Zhao Hanzhang said, "Of course, I am willing, but can your father agree?"
Liu Yi replied, "I can convince my father as long as Governor Zhao is willing to withdraw the troops."
Zhao Hanzhang then said, "Then you must also promise not to send troops to Jinyang, otherwise, Liu Kun and I are like lips and teeth, and I cannot sit idly by."
Liu Yi:... There is an entire Han Kingdom between you two, where’s the lip and teeth relationship?
However, Liu Yi thought for a moment and nodded, deciding to agree first.
"I will do my best to persuade my father." As for whether it will work, that’s uncertain.
Zhao Hanzhang happily agreed, continuing to pour him wine. The two drank merrily, "Little prince, when your fourth brother returns, you must stop him. I’ve already taken a step back; if you dishonorably send troops against me, the whole world will despise your Han Kingdom."
Liu Yi became serious and agreed earnestly.
Zhao Hanzhang, supported by Fu Tinghan, swayed back to the main tent, while Ji Yuan supported the young prince Liu Yi to another tent to rest.
Upon entering the main tent, Zhao Hanzhang stood up straight, her hand still resting in Fu Tinghan’s palm. She sat expressionless on the wooden bed, staring blankly.
Ting He followed behind, holding a bowl of sobering soup.
She handed it to Fu Tinghan, who fed her two sips.
Drinking the sour sobering soup that went straight to her skull, Zhao Hanzhang regained her senses. She looked up and asked, "Send a bowl of sobering soup to Liu Yi to see if he’s truly drunk or pretending."
Ting He agreed and promptly left to arrange it.
Wang Si Niang and Fan Ying came over, followed by Zeng Yue and several subordinate generals, intending to hold a briefing.
Everyone was present, but no one spoke for a moment, all waiting for Ji Yuan.
Ji Yuan dawdled for a while before arriving. Seeing Zhao Hanzhang still sober, he said, "Liu Yi is also pretending to be drunk."
Zhao Hanzhang sighed, "The Xiongnu have a good capacity for alcohol."
She almost got drunk herself.
Ji Yuan asked her, "It sounds like Liu Cong will be in Pingyang City by tomorrow. Should we retreat?"
Zhao Hanzhang said, "Originally, we were going to retreat, but with the King of Beihai as our guest, I think we can stay a few more days."
Zhao Hanzhang wanted to buy more time for Liu Kun, contemplating holding her ground here. If Liu Cong attacked, she would use delaying tactics and might end up running around.
But now...
With Liu Yi here, would Liu Yuan still let Liu Cong send troops against her?
Zhao Hanzhang glanced at the subordinate generals and said, "Zeng Yue."
"At your command."
"Take people to Pingyang City and deliver a letter for me to Liu Yuan, telling him that the King of Beihai is happily our guest."
Zeng Yue agreed.
"Cheng Da."
A strong man stepped forward and bowed, "At your service."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "Select two thousand men and go to Monkey Valley. Wait there in case Pingyang City sends troops. I’ll need you."
Fu Tinghan, standing aside, asked, "When will Cheng Da depart?"
Zhao Hanzhang was slightly taken aback. Such military orders were usually executed immediately. Since it was already dark, Cheng Da should decide on the personnel tonight and depart with supplies tomorrow.
She asked in confusion, "Why?"
"I’m thinking of making some fireworks for him to take along?"
Zhao Hanzhang was invigorated and asked, "Is it easy to make?"
Fu Tinghan replied, "Not too difficult. The military’s logistics pharmacy has sulfur and saltpeter. I can find a way to make some metal beads and fill them with fuses, creating colors when they explode."
Sulfur and saltpeter are medicinal. The gunpowder made simply won’t be very powerful, just loud.
It should suffice for making fireworks.
Zhao Hanzhang then told Cheng Da, "Wait until Minister Fu finishes making the signal flares before you depart."
Cheng Da: "Huh?"
The governor and Minister Fu were speaking in a way only they could understand.
Ji Yuan knew this was definitely another of Fu Tinghan’s new ideas and said, "Liu Cong won’t return so soon. My lady, you should think about how to write the letter to Liu Yuan. Right now, the Imperial Palace in Pingyang is likely already in chaos."
The Imperial Palace in Pingyang City wasn’t chaotic, but Liu Yuan and Empress Shan were.
Upon discovering her son was missing from the flower tower, Empress Shan couldn’t resist seeking out the bedridden Liu Yuan.
Liu Yuan had just fallen asleep when he was suddenly shaken awake, causing him to erupt in anger. In the end, he held back his fury for the sake of Empress Shan’s beautiful face, forcing a smile and gently asking, "What has you so flustered? Did someone bully you? Tell me, I’ll stand up for you."
Empress Shan couldn’t hold back her tears, clutching his hand and saying, "Your Majesty, Little Seven is missing."
"What?" Liu Yuan sat bolt upright from his dragon bed, utterly shocked.
Liu Yuan personally dispatched people to search, suppressing news to avoid alarming anyone lest Liu Yi fell into the wrong hands. Only his trusted followers were informed.
After searching through the night and almost turning Pingyang City upside down, Liu Yuan learned that today... in fact, yesterday, a group had left the city at noon, seemingly led by Liu Yi.
Due to the curfew, Liu Yuan dared not open the city gates at night, fearing it might alert the city, and waited until the gates opened at 5 a.m. to send people out.
By 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., those who had gone out returned to report, "Judging by the tracks, they were heading towards Monkey Valley."
"What are they doing going to Monkey Valley?" Liu Yuan asked.
The official searching for the group lowered his head and softly said, "Your Majesty, the Zhao Family Army Camp is also in the direction of Monkey Valley, about fifty miles away."
Liu Yuan: ...
In Liu Yuan’s mind, the clang of his youngest son’s words about negotiating kept ringing.
His lips trembled, unable to speak for a while.
Swallowing, Liu Yuan finally regained his voice, "Take a troop of soldiers out quietly and search. Do not make a public announcement."
"Yes."
Liu Yuan didn’t want it publicized because he couldn’t allow his youngest son to appear foolish and fall into enemy hands, and the negotiation was something he agreed to offhandedly, with minimal court support.
Though he wished to keep things quiet, by noon Zeng Yue had already arrived with a letter.
In war between two countries, don’t kill the messenger.
Zeng Yue didn’t fear them. Even if the Xiongnu ignored this iron rule, killing him would only anger Zhao Hanzhang with their young prince lying in their camp.
Indeed, he smoothly entered the Imperial Palace in Pingyang City and met with Liu Yuan.
Zeng Yue delivered Zhao Hanzhang’s letter and said to Liu Yuan, "The King of Beihai is currently a guest of the Zhao Family Army, being treated with great courtesy by our leader. The Great Commander can rest assured."
Zeng Yue’s words left the Xiongnu ministers both furious and shocked. When did their young prince fall into Zhao Hanzhang’s hands?
"What Great Commander, this is our Emperor His Majesty."
Zeng Yue solemnly stated, "The Great Commander is a title within the Jin ministers, belonging to Han; our Great Jin does not recognize it."
Zhao Hanzhang even addressed Liu Yuan by name, naturally refusing to acknowledge him as Emperor. To the Great Jin, Liu Yuan was a traitor, calling him a Great Commander was already courteous.
Oh right, Great Commander was the official position the Great Jin once awarded him as the Great Commander of five departments of the Xiongnu, bestowed when Emperor Jin Wu was still alive.
In terms of rank, he was on equal footing with Zhao Hanzhang, the Inspector, so Zhao Hanzhang was reminding Liu Yuan that the two of them were equals, neither could suppress the other.

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