Gou Xi finally had the ti to listen to reports from various places, and learned that this ti the Zhao Family Army had taken quite a number of prisoners from the riverside, which made him frown involuntarily, "Zhao Hanzhang is not soone who doesn’t know discretion. We are the main force; why would she compete with us for the remnants by the river?"
The enemy troops in the river were basically defeated by him.
Ming Yu glanced at Gou Chun standing nearby and said with his head lowered, "General, today General Zhao was almost killed by a hidden arrow. In the end, it was Fu Tinghan who was seriously injured, and now his life is uncertain."
Gou Xi casually said, "Knives and arrows are blind; isn’t injury and death on the battlefield normal?"
After a pause, he then reacted, frowned, and looked at Ming Yu, "What does Mr. Ming an?"
Ming Yu, with a solemn expression, said, "At the ti of the attack on the camp, the Zhao Family Army had already taken over most of the tents. They were the ones who drove Prince East Sea out of the camp. The person who shot the hidden arrow was on horseback, carrying a short bow, and managed to mix in during the Zhao Family Army’s charge."
Gou Xi thought for a mont, then turned to look at Gou Chun, his gaze cold and hard, "Gou Chun, was this your doing?"
Gou Chun pursed his lips and said, "Brother, Zhao Hanzhang’s ambition is too grand, and she’s unruly. Letting her grow unchecked, I’m afraid she would beco the next..."
After glancing at Gou Xi, Gou Chun changed his words, "The next Prince East Sea."
Gou Xi’s face turned dark, as he understood Gou Chun’s implication: that he believed the Prince East Sea was going to fail and Gou Xi would be the first in Great Jin, but Zhao Hanzhang might turn into the next him.
Gou Chun said, "It’s better to stifle her now while her wings aren’t fully grown."
Gou Xi, angry, grabbed a cup on the table and threw it at him, directly hitting his body, "Fool!"
Gou Chun didn’t dare to dodge and stood there, getting hit.
"Do you think Zhao Hanzhang is an idiot? You think she can’t deduce it was you just because you let people change their military uniforms?" Gou Xi gritted his teeth, "She might really be convinced it was now!"
"By abandoning allies on the battlefield, who will ever trust you in the future?" Gou Xi glared at him fiercely, "If word gets out, people won’t think it was you, but that I, Gou Xi, acted faithlessly and broke alliances!"
"Brother, she broke the alliance too; she secretly mobilized troops and left..." Gou Chun’s voice dwindled under Gou Xi’s increasingly cold gaze, and he said no more.
Gou Xi suppressed the anger in his chest, lowered his eyes to think, and asked Yan Heng and Ming Yu, "What do you gentlen think I should do to win her back?"
Yan Heng thought for a mont and said, "Kill Gou Chun, and offer his head to make ands to General Zhao."
Upon hearing this, Gou Chun turned to glare at him angrily, "You traitor, how dare you propose such a venomous plan to my brother!"
Gou Xi’s lips trembled and he also said, "No way!"
He added, "Although Zhao Hanzhang indeed has ability, it’s not worth exchanging my brother’s life for it."
Yan Heng sounded disappointed and said, "General is accustod to valuing promises, yet Gou Chun’s actions have placed General in an irreputable position; can it go unpunished?"
After a mont of silence, Ming Yu said, "You can have Gou Chun pressed to go apologize, and also invite renowned doctors for Fu Tinghan; even if the enmity between Zhao Hanzhang and Gou Chun cannot be dissolved, it could resolve the misunderstanding between the general and her. Given her generosity, she should not bear a grudge against the general."
Gou Xi pondered.
Zhao Hanzhang was also waiting, waiting for Gou Xi’s reaction.
With his dominance and capability, Gou Chun’s actions could not be hidden from him.
She was also waiting for his reaction so that she could respond accordingly.
But what Zhao Hanzhang didn’t expect was that Gou Xi’s reaction was no reaction.
Even until the next day, when the battlefield was cleaned up and Gou Xi had already sent people to pursue Prince East Sea, preparing to lead troops to Luoyang, she hadn’t received any response from him.
Looking at the morning light erging on the horizon, Zhao Hanzhang sighed deeply. Gou Xi had ultimately beco the version of himself he once despised most.
Yet she only sighed for a mont before quickly revitalizing and calling Wang Nai and Xie Shi, "After breakfast, lead the captives back to Xuchang first."
Fearing she’d go to confront Gou Xi, Wang Nai asked, "And you, Inspector?"
Zhao Hanzhang glanced at him and said, "I’ll cover the rear."
Wang Nai hesitated and said, "The people we’re leading are disorderly, so I’m afraid it’s difficult to take Mr. Fu."
"He’ll stay, and I’ll bring him back."
Wang Nai and Xie Shi both breathed a sigh of relief. With an injured Fu Tinghan, Zhao Hanzhang was unlikely to confront Gou Xi.
Gou Xi was very powerful; Zhao Hanzhang was far from a match for him now.
Zhao Hanzhang naturally knew this as well. A gentleman’s revenge, ten years is not too late; she temporarily let go of Zhao Ji and Prince East Sea, another grudge to bear, but it didn’t matter. She could wait!
As for Gou Chun, she would have her chance for revenge.
Yan Heng was also very disappointed, and couldn’t help saying to Ming Yu, "The general has beco more stubborn and arrogant than before, which isn’t a good thing."
Ming Yu said nothing.
Yan Heng lanted, "With soone as unyielding as Gou Chun by his side, I’m always worried about the general’s path going astray."
Ming Yu sighed, "All we can do is try our best to admonish."
Yan Heng asked, "Has Zhao Hanzhang left?"
"So have left, but Zhao Hanzhang hasn’t; the alliance isn’t over yet. Since the general doesn’t want Gou Chun to take responsibility for this, Zhao Hanzhang will mostly pretend not to know. She will probably co to bid farewell to the general."
Yan Heng’s heart stirred and he said, "Given the current situation, the reputation is already ruined, so why not be ruthless: when Zhao Hanzhang cos, keep her directly..."
Ming Yu had the sa thought and exchanged a look with him before imdiately going to find Gou Xi.
But Gou Xi did not agree.
Gou Chun’s conduct had already embarrassed him enough; how could he continue to break alliances?
Yan Heng couldn’t help but be irritable, "If the general doesn’t want to kill her, then kill Gou Chun. Between her and Gou Chun, only one can remain; otherwise, letting her go back to Yu State is simply releasing a tiger back to the mountain, unnecessarily inciting an enemy."
Gou Xi was stubborn, unwilling to kill his own brother, and unwilling to betray Zhao Hanzhang in the alliance, and he dismissed the two.
Yan Heng stomped his foot in frustration.
Yet Zhao Hanzhang didn’t co personally to bid farewell; she wasn’t foolish enough to knowingly run towards the enemy camp when soone there wanted to take her life.
Historically, weren’t there many heroes and formidable figures who lost their lives unwisely due to a mont of carelessness?
If truly ambushed, even heroes and formidable figures could beco bears.
So Zhao Hanzhang directly wrote a farewell letter and sent it to Gou Xi through a trusted aide.
Prince East Sea had been defeated; most of his troops scattered in Yu State, a significant number had been seized by Gou Xi. Even if he returned to Luoyang, it would be difficult to muster strength to counter Gou Xi again.
Not to ntion coming to Yu State and Yan State to trouble Gou Xi again.
Since they wouldn’t co to Yu State, Zhao Hanzhang wouldn’t interfere with the remaining matters.
Therefore, using Fu Tinghan’s injury as an excuse, she stated she would take him to Chen County for dical attention and had to leave with the troops.
Feeling guilty, after receiving the letter he didn’t pursue her for not helping till the end and directly agreed to let them leave.
Zhao Hanzhang obtained his approval and then led her troops away, though she remained very cautious, deploying scouts both ahead and behind to prevent any unforeseen snares.
Due to pain, Fu Tinghan fell into a deep sleep and didn’t wake up until they t Ji Yuan, who had co to assist them midway, allowing Zhao Hanzhang to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
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