Mount and Blade Central Asia

Letting these people watch and do it once will be more effective than him talking about it a hundred times. When these people grow up, they will change the pattern of war.

Chapter 548 The one who divides the cake

The post-war inventory work lasted for three days. After interrogation, it was finally determined that there were a total of 1,500 Black Sheep people. 372 bodies were found on the battlefield, most of which were concentrated on the front battlefield. Those elite cavalrymen broke through two lines of defense in succession, but also paid a heavy price.

Another part died in the artillery fire. Because the casualties occurred so quickly, this unit suffered tragic losses far higher than the average casualty rate of this era. Even for the Black Sheep Dynasty, which was mainly composed of nomadic peoples, wasting such an elite cavalry on the battlefield in this way was a very unacceptable loss.

Of course, a considerable number of the casualties were converted from wounded soldiers. These Black Sheep people also caused heavy losses to Li Rufeng's troops, so few of the seriously injured prisoners had time for doctors to treat their wounds.

Especially for those wounded who were shot by grapeshot and arrows, now that the weather has warmed up, their wounds are infected very quickly, and it is rare for them to survive these three days.

There were 413 prisoners left who were still alive and looked like they could survive. Some of them had broken bones after falling off their horses, while others had surrendered voluntarily after being chased by Li Rufeng's cavalry. The remaining enemies all fled in all directions.

It is worth noting that no Qara Qara Qaidam fled towards Mosul. Some prisoners said they would rather surrender than go to Mosul. They were not quite sure what was happening there, but everyone subconsciously stayed away from the city.

According to the experience of Bardock and his men, it would be good if one or two hundred people could eventually escape back to the territory of the Black Sheep People. This army was completely defeated.

There are more than 400 prisoners. Li Rufeng needs a team of 1,000 people to ensure their safety. These people are not just high-quality labor. In Li Rufeng's opinion, although the Black Sheep people are forming a shallow national consciousness, it is not much.

This was because the great conqueror's rule over them was too cruel, and it was forced upon them. Li Rufeng estimated that if he used a conciliatory policy, it would not take long for these people to pledge allegiance to him. What's more, Li Rufeng's system recognized the existence of captives, and he could use the system's priority channel to recruit these black sheep people.

For now, these Black Sheep people are obviously more qualified shock cavalry than the Kurds. They have proven themselves in front of Li Rufeng. No matter in which era, anyone who dares to charge into the infantry positions head-on is an elite cavalry.

So Li Rufeng did not make things too difficult for these people. After dealing with the wounded on his side, he took the doctors to treat the injuries of the prisoners.

The main job of those healthy captives in the past few days was to dig pits and bury the dead. Whether it was the bodies of the Black Sheep people or the bodies of Li Rufeng, they were responsible for burying them.

The casualties on Li Rufeng's side were not much less than those of the Black Sheep, and most of the losses were the elite of Bardock's Thousand Man Team. No one expected that these Black Sheep would charge straight at them, causing the deaths of more than 60 people on the spot. After the battle, more than 30 people were seriously injured and even Li Rufeng could not save them.

In addition, the casualties on the other side were concentrated among the Kurds and the Malikiya Thousand, especially the latter, who fled on the battlefield. The cavalry's favorite thing was to hunt down the fleeing deserters, so they paid a heavy price for their cowardice.

The Kurds suffered casualties on the scale of a hundred men, but after Li Rufeng's treatment, it was found that only 67 men were killed in the battle, while the troops assembled in the city of Malikiya lost a total of 172 men, a considerable number of whom were trampled to death.

This type of crush injury would be difficult to treat even in later generations, so Li Rufeng could only watch as the dozen or so wounded soldiers who had survived finally closed their eyes silently, unable to do anything.

According to the final statistics, Li Rufeng lost 281 people in this battle, and there were more than 300 wounded. Half of a thousand-man team was wiped out. Oh, by the way, this is not all the losses. More than 100 soldiers in the city of Malikiya are missing and their whereabouts are unknown. They are most likely deserters.

Li Rufeng had indeed not expected this possibility. After all, this place was only a few dozen kilometers away from the city of Malikiye. If someone was frightened by the war, it would be normal to want to escape. In comparison, the Kurds performed quite well. At least there were no deserters.

Saladin proved himself with his actions, so Li Rufeng gave the right to choose the spoils first to the most elite Mongolian cavalry under his command. The Black Sheep people looked down on their rags, but for the Kurds, the equipment and war horses left behind by these Black Sheep people were of great value.

The spoils left by Saladin were packed up by Li Rufeng and thrown to the blacksmiths in Abu Zahir City for repair, which immediately postponed the work of the blacksmith shops in the city to the next quarter.

Fortunately, Parisa's team, which was leading the team behind them, was carrying a large amount of equipment and four blacksmith teams, so they could immediately start repairing the battlefield.

After this battle, there was nothing blocking Li Rufeng's way to Mosul, but Li Rufeng was still a little worried about the city occupied by the dark wizards, so Master Li sent out the most loyal centurion under his command, Sayib.

Li Rufeng knew that the emirs in Iran who were still loyal to the Khanate on the surface had already taken action against the Black Sheep People, and the most radical emirs among them had even approached the Erbil Castle east of Mosul.

The fortress has existed for hundreds of years and has experienced countless wars. It is a battleground for military strategists. Whoever controls the fortress will be the true master of Mosul.

Li Rufeng wanted to know how determined those emirs were. If they were willing, Li Rufeng could generously give them the credit for capturing Mosul. After all, they were all fighting for the Khanate, so there was no need to be so inward-looking...

Anyway, if someone is willing to help him test the waters, he will be very happy. No matter who kills those dark wizards, it will be a good thing.

Li Rufeng now very much doubts whether those who are raising an army to attack the Emir of the Black Sheep People have really received orders from the two heirs. It is possible that everyone is making profits for themselves under the slogan of serving the interests of the Khanate.

If that is the case, then they have a lot to talk about. It doesn't matter who controls Mosul. The strategic goals he has set in advance can be changed at any time. It is enough as long as this trade route is restored.

Saiyib is just a messenger. He will take Li Rufeng's personal guards to test the waters. Master Li said the same thing. He has money and connections. He has already divided the cake. The only difference is how much he can get.

Chapter 549 Erbil Castle

Erbil Fortress, one of the oldest castles in the land, is said to have been an iconic building used to defend against foreign enemies during the era when the Sumerians were active thousands of years before the birth of Jesus.

From a distance, the Erbil Fortress is very similar to Aleppo. Both are located on high ground that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. However, compared to the city of Aleppo, the area of ​​this fortress is much smaller. It can only meet basic war needs and cannot develop into a large settlement.

But correspondingly, this fortress does not have to consider those people's livelihood issues at all. It was built specifically for war.

If the height of the naturally formed slope is taken into account, the average height of the entire fortress is 25 to 30 meters above the horizon. It is roughly elliptical in shape, with three gates in the north, east and south. The south gate is the largest and is the main entrance for daily personnel entering and leaving the fortress. It is also a key defense unit.

Erbil Fortress does not have a moat. It once had one, but the tributary dried up hundreds of years ago, and now all that is left of Erbil Fortress is the towering city wall as a natural barrier.

However, it is undeniable that it is still a rare fortress in this land. Its walls are divided into three layers, all of which can be defended by garrisons. With sufficient food and grass, this fortress can accommodate 3,500 people to be stationed here to resist foreign enemies.

The eight underground wells were the biggest support of Erbil Castle. The besiegers had to pay a considerable price to transport drinking water from more than ten kilometers away.

In history, hostile parties rarely attacked this fortress by force. When the Mongols came, they ignored the existence of the castle with their super high mobility, and when the Great Conqueror came, he left a troop to siege the castle without attacking. As for the Black Sheep People, they disguised themselves as merchants and sneaked into the Khanate when its defense was empty and succeeded in a surprise attack.

And now the castle has been revitalized once again in the hands of the Dark Ones, with more than two thousand soldiers stationed here to threaten the Emirs of the Timurid Khanate and prevent them from threatening the cities further behind.

But with the sudden rise of Li Rufeng and the increasingly bizarre movements of the black wizard, the defenders of Erbil also became panic-stricken. This chaos had a huge impact on the lower-level soldiers, because nearly half of the more than 2,000 people were new troops that had just been withdrawn and reorganized.

On the one hand, the Black Sheep King was borrowing the power of the large tribes of the Black Sheep Tribe to maintain his fragile rule, and on the other hand, he was borrowing wars and the hands of his enemies to gradually undermine these rights that were passed down through blood.

There has never been a war without deaths since ancient times. These isolated armies that have stayed away from the tribe itself in order to protect the interests of the tribe will naturally be more inclined towards the Black Sheep King over time. The war forces them to learn to adapt.

The Black Sheep people could not face the counterattack of the Timurid Khanate in the form of a tribal system. This was an open conspiracy. Unfortunately, the Black Sheep King needed more time. The sudden appearance of Li Rufeng broke the balance that the Black Sheep King had been carefully maintaining.

Hearing that Li Rufeng was constantly encroaching on the Black Sheep people's land from behind, the emirs stationed in the Iranian region could not help but take the initiative to provoke a war against the Black Sheep people.

Li Rufeng's side fought for more than two months, and only a few thousand people died on both sides. However, on the battlefield further east of Erbil, the casualties were several times that number.

The commander currently stationed in the Erbil Fortress is Mushtaq Talib Saidi. Like Hussein, he is also a close confidant of the Black Sheep King, but he comes from the noble Saidi family, one of the first prominent families in the Black Sheep tribe to abandon their nomadic traditions.

The Sayyid family has its roots in Tabriz, where it had flourished long before the Miran Shah ruled.

It was Mushtaq's father who opened the gates of Tabriz for the Black Sheep King, which gave him the opportunity to be reused.

However, Mushtaq's face was a little gloomy at this time, because according to the plan, he should have accommodated more defeated soldiers from the front line in Erbil Castle. In the most optimistic estimate, he could accept a full 5,000 soldiers.

But now the number of soldiers he had was only half of what he had planned. Many tribal troops chose to return home directly after the rout instead of reorganizing in Erbil Castle.

Just from this small signal, it can be seen that the prestige of the Black Sheep King has suffered a severe blow, and some tribes are no longer afraid of the punishment of the Black Sheep King.

Of course, this may also be related to the news that there is a shortage of food and grass inside the Erbil Fortress. It was only after Mushtaq took office that he learned that the supplies in the fortress were seriously insufficient, and many supplies were transported from Amadiya, which was much farther away.

As for Mosul, which is closest to the Erbil fortress and should have been responsible for its logistics, it fell into complete silence a few weeks ago and no longer responded to anyone.

All the scouts sent to investigate the situation disappeared, and none of them returned. To be honest, the defense line in the southern part of Mushtaq collapsed so completely, in large part because the officers and soldiers did not want to fight for the dark wizards at all.

The conflict between the black wizards and the black sheep people has almost intensified to an irreconcilable level. Mushtaq has actually just begun to adapt to the situation of having wizards in the army. They can always use some seemingly evil means to do things that others cannot do.

For example, Mushtaq couldn't stop himself from sacrificing a few slaves and prisoners of war in exchange for a chance to overlook the battlefield from the air. Now, those dark wizards have left the army and returned to Mosul in a mysterious manner.

Something big must be happening there, Mushtaq thought for sure, but this did not solve his problem. The Erbil Fortress was surrounded by the troops led by the Emir of the Timurid Khanate.

Just like last time, they blocked the east and south gates, began building siege equipment, and then allowed the deserters to escape from the north gate overnight.

Although this trick was simple, it was very effective. Mushtaq was forced to follow the example of the great conqueror and set up a team of military judges in the fortress to impose the death penalty on deserters who left the team without permission, in order to curb this trend.

But every day, watching the emirs and their soldiers passing by the fortress and heading towards Mosul, all Mushtaq could do was anxiously wait for the result. After all, for the Black Sheep King, whether the Timurid Khanate won or the black wizards were more skilled, it was a victory.

However, Mushtaq did not intend to die here. Although he was loyal to the Black Sheep King, he was also loyal to his family. The Black Sheep King needed more loyal supporters, while Sayyidi needed to maintain greater influence in the army.

"Sir, the Mongols outside just shot a letter!"

Chapter 550 The Unyielding Black Sheep

Things like delivering messages to the defending generals trapped in the castle are things that generals in charge of besieging a side in all dynasties love to do. This is a good job with a chance of winning without fighting. If you fail, there is no loss, as you still have to fight, but if you succeed, you can not only avoid actual losses, but also gain huge reputation.

But as for how to deliver the letter, there are some details to pay attention to. Arranging the confidants around the enemy general to deliver the letter is undoubtedly the best strategy to win the hearts and minds of the people. The confidants around you are all my people, so why are you still resisting? Surrender quickly, otherwise you will die!

The middle strategy is to secretly send someone in, find a suitable middleman, negotiate with the enemy's defending general in a friendly atmosphere, offer the other party some appropriate conditions, and fully consider the other party's face in exchange for the greatest benefit.

The worst strategy is to directly shoot the arrows with the letters tied to them behind the city wall, letting everyone know that the besieging party is going to make conditions. The meaning expressed is also very crude, only slightly better than shouting for people to surrender outside the city.

Regardless of whether the defending generals have the intention to surrender, this provocative surrender will make the defenders in the city panic. What's more, most of the defenders in the castle are defeated troops who have just withdrawn from the front line. Their morale is already low, so using this inferior strategy is undoubtedly the most appropriate.

Of course, this was also because the number of defenders in the Erbil Fortress was small and the food and grass were not sufficient. In addition, although Mushtaq was a descendant of a famous family, a family of black sheep was not worthy of respect in the eyes of the arrogant emirs of the Timurid Khanate.

In the words of the Mongols, he was just the son of a household slave and not worth mentioning.

Mushtaq carefully studied the letter in his hand with a frown. The enemy generals outside the city could look down on him, but he had no right to look down on them. At this time, the troops stationed outside the city wall were three times the number of defenders inside the city.

The endless stream of civilian laborers transporting logistical supplies and the heavy traffic made the defenders occupying the high ground feel desolate and trembling.

This is an open conspiracy and also a threat. Ever since the great conqueror began to use the Three Yuan Flag, he and his army have been willing to do so. When you have an absolute advantage in strength, all the tricks and schemes are useless, and using force to suppress others is the right way to go.

Now, the Black Sheep people are indeed short of troops everywhere. Even if they tear down the east wall to repair the west wall, there will inevitably be loopholes in the defense line. Originally, the main force in the area east of Erbil Castle was the 3,000 elite troops led by Hussein Abu. As a result, the Black Sheep King issued an order to make that elite force retreat suddenly, which directly led to the complete breakthrough of the defense line.

Mushtaq did not want to delve into whether the Black Sheep King's move was an opportunity to weaken the power of other tribes. He just wanted to find a way out of the current disadvantage.

Not every Qara ...

But this is also their most dangerous time, because they are expanding too quickly, and any problem anywhere could potentially shake the entire system...

After all, the Black Sheep King is old, and his ideas are more conservative. The Saidi family speculates that he can fully accept the result of losing Mosul and all the territories west of Mosul. As long as he can completely integrate the internal forces of the Black Sheep Tribe in the process, it will be a victory.

As a member of the Sayyidi family, Mushtaq came with this purpose in mind to gather the defeated troops, but the situation deteriorated faster than he had imagined.

The emirs from Iran advanced much faster than they expected. Mushtaq didn't even have the chance to leave with his army. He was surrounded in Erbil Castle and had to fight a war in which he was destined to have no reinforcements.

Mushtaq had never experienced such a desperate situation, but as a rising star among the Black Sheep, he grew up in an era of oppression by the "suzerain state". He knew what life was like for the conquered and the tragic consequences of failure, so he was very tough.

The burden of being in desperate situation did not crush him, but instead aroused Mushtaq's indomitable spirit. He used the knowledge he had learned over the years to sort out the relationships within the army in the shortest time, mixed the soldiers into a new whole, and restored the combat effectiveness of the army to a certain extent.

In addition, Mushtaq also promulgated very strict material management regulations, strictly guarding the existing materials, and personally took the lead in saving money. Among all people, including officers, only the defenders on duty on the city walls could be guaranteed not to go hungry.

These actions temporarily stabilized the morale of the army, but calls for surrender still circulated among the officers and no one could stop them.

Their generation did experience hardships, but they also knew more about the strength of the Khanate. The Black Sheep paid a terrible price to defeat the counterattack of Timurid Khanate, and now an even larger army is pressing forward again, as if they had never suffered any losses.

A tragic victory is not scary, and even a failure is not scary. What is scary is the lack of hope. They can defeat the Timurid Khanate's army a hundred times, but as long as they fail once, everything they have will come to nothing.

The letter to Mushtaq made it clear that there were no conditions and the only demand of those Iranians outside the city was unconditional surrender.

Mushtaq knew that this was a threat, but also a bargaining tool. If he was willing to talk, he could at least get himself some pretty good terms.

If he was willing to negotiate on the basis of his family, he might even be able to obtain wealth and status no less than his current one after the Black Sheep Dynasty was completely destroyed. The great conqueror was always very generous to those who were willing to surrender in a decent manner.

But Mushtaq was unwilling to do so; he had had enough of being a conquered person.

So he had the letter of surrender nailed to the door of his mansion and then had it publicized: "If I, Mushtaq Talib Saeed, choose to surrender, everyone can spit on my name and everyone has the right to shoot me. Whoever kills me will be hailed as a hero by the Black Sheep Tribe, no matter when or where."

This statement temporarily restored some of the morale, but it was not enough. Mushtaq had to allocate a portion of the supplies that were under strict guard and hold a dinner inside the fort to ensure that all the soldiers were well fed and watered.

In addition, he also rewarded all the wealth he brought to the warriors who had made military achievements in previous wars.

Now, Mushtaq has pushed himself into a desperate situation, and he must live and die with this fortress.

But on this day, an unexpected mysterious visitor entered the fortress through a secret passage.

Chapter 551: Tricking Him

Sayyib was a bold and cautious man. The main reason why he failed to become a centurion was that his family did not have a strong background. Also, because he was too old, he was not favored by the great conqueror and wasted seven or eight years in the position of centurion.

But under Li Rufeng's command, Saiyib saw an opportunity. He knew that Li Rufeng lacked experienced officers and Li Rufeng himself was not a Mongolian, so he had no prejudice against bloodline and truly promoted the capable.

The only thing that restrains Sayib is loyalty. Just as he doesn't understand Li Rufeng, Li Rufeng also doesn't understand him. Moreover, he is Bardock's confidant, and Bardock himself controls an overstaffed team of a thousand people, accounting for nearly a quarter of Li Rufeng's military strength.

Therefore, even out of careful consideration, it is difficult for Sayib to get equal opportunities. However, everything depends on human efforts. Sayib and Badak have known each other for many years, and he believes that the other party will understand him.

So this time, Sayyib did not follow Li Rufeng's orders and go to the Iranians to find out the intentions of those emirs.

Li Rufeng did not know the Iranian emirs, but Sayyib did, so he was very sure that it would be in vain for him to go there. Those arrogant emirs would not even give him a chance to meet them unless he could come up with some real money, otherwise the identity of a centurion of the Khanate would be nothing.

Saib didn't know what Li Rufeng's expectations were of those emirs, but he was sure that once they met, the wise shaman would realize that what he was doing was right.

He ran directly to the Erbil Fortress and asked to meet with the commander of the defending army in the capacity of Li Rufeng's messenger.

It was under such circumstances that Mushtaq met Sayyib. His first reaction was that this group of Mongols from the west had quietly captured Mosul. After all, Li Rufeng had won battle after battle, beating the Black Sheep People to pieces, and had already gained quite a high prestige.

"I don't know what you want to talk to me about? For the glory of the Saidi family, I promise that if you are not here to provoke me, I can let you leave safely." Mushtaq threatened before the other party could speak.

"You can rest assured, I am here to save you from the dire situation." Sayyib looked around. He left all the guards outside the city and came alone to meet the enemy general. His psychological quality was evident.

At this time, Sayyib had a serious expression and sat upright, as if he believed in what he said.

Mushtaq pointed at Sayyib and laughed, but his smile grew colder and colder. "This time I know you're joking. If you do it again, I'll make you lose your head."

"What? Are there no more listenable generals among the Black Sheep? Are you resorting to such childish tactics to intimidate others?" Saib retorted fearlessly, "Since I dare to come here, I am not afraid of death."

Mushtaq stared at Sayyib with a frown, feeling that he could not see through what the other party was up to. However, the other party's disregard for life and death still made Mushtaq respect him, so he clapped his hands and asked his guards to bring food and drinks.

Although the Black Sheep people also believe in Islam, they are also deeply influenced by the Mongols. They think that the prohibition of alcohol is a little joke played by the Prophet Muhammad and his descendants, and no one takes it seriously.

"Since you're a warrior, I'll treat you to wine and meat. You should understand our situation. This is the highest respect I can offer you." Mushtaq, after all, came from a wealthy family, and his words and actions were far beyond the reach of those tribal chiefs. "Whatever your purpose, I'll just treat it as a drunken slip of the tongue."

"What a drunken gaffe! I'll have to drink a few more glasses!" Sayib and Badak had been playing nice with the foreigners in the Karama territory for several years, and had developed a good routine of witty remarks. He understood what was meant and drank three glasses of wine immediately.

"You've taken too big a step. Now it's time to pay the price. Therefore, the Black Sheep are doomed to lose this war." Sayib shouted with a red face, "The only question is, to whom will we lose!"

"Bullshit! The Black Sheep will fight to the bitter end! We've already slaughtered your princes!" Mushtaq retorted loudly, "You're fighting on your own land, making a fool of yourself for outsiders!"

"But the war between the heirs will eventually end. What will you do then?" Sayyib shrugged indifferently. He really didn't care who would be the next Sultan. The memory that the great conqueror left on the world was so profound that no matter who inherited his throne, it would seem so insignificant.

"For the Black Sheep Tribe as a whole, it doesn't matter who you lose to; what matters is that you lose. But for you personally and your family and tribe, who you lose to is very important," Saib said earnestly. "What do you think would happen if you were captured by those Iranians outside the city?"