Zhao Hanzhang said, “In the future, if misfortune strikes and enemy troops reach the city gates, defend if you can. If you cannot defend, surrendering to them like this time is acceptable. The most important thing is to protect the common people and not allow them to massacre the city or kill indiscriminately.”

Cui Shi’s face was solemn as he acknowledged and indicated his understanding.

Zhao Hanzhang left most of the confiscated weapons with Cui Shi. Without staying long, she led the army away that evening.

Cui Shi and the others followed, seeing them off for twenty li. Watching the army disappear into the distance, they finally turned back while wiping their tears.

Zhao Hanzhang’s forces marched urgently through the dark for fifty li before stopping. Without making camp, they simply took out dry rations to eat a few bites before lying down to sleep on the ground.

Ting He followed the soldiers to the river to fetch water, boiling it for Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan so they could soak their dry rations in hot water to eat.

Zhao Hanzhang was already accustomed to this. Sometimes a battle required fighting for an entire day, making it difficult to find time to sit down and eat dry rations. In such times, she would break off a piece to hold in her mouth, letting her saliva slowly soften the rations so at least she wouldn’t be so hungry that her hands trembled.

So she took the bowl, wanting to break the dry ration to soak in water, but the remaining piece wasn’t large and wouldn’t break apart easily.

After thinking, she took out her dagger and slowly ground it, cutting the ration in half. She tucked one half into her clothing for safekeeping and soaked the other half in water.

Fu Tinghan still had a large piece of dry ration left. Seeing this, he forcefully broke off a chunk to give her.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him and accepted it, soaking it in the water together. Seeing how difficult it was for him to break off a piece, she simply took it from him and used all her strength to break off a large piece for him.

Fu Tinghan put away the large piece and soaked the small piece in hot water. He casually set the bowl aside, moved the map on his knee to a different position, and continued their conversation. “Are you certain about going to Zhen City?”

After Zhao Hanzhang hummed in acknowledgment, she said, “If we don’t recover Zhen City, they can attack Dunqiu at any time, and then our retreat will be cut off.”

“Will we use the same tactics? Not breaking through the city gate?”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “Blasting open the city gate would require them to expend considerable manpower and resources to repair it afterward. Once Shi Le counterattacks, who knows how many people will die.”

Fu Tinghan lowered his eyes in thought before saying, “Then I’ll reduce the explosive content a bit more and find some iron spikes and iron fragments to add in.”

This would be similar to a hand grenade. When thrown onto the city tower and detonated, the iron spikes and fragments would injure people. It might not be fatal, but it could temporarily incapacitate them, allowing the ladder teams to take advantage and climb onto the city tower.

This would also minimize damage to the city tower. In this attack on Dunqiu County, Fu Tinghan had simultaneously thrown in two packages of explosives twice, blasting two large holes in the city tower. Once they left, the people of Dunqiu would need to repair the tower to guard against future enemy attacks.

But this was still better than Pingyang City, where the city gate still hadn’t been rebuilt.

Fu Tinghan also needed to adjust the amount and method of explosive use through each siege.

Seeing the dry rations had softened somewhat, Zhao Hanzhang took the bowl and ate this tasteless, bland dinner without even frowning. “How is it? Have you found good stone throwers?”

Fu Tinghan also picked up his bowl and ate the dry rations with some difficulty, nodding. “I found one. There’s someone called Le Si who has great talent. After just three days of learning from me, he can throw more accurately than me. Two of the explosives at Dunqiu were thrown by him.”

Zhao Hanzhang recalled and asked, “Those two shots that were especially accurate, exploding in the air above the city tower?”

“Right,” Fu Tinghan couldn’t help but smile. “The other two shots that collapsed the city tower were calibrated by me, much worse than his.”

Zhao Hanzhang also couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The two of them looked at each other laughing for a while, not knowing which point had touched each other’s funny bone, just looking at each other and laughing non-stop.

Zhao Hanzhang’s tears were about to come from laughing before she barely managed to stop and comfort Fu Tinghan. “It’s fine. Each field has its specialization, and he’s still someone you taught.”

Fu Tinghan saw her eyebrows relax, the worries that had lingered since morning dispersing from between her brows. He couldn’t help but smile again. “This is called the student surpassing the master.”

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t hold back her laughter again. She didn’t even know what she was laughing at. Perhaps it was discovering that Fu Tinghan, who had always been clever and seemingly omnipotent in his field, suddenly wasn’t as perfect and flawless as she’d imagined?

Hahaha…

Ting He, who had returned with more water, saw the two in good spirits and stopped in her tracks. Seeing Fu’an, who was also carrying water, still walking forward, she made a sound at him, signaling him not to approach.

Fu’an looked at his young master laughing heartily and silently stopped.

Ting He saw he didn’t look very happy and moved closer to ask quietly, “What’s wrong with you? Aren’t you happy the two masters have a good relationship?”

Fu’an snorted twice. “Your mistress said they’d marry this year. It’s already June, but there’s not a shadow of a wedding date.”

Ting He consoled him, “The war suddenly started. Our mistress had no choice.”

“Look at how happily our mistress is smiling at the young master? You can reassure the young master that once this battle is finished, our mistress will definitely set the wedding date.”

Fu’an didn’t respond, but his expression improved somewhat.

After finishing dinner and washing up briefly, when Zhao Hanzhang raised her head to look around, the soldiers had already entered dreamland. Except for those on patrol duty, everyone else was squeezed together sleeping soundly.

Zhao Hanzhang moved closer to Fu Tinghan and said in a low voice, “You rest first. I’m going to walk a round.”

Fu Tinghan nodded, hugging a cloak and lying down on the ground, using a bundle of clothes wrapping books as a pillow. With the fire nearby and it being midsummer, it wasn’t cold.

Zhao Hanzhang took her personal guards and walked a round through the camp. At one soldier’s head, she reached out and instantly caught two mosquitoes.

Zhao Hanzhang frowned and asked the guard behind her, “Where is Fan Ying?”

Immediately a guard ran to find Fan Ying.

Fan Ying hurried over. Zhao Hanzhang gave instructions in a low voice. “The army still needs to prepare some mosquito repellent. For days like today when there’s no time to make camp, we can drive away mosquitoes on a large scale to help the soldiers sleep better.”

Fan Ying thought briefly before saying, “Use mugwort?”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “We can try it. Ask the military physicians, and if it doesn’t work, think of other methods.”

Fan Ying noted it down.

Zhao Hanzhang then brought her along, saying in a low voice, “Tomorrow we’ll attack Zhen City. You stay in the rear to prepare new dry rations. After tomorrow, we’ll split our forces. The vanguard army needs to bring three days’ worth of provisions, so you must hurry to prepare.”

Fan Ying acknowledged. Returning to her own fire, she couldn’t sleep no matter what and simply gathered her subordinates to assign work.

The next morning they rushed urgently to arrive outside Zhen City. The city gates were tightly closed, paying no attention to the Zhao Family Army’s cursing below.

Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t anxious. They had rushed here and needed rest anyway.

After cursing for two hours, the Zhao Family Army had also rested enough. At sunset, when Zhen City thought the day would end this way and the guards were most relaxed, Fu Tinghan and Le Si stood before the catapult. The two calibrated the angle and installed the explosive barrels.

Zhao Hanzhang sat on horseback and waved her hand. War drums thundered, their stirring beats resounding through the three armies. The soldiers’ emotions suddenly surged, all eyes bright with determination as they stared at Zhen City.

Hearing the war drums, Fu Tinghan and Le Si simultaneously signaled to light the fuses and threw the explosive barrels with almost synchronized precision.

At the same time, the ladder teams hoisted their ladders and ran toward Zhen City with war cries.

The instant they heard the war drums, people on Zhen City’s tower became alert and passed word down that the Zhao Family Army was attacking.

They were just preparing the bed crossbows and archers when two explosive barrels were thrown over their heads. Before landing, they exploded with a bang.

The archers running over and the officers commanding on the tower were all blown over by the heat wave, their ears ringing and eyes dizzy. Then they felt bone-deep pain. Many were injured by iron fragments mixed in the barrels, crying out loudly in pain and wailing.

Others had sparks on their bodies and were instantly ignited. In panic, they screamed and ran about, even setting the tower on fire.

The commandant supported his dizzy head and climbed up from the ground. His ears couldn’t hear, but he could see the chaos. Seeing soldiers running down from the tower, he drew his sword and killed one soldier trying to flee, shouting loudly, “Those who flee in fear die! No one is allowed to run!”

As soon as his voice fell, a wooden ladder slapped against the city wall with a thud. He tensed but still couldn’t hear any sound, yet still shouted loudly, “Stones, boiling oil, spearmen, quickly!”

Some brought stones, but because of the bomb, everyone was fearful. Few moved, and they weren’t fast. Before they could throw down many stones, Zhao Family Army soldiers leaped onto the tower and immediately drew swords to kill.

The tower immediately descended into chaotic combat. As long as the first person climbed the tower, an endless stream could follow.

At the same time, the vanguard team, under their cover, reached below the city and continuously rammed the city gate with a massive log.

Zhen City wasn’t a strategic location. Like Dunqiu, the city walls here weren’t particularly high, and the gates weren’t especially solid. With the ladder teams climbing the tower and quickly killing their way down from above, they assisted the vanguard team in opening the city gate.

When the sunset completely fell and the sky began to darken, Zhao Hanzhang rode her horse into Zhen City.

Shi Le had been stationed in Zhen City for some time, so the former county magistrate had been killed. The current magistrate was someone Shi Le had left behind.

After Zhao Hanzhang met him and saw he would rather die than surrender, she granted his wish.

The Shi Le soldiers who had been held with heads held high and refusing to surrender were stunned, their eyes widening slightly.

Zhao Hanzhang sat under the plaque reading “Mirror Held High” in the county office and said indifferently, “Zhao has always been understanding and doesn’t like to force people. If anyone else wishes to remain loyal to Shi Le, just report it and I’ll send you on your way.”

No one dared to speak. Even the lieutenant colonel and commandants who had been holding their heads high lowered them.

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand, having them taken away and thrown into the prisoner of war camp.

More than half the people were led away in a rush before she looked at the others kneeling in the hall.

These were all other officials from the county office, plus several respected village elders.

Zhao Hanzhang sighed and had them rise, then said, “Go invite the gentry and village elders of the city. Say that Zhao wishes to discuss major affairs of Zhen City with them.”

After the Zhao Family Army entered the city, every household shut their doors tightly, not daring to come out. The Zhao Family Army also didn’t disturb the people, just sitting on the streets.

Upon receiving orders, soldiers took a list from Fan Ying and went directly to knock on doors according to the list.