Chapter 493: Chapter 493

Zhao Hanzhang slept with her clothes on, bright flames lit up in the darkness, someone was watching her, holding a torch.

Seeing her look over, the person holding the torch had a face full of excitement and cruelty, then threw the torch at her, it shattered on her body, and the flame instantly engulfed her...

Screams rang out one after another around her, she turned her head to see Fu Tinghan, Zhao Erlang, and Ji Yuan all engulfed in roaring flames...

Zhao Hanzhang’s limbs jerked violently, and she suddenly opened her eyes.

She noticed that her hands were restrained, only then did she look to the side in shock, Fu Tinghan was sitting beside her, firmly pressing her hand down.

He took out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat off her forehead, and leaned in to whisper, "Nightmare? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

"I had a nightmare?" There was some confusion in Zhao Hanzhang’s eyes, then she became certain, "Yes, that was a nightmare."

Fu Tinghan finished wiping her sweat, pulled her up to sit, and handed her a water sack.

Zhao Hanzhang reached out, took it, and drank half a sack of water in gulps, then wiped her mouth, catching a glimpse of Fu Tinghan’s reddened and seemingly bloody hand with her peripheral vision, hurriedly reaching out to take it, seeing it was nail marks, immediately feeling guilty, "Did I grasp it?"

Fu Tinghan gave her a slight smile, wanting to retract his hand, "It’s fine."

Zhao Hanzhang, however, pulled his hand back, "It’s bleeding, how could it be nothing?"

She rummaged through her small bundle, taking out a bottle of medicine, "Let me apply some for you."

Fu Tinghan initially let her hold his hand, but upon seeing her really take out the medicine, he quickly refused firmly, "It’s really nothing, just a print, the medicine is precious, better keep it for emergencies."

Zhao Hanzhang firmly applied the medicinal powder on him and bandaged it with a handkerchief, "Now that it’s getting hot, and so many people have died out there, be more careful."

Lying on the side, Beigong Chun couldn’t help lifting his head to look at the two, then smashed his head back to the ground, exhaling deeply, feeling infinitely sad.

Fu Tinghan looked at the barely tied knot on the handkerchief in his hand, clenched his hand and put it behind him, asking, "Tomorrow, let me go with you."

Zhao Hanzhang shook her head to refuse, "It’s too dangerous, if Shi Le insists on refusing, we might have to fight another battle, Mr. Ji is leading the army here, charging away, and might get hurt."

Fu Tinghan said, "You underestimate me too much, although I’m not as good as you, capable of fighting on the battlefield, running for my life isn’t an issue."

Seeing Zhao Hanzhang still wanting to oppose, he said, "You also need a strategist to manage the rear, no matter whether you are ransoming or snatching someone, once you have the person, you will need someone to command them away, otherwise, if you snatch a pile of scattered sand that can’t be taken away, you’ll end up dying in the wilderness."

Zhao Hanzhang was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Alright!"

Fu Tinghan curled his lips a little.

Before dawn the next day, Zhao Hanzhang had all the cavalry woken, prepared the carriages, and moved all the looted assets onto the carriages.

Oh, the carriages were also pieced together from the scattered luggage.

Ji Yuan was still very happy, he reported to Zhao Hanzhang, "Just yesterday’s battle alone, we captured over ten thousand horses, and over ten thousand cattle and mules."

Zhao Hanzhang: "Could you provide a specific number, ten thousand is ’over ten thousand’, and ninety thousand is also ’over ten thousand’.

Ji Yuan’s face darkened, looking at her with dark eyes, "I’m incapable, just one night and I couldn’t count the loot thoroughly."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang immediately said, "It’s my fault, being too impatient, please, sir, be sure to forgive me, when I return from Shi Le, I’ll buy you a jar of Hundred Days Drunk from Dashun House."

Ji Yuan’s complexion improved, even showing a smile, "As long as the master comes back safely, never mind any Hundred Days Drunk or Thousand Days Drunk, Yuan doesn’t care."

Fu An, who was packing things on the side, muttered in his heart, if he doesn’t care, he shouldn’t be so obviously happy, that wine money is clearly paid by his lord.

Beigong Chun also assembled the troops, cupping his fists, "General, the Xiliang Army is ready."

"Good," Zhao Hanzhang immediately turned around, pulled up the spear stuck in the ground, "let’s go!"

Ting He hurriedly saluted Ji Yuan and went to chase after Zhao Hanzhang.

Fu An also quickly grabbed his bundle to follow, Ji Yuan sighed, could only stand in place and see them off.

Fu Tinghan was already waiting on the horse, perhaps afraid that Zhao Hanzhang wouldn’t take him along.

Zhao Hanzhang leaped on her horse, glanced back at the personal soldiers following Fu Tinghan, nodded slightly; indeed, it was right to place some people by Fu Tinghan’s side, it was safer that way.

Zhao Hanzhang led the way, Fu Tinghan and Beigong Chun followed a step behind her, with the Xiliang Army and Zhao Family Army respectively following them, their flags fluttering high.

The gathered scattered soldiers and civilians nearby all raised their heads to watch those two flags, a sense of stability they hadn’t realized rose in their hearts. Fresh chapters posted on NoveI★Fire.net

Night marches were hard, not to mention they swept away so many Jin people, they wouldn’t march at night.

Hence, they were not very far from Shi Le.

But as it got bright over here, it naturally got bright as well where Shi Le’s troops temporarily camped.

They needed to make a decision soon, whether to leave or to turn back and continue targeting Zhao Hanzhang.

Liu Yuan sent two armies to cooperate with Shi Le, but this attack was still centered on Shi Le.

So everyone looked at Shi Le.

Wang Zhang, having lost disastrously and fled yesterday, wore a big shame, thus he was unwilling to leave just like that, proposing to continue attacking south, "That Zhao Hanzhang is just a mere woman, how can she compare with the General? Moreover, Luoyang is currently empty, as long as we capture Zhao Hanzhang, we can advance to Luoyang unobstructed; by then, the merit of capturing the city and the Emperor would be the General’s."

To say one wouldn’t be tempted was impossible, but Shi Le had faced Zhao Hanzhang twice without gaining any advantage, causing him some hesitation.

Shi Le’s strategist, Zhang Bin, however, said, "General, although Zhao Hanzhang is a woman, she possesses courage and intelligence no less than a man’s and shouldn’t be underestimated."

"She saved nearly a hundred thousand scattered soldiers yesterday, after a little reorganization, she could use them, and now, in the wilderness and desolate cities, what benefit is there for the General to contend with her?" Zhang Bin said, "Why not bypass her and take Luoyang directly, if you can capture Luoyang and seize the Emperor of Great Jin, you will be the first in Your Majesty’s heart."

Zhang Bin lowered his voice a bit here, "Wang Mi is always cunning, with such a good opportunity, he probably won’t let it go either, for each day you delay here, his chance to steal the credit increases a bit."

Shi Le wasn’t lacking in intelligence and strategy; Zhang Bin’s suggestion reminded him. He looked at Wang Zhang sitting below, sneered inwardly, and said directly, "Zhao Hanzhang’s territory is in Yu State, let her fight with Gou Xi; we don’t need to confront her directly; assemble the troops, and we’ll leave."