Once Liu Yuan’s order to procure provisions locally went out, all areas of Yuzhou outside the defense line suffered, and even common people in Yanzhou and Sizhou bordering Yuzhou were deeply harmed.
Generals of the Xiongnu-Han Kingdom all sent out grain procurement teams to plunder the common people’s grain and property. Many small fortified settlements were broken through, and the people inside and outside the settlements were robbed—some were killed directly, while others were pushed to the front lines, placed before the Xiongnu.
Among them, the army led by Wang Mi was the most cruel. He was currently supporting Liu Cong, with his great army right beside Liu Cong. The villages and towns around Chen County were scoured by him layer upon layer.
Previously, Zhao Hanzhang had ordered the clear field and strong walls policy. Many common people were forced to move into cities, while even more chose to seek shelter in nearby fortified settlements.
The settlement masters, following Zhao Hanzhang’s orders, had been sending people to reinforce the settlement structures. When Liu Cong twice sent people to procure grain, they didn’t fundamentally harm them.
But this time, when Wang Mi sent people to procure grain, they led troops to directly break through these settlements, not only plundering all the property inside clean but also killing everyone they could, while those they didn’t kill were pushed outside Chen County to walk in front and shield them from arrows before launching an attack on Chen County.
Inside and outside Yuzhou, wails filled the air. Chen County continuously received rescue letters from various settlement masters. Zhao Kuan looked at these pleas for help as if seeing the Zhao clan’s future. On one hand, he had people report this to Zhao Hanzhang, while on the other, he tried to rescue as many common people outside as possible back to Chen County.
When Zhao Hanzhang received this information, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, then opened them with a cold, sharp gaze. “We’re going to Guan City!”
Zhao Hanzhang went to take her leave of Gou Xi. The two had already agreed on their battle plan and divided up the areas to be recaptured and the timeline.
Zhao Hanzhang said to Gou Xi, “The General’s achievements are comparable to the bright stars. You will certainly be renowned through the ages. Hanzhang will await your good news in Yuzhou.”
Gou Xi’s mouth curved slightly as he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Zhao Hanzhang respectfully bowed and withdrew, turning with Fu Tinghan to leave.
Yan Heng watched their two backs disappear and said to Gou Xi, “General, these two are not creatures of the pond. Zhao Hanzhang has the talent of a commander and general, and with Fu Tinghan’s assistance, few in this age can match these two.”
Yesterday they had talked all day, mainly discussing combat against the Xiongnu. Fu Tinghan’s extensive knowledge and learning were clear to all, even moving Gou Xi to want to claim him for himself.
But he knew that Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan’s relationship was extraordinary—he couldn’t take him, so he could only try his best to win over Zhao Hanzhang.
But Zhao Hanzhang…
Gou Xi had good judgment. He could naturally tell that while Zhao Hanzhang said she would repay him with Yuzhou, she wasn’t submitting to him. He could also see the pride in Zhao Hanzhang. If he wanted to win her over, there was still much work to be done.
However, for now, what did that matter? As long as he could defeat the Prince of Donghai, that was enough.
Gou Xi thought of what Zhao Hanzhang had promised him, his mouth curving upward. “He Chang is far inferior to Zhao Hanzhang. If he hadn’t been constantly wavering, how would Yuzhou have come to this disaster?”
Yan Heng said nothing. If Governor He hadn’t wavered, Yuzhou wouldn’t have the Xiongnu disaster, but would certainly have other calamities. Most likely, when Gou Xi and the Prince of Donghai first started fighting this year, he would have been finished.
Zhao Hanzhang reunited with her troops waiting outside the city. Gou Xi was fairly generous—knowing Zhao Hanzhang and her forces had no provisions, he sent them three days’ worth.
She only needed three days’ provisions anyway. After all, they were light cavalry and generally only carried two or three days’ worth of dry rations.
After resting for two days, the soldiers’ spirits had improved considerably. After feeding the horses, all the soldiers mounted up following Zhao Hanzhang.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled as she told everyone, “General Gou has already agreed to send troops. Yuzhou’s calamity will soon be resolved. We’re returning to Chen County now. This time we’re taking a detour through Guan City.”
The soldiers didn’t know why they needed to detour through Guan City, but this didn’t prevent them from following her orders, so they responded in unison.
Zhao Hanzhang then led them toward Guan City. Along the way, they encountered no enemy forces, only seeing villages that had been burned by Xiongnu grain procurement teams.
The villages were full of corpses lying everywhere. Only the cawing of crows could be heard. The villages along the way were all very quiet. Zhao Hanzhang led her troops past without stopping, only her eyes constantly filled with tears. But she didn’t look away—instead, she stubbornly turned her head to look at the corpses lying by the roadside, their features no longer distinguishable, then drove her horse to run past them.
Only when stopping to rest would everyone silently dig a large pit by the roadside, move over all the bodies within sight, stack them together in the pit, and bury them.
Fu Tinghan had seen many corpses along the way, in all kinds of terrible conditions. By now, he could move corpses into the large pit alongside Zhao Hanzhang with an unchanged expression.
He found the bodies of a mother and child in the grass. The child was only about three years old, with a large hole in his chest, pressed tightly against his mother. Her body also bore a wound—a spear should have thrust through from behind her, piercing her body before injuring him.
Fu Tinghan didn’t separate mother and child. Instead, he held the emaciated pair together and gently placed them at the very top of the pit. He estimated the space and felt it couldn’t fit more people. He said to the soldiers, “Let’s bury them. If we dig another pit and put more in, wild beasts will easily dig them out. They need to be buried deep.”
The soldiers acknowledged and found an empty space not far away to continue digging.
Zhao Hanzhang shoveled earth back over them, finally exhausted and sitting on the grass in a daze.
Fu Tinghan also sat beside her, silently gazing at these two burial pits with her. “This is comparable to when the great powers oppressed us and when Japan invaded us. I understand you better now, Hanzhang. We need to work harder. In such end times, I don’t want to see this again.”
Zhao Hanzhang forced back her tears and replied softly, “Alright.”
The great army rested briefly before continuing their march. As evening approached, Zhao Hanzhang and her forces finally discovered a Xiongnu military encampment.
The scouts returned to report, “Twenty li ahead is an encampment. We roughly counted the tents—approximately five thousand men, and there seem to be large numbers of Han people inside.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked at Fu Tinghan. “Is Guan City still far?”
Fu Tinghan took out the map to show her. “Not far now. Another eighty li west and we’ll reach it. This should be just one garrison. Are there fortified settlements nearby?”
Zhao Hanzhang looked at the scout, who replied shamefacedly, “We couldn’t find anyone to ask along the way. We checked—the Xiongnu are camped three li to the east, and there seems to be a fortified settlement, but it’s in ruins, already broken through.”
So it seemed the Han people in the Xiongnu camp were those plundered from the settlement and nearby villages.
Everyone waited for Zhao Hanzhang’s decision.
Zhao Hanzhang was silent for a moment before saying, “Have the soldiers rest where they are, eat their fill and drink their fill, then wait until deep night.”
Everyone understood and immediately acknowledged before withdrawing.
The force Zhao Hanzhang led had been fighting constantly since setting out and had never lost a battle. Everyone was exceptionally brave. These past two days, seeing so many corpses and burned villages along the way, they’d all been holding in their anger. Hearing the orders from above now and guessing they would raid the Xiongnu at night, they all fiercely bit into their dry rations, deciding to save this anger to properly vent it tonight.