When Zhao Hanzhang left the county governnt, it was already almost dark, and Yu Yang had arranged accommodation for them at the post station, while the army was still stationed outside the city.
Zhao Hanzhang did not go to the post station but instead headed directly out of the city with Qiu Wu and Ji Ping.
The city gate was still open, and as soon as she exited, the gate slowly closed.
She turned back to take a glance at Yu Yang City, let out a breath, and then snapped the whip, "Let’s go, to find Mr. Ji and Uncle Qianli."
The army was not all stationed together; after a battle, they dispersed, with forces from each county stationing apart at a respectful distance.
As Zhao Hanzhang and Qiu Wu searched along the way without finding their n, Ji Ping went to inquire, while Zhao Hanzhang stood with her horse waiting in the dark.
In the breeze, she heard whispers carried along, "I’m so hungry, did you get enough to eat?"
"Just a bowl of thin gruel and a coarse grain bun, how could that be enough? Have so water, wait till morning, and there will be food again."
"These officials are so stingy, at least they could have given us a decent al after winning a battle, we lost so many comrades."
"Stop complaining, it’s better than dying of hunger."
"I think I sll the fragrance of food."
"Did you sll wrong?"
He didn’t sll wrong. Zhao Hanzhang sniffed, led her horse, and followed the scent forward, passing several camps where people were complaining of hunger.
She walked until she finally saw their Xiping banner by the roadside.
Ji Ping and Qiu Wu hurried to catch up from behind, "Mistress, why did you go ahead? We thought you were missing..."
Zhao Hanzhang: "Following the scent, let’s go."
Their n were having dinner and treating wounds.
Looking around as she went, Zhao Hanzhang finally found Ji Yuan among the crowd, "Mr. Ji."
Ji Yuan turned back, seeing Zhao Hanzhang, his face lit up with a smile, "Mistress is back, was everything successful?"
Zhao Hanzhang nodded, then asked after surveying the scene, "The wounds are fresh, why get them treated only now?"
Ji Yuan pulled Zhao Hanzhang aside and whispered, "Following your orders, when the Xiongnu army retreated in disorder, I had Zhao Ju lead a troop for a surprise attack on their camp."
Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow and lowered her voice, "Was there anything inside?"
"A bit," Ji Yuan smiled contentedly, "Not a lot, but enough for our expedition’s provisions, better than other counties’ troops."
Zhao Hanzhang was about to ask, "Didn’t Yu Yang send any provisions out?"
Ji Yuan sighed, "Inspector He is too stingy, only sending a slight amount, not even enough for each person to have a bowl of porridge, in the end, every county had to handle their military supplies, but they were reluctant as well, so many didn’t eat their fill tonight."
Zhao Hanzhang frowned slightly, "Is Inspector He really such a person?"
Ji Yuan glanced at her and realized she must have a good rapport with Inspector He, "It’s good for Mistress to get along well with Inspector He, but do not put too much trust in him."
"Inspector He is capable and crafty but overly frugal and stingy, in my opinion, Yu Yang’s predicant could have been resolved."
Ji Yuan continued, "From what I understand, when Yu Yang was besieged, he gathered the garrison from Ru Nan County for defense, but the soldiers were not motivated to exert themselves. If he was willing to spend money to inspire the soldiers, how could the Xiongnu army possibly surround Yu Yang?"
Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "Liu Jing is deeply embedded alone, he dares not fight too freely, he’s been fighting for more than half a month, and Inspector He has been defending for more than half a month, both are quite capable."
Ji Yuan scoffed, "What’s so capable about that? Later, the court sent reinforcents from Yingchuan, had he spent money, we could have beaten Liu Jing long ago, dragging it out till now, he just doesn’t want to use his own money, and the Yu Yang County Governnt has no money."
"Cherishing wealth at the cost of a city’s populace and his own life, such a man is not worthy of deep association."
Zhao Hanzhang seriously gazed at Ji Yuan and then gossipingly asked, "Mr. Ji, people say my grandfather is miserly, so do you think my grandfather is stingy or Inspector He?"
Ji Yuan: ...
He certainly couldn’t speak ill of her previous employer, now employer’s dear grandfather, so he said, "Naturally, Inspector He is stingy."
Also said, "Your grandfather is not stingy, he is frugal."
Zhao Hanzhang looked unconvinced.
Ji Yuan thought for a mont and said, "Alright, the lord is a bit stingy, but he’s never stingy in big affairs."
"For example, the fort of the Zhao Family, the ironware, these all need money, when has the lord ever been stingy about this?"
Zhao Hanzhang: "Actually, I’ve wanted to talk about that trench outside the fort for a long ti; it’s dug too small, not to say it should be as wide as a moat, but at least it shouldn’t be this small, anyone with good legwork can jump over it."
Ji Yuan rubbed his nose, "When we return to Xiping, how about Mistress proposing to the clan about reconstructing the fort?"
Zhao Hanzhang thought for a while and said, "It’s worth ntioning, but that’s for later. What have you all seized back? What about our casualties?"
Ji Yuan led Zhao Hanzhang to have a look; it was all in the tent, actually not much, "All looted by them."
Ji Yuan said, "It seems it wasn’t easy to carry, so it was left in the tent, which benefited us."
He paused and said, "Not long after we broke into the tent, the army chased the scattered Xiongnu, almost fighting over spoils, Mistress, can we keep these things?"
This ant they feared soone might not let them take it.
Zhao Hanzhang coldly snorted, "What we’ve grabbed naturally belongs to us; who can take it from us?"
She opened the loot to find a lot of copper coins, so gold and silver, but more were porcelains, fabrics, timber, and so trinkets; she even found a box of paintings and calligraphy.
Ji Yuan perked up and imdiately stepped forward, "This is the most valuable stuff inside, though they did not recognize its worth, just dumped it in the tent."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "This kind of thing is hard to carry anyway. Gather them, later put them in my private collection, Mr. Ji, all spoils should be separately listed."
These spoils are to be converted into rewards for the troops.
Ji Yuan understood, nodded in agreent.
"Besides this, the soldiers must have privately stored so; Mistress, should we have them submit it?"
Zhao Hanzhang shook her head, "We urged them with gold and jewels to attack the tent, can’t leave them empty-handed, let them keep it."
Ji Yuan felt satisfied, no wonder he favored this master, even more than Zhao Changyu, quite generous.
Only then did Mr. Ji inquire about her eting with Inspector He.
Zhao Hanzhang recounted the details, then said, "Governor Zhang and the others seed not to have left the city, staying inside?"
"Yes, so now each county’s army only has deputies present; Mistress is the only one who went out of the city."
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