CHAPTER 340: CHAPTER 334 REQUEST TO FIGHT

Zhao Ming looked at her for a long time without speaking, and Zhao Hanzhang didn’t force him, leisurely drank the wine in her cup, stood up, and paid her respects, saying, "I know that Uncle is soft-hearted. I’ll entrust my mother to you."

This time Zhao Ming didn’t protest again.

Zhao Hanzhang stood up to leave, leaving Zhao Ming alone in the pavilion. He twirled the wine cup in his hand for a long while before finally tilting his head back to drink the wine, then set down the cup and stood up to leave.

Wang Nai and Xie Shi were waiting eagerly in Wu Castle to hear some good news. Who knew that after Zhao Ming returned, he continuously met with people and only remembered them by evening. He patted his head and could only go tell them, "Hanzhang wanted to meet you both, but things didn’t align. She has to deploy troops to Chen County tomorrow, so she cannot see you."

Wang Nai and Xie Shi were shocked, "Deploy troops to Chen County? Has something happened in Chen County?"

Wang Nai seemed to have realized something, and his face turned ugly in an instant, "Could it be that the Prince East Sea and Gou Xi withdrew their troops?"

Zhao Ming looked approvingly at him and said, worried, "The Prince East Sea has already withdrawn his troops, and Gou Xi is slackening in the battle—he hasn’t retreated, but it’s almost like retreating. Seeing this, all other reinforcements have pulled back. Now, only Yu State’s troops are still resisting."

Xie Shi couldn’t help but slam the table, "Such shortsightedness, isn’t Yu State also part of Great Jin if Luoyang is?"

Yu State is the center of the nine regions. Once lost, Great Jin is not far from annihilation.

Wang Nai briefly pondered and understood their intentions, gritting his teeth, "The Prince East Sea is forcing Gou Xi to deploy troops to protect Yu State. If they both suffer in this battle, the Prince East Sea can reap the benefits."

"But isn’t this something Gou Xi could realize too?" Wang Nai said, "Gou Xi clearly knows, sincerely cares about Yu State, yet doesn’t want to fulfill the Prince East Sea’s wishes, thus he slackens in battle, watching from the sidelines."

Wang Nai’s face turned sour, "Other reinforcements, seeing the two like this, naturally don’t want to fight desperately for Yu State."

So now, the only ones willing to fight desperately for Yu State are the people of Yu State and those righteous individuals whose conscience is not yet extinguished.

Xie Shi angrily paced in circles, finally cursing, "So many ministers in the court allow the Prince East Sea to act so willfully without advising or stopping him; they are truly parasites of benefits!"

He turned to Wang Nai, "Wang Yifu is truly someone who harms the nation."

Yifu is Wang Yan’s courtesy name; clearly, this person didn’t care about friendship with Wang Nai.

Wang Nai was upset, pursing his lips, "You don’t criticize the main culprit, the Prince East Sea, but scold my noble brother; what’s the use?"

"As Minister of Supervision and Minister of Works, he lets the Prince East Sea and Gou Xi compete with each other, doing nothing; isn’t that harming the nation?"

"The Prince East Sea is deeply influential; how can he defy the Prince East Sea?"

Xie Shi said solemnly, "He’s not the Prince East Sea’s Minister of Supervision or Minister of Works; he is Great Jin’s Minister of Supervision and Minister of Works!"

Wang Nai immediately stopped talking.

Zhao Ming let the two of them argue while slowly drinking to the side, only speaking after they finished arguing, "Tomorrow Hanzhang will deploy troops; today, she has to allocate soldiers and dispatch generals, also counting provisions, so she truly cannot find the time to see you two."

Xie Shi thought for a moment and then turned to leave, "I will join the army."

Walking as he spoke, Xie Shi returned to his room to fetch his luggage and sword, and Wang Nai also left, "I’ll join you."

Only after they left did Zhao Ming put down his cup and chase after them, not blocking them, but saying, "It’s already late, why not leave tomorrow morning?"

Xie Shi and Wang Nai, however, were impulsive, unable to wait a single moment longer, took their bundles, and left.

Zhao Ming could only escort the two to the Wu Castle gates, solemnly saying to them, "Take care!"

Xie Shi and Wang Nai shook their fists, mounted their horses, and left with their followers.

When they arrived at the county town, the gates were about to close, and they entered just as the gates were shutting.

The soldiers guarding the city merely glanced at them before continuing to shut the gates, unconcerned. Recently, due to the Recruitment Order, many people had arrived, coming in all sorts, so it wasn’t surprising to them; they even kindly pointed the way, "Straight down the main road to the county government. The office is closed now; if you need an inn, you can find one near the county government, all very safe."

Wang Nai and Xie Shi: ... They said the same thing when they entered the city the day before yesterday; have they already forgotten them?

The two led their horses toward the county government. The sky was about to darken, but strangely, a lot of people gathered around the county government.

Originally intending to directly find Zhao Hanzhang, the two also stopped and stepped forward to see.

The two stood tall, dressed in splendid clothes, wearing swords, holding horses, followed by attendants, and people subconsciously made way for them.

The two smoothly reached the notice wall, where the county government had recently posted an announcement, handwritten by Zhao Hanzhang herself.

The Prince East Sea, Gou Xi, and Inspector He and other reinforcements combined forces to drive the Xiongnu Army away, and Zhao Hanzhang didn’t think her meager troops could compare to the Prince East Sea and Gou Xi.

Therefore, she needed more people.

Posting this announcement served both to recruit soldiers and to calm the people’s hearts.

The spirit and fighting will are very important; a surge of resolve can make soldiers fearless of life and death, invincible in every battle!

So Zhao Hanzhang personally wrote this announcement and ordered it to be spread to each county.

She didn’t conceal the shame of the court, openly stating the withdrawal of the Prince East Sea’s troops, stating clearly that Yu State was at its life-and-death point. Although there are courageous and righteous people from all over helping them, the majority of the help must come from themselves!

Their parents, wives, children, siblings, all live in Yu State, allowing them no retreat, hence they must defend Chen County and block the Xiongnu Army outside Yu State.

The text was in plain language, understood by all who were literate, and everyone who heard read it also understood. The surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion, a surge of resolve rising in their chests, and someone shouted: "I wish to follow the heroine to resist the Xiongnu!"

Someone immediately responded: "I am willing too!"

"Count me in!"

"I will go too!"

The crowd was enthusiastic, directly going to the county government to state their intent.

Wang Nai and Xie Shi stood by the announcement wall, feeling a surge of resolve in their chests too. The two looked at each other, decided not to use the back door, and directly followed the crowd to the county government’s front.

Chang Ning had to come out personally to calm the crowd, "The County Chancellor has received your intentions, but joining the army is a serious matter and should not be decided impulsively. The announcement also says for everyone to cultivate diligently at the rear, preparing provisions and supplies for the frontline soldiers."

"That’s too womanly; a good man should go to the battlefield to kill the enemy!"

"Exactly, there’s a wife at home for sowing; they can do it too!"

"That weaving to make military uniforms should be done by the wives too. We are useless staying behind; we should follow the heroine to the battlefield to kill enemies!"

A group of women heard the news, coming from all the streets, hearing the men’s shouts, immediately shouted loudly: "Exactly, County Lord let them go. We are at home; we can support the elders, raise children, sow seeds, plow, and weave. We can do all these, even if there are few people at home; don’t worry, neighbors and community will help!"