Zhao Hanzhang tilted her head. She could see herself in his eyes. She couldn’t help nodding at him and said in a low voice, “This world is broken and tattered, but I still couldn’t help falling in love with it. I want to stay.”

Fu Tinghan took her hand and gripped it firmly. Neither spoke again, but both understood—he would help her. He had also fallen in love with this world.

The two leaned shoulder to shoulder, looking up at the stars in the sky. Compared to the universe, Earth was so tiny, and within Earth they were merely two specks of dust. Yet they wouldn’t regret what they were doing now. They also believed they would influence this era, leaving a profound and vibrant mark here.

Once the two had decided, they let go and acted. Fu Tinghan modified the explosives that Qiu Wu’s people had sent over. On the third day, the army advanced toward Pingyang City.

The Xiongnu forces in Pingyang City learned that Zhao’s army was attacking the city again and prepared crossbows and other weapons in advance. The general defending the city was Liu Qin. Liu Huanle had been named Grand Marshal, commanding the three armies.

Scouts brought back intelligence. Liu Qin hurriedly sent someone to the palace to find Liu Huanle, actually to consult with the Emperor. “This time it’s Zhao Hanzhang attacking the city. Please summon Marshal Liu to direct the battle.”

Liu Yuan had fallen ill, so by the time the message reached his sickbed, Zhao Hanzhang had already led her army to the base of Pingyang City.

Zhao Erlang, who had been staying there harassing them from time to time, immediately galloped over delightedly. “Elder Sister, you’re finally back.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him and nodded. “You lead the right flank. In a moment, you’ll be my vanguard.”

Zhao Erlang immediately agreed happily and rode back to his position.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded at Fu Tinghan.

Fu Tinghan turned his horse and left. Before long, three catapults were pushed forward.

On the city wall, Liu Qin saw them and hurriedly called over a colonel, pointing at the catapults and asking, “Can we hit them?”

“Too far. We can’t hit them.”

Liu Qin asked, “What about the siege crossbows?”

“The siege crossbows can’t reach them either.”

“Why can their siege crossbows hit the city walls but yours can’t reach? What are the War Ministry and Works Ministry doing?”

The colonel lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Liu Qin stared at their catapults, always feeling that this time the catapults were positioned a bit closer than previous times. So he still insisted on having people bring out the siege crossbows, planning to try.

While both sides were silently preparing for battle, Ming Yu stood on a war chariot and approached Pingyang City. He had come to read a proclamation to the people inside the city.

The proclamation was written by Ming Yu himself and then revised by Ji Yuan. Actually, Ji Yuan hadn’t really revised much. When it came to sharp tongues, apart from Zhao Ming, Ji Yuan felt no one could match Ming Yu.

So he just looked it over, then nodded in agreement, treating it as if he’d revised it.

Zeng Yue personally drove the war chariot to stop not far from the moat. On the city wall, though Liu Qin very much wanted to give him an arrow, Ming Yu was dressed as a scholar with cloth in hand—clearly a messenger coming to deliver a message.

When two countries are at war, envoys are not killed. They still had to observe this rule.

So he waited for Ming Yu to speak, also wanting to hear what Zhao Hanzhang had to say.

Who knew Ming Yu, upon reaching the city base, directly unfolded the cloth and read: “In ancient times, the Qin brought warfare, and the various states attacked each other, making the people unable to find peace. When Qin and Han unified, people’s hearts settled, thus people longed for Han. Liu Yuan, that whelp, originally our vassal tribe, a hostage of Jin, took advantage of our troubles and usurped the Central Plains…”

A proclamation could be an announcement, a summons, or also a denunciation and declaration of war.

This proclamation was Zhao Hanzhang’s declaration of war to the Xiongnu State.

The so-called righteous cause—the righteousness of this war could not only boost her troops’ morale but could also damage the enemy’s morale.

This proclamation had not a single curse word throughout, yet was entirely condemning Liu Yuan for taking advantage of others’ misfortune, causing chaos in the realm, falsely borrowing the name of the Han imperial house to harm the people. As a Jin official, he dared attack Jin territory and even harm the Jin Emperor—truly intolerable by heaven’s principles.

“The civilized have transformed into barbarians, the realm has fallen to the Rong and Di. All those with blood and spirit have felt pain and gnashed their teeth at the slave chieftain… One’s fortune and misfortune lie in a hairsbreadth; eternal merit and fame are争ed in a moment. An army is not raised twice, time does not come again. This is proclaimed far and wide so all may know.”

After Ming Yu finished reading, he rolled up the cloth and handed it to Zeng Yue. Zeng Yue bound it to a specially made arrow and shot it toward the city wall.

The arrow lodged in the city wall. Liu Qin took it with a dark expression, his gaze settling heavily on Ming Yu below.

Ming Yu raised his hand. “Please have General Liu deliver this proclamation to Liu Yuan and tell him that my lord awaits him outside Pingyang City to return to righteousness and renounce evil!”

Liu Qin cursed, “Bullshit! Ming Yu, you’re nothing but a servant of two masters. What face do you have to speak of our Emperor?”

Ming Yu didn’t care. He directly said, “Ming Yu’s status is humble, merely a petty man. General, by comparing Liu Yuan with me, are you saying he’s also been a servant of two masters?”

A colonel beside him with limited education hurriedly asked, “General, what did he jabber on about just now?”

Liu Qin nearly choked in one breath. He never imagined that one day he would die not on the battlefield, nor be infuriated to death by the shameless opposing strategist, but be angered to death by his own subordinate.

Seeing Ming Yu had already turned to leave, Liu Qin vented all his anger on the colonel, using the cloth in his hand to beat his head relentlessly. “I told you to read more but you wouldn’t. You can’t even understand someone’s declaration of war!”

Though Liu Qin was very angry, he still sent the proclamation to the palace.

Liu Yuan unfolded it to read. His chest heaved violently, but he quickly calmed down and praised sincerely, “The person who wrote this has great talent, even stronger than those famous scholars in Jin who excel at prose.”

Xuan Yuxiu read it and also nodded. “Indeed great talent.”

He paused, then said, “Your Majesty, attacking Jin may be inappropriate. Why not negotiate peace with Zhao Hanzhang and recall the Grand Marshal?”

Liu Yuan smiled. “We’ve already attacked into Yun City and captured the Jin Emperor. Grand Astrologer, don’t worry. Once Xuanming leads the army back to relieve us, Zhao Hanzhang will have to retreat even if she doesn’t want to.”

He was now waiting for Liu Cong to bring the Jin Emperor back, then proclaim to the realm that the Jin Emperor had abdicated the throne to him. Then he’d grant the Jin Emperor a title and keep him well cared for, and the realm could change its surname to Liu.

Xuan Yuxiu had some bad premonitions and said in a low voice, “Since her emergence, Zhao Hanzhang has never suffered defeat. This time she comes with fierce momentum—I’m afraid she won’t give up easily. Your Majesty, if she breaks through Pingyang before the army returns to relieve us, what should we do then?”

Liu Yuan said, “She can’t break in. We have a hundred thousand troops here, ample provisions, and can hold out for three months without problem. And in three months, Xuanming will certainly come.”

This was also one reason why Liu Yuan didn’t support other cities in Pingyang Commandery, only protecting Pingyang City.

He wasn’t afraid of being besieged by Zhao Hanzhang. If besieged, good—he could tie up enough troops for the army attacking Jin.

Though Liu Yuan was ill, his mind wasn’t muddled. He handed the cloth to Xuan Yuxiu and comforted him, “Don’t worry. Zhao Hanzhang can’t do anything to us. Though her catapults and siege crossbows have long range, those things can’t suppress my soldiers. She can’t get her scaling ladders up.”

Liu Yuan said this with a smile, but his words had barely fallen when a thunderous “boom” rang out. Liu Yuan jumped in fright and immediately looked outside. Seeing it was clear skies, he couldn’t help supporting himself to sit up from the sickbed, staring wide-eyed. “How can there be thunder on a clear day?”

Could it be that Heaven agreed with Zhao Hanzhang’s proclamation?

—