Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Night has fallen, and the banquet is still going on in the Qiang camp.

Qiang King Mi Tang sat at the head of the table, his eyes deep and sharp, thinking to himself: "Hmph, news of the Xiongnu crossing the Qiang territory has arrived. My plan has finally succeeded." Seeing how low the morale of these soldiers had been, and the leaders' hearts were filled with complaints, I had to use this opportunity to appease and intimidate them. I absolutely couldn't let them have second thoughts.

With this thought in mind, he solemnly announced the news at the banquet with a calm expression. The anxious generals nearby were stunned for a moment, then their faces lit up with joy. One of the leaders immediately stood up, clasped his fists, and said, "Your Majesty is wise! This plan is truly brilliant!" The other generals echoed his words, showering Mi Tang with compliments. Mi Tang's lips curled slightly, a flicker of pride passing through them. He waved his hand and said, "Don't praise me. This is all for the great cause of our Qiang people."

Generals E He and Shao Ge, thanks to their contributions in rescuing Mi Dang, were now being seated closer and closer to the front. The two generals exchanged glances, each with a wry smile. They hadn't expected Mi Tang to be so resourceful. If Ma Chao returned to quell the Xiongnu rebellion, they would be forced to remain inactive. But if Ma Chao failed, wouldn't the blame fall entirely on them? The two leaders silently prayed for victory for the Western Liang army, without compromising the overall situation. Mi Tang observed their reactions, his gaze lingering for a moment before averting.

Qiang King Mi Tang had meticulously planned, having arranged for Mi Dang to lead an elite force to ambush at a key route to the Xianrong Qiang. This way, should Ma Chao send reinforcements, they could launch an ambush immediately. And if Ma Chao and his men returned with the bulk of their forces, this force could serve as a detachment, joining the main camp in pursuit of Ma Chao. It must be said that Mi Tang's calculations were ruthless and his schemes far-reaching.

After three rounds of drinking, Mi Tang raised his glass again, glanced at everyone and said: "By now, this news must have reached the Xiliang army camp. If the Xiliang army leads troops back to support, then we can ambush and pursue them; if they withdraw their entire army and return, we must follow closely and hold on to them, in order to cause even greater casualties to the Xiliang army, so that they will never dare to underestimate the Dongqiang again, let alone easily provoke a war." The generals shouted in unison: "We will follow the king's orders!" Mi Tang nodded with satisfaction, his heart full of confidence and calculation. He wanted to let everyone know how powerful he was, and he wanted to firmly control the entire situation. Thus, the Qiang King Mi Tang's shrewdness and ruthless methods as well as his deep scheming were fully demonstrated.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the Qiang camp, and Che Hou hurried to the big tent to report: in the dark of night, countless soldiers from Xiliang came, the sound of drums was deafening, and shouts of killing suddenly came from afar.

Qiang King Mi Tang's eyes narrowed, but then a confident smile appeared on his face. He glanced at the generals under his tent, folded his arms, and said calmly, "Don't panic, everyone. Just wait and see how I respond."

One of the leaders said anxiously, "Your Majesty, these Xiliang soldiers are coming with such force, what should we do?"

Mi Tang's lips curled up slightly, a hint of disdain in his voice. "Hmph, what are you panicking about? That little Ma Chao is just desperate." He looked at the other leader with a stern gaze, "You must lead your troops immediately to strengthen the defenses around the camp. We must not let the Xiliang soldiers easily break in." The leader quickly clasped his fists and replied, "As you command, my lord!"

Then, Mi Tang selected another general and said, "You lead a team of light cavalry to patrol the camp to prevent spies from sneaking in." The general immediately took the order and left.

Mi Tang then turned to the other generals and laughed heartily, saying, "Generals, hold the camp. It seems Ma Chao has also received the news that Xiliang has been invaded by the Xiongnu and is eager to engage us in a decisive battle. We just need to hold the camp and ensure that the Xiliang army will retreat in a few days. Then we will have the opportunity to strike hard."

Upon hearing this, the generals' originally nervous mood gradually calmed down. They rubbed their hands together, with a gleam in their eyes. Someone said, "Your Majesty is wise. We will definitely assist you with all our strength." The others also echoed.

Under Mi Tang's command, the generals each performed their duties, and the camp became busy and tense, all looking forward to performing well in the upcoming battle. Mi Tang was so confident that his leaders felt that the balance of victory might be secretly tilted by Mi Tang's careful planning, and they were eager to reverse the decline they had shown in front of Mi Tang.

When everything was deployed, and they were just waiting for the Xiliang army to attack, they saw only clamor outside the camp, but no enemy attack. The Qiang general hurriedly informed Mi Tang of this. Mi Tang frowned slightly, then relaxed and said calmly, "Just be vigilant and hold the camp. If they attack, we will defend with all our might. But if they don't, what then? It's best for us to just hold on here."

After saying this, Mi Tang swept his sharp gaze across the generals, as if conveying unwavering confidence. The generals exchanged glances for a moment, then one of their leaders clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, you are right. We simply must hold our ground and remain constant in the face of ever-changing circumstances." The other generals nodded in agreement, each with their doubts but also trusting Mi Tang's judgment. Seeing this, Mi Tang nodded with satisfaction. He clasped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth within the tent, pondering the various possible scenarios and preparing himself for any action by the Xiliang army.

An hour or so passed, but still no sign of the Western Liang soldiers deploying for an attack. In reality, Zhang Xiu's force wasn't large; it was merely a show of force. Mi Tang and his men stood in full battle formation within the camp. Time slipped away, and the atmosphere felt strange and unusual. "Your Majesty, what are these Western Liang soldiers up to?" one of the generals finally couldn't help but ask. Ming Tang frowned, pondering for a moment before snorting coldly, "Hmph, no matter what they try, we'll just hold our ground here for now." The lieutenant general, feeling helpless, could only remain on high alert, quietly awaiting the Western Liang soldiers' attack. After a moment of display of force, the Western Liang soldiers leisurely departed, leaving Mi Tang and the Qiang leaders deeply dismayed. Some generals, self-righteous and clever, said that perhaps they had come specifically to disrupt the morale of our army. Mi Tang thought about it carefully and felt that this was probably the case. Then he and the other generals returned to the camp and returned to the big tent.

Qiang King Mi Tang and his other leaders had barely arrived at the tent, barely had time to settle down, barely even a glass of wine, when a soldier hurried in with news that the Western Liang army, with drums rumbling like thunder, was approaching the camp. Mi Tang, fearing no delay, quickly led his troops into battle formation, as before, preparing for a fierce battle to prevent an attack from the Western Liang army.

However, just like the last time, after waiting for an hour or so, the enemy camp was surging, but they still did not launch an attack. Mi Tang couldn't help but wonder in his heart, what exactly is this kid Ma Chao trying to do? Is this a strategy of wearing out the enemy? At this time, a leader suggested to Mi Tang whether to send troops out of the camp to test the waters. Mi Tang responded, "It's night time now, and the visibility outside is poor. It's difficult to determine whether the Xiliang troops have set up an ambush outside. We must not fall into their trap. Our army only needs to carefully guard the camp and wait quietly for their next move."

Xu Huang, like Zhang Xiu of old, arrived with a threatening aura and began to flaunt his power without restraint, a display of force that lasted nearly an hour. Then, as if nothing had happened, he leisurely departed with his troops, leaving the chiefs and the Heavenly King at the camp, bewildered and bewildered. The chiefs exchanged glances, and one spoke up, "Your Majesty, if they continue to resort to such tactics, our army will inevitably be exhausted!" Mi Tang paused for a moment before responding, "Let's all return and rest. It's only once or twice, not a third time. If they dare to harass us again, we will decisively dispatch our troops to confront them and see for ourselves what schemes they are up to." The chiefs, now completely devoid of any desire for drinking and revelry, hurried back to rest. However, the soldiers of the Western Qiang tribe did not dare to slack off at all and always maintained a high level of vigilance. They opened their eyes wide and paid close attention to every movement around them to guard against any dangerous situations that might arise at any time.