Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 301 The Song Dynasty has turned to the dark side and become militaristic!
At this moment--

Whoosh whoosh!
Seven or eight arrows were fired from the dense forest, heading towards the Song-Man allied forces on the mountain road.

The barbarians' bows weren't strong, but their poisoned arrows were terrifying. They were now nearing Gushi Village, and the Song army was on high alert, all soldiers fully armored. These stray arrows caused no casualties among the Song troops. However, most of the barbarian soldiers didn't even have leather armor, and two were hit by arrows.

However, it's not a big problem; the barbarians have their own ways of treating these poisoned arrows.

The barbarian leader even let out a roar, and then twenty-two barbarian warriors, wielding rattan shields, charged into the dense forest on both sides of the mountain road.

This group of barbarians was known as the Embroidered-Leg Barbarians. In addition to their long hair tattoos, they also liked to tattoo the names or images of gods on their calves.

Undoubtedly, they take pride in their agility, moving faster than other barbarians in the mountains and forests.

Before long, the twenty-two barbarians returned. One of them had to be carried back; he had been stabbed in the abdomen, his intestines spilling out, and he was unlikely to survive. Besides him, there were four other heads with black teeth and blood splattering everywhere.

The leader of the Embroidered Leg Barbarians was named Dui Luo, which translates to "gold" in Chinese.

He said excitedly, "Prime Minister, there are four heads in total. We agreed beforehand that one head would be exchanged for two catties of salt."

Dong Huai nodded and said, "I'll settle the accounts with you when we get back. And remember this: cut off two men's heads, and you won't have to serve in the military."

"Cut off three heads, and enjoy a three-year tax exemption."

"Cut off four heads and you can be promoted to Han or Mongol. Cut off six heads and you can join our Song army or the King's Eight Banners army."

"Three heads of old people or children count as one man's head."

He nodded repeatedly to Luo Lianlian and said, "I remember everything! Oh, and don't forget the 20% of the spoils, Prime Minister."

"Unforgettable. Keep moving forward!"

"Yes!"

Don't be fooled by the fact that Han Chinese or Annamese people collectively refer to these people as "barbarians." They themselves, and among different tribes, do not consider themselves of the same race.

Previously, the State of Song was weak, and these barbarians raided Guangxi.

Now that the State of Song has grown stronger, it can no longer plunder the people of Song. So why not attack other barbarian tribes? Besides, the people of Song have even offered extra rewards.

Besides, isn't it because they didn't want to fight but had no other choice?
Although the barbarians in northern Annam lived in the mountains and forests, it does not mean that they lived in the primeval forests.

They are actually a rice-farming people, and their main source of livelihood is the rice paddies cultivated in the mountains. Gathering medicinal herbs and spices in the primeval forests and hunting are only important supplements to their lives.

The village is there; you can run away from the monk, but you can't run away from the temple.

For most barbarians, abandoning their mountain strongholds and becoming savages in the primeval forests is still an absolute nightmare.

Now, the Embroidered Leg Barbarians have been registered as ordinary citizens. If they don't obey the military orders to attack the stronghold, their entire family, or even the entire stronghold, will be implicated.

dong dong dong~~
At this moment, the war drums in Gushi Village had already sounded.

After all, barbarians also have to work. Most barbarians work in the fields or hunt in the mountains and forests, and there are not many men in the mountain villages.

Some of the Black-Toothed Barbarians, acting on Li Moke's orders, either harassed the enemy in the dense forests on both sides or blocked their way on the narrow mountain paths.

Without hesitation, Dong Huai ordered the Embroidered Leg Barbarians to attack.

The Black-Toothed Barbarians and the Embroidered-Leg Barbarians are actually about the same in terms of combat strength. The reason why the Embroidered-Leg Barbarians had such a big advantage in the sneak attack just now was because they had more people.

However, although the Song army did not equip them with iron armor, they did equip them with the standard swords and spears of the Zhao Shuo Khanate.

This is a good deal; you can probably exchange three Embroidered Leg Barbarians for four Black Tooth Barbarians.

After killing more than twenty Blacktooth Barbarians, they finally reached the foot of the mountain where Gushi Village was located. After killing another thirty or so Blacktooth Barbarians, they finally arrived in front of Gushi Village.

This village is located on a platform atop a mountain, backed by a cliff. The village walls are not built of stone, but of thick bamboo and giant logs.

Inside the village, there were rows of stilted houses made of bamboo and wood, for the barbarians to live in.

There is only one mountain path leading to the foot of the mountain in front of the village, and at its narrowest point, it can only accommodate two people walking side by side. Even after reaching the village, it can only accommodate four people walking side by side.

Duandi can be described as easy to defend and difficult to attack.

"Damn those Embroidered Legs! Do they really think my Gushi Village is made of clay?"

Standing on the stockade wall, Li Moke watched the Song-Man allied army winding its way along the mountain path, let out a cold laugh, and said, "Fire! Fire arrows! Shoot them to death!"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh~~
Arrows rained down on the embroidered-leg barbarians in front of the village.

One of the embroidered-leg barbarians was hit by an arrow and fell to the ground, then riddled with arrows. Three other embroidered-leg barbarians, seeing the situation was dire, hurriedly retreated while using rattan shields to deflect the rain of arrows.

Upon seeing this, Li Moke couldn't help but burst into laughter.

In his view, although Gushi Village had fewer troops than the enemy, its terrain was rugged and difficult to attack.

With only two thousand or so people, trying to break through his Gushi Village is simply wishful thinking.

However, he was too happy too soon.

The three burly men had barely retreated a short distance when several Song soldiers stepped forward, chopped off their heads, and hoisted them high onto bamboo poles.

Then, the Embroidered Leg Barbarians, as if possessed, attacked Gushi Village.

"Charge! Kill!"

"Anyone who retreats will be beheaded, and their entire family will be enslaved!"

"Destroy Gushi Village, leaving only the young women!"

"We'll get 20% of the loot!"

"Two pounds of salt for every head!"

……

The embroidered-leg barbarians swarmed towards Gushi Village, the fierce warriors in front using rattan shields to shield themselves while gritting their teeth and attacking the village.

The arrows that followed rained down, clashing with the Black Tooth Barbarians of the mountain stronghold.

They surged towards Gushi Village wave after wave, and in no time, more than a hundred embroidered-leg barbarians had fallen to the ground.

More than thirty Blacktooth Barbarians also died in the mountain stronghold.

But that's not the point!

Whoosh whoosh!
Suddenly, spears, glowing with sparks, hurtled towards Gushi Village like lightning.

The three-bow crossbow fired one shot and three arrows!

The sparks that appeared on the arrow were the burning fuse of the thunderbolt!
In fact, the method of using thunderclaps to launch three swords with a single spear was already well-established in the Song Dynasty.

The Song Dynasty military treatise "Xingjun Xuzhi" records: "Use crossbows to launch rockets and cannons to burn firewood and straw in the moat." The cannons were thunderclaps.

Thunderclap, also known as Iron Cannon!
The original Song army was reluctant to use the precious Thunderclap Bomb to attack the barbarian stronghold. After all, the Southern Song court was too weak. However, the Zhao Shuo Khanate was willing to spend it!
Having occupied the world's major sulfur and nitrate producing areas, what is there to be reluctant about?
puff!
Some of the Black-Toothed Barbarians were hit by a spear and three sword arrows, their hearts pierced through, and they fell from the stockade wall with cries of agony.

boom!
The thunderous explosion blasted the nearby barbarians to pieces, turning them into a bloody mess!
Even more terrifying, the Song army also tied oil canisters to the "One Spear, Three Swords" arrows, making these thunderbolts more likely to start a fire!
In an instant, smoke filled the walls of Gushi Village, screams echoed, and flames soared into the sky.

"Charge! Kill!"

"Break down Gushi Village!"

……

The embroidered-leg barbarians shouted and seized the opportunity to attack the mountain stronghold.

Kill kill kill!

Chop, chop, chop!
No one can live except for young women!
After all, brains are like precious salt in the mountains, more valuable than money. Who would complain about having too much money?
Within an hour, the entire Gushi Village had been cleared.

Under the protection of forty armored soldiers, Dong Huai entered the village.

"Prime Minister, as you can see, we captured over four hundred young women in this battle, and they are all here. Besides the young women, we only kept one man, Li Moke, the creditor of Gushi Village."

He bowed and scraped before Luo, saying, "I ask the Prime Minister to decide how to handle this."

Although the attack on Gushan Village was mainly carried out by the Embroidered-Leg Barbarians, it was the Song army's thunderous weapons that ultimately sealed the victory.

Now, all the men of the Embroidered Legs Clan, including Luo, looked at Dong Huai and Song Jun with awe.

"Well, you did a great job."

Dong Huai's expression was solemn as he looked ahead. In front of him stood a tall, black-toothed barbarian, bound hand and foot—this was Li Moke.

Behind Li Moke were more than four hundred trembling women.

"Spare me! Great official of the Song Kingdom, spare me! I know I was wrong! I'm willing to offer you all my gold and silver treasures! I'm willing to lead the way and help you attack the other Black Tooth Barbarian strongholds! I know many shortcuts that can directly lead into the strongholds!"

Where was the arrogant and cruel Li Moke of before when he treated Song Nu? He was now as meek and pitiful as a lapdog, kowtowing repeatedly and begging to surrender.

However, at that moment, a woman's voice rang out from the crowd—

"Prime Minister, is that you? Prime Minister! It's me, Lotus!"

"Lotus? Is that you?"

Dong Huai was shocked and said, "Come here quickly! Tell me, where is Yue'er? Is she...is she still alive?"

"Your Excellency, please accept my condolences! Lady Yue'er...she...is gone."

"Huh? It's gone!"

hum~~
Despite having been mentally prepared, Dong Huai felt her head buzzing, and two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks.

Lotus was his granddaughter Dong Yue'er's maid, and they were captured by barbarians together. Lotus said that Yue'er was already dead, so his granddaughter must have met with misfortune!
He didn't even dare ask Lotus how his granddaughter had died so tragically. A girl only fourteen years old—what would she face in the hands of barbarians? A swift death was probably the best he could hope for.

Tears streamed down Dong Huai's face as he said, "Alright, I understand. Now, just tell me whether Yue'er died in this Gushi Village."

"Yes."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Dong Huai said "good" three times, his teeth grinding together, and said, "Pick out the Song women inside and settle them properly. As for the other women, distribute them to the soldiers according to the rules, so everyone can have some fun. In the end, just leave twenty alive."

Zhao Shuo's original orders were vague, only allowing young women to remain. But what qualifies as young? What qualifies as old? There was no clear standard.

In fact, this gave the generals at the front the power to make decisions on the spot.

The decision on how many women to keep will be made based on the situation at the front.

In the vast Gushi Village, Dong Huai decided to keep only twenty women!
Blood for blood, tooth for tooth, tenfold! A hundredfold!
Of course, that's not the point. The point is Li Moke!

After collecting and reburying Dong Yue'er's remains, Dong Huai personally dismembered Li Moke alive in front of Dong Yue'er's grave.

He didn't stop Li Moke from talking at all; Li Moke's screams only made Dong Huai feel a little better. The more Li Moke screamed, the better Dong Huai felt.

Dong Huai even thought of Cao Cao.

It turns out that he liked reading stories about Sun Tzu and Cao Cao, and once said to someone, "If I were employed, I would sweep across the Central Plains and return it to the emperor." At that time, he admired Cao Cao's military prowess.

But now his mindset has changed. He feels that Cao Cao's sense of satisfaction and revenge in massacring cities is really great.

If you kill one of my relatives, I will offer a city as a sacrifice!
However, Xuzhou is inhabited by Chinese people, and Cao Cao's actions were indeed wrong, a fact that cannot be overturned in any era.

However, these barbarians are not Chinese.

What are you waiting for?
Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!
kill!kill!kill!

In the days that followed, Dong Huai became completely corrupted, abandoning all the foolish benevolence of the Song Dynasty's officials.

He led the Song-Man coalition army to continuously attack the mountain strongholds.

He strictly followed Zhao Shuo's military strategy, and any mountain stronghold that fired an arrow was completely wiped out! If the resistance was fierce, even most of the women were slaughtered!

The name Dong Huai was so powerful among the barbarians that it could stop children from crying at night. They even secretly referred to him as "Dong Mu Gui" (Dong the Wooden Ghost) instead of by his real name!
He is not human; he is a demon from hell! A devil from the mountains and forests!

In fact, it wasn't just Dong Huai.
The Song army suffered a devastating blow after the crushing defeat at the Fulang River. On one hand, these people harbored a deep-seated hatred for the barbarians. On the other hand, they deeply resented their own weakness and stupidity.

Originally, the Song Dynasty allowed soldiers to join the army at the age of eighteen, but now children over fourteen have joined the military. Together with the regular army, they attack mountains and break through strongholds.

Although the main force attrition was the barbarians, the Song army sometimes had to fight tough battles. Some of the young men died in battle, while others grew up quickly. Reality was more educational than books; although they did read, they preferred the Confucianism of the pre-Qin period—the Confucian ideals of "Can a nine-generation feud be avenged? A hundred-generation feud is still possible!" and "Though there be thousands, I will go!"

The intellectuals also changed rapidly.

Even Dong Huai's granddaughter fell into the hands of the barbarians, let alone others? These scholars, filled with deep-seated hatred, joined various commanderies.

They certainly couldn't command troops, but they could learn warfare and avenge their loved ones. Some quickly grew into skilled warriors and scholars. Others, while still lacking in these abilities, could use their silver tongues to brainwash the barbarians, thus making the best use of their talents.

Zhao Yun has also changed a lot.

At the Jieshou Pass, he was even prepared to have his head chopped off by Zhao He, which he felt he deserved.

Now that you've survived, you should do your job well and make up for your mistakes.

He lost command of the army, but with Zhao He's permission, he was allowed to join the expedition. To test his courage, he personally beheaded a barbarian prisoner, vomited, and couldn't eat for three days.

However, things got much better after the first time.

Although he still wouldn't risk charging into battle amidst arrows and stones, Zhao Yun's courage had grown after personally beheading more than a dozen barbarians.

Having accompanied the army on its marches, he came to understand even more deeply the hardships faced by the soldiers. Thinking back to the time when the civil officials of the Song state had held them back, he was filled with rage!
In this way, the social atmosphere in the State of Song changed rapidly from top to bottom.

(End of this chapter)