My wife, Wei Gui, was 1.9 meters tall and fought against the Tang dynasty for the throne.

As night fell, the Boye Plain became unusually quiet.

The formidable circular formation was anchored on a raised embankment, with a dozen or so scouts deployed around it. Sentries were hidden in the grass on the embankment slope, and archers took turns on duty in two shifts.

Zhi Shi Si Li came up from the bottom of the slope.

"Special agents and night watchmen have been sent out; they can report back at the slightest sign of trouble."

"Do you think they'll come tonight?"

"Dou Jiande's army is exhausted; they suffered so many losses during the day, they might not dare to move tonight. Li Xiuning..."

"Li Xiuning is a skilled warrior," Duobi continued, "but she only has a little over two thousand men. Even if you add Dou Jiande's remnants, she'll only have seven or eight thousand at most. My five thousand cavalry, holding the high ground in a ring formation, can easily hold out for one night."

"At worst, it'll just be a chaotic battle. When we're tired, we'll find a gap to escape. My Turkic cavalry can come and go as they please; they can't stop us."

"The special agents are right. But..."

"Just what?"

"But that women's army fought cunningly during the day, managing to annihilate General Nima's three thousand cavalry. They are no ordinary people."

Duobi frowned but did not refute.

"Pass down the order: add ten men to each squad of archers on duty. If the night sentries are attacked, do not fight back; retreat and report the news first."

"Yes."

-

Inside the Women's Army camp.

Du Yao lifted the curtain and entered, followed by a dusty-looking man dressed in the short tunic of a canal boat sailor, with a short knife at his waist.

"Sister Xiuning, General Wang Yu's messenger has arrived."

The messenger knelt on one knee, took out a copper talisman from his body, and presented it with both hands.

"General Wang's 8,000 naval troops have crossed the river at Qilijing at night and are now fully assembled, marching rapidly westward. The general has agreed that at midnight, fires will be lit as a signal for a three-pronged attack—King Dou will press forward from the south to contain the Turks on the front; the Women's Army will harass the Turks from the west with guerrilla fire; and our troops will break out from the reed marshes in the northeast to cut off the Turks' retreat route to the north."

Li Xiuning stared at the bronze talisman for a couple of moments, then looked up and asked, "Where is General Wang now?"

"It is less than 20 li from Boye Plain, and can be reached in an hour by fast travel."

Li Xiuning nodded and handed the copper talisman back.

"Reply to General Wang, the fire will be lit at midnight, and my troops will launch on time."

The messenger hurried out of the tent.

Li Xiuning turned to Du Yao and said, "Order the entire army to be in position before midnight and prepare for battle."

"I'll go and relay the order right away!"

Li Xiuning turned around and walked into Dou Xianniang's tent.

Dou Xianniang, who was leaning against the bedding, immediately sat up when she learned that there would be a battle that night.

"General Li, my injuries are not serious. Please allow me to join the army."

Li Xiuning sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Night is a time of encirclement, not a solo battle. The worst thing is someone overstepping their bounds and tearing the encirclement apart."

"I won't charge into the enemy lines; I'll just follow the cavalry and attack the flanks."

"You went into battle wounded, and you fought with such fervor, who could stop you? The battle you fought during the day was brilliant, and it was also very close."

"Tonight you have one thing to do—follow the cavalry. If you see a small Turkic squad trying to break away from their lines, lead your men to intercept them. Don't chase them too far, don't charge into the enemy lines alone, and don't leave the cavalry's sight. If you can do these three things, I'll let you go."

Dou Xianniang's eyes lit up: "I can do it."

"Words are no proof." Li Xiuning extended her right hand. "Let's make a vow with a high five."

Dou Xianniang raised her hand and slapped her two palms together with a loud thud.

-

Inside Dou Jiande's granary, Ling Jing was verifying the messenger's copper tally by the light of a torch.

"Your Majesty, the bronze talisman's markings are accurate; it belongs to Wang Yu's naval escort."

"But our army has suffered more than half its losses during the day, leaving less than 6,000 soldiers capable of fighting, and all of them are wounded. If we launch a strong attack tonight, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out."

The messenger clasped his hands in greeting: "General Wang, please rest assured, King Xia. Your forces only need to press forward from the south to contain the Turks and block their escape route to the south. There is no need for a full-scale attack; simply hold the line."

Ling Jing breathed a sigh of relief: "That's feasible."

Dou Jiande glanced at him, then suddenly laughed: "Ling Jing, are you afraid I'll rush in and fight again?"

Ling Jing didn't mince words: "Your Majesty charged too fiercely during the day. Wang Fubao was hit by five arrows. If we continue fighting like this, we'll be wiped out."

Dou Jiande stopped laughing and said seriously, "I know what I'm doing. Tonight, I won't charge, I'll just hold the line. We'll lock down the south and not let a single Turk escape south, then we'll have accomplished our mission."

"Order—before midnight, the entire army shall have a full meal. At midnight, light the fires, beat the drums, and advance!"

-

It's past midnight.

Deep in the reeds, a red light suddenly rose up, drawing an arc in the air before being blown brightly by the night wind.

"Signal received! Beat the drums!"

The war drums of Dou Jiande's army thundered, and the Xia army slowly advanced, with arrows flying in swarms toward the Turkic ring formation on the embankment.

Duobi, who had a clear view from the high hill, curled his lip in disapproval.

"As expected, they're here. Dou Jiande is on the front, and Li Xiuning is on the flank, attacking from both sides. Just as I thought."

He drew his sword.

"Order—two thousand cavalry on the right flank hold off Dou Jiande, two thousand cavalry on the left flank keep an eye on Li Xiuning, and the reserve force in the center, filling in wherever the situation is more critical. Archers, fire arrows to suppress them and prevent them from getting close to the circular formation."

As the horns sounded, the Turkic cavalry dispersed to the north and south, with riders nocking their bows and arrows to suppress the Xia army to the south.

Meanwhile, the women's cavalry archers in the north had already dispersed. The 1,500 riders were divided into three groups, moving back and forth under the cover of night, shooting arrows into the Turkic left flank.

His aim was unpredictable; he specifically targeted the flag bearers and those shouting slogans.

The Turks have always been proud of their archery skills in the Central Plains, but tonight, they were surprised to find that the female archers on the other side were just as skilled as the warriors of the grasslands.

One of the commanders, furious, personally drew his bow and charged forward, ready to teach the opposing riders a lesson.

Seeing the enemy advance, Li Xiuning seized the opportunity, drew her bow, and shot an arrow.

The commander of a thousand cavalry was caught off guard and fell from his horse.

The Turkic left-wing cavalry could no longer resist and sent out three hundred riders to give chase.

The horse archers turned and fled, keeping a distance of fifty or sixty paces at a time.

Just as the Turkic cavalry were about to accelerate, the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) warriors, who were waiting in formation ahead, blocked their way. Those who couldn't slow down in time fell one after another under the Mo Dao.

The Turkic cavalry behind them had never seen anything like this before, and they dared not charge any further, turning their horses around and retreating.

As soon as the Turkic cavalry retreated, the women's archer cavalry turned back and continued firing.

After three back-and-forth maneuvers, the Turkic left wing's formation became somewhat scattered.

Standing on the high ground, Duobi observed the battle situation on both sides, still confident in his abilities.

Although the attack from both sides was fierce, his ring formation remained stable, and the fighting strength of his five thousand cavalrymen was still intact.

If we can withstand this wave of attacks and find an opportunity to concentrate our forces to defeat one side, we will have a chance to turn the tide.

Just then, a deep, resounding battle cry suddenly erupted from the northwest.

Unlike the bugles of the Turks, the Xia army, and the women's army, its sound was deep and resonant, accompanied by the thunderous roar of a thousand people stamping their feet, rolling in from the darkness.

"Cavalry, advance! Infantry, cut them off!"