Zhao Hanzhang was nearly knocked to the ground by the impact. She quickly held her and patted her back soothingly. “Isn’t everything fine now? In the midst of the chaos, you called for me to save you. I heard.”
After crying for quite a while, Wang Siniang finally moved slightly away from her embrace and looked at her with tear-filled eyes. “Really?”
“Of course it’s true. It was precisely for you and Sister Huifeng that I risked entering Shi Lei’s military camp. Otherwise, why would a person of worth risk danger? How could I have ventured in?”
Hearing this, Wang Siniang threw herself back into her arms and wailed loudly.
After crying for some time, she raised her tear-stained face and asked Zhao Hanzhang, “Sanniang, can you save my father?”
Zhao Hanzhang shook her head with a sigh. “The Grand Commandant is too valuable. Shi Lei won’t release him. I couldn’t even save the other officials.”
Wang Siniang had already anticipated this—after all, she had been watching at the time. But hearing the definite answer now, she still couldn’t help feeling heartbroken. “Will he kill my father?”
He will!
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Hanzhang said, “If he has pride and persists in not surrendering to Shi Lei, then he can live. If he surrenders to Shi Lei but is of no use to him, perhaps he can live. But if…”
Wang Siniang quickly asked, “If what?”
“If he urges Shi Lei to proclaim himself emperor, then he will surely die.”
Wang Siniang was stunned and, after a moment, said, “Why would Father urge Shi Lei to proclaim himself emperor?”
Wang Huifeng, however, felt her heart sink and grew uneasy.
She looked at Zhao Hanzhang and pressed her lips together. “The bystander sees clearly. Father is desperate to survive, so his thinking might not be as thorough as before. To preserve himself, he might indeed urge Shi Lei to proclaim himself emperor.”
“But Sanniang, how do you know Shi Lei would kill my father because of this?”
Zhao Hanzhang said, “Shi Lei is intelligent and resourceful. He won’t listen to the Grand Commandant’s suggestion and will instead suspect the Grand Commandant is sowing discord.”
Actually, that wasn’t the case, but the true situation was awkward to explain in front of Wang Yan’s daughters. She could hardly say that Shi Lei was far-sighted and, while appreciating Wang Yan’s talents, believed that the realm’s great chaos stemmed from aristocrats like Wang Yan.
So he wouldn’t let Wang Yan tutor him, fearing he would become the next Emperor Hui of Jin, and therefore killed Wang Yan.
Wang Siniang deeply resented Shi Lei. “He’s merely a slave.”
Zhao Hanzhang replied, “It’s precisely this slave who has chased Great Jin’s three hundred thousand officials, soldiers, aristocrats, and commoners like dogs. When we are fish and meat, he is the knife and chopping board.”
Wang Siniang: …
Fan Ying’s lips curved upward slightly.
Having seen Wang Siniang throw herself into Zhao Hanzhang’s arms, she stopped staring at Wang Siniang so vigilantly, though she became nervous again. But now, seeing Wang Siniang rebuked by the young lady, she felt pleased.
Zhao Hanzhang looked up at the sun and said to them, “The column has advanced quite far. Let’s go back and talk more. Fan Ying, help them onto horses or carriages.”
Fan Ying bowed and responded, “Yes.”
Zhao Hanzhang said to the Wang sisters, “Sister Huifeng, Siniang, you rest first. After I rescue His Majesty, I’ll return and we can talk at length.”
Wang Siniang’s eyes widened. “You’re going to Luoyang?”
Wang Huifeng urged instead, “Then go quickly. We can take care of ourselves—no need for you to worry.”
Zhao Hanzhang smiled and nodded, then mounted her horse to meet the newly returned scouts.
The scout was somewhat out of breath. He knelt and reported, “It’s confirmed—Shi Lei and his forces have circled toward Luoyang, but they’ve left ambushes along the route, with one detachment secretly following the hostages’ movements.”
Fu Tinghan, hearing this, looked at her.
Zhao Hanzhang said, “Why are you looking at me? I guessed it. If I were in his position, I’d also guard against Shi Lei doubling back to seize the people, so I’d set up secret ambushes. If he comes, naturally that’s good. If not, the ambush can also escort the hostages back to camp.”
Fu Tinghan asked, “So we’re going directly to Luoyang?”
“Correct. Even if Mister Ji and his forces march urgently, they won’t reach Luoyang until tomorrow. I hope they can move quickly enough to rescue Emperor Jin.” Zhao Hanzhang had lured Shi Lei to Luoyang precisely because she didn’t want to be deadlocked with him here.
Whatever needed settling could be settled in Luoyang.
If she hadn’t guessed wrong, not only was Wang Mi in Luoyang, but Liu Cong was there too. Shi Lei’s relationship with both was poor, and Wang Mi and Liu Cong also had conflicts between them.
If battle was inevitable, the more chaotic the better.
Luoyang was now a piece of meat already cooked in the pan—it just depended on who had the ability to eat it.
Zhao Hanzhang left a detachment of troops for Fan Ying and also assigned Adjutant Chen to her. “You two manage all the refugees well and return to Xiangcheng first. Await my orders.”
Fan Ying and Adjutant Chen acknowledged the command.
Zhao Hanzhang then took Fu Tinghan and Beigong Chun toward Luoyang.
Early that morning when departing, she had quietly found Ji Yuan and had him select some horses from those confiscated, taking ten thousand troops to rush urgently to Luoyang.
“I’ve already sent Erlang to Luoyang. With the Prince of Donghai taking away three hundred thousand people, Luoyang is now vulnerable. The emperor is in danger, Great Jin is in danger.”
Ji Yuan actually didn’t particularly want to concern himself with Luoyang.
But Zhao Hanzhang had her own reasons. “At this time, the emperor cannot die and Great Jin cannot fall. Moreover, Uncle Grandfather’s family is still in the capital.”
Only then did Ji Yuan remember Zhao Zhongyu. Oh yes, Zhao Zhongyu was still in the capital. He couldn’t die—if he died, the stability of the Zhao clan would be broken, and with Zhao Hanzhang’s deep entanglement with the Zhao clan, the Zhao clan’s instability would inevitably affect Zhao Hanzhang.
Only then did Ji Yuan agree. After she left, he quietly took his men toward Luoyang, leaving the remaining troops to continue protecting and managing the refugees.
When they reached their destination, Wang Siniang and Wang Huifeng saw the endless stream of people stretching as far as the eye could see, and were momentarily stunned. “This… how can there be so many people?”
Fan Ying raised her chin slightly. “These were all rescued by our Administrator.”
Wang Siniang exclaimed in amazement, “I truly never imagined Sanniang would become so formidable.”
A childhood friend who’d grown up together had suddenly become so capable and powerful—what to do?
She wanted to cling to her coattails!
Wang Huifeng wasn’t thinking about this. Seeing Fan Ying busy, she pulled her sister forward. “Miss Fan, is there anything we can help with?”
Fan Ying pondered briefly and said, “There is.”
There was far too much to do—literate and numerate people were desperately needed.
Thinking that among those rescued there must be many aristocrats, Fan Ying felt nervous. After hesitating, she said, “Go post an announcement. If there are people who can read and count, recruit them to see me?”
“Yes.”
While Fan Ying was finally learning to stand on her own, Zhao Erlang was already leading a cavalry force galloping toward Luoyang, not at all afraid even with his sister absent.
Xie Shi followed behind him, wanting to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, wind and sand rushed in. He could only honestly shut his mouth.
In the distance, seeing the tall city walls ahead, Zhao Erlang finally reined in his horse.
Xie Shi exhaled in relief and quickly brought his personal guards forward, saying to Zhao Erlang, “Magistrate, send scouts to investigate the enemy situation first.”
“What’s there to investigate? Don’t you see—the city gates are wide open. They’ve definitely broken in. Sister said to rescue the emperor, so we need to hurry into the city and save him. Where’s the imperial palace? Do you know the way?”
Xie Shi said, “…The imperial palace is in the north. You lived in Luoyang for many years, yet you don’t know where the palace is?”
“I was addled before and never went to the palace, so I don’t know where it is. The north—aren’t we in the north right now? Let’s go quickly!”
Xie Shi was exasperated and reached out to stop him. “Erlang, we’re in the north of Nanyang Commandery, but we’re south of Luoyang. This is the south city gate, not the north gate. Forget it, let’s send scouts to investigate first. We need to know at least how many enemy troops there are. We can’t rashly enter the city—if we get trapped inside with no one to rescue us…”