, but rather...
While Shen Le was secretly sizing others up, they were secretly sizing him up as well.
Of course, they were not focusing all their attention on him. In the midst of a great battle, there were countless matters to attend to. Even merely standing atop the pass and watching, there were innumerable things to handle:
They had to watch Hulao Pass's defenses, keep an eye on Dou Jiande's army, see to the soldiers rotating out to rest, eat, and drink, and make sure the horses were led away for water and feed...
Only after all these matters had been dealt with did a mounted rider clip-clop through the battle formation and draw up beside Li Shimin. The man glanced back at Shen Le and lowered his voice.
"Your Highness, battle is dangerous. Keeping that little Daoist here may be dangerous for Your Highness..."
"Ah." Li Shimin waved him off indifferently.
"It's nothing. Could he possibly hurt me in the middle of an army formation? That little Daoist is interesting. I want him closer so I can observe him a little longer."
"But..."
"Ah!"
With a gesture, the man who had raised the objection was seized by two others and dragged off in the direction opposite Shen Le. A large hand landed heavily on his shoulder.
"Old Li, haven't you noticed? The way that little Daoist looks at His Highness... it's strange. He doesn't look at all like an ordinary commoner!
"He casually picked such an excellent position, saw through His Highness's military strategy with a few words, and has battlefield martial skills besides. This man is no ordinary fellow. We need to keep a close eye on him!"
"Old Cheng, you..."
"It's fine. His Highness knows what he's doing! Those two Daoists have been separated—one inside the