Great Tang Idyll - Volume 4 Chapter 221

Hearing Wang Juan’s words, Guo Tu froze. The adjutant and the nearby officers also went blank. 

Guo Tu began to blame himself, while the others all looked at him without speaking—the meaning was clear: You frightened them. Go on—keep frightening them. If you scare them into leaving, they’ll take their people and go.

Judging from the situation, they clearly still had follow-up supplies to deliver. Do not be fooled by the mere two hundred, not even three hundred of them—once mounted, even a thousand-man Tibetan force could not block their way. Who would deploy ten thousand men to intercept such a small group?

If they returned, it would be effortless. But what about their own supply situation? If the Logistics Camp left, how would they manage? They could not handle the Tibetans—and now they could not even handle two small children.

To cooperate with Wang Juan, Zhang Xiaobao furrowed his brows and showed a frightened expression. He ordered the people beside him, “Quickly call them back. We need to run. While the horses at the foot of the mountain haven’t been discovered yet, we can still escape.”

“Wait—don’t!” As the people they brought were about to go call the others, Guo Tu hurriedly stopped them. They might be able to run—but he had far too many people, and there was absolutely no way they could run.

“General Guo, Juanjuan and I don’t want to be captured. We still have our father and mother, our grandparents, and Xiaobei at home. Without us, they’ll be so sad.” Zhang Xiaobao spoke timidly to Guo Tu.

Guo Tu was speechless. Children were truly difficult to deal with—scare them a bit and they wanted to run.

He could only comfort them: “Captain Zhang, don’t be afraid. With this general here, don’t you want to make great merit and make your parents proud when you return?”

“No. I only want to return alive. I still need to tell Xiaobei stories.”

Zhang Xiaobao’s answer made Guo Tu slap his own forehead. Annoying—deeply annoying. These two children really could not take any fright.

“Captain Zhang, as long as you hand them over to me to command, I can guarantee your safe return. You won’t need to worry about being captured by the Tibetans.” Guo Tu tried another angle.

Zhang Xiaobao shook his head hard. “If Juanjuan and I command, we can also return alive. We’re not afraid of being captured.”

“Come! To prevent the children of Governor Zhang’s family from being harmed, protect Xiaobao and Juanjuan!”

Seeing no way to seize command, Guo Tu could only try to seize them.

But the moment his voice fell, a cold object pressed against his forehead.

“Guo Tu, if you dare to imprison the Young Master and Young Miss, I’ll blow your head open this instant. Believe it or not?” The icy voice came from Huzi.

Guo Tu did not know what weapon was pressed against his head, but from the cold metal, he believed every word. Whatever it was, it was not a toy—any weapon used on a battlefield was meant to kill.

Then Wang Juan spoke. “Men! General Guo has suffered long on the road and needs proper rest. Protect General Guo. If anyone moves—kill!”

When they came, Wang Juan and Zhang Xiaobao had indeed intended to seize command, but through gentler means. Now that Guo Tu revealed his dagger-in-the-corner, they no longer needed to be polite.

With a single command, Guo Tu and his officers were all subdued. The cold blue gleam on those arrowheads showed clearly what kind of weapons the Logistics Camp carried.

While shocked that the Logistics Camp possessed such equipment, each of them also understood their current situation. If it had been grown men, they could threaten them—mention the court, or the loyalty owed to the Tang. But to two children—would such words work? Children always acted based on their own feelings; even with their parents they could be unreasonable. Arguing with children was useless. They seize power if they want to seize power.

Frightened, tied up, Guo Tu called out while being bound, “If you tie me up, your family is finished! Once the court learns of this, your whole family will die!”

“Xiaobao, is what he said true?” Wang Juan asked worriedly.

“I don’t know. Maybe. If the court learns of it, we’re finished—unless the court doesn’t learn.” Zhang Xiaobao also looked terrified.

“Then kill him. That way the court won’t know. We’ll say he ate too many biscuits and died from overeating.”

Wang Juan gestured to the guards—she clearly intended to kill.

Now Guo Tu finally believed that the ones who had ordered mass killing of civilians along the way were indeed Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Their hearts were too ruthless. They even thought of killing fellow Tang people to silence witnesses. How could Tibetan civilians survive them?

He truly did not know whether these two children were geniuses or fools. “Died from eating too many biscuits”—would anyone believe that? Even if they did not believe it later, he would be the one killed now.

Faced with the real moment of a humiliating death, Guo Tu finally understood. He understood completely—you must not scheme against children, especially smart children; otherwise, your death will be miserable.

With the blade already resting at his neck, he realized many things at last. 

He hurriedly pleaded to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan: “No—don’t. None of us will speak. We’ll listen to you. Whatever you want to do, do it. We will ensure you return home. The soldiers will also obey you.”

“Really not speak?” Wang Juan blinked her narrow eyes, still doubtful.

“Not speak. Ask them—see if they think the same.”

Guo Tu could feel the chill of the blade and prayed they would believe him.

Zhang Xiaobao glanced at the other officers.

 The answer was unanimous. All officers at battalion-level and above were here—including all battalion commanders. Every one of them nodded.

They did not want to die—not like this. To be killed by the enemy at least made them heroes. To be killed by two children would make them resentful ghosts.

“Then I’m relieved. Take them away to rest. From now on, the army is under my and Xiaobao’s command. If anyone objects—kill.” Wang Juan smiled happily, though not a single person found her words amusing. 

Such decisiveness in killing coming from a little girl made every officer shiver. Her cold eyes paired with her innocent smile made them feel as if they were facing not children from an official’s home, but palace-born heirs raised amid cruelty.

With Guo Tu and the others detained, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan began using their seals to take over command of the army. 

The process was smooth—mainly because Guo Tu had never truly commanded these soldiers and lacked authority, while the Logistics Camp had left an unforgettable impression along the march, especially now that they brought food.

“Damn, now I finally understand why two hundred men obey two children. They aren’t ordinary children at all. Look at their schemes, their ruthlessness. Zhang Zhong was not ‘too busy’ to manage the Logistics Camp—he believed his own children could handle it. Judging from the timeline, they must have followed behind us all along and only entered Pengzhou after us. That’s why they could react so fast when the imperial edict arrived. I once heard someone say the emperor kept their portraits in the palace—I didn’t believe it. Now I get it. The emperor set his eyes on them long ago.”

Locked up, Guo Tu ate something delicious again—stir-fried melon slices. The taste brought back memories, better than any meat or wild vegetable.

After half a mantou, he remembered Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan’s behavior and had another realization. These two children should not be regarded as ordinary people at all. 

He began explaining this enlightenment to the other confined officers.

They all recognized this too—only too late. Their authority had been seized; they could never take it back. They could only watch the two children handle things. And yes—what they admired even more was Zhang Zhong. What kind of upbringing could produce two ten-year-old children like this?

The adjutant, who always gave Guo Tu advice, sighed, “From now on, Prefect Zhang’s name will spread even further. The Yizhou Logistics Camp will become a Tang legend. To be honest, I no longer resent the two children—their abilities really are greater than ours. At least under them, the Logistics Camp found us. But if only…”

He did not finish, but the meaning was obvious: if only Guo Tu had not tried to seize their troops, things would not be like this now.

Guo Tu did not refute it. He was silent. At last he understood why he could not match the truly battle-seasoned generals—he lacked decisiveness, and he misread the situation.

He grew silent, and so did the others, until each of them was fed a large mantou and a bowl of soup. Only then did one battalion commander whisper: “I wonder what they intend to do now that they’ve taken command. If they want to flee back, it won’t be easy. If we keep quiet, maybe we can figure it out.”

Though they could not accept the idea of the army being commanded by two children, they had no choice. They were detained and could only hope the two children would not do anything reckless and get everyone killed.

Within half a day, Wang Juan successfully took command of the twelve-thousand-man force. Other than Guo Tu never having directly commanded them, and aside from the Logistics Camp’s previous support on the march, the main reason was that Wang Juan used the name of Between Water and Clouds Pavilion to win over the twelve thousand.

Meaning: if they all died here, Between Water and Clouds Pavilion would give their families enough money and grain for a good life. If they survived and earned merit, they would receive rewards from Between Water and Clouds Pavilion beyond those of the court.

To avoid the soldiers doubting due to their age, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan sent members of the Seedling Protection Team to take over as acting officers of each battalion. That way no one knew who was really commanding—they only assumed someone more capable had arrived.

“Xiaobao, here’s your task. Take thirty-two Seedling Protection Team personnel, excluding the twelve acting deputy battalion officers, and organize the equipment to search for Tang soldiers who fled alone. The three thousand men escorting grain cannot all have been killed. Especially near the mountains, some must have escaped into the hills. Search for two days. Only two. After two days, regardless of how many you find, or if you find none, follow along the path I take. I’ll be waiting ahead.”

After seizing command, Wang Juan’s first order was for Zhang Xiaobao. Twenty-four Seedling Protection Team members had been assigned as officers of the battalions; Zhang Xiaobao was to lead the remaining thirty-two to search the mountains.

Zhang Xiaobao nodded. “All right. I’ll take them and search for two days here. After two days we withdraw immediately. If anything unexpected happens, we may withdraw sooner.” He turned and ordered the Seedling Protection Team members, “Huzi, form up. Follow me.”

Leading the thirty-two, Zhang Xiaobao departed. 

He felt no fear. If asked to command an actual small-scale battle, his tactical application might feel rusty, but handling just thirty-two men—he was more than fit for it.

If the Tibetan search parties were fewer than a hundred, he could even face them alone and had eighty percent confidence he would leave none alive. Before leaving the country, he had already escaped countless times under the joint searches of armed police and tracking dogs. After traveling abroad, he trained with retired special-forces soldiers from various countries.

He could not control large numbers—but for small elite teams, he was already adapted. The jungle-warfare experience written in blood over generations was not something Tibetans of this era could understand. They were not even on the same level.

Once Zhang Xiaobao left, Wang Juan immediately began her arrangements. She was reluctant to let Zhang Xiaobao lead the team, but she had no choice. Huzi was good—but far less flexible than Zhang Xiaobao. At least Zhang Xiaobao understood trade-offs and would not charge a gun formation with a broadsword.

“Orders: everyone tear the inner clothes of your armor into strips and use them as puttees. First, second, and third battalions form the scout battalions and open the path quickly. The others advance together. Fourth, fifth, and sixth battalions carry wounded from seventh and eighth battalions. Tenth through twelfth battalions serve as field kitchens, preparing food for thirty thousand men.” Wang Juan began issuing commands. 

(Translator’s Note: Puttees — Long cloth strips or leggings wound tightly around the lower legs from ankle to knee. Common military equipment from the late 19th century through both World Wars, used to protect the legs, provide support, and keep debris out of boots)

No one understood what she intended. The officers of each battalion were her people, and they carried out her orders immediately—some clearing the path, some carrying men, some building cooking pits.

Very quickly, this situation was reported to Guo Tu and the other detained officers. They could not issue commands, but information was still delivered to them so they would know what was happening.

This was also something Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had discussed beforehand. If they kept those officers completely cut off from outside information, the officers would easily develop dangerous ideas. The best method was to ensure they always clearly understood the army’s situation.

Neither Zhang Xiaobao nor Wang Juan believed those officers could deduce the final purpose behind Wang Juan’s marching arrangements. Not even Zhang Xiaobao himself could guess it unless Wang Juan explained it. Just like the things Zhang Xiaobao used to plan—such depth could only be understood by experts. “Specialized skills belong to specialized fields”—this was exactly that.

The layers of arrangements Zhang Xiaobao once made had confused even Old Man Bi and Old Man Yao; they could never deduce the final objective. Now Wang Juan was doing the same. Every step had hidden meaning—strategic, tactical—enough to make anyone’s head hurt.

Right now, the heads of Guo Tu and the others were hurting. They had received information on the army’s movements, but no matter how they thought about it, they could not understand the purpose.

After thinking in terms of the military texts he had studied, Guo Tu finally said, “I understand. They want to mislead the enemy, make them think we still have many men—not just twelve thousand, but at least thirty thousand. Facing thirty thousand is not the same as facing twelve thousand. And those fake field kitchens—they’re meant to make the Tibetans think we still have plenty of grain. If they think they can starve us out by encirclement, that becomes impossible. So that means… that means… what would the Tibetans think?”

He had spoken smoothly at the beginning, but toward the end he became confused. What was the meaning? Making Tibetans believe they had thirty thousand men and abundant food should serve some purpose. But he truly could not think of what. If forced to guess, only one result came to mind—the Tibetans would send more troops.

More Tibetans meant an even harder breakout. If the goal wasn’t this, then why such arrangements? Judging from the formation, the person commanding the army was absolutely not someone ignorant.

Guo Tu couldn’t figure it out, and the other officers were the same. After a while, the adjutant said, “Could it be this: They want to deliberately numb the Tibetans. Today three-thousand-man field kitchens, tomorrow twenty-five hundred, the next day two thousand. Make the Tibetans think our morale is collapsing and men are deserting. When the field-kitchen numbers drop to five thousand, tell me—would the Tibetans still send large forces to surround us? I think they’ll believe we’re few and only send twenty thousand. Twelve thousand against twenty thousand—there’s still hope.”

“If you can think of it, you think the Tibetans can’t? If it were me, I’d send a hundred thousand to wipe them out. Who cares what their final number is? Who doesn’t know field kitchens can be faked?” A battalion commander spoke up. He did not believe the Tibetans were fools. This was an old trick, used countless times.

“Whether the Tibetans know isn’t the point. I’m saying this might really be their plan,” the adjutant retorted.

No one else spoke. They really feared Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan might actually be arranging things this way. Any strategy one could learn from reading military texts seemed unreliable.

The next day, their guesses changed again.

This time, Wang Juan sent only one battalion to clear the path. Out of ten battalions, five carried the other five on their backs. The last battalion built field kitchens sized for fifty thousand troops. The army slowed greatly.

“That’s wrong. It should be fewer field kitchens. Why are there more? Oh—I get it. They want to scare the Tibetans, make them think our numbers increased.”

Again relying on the military texts he had read, Guo Tu shared his new “insight.”

No one agreed. The adjutant countered, “If that’s the case, then why have men carrying other men? Are they bored?”

Everyone nodded. They genuinely had no idea what was going on. The methods of Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan felt… ghostly.

On the third day, it was still fifty thousand carrying fifty thousand. The scouts and the rear field-kitchen unit remained unchanged, but the men carrying each other rotated. Today they built field kitchens for seventy thousand.

So the detained officers found something new to obsess over, and once again they spent their time analyzing, unable to think of causing trouble.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaobao had already gathered more than three hundred men. He handed out food and sent them ahead to catch up with the main force, while he covered the rear.

The thirty-three of them did not go further back. They spread out sideways to wait—if they encountered anyone, they helped; if not, then those people were simply unlucky.

Huzi stayed close to Zhang Xiaobao—partly to follow orders, partly to protect him. Even though he knew that in real lethal combat he had no confidence in killing the Young Master—and that it was more likely the Young Master would kill him—he still had to protect him. Whether Zhang Xiaobao was strong or not had nothing to do with whether he should be protected.

Lying prone in the grass, wearing tactical gloves with exposed fingertips, Zhang Xiaobao crushed a one-inch-long insect crawling toward his neck without even looking at what it was. He told Huzi, “One more hour. When time is up, we withdraw.”

“Understood. Young Master, will Young Miss manage things well?” Huzi agreed but was deeply worried. 

Before this, he had always followed the Young Master’s orders and felt the Young Master was more formidable than the Young Miss. He did not understand why, now on the battlefield, the Young Master handed full command to her, and with such absolute trust.

Of course Zhang Xiaobao understood Huzi’s thoughts. He smiled faintly and said, “Don’t doubt Juanjuan. If she can’t do it, then no one can. All your tactics were taught by her. What I can teach you is psychology. If it were a fight between me and Juanjuan alone, I could beat her two-for-one. But if Juanjuan and I each had a thousand men with the same skill level… she could take three of my units before I even took one of hers. Do you understand?”

“I understand. Meaning that under normal conditions, Young Master is stronger. But in war, Young Miss is the true leader.” Huzi thought of the past lessons on tactics and nodded.

It wasn’t his fault. He had never witnessed Young Miss commanding real combat. He had no concept of her level, nor what “formal military training” meant. He could not possibly know that someone who graduated early from the Central Military Command Academy of 2100 was operating on an entirely different level.

Zhang Xiaobao said one hour, so they waited one hour. In that time, they found twenty-five more soldiers. When the hour ended, Zhang Xiaobao did not hesitate: “Withdraw. Full speed. Move.”