As night fell, several thousand Qingyuan troops also arrived at Great Python Slope on schedule.
Together with the Changxin Army that had arrived in the afternoon, plus one second-grade army and one third-grade army that Qing Xinyao had additionally transferred from the city, Zhang Liang now had over ten thousand men at his disposal.
The eastern side of the Tubo main camp faced Xichuan City, the western side faced Great Python Slope, so any breakout could only head south or north.
More than ten thousand men would be sufficient to blockade the northern and southern routes from the Tubo camp.
Yet Zhang Liang did not do so. Instead, he ordered all the units to march directly into Great Python Slope and set up camp to rest.
Then he sent men to light piles of bonfires on the open ground north and south of the Tubo camp.
Two rows of bonfires, one to the south and one to the north, stretched from the moat all the way to Great Python Slope, looking like two long serpents.
From time to time, one or two cavalry patrol squads could be seen passing by the bonfires.
Jin Feng and the Ninth Princess reached the top of Great Python Slope. Neither Zhang Liang nor Qing Xinyao was there, only Qing Mulan holding a telescope and observing below.
“Seen anything?” Jin Feng asked.
“Brother Liang is truly impressive!” Qing Mulan put away the telescope and exclaimed in admiration.
“Tell me your thoughts.” Jin Feng smiled as he sat on a rock.
“The Changxin Army and Qingyuan Army have both marched long distances, and last night they seized the east city gate and Bao’er Mountain, so they must be very tired. Sending them to encircle the Tubo camp would only exhaust them further, which would be detrimental to the coming battle.”
Qing Mulan said, “The Iron Tiger Battalion has blockaded Cat Ear Ridge, and to the south is the confluence of the moat and the Jinma River. Even if Danzhu were allowed to flee freely, he would have nowhere to go, so there is simply no need to send troops to blockade. It is better to let the warriors rest.
Setting up the bonfires will make the Tubo soldiers feel that we might attack at any moment, so they will certainly be tense. This follows the same principle as sir’s strategy of exhausting the enemy.”
“Not bad, you have improved.” Jin Feng said with a smile.
In fact, this move by Zhang Liang was also a strategy to exhaust the enemy.
It was simply that the circumstances differed from Jin Feng’s previous ones.
…
Tubo main camp.
Qing Mulan’s guess was correct. Looking at the bonfires outside the camp, the Tubo soldiers were all very tense.
The troops Danzhu had brought were all veterans hardened by many battles, long accustomed to life and death.
Warfare greatly tested the physical strength and energy of soldiers. Sometimes, in a single siege or defence, it was common for both sides to fight for ten days or more.
Thus, snatching moments to sleep was a basic skill for any veteran.
Many old soldiers could be standing alert one moment, and the instant the captain said they could rest, they would lie down anywhere on the ground and fall into deep sleep in less than three minutes.
Yet at this moment, in the vast Tubo camp, not a single person could fall asleep.
Too many incomprehensible things had happened in the recent battles.
Flash bombs, repeating crossbows, hand grenades…
These were things they had never seen, nor even heard of, during their campaigns across the grasslands with Gada.
Tubo veterans did not fear death, but they revered the heavenly gods.
Many old soldiers firmly believed that the Dakang army must have received the protection of the heavenly gods.
Once that idea took hold, their convictions collapsed in an instant.
When convictions were shattered, veterans were no different from recruits.
They too could become so tense that they suffered insomnia.
In the central command tent.
Danzhu and Wu Zhe sat facing each other in silence.
Both had guessed Zhang Liang’s intentions.
Yet they had no way to counter it.
The two sat wordlessly like this until dawn.
Danzhu summoned his bodyguard, “Pass the order: have the supply camp cook all the meat, and let the brothers eat as much as they want!”
The bodyguard’s eyelid twitched. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately said nothing, acknowledged, and ran out.
He understood that the final battle was coming.
Wu Zhe sighed, stood up, and bowed to Danzhu.
Danzhu, who had always shown respect to Wu Zhe, this time did not return the courtesy, nor even lift his head to look at him.
Instead, he drew his own battle sword, took out a soft cloth, and carefully wiped it.
…
Great Python Slope. Wisps of cooking smoke also rose from the camp.
The troops got up one after another to prepare for breakfast.
Jin Feng, who usually liked to sleep in, also rose early today.
By the time he reached the command tent, the others were already there.
He was just about to greet them when Qing Xinyao’s bodyguard entered, “My lord, an old man has come out from the Tubo camp, claiming to be the teacher of Her Highness the Princess, and requests an audience with Her Highness.”
“Came from the Tubo camp, claiming to be this palace’s teacher?” The Ninth Princess frowned slightly.
In the palace, there were officials specially appointed to educate the princes and princesses, known as Grand Tutors.
The Ninth Princess had had several teachers from childhood onwards, but those people were either dead or still in the capital. How could one appear from the Tubo camp?
Yet such a lie would be exposed immediately, so there was no point in telling it.
Even the usually clever Ninth Princess was now somewhat bewildered.
“Could it be an assassination attempt on you?” Qing Mulan said.
“Unlikely. If they truly wanted to assassinate, they would not have come out from the Tubo camp. That way, we would certainly be on guard against him.”
The Ninth Princess shook her head, “Did he say what his name was?”
“He only said his surname is Wu,” the bodyguard replied, “Also, he has a mole above his eyebrow.”
He pointed to his own forehead as he spoke.
“Impossible!” The Ninth Princess stood up abruptly.
“You know him?” Qing Mulan asked.
“Sister Mulan, do you remember Tutor Wu?” the Ninth Princess asked, “The one who liked to hit our palms!”
To win hearts, the emperor sometimes arranged for children of dukes and high ministers to study in the palace alongside the princes and princesses.
Qing Mulan had spent some time in the palace as a child, but later, because she was poor at studies and always inciting the princes to mischief against the tutors, she was sent back by Consort Qing.
“I remember now. Back then, when I couldn’t recite poetry, he always hit my palms.”
Qing Mulan said, “But didn’t I hear that his family was confiscated and he was executed?…”
At this point, Qing Mulan’s eyes widened, “You don’t suspect he didn’t die, do you?”
“Surname Wu, claims to be this palace’s teacher, and has a mole above the eyebrow. Who else could it be?”
The Ninth Princess said, “Back then, it was said he escaped. I even asked Father Emperor about it. Now it seems Father Emperor deceived me.”
“If that’s the case… then it’s just too…”
Qing Mulan did not even know how to describe it, and asked, “So what do you plan to do?”
“First bring the man here so we can see.” The Ninth Princess nodded to the bodyguard, “Bring him over.”
“Remember to search him thoroughly, leave no place unchecked!” Qing Xinyao reminded.
“Yes!” The bodyguard acknowledged and turned to leave.
It took a full ten minutes or more before he brought Wu Zhe in.
“Tutor Wu, it really is you!”
Both the Ninth Princess and Qing Mulan stood up.
Though Wu Zhe had aged considerably, the two recognised him at once.
“Your Highness, Miss Mulan, we meet again.”
Wu Zhe entered the enemy camp without the slightest sign of nervousness, as if he had returned to his own home.
He gazed at the Ninth Princess and Qing Mulan for a while, then smiled and said, “More than ten years have passed without seeing you, and you have both grown into young ladies. This old man never imagined that in this life he would have the chance to see you again.”
“This palace also never expected to see Tutor Wu again!”
The Ninth Princess asked directly, “Tutor Wu, you surely did not come to this palace to reminisce about old times, did you?”
