CHAPTER 502: CHAPTER 497 GIFT GIVING

The scout didn’t speak, and Yuan Li placed his hand on the scout’s neck. It was clearly a light touch, but it made him shiver all over, and he yelled, "In the north of the city, in the north of the city, preparing to ambush Shi Le."

Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow.

The scout started crying, shouting, "Kill me, kill me, put me out of my misery, just kill me quickly."

Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes to look at him, "Is this your wish?"

The scout nodded while crying.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded and said, "Good, someone bring him down along with the other scout from earlier, send them off swiftly."

"Yes."

The trusted aides immediately stepped forward and carried the person away.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded at Yuan Li, "You may leave."

Yuan Li bowed and retreated, but before leaving he glanced up at Fu Tinghan.

Zhao Hanzhang saw it, and frowned slightly.

Ji Yuan noticed it too, feeling quite displeased, he told Zhao Hanzhang, "Yuan Li is cruel and narrow-minded, you shouldn’t keep him among your trusted aides."

Zhao Hanzhang replied, "I know, but he is quite capable, and has been useful to keep around."

Ji Yuan looked over at Fu Tinghan, seeing no change in his expression or displeasure, nodded and let it be.

Yuan Li was one of the many troop leaders left to Zhao Hanzhang by Zhao Changyu. After several battles, he rose swiftly to prominence, though not as distinguished as Ji Ping or Qiu Wu, he quickly became one of Zhao Hanzhang’s trusted aides.

After all, he was a person left by Zhao Changyu, and Zhao Hanzhang naturally had faith in them.

He was initially a centurion, only a step away from managing an affair like Ji Ping or Qiu Wu, becoming an Assistant General or some other position.

But during the last battle at the border of Yu State with Prince East Sea, he mistreated prisoners, and Fu Tinghan happened to catch him. So despite his merits in driving away the Xiongnu and Prince East Sea, he still couldn’t advance further.

Meanwhile, others who also started from the centurion rank, like Ji Ping and Qiu Wu, ascended rapidly. Ji Ping, as is known, is now an Assistant General, leading a military unit independently, currently stationed at Ruyin;

Qiu Wu, unknown what mission he was assigned, left. Though still a captain, those from Luoyang troop know his prospects are no lesser than Ji Ping.

Compared to Ji Ping, Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan clearly valued Qiu Wu more, especially Fu Tinghan, who preferred assigning tasks to Qiu Wu, making him truly their trusted aide.

After Qiu Wu left, the trusted aides around Zhao Hanzhang were temporarily led by Zeng Yue, but he was yet to be formally appointed, with Fan Ying also taking orders nearby, making everyone feel they still had a chance.

Yuan Li was the least favored.

Because he was the only one Fu Tinghan evaluated as too brutal, and thereafter Zhao Hanzhang seldom used him.

Nobody expected Yuan Li to suddenly rise above everyone and come before Zhao Hanzhang, not even himself catching this opportunity by surprise.

So after retreating, he thought for a while and began taking out the spoils he collected recently.

These were spoils he collected while cleaning the battlefield, Zhao Hanzhang didn’t stop her soldiers from privately keeping money.

Since recruiting troops, she only provided food and lodging, along with a small piece of land, without any military pay.

So if she didn’t relax a bit on the battlefield, who would risk their lives for her?

Yuan Li took out some things, then went to find someone to exchange them.

When Fu Tinghan finished dinner and returned tiredly to the big tent next door, just at the tent entrance, someone suddenly stepped out from the side shadows, "Mr. Fu."

The sudden voice startled Fu Tinghan and Fu An, who instinctively shielded Fu Tinghan.

Seeing it was Yuan Li, he frowned, "What are you doing here?"

The guards beside the tent said, "Captain Yuan has been waiting here for two periods."

Yuan Li bowed his head and saluted, "Indeed."

Fu Tinghan didn’t know why he came, but still said, "Come into the tent and let’s talk."

"I wouldn’t dare disturb Mr. Fu’s rest," Yuan Li kept his head down and presented a pair of jade pieces, "This pair of jade pieces was acquired by chance and felt they greatly suit Mr. Fu and the lady. I’m here to offer them, please don’t disdain them."

Fu Tinghan looked down at the pair of jade pieces in his hand, after a moment of silence, reached out and accepted, "Alright, I like them very much."

Seeing him accept, Yuan Li breathed a sigh of relief, bowed deeply, and left.

Fu An watched in awe, after Fu Tinghan entered the tent, he hurriedly lifted the curtain and followed, "Sir, what does Yuan Li mean by this? Why did he suddenly give you something?"

Fu Tinghan casually placed the jade pieces on the table, sighed, "Seeking reconciliation, perhaps it’s unnecessary, but if he’s worried, I accepted to ease his mind."

Fu An listened and felt assured, "It’s good he’s seeking reconciliation, I worried he’d become an enemy of Mr. Fu, he looks scary, opposing him is quite terrifying."

Fu Tinghan smiled at him, not explaining further.

Fu An saw Fu Tinghan sitting down to remove his shoes, hurriedly moved forward to assist, placing the removed shoes and socks aside, then went down to fetch hot water for a foot soak and washing up.

Then went down to wash the socks, when he returned, Fu Tinghan was already drawing out a pile of draft paper from somewhere, sitting on the bed writing and sketching.

He stepped forward to brighten the lamp, yet advised, "Sir, it’s better to rest early, should there be a battle tomorrow, it requires great energy."

Fu Tinghan sighed, "We didn’t carry much food, need to be meticulous in calculations, you go to sleep first."

Fu An laid a wooden plank on the ground, set a quilt on it, then sat and began nodding off while watching their lord.

As he watched, it seemed his lord was drifting further from him, finally disappearing, and he slumped sideways, unknowingly fell asleep.

Hearing the noise, Fu Tinghan raised his head to look, seeing him tilted with half his body on the ground, shook his head with a smile, put down the paper and pen, wore wooden clogs over and gently laid Fu An onto the quilt properly.

During the campaign, he only brought one quilt, half laid underneath, the other half covered, Fu Tinghan covered him with half the quilt, perhaps too exhausted from the past days that the usually alert Fu An didn’t detect at all, lying on the quilt, perhaps comfortably, started to snore.

Fu Tinghan turned back to the bed, passing the table, saw the jade pieces placed on it, couldn’t resist picking them up for a look.

They were a pair of jade pieces, entirely white and polished, sculpted into sheep, scrutinizing closely, the center seemed to hold a tinge of dark purple, precisely extending from the sheep’s head to its back, with good symbolism.

Such a pair of jade pieces could be family heirlooms, not knowing which noble family lost them on the road, allowing Yuan Li to find them.

Fu Tinghan held the jade pieces in his palm in thought, although not as adept at grasping human nature as Zhao Hanzhang, it didn’t mean he was ignorant.

Yuan Li’s offer of reconciliation was genuine, but his resentment wasn’t feigned.

Fu Tinghan didn’t wish to make enemies, nor conflict with Zhao Hanzhang’s people, hence accepting this gift for peace of mind.

He gazed at the jade pieces, indeed they were beautiful.

Placing them back on the table, finishing his calculations and setting papers aside, he extinguished the lamp and lay down.

The following day, Fu Tinghan carried the pair of jade pieces to Zhao Hanzhang, giving her one of the pieces.

Zhao Hanzhang was pleasantly surprised, "Why the sudden gift?"