Great Tang Idyll - Volume 4 Chapter 233

A heavy rain fell, as if wanting to wash away all the bloodshed of the human world, and it kept falling until evening that day, showing no sign of stopping.

The Tubo people still had not found the Tang main force. Let alone the main force—they couldn’t even see any Tang troops. 

The three divisions of reinforcements had all their grain burned, and more than five thousand horses lost. When they prepared to find Tata Neitu to question him as to why the Tang main force had not been on the mountain, the men they sent returned to report what had happened during the night.

Tata Neitu’s four thousand men had been wiped out by more than three thousand, and Tata Neitu’s whereabouts were unknown. After this battle, of Tata Neitu’s twenty thousand men, only a little more than seven thousand remained.

The three divisions were speechless. They thought that if they had still been behind Tata Neitu at that time, maybe Tata Neitu’s forces would not have been destroyed. If four thousand men were reduced to barely over one thousand, what else could that be but the Tang main force?

From beginning to end, more than twenty thousand had now died at the hands of the Tang army. More precisely, twenty-three thousand. Many had also died at the camp attacked the previous day.

The fifteen thousand Tang troops who had entered were ambushed and left with a little more than twelve thousand. Adding the later-arriving logistics teams who had no combat ability, just these people, from beginning until now, had killed more than twenty thousand of the Tubo.

Yet the main force had not suffered much fluctuation at all. Wherever they met battle, they fought and won. 

The latest news said that the identity of the commander here had been confirmed—it was the girl among the two children. The girl was now nine years and one month old, named Wang Juan. Those familiar with her all called her Juanjuan.

At this moment, she was the future daughter-in-law of Yizhou’s Inspector—a very sensible girl, cute and pretty, well-read and well-behaved, and said to make the best wontons.

Such a little girl—such a nine-year-old girl—had taken over what was then the Tang army’s remnants, and then held her own against their great host. The distance she had traveled could be called fighting across a thousand li, calculating everywhere, setting ambushes everywhere, undefeated in attack and invincible in battle.

According to military principles, she was: as swift as the wind, as gentle as the forest, as fierce as fire, unmoving like a mountain, unfathomable as the shade, and moving like thunder.

When had the Great Tang produced such a person? When had the Great Tang become accustomed to letting a child command an army?

These things seemed no longer important. What mattered was that the Tang main force remained, still that ruthless. No matter how one searched, they remained nowhere to be found.

The Tubo commanders were already beaten until they had no temper left, yet they could not stop fighting. Word had been released: it was a child—it was she who slaughtered them until rivers of blood flowed. If they could not even deal with a child, what use was their country?

Thus, more troops were mobilized, and the iron cavalry took their positions.

So many people, such great strength, all for the sake of defeating a nine-year-and-one-month-old girl. 

Juanjuan—yes, a very nice-sounding name.

The officials of Pengzhou had recently stopped putting government affairs first. Every day they thought about how many Tubo the logistics camp in front had killed this time.

A few days earlier, the eagle had delivered new information to Pengzhou. 

After reading the battle report, the officials of Pengzhou were rendered speechless. The person was confirmed—it was Zhang Zhong’s daughter-in-law. She had repeatedly defeated the Tubo.

The proof was the items sent on the eagle.

No one doubted anything now. All they hoped was that this genius commander could continue killing enemies for the Great Tang. 

News quickly spread around the area. Wealthy families, after hearing it, wished desperately to give birth to daughters, hoping that one day their daughters could be like this Wang Juan, leading armies in battle.

It could be said that people wished not to give birth to boys but to girls. Of course, no commoner knew this phrase—but the idea was such. They had no idea this was a sentence that would appear during the Tang’s most perilous era.

The people of Yizhou also received the news. 

Zhang Zhong was so excited he didn’t know what to do. He never imagined that not only were his son and daughter-in-law unharmed, but they had been hiding right under the enemy’s nose, and that the troops they had led had not suffered many losses and still had the strength to fight again.

Madam Wang and the Wang family all looked radiant. Especially Wang Juan’s father—he had always been a little self-conscious. Although his daughter was capable, the one truly handling matters was his son-in-law. 

He followed the Zhang family here and there and wanted to do something to prove himself.

But he had never had the chance. Now the chance had come. See? Had everyone seen it? His Wang family’s daughter was not just for show. The child born to his family was capable—able to fight battles. Who else could do this? Whose daughter in the world could do such things at age nine?

Overjoyed, he dragged the people of each village to drink with him, constantly saying at the table how he knew when his daughter was born she was destined to be extraordinary, and now it had indeed come to pass.

The village chiefs, even if reluctant to listen to his boasting, had no choice but to endure it. They understood clearly—this wasn’t boasting. His daughter had accomplished it.

Old Man Bi and the other two gathered once again. Looking at the incoming news, they remained silent for a long time.

After a while, Old Man Zhang finally said, “Look, wasn’t I right? It really is the two children commanding, and it’s that girl Juanjuan. Did a master teach each of them a different skill? Now the Zhang and Wang families have momentum. Ordinary people won’t dare provoke them anymore. Capable in both civil and military matters—who could be their opponent?”

Old Man Bi also had not expected that Juanjuan, the little girl who always smiled when she spoke, would have such ability. 

Previously, when Xiaobao and Juanjuan were together, most attention went to Xiaobao. Juanjuan always stood behind him—partly quietly supporting him, and partly because Xiaobao’s position was always set to protect Juanjuan.

But once there was a battle, Juanjuan automatically stood at the front, and Xiaobao would move behind her to support. The logistics were all done by Xiaobao.

How were these still two children? Many adults could not achieve this. When one appeared, the other immediately became hidden—one bright, one dark. If these two children grew older, what would they become capable of?

No, they did not need to grow. Even now they could. If given an opportunity, they would seize it—they would never give it up. 

It seemed he had not chosen wrongly back then; he had helped the right people. The future of the Great Tang would be handed to them.

Thinking this, Old Man Bi sighed and said, “I hope Juanjuan returns soon. If she is surrounded over there and something really happens, it will be a loss to our dynasty. If it truly cannot be helped, then force Pengzhou to send troops. Isn’t everyone there wanting to enlist now?”

Old Man Yao forced himself to stay calm, not letting himself get too excited. His health had always been poor and needed nourishment. He feared becoming too emotional when something happened.

Having been Prime Minister many times, he originally had trained himself to remain unmoved by honor or disgrace. But now, faced with this situation, he could no longer maintain his old composure.

Xiaobao, only nine years old, had arranged the logistics so well that the soldiers at the front had no worries. Juanjuan, also only nine years old, born the same year, month, and day as Xiaobao, could lead those final soldiers and contend with the strong Tubo forces without defeat.

Even if they were older by ten years—no, even three years would do. At least there had been Prime Ministers at age twelve. But the two children had revealed their abilities already, impossible to conceal—perhaps this was already the result of being hidden again and again.

Yao Chong was truly frightened. He had never heard of such a thing. 

He thought the Tubo must be feeling even worse. So many of their generals were being toyed with by a nine-year-old girl—surely they would go mad.

Very well—now the Tubo were suffering. Mobilizing so many troops, even sending out the iron cavalry. The iron cavalry was the unit guarding the Tubo capital. To what degree had the Tubo been forced for such mobilization?

All troop movements cost money. The Great Tang had earned this. With so few Tang troops and with logistics funded by the Zhang and Wang families, they had forced the Tubo to spend so much of their wealth, resources, and manpower.

After gasping repeatedly, Old Man Yao’s emotions gradually calmed. He said, “I believe this is correct. Pengzhou should send troops. Everyone there wants to enlist and serve our dynasty. This is all because of Juanjuan. If a girl can do this, how can grown men not do it? Even if they do not send troops, they must at least make a show of assault, coordinating with Juanjuan. Otherwise Juanjuan will not have it easy. If Juanjuan and Xiaobao are lost, what kind of situation would that be?”

“If it truly came to that, I would trade my old life for theirs. I have lived long enough. Juanjuan and Xiaobao must not meet with misfortune.” Old Man Zhang spoke most directly, immediately expressing himself. 

Old Man Bi said nothing, but judging from his face, he felt the same. He was willing to exchange his life as well.

As they discussed using their identities to pressure Pengzhou to act, an imperial edict arrived from the capital by fast horse, addressed specifically to Old Man Yao and Old Man Bi, ordering them to fully cooperate with Zhang Zhong’s actions in Yizhou and to send another edict to Pengzhou, commanding Pengzhou to prepare for an attack.

While others were taking action in various places, Wang Juan began her next step. 

She placed nearly four thousand men on the mountain, while she and Xiaobao personally led three thousand light cavalry to trouble the Tubo.

After the rain stopped, the road was difficult to travel. Perhaps all other commanders would refuse to attack under such conditions, but not Wang Juan. What she had learned cared nothing for weather. The troops she once commanded were all-weather combat units.

For others, such weather was unpleasant. For her, it was an opportunity. What fear was there in muddy ground? If it was muddy for them, it was also muddy for the enemy. Whoever grasped the terrain best would be the one to win.

Adding Shuiyun and the telescope, Wang Juan had confidence in fighting the Tubo again under such conditions and making them tremble at the sight of her in the future.

The three thousand light cavalry took five days’ worth of food and a large quantity of arrows and set out, heading directly for the forces of the three divisions that had just gathered Tata Neitu’s remaining seven thousand men.