Mount Mao’er.
Meng Tianhai and his men had come to Mount Mao’er with only a few days’ rations. Even with the strictest economising after being trapped, those supplies had long been exhausted.
Now in the Mount Mao’er area, let alone wild boar or hare, even the rats, frogs, snakes, and similar creatures hiding in burrows had all been dug out and eaten.
Then the soldiers began gnawing bark and eating grass roots.
If they delayed any longer, forget fighting, the troops would starve to death.
During this time Meng Tianhai had tried several times to lead breakouts, but the Tubo forces occupied the advantageous terrain and made it impossible to charge out.
Just as Meng Tianhai was preparing to risk everything in a final gamble, he received a message by pigeon from the Ninth Princess.
Ever since discovering that most of the Tubo troops below the mountain had withdrawn, Meng Tianhai immediately realised the Ninth Princess’s operation had begun.
He ordered the quartermaster at once to bring out all the remaining grain and give the soldiers a full meal.
“Sir, please eat something. It will get cold if you don’t.”
The deputy general held a bowl of vegetable porridge and urged him.
Ever since the Tubo forces had moved, Meng Tianhai had been standing on a huge rock halfway up the mountain, staring fixedly westward, afraid of missing any signal.
“I’m not hungry. Take the food to the wounded.”
Meng Tianhai had no appetite at all right now.
The deputy was about to press him again when he suddenly noticed Meng Tianhai’s chest heaving violently.
Following Meng Tianhai’s gaze westward, he saw a column of smoke rising into the sky at some point.
“Inform all the captains to assemble in my main tent at once!”
Meng Tianhai shoved the deputy aside and leapt down from the boulder.
The deputy flung the bowl away and ran.
A few minutes later, every officer of captain rank and above gathered swiftly in Meng Tianhai’s tent.
“You should all guess why I’ve summoned you.”
Meng Tianhai said, “Her Highness the Ninth Princess has lured away most of the Tubo troops. Now only two banners remain. This is our last chance. If we still cannot break out, we needn’t wait for Her Highness to execute us. We’ll just starve to death together on Mount Mao’er!”
“General, my Iron Tiger Battalion volunteers to be the vanguard. If we cannot retake Duckbill Ridge, I, Chen Fengzhi, will atone with my life!”
A bearded man clasped his fist and stepped forward.
The Iron Tiger Battalion had been founded by Qing Mulan’s father, Qing Liancheng. It had fought north and south with him for decades and was the fiercest fighting unit under Qing Xinyao.
A normal battalion in the Great Kang army numbered at most one thousand men and rarely had a formal designation. They were simply called First Battalion, Second Battalion, and so on. But the Iron Tiger Battalion had its own name and 2,200 men, making it a rare reinforced battalion.
That was why Meng Tianhai had originally entrusted the crucial Duckbill Ridge to the Iron Tiger Battalion.
An iron camp with ever-flowing soldiers. Over the years the Iron Tiger Battalion had undergone several changes of personnel. The old veterans who had campaigned with Qing Liancheng were long gone, and many of the current troops were new recruits seeing battle for the first time.
In ordinary training and competitions the Iron Tiger Battalion had always performed outstandingly, yet once real blood was shed on the battlefield, many of the new soldiers froze.
More than two thousand men, holding favourable terrain, had failed to hold for even one hour. The enemy had seized Duckbill Ridge.
What was most disappointing was that the enemy numbered only five hundred.
In the past, Iron Tiger soldiers had been the pride of the army. Nearly every soldier dreamed of joining them.
But after this battle, the Iron Tiger Battalion had become a complete laughing stock.
Now, with many soldiers going hungry, they vented their anger on the Iron Tiger men.
Meeting an Iron Tiger soldier, a sneer was considered polite. Plenty spat at them outright.
No matter how wronged they felt, the Iron Tiger Battalion could only endure it.
After all, Duckbill Ridge truly had been lost on their watch.
For an army with a proud combat record, being insulted every day was worse than death.
As the Iron Tiger commander, Chen Fengzhi bore far greater pressure than ordinary soldiers.
Now that hope had appeared of retaking Duckbill Ridge, Chen Fengzhi immediately volunteered.
“Are you certain?” Meng Tianhai glanced at him. “The Tubo troops now hold the high ground. Retaking Duckbill Ridge will not be easy!”
In truth, Meng Tianhai felt some dissatisfaction with the Iron Tiger Battalion.
If they had not failed so badly, the situation would never have become this desperate.
Even if they broke out successfully this time, punishment awaited them upon return.
At the very least, a thorough flogging was unavoidable.
“General, rest assured. This time I will personally oversee the battle. Anyone who takes one step back will be beheaded by me, Chen Fengzhi!”
Chen Fengzhi drew his dagger and cut his palm. “Even if the entire Iron Tiger Battalion is wiped out and only I, Chen Fengzhi, remain, I will never again tarnish the Iron Tiger name!”
Meng Tianhai stared at Chen Fengzhi for a long moment, then nodded. “Very well. I will trust the Iron Tiger Battalion once more. I hope you do not disappoint me! Go and prepare!”
“Yes, sir!” Chen Fengzhi saluted deeply and withdrew from the tent.
His greatest fear had been that Meng Tianhai would refuse and deny them even the chance to redeem their honour.
After Chen Fengzhi left, Meng Tianhai continued assigning tasks.
“First Battalion take the left wing, Second Battalion the right wing. Old Qin, Old Lin, your Third and Fourth Battalions will form the rearguard. If the Iron Tiger Battalion fails, you move up at once. No matter what, we must break out this time!”
“Yes, sir!”
The remaining captains saluted and departed.
…
Down in the Tubo main camp, Sangji had kept men watching Mount Mao’er constantly.
When Meng Tianhai’s troops began assembling, the movement was too great to conceal.
Sangji immediately convened his officers.
“Brothers, Meng Tianhai is gathering his forces. He must have noticed Mima took most of the army away and plans to break out!”
Sangji slammed the table. “Everyone prepare yourselves. Even if we are reduced to the last man, we hold Duckbill Ridge!”
“These cowards only dared to cower on the mountain. If they had come out earlier, I would have wiped them out with my four banners long ago!”
The Fourth Banner leader shouted, “Now they are coming out themselves. Perfect!”
“Yes! Finish these cowards and we won’t have to guard this forsaken mountain any longer!”
The Fifth Banner leader added, “I hear Tonlen and the others followed General Danzhu to Xichuan Prefecture. They plundered so much gold, silver, and horses they can barely carry it all. Every hundred-man leader gets three or four girls every night, all tender-skinned virgins!”
“Kill these cowards!”
Hearing this, the other officers grew eager to slaughter Meng Tianhai’s army at once and then head to Xichuan to get rich.
Meng Tianhai knew it was impossible to hide from Sangji, so he made no attempt at a surprise attack. He openly assembled his troops near Duckbill Ridge.
Leading the way was none other than the Iron Tiger Battalion.
“Brothers! We fall where we stand, and we rise where we fell! Duckbill Ridge was lost by our Iron Tiger Battalion, so we will take it back!”
Chen Fengzhi stood on a rock and roared, “The Iron Tiger name was forged by my father and our uncles, following Old Duke Qing with their lives, blade by blade! If anyone dares take one step back this time, I will slaughter his entire family!”
“Sworn to fight to the death! Fight! Fight! Fight!”
The deputy raised his arm and bellowed.
“Sworn to fight to the death! Fight! Fight! Fight!”
The Iron Tiger soldiers raised their swords in unison.
From the pride of the army to objects of universal scorn, they had endured great humiliation in recent days.
Many soldiers nursed a bellyful of fire.
Yet some still showed fear in their faces.
The ferocity of the Tubo warriors in the last battle had been branded into their minds.
It could not be erased simply by shouting slogans.
Up on the ridge, the Tubo infantry had also finished assembling, drawn up in formation, waiting sternly.
