choke element

Chapter 1029 Counterattack (Part )

The battle between the cavalry from the grasslands and the Central Plains regime was like a beast versus a giant. The beast moved back and forth like lightning, biting and tearing continuously; although the giant tried his best to resist, due to his huge size, any response was in vain and was half a beat slower, so he had to succumb.

The Great Zhou, a regime established by warriors, was different from the past. The bones, blood and flesh of this giant seemed to be filled with monsters with sharp teeth. So many warriors would not be satisfied with the court's distribution of land. Even if there were no beasts attacking, they would drive the giant to devour and expand to satisfy the greed of the warrior group.

To some extent, they actually have a lot in common with the Mongolian army, except that they were not as brutal. If we must draw a parallel, we can also find some similarities with the brutal warriors of the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties.

If there were no powerful external enemies, it is unknown whether these warriors would become the source of chaos. At present, their status, interests and future are deeply tied to the national policy of the Great Zhou. Even without the orders of their superiors, they will not easily succumb to some external forces. When the drums and horns of counterattack sounded, the number of people who responded from all over the Central Plains was simply terrifying.

When Yang Miaozhen's cavalry troops were fighting outside Guide Prefecture, hundreds of people stood up one after another on both sides of the Bian River not far to the east.

The so-called Bianhe River is not a river, but an extremely wide road.

Hundreds of years ago, thanks to the opening of the Ji Canal by Emperor Yang of Sui, this section of the Bian River was once an important waterway for Kaifeng Prefecture to transport grain from the south of the Yangtze River. At its peak, more than 8 million shi of grain were transported by ship each year. Unfortunately, due to the repeated breaches of the Yellow River, many water systems in this generation suffered from silt deposition. The Jin people had no communication with the south and neglected to manage the river. Therefore, in recent decades, this section of the Bian River has dried up and blocked every winter, exposing the riverbed.

In recent years, the economic ties between Kaifeng and other trading places such as Sizhou have become closer, and there have been many calls from the local area to dredge the old canal of the Bian River to facilitate water transport. Zhongdu also sent Zhang Han, a direct scholar of the Imperial Academy, to conduct on-site inspections and planned to dig a canal connecting the Suishui River and the Bian River. However, due to the temporary lack of financial resources, this plan remained on paper. Every winter, the materials transported via the Bian River were either diverted to the Suishui River, or disembarked in Hong County and replaced with carriages and horses, and continued to travel along the old course of the Bian River, using the relatively flat and frozen riverbed as a road.

However, the old course of the Bianhe River is only usable for one month each year. After the spring, the soil thaws and becomes soft, and the water volume in the upper reaches increases, so the land route becomes a water route again. Therefore, not many people choose to take this route.

The cavalry of Yang Miaozhen's army was able to rush all the way from Huaidong to the Central Plains, and the last part of the journey was due to the Bianhe River. When the cavalry were galloping, many people who were originally moving along the river hid in the reeds and woodlands on both sides, and only at this time did someone show his head to check.

A strong man jumped onto an old crooked tree, looked to the west, and said with emotion: "It turns out that the remnants of the Red Coat Army from Chuzhou have passed by! They really fought against the Mongols!"

Several people nearby clicked their tongues a few times and then remained silent.

They had all experienced the bloody battles, and some were members of the garrison that was dispersed this time, so when the cavalry passed by, they alertly called their companions to hide, just in case the Mongols came and took advantage of them. They also had enough experience and immediately knew that the troops that had just passed by and were fighting with the Mongols were a group that was both an enemy and a friend of their side, and had a considerable relationship with them.

The more this happened, the more angry they became. None of them wanted to admit that the Great Zhou had become so embarrassed that it needed help from an old friend who had once been so generous as to let him go.

They were more keenly aware that if the Red Turban Army could severely suppress the Mongols around Guide Prefecture with such numbers, it would mean that the Mongols had been dispersed to the limit.

No matter how fast their horses are, they can't fly, and their ten fingers can't make a fist!

"The Red Coats are coming fast. The Mongolian Hundred-Man Army at Shagang may not have time to intercept them. But once they realize what's happening, they will definitely chase them from here." The strong man gritted his teeth and said, "Although we are few in number, we can also set fire and ambush them here and find a way to kill them!"

Another man wearing the standard armor of the Zhou army nodded, then turned to look at an old man with wrinkles behind him: "Old man, you have dozens of men under your command, what do you say? You might as well ask them if they are willing to help."

The old man was not a local, but a villager from Haizhou where fishermen gathered. With the rise of industry and commerce, many fishermen's livelihoods were no longer limited to fishing. The old man and his men were engaged in work related to their profession, mainly responsible for inspecting and accepting newly built ships for ship owners from all over the country.

They certainly cannot be considered warriors, but when the able-bodied men of a village and a surname go out, they will naturally encounter various special situations. They will naturally form close-knit teams and become familiar with the use of spears, sticks, swords, shields, bows and arrows.

Hearing the armored man's question, the old man chuckled and said, "No need to ask."

"what?"

"Don't ask, we will help."

"Let me be frank with you. The Mongols are not easy to deal with. If we start a fight, people will die."

"What's so scary about this? When we were at sea, the east wind blew up waves as big as mountains, and every time we did, people were killed! We have finally lived a peaceful life for a few years, and we haven't yet saved up a family fortune to pass on to our descendants. We can't let the Mongols ruin it!"

The armored men laughed loudly, and the strong man in the lead urged them: "Then don't delay, hurry up and get ready... The Mongols will be here at any time, it's better to burn them to death, it's more cost-effective!"

When they were preparing to ambush, at a place called Shagang in the east, the Mongolian army's hundred-man team, which was the target, was hurriedly packing up the camp and preparing for pursuit.

They were following Tolui's orders to burn and kill people along several rivers. In the past four or five days, they had slaughtered no less than ten villages and towns, which was a great achievement and a great harvest. So even though there was only one hundred men, they set up a large-scale aoru when they were stationed to store the looted money, food, supplies and women.

However, the battle had been going on for the past few days and the easy-to-eat fat meat had been eaten up. If they wanted to make meritorious contributions, they would have to attack the Han people's sturdy cities and military forts at the cost of their lives.

Tolui had issued a special order for this kind of thing, not to do it casually, not to waste troops easily. The 100-man team also naturally suspended their actions and rode leisurely for two days, intending to squeeze the surrounding oil and water before making subsequent plans.

They gathered their men and horses urgently after the Red Coat Army's cavalry passed by the north of Shagang. During this period, they had practiced a series of operations thousands of times since childhood and were so familiar with them. However, the Central Plains was rich beyond imagination, and they looted a lot of things. As a result, even the more than ten Mongolian herdsmen who were responsible for raising horses were busy looking after their own property first.

After a lot of trouble, the centurion realized that the horses were not driven forward in time. He whipped them and asked a few slaves, who all said, "Brother Li is doing it."

The brothers they called the Li family were slaves they had captured when they broke into a village a few days ago. The three brothers were good at taking care of livestock, had good personalities, knew how to flatter, and were efficient in their work. On the one hand, the herdsmen bullied them, but on the other hand, they were quite confident in them.

The Mongolian centurion himself had drunk too much the day before and had promised to release their families and reward them, but he forgot about it after he sobered up. Slaves who have just surrendered should be talked to with whips and knives and axes, just like wild horses that have just been tamed, there is no need to rush to give them good food.

According to the centurion's idea, perhaps after a year or two, if the Li brothers are still alive, they can serve as pastoral slaves and promote the original pastoral slaves to combat soldiers.

But at this moment, the centurion suddenly felt extremely alert.

He roared, not bothering to put on his boots, and ran barefoot to the col where the horses were kept. The climate in the col was very warm, and even in winter, the grass was not completely dry, which was indeed a good place to raise horses.

But what a shocking scene the centurion saw!

At least 20 or 30 dead horses were lying in all directions; several horses were severely frightened and ran around in the fence. Many horses were injured. Those with neck injuries lowered their bodies and wailed, bleeding continuously; those with abdominal injuries were much more tragic, with colorful intestines all over the ground, and it was impossible to tell which horse they belonged to.

The warhorse is the most reliable companion of the Mongols, even like a part of their body. The Mongol centurion screamed, and felt the rage rushing to his head, his eyes were red.

He then saw the Li brothers sneering at him.

The elder brother who was leading the group held the head of a horse in his hand. It was the centurion's own mount, his favorite iron-hoofed horse, and now its head had been chopped off!
The warhorse's mane, which was once as shiny as silk, was now stained with blood, and its neck was dragged by thin and long white tendons. Its eyes, which were once full of spirit, now looked like rotten peaches.

"I'd like to see how you can still show off your power without your horses." One of the Li brothers gritted his teeth and spoke slowly.

The centurion could not understand the Han people's language, but he could feel hatred and sarcasm from their tone.

He drew his sword in a rage and rushed towards the brothers. Unexpectedly, the Li brothers did not run away, but pulled out the long whip and iron whip used to tame horses.