and have sufficient cavalry.”

“Come on, let’s continue the pursuit.” Zhao Hanzhang slowly caught up with them again. Qiao Cheng, seeing them pursuing once more, nearly collapsed. “How are they like vengeful ghosts? So many men could only hold them off for that short while.”

His subordinate silently complained inwardly: You only left a few dozen men, a few dozen infantry against over a hundred cavalry—that’s like putting vegetables under a cleaver and letting people chop at will.

Zhao Hanzhang saw a plume of smoke rising ahead and smiled slightly. She kicked her horse’s belly and surged forward. “Yee-haw, charge—”

The retainers all grew excited, whooping as they bent forward and charged. Qiao Cheng was startled. He reached out and grabbed a young woman, placing his blade horizontally before her throat and shouting loudly, “All of you stop, or I’ll kill her!”

Zhao Hanzhang nocked an arrow and shot. The arrow grazed his ear and struck the subordinate behind him.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t even glance, shouting loudly, “Charge forward and kill them all—this property is all yours!”

The very picture of a female bandit.

Qiao Cheng, seeing she didn’t care about the hostages’ lives or deaths, knew his threats couldn’t reach her. He casually threw the young woman in his hands toward her horse’s hooves and turned to flee.

As Zhao Hanzhang yanked her horse’s head aside, she bent down and scooped up the girl, placed her in front of her saddle, then rode to the side of the forest and set her down. “Hide here and don’t run around.”

She wheeled her horse around and killed her way back in. At the same time, several hundred men jumped out from the forest ahead, directly cutting off their retreat.

Both sides’ forces engaged in chaotic battle. The abducted women screamed shrilly, clutching their heads and running about in all directions. The enemy had no energy to spare for capturing them—they only wanted to escape these retainers and flee. So they released the women and dropped the looted property.

Seeing he couldn’t win, Qiao Cheng slashed through the rope pulling the cart with one stroke, pulled the cart horse out, mounted it, and rode toward the forest. Only a dozen or so guards followed behind him.

Zhao Hanzhang watched them flee but didn’t pursue. Instead, she shouted to the chaotic troops still fighting, “Your general has fled—what are you still fighting for?”

The chaotic soldiers, holding their swords and blades, looked at each other and searched around, discovering that Qiao Cheng was truly gone.

Zhao Hanzhang declared, “Put down your weapons and I’ll spare your lives.”

Everyone didn’t even think before immediately dropping their swords and blades. They were familiar with this routine—as long as they didn’t die, that’s all that mattered. Today they’d follow this group, tomorrow that group. Whoever won, they’d follow.

Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes swept across their faces, taking in their expressions. She waved her hand, having Ji Ping step forward to bind them together.

Fu Tinghan came down from the mountain. Seeing they’d captured over a hundred men, he asked, “What do you plan to do with them? They have blood on their hands.”

“They’re already prisoners of war. I can’t very well kill prisoners, can I?” Zhao Hanzhang said. “Take them all back. The estate needs people for road repair, bridge building, and land reclamation—there’s work everywhere.”

The retainers dragged over the scattered women who had fled in all directions as well.

Zhao Hanzhang slapped away one retainer’s hand. “Be gentler—don’t you understand? This is a young lady, not a prisoner of war.”

The retainer immediately lowered his head to admit his error. “Yes, young lady. This lowly one knows his mistake.”

Zhao Hanzhang took the woman’s hand and led her to the center, saying to the frightened women, “Everyone need not panic. I am Sanniang of the Zhao clan. Shortly, I will send you back to the city, and then you can each return to your homes.”

She continued, “Anyone still hiding in the forest should come out too. There are still scattered soldiers outside that haven’t been eliminated, and wild beasts in the mountains. Hiding inside isn’t safe.”

After a long while, there was finally movement in the forest. The women who had hidden there during the chaos slowly emerged.

The young girl Zhao Hanzhang had set down earlier also walked out.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and nodded at her. Her gaze swept around once before she asked, “May I ask which of you is the young lady from Magistrate Fan’s household?”

The young girl carefully stepped forward and said in a small voice, “It’s me.”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at her. “You’re Miss Fan?”

“Yes.” The young girl curtsied in greeting. “This humble girl, Fan Ying, thanks Lady Zhao Sanniang for saving my life.”

Zhao Hanzhang reached out to support her. “No need for such formality. Shortly, you’ll ride with me back.”

Ji Ping had already ordered people to gather up the scattered gold, silver, and jewels from everywhere. I must say, they’d truly looted quite a bit of good items. The cart that had been left behind earlier had chests filled entirely with gold and silver vessels, pearls and precious stones, plus some clearly valuable bolts of fabric.

Ji Ping approached and asked, “Sanniang, how should we handle this property?”

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at him and said, “Do I need to teach you how to handle spoils of war?”

Ji Ping immediately replied, “Yes, this lowly one will have it all secured right away.”

Magistrate Fan had died in battle at the city gate. His body was finally retrieved at the foot of the city tower, with his eldest son lying not far from him. His second son had died in the county office, and Lady Fan had hanged herself. Of the entire household, only Fan Ying remained alive.

Their bodies were retrieved and laid out in the county office courtyard. Zhao Hanzhang, fearing Fan Ying might have dark thoughts, simply had her sent back to the Zhao clan fortress.

Zhao Ju entered to report. “Sanniang, the chaotic troops in the county seat have all been cleared out. Some people have gathered outside—they’re all from various families coming to pay their respects to Sanniang.”

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Have all the women we brought back left?”

“All gone. Following your instructions, we let them leave on their own without sending anyone to follow them.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded and said, “Let them in. Oh, and gather up the property we brought back—don’t leave it scattered everywhere. We’ll be taking it with us when we go back.”

“Yes.”

Zhao Hanzhang sat in the county magistrate’s seat in the main hall. Soon Zhao Ju led in a group of young, middle-aged, and elderly men.

It seemed the age range of the heads of various families was quite broad indeed.

Zhao Hanzhang closed the ledger in her hands and looked toward them.

The people entering hadn’t expected Zhao Hanzhang to be sitting in the county magistrate’s position, nor that the Zhao family’s representative here would truly be a young woman. They froze for quite a while before bowing. “We pay our respects to Lady Zhao Sanniang.”

Zhao Hanzhang raised her hand. “No need for formality. Please, everyone be seated.”

Immediately, retainers brought over several mats and cushions, casually placing them on either side.

Zhao Hanzhang explained, “Earlier this place was full of corpses and blood. Those mats and cushions were all stained red. These were found in the county office storeroom—they’re rather plain. I hope you won’t take offense.”

Everyone hastily expressed they wouldn’t dare.

—