Three Armies

Dudun had been in a foul temper lately. He disliked the stalemate, but no one around him could think of a clean, decisive way to break it. He knew patience mattered, yet he wanted to shift some of the pressure weighing on him onto his subordinates.

The fight for the khanate was not his alone. Those who would bask in glory after victory ought to contribute in advance. That was how Dudun saw it.

More than half of Dudun's pressure came from the Dragon King, an outsider who had never been qualified to compete with him.

"The Dragon King went to inspect the battlefield?" Dudun demanded sternly. "Why wasn't I told first thing this morning? He's already back, and I'm only hearing about it now."

Though Li Man and A Zheba had risen to the rank of senior generals, they remained as deferential before Dudun as ever. As for the rest of his companions, they hardly dared breathe. Everyone knew that until the enemy was defeated, Prince Dudun probably wouldn't return to his usual affable self.

A Zheba was responsible for keeping an eye on the Dragon King. He lowered his head in self-reproach. "It was my fault. The Dragon King goes out often, and he didn't take many guards with him this morning, so I overlooked it. I thought it wasn't important."

"You thought?" Dudun suppressed his anger and motioned for the others to leave, keeping only A Zheba and Li Man behind. "Do you know why the Dragon King did this? It's a performance, to make the whole army grow accustomed to the idea that the Dragon King is its true leader. This is... a fight to the death. We can't give an inch. But because of your mistake, I've lost ground."

A Zheba's neck turned red. He