Zhao Hanzhang stormed into Lu County, charging straight for the Provincial Governor’s office. She had people guard all the city gates: “Bring Zhi Hei and the others and find all of Shi Lei’s wives and children.”
Zhao Hanzhang paused, then added: “Treat them courteously. Don’t frighten them.”
Yuan Li, who had been full of fierce energy, immediately restrained his aura upon hearing the instruction. He lowered his head, responded “Yes,” and led people away to search.
Shi Lei currently had two sons. His biological son was named Shi Xing, also the heir apparent. His adopted son was named Shi Kan. His wife was Lady Liu. When Zhao Hanzhang rushed into the Provincial Governor’s office, everyone had already fled. In the enormous office, only a dozen or so servants who hadn’t managed to escape remained.
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t make things difficult for them. After verifying their identities, she processed them as prisoners—screening them, keeping those with ability, and for those without, converting them to commoner status and allocating farmland for them to cultivate.
She sat in the main hall waiting for news. It wasn’t until nightfall that Yuan Li came to report: “We captured Shi Kan, but he covered Lady Liu and the heir apparent Shi Xing’s escape and is gravely wounded, barely clinging to life.”
Zhao Hanzhang asked: “Can we find out their whereabouts?”
Yuan Li lowered his head.
Zhao Hanzhang sighed: “Try to save him. If he can’t be saved, give him a proper burial. Send a squad to pursue. We must capture Shi Xing.”
“Yes.” Yuan Li was about to withdraw when Zhao Hanzhang suddenly called him back: “You personally lead people to pursue.”
Zhao Hanzhang’s face was grave: “There aren’t many places they can go. Heading south… all have been occupied by me. They should be going toward Pingyang, or toward Guangping Commandery.”
Yuan Li acknowledged seriously.
Zhao Hanzhang said: “Capture him alive!”
After Yuan Li withdrew, Ming Yu said: “Does the Commander want to use Shi Xing to exchange for His Majesty? I fear neither Shi Lei nor Liu Cong will agree.”
“Huh?” Zhao Hanzhang said: “I want to exchange for Great-Uncle. As for the Emperor, they naturally won’t exchange him…”
Zhao Hanzhang’s heart stirred, saying quietly: “That would also require an emperor.”
“Right, how could I forget about Liu Yuan,” Zhao Hanzhang murmured. “If we could capture him, we might be able to exchange for His Majesty and the ministers.”
Ming Yu: …
He endured, but couldn’t hold back: “Is the Commander serious?”
Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him: “There’s no harm in trying. Now that His Majesty has been captured, agonizing is useless. Better to think about how to maximize benefits.”
Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze was profound, saying quietly: “For example, we could recover the lost territories of Bing Province and Ji Province in one stroke.”
Ming Yu paused, then asked: “And then? Will the Commander establish a new emperor?”
If she really broke into Pingyang City, why would she create obstacles for herself by establishing a new emperor?
Zhao Hanzhang deflected: “We’ll discuss that when the time comes.”
Ming Yu wasn’t a loyal minister of the Jin state. Hearing Zhao Hanzhang’s implication, he was delighted and also nodded.
From Shangdang Commandery heading west, one could attack Pingyang Commandery. Zhao Hanzhang had Mi Ce and Li Tianhe go east to recover Guangping Commandery, while she led Zeng Yue west to Pingyang to join forces with Fu Tinghan. Well, fighting their way there to join forces.
Neither Shi Lei nor Liu Cong had anticipated that Yu Province wouldn’t be threatened by the Jin Emperor. This made Liu Cong feel the emperor in his hands was rather useless.
Liu Cong looked at the Jin Emperor with increasingly dark eyes. Because of this, Shi Lei didn’t kill Gou Xi and Gou Chun.
The Emperor’s life couldn’t make Zhao Hanzhang yield even one step. What use was killing Gou Xi?
So Shi Lei simply appointed Gou Xi as Left Minister, planning to use him to take Yan Province and Yu Province.
With Yun City fallen, the western and northern regions of Yan Province had basically all been occupied by Shi Lei and Liu Cong. Now only the southern and some eastern cities were holding firm. Shi Lei planned to bring Gou Xi, the former Inspector of Yan Province, to subdue these cities, then attack Yu Province.
“Report—”
A courier soldier galloped forward with a letter, shouting: “Great General, eight-hundred-li express! Lu County has fallen!”
Shi Lei’s face changed. He snatched the letter and tore it open. Reading that Zhao Hanzhang had consecutively taken eight cities and already occupied Lu County, his vision went black. He quickly asked: “What about the heir apparent?”
The courier gasped for breath: “The heir apparent and Lady’s whereabouts are unknown. Young Master Kan was captured, gravely wounded, life or death unknown.”
Shi Lei crushed the letter to powder.
Zhi Xiong said anxiously: “Great General, let’s quickly return to Shangdang.”
“We can’t return!” Zhang Bin hurried over, saying to Shi Lei: “General, don’t forget our original plan. We had already predicted Shangdang’s fall. Returning now won’t help matters. Better to take Yan Province and Yu Province, then counterattack back.”
Shi Lei gradually crushed the letter to powder bit by bit, his face expressionless: “Master is right. A great man need not worry about lacking sons. Men! Muster the troops. We’re going to Yu Province!”
This time, he wouldn’t attack from Meng County but would strike through from Yan Province’s border!
Moreover, he had an ally.
Shi Lei was a minister of the Han state. Shangdang wasn’t just Shi Lei’s Shangdang—it was also the Xiongnu Han state’s.
Especially with Shangdang’s special geographic position, Liu Cong couldn’t sit by and watch Shangdang be lost. So as soon as Shi Lei reported up, the two formulated a new plan.
Shi Lei would fiercely attack Yu Province, forcing Zhao Hanzhang to return for relief, while Liu Cong would attack Ji Province, reclaiming all the lost cities of Ji Province and Bing Province.
Liu Cong led the Jin Emperor northward. Many Jin ministers, seeing even the Jin Emperor captured, either for the Emperor’s sake or feeling from the depths of their hearts that the tide had turned, opened their cities and surrendered one after another.
Watching as the northern parts of Yan Province, the southern parts of Ji Province, and even the southern parts of Qing Province were all occupied by the Xiongnu, Zhao Zhongyu’s heart ached greatly. He couldn’t help but seek out the Emperor: “Your Majesty, if this continues, Jin will perish.”
The Emperor wore common cloth clothing. His treatment was inferior even to Jin ministers like Zhao Zhongyu. Though not imprisoned, he could only remain in a fixed area, occasionally being summoned to provide amusement and humiliation for Liu Cong. Seeing Zhao Zhongyu, he couldn’t help but shed tears, choking up: “We are now hostages. What can we do?”
Zhao Zhongyu said: “Your Majesty should take your own life.”
The Emperor’s lips trembled as he stared at Zhao Zhongyu in shock, unable to speak.
Zhao Zhongyu knelt before him, weeping: “Only if Your Majesty passes away can they be freed from threats. Even more so, in grief they could counterattack. I beg, I beg Your Majesty to take your own life.”
The attendants around the Emperor heard these words and knelt down, trembling all over.
Eunuch Zhou knee-walked forward, pushing Zhao Zhongyu aside, trembling: “Minister Zhao, you, you are too bold!”
The Emperor’s legs shook as he swept the teapot from the table to the floor, then picked up a porcelain shard. But when he raised his hand to test it, he found he couldn’t bring himself to do it. So he shakily handed the shard to Zhao Zhongyu: “Beloved minister, you do it.”
Zhao Zhongyu’s face went pale as he shook his head repeatedly: “How could this minister dare commit regicide?”
The Emperor smiled bitterly, unable to help but mock: “Beloved minister, you force me to suicide—how is that different from striking me down yourself?”
Zhao Zhongyu’s tears flowed freely: “Your Majesty’s words condemn this minister. This minister also had no intention of surviving alone. On the road to the Yellow Springs, this minister will continue serving as Your Majesty’s minister. But this minister truly dares not commit regicide.”
The Emperor and Zhao Zhongyu looked at each other in tears. In the end, the Emperor still didn’t muster the courage to commit suicide, and Zhao Zhongyu naturally dared not kill the Emperor. So the matter passed.
But watching Liu Cong advance triumphantly, sweeping through territory like a whirlwind, he wasn’t without anxiety. Had he known the realm would perish at his hands, even if beaten to death four years ago, he wouldn’t have ascended to become emperor.
—