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Chapter 1182 Mountain Warfare

The closer we get to Damascus, the stronger the sense of conspiracy becomes. We can just touch the city wall after crossing this swamp. Will the enemy not take the initiative to attack, but wait for the Ming army to set up their positions and charge in the hail of bullets?

If this was the first time the two sides met, this possibility must exist. However, Tabar Pasha, who led the Ottoman Guards and Sipahi Cavalry, had already tasted the bitter fruit of two head-on confrontations, and he could not do it again.

There must be something wrong when things are abnormal. If Tabar Pasha intends to defend the city of Damascus and stop being a fleeing rabbit, this swamp and rugged mountain road should be the last possible chance for a turnaround.

"Your Majesty, the lookouts did not find any traces of the Ottoman army, but they discovered unusual soil colors on some hillsides. Strangely, I can't see any difference from where I am."

After waiting for about an hour, Lei Lao Hu came running over and reported the latest situation. He hadn't slept well these days, and his eye sockets were dark and blue, but he was still energetic.

"Has the village been confirmed to be safe?"

After taking the topographic map drawn by the lookout, Hong Tao raised his telescope to look at the hillside marked with abnormalities on the map, but he didn't find anything wrong. Then he turned his head to look at the village 2 kilometers away, and frowned.

"It's safe, but there's no one here. Judging from the items left behind, the villagers must have left for some time. The furniture is covered in dust, and there are no living things. The Ottomans must have known about the army's whereabouts and wanted to use the tactic of clearing the countryside and relocating all the nearby people."

When the main force was still more than ten kilometers away, the vanguard of the Warrior Battalion and the Shiite militia had already explored the vicinity of the village, and the conclusion was not beyond Lei Lao Hu's expectations. When facing a major war, generals generally take similar measures to prevent the enemy from easily obtaining supplies and labor.

Hearing that the village was deserted, Hong Tao frowned even more. He originally wanted to find a local to ask, but since yesterday, he has not met anyone on the road, and the camel herder who was always elusive has also disappeared without a trace.

"Send someone to scout the mountain road. The entire army will set up camp at the foot of the hillside. Rest for a night and plan tomorrow!" The only way to determine whether the mountain road is safe now is to use humans to scout. Seeing that the sun is approaching overhead, they have no choice but to freeze for another night.

The Gobi Desert is like an oven during the day, but can freeze at night. Fortunately, the Ming army was equipped with blankets, otherwise, 90% of the soldiers would have caught a cold and had a fever, even without fighting, just because of the temperature difference of several dozen degrees.

"Your Highness, there is a guide named Mubarak who said that the swamp ahead is passable. He walked through it with a caravan when he was young. It is not the rainy season now, and the months when the snow on the mountains melted have passed. If he can be given some camels after winning, he is willing to give it a try."

At around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the camp had not yet been set up. Hong Tao was taking a nap on a recliner covered with a blanket when the flat-headed brother quietly came over. He whispered a few words to Wang Chengen, who reluctantly leaned over to the emperor's ear and whispered.

"I remember him... Flathead, you take my guards and go with him to explore the way. Be careful. These guys are sometimes not as good as ordinary people. When they get angry, they will do anything and will not spare their lives. There are plenty of camels. As long as we can find a way, let him choose any one. Fifty is not enough for a hundred."

Although he closed his eyes and occasionally snored, Hong Tao was not completely asleep, but was just dozing off. He opened one eye immediately after hearing Wang Chengen's whisper, turned around and saw that it was Wei San, and immediately agreed.

This swamp is not as abundant as Lake Hamar, which is full of water over a meter deep, dotted with countless islands and endless reeds. Its water source comes from the melted snow in the mountains northwest of Damascus. There are neither large lakes nor islands, and not many plants. Looking around, there are shallow puddles and wet mud everywhere. It is more appropriate to describe it as a swamp.

The old guide from Ramadi City might have been able to cross the swamp, but even if he could find a path, it would only be enough for a small number of people, which would be meaningless to a large army. Otherwise, the locals would not have chosen to find another way and dig a road from the mountainside.

However, there is no harm in sending someone to explore. If there is indeed a path that can be passed by people and horses, a guard force must be arranged to pay close attention to it to prevent the enemy from sneaking through and launching a surprise attack.

"Bang... bang..." Just as the flat-headed brother was about to take the order and leave, two explosions were faintly heard in the distance.

"Your Majesty, it's over there on the mountain road. It sounds like a grenade. It's at least 2 kilometers away!"

The honey badger, which had not yet turned around completely, immediately stopped and looked up at the hot air balloon. After failing to receive any flag signals from the lookout, it began to analyze the source of the sound on its own.

"Go do your thing first. Go ask the engineers for a few ash poles. Use them to poke the ground after entering the swamp." Hong Tao also heard it, but he didn't jump to conclusions. Patrols were sent out for several kilometers, and there were hot air balloons as eyes. There was no need to make a fuss.

It is more dangerous to explore the swamp, and even if the old guide has no bad intentions, you still need to pay attention to safety. This is when the plot of an old Soviet movie can come in handy.

In "The Dawns Here Are Quiet", Soviet female soldiers used wooden sticks to explore the way when chasing German commandos in the swamp, and it seemed to be quite effective.

The explosion did come from the mountainous area in the north, which is the direction of the mountain road leading to Damascus. More than two hours ago, the army sent two squads of 2 soldiers to explore along the mountain road. It seems that they must have had an accident.

Is it possible to walk less than 2 kilometers in more than 2 hours? In mountainous areas, it is indeed possible. It takes an average person more than an hour to climb a hill that does not look high or steep. If the path is more winding, two hours is just enough to climb over a hill, and the straight-line distance is not far.

Hong Tao didn't need to ask anyone about this, as he had calculated it many times when he was hunting in North America. If it were the local mountain people, their speed would be more than doubled, and their endurance would be better, so they could climb two or three hills in a row before taking a break.

"Your Majesty, the lookout saw smoke and dust on the back of the mountain. The search team must have encountered the enemy." After a while, Lei Lao Hu came running over and reported all the current situation he knew.

"It seems that the key to winning this battle is not the siege, but the mountain warfare. Tabal Pasha is indeed very smart. He knows that trenches and cavalry cannot win, and he uses the desert Gobi to delay and wait for reinforcements.

It's a pity that there are no reinforcements, but he still refuses to give up and is determined to fight to the bitter end in the mountains, making full use of the natural conditions and terrain. This is probably his last resort."

(End of this chapter)