Mount and Blade Central Asia

On February 26, 1409, the warm winter unique to the Mediterranean climate had entered a relatively mild stage. A drizzle fell from the sky, but the leather armor soaked by the rain still brought the riders a bone-chilling cold.

A serious-looking, thin middle-aged rider was riding away from Diyarbakir alone. The fatigue in his eyes was almost impossible to conceal, but he still kept his back straight while riding on the horse. Riding had become an instinct for his body.

He was on his way to lead his army, a scattered group of tribal cavalry who had lost their centurions. If all went well and the centurions performed their duties faithfully, perhaps he could still have 500 to 700 men left in his army?

But until you see your own army with your own eyes, you will never know how much of an exaggeration the losses reported by these armed herdsmen are.

Sometimes they would falsely report their casualties just to temporarily leave the front line, and sometimes they would bluff for the sake of illusory face. Every chief, and even every soldier who enjoyed a reputation for bravery in the tribe, had his own ideas.

In Moises's opinion, the Aries were not actually qualified soldiers. Compared with the Mongols, they were much weaker. Even among the Turkmen, they were no match for the Black Sheep.

At least under the leadership of the Black Sheep King, the Black Sheep people have formed a relatively strict military household system. Although it looks no different from the household registration system implemented by the Mongols on this land a hundred years ago, and is even a little looser in organization, it is still much better than the tribal system.

The Aries King obviously did not have that kind of courage. Although he was good at political speculation and was willing to place big bets, he was not a tough person at heart.

Of course, this is also an important reason why he has been able to maintain close relations with the chiefs of the various Aries tribes. Moises does not want to judge his king, but he has also served in Timur's army for many years and was selected into the supervisory team as a "gendarme". He is obviously more accustomed to Timur's management style.

From any perspective, Timur was not a kind man. He rarely gave people a second chance, but in military terms, he was definitely an indispensable monument in this land.

The good news was that the journey Moises had to take was not far, so even in the drizzle he could reach the troops he needed to lead within a day.

The bad news is that this little rain is not a big deal for the Black Sheep People. Perhaps the bowstrings will become weaker after being wet by the rain, and the slippery grass will slow down the cavalry, but that is a disadvantage that both sides need to bear together.

So when Moises found the defeated soldiers who needed to be reorganized as quickly as possible, they had already been caught up by the Black Sheep People who were following them.

The two sides were facing each other with a small hill as the center. For the time being, the Aries had a slight advantage in terrain, with a cavalry team of about a hundred men occupying the highest point.

On the plains below the hills, a number of Aries cavalrymen, no less than 500 in number but countless in number, were shouting demonstratively at the silent Black Sheep people on the opposite side.

Protected behind the Aries cavalry was a small Aries tribe that lacked the protection of adult men. Their herds were stuck between the Black Sheep and Aries people, and they were hesitant to move forward because their leader was shot dead.

Moises took a look at the Black Sheep team, which was about the size of three hundred-man teams. Obviously, these people were the looting team that swept through the White Sheep tribes everywhere.

The Aries people hated this group of people the most. Not only did they kill children and poison the wells, they also deliberately killed the Aries people's livestock, leaving the bodies of those poor creatures to rot on the grassland.

Chapter 440 The Recklessness of a Reckless Person

The cavalry that suddenly appeared and began to attack the Black Sheep People were naturally the army under Li Rufeng, and the leader was Li Rufeng's "biggest threat" Huluchirjia.

The original mission was to follow Mongke to arrest Danggertai and kill Baoledebagen to give those Mongolian warlords a bloody warning, but it was obvious that Huluchierjia did not act according to the plan, because according to Mongke's plan, he should not appear on this battlefield less than 40 kilometers away from Diyarbak.

"Where the hell do these people come from? Forget it, never mind. The ones in front are the Black Sheep people, right? Kill them first!" Huluchirjia, who was on horseback, saw the fluttering Black Sheep flag and was very unhappy. He led the charge without saying a word.

Among the two hundred-man teams under his command, one is the headquarters of Li Rufeng's tribe. It can be said that every member of the team has suffered a "severe beating" by Huluchirja. The title of tribal warrior he earned was not made up out of thin air, but was earned with one punch after another.

The other team was the Kurds who fought as vassal troops. They had long been accustomed to being ruled by the Mongols in life and led by the Mongols on the battlefield. What's more, the Mongols now gave them a piece of fertile land that they had long dreamed of, so they were even more willing to fight for their lives.

So more than 200 cavalrymen directly broke through the Black Sheep team from the middle. Huluchirjia, who was wearing heavy breastplate armor, ignored the enemy's swords and knives. He chopped from head to tail with a thickened and lengthened saber. With just one charge, he took the lives of four Black Sheep men!

The boiling hot blood in the sparse drizzle always makes people feel a little warm. Hulucier roared happily, releasing all the depression of chasing Dangertai along the way.

Then Huluchirjia did not waste any time. He turned his horse's head and rushed into the enemy group again while the enemy was still in chaos and had not restored order!

Huluchirjia's bravery had long been recognized by warriors from many other tribes. He was proficient in riding, wrestling, and swordsmanship, and he was tall and strong, as strong as an iron tower. However, what he was best at was actually riding and shooting. Although he could not reach the level of Haishar, he was qualified to compete for the title of the new generation of archer.

In fact, the biggest hurdle for tribal warriors like Huluchirjia is that the tribe is too small and the ceiling is too low, so they often lose the motivation to make progress. Their physical fitness is naturally strong, so they don’t need too much effort to be invincible in their area.

So when they encounter truly formidable opponents on the battlefield, they often have no chance to regret. Even if they manage to win, they will be covered in scars and regretfully lose their potential for further advancement. Not every tribe has a miracle healer like Li Rufeng. Often, it's not the blade that destroys a warrior, but the infection...

But Huluchirjia was undoubtedly lucky. At his best age, he met a time travel lord like Li Rufeng, who was restless by nature, which relieved him of worries. Although he was injured many times, Li Rufeng eliminated the troubles every time. Moreover, a hero like Haishaer, who seemed to have walked out of a mythical story, was right in front of him as his target, which made him dare not slack off in the slightest.

In fact, even if Hulucierjia studied hard day and night, he still felt a sense of urgency that he could not even reach his neck and back.

Haishaer doesn't drink, so Huluchirjia is also... quitting drinking. He is indeed trying very hard to quit drinking, but to be honest, according to Mongolian customs, the difficulty of accomplishing such a great feat is almost as great as another Mongol westward expedition.

Especially for a tribal warrior like Huluchirjia who is known for his bravery, the amount of alcohol he can drink is almost proportional to his bravery and fighting ability. The fellow tribesmen who come and go may not be able to witness Huluchirjia's heroic appearance on the battlefield with their own eyes, but they will definitely have the opportunity to witness his depth at the wine table.

This was also what troubled Hulujirga the most. He even roasted a lamb himself, and then carried the whole lamb as a gift to visit Haishaer and asked him why he didn't drink.

"Alcohol will paralyze your brain and muscles, slow down your reactions, and make your muscles unable to remain stable." This is what Haishar explained at the time. Of course, this was only the part that Huluchirja understood. The rest of the things about the desire for alcohol and the feeling of weakness in spirit and will, this reckless man didn't understand and didn't want to listen. He just wanted to know that drinking was not good for the body.

Huluchirga, who had abstained from drinking for three days, keenly noticed a Black Sheep officer who was giving orders, and immediately rushed towards him!

Hulucierjia's saber was specially forged after the blacksmith district was established. His strength was much greater than before, so the back of the saber was extra thickened, and the center of gravity was readjusted. A pure copper counterweight ball was added to the handle. When it was swung, a terrifying whistling sound would always be heard wherever the blade passed.

The chain mail and leather armor equipped by the Black Sheep Men could not withstand such heavy swords at all. Hurushirga even dared to chop those metal helmets directly with his saber. Although it was quite damaging to the blade, as long as the strength and speed were big enough and fast enough, he would not have to temporarily switch to a short-handled warhammer. On the battlefield, a step faster or an inch longer could often determine life or death, so Hurushirga was now simply unstoppable!

Chapter 441 Influence

Hiltberg lived a very carefree life in Erzurum. The Urartu family had great power in Erzurum, so in order to please him, the envoy of the "Khanate" was served with good food and wine, hoping to get a positive response.

When Hiltberg woke up, he felt that his urine was forked. He had been partying every night in recent days. The Armenian girls were so passionate that they even alleviated his homesickness to a certain extent.

when!when!when!

The crisp and continuous knocks on the door interrupted Hiltberg's thoughts. Just from the rhythm of the knocks, he could tell that it was Li Rufeng's personal guards outside the door.

He didn't know where the shaman recruited these soldiers from, but it was obvious that these guards were far more disciplined than the average Mongolian standard. You know, these fierce cavalrymen from the Mongolian tribes have always been Timur's trump cards, but they have always been known for being difficult to restrain and unregulated.

They often only accept orders from officers of the same ethnic group and have a deep-seated discrimination against all people of other ethnic groups.

However, under Li Rufeng's management, they were as obedient as kittens. Even when these guards were playing with women at night, one-third of them would ensure that they were on alert and not be disturbed by any temptation.

In those days, Timur also had an "Iron Army" under his command that was famous for its strict discipline. They were the palace guards and Timur's blade and shield on weekdays, but in wartime they would become supervisors and military judges, assigned to various parts of the army, and become the most feared existence.

"What's the matter?" Hiltberg cautiously opened the door a crack and asked in a low voice.

It’s not that he was too vigilant, but there were two naked women sleeping in his bed, which made him feel naturally embarrassed when facing the sentry on duty.

"An hour ago, a spy entered the city and has now entered Mustafa's palace. Something must have happened." The guards outside the door dutifully reported the latest information they had to Hiltberg. After all, he was the nominal leader of the diplomatic corps.

"Okay, I understand." Hiltberg rubbed his eyes hard to wake himself up quickly.

The guards had sent people to keep an eye on several city gates from the very beginning. Erzurum had been in a semi-closed state recently due to the unusual movements of the Black Sheep People, and the city gates were rarely opened except for those large caravans that were related to it.

The last time the city gates were open was when their delegation entered the city, so when someone from outside entered the city, they would be easily discovered.

Are there new movements by the Black Sheep outside the city? Or are there new developments in the conflict between the Black Sheep and the White Aries?

Hiltberg couldn't guess where this change came from, but as the head of the delegation he had to be sensitive to it, so he decided to visit the ruler of Erzurum, Mustafa Urartu, again today.

Chapter 442 The Little Guard’s Big Plan

The person who made Mustafa suddenly enthusiastic about Hiltberg was none other than Li Rufeng's personal guard Abelji.

He found a relatively safe place to stay with Salmas as the center, built simple beacon towers along the way, and hired local farmers to light beacons as soon as they found the Black Sheep cavalry approaching.

This job is not difficult and the risk is not great. Anyone who can effectively provide information on the movements of the Black Sheep can receive a whole gold dinar from him. The reward is quite considerable. Therefore, although the Black Sheep have tried again and again to wipe out Abelji's group of uninvited guests, they have not succeeded.

Not only that, because he was dissatisfied with the rule of the Black Sheep People, Abelji expanded his team again, and now he is a centurion in the true sense of the word.

A few days ago, in order to celebrate his becoming a centurion, Abelji took his men on a demonstrative tour around Van City, killed a group of Black Sheep herders, dispersed their flocks, stole dozens of horses, and attacked a caravan.

Although the damage they caused was not great, it was like a loud slap in the face of the Black Sheep People.

Ever since the Qara ...

When facing their fellow Turkmens but not from the Black Sheep Tribe, the Black Sheep people did not show much mercy, but they did not kill them at will.

Although the Black Sheep King had repeatedly warned against such things happening, they were still common. At least Abelji had seen several cases of Black Sheep people doing evil near Salmas in the past few days.

People look at things differently from different perspectives. Although Abelji himself committed many evil deeds such as burning villages and destroying cities, who is he? He is a Mongolian. What level are you, the Black Sheep? How dare you do the same evil as me? How dare you be so arrogant?

Abelji, who was so angry that he couldn't help but act as a messenger of justice, killed those black sheep people on the spot, and gained a lot of reputation in the nearby villages.

Although Abelji and his group never flew the Mongol flag, their ruthless and ruthless style still made them instantly recognizable. No one, whether native or immigrant, knew them...

Although in their eyes, all Mongols looked similar, you could easily tell who were the Mongol and who were the Transoxiana people just by looking at their heroic figures galloping on the battlefield.

So the Black Sheep leader who ruled the city of Van was very angry. He felt that he was being provoked, so he took time out of his busy schedule to dispatch a team of 100 people to encircle and suppress the group of Mughals.

This is not because he was stingy with the troops in his hands. According to the intelligence obtained by the Black Sheep People, the number of these Mughals was only thirty or forty, and half of them were "civilians" recruited along the way.

Before sending troops to Van, other tribes also used teams of 100 men to encircle and suppress this group of suddenly emerging Mongols.

The Black Sheep people are already short of troops, and now they have to continuously transfer personnel to the western border to punish the treacherous White Sheep people. Specifically in Van, the task is even heavier, and they need to maintain pressure on the Armenians.

Chapter 443 The Mongol Warlords’ Secret Thoughts

"As expected of Qinggelinayan's younger brother, a hero emerges from youth!" Inside the brightly lit tent, Dangertai was surrounded by a dozen well-drinking tribal warriors, who showered him with compliments as if they were free. "Come on! Have another drink!"

Dangertai himself was hugging a mixed-race girl with a slender waist, laughing wildly: "Drink! Don't leave until you are drunk!"

According to the laws before Li Rufeng traveled through time, Dangertai was still an underage child, full of vigor and vitality. How could he resist such a transaction of wine, sex and power? He immediately put aside all his worries in the past period of time and completely integrated into the atmosphere in the tent.

In another tent, several burly tribal chiefs, whose faces were either gloomy or cunning, sat together with Centurion Baoledebagen. They drank strong tea instead of wine.

"You said this was our best chance? But now the Black Sheep are coming, and it looks like the Aries can't stand up to them." The leading tribal chief had a waist circumference of over three feet and five inches, and his huge belly seemed to rest directly on his feet. "If you ask me, the Black Sheep aren't as easy to get along with as the Aries."

"Aslanganda, do you want to use our blood to help the Aries people fight and consolidate their rights?" Baoledebagen said righteously, with a very impolite tone.

But the chieftain, known as Asleng, did not fly into a rage. He simply took a sip of tea leisurely before continuing, "The era of the Four Khanates is over. To restore the glory of the Mongol Empire, we need children, not scimitars and war horses."

"I recently married a concubine, a white woman with golden hair. I don't know where she came from. I don't even understand what she says, but I just like her." Asleng said loudly, "Because I like her, when she gets pregnant and has a child in the future, I plan to let her inherit my tribe!"

Asler's words made many chiefs present frown, but due to the strength of the Asleng tribe, the chiefs' voices were not loud.

"How many people are there in your tribe? How many warriors can you mobilize?" Asleng asked the nearest colleague, pursing his lips. "Three thousand? Five hundred men capable of fighting?"

Seeing the man being questioned remained silent, Aslang sneered sarcastically: "My tribe has 8,000 people, and 1,000 armored soldiers! That's why I speak louder!"

"But your thousand men are no match for my one hundred men. A thousand sheep are still sheep, but a hundred wolves are always wolves!" Baoledebagen stood up and confronted Asleng head-on.

The atmosphere in the big tent immediately became tense, to the point where the chiefs of several small tribes had difficulty breathing.

"Only by establishing a Great Mongol Empire dominated by Mongolians can we restore the glory of the wolf pack!" Baoledebagen stepped forward, his eyes red, as if they were about to spit out fire.

"Mongols? How many Mongolians are pure-blooded now? Who among you doesn't have some mixed Hu blood?" Asleng asked, his eyes scanning over the others, but no one could look him in the eye except Baoledebagen.

"It is true that we should establish an empire, but we cannot be a khanate like in the past, otherwise we will be overthrown by the locals sooner or later." Aslen finally expressed his attitude.

"The great conqueror Timur has proved that only the Khanate and only the Mongols are real conquerors! We just need to follow his path to succeed!" Baoledbagen retorted loudly.

Chapter 443 New Technology Team

In Rokan's blacksmith shop, several men of about his age, dressed as businessmen, gathered in front of a machine that was still in its infancy for a long time in silence. This was once their dream, but it was obvious that the elders of the brotherhood had other opinions on this.

The common feature of these people is that they have no beards, which is in stark contrast to the big beards advocated by local customs. However, the blue stubble proves that they shave their beards just because of their own choice, not because of physiological problems. In these days, only blacksmiths would make such a choice.

"Luo Kan, our research has failed long ago. You have been too deeply obsessed with it over the years." A man in a silk robe subconsciously reached out and touched the smooth surface of the machine. The delicate metallic touch proved that Luo Kan had been taking good care of it over the years.

"Have you found a new material to solve the sealing problem?" The other man hesitated for a few seconds before finally asking the question that concerned him most. "Is it sugar? Or gum?"

"It's asphalt!" Old Rocan's eyes flashed with enthusiasm. "It's a unique byproduct of Greek fire brewing by the locals. It can withstand high temperatures! It's better than any other material we've used before!"

As Old Luo Kan spoke, he scooped out a spoonful of sticky black liquid from a heated iron bucket next to his forge. "This is the asphalt liquid I refined. It has good airtightness, but it can't be used alone. It solidifies at room temperature and becomes brittle. When the temperature rises, it melts again, easily flowing and losing its sealing properties. It also has poor ductility..."

Although Old Luo Kan said this, the excited expression on his face showed that, in addition to the above problems, this material—

"So it really will be a perfect sealing material, right?" The man looked at the sticky liquid and turned back to the others and said, "With this, we can really complete this machine!"

"In fact, I'm almost done with another prototype, which is much larger than this one. This is just a souvenir I use to commemorate the past." Old Rokan couldn't suppress the smile on his face. When he was in Ankara, he had to consider not only the brokerage costs, but also the technical review of the Elders' Council.

They always find various reasons to restrict the birth of new technologies that do not conform to their technological route. But now old Luo Kan has no restrictions in Aleppo, and even the lord himself can provide some far-sighted insights in technology. This has greatly accelerated the trust between Luo Kan and Li Rufeng.

That's why this scene happened today. Luo Kan invited all his old friends from the fraternity.

"Youniski, I know you're still a member of the Brotherhood, but I sincerely ask you, is the current Brotherhood still truly capable of supporting our dreams?" Old Rokan pointed at the half-finished prototype and demanded, "Aren't they preventing us from continuing to research new technologies?"

"Do you really believe what those elders say? That they're trying to maintain the balance of civilization, to prevent the premature birth of the so-called technological demon?" Rokan's words made everyone lower their heads. He then continued, "Come on, they just don't want others, especially young people like us back then, to shake up their industry!"

Chapter 444 Good News

The new, larger prototype that Rokan mentioned was located in a spacious courtyard inside the blacksmith area.

This is a courtyard specially approved by Li Rufeng. It is located at the highest point of the entire blacksmith area, which can prevent people from prying. In addition, it is relatively secluded... Although the blacksmith area is deserted at this stage, Li Rufeng naturally hopes that it will become lively in the future.

Two soldiers wearing helmets and armor stood at the gate of the courtyard. They were members of the city defense team. They were temporarily seconded by Li Rufeng to stand guard here and no outsiders were allowed to enter.

At this time, Rokan's two apprentices were boiling water in the yard, covered in dust. Yes, boiling water. The origin of all steam technology is boiling water.

Because the temperature outside was not very high at this time, the entire courtyard was like a fairyland on earth shrouded in mist.

The apprentices were pouring hot water into the prototype machine, while another was adjusting the size of the flame under the water belly to keep the water boiling inside the prototype machine... Steam was surging in the pipe and soon drove the forging hammer at the far end up and down.

However, the amplitude of the forging hammer's movement was obviously insufficient, and the rhythm was uneven. The pipes of the entire mechanism were leaking everywhere, and the situation did not look optimistic.

"Brother Rocan, you are right. Your craftsmanship has indeed deteriorated over the years. The gears are worn out too badly, and the connecting rods are not working well..." Ortega frowned as he entered the room. Regardless of the risk of being burned, he walked over directly, rolled up the wide sleeves of his silk robe and patted the pipe.

Even though he was grimacing from the heat of the pipe, Ortega still smiled much happier than before: "I can help you, I can start now!"

At this time, Li Rufeng, who was also invited by Luo Kan, also appeared in the courtyard with his personal guards. This was the first time he saw a member of the Ah Brotherhood other than Luo Kan.

But as a similarly hidden organization, the Brotherhood of Ahch clearly lives a much better life than the Eagle of Order. According to Old Rokan, these people are basically exiled, members of the core circle, but each one looks like a wealthy person...

The man in the lead was wearing a three-layer silk crocheted robe in exquisitely colored purple, green, and white, the colors favored by Greek culture. Although the cost of purple pigment has become "reasonable" now, and is far less exaggerated than in the Roman era, it is still not a common color, so its owner is very conspicuous.

"This is the lord of Aleppo and Hama, Lord Li Rufeng, a mysterious man from the mysterious East." Old Luo Kan deliberately downplayed the shaman attributes of Li Rufeng.