Liu Jing brought his deputy generals and trusted subordinates to pay respects to Zhao Hanzhang.

While still ten paces away, Liu Jing knelt on one knee with his men, cupping his fists in salute. “This subordinate greets Deputy General Zhao!”

He had just learned that Zhao Hanzhang was the new deputy general promoted by Magistrate He, and all military forces within Runan Commandery now had to follow her orders.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded slightly, letting them rise, and said with a smile, “General Liu, you’ve had a difficult time these past days.”

Liu Jing naturally wouldn’t say he hadn’t struggled. With a face full of emotion and grievance, tears fell as he expressed how truly difficult it had been for him—trapped here with no reinforcements, no solid city walls, making it very hard to hold Anling. So…

Liu Jing looked at Zhao Hanzhang expectantly. “General Zhao, with Wang Mi’s forces, he won’t let this go. This must be just a temporary retreat. He’ll surely return. So do you think we should take this opportunity to withdraw to Liang region?”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him. “Is General Liu serious?”

Liu Jing, who had also been testing her, paused, uncertain whether to nod.

Zhao Hanzhang studied his expression carefully, then showed a look of great relief. “As long as General Liu isn’t serious, that’s good. Otherwise, I wouldn’t feel confident entrusting Anling to you.”

Liu Jing: …

He simply stopped pretending and didn’t test anymore. He said directly, “General Zhao, this subordinate currently has few troops and lacks grain. It’s very difficult to hold Anling. Please send reinforcements, General Zhao.”

Reinforcements were impossible—Chen County couldn’t spare them. Abandoning the position was also impossible. Anling’s location was too important.

So Zhao Hanzhang invited Liu Jing to sit on the wooden barriers that had been pulled aside at the town entrance and spoke earnestly with him about Yuzhou’s current difficulties.

Every region lacked troops. The court had sent no reinforcements. Even if she wanted to give him reinforcements, she couldn’t manage it. But military provisions—those could be provided to some extent.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “I’ll order Chen County to send you a batch of provisions. You must be careful in receiving them.”

She continued, “Right now the area is full of Xiongnu troops. If the grain transport convoy is discovered by them…”

Liu Jing immediately patted his chest in assurance. “General, rest assured. When it comes to familiarity with Yuzhou, no one can match us. I’ll have my men properly receive the grain convoy.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded with satisfaction.

Liu Jing was still somewhat reluctant. He carefully ventured again, “General, without reinforcements, some horses and military equipment would be good. If we could add one or two hundred warhorses, we’d have more confidence facing the Xiongnu.”

Zhao Hanzhang sighed. “How could I not know this? But our Yuzhou isn’t like the grasslands. Where would we get so many warhorses?”

Seeing Liu Jing’s eager gaze and sun-darkened face, Zhao Hanzhang paused, ultimately unable to bring herself to refuse directly.

Anling was now almost like an isolated city—no reinforcements front or back, even provisions were scarce. Why had he persisted all this time?

If not for glory and riches, then it must be for the common people of Yuzhou below. And as for glory and riches…

Given how dire things had been before and he still hadn’t surrendered to Wang Mi, clearly that wasn’t his motivation.

Someone willing to risk his life for Yuzhou—naturally she couldn’t be too stingy. After thinking, she gritted her teeth. “Alright, I’ll leave you one hundred horses.”

Liu Jing pushed his luck. “What about the military equipment and warhorses captured this time…”

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t hesitate much about this, nodding directly. “I’ll leave them all with you.”

Liu Jing immediately beamed with joy.

Zhao Hanzhang also smiled, her gaze falling on the town’s streets where common people had cautiously opened their doors. In the evening sunset, they emerged to help move the wounded soldiers aside and clean up the corpses left on the main street.

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “How many common people remain here?”

“Not many left,” Liu Jing said. “Some fled, some died. Those remaining are those who couldn’t escape and haven’t died yet.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Relocate them to nearby cities.”

Liu Jing replied, “The nearest city is Chen County. All other cities have been taken by the Xiongnu. Going to those places would be no better than staying in Anling. At least without city walls blocking them, when they want to flee, they can still slip out secretly.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Then send them to Liang region.”

“That area is now occupied by Gou Xi. I’ve heard he’s always been harsh…”

“He’s harsh with his subordinates, but toward the common people…” Zhao Hanzhang paused before continuing, “He’s alright, I suppose. At least he won’t shut refugees outside the city gates. Have them go to Liang region!”

Zhao Hanzhang told Liu Jing, “If one day you can’t hold Anling anymore, when you leave, practice scorched earth.”

Liu Jing’s expression changed. “We received the scorched earth order…”

Zhao Hanzhang remained impassive. “I gave that order.”

Liu Jing lowered his eyes, asking with pain, “Do you know how many people died because of this order?”

Zhao Hanzhang shook her head. “Though I don’t know the death count, I can roughly estimate how many people I saved.”

Liu Jing opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.

She was right. If scorched earth proved effective, the Xiongnu army would definitely retreat. Then not only Yuzhou’s people, but all the common people throughout the Central Plains and below could be saved.

With Chen County as the central point, villages and towns radiating outward had received the scorched earth order three days ago.

At that time, some common people packed up and fled to the nearest cities, but more were unwilling to leave their homes.

It wasn’t that they didn’t fear death—entering the cities would also mean death. They had no money. Once inside the cities, they’d become refugees. Even if they could bring their household grain, once the weather turned cold, they’d still struggle to survive.

Moreover, they had homes here. Why should they leave?

But the soldiers who came to notify them clearly wouldn’t sympathize with such sentiments. They directly ordered them to leave the village that very day.

When they came to inspect the next day and found people still hadn’t left, they immediately charged into houses, throwing belongings outside, then set the houses on fire.

The villagers wailed. A young soldier kicked the grain they’d dragged out at their feet and shouted, “Cry what cry, cry what cry! Do you know what we’re here to do? We’re here to set fires! Orders from above—can’t leave a single grain of food or vegetable for the Xiongnu. Hurry up and take your grain and get lost. If you don’t leave, we’ll take all this stuff ourselves.”

At these words, they dared not delay any longer. In common people’s eyes, soldiers and bandits were the same.

Seeing they were finally willing to drag their families away, the soldiers searched everywhere. Actually, they weren’t really going to set fires—they just needed to ensure no grain was left behind.

Not long after they left, Liu Cong’s troops sent out to collect provisions also arrived. Seeing the silent village, they searched everywhere. Not only was there no grain in the houses, there was nothing in the fields either. Enraged, they set the village ablaze.

But there were always villages that didn’t leave quite in time. When they encountered them, the Xiongnu grain collection teams would pillage everywhere, killing young men, elderly, and children while binding up the women to drag back to their camps. Some would also keep the young men, planning to use them as the front line when attacking cities.