Zhao Ming looked at her for a long time, unable to speak. Zhao Hanzhang didn’t force him either, slowly draining the wine in her cup before standing and bowing to him. “I know Uncle is soft-hearted. I entrust mySince you’ve come to join me mother to you.”
This time, Zhao Ming no longer voiced opposition.
Zhao Hanzhang rose and left. Only Zhao Ming remained alone in the pavilion. He turned the wine cup in his hand for a long while before finally tilting his head back to drain it, then tossed down the cup and stood to leave.
Wang Nie and Xie Shi were waiting in the fortress for good news. Who would have thought that after returning, Zhao Ming would see people continuously without pause. Only at dusk did he remember them. He slapped his forehead and could only go tell them, “Hanzhang did want to meet you both, but circumstances are unfortunate. Tomorrow she must deploy troops to Chen County, so she cannot meet you.”
Wang Nie and Xie Shi were shocked. “Deploy troops to Chen County? Has something happened at Chen County?”
Wang Nie thought of something, his expression instantly turning ugly. “Could it be the Prince of Donghai and Gou Xi have withdrawn?”
Zhao Ming looked at him approvingly, his face full of worry. “The Prince of Donghai has already withdrawn. Gou Xi is slacking in battle. Though he hasn’t withdrawn, it’s about the same as withdrawing. Seeing this, all the other reinforcement armies withdrew one after another. Now only Yuzhou’s forces are still resisting.”
Xie Shi couldn’t help slapping the table. “Simply short-sighted! Is only Luoyang part of Great Jin, but not Yuzhou?”
Yuzhou was the central region of the Nine Provinces. Once lost, Great Jin’s fall wouldn’t be far off.
Wang Nie, after brief consideration, saw through their thinking and said through gritted teeth, “The Prince of Donghai is forcing Gou Xi to deploy troops to protect Yuzhou. If he suffers heavy losses in this battle, the Prince of Donghai can reap the benefits.”
“But would Gou Xi not think of what even the Prince of Donghai could think of?” Wang Nie said, “Gou Xi clearly knows this. On one hand, he truly cannot abandon Yuzhou; on the other, he’s unwilling to do as the Prince of Donghai wishes, so he’s slacking in battle, watching from the sidelines.”
Wang Nie’s expression was foul. “The other reinforcement armies, seeing them fighting like this, naturally won’t risk their lives for Yuzhou either.”
So now, only the people of Yuzhou could fight desperately for Yuzhou, along with righteous heroes throughout the realm whose conscience hadn’t yet died.
Xie Shi was so angry he paced in circles before finally cursing, “So many ministers in court yet they allow the Prince of Donghai to act so willfully, neither remonstrating nor stopping him—they’re truly parasites of the state!”
He turned to Wang Nie. “Wang Yifu is truly a man who misleads the nation.”
Yifu was Wang Yan’s courtesy name. Clearly, this person didn’t care about his friendship with Wang Nie.
Wang Nie was displeased, pressing his lips. “Instead of blaming the chief culprit, the Prince of Donghai, what use is cursing Cousin Wang?”
“As Minister of Works and Minister of Education, he allows the Prince of Donghai and Gou Xi to contend with each other, showing no initiative whatsoever. If this isn’t misleading the nation, what is?”
“Where could he control the Prince of Donghai, whose authority runs so deep?”
Xie Shi said with a serious expression, “He is not the Minister of Works and Minister of Education to the Prince of Donghai—he is the Minister of Works and Minister of Education of Great Jin!”
Wang Nie immediately fell silent.
Zhao Ming let them argue, sitting to the side leisurely drinking wine. After they finished arguing, he said, “Tomorrow Hanzhang will deploy troops. Today she must not only organize her forces but also inventory grain supplies. She truly cannot spare time to meet you both.”
Xie Shi thought briefly before turning and leaving. “I’ll join the army.”
True to his word, Xie Shi returned to his room to fetch his luggage and sword. Wang Nie also left. “I’ll go with you.”
Zhao Ming waited until they had walked quite far before setting down his wine cup and chasing after them. He didn’t stop them but said, “It’s already late. Why not leave tomorrow?”
Xie Shi and Wang Nie were both impetuous by nature and couldn’t wait another moment. Carrying their bundles, they left.
Zhao Ming could only see them off to the fortress’s main gate, telling them solemnly, “Take care!”
Xie Shi and Wang Nie clasped their fists before mounting their horses and leaving with their attendants.
By the time they reached the county town, the city gates were about to close. They rushed through the closing gates to enter the city.
The gate guards merely glanced at them and continued closing the gates without concern. Recently, many people had come because of the recruitment notice—all sorts of people. They weren’t surprised and even kindly pointed them in the right direction. “Follow the main road straight ahead to reach the county office. The office is closed now. If you need lodging, you can find inns near the county office—they’re all quite safe.”
Wang Nie and Xie Shi: …Two days ago when they entered the city, they were told the same thing. They’d already forgotten about them.
The two led their horses toward the county office. Dusk was falling, but strangely, the county office was surrounded by many people.
Originally intending to go directly to find Zhao Hanzhang, they stopped in their tracks and moved forward to look.
Being tall and dressed in fine clothes with swords at their waists, holding horses with attendants behind them, the crowd instinctively made way for them.
They easily reached the notice board. Posted there was an announcement recently put up by the county office, written in Zhao Hanzhang’s own hand.
The Prince of Donghai, Gou Xi, Prefect He, and the other reinforcement armies had only managed to repel the Xiongnu army through combined effort. Zhao Hanzhang didn’t believe her small force could compare to the Prince of Donghai and Gou Xi.
So she needed more people.
Posting this notice served two purposes: first, to recruit soldiers; second, to stabilize public sentiment.
Public sentiment and fighting spirit were very important. The fire in one’s chest could make soldiers fearless of death and invincible!
So Zhao Hanzhang personally wrote this notice and ordered it distributed to all counties.
She didn’t cover for the court, stating frankly the matter of the Prince of Donghai’s withdrawal. She declared that Yuzhou now faced a life-or-death crisis. Though righteous heroes throughout the realm were helping them, they had to rely mainly on themselves!
Their parents, wives, children, brothers and sisters were all in Yuzhou. They could not retreat, so they must hold Chen County and keep the Xiongnu army outside Yuzhou.
Written in vernacular, anyone literate could read it clearly, and anyone hearing it read aloud could understand. The observing commoners discussed it animatedly, a heroic spirit rising in their chests. Someone shouted loudly, “I’m willing to follow the Lady to resist the Xiongnu!”
Others immediately echoed, “I’m willing to go too!”
“Count me in!”
“Me too!”
The crowd’s emotions ran high as they headed directly to the county office to volunteer.
Wang Nie and Xie Shi stood before the notice board, heroic feelings also rising in their chests. The two exchanged glances and stopped taking the back entrance, instead following the crowd straight to the county office entrance.
Chang Ning had to personally come out to pacify everyone. “The Assistant Administrator has received your sentiments, but joining the army is a major matter that shouldn’t be decided on impulse. The notice also says you should work the land in the rear and prepare grain and military supplies for the front-line soldiers.”
“That’s too womanish! Real men should go to the battlefield to kill enemies!”
“That’s right! Sowing can be left to our wives!”
“Weaving and making military uniforms are women’s work. We’d be useless staying behind, so let us follow the Lady to the battlefield!”
A group of women, hearing the news, rushed over from various streets and alleys. Hearing the men’s shouts, they immediately called out loudly, “That’s right! County Magistrate, let them go. We’re here at home. We can support our parents-in-law, raise our children, plow fields, sow seeds, and weave—we can do it all. For households short on people, neighbors will help!”