“I know you wanted me to get a good night’s sleep.”
Chu Zhao got up, holding the chicken leg between two fingers and raising it before Xie Yanlai’s eyes.
“But couldn’t you at least have taken away the chicken leg?”
Xie Yanlai raised an eyebrow and said: “You were crying and eating at the same time, enjoying it so much. I saw how much you liked it, and thought, what if you couldn’t sleep without it?”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but laugh.
Chu Zhao feigned anger: “How insolent! A-Le, drag him out and beat him.”
A-Le laughed and said: “I’m not strong enough to beat him.” Then she suggested, “We could call Uncle Zhong to do it. I think Uncle Zhong always wants to beat him.”
Xie Yanlai snorted, and Chu Zhao burst into laughter.
“All right,” Xie Yanlai said after her laughter subsided. “Young Lady Chu, are you well-rested and refreshed now?”
Chu Zhao nodded.
Xie Yanlai said, “Then please prepare for battle. The Western Liang army has regrouped and is approaching again.”
A-Le clenched her fists, her expression tense.
Chu Zhao remained calm. She knew that repelling Western Liang once wouldn’t end it. Upon hearing of her father’s death, the King of Western Liang would certainly come again.
“General Xie,” she tossed away the chicken leg and called out loudly, “bring This Palace’s battle attire!”
Although General Xie thought she should have given this order to her maid A-Le, he didn’t quibble over such minor matters at a time like this and responded in the affirmative.
“Your Imperial Majesty, please.”
…
…
When Chu Zhao arrived at the central military tent, all the deputy commanders and strategists were present, gathered around the sand table in heated discussion.
“What’s the current situation?” Chu Zhao asked.
Zhong Changrong said: “It’s the Western Liang Qina division’s vanguard, launching a surprise attack on Fort Chong. We’ve already sent troops to support.”
Chu Zhao and Xie Yanlai looked at the sand table.
Other officers also pointed things out to them.
“Your Imperial Majesty, please rest assured, the Left General’s defenses are tight.”
“Not only will we surround and destroy these vanguard troops, but we can also seize the opportunity to dispatch troops to attack the Qina division’s main force.”
“We’ll ensure they don’t return, and give them a taste of their own medicine.”
Chu Zhao nodded.
Xie Yanlai suddenly frowned, pointing at markings on the sand table: “Is the location of the Qina division’s main force confirmed?”
An officer glanced at it and nodded: “The Left General’s three scout routes reported this.”
Xie Yanlai said: “Something’s not right.” He looked at the sand table. “When the Western Liang King’s main force previously retreated, I was on the left flank and personally pursued them, witnessing the Qina division withdraw to where the royal army was positioned. In just two days, they couldn’t possibly reach here. At most—”
He reached out and pointed to a spot on the sand table.
“They could only reach here.”
Zhong Changrong raised his hand and pushed him aside: “What do you know about marching speeds—move aside.”
He bent over to examine it carefully, his expression growing increasingly grave. Finally, he slammed the table and cursed through gritted teeth.
“What is Old Guo doing? He’s not old enough to be going blind yet!”
Chu Zhao understood and asked: “Is it a trap?”
Zhong Changrong said: “Although we can’t be certain yet, the left flank army may not be victorious in this battle.”
Xie Yanlai scoffed beside him: “Deputy Commander Zhong is being too conservative. ‘May not be victorious’? If they’re not surrounded, even having two or three soldiers escape alive would be fortunate.”
Zhong Changrong’s face turned red.
But Xie Yanlai wasn’t finished and added: “If General Chu were here, would you dare speak to him like this?”
Zhong Changrong’s face instantly turned ashen. He was breathing heavily, wanting to retort but unable to open his mouth—
When Xie Yanlai wanted to anger someone, he could truly drive them to fury. Chu Zhao quickly said: “Uncle Zhong, let’s not talk about this anymore. Quickly think of a way to remedy the situation.”
Zhong Changrong exhaled heavily and looked at the sand table, then asked the advisors and deputy commanders: “How many troops do we need?”
The officers gathered around the sand table: “At least two routes.” They pointed with their hands. “One route to support the left flank vanguard, and one route to flank the Qina division from here. This way, not only can we relieve the left flank’s predicament, but we can also achieve a surprise victory.”
Zhong Changrong looked at them: “Do we have enough troops to deploy?”
The officers exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat difficult, reluctant, and unwilling to answer.
“Only enough for one route, right?” Chu Zhao said them, looking at the sand table.
An officer spoke softly: “Western Liang’s strategy targets us completely. With the left flank army falling into their trap, if we divert troops from other defenses to rescue them, Western Liang soldiers will seize the opportunity, and weak defense lines will surely be breached—”
“But if we don’t make every effort to rescue them, the left flank army will certainly face defeat,” another general said quietly.
In truth, victories and defeats were common on the battlefield, and losing one battle wasn’t significant, but now—
“Father has just passed away. A defeat at this time would greatly impact army morale, public sentiment, and the court,” Chu Zhao said. “One route of troops will have to do.”
She looked toward Uncle Zhong.
“Uncle Zhong, you arrange troops to attack the Qina army. I will go to aid the left flank vanguard.”
Zhong Changrong was uneasy: “Miss, how will you go?”
Chu Zhao said: “Uncle Zhong, I have another route of troops.”
Zhong Changrong was momentarily stunned, then realized what she meant. His expression changed from flushed to ashen as he clenched his fists, but ultimately said nothing.
…
…
There were no high mountains or dense forests here, only undulating ravines, like a land covered in countless wounds.
Sharp bird calls echoed above the ravines.
The bird calls were not melodious, but harsh, stiff, intermittent, as if the caller’s throat was being gripped.
After the third or fourth call, a person leaped out from the ravine like a deer.
“Ding Dachui,” Little Man cursed angrily, “what kind of wretched call are you making?”
Ding Dachui was overjoyed to see her—he never thought there would be a day when he’d feel this way, but never mind that.
“Miss Little Man!” he called out, running quickly toward her, then awkwardly explained, “I’m not good at making bird calls, still haven’t learned properly.”
Little Man said coldly: “If you can’t make them, then don’t. You’re not one of us anymore, so hurry up and leave. Go back to being the Empress’s guard.”
Ding Dachui said: “Once a mountain bandit, always a mountain bandit—Miss Little Man, I need to see the boss.”
Little Man sneered: “What do you want to see the boss for? To convey orders from your Empress?”
Ding Dachui nodded: “Yes.” Having said this, he wasn’t intimidated by Little Man’s cold face and shouted, “Mu Mian Hong—the Empress has a decree—”
Little Man had never known this mountain bandit had such a loud voice. She angrily shouted: “Shut your mouth!”
But even if Ding Dachui had shut up, people were already emerging from the ravines behind.
A woman in coarse cloth garments, with a long whip around her waist and her face covered with cloth, just like before.
“What instructions does the Empress have?” Mu Mian Hong asked softly.
Ding Dachui looked at this woman and sighed inwardly. The boss was still the boss; he could never replace the boss’s position in the Empress’s heart—good thing he hadn’t reported them.
“Boss,” he bowed in greeting, then rose and, as instructed by Chu Zhao, bowed again. “Young Lady Chu says the battle situation is critical, the commander has just died, and there aren’t enough troops at home. She wishes to borrow the Chief’s forces to fight the enemy.”
Little Man sneered: “The Empress is being too polite. We hardly deserve to be ‘borrowed’ from—we’re just bandits.”
“Little Man,” Mu Mian Hong said, “it’s not the Empress who is borrowing from us.”
The earlier announcement of “the Empress has a decree” was a request for her to come out.
She had come out in response to the decree, and Ding Dachui had bowed to her twice—once as greeting her as his boss, and the second on behalf of Young Lady Chu.
Young Lady Chu said she didn’t have enough troops at home and came to borrow people and horses from her.
It was Young Lady Chu’s request, Young Lady Chu’s family matter.
Mu Mian Hong said to Ding Dachui: “We are all neighbors of the border commandery. When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold. Mu Mian Hong will certainly do her utmost.”
Ding Dachui said no more, cupped his hands in salute, and ran off swiftly.
Little Man said anxiously: “Auntie, look at her, she wouldn’t even call you—”
“Call me mother?” Mu Mian Hong said, reaching out to pat Little Man’s shoulder. “If she called me mother at this time, it would be coercion.”
Her daughter was a kind-hearted child.
She knew that if she just asked, regardless of what it was, Mu Mian Hong would agree without hesitation.
But by inviting her as the Chief, she allowed Mu Mian Hong to act with honor and righteousness.
Mu Mian Hong raised her head to the sky and made a bird call. Unlike Ding Dachui’s earlier attempt, hers was crisp and piercing. It stirred the ravines with their countless wounds, and countless birds rose in response, filling the sky.
Neighbors in trouble, protect home and hearth, safeguard peace, overcome difficulties together.