CHAPTER 117: CHAPTER 111: CHAOS ARMY

Zhao Song scanned the others with his eyes, and someone sighed, "Then let’s defend."

"Let’s defend."

Zhao Hu cursed a couple of times, "Isn’t it just over four thousand people? We have almost the same number of strong men in our Wu Castle. Are we afraid of them?"

Zhao Ming did not mention the disparity between the two sides and continued, "Since we are determined to hold on to the end, let’s take advantage of the initial chaos outside and send the fire seeds away."

"Where to send them?"

"To Governor He in Yu Yang, ask him to send someone to take them to Luoyang to join the clan leader."

Zhao Ming said, "No, send them to Shangcai, give them to Third Lady."

Before long, loud shouts and sounds of battle came from the gate of the Wu Castle. Zhao Ming wrote a letter, gave it to a subordinate, and turned to the tower, while Zhao Song handed three selected young boys and a five or six-year-old girl to a squad, instructing them to take the four children and leave from another part of the Wu Castle.

Zhao Hu still didn’t understand, "Is it necessary to this extent? It’s just over four thousand people; can we not hold the Wu Castle?"

Zhao Song, his face stern, replied, "It’s different; they are desperate people."

The ditch outside the Wu Castle was not wide. Although it was hard to climb out after jumping in, and people from the castle shot arrows and threw stones, these ragged soldiers with yellowing faces were obviously pushed to the brink. They only saw the castle at this moment, fearless of death.

The bodies filled the ditch, with some leaping over directly on the corpses. Others chopped wood nearby, set it on the ditch, only to be shot down before they could cross...

As soon as one person fell, they were pushed aside by those behind, who used the wood to leap over the ditch, and a Great Han on horseback waved a knife and shouted, "The first one to break into the Wu Castle, I promise him endless white rice, chicken, duck, money, and women! Charge—"

At these words, the soldiers’ eyes turned red with ruthlessness, and they rushed towards the Wu Castle with a roar...

Zhao Ming continuously ordered the resupply of arrows and stones. Seeing some of the chaotic soldiers reach the foot of the tower and start battering the gate, he immediately said, "Bring the boiling oil!"

Barrels of boiling hot oil were poured down, spilling onto the chaotic soldiers pounding at the gate. Zhao Ming, unmoved, ordered torches thrown down, turning the area beneath the castle into a sea of fire.

The cries of the chaotic soldiers rose, and the relentless attackers finally gained some sense, retreating somewhat from the ditch.

Zhao Hu laughed heartily, highly pleased, "We haven’t lost many men, and they’ve already lost over a hundred. What’s there to fear?"

Zhao Ming glanced at him. Though he wanted to throw him off the tower, considering the morale, he refrained from action.

Zhao Song was not optimistic, nor were the other clan elders, their faces grave as they looked at the soldiers who refused to retreat. Then they turned to look towards the county town.

Smoke billowed there, fires roared, more intense than here. "I don’t know how many enemy troops are at the county. If the county is taken, they’ll surely turn their attention to us."

A clan elder pulled Zhao Hu aside, saying, "Nephew Zi Nian is already troubled, don’t bother him here. If you truly care about the clan, gather the servants at home now; they might be needed to defend the castle later."

"Precisely, aren’t there many Wu Castles captured by chaotic and refugee armies in recent years? Who knows when we might end up like them, yet you’re making trouble here."

"How am I making trouble? Other clans may fall, but can the Zhao Family fall?" Zhao Hu said. "My children are outside, and a branch of the family is in Luoyang. Can’t you think on the bright side?"

A group of middle-aged and elderly men, collectively several hundred years old, began arguing in a corner of the tower.

Zhao Ming paid them no heed, focusing instead on a patchy flag among the chaotic soldiers that he finally recognized, "Shi?"

His eyes widened slightly, "Shi Le?"

"Who?" Zhao Song stepped forward, "That Qiang and Hu Shi Le in the refugee army? Isn’t he in Jizhou? How did he end up in our Ru Nan?"

At the same time, not only did Xiping light beacon fires, but Yu Yang, not far from Shangcai, also lit beacon fires.

And because Governor He was in Yu Yang, the beacon fire there was spread and ignited at the fastest speed. Zhao Hanzhang was accompanying Fu Tinghan practicing riding techniques on a hillside when they saw the dense black smoke rising in the distance, initially not reacting, "The weather is dry; is there a fire somewhere?"

Ji Ping, who came to practice with them, turned his head to glance, his expression changing drastically, "Lady, it’s a beacon smoke!"

The smile on Zhao Hanzhang’s face faded as she looked toward the smoke, "Is that Yu Yang?"

Hesitating, Fu Tinghan suddenly pointed in another direction, "There’s one there too."

Zhao Hanzhang turned her head, seeing layers of advancing, slowly rising beacon smoke, immediately tightened the reins in her hand, "It’s Xiping."

Zhao Hanzhang controlled her horse and said to the ones beside her, "Go get Mr. Ji and Uncle Qianli. Ji Ping, send someone to check the county. Professor Fu, let’s go."

The two rode quickly back to the villa, and the subordinates also saw the beacon smoke in the distance, but since it was still afar, many did not react much.

However, Ji Yuan and Zhao Ju hurried over because they had seen the beacon smoke from Xiping.

"How can Xiping and Yu Yang light beacon fires simultaneously?" Zhao Hanzhang did not understand, "Luoyang has been reclaimed, the chaotic army retreated, and the Xiongnu Army withdrew too. Ru Nan County, southeast of Luoyang, should be the safest."

Ji Yuan: "What if the retreating chaotic army and Xiongnu Army didn’t head north, but south instead?"

Fu Tinghan: "There is too little data. Talking about anything without more information is mere conjecture and not very analytical."

He said, "Think about what to do. Shangcai is right between Yu Yang and Xiping. No matter which side falls, Shangcai will face the enemy next."

Zhao Hanzhang: "We don’t have walls now, not enough weapons, only food and money, which in the eyes of others is just a fat goose. If the enemy really reaches here..."

Then they would have to flee again.

But having finally settled down and everything just starting, making Zhao Hanzhang give up here was something she was unwilling to do.

Zhao Hanzhang looked at Ji Yuan, "Mr. Ji, we must hold Shangcai, hold this estate."

"We have no choice but to keep the enemy in Yu Yang and Xiping."

"Yu Yang has Ru Nan garrison troops, and Governor He is present, it won’t be conquered quickly," Zhao Hanzhang said, "But in Xiping, there’s Zhao’s Fortress, I don’t know how they are."

Ji Yuan heard Zhao Hanzhang’s inclination and asked, "Is Third Lady thinking of going to Xiping?"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded.

"But we only have this few people, even counting all the strong men, it’s just a thousand."

"We haven’t even figured out how many enemies there are; why be disheartened, sir?"

"Whether Xiping or Yu Yang, for them to ignite beacon fires and send messages so urgently, the enemy they face must be numerous and not weak either."

Zhao Hanzhang had already decided, "I have to see it, not only to keep the enemy out of Shangcai, but also because the clan is in Xiping. With the beacon fire already lit and the clan in trouble, how can I pretend not to know?"

Fu Tinghan said, "I’ll help you."