Liu Cong wouldn’t sit and wait for death. He had to break out!
So he divided his forces into four routes, each with a command tent. Even though Zhao Hanzhang had scouts sent out by Ji Yuan and had connections through Liu Yi’s Xiongnu forces, she still couldn’t immediately determine which route he was on.
Zhao Hanzhang simply treated each route as if Liu Cong were there.
She gave Liu Kun a battle plan, had Zhao Ju attack Hunu County, Zhao Ju intercept one route, she herself intercepted another route, and Zeng Yue took one route.
Linghu Ni had essentially been Zhao Hanzhang’s man since Jinyang, so this time, Zhao Hanzhang made him the vanguard while she commanded from behind.
Everyone knew this was a desperate battle. The Xiongnu army was exceptionally fierce. Even with Zhao Hanzhang’s surrender proclamation in place, not many were willing to surrender. When they charged, it was all trading life for life.
Zhao Hanzhang even donned armor and went to the battlefield three times. Her right shoulder blade was inadvertently struck by a blade. Fortunately, she had armor protecting her. The armor shattered, but it should have bled—it hurt terribly.
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t care. This was a crucial moment. If she retreated now, it would affect the army’s morale and rhythm.
But even with the Zhao family army’s high morale, facing the Xiongnu army trading lives they were still slightly inferior. First, a small cavalry unit of Xiongnu broke through their formation and charged out. Immediately more Xiongnu soldiers followed, widening the gap, and several thousand people rushed through…
Zhao Hanzhang turned to pursue, intercepted several hundred men, then turned back to kill the surrounded Xiongnu soldiers…
Linghu Ni was anxious. “General, the Xiongnu’s morale is low and they can’t compare to before. Among those who just escaped, there must be important figures from the Xiongnu court. This general requests troops to pursue.”
Zhao Hanzhang smiled: “Don’t pursue a desperate enemy. If they’ve escaped, let them go. Just annihilate the rest.”
What she meant by annihilate included persuading surrender.
Half an hour later, the remaining people on the battlefield were willing to lay down their weapons and surrender.
Zhao Hanzhang rode her horse back to the rear, smiling at Fu Tinghan, who was arranging for the wounded to receive treatment: “I’ve suffered a minor injury. Would Minister Fu please summon a military physician for me?”
Fu Tinghan frowned and looked her up and down. Reaching out to touch her rear shoulder blade, he felt slightly damp red blood. He asked: “Where else are you injured besides your back?”
“Nowhere else.”
Fu Tinghan called over the busy Ting He and had her help Zhao Hanzhang back to the command tent. He arranged for two military physicians—one male, one female—both with good medical skills.
“Minister, where should this wounded soldier be sent?”
Fu Tinghan withdrew his gaze and looked down, then said: “Send him to Medical Tent A-1.”
He stopped a wounded soldier whose arm had been severed, pointing to another tent: “Send him to Medical Tent A-3. Physician Liu from A-2 isn’t there.”
The soldiers immediately switched to Medical Tent A-3.
The medical tent area was proceeding in an orderly fashion. Linghu Ni still worried about those who had escaped. Anxious, he ran to find Fu Tinghan. “Minister Fu, please speak with the General. Let me take a troop to pursue the routed Xiongnu. Perhaps the traitor Liu Cong is hiding among them.”
Fu Tinghan said: “The Grand General is injured. Please, General Linghu, remain here to guard the army. As for the escaped Xiongnu soldiers—don’t pursue a desperate enemy. Since they’ve escaped, let them go.”
“How can that be acceptable? If we don’t capture Liu Cong, I fear he’ll make a comeback,” Linghu Ni said, then paused, his heart jumping. He asked: “Is the Grand General’s injury very serious?”
Fu Tinghan said: “No, just a minor wound. But she shouldn’t move about now, so we need General Linghu’s help.”
Linghu Ni was suspicious. “Really?”
Fu Tinghan nodded affirmatively: “Really.”
Though Linghu Ni harbored doubts, with people coming and going here, it wasn’t appropriate to ask further.
Zhao Hanzhang’s injury truly wasn’t serious—just a rather long wound. After the military physician cleaned it and applied medicine and bandages, she didn’t even need stitches.
Zhao Hanzhang changed into lighter, more comfortable clothing and summoned her personal guard: “Have the scouts go investigate whether the ambush forces ahead captured anyone. Also report on the situations of the other routes immediately.”
“Yes.”
At this moment, Zhao Erlang was lying on the grass, poking his head out to peek below, rather bored. He asked Xie Shi again: “Advisor, will the traitor Liu Cong really pass by us?”
Xie Shi had answered more than once, but he had been trained by Zhao Erlang and therefore patiently replied: “Erlang is fortunate—you’ll surely encounter him.”
Zhao Erlang lay there continuing to wait.
Xie Shi said so, but actually didn’t hold much hope. After all, it was only a one-in-four chance.
Sixty li away in a straight line from here, in a grove of trees, Shi Lei was also lying in wait.
Zhang Bin took out tortoise shells to divine, then shook his head after a moment: “The merit won’t belong to the General.”
Shi Lei frowned slightly. Just as he was about to ask more, he heard sounds. He immediately ordered: “Entire army, prepare. Protect Advisor Zhang and withdraw.”
Zhang Bin followed a guard unit and withdrew.
A rush of urgent and chaotic hoofbeats and footsteps sounded. A general covered in blood led the charge, with approximately ten thousand routed soldiers streaming behind him.
Shi Lei recognized Liu Yao at a glance. Scanning the area and finding no Liu Cong, he felt slightly regretful. But this emotion only lasted an instant. He immediately rallied himself and gave an order. The Shi forces lying in ambush on both sides of the grove surged out in three waves, taking turns shooting arrows at the front of the road. Combined with horse-tripping pits dug in the road, the cavalry in front fell in waves.
Liu Yao hadn’t expected an ambush force here. Greatly alarmed, he gritted his teeth and was about to fight his way through when Shi Lei leapt out from the grove like a fierce tiger, charging straight at him.
Seeing Shi Lei, Liu Yao’s heart turned cold. He knew this time he would probably not escape.
The one intercepted head-on was also Liu Cong!
Liu Cong wore a regular officer’s uniform. Leading the troops was Liu Cong’s sixth son, Liu Ji, who possessed formidable martial prowess. Zhao Erlang saw them fleeing to this point and immediately shouted. Stones and logs flew down together, tumbling down and throwing the routed army into chaos. But the opposing force didn’t immediately scatter in defeat. Instead, they quickly formed up to resist.
Seeing this, Xie Shi was delighted and called out: “The traitor Liu Cong is among the routed army! Whoever can capture Liu Cong alive shall be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold, promoted three ranks, and whoever brings his head shall also earn merit and be rewarded with ten taels of gold, promoted two ranks!”
Hearing this, the soldiers all became energized. Even Zhao Erlang shouted excitedly, then led the charge down into the enemy forces, fighting Liu Ji to a standstill.
Liu Ji was strong, and Zhao Erlang was equally strong. Liu Ji was larger than Zhao Erlang, but their combat experience was about the same. Moreover, Zhao Erlang had exceptional learning ability (in martial matters). After fighting once, he could learn his opponent’s techniques and even instinctively know how to counter them.
Combined with his superior weapons and the advantage of a rested army, after more than twenty exchanges, Zhao Erlang was essentially pressing Liu Ji back. His spear opened wide with sweeping strikes, driving Liu Ji from the front of the formation back to the middle. People along the way dodged aside. Occasionally, someone would raise a blade to attack from behind, only to be stabbed by his returning thrust.
While moving through the enemy forces, Zhao Erlang’s sharp eyes spotted Liu Cong passing him by.