Mount and Blade Central Asia

So in the past three days, Sylvester had hardly slept, and he felt that his hands were deformed and began to develop into chicken claws that could hold a pen.

"How can there be such a big error?" Li Rufeng looked at Sylvester dissatisfiedly and knocked on the table with his hand.

Some of the other pardoned Dark Wizard apprentices might have felt that they had been wrongly accused, but Sylvester had no nerve to say so. The first thing he did after returning home after being pardoned was to release the girl he had imprisoned...

The main theme is that things will be bright if there is a little sunshine, and people will race against time to satisfy their selfish desires.

This was also the reason why he was almost beaten to death by the pastor who returned to the church. One of the women he imprisoned was the pastor's wife.

But Sylvester insisted that he was taking the blame for a dark wizard and he was just helping to pimp.

Anyway, Li Rufeng doesn't believe it, and the pastor doesn't believe it either, so Sylvester is now busy as if he is undergoing labor reform.

"Because we don't know whether your soldiers have made any recording errors, this amount of time is only enough for us to compile the entire list." Sylvester looked at the hot tea in Li Rufeng's hand with some longing.

Like Li Rufeng, Sylvester also likes to relax with a cup of hot tea after breakfast.

Ever since he became a dark wizard apprentice, he had hardly had a chance to relax and rest, and he barely even had breakfast.

"As a Mosul citizen, you have to take responsibility for the revitalization of this city." Li Rufeng joked. He was in a good mood today.

Parisa wrote a letter, saying that she had already set out for the city, to soothe the uneasy hearts of the city's residents as a princess of the Khanate.

His little maid, Satuya, has also arrived in the city of Malikiya and will soon head south to Mosul to calm Li Rufeng's "restless" heart.

It cannot be said that Mr. Li has been single all this time. Basically, every time he arrives in a city, someone will give him women and treasures. But as the saying goes, wild flowers are not as considerate as domestic flowers, right?

"When my work here is over, I hope to live in Aleppo." Sylvester made a somewhat humble request. He really couldn't make it in Mosul anymore.

Or perhaps it should be said that this was not just his distress. Based on the unbearable memories that the dark wizard left to all the people of Mosul, these locals who were "unfortunate" to become apprentices of the dark wizards were almost all labeled as traitors.

This has brought great inconvenience to their daily lives. The people of Mosul have not yet overcome their fear of dark wizards, so they have not done anything extreme, but this does not mean that those who are groping do not intend to do so.

Sylvester had been attacked twice while he was in charge of counting the population these days. Although one of the attacks was caused by an old lady spitting at him, it was enough to prove how much the Mosel people hated him.

"Including me, there are twenty-two of us in total, and we all want to live in other cities." Sylvester sighed. If possible, no one would be willing to leave their hometown and live elsewhere.

After all, everything is different. In the dreamland, the blue wind enlightens them with wisdom, allowing them to see scenery beyond the limitations of their own thinking. They are no longer the same as they used to be.

Under Li Rufeng's restraint, perhaps these people will not eventually follow the old path of dark wizards, but they will never continue along their previous life trajectories.

Instead of struggling in this city full of hatred, it is better to go to another place and officially start a new life.

"That's understandable. I promise you, once order is restored in Mosul, I'll arrange for you all to live in other cities. No one will know your past, and you can live a normal life." Li Rufeng looked at Sylvester and instructed, "But the prerequisite is that you abide by the law and obey the laws I set. Otherwise, I guarantee that you will be hanged on the walls of Mosul."

"I will follow your wishes, my lord." Sylvester bowed deeply, not daring to express any dissatisfaction.

Because Li Rufeng has proved to all the dark wizards that he is the more powerful one.

Chapter 587 The Black Sheep King’s Sorrow

On July 3, 1409, Li Rufeng finally received news from the direction of Erbil Castle. The news was delivered by a Black Sheep Knight. He was lucky that he was not shot to death by the patrolling Mughals who mistook him for an enemy scout.

It is difficult to describe Li Rufeng's current mood. You know, his original ultimate strategic goal was Mosul. After taking Mosul, he would use the solid fortress of Erbil Fort as a buffer zone to prevent himself from coming into contact with the Khanate forces too early.

This ultimate strategic goal is actually like bargaining. You always have to cut the price first. If he wants nine hundred, you can first cut it to fifty yuan, and then bargain to four hundred yuan to close the deal. Then both parties will be satisfied.

As a result, not only has Mosul been taken, but Erbil Castle is also theirs?

Mr. Li is not sure whether this is a blessing or a curse for the time being. After all, according to his plan, it is best for him not to come into contact with the Khanate forces too early.

To put it nicely, the Mughals were a war tribe guarding the country's borders; to put it bluntly, they were a tribe of exiled prisoners of war.

What's more, Dost, the legitimate lord of the Khanate in the western border area, died at his hands.

When they killed Doshite last year, they had conclusive evidence that Doshite's surrender to the enemy was a disgrace to the Khanate's prestige.

But this happened a year ago. If someone really seizes this opportunity to put pressure on Li Rufeng, it will be difficult for him to produce concrete evidence to prove Duosite's rebellion.

Of course, compared to that, Li Rufeng's troubles are more like a happy one, while the Black Sheep King is the one who is really in trouble.

Ouch!

The Black Sheep King, Carl Yusuf, whose temples were already gray, smashed his favorite porcelain to the ground like an enraged lion.

The exquisite artwork from the East turned into fragments in the blink of an eye, but this did not ease the anxiety in the heart of the Black Sheep King.

In just two months, his vast dynasty lost half of its territory, and his enemy was just the lord of an unknown small city.

If he knew those dark wizards were so vulnerable, he would have attacked them long ago!

"Sir Abdul, did I do something wrong?" After calming down, Carl Yusuf sat on the throne in a decadent manner. This throne was a gift given to him by the tribal leaders after he took control of Baghdad.

The throne was made of wood cut from Badakhshan, silk dyed from Mosul, and gems produced in abundance in Tabriz, and it looked extremely luxurious.

Now, the raw materials for making this chair are only produced in two-thirds of the original sources.

Although Baghdad was still nominally under his rule, all the passages between Baghdad and Tabriz had been cut off by Li Rufeng, and it had essentially become an enclave.

Based on Yusuf's understanding of the lord of Baghdad, it wouldn't be long before he realized that he could not defeat the suddenly rising enemy in a short time and he would immediately betray him.

Then the other party would turn around and bow down to Li Rufeng as if he was serving himself.

"You just encountered a temporary setback. We have been through so much together and encountered such powerful enemies, but in the end we still won." Abdul carefully avoided the debris on the ground and comforted the lonely king.

He actually had some bad news to tell the Black Sheep King, but Abdul felt that now was not a good time.

"But I'm no longer young, Abdul. I'm old. The first thing I see when I open my eyes every day is my falling gray hair." Carl Yusuf sighed and continued, "Even the most beautiful woman can't stir the waves in my heart anymore."

"Our former enemy was an old man even older than us. No matter how terrifying or powerful he was, as long as we lived diligently, we would eventually outlast him," Karl Yusuf said with some emotion. "But now our enemy is a young man not even thirty years old, and he can outlast us too."

"Iskander is a good boy, he..." Abdul suddenly paused, and then smiled bitterly with the Black Sheep King.

Iskandar is the Black Sheep King's most valued son, but he is still five or six years older than Li Rufeng.

"Age is not a problem, my king, nor is victory or defeat. What matters is that we can fail but cannot be defeated." Abdul sat opposite the Black Sheep King. He knew the pressure the other party was under.

The Kingdom of the Black Sheep is a loose alliance, and the Black Sheep King himself cannot even represent the will of all the Black Sheep people. He is just the chief of the most powerful tribe among many tribes.

Of course, as early as when Karl Yusuf's father was still alive, his tribe had already risen up and conquered all the Black Sheep people, forcibly integrating them into a whole with blood and killing. That was also the beginning of the Black Sheep Dynasty.

It's a pity that Karl Yusuf, who inherited his father's great talent and strategy, met a more powerful leader, the great conqueror Timur, who trampled the hopes of the Black Sheep people into the ground like weeds on the roadside.

Abdul was worried that the Black Sheep King would never recover. As he said, Big Iskandar was a "good boy", but he was not yet qualified to be a king.

"I'm just complaining and I don't plan to surrender." Carl Yusuf suddenly straightened his bent back.

He did lose nearly half of his territory, but those territories were newly occupied and annexed areas, and were more of icing on the cake for the Black Sheep Dynasty.

The Black Sheep King still has a trump card to play. With the occupation of Mosul and the collapse of the organizations of those black wizards, it is time to completely absorb the remaining black wizards into the Black Sheep army system.

The Black Sheep King had actually wanted to do this for a long time, but every time he wanted to do so, the people sent to carry out the integration work either disappeared or encountered an accident.

He knew that there was a dark hand behind the dark wizard, controlling everything in secret. It had even attacked him several times and modified his memory, but he could never find the other party's true identity.

Over the years, in order to ensure that they would not be fooled by dark wizards, Carl Yusuf and Abdul have always maintained a strategy of never appearing in front of dark wizards at the same time.

Not only that, they would check with each other every night about important things and important decisions to make sure their memories had not been altered.

It was not until the dark wizards demanded Mosul and most of the dark wizards moved to Mosul that the Black Sheep King felt relieved.

"It's time to let those dark wizards know who their real master is. Abdul, I leave this matter to you. Don't let me down." The Black Sheep King ordered.

Chapter 588: Saiyibu's Big Gamble

"In the name of the Governor of Mosul of the Timurid Khanate, I will pardon you, all the soldiers under your command, and the tribes and families behind you for all the crimes committed in this rebellion, simply because you made the right choice at the right time and were willing to join the right war with the right identity.

I will respect your existing status, allow you to retain all your property, and allocate an area of ​​land north of Mosul as your base.

As long as you don't betray me, I will never consider you a surrenderer."

Li Rufeng carefully considered his words and wrote a not-so-formal secret letter of surrender on the stationery. He could only hold his nose and endure this unexpected gain, but at the same time he also gained a considerable understanding of Sayyib.

Badak may still have some thoughts of restoring the orthodoxy of the Khanate and thinking of returning to his hometown one day in the future, but Sayyib has completely seen through the current situation of the Khanate.

Li Rufeng wrote his name on the signature, and then sealed it with his coat of arms with wax. That thing was not introduced until later, and it was Princess Parisa's personal seal.

However, in this matter, using Princess Parisa's personal seal is definitely more useful than his own name.

"Send this letter to Erbil Castle. Sayyib knows who to give it to." Li Rufeng sighed and handed the letter to a personal guard.

Before Sayib set off, he didn't even place a personal guard in the enemy's team to facilitate communication. At that time, Li Rufeng simply wanted Sayib to make tentative contact with those Iranians.

After all, strictly speaking, the two sides have the same roots and common enemies, so they can sit down and have a good talk to see how to make the cake bigger.

As a result, the Black Sheep people were much weaker than he had imagined, and almost collapsed in front of him.

The reason why the Black Sheep People have always been at a disadvantage on the battlefield in the western region is that the Iranian emirs on the eastern border have been eyeing it covetously, making it dare not act rashly.

Now the biggest peach has been picked by Li Rufeng. Not only that, he also plans to pull away all the branches behind the peach. If those Iranians have no objection, Li Rufeng will change his surname to Timur.

In fact, it was just as he expected. Outside the Erbil Castle, less than 80 kilometers away from Mosul, Barez had already confirmed the news of Mosul's change of ownership.

The three-character flag representing the Khanate is indeed hanging high there, and most of the people entering and leaving the city are Mongolians.

"The city of Mosul is a gift from my lord Li Rufeng to win the heart of Princess Parisa. His anger will continue to punish the black sheep who killed Lord Milansha!" Sayyib knew that he had made the right bet from the changes in the attitudes of those Iranians towards him.

He didn't need to prove that Li Rufeng had captured Mosul. It was enough as long as Li Rufeng's army arrived outside Mosul on time.

However, now that Mosul has been taken in one battle, this is also good news for Sayib. This news will make the Iranians even more wary of Li Rufeng's strength.

The last thing they wanted now was to get directly involved in a conflict over the succession of the Khanate.

The great Timur started his career in the Transoxiana region, but his influence on the Iranian region was very great. Iranians is a general term used to refer to those who live in the traditional Iranian region, and Persians are the main group of these people.

Timur's dynasty was very dependent on these Persians. Even the emirs of a considerable part of Iran were Persians. So at least in name, these Iranian emirs would not risk being attacked by political enemies and offend any possible heirs to the Timur family.

Parisa's husband and Timur's grandson-in-law, this is Li Rufeng's best amulet.

"I'm sure that the black sheep people in Erbil Castle wanted to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Wind Shaman the day before yesterday." Barez said to Sayib in a relaxed tone.

As mentioned before, as a general, Barez and even the master behind him were actually not very interested in besieging a castle that was known for its solidity.

They came to take advantage of the Black Sheep People, not to pay the price, otherwise they would not have stayed outside the Erbil Castle without attacking.

Sayib smiled but said nothing, but he was very satisfied with the relaxation shown by the other party, which proved that there was room for cooperation between them.

That's right, Sayib not only wants this group of Iranians to withdraw, but also wants to use them to solve the potential hidden dangers inside Erbil Castle.

"I have a business I want to do with you. I wonder if you are interested." Saib didn't know whether his solo move this time would anger Li Rufeng, but he knew that this was the only chance.

Saiyibu saw the dilemma that Li Rufeng was facing now. He knew that the other party had risen too quickly, so he lacked so-called counselors around him.

Saib felt that he happened to have a bit of quick wit. So far, this solo operation could be considered a great success. Even if it failed, the only thing he would lose in the end would be his own life, and -

Erbil Castle was the place that Li Rufeng planned to leave as a barrier for the Black Sheep People.

If I could successfully capture Erbil Castle and even help Li Rufeng solve his biggest problem, which is how to get along with the old subordinates of the Khanate, what a great contribution would I have made?

Saiyib knew that Li Rufeng had always been a very generous ruler in this regard, so he wanted to gamble, a big gamble.

Mushtaq was not the most suitable person to surrender to. Sayyib was very good at judging people and there was a kind of glimmer in the other's eyes.

Saib couldn't be sure whether the other party really had other plans, but it was enough to be suspicious about this matter.

"What business?" Barez became even more curious. Although the latest order from Emir Anis had not yet been delivered to him, based on his understanding of his master, the other party would most likely not order him to continue attacking Erbil Castle.

So he looked at the mixed-race Mongolian in front of him patiently. Balez wanted to know what other tricks the other party had.

This land has been plagued by wars for many years, and various "heroes" naturally have plenty of stages to show themselves to the world. Taking part in the game and planning for the city or even the country has always been the greatest honor.

The man in front of him had obviously already done half of it. Barez seemed to have already seen the next time he saw him, he would be wearing silk and holding great power.

"Get rid of the Black Sheep in one of the castles, and I'll give you a direct trade route to Mosul!" Saib said, staring into Barez's eyes.

Chapter 589: Shift of Power Center

On July 5, 1409, the sun was shining brightly outside the city of Mosul.

"Welcome home, Your Highness." Li Rufeng personally stood at the city gate, braving the scorching sun of over 30 degrees to welcome Princess Parisa's team.

Looking at the towering walls of Mosul, Parisa felt indescribably complicated.

This city holds too many memories for her. She was born here, grew up here, or rather, was imprisoned here.

Before she came of age, she had almost no chance to leave the city except for a few important festivals every year, or when her grandfather achieved a great victory and a grand celebration was held, she would be taken out and placed in front of her grandfather like a mascot for his happiness.

Even now, Parisa is grateful to her grandfather because he gives her the opportunity to leave the cage and see the outside world every year.

When Princess Parisa suddenly has the opportunity to escape the city, she seizes it without hesitation, even if it means "betraying" her father.

Parisa has always had a deep knot in her heart that she can't untie. She can't be sure whether the incident when she was surrounded by nuns and fled the city with the magic sword, and also fled from her father, was the reason that eventually led to her father's death at the hands of the Black Sheep?

But no matter what, Parisa kept this matter in her heart and would never tell anyone else.

Because after a long period of doubt, Parisa suddenly realized that she didn't care about her father's life or death. Compared to his death, she was more afraid that her father would get the magic sword and become that devil again.

But this city did not only leave Princess Parisa with pain and regret. She grew up here and spent her entire childhood here.