History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

The vegetable vendor was none other than Zhao Zhi in disguise. She closed the basket lid, hoisted it onto her back, and ran towards the city gate. This turn of events was completely unexpected; not only the surrounding common people, but even the guards following Wang Mao were stunned for a moment before they could react!

"Seize her! Governor..." A guard's angry shout was tightly covered by his companion.

"No, if you shout it, all the people in this city will know that Governor Wang has been killed, and then..."

What they thought of, Zhao Zhi's strategist, Diao Zheng, could think of even better. A loud voice rose from a dozen or so locations near the city gate, someone shouting: "The barbarian bandits from the north are attacking! They're killing and burning on the outskirts of the city! Everyone go home and check!"

Some people shouted, "General Lü Sengzhen failed to resist the barbarian bandits and his head was chopped off!"

Another person named Wei Yong immediately responded: "Nonsense? Lü Sengzhen is in Jiankang City."

"How could I dare to make up such a thing? If you don't believe me, go to the county office and ask. Our Prefect Wang of Yingzhou is in the county office. He came here secretly to collect Lü Sengzhen's body."

Wang Mao didn't have many bodyguards. Two of them ran back to the county office to report the news, while the rest chased after Zhao Zhi, shouting as they ran, "Close the city gates! There's a spy! Close the city gates immediately!"

The people on the street were in a panic, and most wanted to leave the city.

"Don't close the city gates, I want to go home!"

"Why are the city gates closed? Have the barbarian bandits really attacked?"

The residents of the city then called their friends and went to the county government office together.

"We need to see the magistrate! These bandits are daring to kill people in the streets of the city! The magistrate must come forward immediately!"

"Has Governor Wang really come to our county?"

Several Wei soldiers disguised as civilians ran past these people, shouting, "Don't you recognize him? The one whose head was just chopped off with a cleaver was Governor Wang! Governor Wang and General Lü are both dead. We can't stay in the county town anymore, let's run!"

At this moment, Zhao Zhi used a kitchen knife to kill several Liang soldiers who were blocking her way, and left Wang Mao's guards far behind. The Wei soldier who was waiting for her had already prepared his horse. When he heard the Liang soldiers' shouts getting closer, he whipped his horse hard. Then, Zhao Zhi appeared from the crowded crowd, took a few big strides, and leaped onto the horse from behind, heading out of the city into the wind.

She had just escaped when the Wei soldiers who had assisted her in the assassination plot deliberately stormed the city gate, which was then closed by the Liang soldiers.

Zhao Zhi turned around, tears welling up in her eyes, then looked ahead, the wind drying them.

Once upon a time, she was just an ordinary soldier who repeatedly escaped death, but the credit went to generals and military officers. If a soldier survived, he would at most get a few full meals as a reward.

And now, has she finally become a general who sacrifices his soldiers for the sake of long-term plans? She sheds a few tears of pity, then feels no remorse, facing the emperor's decree, while behind her lie the graves of countless martyred soldiers!
No, she doesn't want to!
A true hero should be brave enough to survive death, rather than using achievements as an excuse to escape.

"Neigh—" Zhao Zhi reined in her horse. With a resolute expression, she threw the basket into the ditch by the roadside, shouted "Giddy up!" and rushed back towards the city gate.

Her soldiers could die in battle, but they must never be used by her as a stepping stone to promotion and merit!
"General, the military command has sent us to fetch you!" Behind them, yellow dust billowed, and the three men at the head were Zhang Yi, the deputy garrison commander of Tongbai Mountain, and two commanders of the elite troops sent to conquer the barbarians.

Zhao Zhi ordered: "You shall feign an attack on the city gate."

To rescue the Wei soldiers, they had to act quickly before the city magistrate could make any arrangements. Fortunately, the city wall had been damaged in the previous battles between Xiao Liang and Xiao Qi. Zhao Zhi abandoned her horse and ran to the damaged part of the wall to climb up with a grappling hook. Commander Li Shen handed over his troops to another commander and followed Zhao Zhi up.

The battle cries of the two armies converged inside and outside the city gates, like raging waves crashing against each other, determined to shatter the other into pieces!

The camp of the Wei army that conquered the barbarians.

The waiting for news was the most agonizing part. Military Commander Diao Zheng would occasionally step out of his tent to observe the sky. Dark clouds were gathering, and the small cloud that had appeared earlier had disappeared.

A military officer reported: "A man claiming to be 'Li Hui' has come to the camp and requests an audience with the general."

Li Hui was the guerrilla general guarding Huyang County, and Diao Zheng personally greeted him. "I received word that the general leading this army is a woman surnamed Zhao?"

Li Hui was extremely anxious. He had been stationed here for a long time and was completely unaware of the changes in the court. He was puzzled by the emperor's permission for women to serve as military officers and did not believe that the court officials would agree with the emperor's decision to let Zhao Zhi lead troops to conquer the barbarians.

Diao Zheng temporarily avoided the other party's question and inquired with concern: "General, you were able to secretly leave the city, but has the barbarian force outside the city retreated slightly?"

Li Hui nodded: "Yes, I was anxious to find you because I wanted to tell you about this situation! I previously found out that General Liang, Lü Sengzhen, has arrived, and the barbarian bandits are attacking the city with considerable strategy. It must be that Lü Sengzhen is acting as their strategist! But from yesterday morning until now, the main force of the barbarians has not appeared. They are only driving the old and weak barbarians to feign an attack on the city. Such clumsy tactics make me suspect that Lü Sengzhen has abandoned his cooperation with the barbarians, or..."

His tone changed, and he became agitated by his guess: "Something has happened to Lü Sengzhen!"

“That makes sense.” Diao Zheng asked, “Have you ever met Lü Sengzhen?”

Li Hui: "I saw him in the Battle of Dengcheng in the 22nd year of Taihe. At that time, Lü Sengzhen was Xiao Yan's military advisor."

Diao Zheng then asked, "If several years had passed and Lü Sengzhen were standing face to face with you now, could you recognize him?"

"Of course!"

Diao Zheng brought over a wooden box, opened it, and inside was Lü Sengzhen's head. Due to the cold weather and the lime coating, Li Hui stared at it for several breaths before his voice trembled and he said in disbelief, "Lü... Sengzhen?"

The "face-to-face" I just mentioned actually meant face-to-face!
"You've done a great service! Tell me quickly, who killed this man?"

Diao Zheng chuckled arrogantly: "Naturally... General Zhao Zhi, the General Who Guards the East."

Li Hui was indeed impatient and immediately asked, "Where is General Zhao? Please allow me to pay my respects!"

"General Zhao has important business to attend to and is temporarily not at the barracks."

When will she be back?

Diao Zheng smiled and shook his head, remaining silent.

Snow fell outside the tent, adding to the chill of the night. The Wei soldiers huddled together for warmth. The days of fighting were indeed tough, but they thought that the barbarian bandits, lacking food and clothing, were having an even harder time. So they sang songs of lofty ambitions or told strange tales to keep themselves awake.

When the howling of wolves was heard, there was movement outside the camp.

Soldiers, be on alert!

Scouts reconnoiter!
"General Zhao is back!"

"The general has returned to camp—"

Before Diao Zheng could even put on his winter robe, he mounted his horse and rode off in the direction of the wolf howls. Li Hui, who was staying at the camp, quickly followed.

Zhao Zhi and her soldiers were all covered in blood, looking like demons emerging from the night! Only their eyes were bright and determined, telling the story of the mission's success or failure.

A head was thrown out by the commander behind her and rolled to Diao Zheng's feet.

The soldiers lowered their torches, and Li Hui was once again face to face with the enemy general's head. This head was brand new, and Li Hui stared in disbelief, his voice shrill: "Wang Mao! It's Wang Mao, the Wang Mao whom Xiao Yan called 'the talent of a king's advisor'!"

Diao Zheng laughed heartily: "General, you've worked hard. This is General Li, who is guarding Huyang City. Please rest for a while. I'll write a report of victory first, and then discuss with General Li how to kill the barbarian bandit Lu Beiyan."

This military dispatch was not merely a report of military achievements; its more important purpose was to inquire whether the Emperor decreed that reinforcements be sent to capitalize on the victory and attack Yingzhou. (End of Chapter)