Hearing this, Wang Zhang’s arrow shifted to aim at Sima Fan. Just as he was about to release it, a voice called from the distance: “Report—”

Wang Zhang frowned as a scout galloped forward, leaping from his horse before arriving. Gasping for breath, he reported, “General, five li away there are Zhao family army and Xiliang Army forces heading this way. They’ll arrive any moment!”

Hearing this, Wang Zhang immediately ordered, “Release arrows! Kill them all!”

Zhang Bin, who had been frowning deeply, immediately stepped forward. “No!”

He blocked Wang Zhang and called out loudly, “These people must not be killed yet!”

Seeing Shi Le emerge from behind, Zhang Bin hurried forward. “General, Zhao Hanzhang cares for the people. In battle against her, we could drive these people forward as vanguard.”

He added, “If we kill them, the Han people will feel grief and fury, which will actually激起 their fighting spirit. Yesterday the general shouldn’t have burned Prince Donghai’s coffin before them…”

Wang Zhang sneered and interrupted, “The general did so to proclaim to the world that Prince Donghai deserved death. This act showed the general was carrying out heaven’s will, restoring clarity to the realm. Even if the general were to replace the Jin emperor, it would be perfectly justified…”

“Silence!” Both Zhang Bin and Shi Le rebuked him simultaneously. Shi Le even drew his great blade and held it against Wang Zhang’s neck. “Are you trying to sow discord between me and His Majesty?”

Wang Zhang’s face paled. He quickly explained, “I wouldn’t dare! I absolutely didn’t mean that.”

As they argued, dust could already be seen rising in the distance. Zhao Hanzhang, sensing unease, spurred her horse forward, riding alone with just a dozen cavalry at the very front. Beigong Chun controlled his horse’s speed, leading the army behind.

Watching Zhao Hanzhang grow larger and clearer in the distance, Wang Zhang realized they couldn’t kill these people today. Though somewhat regretful, he quickly showed an evil smile and said to Shi Le, “Zhang Bin is right, General. Why not drive these Jin people forward as vanguard, using them as shields? Zhao Hanzhang and her forces attacked from afar—they must be exhausted. We could seize this opportunity to capture her.”

Shi Le glanced at him and replied, “If even you can think of it, do you think Zhao Hanzhang can’t? Look at the distance between her and the army behind her—they’ll catch up in moments. We don’t even know how many troops she’s brought. Attacking rashly is no different from seeking death.”

Shi Le further suspected Wang Zhang was trying to lead him into error to create opportunities for Wang Mi.

Oh, forgot to mention—Wang Zhang was Wang Mi’s younger brother. The two brothers shared the same cruel disposition.

The thought had barely formed when Zhao Hanzhang arrived with her forces. She didn’t approach too closely, stopping on the opposite bank of the river.

Armies always encamped near water sources, and Shi Le was no exception. They were stationed beside a river, though the water was currently quite shallow.

The riverbed was dry, with only the center channel holding some water, barely reaching the calves.

Zhao Hanzhang’s smiling face, initially directed at Shi Le, flickered upon seeing the shallow water. Her smile dimmed slightly.

However, she quickly cast these distracting thoughts aside and once again flashed Shi Le a brilliant smile across the river. “General Shi, you’re well! After just one night, you look even more valiant and youthful.”

Shi Le narrowed his eyes, suspecting she was mocking him.

She wasn’t—Zhao Hanzhang sincerely meant the praise. Most importantly, she wanted to ease relations with Shi Le.

After all, yesterday she had nearly killed him, and he had nearly killed her.

Shi Le asked, “What brings Zhao Hanzhang in pursuit from afar?”

Zhao Hanzhang pointed at the Jin civilians they had encircled. “I’ve come to ransom people.”

Shi Le’s eyes narrowed. “Ransom people?”

“Yes.” Zhao Hanzhang sighed deeply. “I’m a woman with a soft heart. Among these people you’ve captured, who knows how many are someone’s parents, wives, children, or husbands? I truly cannot bear their separation, so when they begged me, I came to ransom them.”

Shi Le’s gaze moved past her to the two armies gradually arriving in formation.

Noticing this, Zhao Hanzhang also turned to glance at Beigong Chun leading the arriving forces. She smiled, then turned back to sit properly on her horse, her smile deepening. “My soldiers have fought life-and-death battles following me. I’m very reluctant to sacrifice them. So if I can ransom people with money, I won’t make them fight.”

The implication: if Shi Le refused the exchange, she would lead both armies to fight him to the death.

Shi Le felt he had already witnessed considerable shamelessness among the Han people. Today proved he still had much to learn.

Zhao Hanzhang adopted an earnest expression. “General Shi, why rush? We’ve just completed one transaction. You kept faith, as did I. With this first time, can the second be far behind?”

Without waiting for Shi Le to respond, she smiled and said, “See—the second opportunity has already presented itself.”

Zhao Hanzhang clapped her hands. Immediately, personal guards brought two chests forward and opened the first, revealing bolt after bolt of exquisite silks and brocades. These items attracted the barbarian soldiers’ attention even more than jewels.

These were beautiful things that could only be produced in the Central Plains—techniques their barbarian people could never master no matter how they tried to learn.

Zhao Hanzhang casually picked up a bolt of brocade. “Shu brocade—vivid colors, clear patterns, exquisite craftsmanship. This bolt in my hand is the finest among them. General Shi, how about I trade this Shu brocade for one person?”

“You dare demand twenty or thirty people for one pearl, yet you offer just one bolt of brocade for one person?” Shi Le mocked. “Who does General Zhao want to exchange for?”

Zhao Hanzhang’s finger pointed directly at Wang Yan. “I’ll exchange for our court’s Minister of Works!”

Shi Le wasn’t foolish—releasing Wang Yan would be tantamount to releasing a tiger back to the mountains. He immediately refused: “No exchange!”

—