Gou Xi finally had time to hear reports from various areas and learned that this time Zhao Family Army had captured quite a few prisoners from the riverbank, causing him to frown. “Zhao Hanzhang is not someone who lacks tact. We provided the main force, so why would she compete with us for the remnant soldiers by the river?”

The enemy troops in the river were basically all routed by his forces.

Ming Yu glanced at Gou Chun standing nearby and lowered his head, saying, “General, today General Zhao nearly died from a hidden arrow. In the end, it was Fu Tinghan who was severely wounded, and his life or death is currently unknown.”

Gou Xi said casually, “Swords and arrows have no eyes—getting injured or dying on the battlefield is all normal, isn’t it?”

Only after speaking did he react, frowning as he looked at Ming Yu. “What does Master Ming mean by this?”

Ming Yu said with a stern face, “At the time we were attacking the camp, Zhao Family Army had already occupied most of the tents. It was they who drove Prince Donghai out of the camp. The person who shot the hidden arrow was on horseback, holding a short bow, yet was able to mix into the edge of Zhao Family Army’s charge.”

After brief consideration, Gou Xi turned to look at Gou Chun, his gaze cold and condensed. “Gou Chun, was this your doing?”

Gou Chun pressed his lips together and said, “Elder Brother, Zhao Hanzhang’s ambitions are too great, and she refuses to submit to control. If we let her continue growing, I fear she will become the next…”

Gou Chun glanced at Gou Xi before changing his words: “The next Prince Donghai.”

Gou Xi’s face darkened completely. He understood Gou Chun’s meaning—he thought that since Prince Donghai was about to be defeated, Gou Xi would become number one in Dajin, and Zhao Hanzhang might become the next him.

Gou Chun said, “Better to strangle her while her wings haven’t fully grown.”

Gou Xi angrily grabbed the cup from the table and threw it at him, hitting him directly. “Fool!”

Gou Chun didn’t dare dodge and stood there taking the hit.

“Do you think Zhao Hanzhang is an idiot? Just because you had people change into our uniforms, she won’t guess it was you?” Gou Xi ground his teeth. “She probably now firmly believes it was me who did it!”

“You betrayed an ally on the battlefield—who will trust you in the future?” Gou Xi glared at him fiercely. “If word gets out, people won’t think this was your action, but that I, Gou Xi, broke faith and betrayed our alliance!”

“Elder Brother, she also broke the alliance. She secretly transferred troops away…” Under Gou Xi’s increasingly cold gaze, Gou Chun’s voice grew quieter until he stopped speaking.

Gou Xi suppressed the anger in his chest, lowered his eyes in thought, and asked Yan Heng and Ming Yu, “What do you two gentlemen think I should do to make amends with her?”

After brief consideration, Yan Heng said, “Kill Gou Chun and present his head to General Zhao as an apology.”

Upon hearing this, Gou Chun turned to glare at him angrily. “You treacherous man, how dare you suggest such a poisonous scheme to my elder brother!”

Gou Xi’s lips trembled as he also said, “Impossible!”

He said, “Although Zhao Hanzhang certainly has ability, it’s not enough for me to exchange my brother’s life.”

Yan Heng was disappointed to hear this and said, “The General has always valued promises. Gou Chun’s actions have already put the General in an unrighteous position. How can there be no punishment?”

Ming Yu beside them was silent for a moment before saying, “We could bring Gou Chun to apologize in person, and also engage famous physicians for Fu Tinghan. Even if the feud between Zhao Hanzhang and Gou Chun cannot be resolved, it could clear up the misunderstanding between the General and her. Given her magnanimity, she should not hold a grudge against the General.”

Gou Xi pondered deeply.

Zhao Hanzhang was also waiting—waiting for Gou Xi’s reaction.

With his domineering nature and ability, what Gou Chun had done could not be hidden from him.

She was also waiting for his reaction, and then she would make her corresponding response.

But what Zhao Hanzhang didn’t expect was that Gou Xi’s reaction was no reaction at all.

Until the next day, when the battlefield was completely cleaned up, Gou Xi had already sent people to pursue Prince Donghai and was about to lead troops toward Luoyang, she still hadn’t received any response from him.

Zhao Hanzhang looked at the dawn breaking on the horizon and sighed deeply. Gou Xi had ultimately walked toward the appearance he once despised most.

However, she only sighed for a moment before quickly rallying her spirits and calling Wang Ni and Xie Shi. “After morning meal, you two take the prisoners back to Xuchang first.”

Wang Ni was very afraid she would go settle accounts with Gou Xi, so he asked, “What about you, Administrator?”

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at him and said, “I’ll bring up the rear.”

“The people we’re bringing are mixed and complicated. I’m afraid it won’t be easy to bring Young Master Fu along.”

“He’ll stay. I’ll bring him back.”

Wang Ni and Xie Shi both breathed a sigh of relief. With the injured Fu Tinghan along, Zhao Hanzhang shouldn’t lash out at Gou Xi.

Gou Xi was powerful, and the current Zhao Hanzhang was far from his match.

Zhao Hanzhang naturally knew this too. A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years. She had temporarily spared both Zhao Ji and Prince Donghai—having one more enemy on her list was nothing. She could afford to wait!

As for Gou Chun, she would eventually have the opportunity for revenge.

Yan Heng was also very disappointed and couldn’t help saying to Ming Yu, “The General has become more stubborn and arrogant than before. This is not a good thing.”

Ming Yu remained silent.

Yan Heng said with distress, “And with someone as harsh as Gou Chun beside him, I always fear the General’s path will become more and more crooked.”

Ming Yu sighed, “We can only do our best to counsel him.”

Yan Heng asked, “Have Zhao Hanzhang and her people left?”

“Part of them left, but Zhao Hanzhang hasn’t. The alliance hasn’t ended yet. Since the General won’t have Gou Chun acknowledge this matter, Zhao Hanzhang will most likely pretend not to know. She will definitely come to bid farewell to the General.”

Yan Heng’s heart stirred as he said, “Things have come to this point, and our reputation is already damaged. We might as well see things through. When Zhao Hanzhang comes, we could directly detain her…”

Ming Yu had the same thought and exchanged a glance with him before immediately going to find Gou Xi.

But Gou Xi didn’t agree.

Gou Chun had already done such a shameful thing—how could he continue to break their alliance?

Yan Heng couldn’t help his irritation. “If the General is unwilling to kill her, then kill Gou Chun. Between her and Gou Chun, only one can survive. Otherwise, letting her return to Yuzhou is like releasing a tiger back to the mountains, creating an enemy for nothing.”

Gou Xi was stubborn, unwilling to kill his own younger brother or to break his alliance with Zhao Hanzhang, and sent both of them away.

Yan Heng was so angry he stamped his feet.

But Zhao Hanzhang didn’t come to bid farewell in person. She wasn’t stupid—knowing someone in the opposing camp wanted to take her life, why would she run there?

Throughout history, weren’t there plenty of heroes and ambitious leaders who carelessly lost their lives through one misstep?

If she were actually ambushed and killed, no matter how great a hero or leader, she’d just become a fool.

So Zhao Hanzhang directly wrote a farewell letter and had her personal guard deliver it to Gou Xi.

Prince Donghai had been defeated, and most of his troops were scattered throughout Yuzhou. Gou Xi had collected quite a few. Even if he returned to Luoyang, it would be very difficult for him to organize forces to resist Gou Xi again.

Much less to come to Yuzhou and Yanzhou to cause trouble for Gou Xi.

Since they wouldn’t come to Yuzhou, Zhao Hanzhang wouldn’t involve herself in the rest.

So she used Fu Tinghan’s injury as an excuse, saying she needed to take him back to Chen County to seek medical treatment, and could only lead her troops away first.

Gou Xi felt guilty, and upon receiving the letter didn’t pursue the matter of her not helping through to the end, directly agreeing to let them leave.

Zhao Hanzhang received his approval and only then had her people break camp and leave, though she remained very cautious along the way. She not only had scouts explore ahead but also behind, to avoid capsizing in a ditch.

Fu Tinghan had been sleeping in a coma due to pain and didn’t wake until they encountered Ji Yuan coming to meet them halfway. Only then did Zhao Hanzhang breathe a sigh of relief.

—