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Zhang Shenzhi, although a Captain, had never experienced significant battles. When the team was ambushed and pursued by Murong Xiao, he was already at a loss. His martial skills were not high, and his courage was naturally limited. At that moment, seeing his troops caught between enemies and unable to support each other, with the Commander fleeing for his life and showing no interest in fighting, he immediately brandished his sword and followed Hou Polu, charging alongside Duan Zan to break through.
As the saying goes, to shoot a person, one must first shoot the horse; to capture a thief, one must first capture the king. As the mastermind behind the operation, Murong Hanzhu understood this principle well. Murong Geerhe and his son were even clearer in their thinking. After cutting through the new recruits without encountering any resistance, they quickly spurred their horses to chase after Duan Zan's breakout team.
Hou Polu cursed loudly, unstrapped his fine zelkova bow, and turned around to unleash a flurry of arrows. Murong Xiao deflected a Feathered Arrow with his blade and charged forward like a hungry tiger pouncing on sheep.
Duan Zan's group of Veteran archers skillfully counterattacked. However, their mounts were hastily acquired amidst the chaos of battle and lacked stamina. Before long, they were caught up by Murong Xiao, who swung his curved blade from behind, easily slicing through armor and flesh. With another strike, Murong Xiao dispatched an enemy from his horse!
Zhang Shenzhi lagged ten steps behind and saw that Murong Xiao was about to catch up. Gritting his teeth, he veered left while Duan Zan and Hou Polu managed to escape two miles ahead. They stumbled into a thicket of trees where thorns and branches scratched at them, leaving both man and horse in disarray. After breaking through the forest, they encountered a small river. Seeing no pursuers behind them, they hurriedly waded through the shallow water and veered towards Shandan.
Duan Zan's mind was sharp; noticing that Murong Geerhe's forces were sparse, he inferred that they had suffered defeat at Shandan. This strengthened his resolve to escape towards Shandan.
Passing through a rugged meadow, Hou Polu's mount finally could not hold on any longer. It drooled and sweated profusely before collapsing into the mud, covering Hou Polu in dirt.
"Damn those dogs!" Hou Polu's eyes turned bloodshot with rage as if he might spit blood. Fortunately, Murong Xiao did not pursue them further. Duan Zan quickly reined in his horse and ordered his guards to assist Hou Polu.
Autumn rain began to fall softly at some point. Duan Zan's hands trembled lightly; he felt increasingly cold as if chilled to the bone. Looking back, only about twenty elite soldiers remained with him, all pale-faced and sorrowful amidst the bleak wind and rain, evoking deep sympathy.
After chasing for a while without finding their target, Murong Xiao returned in frustration. Meanwhile, Murong Geerhe and Murong Hanzhu had already dealt with those Tang recruits thoroughly, eliminating over two hundred enemies and capturing the rest, which boosted their morale.
Murong Hanzhu remained fixated on Shandan while Murong Geerhe harbored resentment towards it. After some discussion, they decided to send the spoils of war—horses, weapons, bows—and the captured Tang soldiers to Zhangye in hopes of exchanging them for more troops to continue their raids on nearby counties.
As the Murong Clan's forces departed, Xu Zhen's main contingent was just exiting Shandan. Upon reaching the northern meadows of Shandan, they discovered scattered Tang banners and exhausted military horses. They quickly ordered searches in all directions and eventually found Duan Zan's lost team in a low-lying area before a highland in the meadow.
The scouts hurriedly brought Duan Zan and his men back to headquarters. Duan Zan's face was darkened with shame as he saw Xu Zhen's forces organized and invigorated with an air of elite prowess; he felt utterly humiliated.
Without needing to ask the Xu Zhen, he recounted the situation he had encountered. Although there were some embellishments to save face, the defeat was already certain, with only twenty out of eight hundred remaining. How could Zhang Jiunian and the Xu Zhen not see the severity of the situation?
Both sides shared their battle experiences. Although the Xu Zhen had achieved a great victory, she still considered Duan Zan's face and felt sorrow for the hundreds of new recruits lost. Therefore, she did not boast too much and only briefly mentioned the situation in Shandan. However, the morale of her troops was shining brightly, and how could Duan Zan fail to notice?
The Xu Zhen did not say much more and allowed Duan Zan to return to Shandan for rest while she continued leading her troops northward to support Zhangye. Duan Zan, being a person of dignity, was unwilling to go back alone and insisted on accompanying the Xu Zhen northward. Thus, he decided to let Hou Polu take the remaining veterans back to Shandan to assist with reconstruction.
After experiencing a fierce battle, Hou Polu was still shaken and dared not accompany them northward to Zhangye. Just as he planned to return to Shandan to recuperate, Zhang Zhao caught up with him on horseback.
" Commander Xu! Commander Xu! Please wait!"
Before Zhang Zhao dismounted, a Tang Soldier carrying a flag had already reined in his horse in front of the Xu Zhen's troops. Seeing that her forces were so few, his expression immediately turned bland, and he reported somewhat arrogantly, "Are you the Xu Zhen?"
Seeing that the other party wore Captain's armor yet acted so arrogantly made the Xu Zhen frown slightly. Nevertheless, she responded calmly, "I am indeed the Xu Zhen. May I ask which general's officer you are?"
The man saw that Colonel Murong Xiao was only accompanied by two hundred soldiers while Duan Zan was covered in wounds and blood. He couldn't help but feel disdainful and snorted lightly, saying, "I am Captain under Governor of Lizhou and General Gao of the Salt Marsh Campaign. I have come to deliver orders: Commander Xu is to lead his troops back to Shandan as commanded!"
The Xu Zhen was after all Colonel Murong Xiao; how could a mere Captain dare act so arrogantly before her? This showed just how much disdain the Tang Army had for this rising star.
It must be said that Hou Junji's strategy of promoting her had an immediate effect. Many had muddled through years in the army only to reach Captain rank, while the Xu Zhen had risen to Colonel Murong Xiao in just a few months without any foundational background, which naturally led others to envy her.
"Yanzedao Commander?" The Xu Zhen was genuinely confused. Historically, during the Battle of Tugu Hun, forces were divided into five routes: Minister of War Hou Junji came from Jishi Town; Governor Li Daoyan from Minzhou came from Chishui; Minister of Justice Li Daozong came from Shanshan; Governor Gao Zhensheng from Lizhou came from Yanzec; and Liangzhou Governor Li Daliang came from Qiemu. Why had they all converged on her? This General Gao must be Gao Zhensheng; his outcome might not be very good...
Recalling matters concerning Gao Zhensheng made Xu Zhenxin's head suddenly throb with an uneasy premonition rising in his heart. However, at this moment, he could only force himself to suppress it as he led his team back to Shandan.
Gao Zhensheng led an army of over twenty thousand, with several thousand elite cavalry, stationed outside Shandan County. He himself took residence in the county town, while Xu Zhen, accompanied by her Brothers, attempted to enter the city but was stopped by the guards at the city gate.
Shandan was fiercely defended by the Brothers, and they were not allowed to enter the city. The Brothers felt some dissatisfaction, but Xu Zhen instructed Zhou Cang and Gao He Shu to wait outside with the Brothers, reminding them to maintain order and avoid any conflicts with other Soldiers. Only then did she take Zhang Jiunian, Duan Zan, and Hou Polu into the County Office.
The main hall of the county office had been renovated, with a large military map displayed prominently and military flags erected on both sides. Fierce generals filled the hall, their imposing presence evident as they discussed military matters.
As Xu Zhen and her companions were led in by the Captain, they encountered a familiar face at the entrance—Zhang Shenzhi, who had escaped midway. He was a trusted aide of Hou Polu, and upon seeing each other, they exchanged whispers. Xu Zhen could not hear their conversation clearly, but occasional glances from Zhang Shenzhi sent a chill down her spine.
The Captain seemed to recognize Hou Junji's precious son and did not rush them. To him, it was clear that discussions about military matters were ongoing in the hall, and someone like Xu Zhen was not worthy of being present to listen.
After waiting outside for nearly half an hour, Xu Zhen was already seething with anger. After all, she was a Colonel Murong Xiao, and her Soldiers were under Li Daozong's command. When had it become Gao Zhensheng's place to dictate terms?
Zhang Jiunian, being an experienced strategist, must have said something to the Captain because the latter's expression turned grim yet he had no choice but to report inside. General Gao was not as dismissive as the Captain; he quickly summoned Xu Zhen and her companions into the hall.
Gao Zhensheng had a fierce appearance with broad shoulders and a tall stature. Although he was not wearing armor, he exuded an air of authority that made the surrounding military officers sit up straight. Upon seeing Xu Zhen enter, they exchanged knowing smirks. Xu Zhen sensed their disdain but maintained her composure, greeting them with military respect.
" Xu Zhen greets General!"
Duan Zan and others followed suit in saluting. Gao Zhensheng chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "We are all serving our country; there is no need for such formalities. Word has spread in the army that Commander Xu is young and capable in leading troops. Seeing you today confirms that you are indeed a youthful hero; it makes us old-timers feel quite embarrassed."
Hearing Gao Zhensheng praise her so openly made everyone look at Xu Zhen with increasing skepticism. A General praising such a junior seemed unusual and hard for others to accept.
Xu Zhen was not very clear on the historical records regarding Gao Zhensheng; she only remembered that he had falsely accused War God Li Jing and had been dealt with by Sage Li Er. Seeing him smile so amiably made her wary, and she quickly thought to downplay her achievements. However, Gao Zhensheng spoke again before she could respond.
"Pohulu, why aren't you following Junji to achieve great things? What are you doing here in such a sorry state?"
Hou Polu, upon hearing this, realized that Gao Zhensheng was trying to support him, and his heart filled with joy. Earlier, Zhang Shenzhi had already hinted to him that he needed to shift the blame for this defeat onto Xu Zhen for disobeying orders and leaving Shandan. After entering the city, Xu Zhen had been receiving admiration and worship along the way, which only fueled Hou Polu's anger.
He felt that while he had been fighting desperately with Duan Zan outside Zhangye, Xu Zhen had merely picked up a dead fish and was being hailed as a great hero in Shandan. How could this disparity not breed jealousy in Hou Polu?
Gao Zhensheng was a trusted ally of his father, Hou Junji. He had received orders from General Li Jing to rush to Ganzhou City to provide assistance. However, Hou Junji was already deeply involved with Li Daozong in the Tuguhun, making a long-distance assault on Tuguhun Wang City and Fushi City. The best outcome would be for Hou Junji to destroy the Tuguhun while Li Jing perished in Ganzhou. Thus, they lingered in Liangzhou under the pretext of reorganizing their troops and stopped again in Shandan due to impassable roads.
Now that Gao Zhensheng was in charge, how could he not drag Xu Zhen down with him?
"General, I truly have grievances that are hard to express..." Before he could finish speaking, his face was already filled with sorrow and indignation, his eyes moist and choked up, putting on a performance that was utterly convincing.
Gao Zhensheng feigned surprise, furrowing his brow as he asked, "What exactly happened?"
Hou Polu shook his head and sighed, seemingly unable to bear it. However, Zhang Shenzhi angrily stepped forward on behalf of their comrades and took over the conversation: "General, this is all Xu Zhenzhi's doing!"
Xu Zhen let out a light sigh; she finally understood why everyone in the room was sneering at her. Yet at this point, she became even more resolute in her thoughts.
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