Ning Chen had a plan.

He looked up at Yuan Long. "The Gaoli Kingdom's army has just entered the passage, and they're escorting several hundred thousand dan of grain and a pile of silver... They probably won't get here till tomorrow night.

Pass the word to the men: no march tonight. Have them get a good rest and build up their strength... We've got a hard fight tomorrow."

Yuan Long went off to see to it.

Late the next morning.

Ning Chen sent for Yuan Long and gave his orders. "Move the army forward a mile and a half."

"Yes, sir!"

The army pushed forward a mile and a half and stopped.

Ning Chen had the cavalry rest where they were, while the ten thousand archers kept advancing... and before they left, he sent two thousand cavalry along with them.

Not a third of a mile ahead lay Rockfall Slope.

Rockfall Slope was the widest stretch of the whole road. On either side, instead of sheer cliffs, there were slopes... and the slopes bristled with jagged rocks.

They were steep and hard to climb, but not impossible.

Ning Chen had Yuan Long order the ten thousand archers up the slopes to lie in ambush behind the rocks.

There was another advantage, too. Hidden behind the rocks, the archers wouldn't easily slide down, but any enemy trying to attack up the slope would have a hard time of it... The slope and the rocks made a natural barrier.

Once the archers were in hiding, Ning Chen had the cavalry brush away the tracks the climb had left.

Then Ning Chen called Yuan Long aside and whispered instructions to him for a long time.

"Got all that?"

Yuan Long bowed. "This officer has it!"

Ning Chen said, "Remember, if anything goes wrong, get out of there fast!"

"This officer obeys!"

Ning Chen gave a small nod. "Eat your fill and rest a while. Move out in four hours."

In the afternoon, at the hour of the Monkey.

Yuan Long set out at the head of two thousand cavalry.

About an hour later…