Great Tang Idyll - Volume 4 Chapter 226

Wang Juan led the people to withdraw. When the supply-escort unit under Tata Neitu’s command came under attack, he already knew something was wrong. The smoke rising from the burned grain was simply too massive — it looked as though the entire sky in that direction had been blocked.

With the situation unclear, he could only send scouts to investigate. He did not know whether his own unit had been ambushed or whether a small Tang detachment had deliberately set a fire to lure him. If it was the former, he needed to turn back immediately and reinforce, ideally surrounding the Tang force that launched the ambush. If it was the latter, turning back would allow the Tang soldiers at the front to slip away.

Another choice appeared before Tata Neitu: pursue or return. Just as at the start — wait for reinforcements, or advance alone — a wrong decision would mean losing the initiative.

The scouts he sent finally reached the area two hours later. When they saw what lay before them, they shook their heads hard in disbelief.

All the grain had been burned. All four thousand men were gone. Even in the leeward spots, the thick stench of blood lingered. 

How many men had ambushed his force? The fight ended too quickly. Judging by the warmth and cooling of the blood, more than an hour had passed. The entire engagement could not have lasted long at all.

The scouts froze for a moment, then found the escort commander’s weapons and seal, turned around, and sprinted to report to the general as fast as they could.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaobao could only feel regret. If only he could take the bodies of their fallen soldiers back, and also bring back the captured enemy to work as slaves — over a thousand people. Whether for farming, mining, or roadwork, they would have been no small help.

Unfortunately, taking them back was impossible.

“Juanjuan, I’ve figured it out. Our disposable rocket tubes weren’t very effective. They startled people, but killed few. Especially the nails — once they hit armored enemies, they were easily blocked. Same with the grenades. Some only produced a puff of smoke, as if we were playing with dull fireworks. The fire-lance wasn’t easy to use either. After one shot there wasn’t time to reload. The pellets flew everywhere. If they hit someone’s face it was fine, but hitting the body did nothing — the enemy could still fight. And when they hit armor, they made a ding-ding sound like a music box.”

Zhang Xiaobao began a post-battle summary. With current technology, the effectiveness of firearms was greatly limited.

Wang Juan could not change that. Unless they could keep improving the designs. But she was still satisfied. “Frightening the enemy is already good. Especially against cavalry. One explosion and horses can’t stand it. Once we have cavalry of our own, we can let them hear explosions every day. Once they get used to it, they’ll gain a huge advantage.”

While the two discussed these new weapons, Guo Tu and the others were also thinking back to the first time the logistics camp used them — the rolling explosions, and the little handheld device that knocked people down in swathes if they had no armor.

“Rich families really are different. Where did the Zhang family get such good equipment? And those sleeve-arrows — anyone who met them first had no chance to attack. They were shot from far away. Even leather armor couldn’t stop them.” The staff officer spoke with envy. 

He imagined what it would be like if ten thousand soldiers had that equipment — facing another ten thousand, casualties would be almost negligible, with most losses inflicted by thrown weapons and long-range fire.

The other officers knew the equipment was excellent, but far too expensive. No wonder the Zhang family refused to hand over their men when Guo Tu wanted to take charge. It was all money. They had more small items on them, and their weapons used different materials. Their sabers could even cut through the opponents’ weapons in one strike.

Guo Tu was envious too, but what occupied him more was this: where did Wang Juan’s command ability come from? The little girl had such methods. No wonder she was sent to reinforce them — there was no taking back command before returning.

As they marched, Guo Tu suddenly stopped and studied the surroundings. He asked the officers nearby, “What do you think they’re planning next? It looks like they’re heading downhill. But there are Tubo cavalry patrols below. Otherwise I’d already have taken men down.”

The officers all shook their heads. They no longer wanted to guess what the logistics camp planned.

By afternoon, the team suddenly changed direction, heading toward the route taken by the two thousand who had escaped earlier. Without armor weighing them down, they wrapped their leggings tight and began a rapid march.

“They’re not planning to cut across again between this path down the mountain and the one on the other side, are they?” Guo Tu asked in shock when he saw the change in direction.

It was far too risky. They had just crossed above. Now they wanted to cross back? Too bold. Were they afraid the enemy wouldn’t find them?

“Faster. Keep up. Wounded men move slowly at the rear. Those still able to fight run,” Wang Juan ordered as she jogged within the formation.

Zhang Xiaobao ran beside her. He also had no idea what she intended. “Where are you taking the troops?”

“To the battlefield, of course. What else is an army for — farming? I’m gambling. I’m betting the other side will give us an opportunity.” Wang Juan wiped her sweat and stopped talking to conserve strength. She couldn’t exactly let people carry her.

Their speed was no slower than the adults’. The logistics camp was used to the little lord and the little lady having inhuman stamina, but the soldiers Guo Tu brought were stunned. The looks they cast at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were complicated.

These two children had penetrated deep into Tubo to bring them several days of supplies. After seizing command, they had led daring maneuvers and successfully ambushed Tubo’s logistics force. The little girl’s near-supernatural command had saved countless lives.

And now, even in forced marching, the two children needed no help. Beautiful faces, adorable smiles, decisive minds, ruthless methods, and unwavering resolve — all in two children.

These were the children of Zhang Zhong, the Prefect Zhang who was excellent at making money. How were his children raised?

Ordinary children of that age would have cried after running this long in the mountains, let alone led a logistics army and commanded troops.

If the grown men couldn’t keep up, it would be shameful.

What Wang Juan sought was the opportunity that Tata Neitu would provide.

When the scouts returned with their report, Tata Neitu felt his vision go dark. He nearly fainted. After stabilizing himself, he glared at the scout. “You’re sure you’re not lying? All four thousand dead? Grain burned? Done by the Tang army?”

The scout nodded cautiously. “Yes. I saw Tang corpses — around six hundred. The rest were our soldiers. Blood everywhere. I searched further. They charged down from the mountain. They must have crossed paths with us.”

“Killing four thousand at the cost of six hundred? When did the Tang army become this powerful? Was it the Mo-Sword Guard elite?” Tata Neitu muttered, shivering. 

He knew the Tang’s strongest troops. When the Mo-Sword formation was incomplete, it was invincible once complete — long blades like a forest, advancing steadily. But that was only effective on open plains against cavalry. In the mountains, they couldn’t even swing properly.

He thought again about what the scout said and suddenly understood. “I see. Their earlier movements were meant to make us hesitate, so we wouldn’t attack. If I’d charged, we could have fought to mutual destruction, or they would have found a way to slip away. If they’d released more smoke, I wouldn’t have gained any advantage. They wanted to preserve their strength. The smoke — the smoke wasn’t to choke us. It was to cover their climb up the mountain. So the two thousand who ran ahead really were just two thousand. Their main force crossed paths with us on the mountain and ambushed my logistics.”

Tata Neitu understood, but understanding did nothing to change the result. Yet something still felt wrong. If Guo Tu were truly that skilled, how could his logistics have been broken earlier? How could someone capable of such command make such a mistake?

Who was it? Who was commanding the Tang army?

Just then, scouts from another Tubo unit arrived with reports.

After hearing what they said, Tata Neitu cried out, “What? All the villages between here and the pass were wiped out? And a logistics camp from Yizhou marched out to reinforce Guo Tu? And Guo Tu got through such terrain so quickly because of that logistics camp?”

What they brought was newly obtained intelligence. They had spies in Pengzhou. When Guo Tu moved out, the spy hadn’t reacted fast enough. When Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan moved out with the logistics camp, the spy couldn’t delay anymore, but Pengzhou cooperated by sealing the pass, so the spy barely managed to get the message out.

The slaughtered villages alerted the Tubo troops as well. Putting these together, they immediately knew who had done this — the Yizhou Logistics Camp, the Zhang family from Between Water and Clouds Pavilion in Sanshui County. They were the ones who had ruined a major Tubo plan before — and now they appeared again.

With Zhang Zhong assigned to Yizhou as Prefect, the Zhang family buying up grain, organizing mule teams — everything made sense. It was all to hide their preparations and prevent Tubo from noticing.

Tata Neitu realized that when Zhang Zhong was demoted, he had celebrated. Now he understood — it wasn’t a fall. It was an appointment to the most crucial place, specifically to deal with Tubo. 

The Zhang family’s troop was the Tang army’s final trump card.

“No wonder something felt wrong. They switched people. Guo Tu? With his ability, could he cross paths with me and set up such a terrifying trap? So the one commanding the Tang army is from the Zhang family. Damn it. They put their best people in the logistics camp. Losing this round isn’t unfair. I didn’t know the enemy.”

Tata Neitu felt much better. Losing to someone who couldn’t even guard logistics was one thing. Losing to the mastermind who ruined Tubo’s grand plan was entirely different.

After explaining the situation, he sent the scout back to tell the troops below to coordinate to encircle the Tang main force. Then Tata Neitu made his own arrangements.

He believed he had lost because he underestimated his enemy and didn’t realize the shift in command. Now he intended to take things seriously.

“Send my order. Three thousand men will continue to pursue the two thousand Tang fugitives. The rest will return with me to attack the Tang main force from behind.”

The troops split. Thirteen thousand followed Tata Neitu. He believed that after raiding his logistics once, the Tang force must have gained some supplies and would now try to leave the battlefield and return to Pengzhou. He could chase them from behind. As for the two thousand who left the trails and released smoke, they were likely low on supplies. Sending three thousand after them would face exhausted opponents — a winnable fight.

Three hours later that night, the three thousand Tubo soldiers following the two thousand Tang troops happened to stop to rest — giving Wang Juan an opportunity.

By the next afternoon, when the escapees reached Tata Neitu with their report, the Tang main force had already vanished into the vast Jin River region, leaving behind the bodies of two thousand five to six hundred Tubo soldiers.

Tata Neitu, who still wanted to pursue and kill the Tang army, heard that his three thousand men had been wiped out in a night raid by the Tang main force. He was terrified and didn’t know whether to keep chasing in the mountains. He now had only thirteen thousand men. The Tang army, after two battles, had lost fewer than one thousand.

The numbers were nearly even — and the Tang had a ghost-like commander. If he chased, he might leave his own corpse behind.

But if he didn’t chase, losing seven thousand men would doom him when he returned.

“I’ll send a message. Order all units below to reinforce me. I’ll do it — I’ll fight the Tang main force head-on. Even if my men die to the last, the credit will go to those who arrive after.” Tata Neitu finally made up his mind — to fight the Tang main force even if it destroyed his own.

That night, reinforcements arrived with supplies. They marched through the night to pursue the Tang main force. Orders were also sent below — each of the three ten-thousand-man formations would send two thousand up the mountain as reinforcements, as fast as possible, to catch up with Tata Neitu.

Two days later, before Tata Neitu even found the Tang main force, he received news that the three reinforcements had each been destroyed separately by the Tang main force — at the same place where the first four thousand grain-escort soldiers had died. It also revealed the Tang army’s route — they had crossed paths with him on the mountain again and made a massive circle.

They also ambushed another thousand-man grain-escort group and disappeared again.

“Logistics Camp. Yizhou Logistics Camp. Zhang Zhong. Between Water and Clouds Pavilion.” Tata Neitu stopped pursuing. He was afraid that if he continued, more would go wrong. Especially with the Tang playing this constant up-and-down crossing game — how could he find them in this vast terrain? He lay in camp staring at the stars, muttering.

While Tata Neitu tried to understand the Tang army’s route, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan rested parallel to him — only five li away.

The last three ambushes had gone extremely well. Nearly ten thousand men — in each raid, they struck two thousand careless troops. Three raids in a row, more than six thousand eliminated. They now had a little over nine thousand left.

Wang Juan had not expected to catch all three groups. She had planned to loop back and rest before planning the next move. But scouts spotted another two-thousand-man group on the mountain. So she hit them. After interrogations revealed two more groups, she struck them all in one go.

“On the battlefield, luck is a part of strength. Don’t underestimate it. But relying on luck alone wins very few battles. Opportunities are found, not given. The essence of maneuver warfare is to distract the enemy in motion, to think of what they cannot imagine. Don’t count on luck. A good commander is the guarantee between life and death. As long as you apply what I taught you flexibly, without sticking to rigid doctrine, even with bad luck you can still retreat intact. For the capable, opportunities are everywhere. Zhang Yu, take your squad and do a map exercise. Bring me the notes later.”

Inside a shelter made from branches, Wang Juan lectured the group. A military map of Jin River hung on the wall. She needed to explain her thinking behind each command, including her hesitations, so the others could judge how they would act.

When Zhang Yu’s unit left for their exercise, she began teaching mountain terrain small-unit tactics again. They had learned it before, but she added new insights each time.

The officers under confinement were also allowed to listen. The more they listened, the more frightened they became of this little girl.

Especially when Wang Juan explained her mindset during battle — openly describing her fear, hesitation, and gambling instincts, then criticizing herself and offering improvements. This willingness to confront her weaknesses shocked them.

Who would expose such things to others and critique themselves so ruthlessly? Most people, once they won, would boast about being the best.

But the little girl faced everything head-on, took responsibility, awakened herself constantly, and corrected errors.

In their eyes, a future great general was rising. Her seriousness, her strategic depth, her tactical insight — all concentrated in one child. A person like her would win a hundred battles and no one would even question it.

If in the past few days she had shown bold and risky command, then now she taught them not to take risks unless forced. If you could win a direct battle, you should not seek opportunistic tricks — such victories did not last, and such commanders were unqualified.

After the lecture ended and Wang Juan went with Zhang Xiaobao to check Zhang Yu’s squad, none of the officers wished to rest.

They were absorbed by her teachings and wanted to internalize everything, hoping they could one day reach her level.

“No wonder His Majesty sent Zhang Zhong to Yizhou. It was his plan all along. I’ll never forget this in my life — a place called Yizhou, where a logistics camp rose to fame. Using the name of logistics, they reinforced the front line and won battle after battle. Even two children from there could lead troops to victory. The foundation is deep — unmatched.” The staff officer sighed as he looked up at the sky.

The officers did not refute him. Some bowed their heads, some looked up at the stars and moon. The mysterious night sky seemed like the little girl — impossible to fathom.

“When we return, I won’t boast about being first in tabletop war games again. And none of you mention it. Whoever brings it up, I’ll fight them. It’d be like calling me an idiot. When I return, I’m going straight to the war-game room at Between Water and Clouds Pavilion in Sanshui County to play with them. Who taught that little girl?” Guo Tu spoke as well. 

He had been crushed mentally by Wang Juan. Everything she taught, he had never learned. And each time she taught, she used real battlefield examples to explain advanced concepts in ways simple to understand.

This meant the little girl had long mastered these principles. If he’d had even half her ability before meeting her, he would have faced any opponent with pride instead of making the mistakes he did — mistakes she now turned into teaching material.

If these were her “weaknesses,” then her attitude was her strength — humble, studious, constantly reflective. A victorious general who could still set aside pride to self-criticize could not fail.

The staff officer added, “There’s something even more important — the Zhang family’s inventions. Those firework-like things with greater force that shook the mind. And their training methods — she didn’t even teach those.

“Look at the people the logistics camp sent. I don’t believe the Prince of Tong’an trained such elite troops. If they were really his men, they wouldn’t obey the little girl so absolutely.”

“Exactly. We must learn. Let’s see what she plans next,” a battalion commander said, trying hard to guess the next move.