Mount and Blade Central Asia

At first, he just wanted to fight for power and profit, but it was obvious that Li Rufeng's advantage on the battlefield made Haidam's power-struggle behavior evolve into a serious dereliction of duty and a betrayal of the Black Sheep King.

So what he needs to worry about is not only the responsibility of losing Urfa Castle, but also the defeat of the city of Mardin that is now in front of him. Originally, this should have been Zhuoglo's responsibility, but now... Haidam glanced at Aburehman who was full of anger, and the words of traitor that the other party cursed seemed to have magic, echoing in his ears.

Abureheman actually dared to attack him. He must have reached an agreement with Abiram. After all, it was Haidam who ran down the city wall first. It was obviously in the interests of both of them to let him take the blame. He had to react.

Haidam glanced at the playful Mongol, then turned around abruptly. As Abureheman stared in astonishment, he stabbed the dagger into his chest. "Zhuo Gelu is dead, what are you still doing here?"

Abureheman, who was as strong as a bear, didn't even have the chance to say his last words. He just stared blankly and died. Young Talamu was shocked by Haidam's actions. Who did he kill? Was he trying to scare him?

"I want to make a deal with Lord Rufeng. It's true that we are at a disadvantage in this war, but if that lord is willing to fight a tacit battle with me and let me return home with some achievements, I will be very grateful to that lord." Haidam's family knows their own business. He knows that the Black Sheep King has no other troops to support them now.

Even if the city of Martin could hold out for a few more days, it would be of no importance to the war situation. No matter how stupid those Aries people were, they should have recovered by now. Their attempt to quickly sweep across the western region had failed.

But from the overall situation, the Black Sheep King is still the most powerful force in this area. Haidam has no intention of changing sides and joining the Aries or simply joining Li Rufeng. He just sees through the current Black Sheep King, who is a pure political animal, and starts to plan for himself.

Since the Black Sheep King used the excuse of having no military achievements to fool him, he might as well go back with his military achievements this time. Dimurati died, Zhuo Gelu died, and Abdureheman also died, which was enough to prove the ferocity of these Mongols.

The incompetence of these people could just explain why he failed to defend Urfa Castle and why he retreated from the city of Mardin... If he could return with some victories under such circumstances, the Black Sheep King would surely have to express his gratitude this time.

What Haidam is hesitating about now is whether to kill Abirama as well. He is worried that if everyone is dead and he is the only one alive, it would be too obvious. But on the other hand, Haidam is also worried that Abirama will know something about the inside story. For example, he had captured Aburehman, and now he died here. It is hard not to make some associations.

Although Haidam was always very cautious and directly detained all the people brought by Aburehman, in the chaotic situation, who knew if there would be any fish that slipped through the net, so he just happened to tell Abiram about this matter.

So after a brief hesitation, Haidam decided to go all out and just get rid of it all. Then he would find a way to bribe a few close ministers around the Black Sheep King to speak for him and cover up the matter.

When Haidam thought of this, he felt a subtle sense of pleasure in revenge. He had given up everything to follow the Black Sheep King, accompanied him through the lows, and even spent the hard days with him in the Mamluk prison.

What happened? The Black Sheep King didn't keep him in the palace, but instead allowed him to return to the tribe after his victory and inherit the position of chief!

Did he go through so much trouble and waste so many years of his youth just to inherit the position of that damn chief? If he wanted this position, he just needed to enjoy the good life in his own tribe and wait for his father!

"I heard your men have secretly infiltrated the city. I have a plan that can help Shaman Rufeng more smoothly capture Mardin. But in exchange, that lord must ensure that I can successfully withdraw from Mardin with sufficient military merits." Haidam said directly to the Mongolian messenger in front of him. "At least in the eyes of those soldiers, I must have fought hard to successfully break through the siege."

"Okay, I promised him!" Li Rufeng, who was in the big tent far outside the city, smiled and slammed the table to settle the matter!

Chapter 494 Taking Advantage

Although Li Rufeng could roughly know Haidam's intentions in his tent, it was obviously impossible to reach a deal with Haidam through the air. Even if the cowardly black sheep man was willing to believe that Li Rufeng had the ability to convey his will through the air, he was unwilling to expose his ability in front of the enemy.

What's more, from various perspectives, Captain Abirama, who is currently commanding the defense on the city wall, is much stronger than Haidam in terms of personal ability. He is obviously not a character who can be killed easily, especially when there are hundreds of soldiers loyal to him around him.

At this time, the siege team commanded by Badak outside the city of Mardin had already climbed up the city wall and occupied a small corner of the wall.

The panic of the defenders at the beginning of the war prevented them from getting into shape right from the start, which gave Badak a very good opportunity. However, the segmented walls of Mardin City separated by towers were still an absolute war fortress.

Even though Bardock and his soldiers were far more valiant and skilled in battle than the Black Sheep, they could not move about as if their hymen had been broken, for the narrow gate of their tower was blocking the western part of the city gate.

The towers on both sides locked the gate tightly, preventing the enemies who broke through from quickly occupying more advantageous terrain along the city wall.

However, even so, Bardock was very satisfied with the current results of the battle. They cleared a safe zone on the city wall and opened up a sufficiently safe passage for the subsequent troops.

The battering ram that was slowly approaching the city gate now only had to worry about the long-range firepower on the right wing. The Armenian soldiers responsible for pushing the ram were obviously much more relaxed and even sped up.

Moreover, standing on the city wall, Bardock could clearly see how much chaos the surprise attack forces coordinating with them had brought to the city. The Black Sheep people, lacking a unified command, even had internal conflicts in the streets.

Bardock saw that there were two places where armed conflicts were taking place, and he was sure that the two groups of people who were killing each other crazily in one of them were all Black Sheep people. They were either too nervous to regard their own people as enemies, or they already had a temple and were taking the opportunity to have fun.

Bardock believed more in the former. He was very clear about how intimidating some of the banners he raised were. He didn't believe that the Black Sheep people would still be in the mood for infighting when the Great Conqueror's army had already attacked the city.

Boom! — Boom! — Boom!

There were several consecutive cannon shots, and stone bullets hit the city wall on the other side, debris flying everywhere. Several archers fell down with their faces covered. Bardock looked back at the artillery position that was getting closer and closer to the city wall. For the first time, he felt that this weapon was so dazzling.

"Sayyib!" Bardock called out the name of his confidant loudly. Sayyib, wearing a helmet and armor, pushed away several soldiers in a somewhat embarrassed manner before appearing in front of Bardock.

"Why are you in such a mess? It's just a small town!" Badak laughed as he looked at Sayib's dusty face.

"I haven't fought a siege battle in several years, and my skills are rusty. I just fell off the ladder. Fortunately, the distance was not high, otherwise I would have been doomed." Saib also laughed. Obviously, for people like them, such an intense war today was just right, and it was very suitable as an appetizer.

"These Black Sheep are quite clever. They've defended the tower well, and we can't get in." Bardock pointed behind the city wall. "Can we take it from this height?"

The city of Mardin is a city that has been tested by war for a long time and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Its segmented walls and the structure that requires going up and down the walls through the spiral staircase in the tower make it very troublesome for the defenders to transfer troops back and forth. However, when a certain section of the wall is conquered by the enemy, its role is highlighted.

Even if Bardock and his men occupied this section of the city wall, as long as they did not break through one of the towers, there would be no direct way to go down into the city.

However, the thousand-man team led by Bardock was the elite force left in Smyrna by the Great Conqueror when he was at the peak of his power to intimidate the Knights Hospitaller. They had fought in all kinds of battles, so naturally they would not be stumped by such a situation.

"Hehe, those black sheep people haven't reacted yet. Give me fifty people and I will go down and seize the tower!" Saib grinned and took a look at the chaos in the city that was almost comparable to the chaos on the city wall, and directly issued a military order.

"Okay, without further ado! I leave it to you!" Barak said as he bent his bow and shot an arrow, commanding his soldiers who had already stood firm to look down from above and rain arrows on the Black Sheep people who were gathering under the city wall.

Then Sayib and several other soldiers carried their shields, found a place to tie the rope they had brought up, and began to slide down along the rope.

Below the city wall, there were about two hundred-man teams of Black Sheep Men staring intently at this section of the fallen wall. Sayyib and his group were basically sliding down into the enemy group under a hail of arrows.

Only the most daring people can do this kind of work, but they do have some tricks up their sleeves.

When Sayib's men began to rappel, Badak also had his men start throwing down explosive jars filled with quicklime. This thing was not even equipped to them by Li Rufeng, but was made by Badak and his men themselves using gunpowder from the artillery.

It's not that they don't know how to use gunpowder weapons, but before today they didn't think gunpowder weapons were better than traditional swords, bows and arrows. But in certain situations, such as now, it is clear that gunpowder weapons have more room to play -

boom! boom!

Following a few explosions, the stirred-up lime powder immediately turned into mist. Although it could not last for a few minutes, it was enough to protect Sayyib and the others.

These fully armed soldiers needed two ropes to quickly descend from a height of four or five meters. They held one rope themselves, and the other was tied around their waists, with another soldier on the city wall helping to reduce the weight.

When the soldier landed on the ground, he turned around and cut the rope around his waist with a knife. The soldiers on the city wall took back the remaining rope and tied it around the waist of the next soldier. This process was repeated. In the end, thirty-seven of the fifty soldiers successfully landed on the ground and formed a small semicircle along the city wall.

Then, under the cover of the rain of arrows from the city wall, Sayyib broke up the two Black Sheep Centuries with just one charge.

These nomads, who were used to riding horses and grazing, were simply unable to fight a tough battle. Their advantages were fully covered by the Mongols, and their disadvantages were too big to make up for. In addition, their morale was low, so they had no intention of fighting for a long time.

Sayib looked up and nodded vigorously to Badak, then he led his semicircle formation along the city wall and moved towards the tower entrance, putting great pressure on the defenders there.

Chapter 495: The Guardian Trapped on the City Wall

When Sayyib led his men into the first tower, the fall of Mardin was inevitable, and Abiram had just taken over the command of all the soldiers on the city wall.

The late Zhuo Gelu was of much higher status than them. He himself was the chief of a large tribe, with a total of two to three thousand armored soldiers under his command. The city of Mardin was just another trophy obtained in exchange for his interests.

Abiram was a chief from a small tribe. His tribe was relatively small among the Black Sheep people and could not even form a team of a thousand men. It was the Black Sheep King who helped him fill in the remaining troops and made him a thousand-man captain who could lead troops independently.

In the factional division within the Qara Qoyunlu, Abiram belongs to the hardcore "centralized" faction and is a die-hard fan of the Qara Qoyunlu, while Dzoglu belongs to the "Emir faction". Their relationship with the Qara Qoyunlu is more like a collaborator, and there are frequent disputes between the two sides.

Therefore, the "arrogant and powerful generals" left behind by Zhuolu did not want to and could not obey Abiram's command. After all, theoretically, there were at least two people under Zhuolu who were of the same rank as Abiram.

After Zhuo Gelu's death, the power corresponding to military power became even more important. It is conceivable how difficult it would be to take military power from them.

If possible, Abiram didn't even want to get involved in this mess. After all, Zhuoglo's death was too sudden. This incident would easily be regarded by the captains of the Emile faction as a dispute between factions, which led to the death of a great chief.

Abirah was sure that they would rather believe that the three centralists, Abirah, Aburekhman, and Haidam, secretly killed Zhuolu and then put the blame on the Mongols.

In contrast, Abirama would rather face the brutal enemies who were attacking the city outside the city wall than face the mutual exploitation among his own people behind him. This was not because he was afraid of infighting, but because facing enemies who had the same blood as himself, he could not guard against thieves for a thousand days, nor could he prevent disasters before they happened.

The most likely outcome is that Abirama will be sold out by several chieftains belonging to the Emir faction in a future war, leading to his isolated army being forced deep into the enemy territory and ultimately dying on the battlefield...

This kind of thing has happened more than once in the previous war with Maharaja Milansha. What makes these centralized factions most chilled is the reaction of the Black Sheep King.

Obviously, as he grows older day by day, the once ambitious and brave Black Sheep King no longer has enough energy to maintain his dignity. The tribal chiefs of the Emir faction have been testing the bottom line of the Black Sheep King again and again, because they have obtained satisfactory results time and time again.

Although Abiram does not hold as much resentment towards the Black Sheep King as Haidam, he got on board when the Black Sheep King once again reigned over the land of Black Sheep. So even though his life is not easy now, it is still much better than his previous life of making a living under the shadow of the great conqueror. Therefore, he is more loyal and more tolerant of the Black Sheep King's "inaction."

But even with such tolerance, in order to ensure that the city of Mardin would not be captured, Abiyar drew his sword and killed several compatriots who blocked his way, and only took over the command on the city wall after the Mongols had completed their ascent.

If the officers under Zhuo Gelu were not so stupid, he would have been willing to obey their orders...

As a result, the group of people actually gave him the stupid order to leave the city through the side door and attack the Mongolian main camp. It was obvious that they wanted him to take his people to die.

Chapter 496 Time is running out

The first thing Haidam did after taking control of the military camp was to drive all the soldiers in the camp who were not his trusted ones back into the house. Even some of his own soldiers who were not trusted by him received the same treatment.

As for the soldiers left behind by Abureheman and Zhuolu, they were put under strict supervision. The reason Haidam announced was very convincing.

"Captain Abureheman has an affair with the Mongols outside the city. Those Mongols disguised themselves as his soldiers and sneaked into the city secretly. Therefore, no one can violate the ban until the traitors within our ranks are eliminated." Haidam's confidants said this to the soldiers who were temporarily driven back to the room.

Except for a few of Aburehman's confidants, most of the soldiers subconsciously chose to obey orders. As for those confidants who clamored to see their centurion, Haidam was very happy to fulfill their wishes.

At this time, the traitor who had truly betrayed the Black Sheep King had already met the Armenian centurion Marcelino who had broken into the city in his own tent.

Marcelino's face remained expressionless, but in fact the doubts in his heart were about to overflow. He led his men from the beginning of the street to the end, killing countless people along the way, and finally saw the shadow of the military camp.

As a result, Adolfi behind him suddenly told him that another personal guard of Lord Rufeng had persuaded the black sheep people in the barracks to abandon their evil ways and join the good.

This huge contrast made a rough guy like Marcelino confused for a moment, but fortunately he had at least one advantage, which was that he listened to advice. Especially after he was sure that Adolfi was a compatriot with a far brighter future than him, he chose to believe what the other party said.

And it would be best if there was no fighting. Of the 300 people he brought with him, only a little over 200 were left. The loss was heavy. If most of the soldiers were not locals of Mardin City, they might not be able to withstand such a casualty ratio.

But now, in order to take back their homeland, the morale of these Armenians is terrifyingly high.

"Can you answer a question for me? Where did you come from? How many people are there?" Hiram frowned and looked at the three winners in front of him, the doubts in his heart were written directly on his face.

The killing of Aburekhman may have been the trigger that drove Haidam to make a deal with the Mongols, but it is undeniable that this army that suddenly appeared in the city and demonstrated extremely strong combat effectiveness was the huge driving force that drove him to this step.

Li Rufeng brought him too much shock. As the Black Sheep military force stationed closest to Aleppo, Baidam almost watched Li Rufeng's strength growing stronger day by day.

Then the magical shaman taught Hiram a lesson on the battlefield. He knew that he was not a good warrior and it was understandable that he was defeated, but the late Aburehman and Abiram were not like that. They were people that the Black Sheep King valued very much.

However, these two people were defeated one by one by Li Rufeng on the battlefield. Oh, and there were also cannons... When Hiram thought of the roar of cannons, he felt his bladder tighten.

As for the army that suddenly appeared in the city, it didn't seem too surprising to Li Rufeng.

Marcelino mumbled something incoherent, but Haidam couldn't understand what he said. The younger Armenian, however, spoke in a victorious tone, "We have a thousand of us! Just wait and see! If you dare to second-guess us, we'll kill you all right here!"

Taramu cooperated with Adolfi, showed a cruel smile, and made a throat-cutting gesture on his neck with his thumb.

From Haidam's personal point of view, such threats and provocations must be made by Taramu, a Mongolian. Anyone else would seem childish and ridiculous.

After all, the Mongols spent 150 years teaching the people of this land a lesson, telling them what it means to keep one's word and that there were no innocent souls under the Mongol iron hoof, and that they all died with clear consciences.

Although Haidam was not a warrior, he was not a fool either. He certainly knew that the army in front of him was definitely not as large as a thousand, and half of it would be at most. But the number was not important. What was important was that Li Rufeng could do such a thing.

Mardin is a mountain city with only two gates, one of which is closed all year round. As a result, the shaman threw an army into the city out of thin air.

If someone else were here, they might not take this matter so seriously, but now the defenders of the city are the Black Sheep people, especially someone like Haidam who was once a close confidant of the Black Sheep King. He has seen those black wizards use their miraculous powers to do seemingly impossible things too many times, and there is already a shadow in his heart.

Hiram believed without hesitation that Li Rufeng was able to do such a thing by using the methods of those dark wizards, and he also possessed the power of miracles!

"Alright, no matter how many of you there are, I have only one request. I'm not a traitor, nor do I want to be one. I want to evacuate this city with my men, preferably with some spoils of war." Haidam said formally, "If Shaman Rufeng is willing to give me this opportunity, I have a way to capture this city in a more gentle manner."

Yes, I intend to backstab my ally, but I don't want to say it too bluntly. The whole deal needs to be coordinated under the tacit understanding that you understand me and I understand you, otherwise I would rather resist to the end.

Haidam's face was full of arrogance. He wasn't sure if the two young men and the dull-looking Armenian could understand him, so he added, "Please convey my original words to the shaman. If possible, I hope to get a reply before nightfall."

That was the longest time he could delay. If it was any longer, even Abiram, no matter how slow-witted he was, would realize what had happened between him and Aburehman.

"Please wait a moment." Taramu winked at Adolfi, signaling him to stabilize Haidam first, and then he left the tent directly, rode a Black Sheep man's warhorse and quickly disappeared at the end of the street.

Taramu naturally received instructions from Li Rufeng. He suspected that in addition to wanting to make a deal with him, Haidam also wanted to test whether he had the ability to communicate remotely with these soldiers.

Those Black Sheep people were able to do this with the help of black wizards and had the upper hand in past wars, but they were badly beaten by Li Rufeng on the battlefield, so it was inevitable that Haidam wanted to make more money to serve as a means of advancement for himself.

In fact, Haidam did have such an idea, but it was a pity that Li Rufeng saw through it. Taramu waited outside for nearly half an hour before returning to the barracks.

During this half hour, Centurion Sayyib under Badak had taken his soldiers to occupy the first floor of the tower on the west side of the city gate, and was confronting the defenders on the second floor across the stairs, looking for an opportunity.

Outside the city, the battering ram that had been moving slowly forward had already started working in front of the city gate. The terrifying collisions made the Black Sheep people behind the city gate extremely nervous.

They were simultaneously enduring the impact of the battering rams outside the city and the fall of the towers around them. Nearly one-third of the soldiers took advantage of the chaos to escape when Sayyib attacked the towers.

The remaining soldiers were either stuck closest to the city gate, having no idea what was happening behind them, or they did not have time to run and were pinned down by the officers.

Boom!

Along with the huge impact force of the ram hung on the battering ram, the entire gate shook along with it, and the soldiers who were behind the gate to help relieve the pressure on the city gate collectively took a step back.

This was the umpteenth time they had endured such a collision. Many soldiers' arms were numb and they couldn't even hold their swords.

The damage caused by this collision was also huge. Among the three bolts behind the city gate, which were as thick as an adult's thigh, the middle one suddenly made a crisp sound, and a fold mark appeared in the middle.

Boom!

After a brief preparation, there was another powerful collision, and this time the city gate shook much more than the last time!

The panting attackers outside the city gate were immediately encouraged and cheered, while the defenders inside the city gate were dead silent with only heavy breathing sounds.

The enclosed space and dim light in the city gate made many soldiers feel afraid. Everyone knew that if their companions on the city wall could not cause damage to the battering ram outside the city, the city gate would be breached sooner or later. The battering ram was built to do this, it was just a matter of time.

After all, enemies had already appeared in the city behind them, and just now a group of enemies were fighting fiercely with the defenders in the tower less than twenty meters away from them.

Where did all those people come from? Perhaps the walls had already fallen, and no one had remembered to inform them?

All kinds of disturbing thoughts began to spread among the soldiers. No one spoke, but everyone saw despair and fear in their companions' eyes.

Therefore, many soldiers have begun to think about how to escape after the city gate is breached. When such thoughts spread to the officers, the defenders in the city gate are not far from collapse.

These pressures were soon brought to Haidam at the negotiating table by Taramu. Through Taramu's mouth, Li Rufeng made it very clear that once the city gate was breached, he would no longer accept any deal.