Hearing this, Wang Zhang seethed with anger, but seeing that Shi Le’s expression was likewise none too pleasant, he didn’t dare lose his temper. Instead he proposed, “General, there are too many prisoners in the army — keeping them along is a great inconvenience. Why not let this lowly one go deal with them?”

Shi Le considered it briefly and agreed, only adding, “Take out Wang Yan and the other officials and clan members, and hold them separately. I have use for them.”

Wang Zhang agreed and turned to leave.

Shi Le glanced at Zhang Bin, who immediately took men and followed after, to pull Wang Yan and the others, along with their families, out and hold them apart from the rest.

Wang Sining and Wang Huifeng had been hiding among the refugees, trying to blend in, but Wang Sining was strikingly beautiful, and the two of them were dressed in fine clothing — even soiled, the quality of the fabric was unmistakable — so they, too, were dragged out.

Wang Sining gritted her teeth silently as she and Wang Huifeng were pushed into the crowd of clan members and officials.

Sitting composed at the center of them all was Wang Yan.

Wang Sining sat down angrily beside her father and demanded, “Father, the realm is on the verge of collapse — how can you still look so calm and unruffled?”

Wang Yan opened his eyes, saw his two daughters had returned to his side, and let out a distant sigh. “It is fate — the great trends of the world are predetermined. How could I possibly change them?”

“Take the two of you, for instance — fated to return to my side. No matter how you struggled, in the end, you’d come back to me all the same.”

Hearing this, Wang Sining angrily turned her head away and said nothing more.

Wang Huifeng, by contrast, remained composed and asked, “Then does Father believe that our being captured now, reduced to fish upon the chopping board, is also fated?”

Wang Yan only sighed and said nothing.

Wang Huifeng continued, “Does Father think he can guess how Shi Le means to deal with us? Can you calculate our fate?”

Wang Yan comforted his two daughters. “He won’t kill us.”

He said, “Shi Le may be cruel, but he’s also a man who knows how to make use of talent. I have ability, and the two of you have looks, breeding, and lineage. He won’t kill us.”

The Jin officials listening nearby all breathed sighs of relief upon hearing this, and said to Wang Yan, “We beg the Grand Commandant’s protection.”

“Indeed, indeed, please protect us, Grand Commandant.”

Wang Yan gave no response, only sighed once more, distantly — but before that sigh had even finished, not far off, the refugees were being driven together by the Hu soldiers, herded into a tighter and tighter circle.

Wang Yan watched this, his eyes narrowing slightly, unease rising in his heart.

Wang Zhang arrived leading two companies of archers, fully two hundred men strong, along with a good many more carrying torches and firewood.

Wang Zhang waved a hand, and the soldiers hurled the firewood into the middle of the crowd of refugees, then he raised a hand, and the two hundred archers aimed at once at the more than fifty thousand refugees.

The refugees screamed in panic; even Wang Yan couldn’t help but rise to his feet to look on.

Wang Sining’s eyes went wide, and she asked, unsettled, “What are they trying to do?”

On the platform, Wang Zhang turned with a cold sneer toward the officials and dignitaries to the side. “Minister Wang, Grand Commandant Wang — you men of extraordinary talent and breeding have seen much in your lives, but I can guarantee you’ve never witnessed a sight like this. Today I’ll let you see for yourselves — it’s called ‘roasting live sheep!’ Hahaha…”

Wang Zhang laughed with wild abandon.

Even Wang Yan, composed as he was, could not help his expression changing.

Wang Sining looked on in confusion, while Wang Huifeng clutched her chest, stepped back twice, then, pale-faced, knelt before Wang Yan. “Father, please save them.”

Wang Yan’s face turned ashen. “We are all prisoners now ourselves. How could we possibly save anyone?”

“If Father truly wished to save them, you could. You said yourself Shi Le won’t kill us. Lead us to stand in front of them — I don’t believe Wang Zhang would dare act with you there.”

Wang Yan said, “And what if he dares anyway?”

Wang Huifeng’s expression turned stern. “You are Grand Minister and Grand Commandant of the great Jin. Protecting the people is your very duty. Even dying for it would be a death well spent — what is there to fear?”

Wang Yan said nothing.

Wang Huifeng looked at him with clear disappointment, then rose and turned to push toward the refugees, only to be blocked by soldiers.

Seeing this, Wang Zhang’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he waved a hand. “Since the former crown princess consort is so eager to die alongside these ‘sheep,’ then let her have her wish.”

The soldiers looked to Zhang Bin.

Zhang Bin thought it over and nodded his assent.

Shi Le only wanted officials like Wang Yan — whether the family members lived or died mattered little.

The soldiers then lowered their spears and let her pass. Seeing this, Wang Sining gritted her teeth and rushed to follow as well.

Wang Huifeng pushed her back. “What are you doing — go back to Father at once.”

Wang Yan, too, frowned deeply and called out, “Sining, come back!”

Wang Sining said stubbornly, “I won’t!”

Wang Yan, uncharacteristically flustered, stamped his foot in anger, but there was nothing he could do about his two stubborn daughters.

Wang Huifeng stared at Wang Sining for a long moment, then finally said through tears, “Very well. Living isn’t necessarily better than dying.”

So she took Wang Sining’s hand and stood with her in front of the refugees, lifting her chin toward Wang Zhang on the platform, calling out loudly, “General Shi went to such trouble to sweep up these people — and this is how you’ll dispose of them, just like that?”

She went on, “Make them slaves, or sell them off — either way they’d still be of some use. Surely that’s worth more than burning them down to bones.”

Wang Zhang reached out and took up a bow, lazily nocking an arrow. “Don’t bother shouting — General Shi won’t listen to you. If you want someone to blame, blame Zhao Hanzhang for chasing us so hard. Bringing you people along was nothing but a burden.”

Wang Sining couldn’t help crying out loudly, “If you think we’re such a burden, why bring us along at all? Why not just let us go?”

Wang Huifeng tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to stop talking.

Wang Zhang, who had been about to loose the arrow straight through her, couldn’t help bursting into laughter at this, letting the half-drawn bow go slack, delighted. “That’s right — bringing you along is a burden. But if we let you go, you might well turn right around and become Jin troops, Zhao family troops, even Xiliang troops, and come attack us. So the best solution is simply to kill you all.”

“Kill you, roast you up — might even make for two days’ rations for the army.”

Hearing this, Wang Huifeng and Wang Sining realized he actually meant to eat them, and both turned to retch.

The refugees penned in the middle trembled all the more; some had already begun to weep aloud, unable to hold it in.

Seeing them so terrified only pleased Wang Zhang further. He raised his bow once more, the arrowhead now trained on Wang Huifeng.

Off to the side, Wang Yan watched anxiously and called out, “Erniang! Sining! Come back at once!”

Behind Wang Yan, Sima Fan suddenly burst into laughter, then braced against his knees and rose from the filthy ground, and, hair disheveled, walked forward to stand in front of the refugees as well. “I have been sustained by the labor of ten thousand people — I am not so lacking in courage as that. Far fewer than a mere woman — small wonder that Zhao Hanzhang, a mere woman, commands all of Yuzhou.”

Tears streaming, he said, “The men of our great Jin truly fall far short of these women.”

He spread his arms wide and shouted toward Wang Zhang on the platform, “Come then — start with me.”

The Jin ministers and clan elites, who had remained silent all this while, were stunned, and dropped to their knees weeping. “My lord, why go so far — please come back and preserve yourself.”

They begged Wang Zhang, too, not to kill the Prince of Xiangyang.

Sima Fan only turned and rebuked them. “What is there to argue about at a time like this?”

Even Shi Le could not help stepping out from his tent, hands clasped behind his back, watching from a distance.