Hearing him bring up the old story again, Hua Mulan solemnly said, "Brother Xiang, don't you understand? This ambush force is our trump card for victory, and what we need most is an indomitable and resolute spirit. How can you just treat it as a sham? Besides..." Hua Mulan said unhappily, "Although our Northern Wei army is weak, we are not cowards. Are you worried that we won't even last an hour or two?"
This was the first time Xiang Yu had ever seen Mulan truly enraged. He spread his hands and said, "Alright, whatever you say goes."
Marshal He nodded with satisfaction and walked out of the tent. When he reached the door, he suddenly turned back and said, "Muli, if I hand over all 150,000 of our men to you, can you handle it?"
Hua Mulan asked in surprise, "Marshal, what do you mean?"
Marshal He smiled and said, "You are brave and resourceful, and you planned this entire campaign. You are definitely more suited to lead the army than I am. Tomorrow, I will only act as bait. The safety of the nation and the lives of 150,000 soldiers are all in your hands!"
Hua Mulan stared blankly and said, "This...how can this be?"
Marshal He waved his hand: "That's it then. Tell me tomorrow if you come up with any new ideas. I'm going to take a break now." He slowly walked out of the tent, and a sigh, full of reluctance yet also relief, came in: "I'm getting old. It's time to hand over the heavy responsibility to the younger generation."
We watched as Lao He's somewhat weary figure disappeared. Xiang Yu sighed, "Although a hero is old, he has finally retired gracefully. Lao He can be said to have achieved his goal perfectly. Mulan, congratulations! As long as nothing unexpected happens in tomorrow's battle, you will be the new commander-in-chief of the three armies."
I scoffed and said, "I thought it was pretty awesome that I became the Commander-in-Chief of the Eight-Nation Alliance at 28, but I never expected that Sister Mulan would become the Chairman of the Central Military Commission at 27. Sister, let me ask you, does your Marshal He have a daughter?"
Hua Mulan asked curiously, "Why are you asking this?"
I said, "I reckon he's already set his sights on you as his son-in-law, which is why he's been grooming you. If that's the case, you'd better make things clear to the old man right away, or you'll end up an old maid crying to whoever you have to tell?"
Xiang Yu said, "No, no, Old He is almost seventy years old, how could he possibly have a girl in her twenties?"
I said, "The old man came from a military background; even an old horse in its stall can still gallop a thousand miles..."
Hua Mulan's face darkened as she said, "Are you two even on the right track? Let's get down to business!"
Xiang Yu feigned weakness and said, "Silence, silence! Marshal Hua is showing his authority."
Hua Mulan chuckled and said, "Brother Xiang, we'll need your help a lot tomorrow. Let's discuss the cooperation between our two armies."
Xiang Yu said, "Let's separate the two armies; I'll follow your command."
Hua Mulan asked, "Are you willing?"
Xiang Yu smiled and said, "What's wrong with an older brother running back to being a supporting character for a younger sister? Just tell me what you need, and treat me as your henchman."
Hua Mulan laughed heartily and said, "With Xiang Yu as my vanguard, my prestige is far greater than that of Brother Liu Bang—but let's get this straight, tomorrow's battle can only have one commander-in-chief. If you disagree with the command..."
Xiang Yu retorted, "There is no joking in the army. Am I the kind of person who says one thing and does another?"
Hua Mulan readily agreed, "Alright, come and take a look." She pointed to the map and analyzed, "This is Yanshan. Before the decisive battle tomorrow, the Rouran scouts will definitely scout the terrain in advance. You must not be discovered at this time. I want your men to set off from the camp, circle counterclockwise to the back of Yanshan, and then reappear on the western slope after the decisive battle begins, waiting for my order to launch the general offensive."
Xiang Yu understood her battle plan and agreed.
Hua Mulan gently punched his chest: "Remember, you can't hit him unless I tell you to."
Xiang Yu said, "Don't worry, since I've chosen your method, I won't ruin your plans."
Mulan stretched and said, "Let's all go and rest for a while. Tomorrow will be a tough battle."
Xiang Yu asked, "And you?"
"I need to calm down."
I joked, "If the car were here, I'd go to the Three Kingdoms period and borrow Zhuge Liang's fan for you to use."
Hua Mulan suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "Xiao Qiang, please wash my hair one more time."
Xiang Yu sneaked into Yu Ji's tent, pulled out two packets of Pantene shampoo, and handed them to me: "These are the ones you brought last time. Let our Marshal Hua use them."
I adjusted the water temperature in the wooden tub, watching Mulan loosen her hair and slowly pour the warm water over her neck. Our heroine's neck was still delicate. I said, "Sister, what are your plans after the war?"
Mulan lowered her head and rubbed her hair, saying, "I haven't thought about it yet. Do you think I'll die again when I'm 29?"
"No, but this marshal position will keep you busy enough."
Hua Mulan said, "Whether it's a marshal or a high-ranking official, it doesn't tempt me. I still want to live a normal life."
I said, "Then you'd better hurry up and find a man to marry. If you're quick, your child can be born before my son and Yu's son turn one year old. If they're both boys, they can become sworn brothers; if they're both girls, they can be sisters. If you both have daughters and I have a son, oh dear..."
Mulan blushed and said in a harsh tone, "Then what do you want?"
“Those are siblings. My son is already engaged to Zhang Liang’s daughter…”
...
Early the next morning, Xiang Yu led his men and set off first. The entire Northern Wei army assembled, and Marshal He issued a decree, specifically stating that this battle would be under the full command of Vanguard Hua Muli. Today, the old man's golden helmet and armor were polished to a gleaming shine, and his scarlet cloak was draped over his horse's back, the red and yellow stripes making him look like a plump mealworm—Old He had certainly gone to great lengths to serve as bait.
A moment later, the messenger stepped forward to ask Mulan, "Vanguard, the soldiers are all ready. Shall we hold a rally first?" I shuddered at the thought. Another poetry contest, all those grandiloquent pronouncements. Of all the people I've met, only Zhang Han seems to be good at it, and then there's my own signature silly grin. But my carefree laugh, like Yang Guo's Ecstasy Palm, needs the right timing. There's an age-old debate about whether a desperate army will win or lose, but a bunch of grinning soldiers are definitely not going to win a battle…
Hua Mulan said calmly, "There's no time. Go and tell them that if anyone wants to back down when the battle starts, tell them to think about their mothers and wives, and not to let a woman look down on them."
The messenger paused for a moment, then shouted, "Yes, sir!"
Just as the messenger left, a scout came to report: "The Rouran cavalry have all assembled 20 li away."
Marshal He spurred his horse to Hua Mulan, looked at her kindly, and said solemnly, "Muli, I'm entrusting everything to you. If I can't return this time..."
Hua Mulan resolutely said, "You must come back. Don't you have two great regrets in your life? I promise that as long as this battle is over, I will help you fulfill both of your wishes!"
Old He smiled and said, "That's ridiculous. The second wish is fine, but the first one... well, let's not talk about that. Actually, I have another private wish that I haven't fulfilled. I have two sons, and although neither of them amounted to much, at least they didn't tarnish the reputation of the He family. They both died fighting for the country. Although I have never regretted it, I am now feeling lonely. I wish I could have a gentle and kind daughter..." It turned out that Old He really didn't have a daughter.
I asked, puzzled, "Why does it have to be a daughter? Wouldn't a son be better?"
Old He chuckled and said, "As a man of the He family, how can I not go to the battlefield? But to put it bluntly, on the battlefield, one is not in control of one's own destiny. One does not know what tomorrow will bring. Only girls do not have to bear this responsibility."
Hua Mulan snorted and said, "Girls can go to the battlefield just the same."