Liu Yi came to find Zhao Hanzhang mainly to say farewell. He needed to return home, or else his family would worry. Last night Zhao Hanzhang hadn’t launched a night raid on Pingyang City, and he had also negotiated peace with Zhao Hanzhang. With this major concern off his mind, he should go back and tell his father.
But before he could open his mouth to say farewell, Zhao Hanzhang tossed the long spear in her hand to a guard and invited him, “Prince of the North Sea, are you interested in touring my military camp?”
Liu Yi’s words of farewell stuck in his throat. His eyes widened as he asked, “I can tour it?”
“Naturally.” Zhao Hanzhang smiled. “Come, let’s have breakfast first. After we eat, I’ll take you to see.”
To host Liu Yi, they had noodles for breakfast, with an egg in each bowl.
Zhao Hanzhang ate with great satisfaction. The noodles were made from wheat flour and bean flour mixed in a certain proportion, but mostly wheat flour, so they still looked quite white. Zhao Hanzhang asked Liu Yi, “How does the Prince of the North Sea find the meal?”
Liu Yi nodded with satisfaction. “Delicious!”
“As long as the Prince of the North Sea is satisfied. These noodles have bean flour added. I was worried that someone of your noble status might not be accustomed to it.”
Liu Yi said, “Regional Inspector Zhao’s words shame me. In terms of family wealth, my Liu family is far inferior to your Zhao family. Before becoming a prince, I was just a village child.”
Before Liu Yuan proclaimed himself emperor, he traveled everywhere. He had once been a Xiongnu hostage in Luoyang. After his first wife died, he married into the Di tribe to form an alliance with Dan Shi, and bore Liu Yi.
But during those years, he was busy trying to return to the Five Xiongnu Tribes and had no time to care for his child. Liu Yi was left at his maternal grandfather’s home.
Unlike the nomadic Xiongnu, the Di tribe, like the Han people, primarily relied on farming.
So Liu Yi wasn’t wrong to call himself a village child. Such noodles had been rare food for him in childhood.
Even in a landlord’s household, life wasn’t as good as outsiders imagined—it was just better than commoners in that they could fill their bellies.
Having noodles made from wheat flour with an egg was already very good food in Liu Yi’s memory.
But after becoming a prince, he learned this was nothing special.
The Han Kingdom palace was extravagant. Liu Yuan was already considered a relatively lenient sovereign, but once he gained power, he still couldn’t help but indulge in luxury and enjoyment.
Naturally, Liu Yi, who was greatly favored by Liu Yuan, never lacked for food or clothing. Everything he used was the best.
So Zhao Hanzhang listened as Liu Yi described his three daily meals in the palace. For breakfast alone, there was white porridge, white flour, roasted lamb, Three Treasure Chicken, and cheese…
Hearing about so much good food, Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but ask, “You eat such greasy things in the morning?”
“Greasy?” Liu Yi said, “It’s not greasy at all. The lamb meat is tender with no excess fat, and the oil from the Three Treasure Chicken is skimmed off—it’s not greasy at all. I only drink the soup and don’t eat the chicken meat.”
Zhao Hanzhang found herself losing her appetite. She simply put down her chopsticks and asked, “Since the Prince of the North Sea has lived in the countryside, you should know this is an extremely extravagant meal. To do this every day with changing variations—do you know how much money and resources this consumes?”
Liu Yi said, “The imperial family protects the realm, and the realm in turn supports the imperial family. This is as it should be. Our imperial clan is meant to be supported by all under heaven.”
Zhao Hanzhang picked up her bowl again to eat. After finishing the noodles and drinking all the soup without leaving a drop, she said, “But have you Liu clan protected the realm? Now the world is in great chaos, the people are displaced. How much responsibility do you Liu clan bear?”
Liu Yi was somewhat displeased. “Before my father proclaimed himself emperor, the world was already in chaos. This is the Sima clan’s fault. My father answered heaven’s mandate and inherited the Han dynasty’s realm. He is setting things right.”
Zhao Hanzhang said, “Young man, you don’t really believe your Liu family are descendants of the Han imperial house, do you? You’re Xiongnu!”
Liu Yi’s face flushed red with embarrassment and anger. “My father says we are, so we are!”
“Fine,” Zhao Hanzhang reached out and patted his shoulder. “Though our positions differ, out of regard for our brief acquaintance, I still must remind you—be good to the people under your rule. Don’t forget, a nation is composed of its people. If you receive their support, you must fulfill the responsibility of protecting them.”
Liu Yi said proudly, “In this regard, my father is far more competent than your Jin Kingdom’s emperor.”
Zhao Hanzhang neither agreed nor disagreed. The Jin Emperor couldn’t make decisions for himself, but he actually had compassion for the common people. As for Liu Yuan, these past two years, in order to raise military funds and enjoy luxuries, he had heavily exploited the people of Bing Province.
Not only the Han people, but also the Jie Hu and other barbarians. Even Xiongnu commoners often had to offer up their own horses to join the army because they couldn’t meet the quotas demanded from above.
But Zhao Hanzhang wouldn’t say these things outright. Actually, their internal chaos was quite beneficial. When the time was ripe, she could add fuel to the fire and cause internal strife in the Han Kingdom.
Mentioning this was already her greatest kindness toward Little Prince Liu Yi. She could offer another even greater kindness, but now wasn’t the time. She decided to give it to him when he left.
After breakfast, Zhao Hanzhang took him to watch her soldiers drill.
Although Little Prince Liu Yi had participated in government, he only had the privilege of listening in. So far he hadn’t accomplished anything, let alone had any military authority.
But he often went to the army and had seen how their Xiongnu troops operated.
Among them, the Han Kingdom’s most formidable armies, aside from those two forces under Wang Mi and Shi Lei, were the troops led by Liu Cong.
But he remembered when he visited, everyone sat around loosely and scattered. Occasionally some gathered in circles to wrestle for fun. He rarely saw drills as disciplined and uniform as this, with orders strictly followed.
As the soldiers’ shouts of “Hah! Hah!” rang out and their spears changed positions—thrusting, stabbing, lifting, deflecting—a fierce aura rushed at him. Liu Yi’s blood boiled with excitement, while his spine felt a slight chill…
Zhao Hanzhang led him on a tour of the military camp, then discussed methods of training troops. After lunch, they even went to observe the Zhao Family Army’s cavalry.
Zhao Hanzhang said, “In terms of cavalry, we can’t compare with you. Please, Prince of the North Sea, offer us more guidance.”
This guidance session lasted until the sky was nearly dark. Liu Yi couldn’t leave and stayed another night.
Liu Yi’s guard captain wasn’t anxious either, because aside from the supply and provisions area, they could go wherever they wanted. They were quite free and didn’t feel imprisoned at all.
Since they were free to come and go, there was nothing to worry about.
The next day, Liu Yi wanted to take his leave again, but Zhao Hanzhang invited him to visit the neighboring county town. She said, “Yonghe County was captured from your hands. In the city there are many Xiongnu and Jie Hu. Since the Prince of the North Sea has negotiated peace with me, why not come along? You can help me pacify them too, to prevent them from acting impulsively and needlessly losing their lives.”
Liu Yi first didn’t want to damage the alliance just established with Zhao Hanzhang, and second, he truly didn’t want his former subjects to die needlessly. So he went with Zhao Hanzhang.
Thus Zhao Hanzhang assembled a company of personal guards and set out mightily toward Yonghe County.
Ji Yuan just watched as Zhao Hanzhang coaxed the foolish prince away. He stood at the camp entrance with his hands tucked in his sleeves, watching for a good while. Seeing Fu Tinghan passing by in the distance, he quickly called out, “Tinghan, what are you going to do?”
Fu Tinghan was leading a group of people. Hearing this, he said, “I found water. Now I’m taking people to dig a well. Why didn’t Master Ji go to Yonghe County together?”
“I won’t go. I’ll wait here for the Han Kingdom’s envoy. With my lady there, the Prince of the North Sea needs no one else.”
More than sufficient—she had more than enough ability to spare.
—