Having grappled with enemies for a day and night, many soldiers directly lay down on the ground as the great battle ended, utterly unable to summon the energy to raise their sabers again. Exhausted, sleepy and desensitized, some of them even closed their eyes and fell asleep shortly after lying down. Not only the soldiers, even Ling Zhang felt somewhat numb. The smell of blood lingering on the tip of his nose seemed as though it would never disappear, as though he were breathing strong scent of blood instead of air. He was radiating an almost palpable aura of bloodthirstiness as if he and this battlefield had become one.

Yuwen Tong detailed some soldiers who still had enough strength to walk to patrol the area between the mountain pass and Jifang City lest their fatigued, sleeping comrades-in-arms fell victim to possible surviving enemies. At the same time, He Xiao and Yuwen Jin, each leading some men, went up to the heights flanking the valley to make regular patrols in case there were any sneak attacks.

The army badly needed regroupment, with which Yuwen Tong was so occupied he couldn't find any time to talk with Ling Zhang in private.

Ling Zhang did not disturb them. He and Mr. Mu led some men into the city, took over it and forbade the soldiers from disturbing local residents.

Local residents had been fleeing hurry scurry since the soldiers had gained entry into the city, but gradually, finding that the soldiers of the Great Wen were not slaughtering civilians, they calmed down, and the confusion and chaos that had been reigning the city from the very beginning abated. Ling Zhang washed, took off his armor, changed into light clothes and went up to a high platform to pacify the residents.

He stated his identity as the empress of the Great Wen. And, since he was not wearing armor, and there was no blood on his clothes, he looked courtly and dignified. In addition, he was emanating a progressively detectable, inexplicable air of something similar to sacredness, so his efforts to placate the residents were quite fruitful. Though it was impossible for the residents to immediately accept the fact that they had turned from subjects of the Wan Kingdom into those of the Great Wen, or to let go of their hate, as long as these residents stopped panicking and regained their composure, the army did not have to spare time and energy to deal with these residents.

A lot of people, mostly newly appointed officers, and some others in the army too, were greatly surprised to see that Ling Zhang was doing such a good job pacifying local residents.

Previously they had merely heard some rumors about Ling Zhang, but recently they had fought shoulder to shoulder with him, and they had come to know that he was capable of deploying miraculous Formations and placating residents. Their knowledge of what kind of person Ling Zhang was no longer limited to the information they had got from hearsay. They now had a more vivid image of him.

Ling Zhang, after cooling the residents off, temporarily took charge of important civic affairs. Of course, there were still many things he was unable to handle at the moment. Currently, the first priority was to restore order and prevent soldiers from disturbing residents with strict bans. Meanwhile, he organized some army patrols and had them patrol the streets lest any local ruffians take advantage of the situation and loot civilians' houses.

After doing these, he did not get involved in any other matters and just waited for Yuwen Tong to assign his men to take over the city.

The areas south of the Wan River had gradually been taken over by a team of civil officials brought by Chu Liangyan. Some of those officials were experienced, and some others were newly promoted ones. All of them had been screened by Yuwen Tong and some courtiers before being selected. Every time a city was taken, some officials, along with their respective assistants, were assigned to stay in it until all the local residents came to heel; the soldiers and military officers staying in the cities mostly played an auxiliary role, and it was the civil officials who were doing most of the placatory work. Everything was being dealt with according to the rules of the Great Wen. The decrees issued were the ones that Yuwen Tong had long since finalized after consulting with his courtiers, and some adjustments had been made before their promulgation. Presently the situation in areas south of the Wan River was fairly stable.

Zhaoyang City, which was located to the north of the Wan River, was of great strategic importance. Right now Chu Liangyan was in Zhaoyang City, and it would be some time before he and the rest of his men arrived at Jifang City.

Naturally, Yuwen Tong and his men also had to stay in Jifang City for a few days before they moved north, for the army had just been through an intense fight and needed some time to rest and regroup to get ready for the battle outside the Wan capital.

...

"Seeing as Jifang City has now fallen into our hands, Shan Congli must be panic-stricken. I'm sure he'll dispatch the northern garrisons south to help defend the capital."

"The Wan cavalry in the north is a big threat to us."

After a day's rest, all the troops had found a second wind. Yuwen Tong and the generals were having a meeting, analyzing what the configuration of the enemy they were going to fight next might be like.

"The Wan capital is different from any of the other cities we've taken. It's going to be a real tough fight. First we need to make sure the troops have enough time to recharge," said Yuwen Tong.

Having made such great progress, he was not inclined to rush into anything. Letting the troops get the rest they needed was the top priority.

As for food, fodder and other supplies, Jiahe Chamber of Commerce had been transporting them from the rear to the front all the time, and the supply routes had never been cut off, so Yuwen Tong did not have to worry about it at all.

Xiao Jiangyue and the others agreed with Yuwen Tong's decision. Eventually, they decided to send some men to check out the lay of the land in the Wan capital, while they themselves would have the troops rest well, finish the regroupment of the forces as soon as possible and then depart for the Wan capital.

...

When Yuwen Tong was talking with the generals, Ling Zhang went to the infirmary.

The infirmary had been expanded. Tents of the infirmary covered a large area. The main reason for it was that there were too many injured soldiers.

Almost all soldiers, to a greater or lesser degree, had been wounded during this battle.

Those whose injuries were minor, after having their wounds dressed, returned to their respective tents to rest; those with relatively severe injuries were resting in tents of the infirmary, and there were designated personnel decocting medicinal herbs and changing their dressings for them; grievously wounded ones had been settled in tents around the infirmary, some physicians tending them.

There was such a clear division of responsibilities in the encampment because in Yuwen Tong's army, this had been how things were supposed to be dealt with for many years. Both the soldiers and the army physicians were experienced in it and able to guarantee orderly handling of these matters.

However, the great wealth of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce was the main reason why the injured were living in comfortable tents, getting the medical care they needed, taking medicine and eating balanced meals on time.

The medicinal herbs were provided by Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, and so were food supplies for the injured. Even the health workers had been sent to the encampment by Jiahe Chamber of Commerce, all of whom had been strictly screened beforehand.

Such comfortable conditions for the injured would never have existed were it not for assistance from Jiahe Chamber of Commerce.

The limited few, who knew some inside information about it, were all greatly surprised at the full support of Jiahe Chamber of Commerce. There were even fewer people aware that the actual owner of the organization was Ling Zhang.

During the past two days, physicians in the infirmary had still been quite busy. There were too many injured soldiers. Those with less severe injuries had to wait until the grievously wounded ones were treated to receive the medical treatment they needed. Because of this, Mr. Mu voluntarily went there to share the physicians' burden. Ling Zhang, who had some medical skills as well, also went to the infirmary to offer help after the caretaker municipal government was in temporary working order.

The soldiers who recognized him were all excited. None of them had bargained on the empress coming to treat their wounds in person.

Ling Zhang had been composed all along. He was also intentionally radiating that aura of his, which gradually calmed the soldiers down, but every time Ling Zhang was bandaging their wounds or changing their dressings, they still couldn't help but feel excited and deeply touched.

The soldiers' excitement and gratitude was of pure simplicity. Ling Zhang gave it some thought and decided to stay in the infirmary for another two days. Owing to his presence, the injured were in a much more stable mood, especially those severely wounded ones, who basically were unable to fight another battle, and who could only take a state pension and return to their hometowns and thus were somewhat disoriented.

Ling Zhang's presence distracted their attention. Also, as they saw Ling Zhang dressing their wounds without any condescension or air of superiority, they had a stronger sense of belonging to the Great Wen and the imperial couple, lofty sentiments sweeping over them, dissolving their disorientation.

"For those of you who can still walk and carry things, no matter what you've lost is an arm or a leg, the imperial court will find you suitable jobs. Just stay here until you fully recover from your wounds, and then arrangements will be made for you to return to your hometowns. The pension you've received is your guarantee of future life, so keep it safe and do not give it to anybody else. Set your minds at ease and nurse yourselves back to health. When His Majesty and I return to the capital city, a decree will be promulgated and you'll be assigned to new positions," Ling Zhang said to the injured.

For most of the soldiers, being allowed to return to their hometowns after nursing themselves back to health was very good news, and Ling Zhang also cautioned him to keep their pension safe and not to give it to anybody else, which moved them even further. They felt an instant upsurge of closeness to Ling Zhang. On hearing that the imperial court would find them jobs, they were both excited and curious. A relatively bold soldier asked aloud, "Your Highness, may I ask what kind of jobs you and His Majesty will have us do?"

"If His Majesty and Your Highness still need our service, we will fight for you and His Majesty to the last breath!" promised someone who had more militant pride.

Ling Zhang replied truthfully, "Our country is still encouraging residents to farm. After you return, local governments in your hometowns will start building state-owned farms. Those of you who still have your arms may go to those farms and help carry water and weed the paddies; those who have lost your arms but still have your legs may help patrol the farms; those who can read may teach the children how to write and read ... There's a whole load of jobs like these. As long as there's still something you can do, the imperial court will do everything they could to help you get a job to make a living. And it's okay if you're indeed too disabled to handle any jobs – the imperial court will make sure you have everything you need. You've sacrificed everything for the Great Wen, and it's only fair that the Great Wen should take care of you for the rest of your lives. Of course, these policies are for those of you who have no families left in your hometowns. If you still have wives or children or siblings who could look after you, or you have your own way to make a living, the imperial court will respect your wishes. You have plenty of time to think it through, and you may make a decision after returning home and conferring with your family about it. The pension in your hands should be enough to last you a very long time."

The severely wounded soldiers were all astounded at these words of Ling Zhang's. Many of them were members of the North-Western Army. Soldiers of the North-Western Army were always the most valiant and fearless on the battlefield, which was why the majority of grievously wounded soldiers were from this army. Back then when Yuwen Tong had been the marshal of the North-Western Army, he had also been very considerate in the placement of the injured, but now Ling Zhang outshined him in this regard, so the soldiers were truly shocked.

But this was because at that time it was the emperor surnamed Zhou who had been in power, and Yuwen Tong, though capable of guaranteeing comfortable life for soldiers willing to stay in north-western prefectures like Shengzhou, Youzhou, had been unable to guarantee that the soldiers would enjoy all the rights they deserved after leaving the north-west. After all, at that time he had been merely a marshal, not the emperor, and his reach had not been that wide.

Now, however, things were different. Yuwen Tong had the power to make any decision he wanted when it came to the placement of the injured.

Ling Zhang's words shocked the grievously wounded soldiers and at the same time gave them hope. Many of them had families who would take care of them, and some had their own way to make a living, but they were still touched. They not only were moved but also saw hope.

These words soon spread through the whole army. The severely injured soldiers, who had been rather dejected, all dismissed their negative emotions and began to actively do as the physicians said, and no longer saw the future as dim.

Ling Zhang was not making empty promises. He and Yuwen Tong had long since conferred with each other about it, and it had also been discussed in court meetings. They had even finalized a specific action plan, which would be carried out right after Yuwen Tong took the Wan capital.

The reason why they would wait until that time to execute the plan was mainly because the bunch of courtiers believed that the people would be more deeply impressed by the emperor's wisdom that way.

Ling Zhang, in order to avert suspicion, had not participated in the handling of those state affairs, so he had never stated his stand on this matter before.

But after seeing the disoriented and depressed looks on the faces of the severely injured soldiers, Ling Zhang had felt it unnecessary to wait that long to tell them. If he did not give these soldiers some hope at this point in time, they probably wouldn't be able to live long enough to return to their hometowns, so he had directly disclosed it to them, and he didn't care whether or not the news would spread. All he wanted was for these injured soldiers to have more hope which would help them survive.

Yuwen Tong also felt that it would be better if the message spread. On this day all soldiers had extra dishes on their tables, and at the same time Yuwen Tong, as the emperor, officially confirmed what Ling Zhang had said to the injured.

The whole army was thrown into excitement. Those who still felt somewhat drained due to a day and night's fierce fighting swelled with great enthusiasm at the news, and the despondency was instantly swept away. All the troops became thrilled once again as though given stimulation treatment.

...

Ling Zhang, who had just returned from the infirmary, exhaled deeply and sprawled in an armchair, heedless of his undignified sitting position. Wang Dashan and some others were standing guard outside the tent, so he did not have to worry about any uninvited visitors seeing him.

The past few days had indeed been quite rough. Given that even he, the empress, was dead beat, it was safe to say that each and every member of the army was dead beat. Because of Yuwen Tong's verbal confirmation of the placement policy, the encampment was uproarious on this day. Hearing the excited voices from outside, Ling Zhang felt a sense of relief. If truth be told, he had never served in the army and thus was unsure whether or not the soldiers' reaction was normal, but he still couldn't help but worry that it might affect the combat readiness of the army if the situation continued.

Ling Zhang exhaled deeply once again, sprawling in his armchair with no consideration whatsoever of his personal image, clearing his mind, thinking about nothing.

Though he had merely acted as an auxiliary worker in the infirmary, the heavy workload there was beyond his expectation.

Yuwen Tong, on entering the tent, saw Ling Zhang sprawling in an armchair in an undignified manner. Knowing that Ling Zhang was exhausted, his heart aching for Ling Zhang, he walked over and scooped Ling Zhang up from the armchair.

"Go and lie down on the bed. I'm sure you'll feel much more comfortable lying in a bed than sprawling in an armchair."

Ling Zhang wriggled out of Yuwen Tong's embrace and said, "I reek of sweat and need to take a bath first, or else the bed would stink of my sweat as well. You've got everything handled?"

Yuwen Tong said, "Sort of. Tonight there's going to be a bonfire to help the troops relax, and we'll have to put in an appearance. You may go and have some sleep. I'll wake you when it's time to go."

Ling Zhang shook his head, feeling it unacceptable to go to bed all sweaty and dirty. Having lived in a palace for years, he had developed certain habits and some of the things he used to be accustomed to now struck him as unbearable.

Yuwen Tong felt an urge to laugh at the sight of Ling Zhang's bearing. "Don't be ridiculous. It's just the two of us. I don't mind," he said amusedly.

Ling Zhang slid him a sideways glance. "But I do. Okay?"

Yuwen Tong sighed, "All right. Let's have a bath together. Then we go to bed."

Um? Together?

"You want to have a bath as well?" Ling Zhang asked him.

Yuwen Tong said, "I want you to massage my shoulders. I've been having some tough days lately."

After hearing this, Ling Zhang said, "Okay, then. Let's bathe."

Yuwen Tong had some hot water delivered inside. A large bathing barrel was right in the tent, and all bathroom ware was also available.

The encampment was in the vicinity of Jifang City. All supplies could be transported to the encampment in a timely manner, and it was also very convenient to get water, so soldiers had no difficulty getting what they needed to bathe.

After the two of them stripped and entered the bathing barrel, Ling Zhang offered to massage Yuwen Tong's shoulder. Yuwen Tong had Ling Zhang turn around and started kneading his shoulders first.

"Didn't you say that you want me to massage your shoulders? Why are you massaging mine?" asked Ling Zhang, feeling so comfortable he could barely keep from groaning.

Yuwen Tong pecked Ling Zhang's ear and said, "Your wrist is in no fit state to perform any exertion of great strength."