Zhao Hanzhang personally escorted Tuoba Yilu to the camp entrance and watched him depart. Zhao Kuan didn’t leave but stayed to receive Zhao Hanzhang’s instructions. After he had gone far, he asked, “Governor, you have never allowed Zhao clan weapons to be sold externally. Why do you make exceptions for the Tuoba clan again and again?”

Previously she had already sent them a batch of weapons.

“Last time was to get him to take up arms and fight Youzhou for me. This time,” Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze deepened, “the three Xianbei tribes, nearly a hundred clans, plus Wuhuan scattered everywhere—don’t you think they should be unified?”

Zhao Kuan was alarmed and quickly said, “Governor, if he unifies the three tribes, I fear we’ll be the next ones attacked. The three tribes unified is worse than the three tribes disunited.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled lightly, “Your concern is valid, but the premise is that they must fight. If they don’t fight, what’s the difference between the disunited three tribes and the unified three tribes?”

As for whether the Tuoba tribe would turn southward and view them as enemies after unification, that would have to wait until after unification. Based on the lessons history provided and her own judgment, Tuoba Yilu would destroy himself.

So she had to make good use of him before he destroyed himself.

Seeing her insistence, Zhao Kuan didn’t know how to persuade her and began scratching his ears and cheeks anxiously.

Zhao Hanzhang’s thoughts had already jumped to another matter. She turned to him and said, “Have Qiuwu handle the weapons matter. You prepare yourself—I want you to go to Qingzhou to take office.”

Zhao Kuan was surprised. “Qingzhou, but then Luoyang…”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “For Luoyang I plan to select other worthy candidates. You’re going to Qingzhou to be provincial governor.”

Zhao Kuan’s eyes widened. “But the Qingzhou governor is General Zu…”

“Changed,” Zhao Hanzhang said flatly. “Zu Ti is now Jizhou provincial governor.”

After speaking, she even glanced at Zhao Kuan. “You can’t stop Tuoba Yilu. Moreover, Youzhou still has Shi Lei. You go to Qingzhou. I have matters for you and Linghui to handle.”

Zhao Kuan humbly asked for instruction, “What is Miss Sun’s position?”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him, “Guangzhou provincial governor!”

Zhao Kuan: …

Not long ago his parents had written again urging him to marry, urging him about Sun Linghui as always. In the past two years, Sun Linghui’s official career had been smooth, and among women her official reputation was second only to Fan Ying, who had been closely following Zhao Hanzhang. His mother was still most satisfied with Sun Linghui, and with his aunt also urging Sun Linghui, the two families had again shown interest in a marriage alliance.

With this appointment from Zhao Hanzhang, he didn’t know what his parents would think, but he knew that he and Sun Linghui were now impossible.

To be honest, Zhao Kuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His feelings for Sun Linghui were more of an elder brother’s fraternal affection for a younger sister. Romantic feelings between man and woman—he truly didn’t have those.

Zhao Kuan broke into a smile toward Zhao Hanzhang, “I’ll follow the Governor’s orders.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and nodded, telling him, “After going to Qingzhou, you and Sun Linghui must help each other. These places are extremely important. I’ll have many matters that will require Qingzhou and Guangzhou.”

But she didn’t say what those matters were.

Zhao Kuan agreed.

Zhao Hanzhang then went to find Zu Ti and gave him the appointment document for Jizhou provincial governor, smiling, “After the peace talks end, Shizhi should go to Xindu.”

Xindu was the administrative seat of Jizhou, located in Zhao Kingdom.

Zu Ti’s eyes brightened as he received the appointment document and agreed.

He looked intently at Zhao Hanzhang. “Before the Grand General arrived, I was thinking—to the north is Shi Lei, to the west is Tuoba Yilu, and the Duan clan dominates Liaoxi. I wondered what kind of capable person could defend Jizhou?”

Hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang laughed heartily and looked at him with admiration. “Under heaven, besides General Beigong, only you alone, Shizhi, can do it.”

Zu Ti had always admired Beigong Chun and considered him a kindred spirit. Hearing Zhao Hanzhang place the two of them together made him laugh heartily as well.

The two laughed together, and their laughter carried far. Zhao Kuan, Zhao Shi, Wei Jie, Fu Tinghan and others heard it and couldn’t help turning to look at the main tent, wondering what they were discussing that made them so happy.

Zu Ti personally escorted Zhao Hanzhang to the main tent before returning himself. Zuo Min emerged from somewhere, particularly curious, and asked him, “General, what did you and General Zhao discuss that made you so happy?”

Zu Ti then corrected him, “In the future, you must not address her as General Zhao anymore. You must call her Grand General.”

Zuo Min said, “But isn’t that self-appointed?”

Zu Ti turned and stared at him with heavy eyes. Zuo Min was startled and immediately corrected himself, “Grand General.”

Only then was Zu Ti satisfied. He said, “I can choose not to be a Jin minister, but I must be a minister to the realm. A minister to the realm stabilizes the realm, and now, the one who can stabilize the realm is none other than the Zhao clan. So you must be more respectful toward the Zhao clan, and in the future don’t be too harsh on Zhao Shi either.”

Zuo Min opened his mouth, feeling that Zhao Shi had just walked into dog shit luck—he was simply born well and got the Zhao surname, that’s all.

By the time Zuo Min came back to his senses, Zu Ti had already returned to his tent, and his question remained unanswered.

Zu Ti knew what was important and didn’t tell a second person about the position change, at least not until Tuoba Yilu left—he wouldn’t publicize it widely.

Zhao Kuan sent over the diplomatic letter, which the Duan clan received. Duan Wumucheng summoned his son and subordinates to discuss, and finally decided on peace talks.

Because before Wang Jun died, they hadn’t been able to cross the river and attack. Now that Wang Jun was dead, they were even less likely to cross over, unless Zhao Hanzhang bullied them to death.

Both sides agreed to meet by the river. Zhao Kuan specified their side of the river, but the Duan clan felt they couldn’t listen to them, so they proposed their side instead.

According to protocol, this point couldn’t be conceded and required back-and-forth wrangling. But Zhao Hanzhang really didn’t want to waste too much time here, so she had Zhao Kuan follow the river to find the narrowest section with the shallowest water, where everyone could negotiate across the river.

And guess what—Zhao Kuan actually found it.

Youzhou was experiencing a great drought. Even the Yellow River had dried up in places, let alone this river.

So it was easily found. In the shallow areas, people could hop across on stones. Therefore, both sides standing on opposite banks to negotiate was feasible, as long as the two leaders didn’t find it beneath their dignity.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t find it beneath her dignity.

Fu Tinghan asked her to put on armor, which she obediently did, then wore an outer robe over it. She then took Zhao Kuan, Zu Ti, Shi Lei, Wei Jie, and Fu Tinghan to the negotiations.

Zhao Kuan and Wei Jie were going to argue—oh no, that should be to negotiate. Shi Lei was going to meet Duan Wumucheng. After all, for a long time to come, they would be neighbors. Zu Ti and Fu Tinghan were going to watch the excitement.

Originally Tuoba Yilu also wanted to go, but Zhao Hanzhang felt that too many people would frighten Duan Wumucheng, so she asked Tuoba Yilu to watch them from the mountain in the distance—no need to follow closely.

Thus, Zhao Hanzhang met a group of Duan clan people by the river.

Duan Wumucheng looked at Shi Lei and Zu Ti beside her, then raised his head slightly to look at Tuoba Yilu on the opposite mountain, who wasn’t hiding his tracks at all. His face darkened slightly, but he said nothing and led his son forward.

Zhao Hanzhang dismounted, walked to a large rock by the river, and smiled as she looked at the Duan clan father and son across from her.

The Duan clan father and son frowned but said nothing.

Wei Jie, fanning himself, said leisurely, “You don’t bow upon meeting the Grand General?”

He said, “Wang Jun’s plot to rebel has been exposed and he’s dead. The Grand General interceded with His Majesty, who has pardoned you all. Looking at today, it seems you gentlemen are ungrateful.”

Duan Wumucheng weighed the situation and decided to stick with his previous strategy—to continue friendly relations with the Jin state. So he stepped forward and bowed respectfully, “This general, Duan Wumucheng, pays respects to the Grand General.”

—