The Qihuo Army left as soon as they said they would, departing the very next day.
Xun Xiu was dumbfounded and quickly sent a large force to fill the gap they’d left behind. Then he cursed angrily, “Profit-seeking mud-legs! Their eyes see nothing but profit.”
Zhao Hanzhang received the news two days later. She was so angry she crumpled the letter, slapped the table, and said, “Xun Xiu is profit-seeking! Can’t his eyes look a bit further ahead?”
Ji Yuan glanced at it once and asked, “My lady wishes to keep them, but does my lady have grain?”
Zhao Hanzhang said, “Luoyang directly faces the great armies of the Xiongnu and Xianbei. Master Ji, how many troops do you think I need to station here to be sufficient?”
“This…”
“This is a vital military force. The Qihuo Army fights without fear of death and understands righteousness. We only need to provide some grain to gain a trained brave army—why refuse?” Zhao Hanzhang said, “Luoyang is currently an empty city. No matter how many people come, it can accommodate them. They bring their families along and can supplement our household registrations and farm the land. Such a good opportunity—why turn it away?”
Ji Yuan asked, “Does my lady have money?”
Zhao Hanzhang gritted her teeth, then got up and went to her room, returning with a box that she handed to him.
Ji Yuan opened it and saw two treasure maps inside. He snapped it shut with a clap and instinctively asked, “My lady, did you steal these?”
Zhao Hanzhang said, “…Would I be that kind of person? Great-Uncle gave these to me himself.”
“Besides, even if I were going to steal, I wouldn’t steal the originals. Ahem, what I mean is, these came through proper channels—you can rest assured.” Zhao Hanzhang said, “Take everything out. Send people to Shu and Jiangling to buy grain. I’ll take people to meet Shi Lei.”
Ji Yuan also nodded. “If my lady cannot obtain wealth from Shi Lei’s hands, you might as well go to Shangdang. Bingzhou suddenly lost Wang Mi and has insufficient defenses.”
Zhao Hanzhang understood completely and immediately stood up. “I’ll go muster the troops right now.”
Ji Yuan followed her out, instructing, “Take Young Master and Erlang with you.”
Zhao Hanzhang said, “I won’t take Tinghan. Luoyang needs him more than I do. I’ll take Erlang. Xie Shi will stay behind too.”
Hearing this, Ji Yuan grew somewhat worried and hurried to find Fu Tinghan. “My lady still needs a military advisor by her side.”
“Are you worried she’s not steady enough?”
Ji Yuan smiled at him, and Fu Tinghan said, “Rest assured. She understands how to weigh benefits and drawbacks better than any of us. Though I’d like to go with her, it’s spring plowing time now, and Luoyang truly has many affairs. General Beigong and Mi Ce were ordered to go to Xiangcheng to bring those hundred thousand people back to Luoyang. Calculating the time, they should arrive in a few days. So many people need to be arranged. Master Ji alone might not be able to manage everything. I’d better stay.”
Two days ago, Zhao Hanzhang had followed Xiahou Yan up the mountain to visit Zhang Jingyang.
Zhang Jingyang likewise refused to come down from the mountain. Especially after learning that the Emperor had actually followed Gou Xi in relocating the capital, he became even more disheartened. That very day, his health took a turn for the worse.
Zhao Hanzhang could only send someone down the mountain to find a good physician to attend to him and offered much fine medicine before departing with regret.
However, before leaving, she still sought his advice: if she were to relocate the escaped Luoyang people back, how should she arrange these people so they would willingly remain in Luoyang?
Zhang Jingyang said, “First be strict, then lenient. They’ve already fled Luoyang. On this journey, they’ve suffered tremendous losses, so even though Luoyang is their homeland, they won’t be willing to return.”
“Moreover, Luoyang has suffered famine for two years, and now the Emperor has relocated the capital and left. They’ll be even less willing to return. If General Zhao wants to relocate people back, you cannot be gentle—you must issue strict orders, directly requiring them to return to Luoyang, using rigorous decrees to demand they farm,” Zhang Jingyang paused before continuing, “When the situation stabilizes, then show leniency to win hearts.”
Zhao Hanzhang understood. After descending the mountain, she had Beigong Chun and Mi Ce take a large army to drive the remaining people back.
Refugee migration and army marching speeds were different. A hundred thousand people could drag out a two-day journey into seven or eight days, so in another five or six days, they should arrive.
They were being forced back against their will. When they reached Luoyang, there would surely be chaos—precisely when talented people were needed. So Zhao Hanzhang deliberately left Fu Tinghan and Xie Shi behind.
At the same time, she had Ji Yuan send people along the route to find Zhao Kuan and Zhao Cheng. “See where they’ve gotten to. Don’t let them be ambushed on the road.”
Ji Yuan agreed.
Zhao Hanzhang took Zhao Erlang and led the great army toward Hedong Commandery.
Ji Yuan and Fu Tinghan saw them off, then looked down at the box in his hands and couldn’t help sighing. “Fortunately, the old master left some things behind. Otherwise, with my lady’s steps this large…”
Seeing him trail off, Li Tianhe asked, “She’d tear her balls?”
Fu Tinghan nearly choked on his own saliva.
Ji Yuan glared at him irritably. “I’ve noticed my lady has been increasingly unguarded in her speech lately. She must have learned it from you people.”
He said, “She’s a young lady. You should be more careful in normal times and not say everything in front of her.”
Li Tianhe lowered his head in acknowledgment. “Yes.”
Ji Yuan huffed, then said, “Find two squads of personal guards. I have tasks for them.”
These treasures—one cache was hidden in Luoyang, but another was in Chang’an, so they still needed to secretly go to Chang’an to retrieve it.
Just as Ji Yuan was quietly dispatching people to dig up treasure and buy grain, Shi Lei was also taking inventory of the wealth plundered this time.
Originally, this batch of items and Wang Yan and the others were to be sent back together, but he’d been blocked in Hedong Commandery by Chen Wu and couldn’t get through no matter what. In a rage, he had Wang Yan and the others escorted here, intending to use the Jin ministers to force the Qihuo Army to retreat.
After all, half of Luoyang’s court ministers and scholar-gentry were in his hands. Unfortunately, the opposing side was a bunch of mud-legs. Among the few Jin ministers present, they’d already been assimilated by the refugees through years of warfare and begging, and they simply didn’t care about the Jin ministers in Shi Lei’s hands.
Want to kill them? Go ahead and kill. As long as it wasn’t the Jin Emperor in their hands, feel free.
They might hesitate over imperial family members who bore the surname Sima, but Jin ministers who didn’t share that surname? The Qihuo Army didn’t even blink an eye—they just watched Shi Lei chop off heads for entertainment.
Shi Lei, seeing he couldn’t intimidate them, found himself at an impasse.
Yesterday he’d received news from Luoyang. Shi Lei spent a day confirming whether the news was true or false, and realized he couldn’t reach Luoyang anymore.
The fruits of this campaign would be this batch of Jin ministers and scholar-gentry, along with the plundered wealth.
As he took inventory of the gold, silver, and treasures, his heart felt somewhat better. “It’s not a complete waste.”
Looking again at the corralled Jin ministers and scholar-gentry, his heart improved further. “This can also be considered meritorious.”
After thinking it over, he had someone invite Wang Yan up to drink wine with him, wanting to hear him discuss the current state of the world.
Wang Yan didn’t disappoint his expectations. “In today’s world, Shu enjoys unique peace. The Jiangnan region has not yet been affected. Those who can do battle with the General, aside from Wang Mi and Gou Xi of Yanzhou, are only Zhao Hanzhang of Yuzhou.”
He said, “This person has emerged with overwhelming force and excels at winning hearts. Moreover, she relies on the prestige left by her grandfather. Even as a woman, in these chaotic times she should have a place.”
“But the one most deserving of caution is still Liu Yuan,” Wang Yan said. “Liu Yuan is wildly ambitious and will never tolerate the General’s rise to power. Why doesn’t the General establish independence, proclaim yourself emperor, recruit soldiers, and compete for the realm?”