"Think about what King Yue Zhu would do."
Little Yanzhi's reminder kept echoing in Li Man's ears, leaving him restless. "I'm going ahead to check the situation. The rest of you stay here. Don't act rashly, and prepare for battle, just in case."
The four companions Prince Dudun had sent eyed him with suspicion. One of them said, "What's there to check? Don't you trust the scouts' report, or don't you trust... His Highness's judgment?"
Prince Dudun didn't trust Li Man, and that feeling had spread to the companions around him. The four felt more like watchdogs than the commander's assistants.
Li Man pointed his Horse Whip toward the swirling sand ahead. "Visibility is poor. It's always better to be cautious."
"Li Man, you don't believe Little Yanzhi's guess, do you?" one companion asked, watching the commander warily. "This is a test of loyalty. His Highness's position is perfectly clear. You can't sit on the fence."
Suppressing his anger, Li Man said coldly, "This has nothing to do with loyalty. His Highness put more than forty thousand soldiers under my command. I have to take responsibility for them."
"Your first responsibility should be to His Highness," another companion said in an even colder tone. "The Naihang Tribe has a hundred thousand people. Can you subdue them all on your own?"
"Li Man, I know you're eager to win His Highness's favor again, but you can't use this kind of trick to steal credit. You're the commander. You shouldn't go into danger alone, either. Otherwise, what was the point of His Highness sending the rest of us along?"
The four no longer bothered to hide their suspicions. Li Man, in turn, calmed down. "I hope my judgment is wrong. Here's what we'll do: split the forty thousand cavalry into four groups,