Chapter 146 - Success

Chapter 146: Chapter 140: SuccessUpon leaving the prison, Zhao Hanzhang handed both letters to Ji Yuan, speaking in front of the County Magistrate, "Contact them, buy as many horses as possible, whether adult horses or foals, money is not an issue."

County Magistrate Chai was deeply moved, looking gratefully at Zhao Hanzhang.

Ji Yuan accepted the letters and responded, "Yes."

Zhao Hanzhang turned to County Magistrate Chai and said, "I rely on you, County Lord, to stabilize the envoys. Buying horses will take some time."

Thinking of the money and glass Zhao Hanzhang provided, County Magistrate Chai agreed without hesitation, saying it wouldn’t be a problem.

Zhao Hanzhang immediately left with Ji Yuan, while Chang Ning watched her disappear into the distance, and sighed softly. Due to the ethics of being an advisor, he still reminded County Magistrate Chai, "County Lord, Third Sister Zhao might not send the horses over, but she’s unlikely to let the envoys simply return. For now, it’s best not to let the envoys go out; the fewer people in the county see them, the better."

County Magistrate Chai looked shocked, "You mean..."

Chang Ning calmly nodded.

County Magistrate Chai shivered and immediately said, "Impossible, those are the Inspector’s envoys, does Third Sister Zhao have the gall to commit murder?"

Chang Ning thought, the Inspector is stuck in Yu Yang; survival itself is uncertain. What’s so impossible about it?

Moreover, even if Zhao Hanzhang truly kills the envoys, so what? Does the Inspector have any evidence?

Without evidence, would he dare to come to Shangcai or Xiping to capture Zhao Hanzhang?

Chang Ning reminded him, "County Lord, Shangcai Marquis has his fief in Shangcai. Here, Third Sister Zhao can use more than just the people in the manor. Not to mention the Inspector in faraway Yu Yang, even if you personally lead people, you probably wouldn’t be able to take her away."

County Magistrate Chai’s face turned pale, full of fear, as he returned to the county government.

Confronting the envoys again, his legs felt weak, yet he still forced a smile to host them, presenting the money and glass Zhao Hanzhang had given him.

When the envoys saw such fine items, their expressions finally relaxed somewhat, yet they persisted in demanding two hundred horses, refusing to yield, no matter what County Magistrate Chai said.

County Magistrate Chai didn’t expect that even after offering so many benefits, the envoys wouldn’t relax their demands slightly, and felt annoyed, thus exposing his stance, "Third Lady of the Zhao Family is already buying horses, but horses are precious, and it’s unlikely she can buy so many. Please be lenient, what about one hundred?"

County Magistrate Chai stated, "Originally, the horse farm should deliver thirty horses to the Prefectural Governor, the rest divided among the counties..."

"This is wartime, who cares about ’original’? The envoys are quite arrogant, raising their chins and saying, "The higher-ups demanded two hundred horses, two hundred it shall be. Since you could allocate from Shangcai’s farm, you better return them!"

But only ninety-eight were allocated; the remaining ten belonged to Shangcai originally.

County Magistrate Chai was reprimanded thoroughly; in the end, he still had to smile, and upon returning to his study, his smile faded. He couldn’t help but smack the desk hard, "Insufferable!"

Chang Ning pondered, "County Lord, Third Sister Zhao evidently doesn’t fear the Inspector. She’s currently occupying Xiping, and disputes with the Inspector will be numerous in the future. Shangcai’s situation is special, why not choose a side now?"

"Third Sister Zhao is just a woman, and you want me to choose her?" County Magistrate Chai said, breathing heavily, "The Inspector is currently trapped, but he’s still a State Governor; dismissing me takes but a word."

Chang Ning’s budding fervor was extinguished again; he returned to his expressionless demeanor, solemnly nodding, "You have a point, County Lord."

Zhao Hanzhang and Ji Yuan were not in a hurry to meet the horse merchants; since horses were to be bought, it’s necessary to prepare some good items.

"Yu State is in the Central Plains, war horses are precious there, rarely sold in large numbers. We’ve always struggled without a channel, this time there’s finally some progress," Zhao Hanzhang told Ji Yuan, "Sir, don’t be stingy with resources, make sure to quickly find out their background. As long as they can sell us horses, we can pay a bit extra."

Ji Yuan responded excitedly, "Will we keep the foals we buy?"

"We’ll hold onto them for now, once the farm head surfaces, I’ll find a way to bring them all to the manor to raise horses," Zhao Hanzhang said, "It’s best to raise them ourselves rather than being constantly dependent on others."

Ji Yuan sighed, "A pity that Lord Zhao’s connections went to the Second Grandfather, otherwise contacting northern generals for horse channels wouldn’t be bad either."

Zhao Hanzhang asked, "For example?"

Ji Yuan thought for a moment then said, "For instance, Liu Yueshi."

Zhao Hanzhang rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Liu Yueshi..."

Zhao Hanzhang decided to return to discuss this in-depth with Zhao Ming, "I’ll handle this matter; as for buying horses here, I’ll leave it to you, sir."

Mr. Ji found no issue, then asked, "How will we deal with the envoys in the county government?"

He didn’t believe Zhao Hanzhang would really hand over purchased horses to the envoys.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "I’ll take them to Xiping the day after tomorrow."

Zhao Hanzhang remained polite; she didn’t wish to kill indiscriminately, although Ji Yuan and Chang Ning both suggested that killing would be safest.

But...

Everyone experiences life for the first time; she’s unique, living for the second time, cherishing the struggles of life, thus she willingly cherishes others’ lives.

As long as it’s not on the battlefield, she prefers to show compassion to others, hence she personally visited the county government, inviting three envoys to take horses in Xiping.

The three envoys met Zhao Hanzhang for the first time; shortly after arriving in Shangcai, they heard of Zhao Hanzhang’s renowned name.

Knowing she is Third Sister of the Zhao Family, Zhao Changyu’s granddaughter, the one who rescued Xiping County and Zhao’s Fortress by borrowing troops from the county government, taking horses from the pasture.

Yet they hadn’t considered seeking Zhao Hanzhang, as they’re merely responsible for fetching horses, focusing on the ranch head and County Magistrate Chai to press them. How they complete this task isn’t their concern.

When Zhao Hanzhang sought them out, the three envoys were surprised, pondering before asking, "Why not send the horses to Shangcai?"

Zhao Hanzhang replied, "Your requested number of horses is vast, I can’t gather them at once. I’ve borrowed from my elders, but they’re dubious, thinking I might be swindled, so they insist on meeting the envoys. Thus, I must trouble you to accompany me."

The envoys, initially keen to go, immediately declined, "This is your matter; we only fetch horses. The time limit is still days away; should you not gather the horses, don’t blame us for disregarding discretion."

They would never venture to Zhao’s Fortress.

In Ru Nan County, the Zhao Family is a notable household, even forcing the Inspector to step back. If detained there, they’d have nowhere to appeal.

Seeing their caution, Zhao Hanzhang sighed softly, staring at them inquiringly, "You’re truly not going?"

Facing her gaze, the three exchanged looks, each feeling a foreboding sensation.

Zhao Hanzhang stepped back, extending two fingers, as Qiu Wu and his squad surged forward...