Mount and Blade Central Asia

Because strictly speaking, Mengge is also the bloodline of the Qinggelinayan family. Although he is a side branch, he is still considered one of our own...

Baoledebagen watched helplessly as Mongke crushed Danggertai's ridiculous army like a hungry wolf, and then took advantage of the situation to devour one-third of Aslan's private army.

He knew that Mengge was a good fighter, but he didn't expect him to be so good. Baoledebagen couldn't understand where Li Rufeng got so much money to arm his army.

The military strength of a warlord like Asleng is actually not weak. He can almost gather an armed force of a thousand people, which is not weak in this land.

However, these wild tribes have no big forces to support them, so they cannot fight a real war. They also don’t have much decent armed equipment, so their combat effectiveness is hard to describe.

If a warlord like Aslen fought like Qinggelinayan, even though he had a thousand men, two or three hundred of his loyal followers would die in a war, and the tribal chief might be replaced tomorrow.

Therefore, Baoledebagen looked down on these warlords, thinking that they had long lost the bravery of the Mongols, but correspondingly, these people were easy to control...

Baoledebagen's original plan was to take advantage of the situation to unify these wild tribes, and then find an opportunity to turn against them and use Dangertai's "reputation" to replace a bastard like Asleng.

But now it seems that he misjudged the situation. Li Rufeng's strength is much stronger than he thought...

The men that Baoledebagen brought with him were now completely useless. He and Dangertai had to coax and deceive them into bringing out more than 500 people. Apart from the veteran centurion under his command, which was only half the number, they were no match for Mengge and his men. He originally thought that the Black Sheep People could buy them some time.

"What should we do now?" Aseleng looked at Baoledebagen with dissatisfaction. This was not his core territory, so Aseleng was not very sad about being dispersed by Mengge.

However, the heavy losses suffered by his subordinates still made Asleng feel that he had suffered a great loss. He was half a businessman and had been maintaining trade between these Mongolian warlords and various parties over the years. It was only after he became rich that he had the ambition to rebuild a Mongolian Khanate.

"What can we do? My people are still waiting for your weapons and armor!" Baoledebagen said with a sneer at Asleng.

Baoledebagen and his men left Qinggeli Nayan's territory with light luggage. Apart from the necessary food and war horses, many people only brought their sabers. Their armor and arrows were all under the centralized custody of Qinggeli Nayan's people, and they had no chance to take them away.

Asleng and the others had agreed that he would provide new armor, arrows and other equipment, but it was obvious that this warlord had his own little thoughts. He had been dragging the matter on and probably was on guard against Baoledebagen.

When two jackals meet, they naturally smell each other's scent, so they become collusion.

The two leaders who called for the reconstruction of a Greater Mongol Khanate each had their own goals and even their own masters. The person who invested the most in this matter was the young and ignorant Dangertai, who truly believed that he had such a "destiny".

After all, even outsiders like Li Rufeng have established their own power in this era, and even inferior people like the Black Sheep People who are like house slaves have completed the restoration of their country. Can't they establish a new Khanate?

Dangertai looked at the soldiers behind him who were as dejected as he was, and wanted to say something to boost morale like Li Rufeng did. He had seen Li Rufeng give speeches several times, but when it was his turn, he couldn't say a word.

He can only stubbornly believe that his talent is not here...

Chapter 468: Dedicated to one's work, Hiltberg must accomplish great things

Let’s go back to the Armenian jungle a few days ago.

"Is that the person you want to catch?" Hiltberg and the bandit leader hid in the treetops, looking at the forest path like monkeys.

The climate in the mountainous area where Armenians live is a little colder than that in Aleppo, but because it is located between the mountains, the vegetation is denser. Even if there are few leaves on the tree trunks, the lush branches can still provide a certain shielding effect.

Especially after putting on the cloak that was hand-sewn by the bandits and was similar in color to the tree trunks, he would crouch behind the branches. Unless the travelers below looked up specifically, they would not be able to spot him even at a distance of 20 or 30 meters.

At this time, on a small path in the forest, a noble knight wearing studded armor, an open-faced iron helmet, and riding a tall horse was walking past arrogantly under the protection of his soldiers.

Judging from the number of people, the noble knight has about twenty armed soldiers under his command, half of whom are wearing armor. Although they are mainly low-quality chain mail, they are still an invincible enemy to this group of bandits.

"That's right, it's that bastard. Didn't you say before that you wanted to show your loyalty? Now go!" Hefferson pushed Hiltberg and said in a low voice with some joking.

Hiltberg smiled bitterly. He didn't expect that this little lord named Caius would be so "full of martial virtue".

At least that knight looked very capable in fighting. He had strong limbs, a beefy beer belly, a face full of flesh, and a brown hooded beard that completely concealed his only weak spot, which was his jaw. Even the soldiers under his command looked very heroic and high-spirited.

Even though this group of people started from the nearest gathering point and have been walking in the mountains for at least five or six hours, everyone looked relaxed and obviously in good physical condition.

This alone surpassed all the Armenians Hiltberg had seen along the way. At least the soldiers in Erzurum were not so spirited.

"This bastard comes out to collect taxes every month under various pretexts. Everyone knows that he plans to build another castle to block all the entrances and exits to the mountain area. We will have no way to survive in the future!" Heferson gritted his teeth, and his voice became smaller and smaller as the enemy team approached.

Hiltberg raised his head slightly and saw that Barris, who was not far away, had already prepared for a sneak attack and was slowly drawing his bow and arrow. The bow he used was an ordinary hunting bow, and the trajectory would become distorted and disappear if the arrow went beyond ten meters. He was just taking a gamble on his luck.

The only one among the bandits who had a chance of killing him with one strike was Heferson who was beside him. He had a standard bow and arrow in his hand, which he got from somewhere unknown. Although the bowstring was not well maintained, it was at least a hard bow.

He himself was captured by this bow and arrow, so Hiltberg was very familiar with Hefferson's shooting skills.

And looking at the hatred that flashed across Hefferson's face, if Hiltberg still believed that these robbers came for money, then he was a fool.

"If you shoot this arrow, we'll all be dead." Hiltberg gently pressed Hefferson's arm. "I'm a man of my words. Why don't you use my method? Trust me, I'll definitely come back and take my horse."

Hefelson raised his eyebrows. He didn't expect that the captured hostage was so brave, and he was willing to believe what he said.

Of course, he knew that the clothes and weapons Hiltberg wore were not the rags that the mercenaries usually used, but the aura he exuded was different from that of the nobles.

So Hefferson was willing to trust Hiltberg once, after all, they had nothing to lose.

At this time, the lord named Caius had approached the encirclement of the bandits. The lord's team was composed of elite soldiers who were accustomed to walking on mountain roads, and there were naturally scouts leading the way in front.

But it was obvious that the robbers were better at disguise. They did not deliberately cover up their traces, but left some traces that would not arouse suspicion, so as to let the scouts relax their vigilance.

However, it is early spring now, and the tree trunks are bare without many leaves to camouflage. As long as the scouts get close, they will naturally discover the archers hiding in the treetops.

Hefferson's original plan was to shoot a few people to gain the upper hand, then rely on his familiarity with the jungle terrain to retreat quickly, and then try again on the road behind Caius, or even launch several sneak attacks.

To be honest, Hiltberg thought this plan was terrible, so he jumped down from the tree first, raised his hands high, and shouted, "I am a traveler from afar, and I have been robbed here! I beg the knight to have mercy on me and help this lonely traveler!"

Although Hiltberg's words were full of confidence and had nothing to do with the word "alone and helpless", his words still made the scouts subconsciously stop and turn to look at Caius.

The tall knight raised his shield, and the scouts immediately became alert and signaled Hiltberg to come closer and walk out of the shadows of the woods so that they could see him more clearly.

To be fair, Hiltberg was a very heroic young warrior. You didn't need any fancy things to see his extraordinary qualities. So even from a distance of dozens of meters, the lord named Caius let down his guard and said, "Come closer. Let me see which young man has met with misfortune in this remote place of mine?"

Hiltberg smiled calmly, then walked towards Caius step by step.

Hefelson kept aiming at his back. As long as he relaxed his fingers a little, Hiltberg would go to see God immediately. But in the end, Hefelson did not shoot the arrow and just watched Hiltberg escape from his killing range.

He felt as if he could hear Barris, who was lying in ambush somewhere else, suppressing his temper and sighing in frustration. If Hiltberg opened his mouth and pointed out their hiding place now, these lowly bandits like him would probably be ruthlessly crushed by Lord Caius, right?

But... nothing happened. Hiltberg just stood beside Caius and chatted and laughed with him.

Finally, under Hefferson's puzzled eyes, Caius's team even turned around and escorted Hiltberg and the local lord back along the same route.

Hefferson saw that before leaving, Hiltberg waved towards his hiding place, as if to say goodbye next time.

"What on earth are you doing?!" The hot-tempered Barris pushed Hefferson to the ground and asked loudly. He had already prepared himself to fight for his life, but now he failed.

"He said he would come back to get his horse." Hefelson answered somewhat dejectedly. He didn't know why he hesitated, nor why he would trust a stranger whom he had only known for a few hours.

But there seemed to be a voice in Hefferson's heart saying that he was a man of his word and he could trust him.

...

But today, Hiltberg has become the guest of Lord Caius, and he has fabricated an identity for himself as a down-and-out Roman nobleman.

After all, the glory of the thousand-year-old empire has not completely collapsed these days, and the standing holy city is still the bright moonlight for all the spiritual Romans and Christians in this land.

And Armenians, especially conservative Armenians, happen to have both.

Caius himself had gone to Constantinople to guard the famous Silver Lake Gate and fought a bloody battle with the Ottomans for three days and three nights. The spoils he obtained are now hung on the walls of the castle hall to show to visiting guests.

However, such a brave and fearless warrior did not ultimately have the honor of entering the Eternal City. After the conscription brought about by the war ended, volunteers like Caius were driven out of the city.

The Romans were quite arrogant in this regard, and they used this trick to attract generations of volunteers.

Lord Caius could not see through it, and perhaps was unwilling to see through it, but Hilterberg, who had never entered Constantinople but had countless wonderful experiences, knew all about it.

That eternal city probably has lost its glory now. Apart from fantasy and expectation, there is nothing worth these volunteers sacrificing for it, right?

Many years ago, Hiltberg had heard that even the golden apple in the hand of the famous equestrian statue of Justinian had been stolen, and the Roman emperor had to make a brass replacement.

Later, Hiltberg saw something very similar to the golden apple in the treasury of Timur the Conqueror. Ironically, the Conqueror himself may have no idea where the thing came from; he stole it from Bayezid.

The golden apple eventually ended up being melted down by a concubine who was very much in favor with Timur, and turned into a set of beautiful jewelry. Hiltberg was fortunate enough to admire the shaking of the apples up close, and he would never forget it.

With such experience, it was too easy for Hiltberg to disguise himself as a young Roman nobleman, and Lord Caius believed it without a doubt.

This was an era of information scarcity. A piece of gossip from Constantinople could circulate here for several years until new gossip came in to replace the previous one.

Moreover, these Armenian lords who lived in seclusion in the mountains were all "homebodies" and rarely left their territories unless a foreign war broke out.

Hiltberg's arrival was like a breath of fresh air blowing into Caius's castle, opening a window to the outside world for him. Lord Caius was happy to entertain him, a "impoverished little nobleman" from the Eternal City.

If his status were a little more noble, Lord Caius would feel inferior in comparison, and if his status were a little more humble, Lord Caius would feel that communicating with him was a disgrace to his status.

Hiltberg easily controlled this fierce lord as if he could understand the mind of a kindergarten child.

Of course, Hiltberg's drinking and chatting here was not without purpose. He came here with a mission from Li Rufeng and Khalil Sultan. He needed to understand the political inclinations of the local lords and exert appropriate influence on the basis of ensuring his own safety.

He made friends with that group of outlaws for this purpose, and he drank and chatted with Lord Caius for the same purpose.

For example, Hiltberg now knew that Lord Caius was originally a knight. He relied on his bravery and fighting skills to obtain this fiefdom from the master to whom he had previously sworn allegiance, and in the past few years, he doubled his territory.

The continuous foreign wars made all the people in the territory miserable, but Lord Caius obviously did not care about such trivial matters. In his eyes, those mountain people were uncivilized savages who needed to be whipped, hit with hammers, and chopped with swords in order to squeeze out the oil.

In addition, Hiltberg also knew that Lord Caius had a bad relationship with several surrounding lords, and that he himself had no children and no legally recognized heirs.

According to Hiltberg's verification, Lord Caius would probably not be able to help Li Rufeng or Sultan Khalil. He was a devout Christian and a fanatical Roman, willing to die for his beliefs...

So, Hiltberg decided to do something and shoulder his mission well.

But in fact, what he did was very simple. Hiltberg poisoned Lord Caius, who had no heir, and then helped him forge a certificate of heirship, proving that he had an illegitimate son named Heferson and was willing to make him the heir to his territory.

Because of his noble status, Hiltberg became the witness of this will.

All this sounds like a child's play, and in fact it is. After all, these mountain lords who are isolated from the news rarely communicate with each other and have not formed a strong enough alliance.

Internally, when the person pushing this conspiracy is an elite who claims to be good at swordsmanship, is accustomed to palace conspiracies, and has survived both the Ottoman court, which was famous for assassinations and palace fighting, and the Timurid court, where people would fight at the slightest disagreement, internal problems are easier to handle.

After Hiltberg spent three days sending all dissidents to Lord Caius to report in person, no one in the castle, from top to bottom, doubted the authenticity of the will anymore.

Hiltberg saw clearly the unusually simple family pedigrees, inheritance laws, etc. of these mountain lords, and then forged the false documents clearly. From now on, Heferson was the heir of Lord Caius.

However, Hefferson himself didn't know it yet. This was almost the only omission in Hiltberg's entire plan. He needed some time to find the bandit leader from the mountains...

How did this saying come about? Nothing is difficult in this world as long as you are willing to climb. When Hiltberg found it difficult to find an Armenian lord willing to cooperate with his mission in this land, he decided to create one himself.

Chapter 469 I've leveled up again!

March 18, 1409, thirty kilometers outside Aleppo.

The fearless Captain Abirama finally learned from the scouts he sent out that something unexpected might have happened to Abdurehman's thousand-man team behind him.

"We found a burned-down camp. There are corpses everywhere. They are all our people." The scouts' faces looked ugly. Obviously, as the elite of the army, they have realized that they are now alone in the deep.

"Don't tell anyone the news without my order." Abiram's face became even uglier, because the news brought back by the scouts was soon confirmed through other channels.

Originally, the counterattack force should have totaled more than 3,500 people. But because Abdureheman was defeated and Haidam was reluctant to set out, Abiram was now alone in the deep, leading a thousand-man team to die...

Just as Li Rufeng guessed, the Black Sheep People did have a small advantage with the help of the black wizards. The black wizards beside Captain Abirama could project their vision onto the crows through blood sacrifice, and then conduct aerial reconnaissance through the crows' vision.

He had discovered the scouts sent by Li Rufeng in this way before, but this spell cannot be effective in the dark because crows are diurnal birds and can hardly see at night.

This time, in addition to confirming that Abdureheman's thousand-man army had been defeated, the crows controlled by the black wizard also found a Mongolian team trying to surround them from the rear.

It was a pure cavalry team with a total number of less than 500 people. In the city of Urfa Castle, Li Rufeng's Badak thousand-man team was also ready to go.

Even with the help of crows, they were unable to complete the task of completely eliminating the Mongolian scouts, and their tracks were discovered.

Or it should be said that they had never completed such a task, otherwise Abdurehman's thousand-man team should not have exposed their position at all...Abiram couldn't understand how those Mongols did it.

Unless they, like me, had the same aerial perspective, determined the location of Abdureheman's thousand-man team early on, and arranged an ambush on the road in advance...

When Abirama thought of the Mongols' past battle records, he felt a chill in his heart, so he decisively gave an order, asking his thousand-man team to turn around immediately and prepare to retreat from Mardin City.

This was a very correct choice, because at this time they were still nearly 30 kilometers away from Urfa Castle, and both people and horses had had enough rest, so they could completely avoid Li Rufeng's main force.

If everything goes well, Abiylah can also eat up half of the Mongol thousand-man team on the way to test whether these Mongols also mastered spells similar to black martial arts to gain an advantage on the battlefield.

He would follow the wizard's instructions and lead his troops directly towards the small force. If they avoided him directly, it would prove that these Mongols did indeed master a kind of witchcraft that was no less powerful than theirs.

I believe this matter is far more important to the Black Sheep people than the gains and losses of a city or a pond.

Abiram acted quickly. Following his orders, the entire thousand-man team was ready to set off within just half an hour. Although many soldiers did not know why they had to turn around and return, no one asked questions. These black sheep people obeyed the orders quietly.

Li Rufeng, who saw all this from the perspective of the strategic map, could only frown regretfully. He had to admit that there was a reason why the Black Sheep People were the first to stand up and become the leader after the death of the great conqueror Timur and rebuild their own country.

Compared with the Kurds under Li Rufeng and other armies except the Mongols, the Black Sheep People at least obeyed orders.

"But I still won this battle." A smile appeared on Li Rufeng's lips. He had seen that the system started to calculate experience points the moment Abirama withdrew his troops.

This time, Li Rufeng, who directly commanded the soldiers to victory, gained a considerable amount of experience points, which directly allowed him to be promoted to the next level and gain another expertise point.

His current basic attributes are——

Li Rufeng lv6 (12916/42495)

Vitality 4 - One-handed 21, two-handed 62, long pole 17

Control 5 - Bow 42, Crossbow 2, Throwing 2

Endurance 4 - Riding 72, Running 28, Blacksmithing 36

Cunning 1 - Reconnaissance 19, Tactics 43, Roguelike 22