The sky was faintly light.
Thousands of Dakang soldiers formed ranks and marched out of Mao’er Mountain, heading east along the official road.
Leading the vanguard was the Iron Tiger Battalion. Flanking both sides of the column were more than a hundred escort guards clad in black armour.
All these black-armoured escort guards were mounted.
Meng Tianhai felt genuine gratitude towards the escort guards. Knowing that marching in heavy armour would exhaust them, he gathered every single one of the more than a hundred war horses available at Mao’er Mountain, including his own, and presented them to the escort team.
Jin Feng did not stand on ceremony. He accepted them all and had Dazhuang organise a cavalry unit.
Mounted, the heavily armoured escort guards could conserve their strength and respond to any sudden developments at a moment’s notice.
The Ninth Princess slowed her horse to ride alongside Jin Feng and asked, “Sir, do you think Danzhu will send men to intercept us?”
“Between Mao’er Mountain and Xichuan City there is no dangerous terrain suitable for ambush. The official road is not wide, and there are many bends. Cavalry would have little advantage. I do not think he will,” Jin Feng replied. “I have already sent Monkey ahead with scouts. If Danzhu does send anyone, we will have ample time to react. We might even turn the tables and swallow them whole.”
The greatest strength of cavalry lies in its charge. Although the land outside Xichuan City is not particularly rugged, the official road is bordered on both sides by low hills or woodland, and the many curves prevent horses from reaching full speed.
Moreover, the road itself is narrow. A few heavy crossbows would be enough to seal it completely.
In such terrain, Danzhu’s cavalry would hold no advantage whatsoever against Jin Feng.
That was precisely why the military adviser Wu Zhe had urged Danzhu not to sortie.
The distance from Mao’er Mountain to Xichuan City was not great. The army set out before dawn and, by midday, reached Great Python Slope, ten li outside Xichuan City.
Legend had it that more than a hundred years ago a huge python had appeared here, giving the place its name.
When the column reached Great Python Slope, Meng Tianhai ordered the combat troops to deploy in formation below the slope in case Danzhu launched a surprise attack.
The logistics units immediately began pitching camp.
Jin Feng, the Ninth Princess, Qing Mulan, Meng Tianhai, and others climbed to high ground to survey the Tubo encampment.
“Sir, is it really suitable to camp here?”
Qing Mulan scanned the surrounding terrain, worry in her eyes.
“The official road passes beneath Great Python Slope. By occupying the slope we cut the Tubo army’s retreat, just as we did at Mao’er Mountain. There is also a small river over there that will supply the camp with water. Why would it not be suitable?” Jin Feng asked.
The question of where to camp had been debated late into the previous night by Jin Feng, the Ninth Princess, and Meng Tianhai. They had finally settled on Great Python Slope.
Qing Mulan and Zhang Liang had been inspecting night defences with Meng Tianhai’s deputy and had not taken part.
The Ninth Princess knew Jin Feng was testing Qing Mulan and, smiling, said nothing.
“This position is too close to the Tubo camp. It is not safe,” Qing Mulan said. “If the Tubo forces attack, we will have almost no time to react.”
Danzhu’s camp lay on open ground three li outside Xichuan City, stretching three or four li from east to west.
Great Python Slope was ten li west of the city.
In other words, less than five li separated the edge of Danzhu’s camp from Great Python Slope.
For cavalry, five li was far too close. One crack of the whip and they would be upon you.
“Do you see that hillside?” Jin Feng pointed to the eastern slope of Great Python Slope. “With that hillside there, cavalry will not dare charge up.”
Qing Mulan studied the slope for a moment, then her face lit up with understanding.
The eastern slope was not especially steep, but it was covered in rocks of all sizes.
Men could pick their way across without much trouble, but war horses would easily twist or break a leg on the stones.
“If cavalry cannot come up, what about infantry?” Qing Mulan asked.
“If infantry come up, then we fight them,” Jin Feng replied. “If we are afraid even of their infantry, we might as well not fight at all and go straight to Danzhu to surrender.”
The truly formidable part of Danzhu’s army was its cavalry.
The land around the Tubo camp was broad and open. Fighting cavalry there would be suicidal.
The few thousand men they had would probably struggle against even two thousand cavalry.
Forming a Macedonian phalanx would be pointless.
A Macedonian phalanx was vulnerable on the flanks and rear, and extremely passive in open terrain.
If cavalry circled to the sides or behind, the formation would simply wait to be slaughtered.
Back at Clearwater Valley, Jin Feng had defeated the Dangxiang with fewer men mainly because sheer cliffs on both sides prevented any flanking manoeuvre. The enemy could only attack head-on.
Moreover, Jin Feng had controlled Clearwater Valley and been able to prepare the battlefield in advance, digging horse-traps and so forth.
Now, every advantageous position outside Xichuan City was held by Danzhu. There was no chance to prepare the ground beforehand.
A frontal clash was therefore inevitable.
If the Dakang soldiers lacked even the courage to meet Tubo infantry face to face, there was truly no point continuing the campaign.
Jin Feng might as well return to Jinchuan at once, take Guan Xiaorou, and flee south to become bandits in Jiangnan.
“Your Highness, rest assured. Even if the Weisheng Army is wiped out to the last man, we will not retreat a single step this time,” Meng Tianhai declared hastily. “Anyone who retreats, I will personally behead.”
“This palace requires deeds, not empty words,” the Ninth Princess said. “I hope this time you will not disappoint me.”
“Your Highness, if the enemy attacks, this guilty subject is willing to supervise the battle in person at the front,” Meng Tianhai said, eyes wide.
“Enough. Go and see to your duties,” the Ninth Princess said with a slight nod.
Meng Tianhai bowed and withdrew.
Zhuer passed him on the way and approached the Ninth Princess. “Your Highness, the tents are ready.”
“Sir, Wei Datong gave me a packet of tea earlier. Shall we try it together?”
The Ninth Princess looked at Jin Feng.
“We have been travelling all morning. A cup of tea to soothe the throat would be pleasant,” Jin Feng replied. With no outsiders present, he spoke more casually.
“Sister, are you coming?” the Ninth Princess asked Qing Mulan.
“At a time like this, you two still have the mood to drink tea?” Qing Mulan rolled her eyes at them. “If the Tubo army attacks halfway through your tea, I would like to see whether you keep drinking.”
“Sister, did Sir not tell you that warfare is about reading the enemy’s mind?” the Ninth Princess said. “If the Tubo commander were a hot-tempered warrior, he would have attacked long ago.
Yet we have reached Great Python Slope, and apart from sending scouts, Danzhu has taken no action. That shows he is cautious and suspicious. The more we provoke him like this, the more he will worry we are laying a trap, and the more cautious he will become.”
In fact, the Ninth Princess was mistaken. The cautious and suspicious one was not Danzhu, but Wu Zhe.
However, Danzhu followed Wu Zhe’s advice in everything, so Wu Zhe’s caution was effectively Danzhu’s.
“That makes sense. Especially since Sir wiped out three thousand of his men at the Golden Horse River without losing a single soldier. Danzhu must be wary, afraid Sir will trick him again,” Qing Mulan nodded in sudden realisation. “Danzhu is probably racking his brains right now.”
…
Inside the Tubo camp.
Danzhu was indeed racking his brains.
And not only him. The military adviser Wu Zhe was suffering the same headache.
They had been closely monitoring Jin Feng and the others.
When they learned the Dakang force had camped at Great Python Slope, both men felt deeply uneasy.
Great Python Slope was not particularly easy to defend or difficult to attack, but it was unfriendly to cavalry.
It was the kind of position that could be taken, yet only at some cost.
Most importantly, Great Python Slope was far too close to the Tubo camp. If two boxers faced each other on a ring, this distance would be nose to nose.
“The Dakang people are provoking us,” Danzhu said angrily. “Sir, we must fight this battle.”
