After taking down Chengde County, Jiang Pengji didn't immediately set off to rescue the Emperor according to the imperial order. Instead, she dawdled for nearly half a month and stabilized her forces.
She had very generously given An Cui his 8,000 captives and 10 percent of the riches from those defeated in battle, embarrassing him a little
An Cui had no shortage of methods or tricks. He meted out justice but tempered it with mercy. He also made a clear distinction between reward and punishment. The way he dealt with the 8,000 captives was very fitting and satisfactory.
He stayed in Chengde County for two days before bringing his people and money along as he set off for Huangshui.
On her side, Jiang Pengji was busy as a bee. She had no extra attention or energy to spend on her personal feelings. On the contrary, Wei Ci breathed a long sigh of relief.