CHAPTER 506: CHAPTER 500: KILLING INTENT ARISES

Liu Cong gritted his teeth, but he really didn’t dare to engage in a bigger conflict with Zhao Hanzhang at this time.

She being injured was one thing, but the Zhao Family Army was leaderless, he dared to move both the forces inside and outside the city.

Yet, she seemed uninjured now, and once the battle started, it was a street fight, who would win was uncertain.

In street battles, the Xiongnu were inferior to the Han people.

Zhao Hanzhang was also pondering this issue; street battles, the Xiongnu were inferior to the Han people, and the Zhao Family Army had its own strategies to deal with it. Since city massacres were common in this era, she focused on training for street battles.

She had confidence that even facing the fierce Xiongnu Army, her Zhao Family Army could win in street battles.

But this would also come at a great cost.

This personal troop was recruited after she left Luoyang, trained to this day, and in every war, a batch of people died, and another batch replaced them.

She had always been cautious, unwilling to suffer too many casualties.

So, unless absolutely necessary, she wasn’t willing to have a direct confrontation with Liu Cong at this time.

Moreover, those inside knew their own situation; her injury did have some impact on the morale of the army.

Zhao Hanzhang stared keenly at Liu Cong, until he turned away in anger and returned to his army.

Zhao Hanzhang sat on her horse waiting, waiting for Zhao Erlang, waiting for news from various places in the city, and also waiting for news from the Imperial Palace.

This round of shooting resulted in some casualties on both sides, and the injured soldiers were taken to the rear.

Everyone was very quiet now, so quiet that Zhao Hanzhang could hear the shouts from the distant defending tower of the palace, hearing the sound, they had guarded the tower again.

Liu Cong returned angrily to the room where he was stationed, and hearing that the palace had stopped attacking not far away, he couldn’t help but question Wang Mi, "Why hasn’t the palace been taken yet?"

Wang Mi replied, "They are well-prepared, and the palace tower is sturdy, naturally easy to defend and hard to attack."

"It seems to me that you aren’t putting in enough effort," Liu Cong glared at him with eyes full of anger, "Could it be that you fear I will steal the credit, and thus delay in breaching the tower?"

Liu Cong vented the frustration he faced with Zhao Hanzhang onto Wang Mi, "Otherwise, the palace tower is far inferior to the Luoyang City tower, why was Luoyang breached in two days, yet this palace tower hasn’t been taken in three days?"

Wang Mi sneered, "Since General Liu is so mighty, why not try it yourself?"

He huffed coldly, "Luoyang City didn’t have many defenders, whereas the palace now gathers all the soldiers, officials, and their followers within, how can it be said to be easily breached?"

He glanced at Liu Cong indifferently, noticing the armor at Liu Cong’s chest was damaged, his gaze flickered slightly, and he mocked, "What’s this, General Liu didn’t fare well today, and lost to that Zhao Hanzhang?"

Liu Cong sneered coldly, "Ridiculous, would I lose to a mere woman? She has been hit by my arrow, she’s the one who lost, not me."

"Is that so?" Wang Mi’s expression was mocking, clearly disbelieving.

Given Liu Cong’s nature, if Zhao Hanzhang had truly been shot, he would have already rallied his army against the Zhao Family Army. Now, seeing him return belligerently to cause trouble, it was evident he didn’t fare well with Zhao Hanzhang, thus returning to disturb him.

Failing to win the argument against Wang Mi, Liu Cong grew more furious and turned to head back to his own office across the way.

He was so furious he slapped the table, causing it to shatter, his eyes revealing hatred, "Wang Mi is presumptuous and violent, disrespecting me. If not for the imminent grand battle, I would wish to kill him."

The surrounding generals were already discontented with Wang Mi, during the attack on Luoyang, despite attracting substantial forces, it made sense for them to breach Luoyang City first, yet they were surpassed by Wang Mi, that petty man.

Especially Liu Yao, who was a clan brother to Liu Cong, remained fairly close, and thus said, "He is a subordinate, while the General is a Prince, it should be the General who is esteemed, yet he competes for everything from dispatch to now, since Luoyang has fallen, the people of Luoyang are citizens of our Han Kingdom, life and death are at the General’s whim, yet he bypassed the General to loot and slay the Han people, clearly not regarding the General."

Another person, Shan Li, added, "Wang Mi has great achievements and prestige, he disregards even Your Majesty, such continuing is perilous rather than beneficial, now Emperor Jin is besieged, only one palace gate remains, even surrounded, we could besiege them to death. Why not seize this opportunity to kill him and eliminate future troubles?"

Liu Cong glanced at him and said, "Zhao Hanzhang’s army is outside, once we clash with Wang Mi’s people, the ones to die will be us!"

If Shan Li weren’t a Xiongnu, Liu Cong would suspect he was Zhao Hanzhang’s spy.

Liu Yao also found Shan Li’s suggestion foolish, was about to speak when suddenly a thought struck him, deliberately lowering his voice, "What if we find an excuse to invite Wang Mi here, and assassinate him secretly, wouldn’t his army without a leader fall to the General?"

Liu Cong was tempted, but after a moment shook his head, "No, Zhao Hanzhang is right here, once the plan fails, or if Wang Mi’s army cannot be controlled, we face total catastrophe."

Liu Yao and Shan Li could only agree.

Zhao Hanzhang waited at the front of the army for more than two quarters, Zhao Erlang finally came rushing together with Xie Shi, "Sister, you..."

Zhao Hanzhang turned back and gave him a cool glance, and Zhao Erlang swallowed all he wanted to say.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "I’m tired, I’ll go back and have something to eat and rest, you and Xie Shi stay here, don’t let the Xiongnu cross this street, send people to guard each intersection, beware of sneak attacks."

Zhao Erlang agreed.

Zhao Hanzhang took Ting He and a group of personal soldiers back to the large tent outside the city.

Fu Tinghan had received the news in advance and was waiting at the large tent’s entrance, seeing Zhao Hanzhang return on horseback with her face unchanged except for some paleness in her lips, he paused.

Then as Zhao Hanzhang dismounted, her steps seemed unsteady, he was startled and quickly reached out to support her, bringing her down from the horse, "Are you truly injured?"

"Put me down," Zhao Hanzhang said softly, "I must walk in by myself, lest the morale be shaken."

Fu Tinghan let her down and supported her waist, leading her into the tent, "Where are you hurt?"

Ting He was on the verge of tears, unfastening the cloak for Fu Tinghan to see, "The lady was hit by an arrow."

Fu Tinghan’s expression changed slightly upon seeing it, he quickly said, "Have the doctor come in quickly."

The doctor had been waiting, hearing the order, immediately brought the medicine box in, seeing it was an arrow wound, and the wound was on the shoulder sloping down, hesitated instantly, "It’s wounded there, how can it be pulled?"

"Isn’t it easily pulled?" Fu Tinghan frowned, "I took a look, the arrowhead didn’t go deep inside, shouldn’t have harmed the bone."

"That’s what they say, but the General is a lady after all..."

Zhao Hanzhang lifted her eyelids and glanced at him, "I don’t mind, what are you worried about?"

The doctor then looked at Fu Tinghan.

Fu Tinghan said, "...I don’t mind either, what are you worried about?"

The gentleman thinks openly.

Since both said so, the doctor began to act, yet still dared not proceed personally, holding the scissors undecidedly.

Seeing this, Fu Tinghan was annoyed, snatched the scissors and cut all the clothing around Zhao Hanzhang’s wound, took off the removable armor, and cut the non-removable parts from the joints.