“Father just passed away. A defeat at this time would greatly affect military morale, popular sentiment, and the court,” Chu Zhao said. “One route of troops can work.”
She looked at Uncle Zhong.
“Uncle Zhong, you arrange troops to attack the Chi’na army. I’ll go support the left flank vanguard.”
Zhong Changrong said uneasily: “Miss, how will you go?”
Chu Zhao said: “Uncle Zhong, I actually also have a route of troops.”
Zhong Changrong froze, then immediately knew what she meant. His expression flushed red then ashen, his hands clenched into fists, but in the end he said nothing.
……
……
There were no high mountains or dense forests here, only undulating ravines, like a thousand wounds and holes.
A sharp bird call rang out in the sky above the ravines.
The bird call was not pleasant—hoarse, stiff, intermittent, as if someone’s throat were being strangled.
After the third or fourth call, a person leaped out of the ravines like a small deer.
“Ding Dachui,” Xiao Man cursed angrily. “What kind of ghost sound are you making!”
Ding Dachui was overjoyed to see her—he’d never imagined he’d feel this way one day, but never mind that.
“Miss Xiao Man!” he called out, running quickly over, then awkwardly explaining, “I can’t whistle. I still haven’t learned.”
Xiao Man said coldly: “If you can’t whistle, then don’t. You’re no longer one of us. Get lost quickly and go be your Empress’s guard.”
Ding Dachui said: “Once a bandit, always a bandit—Miss Xiao Man, I need to see the boss.”
Xiao Man sneered: “See the boss for what? To convey orders from your Empress?”
Ding Dachui nodded: “Yes.” Then, unafraid of Xiao Man’s cold face, he shouted loudly, “Mu Mianhong—the Empress has an edict—”
Xiao Man had never known this bandit had such a loud voice. She shouted angrily: “Shut your mouth!”
But even though Ding Dachui shut his mouth, someone had already emerged from the ravines behind.
The woman wore coarse cloth dress and skirt, a long whip wrapped around her waist, her face covered with cloth, just as before.
“What orders does Her Majesty the Empress have?” Mu Mianhong asked softly.
Ding Dachui looked at this woman and sighed inwardly. The boss was the boss—he could never replace the boss’s position in the Empress’s eyes. Good thing he hadn’t reported her.
“Boss,” he bowed in salute, then rose, and following Chu Zhao’s instructions, bowed again in salute. “Miss Chu says the battle situation is urgent. The commander has newly died. There aren’t enough troops at home. She asks to borrow the chief’s forces to go into battle and kill the bandits.”
Xiao Man sneered: “Her Majesty the Empress is truly polite. How could we deserve ‘borrow’? We are the bandits.”
“Xiao Man,” Mu Mianhong said. “It’s not Her Majesty the Empress borrowing from us.”
That earlier call of “the Empress has an edict” was requesting her to come out for a meeting.
She came out in response to the edict. Ding Dachui had bowed to her twice—the first was him seeing his old boss, the second was bowing on behalf of Miss Chu.
Miss Chu said there weren’t enough troops at home and came to borrow her forces.
It was Miss Chu making the request. It was Miss Chu’s family matter.
Mu Mianhong said to Ding Dachui: “We are all border commandery neighbors. If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Mu Mianhong will certainly do her utmost.”
Ding Dachui said no more, cupping his fists in salute, then turned and ran swiftly away.
Xiao Man said urgently: “Auntie, look at her. She won’t even call you—”
“Call me mother?” Mu Mianhong said, reaching out to pat Xiao Man’s shoulder. “If she called me mother at this time, it would instead be coercion.”
Her daughter was a kindhearted child.
She knew that as long as she asked, no matter what it was, Mu Mianhong would agree without hesitation.
But by inviting her in her capacity as a chief, she let Mu Mianhong act with honor and righteousness.
Mu Mianhong raised her head and released a bird call toward the sky. Compared to Ding Dachui’s earlier sound, it was clear and sharp, stirring up the ravines riddled with holes. Countless birds rose up in response, covering the sky.
When neighbors face trouble, protect home and hearth, safeguard peace, weather the crisis together.