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

Chapter 78: Archer's Intuition, Takin Trail

Hedaheibatuer was so angry that he wanted to bite him, but after thinking about it, he felt that what Machibieduwen said was right, so he resisted the urge to punch him twice.

Indeed, the veteran general Khuduha was Temujin's sworn brother, having formally become his father's brother. His son, Alechi, even married Temujin's second daughter, Cheche Yijian. While Horchi was not particularly powerful, he was, after all, one of the five great chieftains, and to some extent, represented the face of the Mongol Empire.

If Huduhe and Huoerchi were burned to death with a single torch, even if all the Tumati people were killed, the battle would not be considered a victory.

However, even though what Machibeduwen said made sense, Zhao Shuo would not indulge him.

"If you have something to say, just say it. Don't be sarcastic."

"Uh... yes."

Machibieduwen shrank his neck, an embarrassed look appeared on his face, and he dared not say anything more.

Zhao Shuo waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue.

One of his commanders, Duoerboduoheishen, who was more familiar with the Tumati, said, "Even if we don't have hostages, setting it on fire isn't an option. The Tumati mountains are incredibly high, covering an area of ​​nearly a hundred miles. How could they be set on fire so easily? If we want to defeat them, we have to find another way."

Hedahei raised Tuer's eyebrows slightly and quickly changed the subject: "How about we just burn down their camp?"

Subutai smiled and continued, "If we really attack the camp, there's no need to bother burning it. We can just bombard them with the fire caltrops we captured from Western Xia. That'll be more effective!"

During the Battle of Keyi Gate against the Western Xia, Subutai and Jochitai led a counter-camp raid, seizing a number of fire caltrops. Later, when they captured Keyi Gate, they seized another batch. He was adept at drawing inferences from experience and realized that these fire caltrops were quite useful when used in critical situations.

Zhao Shuo nodded. "Yes, using fire caltrops is a good idea. The problem now is, how do we attack the Tumati stronghold?"

The generals had no good solution to this problem.

If fighting were on the plains, the Mongol scouts could spread out over a hundred miles, but in the forest, they could disappear after a dozen steps, and could get lost after a hundred steps.

It was too easy for the Tumati people to find a way to launch a surprise attack on the advancing Mongols.

In fact, let alone this era, even in later generations, there is no effective way to deal with enemies in the jungle. In the 1970s, in order to deal with the Viet Cong guerrillas, the Americans did not hesitate to use the unethical Agent Orange, attempting to clear the trees that blocked out the sun and leave the guerrillas with nowhere to hide, but the effect was not satisfactory.

"In fact, the most important qualities for an archer are intuition and patience."

Finally, it was Zhebei who proposed a feasible plan. Gently stroking the feathers of an eagle-feathered arrow, he said slowly, "Let's search slowly. I just can't believe there's only one path to the Tumati stronghold within a hundred miles of mountains and forests. As long as we're willing to look carefully, there will always be a chance."

"Okay, let's do it."

Zhao Shuo made up his mind and said, "Duo'erboduoheishen, you are most familiar with the Tumat people's mountains and forests, so I'll leave this matter to you."

"Yes!" Dorbodoheishen answered loudly.

On the second day, Zhao Shuo led an army of 12,000 and marched towards Lake Baikal.

After traveling 1,800 miles in half a month, they finally arrived at the edge of the dense forest on the west bank of Lake Baikal.

This vast area of ​​forest is the famous Siberian forest.

The Tumati people live on a high mountain deep in the Siberian forest.

Zhao Shuo and others passed through the edge of the jungle and set up camp at the foot of the Tumati mountain. Dorbodo Heishen sent his men out to search carefully.

Another half month later.

"My dear Prince Consort, the wolf cubs I raised under my tent actually sniffed out a path!" Dorbodo Heishen reported excitedly.

However, Zhao Shuo was far less pleased than Dorbodoheishen had imagined. He calmly replied, "The Tumati are the masters of this forest. They should know about this path and have certainly taken precautions. Have you conducted any reconnaissance? How well do the Tumati defend this path?"

"No, no, no, there's no defense at all." Doerbodo Heshen explained, "That path, although it's called a path, it's not really a path." "What do you mean?"

"This is not a path made by humans, but by buffaloes. It is very difficult to walk on."

"Bison? Can bison climb mountains?" Zhao Shuo asked in confusion.

"They are not ordinary bison. They sound like sheep, but their temperaments are as rough as cattle, and they have a pair of bull horns..."

Dorbodoheshen gestured and described the appearance of the bison.

After listening for a while, Zhao Shuo finally understood that this was not a bison, but a takin.

This huge creature, weighing between five and six hundred kilograms, only looks like a cow and is classified more closely to a boreal antelope.

In later generations, it was distributed in the high mountains of Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Tibet and Yunnan. It is not only a national first-class protected animal, but also one of the most precious animals recognized in the world. Unexpectedly, in this era, it is also distributed in the mountains and forests of Siberia.

They gather into groups of a dozen or twenty or thirty individuals and roam freely among the mountains and dense forests.

"Okay! Let's take the path the bison took!" Zhao Shuo quickly made up his mind.

Immediately, he asked Geerle to lead a large army and continue to bluff at the foot of the mountain.

He, together with Zhebie, Subutai, Dorboduheishen, and Daheibatuer, led the most elite 3,000 people and set out secretly at four o'clock in the morning. When the sky was just getting light, they set foot on the antelope trail.

The forest was deep and dense, its trees towering like iron towers. Sunlight could only filter through the cracks, letting in a few dappled glimpses of light and shadow, severely limiting human vision. Tree roots tangled like a web, seemingly entangled within everyone. Countless thorns and leaves, densely packed and chaotically arranged, blocked the path forward.

The warriors used the thin light and wielded long swords to chop through the thorns and branches that blocked their way, which greatly consumed their physical strength.

Phew~puff~puff!
Rotting pine needles and birch leaves swirled beneath their feet, making each step like stepping into the maw of a giant beast, making their progress even more difficult. The sour odor of humus filled the air, stinging their eyes.

“Get on the rope!”

There are places where the nimble takin can leap over, but humans are completely unable to do so.

Following Zhao Shuo's order, the soldiers took out the grappling ropes that had been prepared long ago, and used protruding rocks or sturdy trees as anchors to build a simple but dangerous cable bridge.

"Watch your step and follow the team closely!"

Zhao Shuo's voice echoed through the dense forest. His eyes were firm and alert, constantly monitoring the surroundings. Although the Tumati people should be unprepared, who could guarantee that until the final moment of revelation?
If they are not careful, this team may follow in Borchu's footsteps.

Finally, God took pity on them and after more than four hours of arduous journey, they successfully reached the top of the mountain without encountering any sneak attacks.

Looking around, about five hundred meters away, the Tumati people's camp stood prominently in the dense forest.

The camp was tightly enclosed by a stout wooden fence, with deep trenches dug outside to prevent any unforeseen events. Inside, pinewood buildings, roofed with thick birch bark, shaded the towering trees preserved within the village, creating a well-organized and well-organized layout.

However, perhaps because attention was drawn to the main road, the defense here was not very tight.

In the afternoon sun, in the open space outside the village, only two or three patrolling soldiers were walking lazily, occasionally looking up and glancing around vigilantly.

Faintly, you can hear the sounds of children playing in the village.

"Pijia! Attack! Destroy the Tumati stronghold and capture Tarhun alive!"

Zhao Shuo didn't care about the fatigue of his soldiers. He seized the fleeting opportunity and decisively gave the order to attack.

(End of this chapter)