CHAPTER 351: CHAPTER 345 CRY

Zhao Hanzhang led the pursuing troops, running all the way without stopping when passing by the ambush point of Zhao Ju. Zhao Ju keenly eyed the Hu soldiers chasing after them at the sound of horse hooves, and seeing them getting closer, he raised his hand and ordered immediately as they neared, "Pull!"

The tripwire was instantly pulled up, hidden naturally by the darkness. The Hu soldier in the forefront lurched forward heavily, and those who reacted quickly bent down and rolled off in stride, while others who couldn’t react in time broke their necks as they fell or were trampled by horses.

Zhao Ju then ordered, "Release arrows!"

Barrages of arrows were shot from both sides!

Tonight was an unforgettable and terrifying night for Liu Cong’s army. The pursuing Hu soldiers, who had been somewhat confident and intent on capturing these audacious Jin people, were now shattered in spirit by the sudden ambush. Some turned and fled, while others ran chaotically into the forest...

Seeing they had lost their confidence, Zhao Ju found it unforgivable not to kill after the mosquitoes had been fed for so long in the woods.

So he led his men in a charge.

Zhao Hanzhang, without stopping for a moment, led the troops back to Chen County. The soldiers guarding the city confirmed their identity and immediately opened the city gates to welcome them in.

Fu Tinghan hurried down from the city tower to meet Zhao Hanzhang. Seeing her stern and cold demeanor, he paused for a moment.

Seeing him, Zhao Hanzhang’s expression softened slightly. After nodding at him, she turned to look behind her, and once all the soldiers had entered the city, she instructed Qiu Wu, "Count the numbers."

Then she turned her head to Zhao Erlang and kicked him to the ground, leaving him looking bewildered as he looked up at his sister.

The soldiers watched on edge.

Zhao Hanzhang’s face was as cold as stone as she said in a stern voice, "If you are so reckless again, I’ll cut you down!"

Zhao Erlang lowered his head and answered softly.

Zhao Hanzhang snorted coldly, then turned to see He Ci Shi and others, immediately showing a warm smile and saluting, "When did the Inspector arrive?"

He Ci Shi and the others thought: ... That smile really seems fake, a stark contrast to her earlier coldness.

Naturally, they rushed over as soon as they heard news of their return, for hardly anyone could sleep tonight anyway.

Noticing their gaze falling on Zhao Erlang behind her, Zhao Hanzhang gently explained, "My younger brother was disobedient, so I scolded him, causing the Inspector and the generals to laugh at us."

"Not at all," He Ci Shi finally remembered the main business, asking, "How was the night raid?"

Zhao Hanzhang replied, "Qiu Wu has gone to count the troops, and Zhao Ju who is on support, and the two teams sent to set fire to the grain have not returned yet, so I dare not immediately report the victory."

He Ci Shi’s eyes lit up, "You found their grain supplies?"

Although no definite news had come back, Zhao Hanzhang had confidence in her deduction, so she nodded, "Yes!"

Qiu Wu quickly returned from counting the troops, bowing as he reported, "Mistress, eight hundred and six should have returned, but only seven hundred and thirty-four are present. One hundred and sixty-eight are injured, including twelve seriously injured."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Have the military doctors treat them, I will go visit them shortly."

"Yes!" Finished with his report, Qiu Wu glanced at He Ci Shi, made a slight bow, and then withdrew.

He was not part of the court’s troops but rather belonged to Zhao Hanzhang’s unit, recognizing only Zhao Hanzhang as his mistress.

He Ci Shi did not mind, and hearing that Zhao Hanzhang’s troop had not suffered much damage, his heart sank as he asked, "Did you only harass the outer edges?"

"No, we attacked two-thirds of their camp, at one point charging toward the central tent," Zhao Hanzhang pointed at Zhao Erlang, who had just gotten up, and said, "The first to reach the central tent was him."

He Ci Shi and the others weren’t sure if they believed her, but they listened with smiling faces anyway.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t care if they believed it or not, knowing they would send out scouts to verify it anyway.

Zhao Hanzhang was waiting, waiting for Zhao Ju to return, and also for news from Ji Ping and Li Tianhe.

The wounded soldiers were taken away for treatment, and Zhao Hanzhang also went to see the injured soldiers. Those who could be brought back had at least a glimmer of hope for survival.

However, some were severely injured, losing limbs that might need amputation.

Such large wounds could very possibly be fatal.

More common were knife and spear wounds, and as long as there was medicine, Zhao Hanzhang could treat them, so she rolled up her sleeves and got to work.

Fu Tinghan handed her scissors from the side, asking, "Why did you hit Erlang?"

Zhao Hanzhang snorted, saying, "Hitting him was lenient enough. The impetuous kid gets too excited during battle, ignoring my orders and charging into the central tent."

At this time, Zhao Erlang was sitting on the ground crying, his upper clothing half-off as Lv Hu helped bandage him.

He also got hurt, but not seriously. His armor proved reliable; though it was cut once, the armor was only damaged, leaving him with a not-too-deep wound. After cleaning and stopping the bleeding, bandaging was all it needed.

The army’s medicine was all quite similar, and Lv Hu, who had been training with Zhao Erlang for half a year, knew how to bandage, so he could tend to Zhao Erlang when the military doctors were busy.

Lv Hu consoled while applying medicine, "Erlang, don’t be sad. Mistress gets mad fast, but it fades quickly too. Tomorrow, serve her tea yourself, and she won’t be angry anymore."

Zhao Erlang shook his head, tears falling, "Zhu Dabao and Fang Dali are both dead, especially Fang Dali. He died right beside me. If not for Sister pulling me, I would be dead too."

Lv Hu was silent at once.

Zhao Erlang had always been a centurion, leading ten soldiers, and with Lv Hu coming, he had eleven men under him.

Every soldier in the century moved with the centurion, who moved with the squad leader. At that time, Zhao Hanzhang was effectively their squad leader.

Zhao Erlang, in his bloodlust, charged toward the central tent, and his soldiers could only follow him in. This time, he faced the heaviest casualties.

Lv Hu didn’t know how to comfort him and could only say, "Erlang also achieved great merit. I heard them call that man the Great General, perhaps he was Liu Cong, and you and Mistress wounded Liu Cong badly; that’s a great achievement."

Zhao Erlang pouted, saying, "That was Sister’s achievement, not mine."

In his sorrow, Zhao Ju returned with his men.

He Ci Shi and the others hadn’t left, waiting not far from the city gate, and seeing the people returning not only with an air of blood and killing but also leading many horses beside them, it was obvious their saddles were those of Xiongnu horses.

They squinted slightly, quickly examining the horses, which clearly weren’t theirs, and felt a slight excitement, "A hundred or more?"

Capturing over a hundred horses suggested how many enemies they had slain.

Even He Ci Shi couldn’t sit still, immediately calling the best scouts from the army to go out and gather intelligence.

Ji Ping and Li Tianhe had returned together with Zhao Ju, both excitedly exclaiming to Zhao Hanzhang, "Mistress, their grain was burned!"

Zhao Hanzhang’s lips curled slightly, nodding, "It’s almost dawn, count the casualties and then go rest."

"Yes."