Mount and Blade Central Asia

Well, I have to prepare in advance and publicize the awesomeness of being chosen as a shaman by the Eternal God. I should not waste such a miracle that I got for free, such as quickly healing wounds.

As for the other matter, it gave Li Rufeng a headache.

He looked at the magic sword beside him, recalling what had happened, and reached out with his good hand and whispered, "Sword?"

The magic sword did not move, and Satuya looked at him in confusion, as if worried that the Shaman had been hit in the head.

"Bring the sword!" Li Rufeng's tone was firm, and his facial features were wrinkled as if he was constipated. As a man who was deeply influenced by fantasy literature, he was particularly familiar with this kind of idealism.

But the magic sword remained motionless...

Satuya looked at the sword and then at Li Rufeng. If Li Rufeng had not repeatedly warned that no one was allowed to touch the sword at any time, she really wanted to hand it to him directly.

Li Rufeng sighed and stopped arguing with himself. He walked over and took the magic sword in one hand, imitating the scene at that time. He loosened and clenched his palm, and the magic sword fell directly to the ground. When he held the sword, his fingers were not in the right position, and he pulled the sword out.

He bent down and gripped the hilt with one hand, motioning Satuya to stay away, then chopped hard, trying to throw the scabbard out. However, how could such a gorgeous scabbard fastened with a spring be thrown away by inertia in such a weak chop?

This is the problem. How did he, Li Rufeng, a man whose proficiency in two-handed weapons was only 8 points, complete such a complicated and handsome self-rescue in that instant?

Not only did he summon the magic sword in his hand in an instant, his five fingers coordinated to accurately grasp the hilt, swung the scabbard with one hand, and completed a powerful chops with one hand in a flash!

Li Rufeng then checked the dent on the edge of the bed. It was half a finger deep in the wood. No matter how hard he chopped, he couldn't make a mark that deep. Although humans have adrenaline as an ally in moments of life and death, he had never heard of awakening proficiency in swordsmanship.

Moreover, his two-handed weapon proficiency increased by 13 points at once, which was a bit shocking to Li Rufeng.

This was a demonic sword. Its original owner was either Lord Milansha or that red-armored blood knight. Neither of them was to be trifled with. Li Rufeng wanted nothing to do with them...

But no matter what Mr. Li thought or how he looked at it, the things that had troubled the Mongols were over. After dawn, Qinggelinayan couldn't wait to announce the departure of the entire army.

Chapter 122: Unite the Forces

Whatever grievances the refugees in Urfa Fort had towards the Mughals, they were now forgotten. Li Rufeng had done his best to balance the relationship between soldiers and civilians, Mongols and non-Mongols, and he had a clear conscience.

But the fact is that in the end Li Rufeng did not receive any thanks from any party. The soldiers only knew that Shaman Rufeng did not want them to get rich, and the civilians of Urfa Castle only knew that the Mongols had looted their only property, and Li Rufeng was undoubtedly one of the Mongols.

Things did not always happen as Li Rufeng hoped, but he still left Bater, as well as twenty soldiers from his own tribe and twenty Kurdish soldiers in Urfa Castle. He did not ask Bater to do much, but none of it was easy.

He hoped that the refugees in Urfa Castle could migrate to live near Li Rufeng's tribe. Li Rufeng gave Bater very great power. If those people wanted land, Bater could give it to them. The land they reclaimed would all belong to them personally and be protected by Li Rufeng's tribe.

They wanted tax breaks, and Battelle could give them that. All reclaimed land would be tax-free for the first three years, and only one-third of the harvest would be paid in the fourth and fifth years. From the fifth to the eighth year, only half would be paid for three consecutive years, and then normal taxes would be restored.

According to the tax policy previously implemented by the Khanate, the Khanate took 60% of all crops grown from the ground, but in actual implementation, the specific amount taken depended entirely on the conscience of local tax collectors.

Li Rufeng also promised all those who were willing to take the risk that their food on the road would be borne by his tribe. He even wanted to promise to distribute farm tools for free, but considering the actual productivity of his tribe, this idea was stillborn.

Shaman Rufeng set out again, feeling a bit listless as he rode on his horse, yawning constantly. He hadn't slept well in the last two nights, and if possible, he really wanted to sleep for a whole day before

Set off, but this is the Mughal people's mode of warfare. Once they move, they will not stop easily. They will constantly stretch the space on the vast plains and make their enemies run around in a hurry.

The straight-line distance from Urfa Castle to Mardin City is 170 kilometers, but considering that the cavalry on the road cannot just walk in a straight line along the map, the actual distance is estimated to be more than 300 kilometers.

According to the Mongol custom, the distance was six hundred miles. If they marched quickly, they could see the walls of Mardin as early as the morning of the sixth day.

But the journey was not smooth. Li Rufeng and his group's next stop was Vilanshehir, a place that could barely be called a town. The looting teams had visited there repeatedly. In addition to hatred, they also contributed enough food, money, and women.

Further ahead is Ahmedli, an unknown little place that used to be home to nearly a thousand people, but the looting team has reported back that it is now in ruins.

The reason why this small place is mentioned is that Qinggelinayan will reorganize his troops there, all the looting teams he sent out will return, and the Genoa mercenaries he hired before will also begin to officially accept employment from the Mughals there.

Li Rufeng was quite curious about how powerful the cannons of this era were, but considering that the Ming Dynasty had already started sailing to the West at that time, it was not surprising that there were cannons. Li Rufeng's memory of history was constantly becoming self-consistent, giving him a clearer understanding of the era and environment he was in.

He had lived in the wilderness for so long that he often forgot that it was already the end of the Middle Ages. The Renaissance was already in full swing in Europe, and the rate of firearms equipment in the Ming Empire's army had exceeded 30%. In another hundred years, the Age of Exploration that would change the world would begin.

This was a great and glorious era, and the unchanging life of the Mughals was just a small accident in a remote corner.

Traveling on horseback was not easy, but in comparison, Li Rufeng's life was much better than that of ordinary soldiers. At least he had meat for every meal three times a day, and he did not need to feed his horse or set up his tent. He could just dismount and rest.

In the eyes of many soldiers, this is a dream life.

They quickly crossed Vilanshehir. Li Rufeng only looked at the gathering place with wooden walls from afar. Behind the thick log walls, free people wearing armor of various colors watched the Mongolian army roaring past with vigilance and fear, not even daring to breathe.

Li Rufeng didn't know how much benefit they had paid to make Qinggelinayan so mercifully let go of this gathering place, but he himself received enough food for the soldiers to eat for three days, a small amount of wine, and some scattered cloth, pottery and other handicrafts on behalf of Li Rufeng.

Of course there are also women, the inevitable spoils of war.

Li Rufeng is not a saint. He cannot ask his soldiers to do what only a battle-hardened army can do in the future. He can only restrain himself and try not to be hard on himself, and pretend that this incident never happened.

But whenever night falls, the different shouts of men and women make Li Rufeng unable to control himself.

At this moment, he really hoped that Changshengtian existed, that Tengri existed, that grassland where only the righteous could live was green and full of cattle and sheep...

Another day passed, and when night fell, Li Rufeng finally saw the small village called Ahmedli. Like the previous one, it had been turned into ruins in the flames, leaving only broken walls.

But this time, there were no corpses in the village. The people here had been moved away, either voluntarily or forced to do so, leaving nothing useful for the Mughals.

Some of the scattered looting teams have returned and are setting up camp here to wait for Qinggelinayan. According to Qinggelinayan's orders, they will camp here to rest for a day and a night. All soldiers who fail to return after the deadline will be considered as defunct, their officers will be demoted, and their soldiers will be incorporated into the siege death squad.

This was the first time that Li Rufeng witnessed the harsh side of this nation that relied on force to establish itself and maintain its status, but fortunately, all the soldiers sent out by Li Rufeng returned on time.

Before Li Rufeng and his men arrived at Ahmedli, Habashibuhua had already gathered his soldiers and waited on the ground. There were a total of 200 people who participated in the looting, four teams of 50 people, and finally 177 people returned, 14 of whom were killed in battle and 9 were missing.

The Kurdish team suffered the greatest losses. They went too deep into the territory of Doshite Wanhu and were besieged by the people of the river. Seven people died on the way of pursuit, and five people were missing. It is not known whether they were dead or captured.

But their morale was not low because of this. On the contrary, everyone was very satisfied with their gains. In this mood, the Genoa mercenary team finally arrived late.

The author says:

Author's note: I'm a bit late today, so I'll post one chapter first and then two more tomorrow.

Chapter 123: The Genoese

Speaking of Genoa, Li Rufeng understood it as a small city in Italy. Of course, it might not be that small, but for the citizens of a continental country with a large population base, Genoa is just that, and not calling it a Genoa town is already giving Italy enough face...

The reason why Li Rufeng has an impression of Genoa is that Serie A was once an indispensable part of the football world. Li Rufeng's mother was a loyal Serie A fan and was very fond of Li Rufeng.

Rufeng has introduced some knowledge about the Serie A, including the famous Genoa derby.

As for which two teams the Genoa derby specifically refers to, Li Rufeng doesn't know.

But in the era after Li Rufeng traveled through time, Genoa was extraordinary. It was as if Russia had suddenly regressed fifty years and returned to the Soviet era...

The first thing we must face is that the concept of Italy as a country did not really exist until another four or five hundred years later. What now rules the Apennine Peninsula is a large number of city-states in its coastal areas, among which the more famous ones are the Republic of Genoa, the Republic of Venice, and the Republic of Pisa.

What they have in common is that they are all close to the sea, have developed maritime trade, advanced shipbuilding technology, and excellent ports. Of course, when Li Rufeng just traveled through time, the Republic of Pisa, which had the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, had just collapsed and became part of the Republic of Florence.

The fact that this "small matter" of destroying a country could reach Li Rufeng's ears is enough to prove how great its influence is.

The Republic of Pisa was only the weakest among the Mediterranean powers. During its heyday, the Republic of Genoa occupied almost all the valuable port cities on the Mediterranean coast. Its navy was so powerful that no one could rival it. Whether it was the Eastern Roman Empire, the Mamluk Sultanate, or the Ilkhanate that occupied the Syrian region at the time, they could only acquiesce to each other's privileges at sea.

But the good times did not last long. The Genoese's strong rival, the Venetians, after 150 years and four naval wars, finally gained control of the Mediterranean waters 25 years ago.

Currently, the Genoese are suffering from the loss of their maritime trade routes, internal castle fighting, and the ongoing financial turmoil in Europe. Countless formerly wealthy middle-class people have gone bankrupt, and the lives of the lower-class people are even worse. In order to have enough food to eat, many people have become mercenaries.

Genoese mercenaries have existed since ancient times. They were almost the most famous mercenaries in Europe before the Swiss mercenaries and the German mercenaries. In many games, Genoese crossbowmen even appear as a separate unit.

So Li Rufeng was very curious about the Genoa mercenaries that Qinggelinayan had mentioned before.

After all, in the words brought by many merchants, Genoa and Venice are the beacons of this era, and the light of civilization shines on these two city-states.

But the mercenaries hired by Qinggelinayan disappointed Li Rufeng. When they arrived in Ahmedli under the leadership of a team of Mughal cavalry, Li Rufeng felt as if he saw a moving caravan.

The group of Genoese was about three hundred people in size, of whom less than two-thirds were young and middle-aged men. The remaining one hundred or so were basically old men with gray hair. Following the Genoese was another group of people. They were Roma, or to use the more popular term in later generations, Gypsies. There were not many of them, only a little over one hundred.

The Genoese drove the carriages. The poor horses, which seemed worthless to the Mughals, pulled the four-wheeled carts. The Genoese sat in the carriages. Most of the carriages had roofs. In the eyes of the young men in the roofs there was a hint of fear in addition to curiosity.

Perhaps in their eyes, these Mughals looked like savages. Most of the gray-haired old men had their own horses. Although they were not good horses, at least they were all wearing light chain mail, and you could tell they were veterans just by looking at their eyes.

As for the Gypsies, they really have a completely different temperament. That carefree and unbridled momentum easily distinguishes them from others.

Li Rufeng could hear this singing and dancing people singing as they walked from a long distance away, as if the fatigue of the journey had no effect on them at all. The carriages they drove were also of a completely different style from those of the Genoese.

The gypsy's carriage was obviously much shorter, but their shed was taller. The colorful patches on it showed the nomadic people's unconventional and practical nature. Perhaps noticing Li Rufeng's gaze, a plump woman suddenly pulled off her low-cut dress and smiled, earning applause.

Hulucierjia, who was standing next to Li Rufeng, whistled exceptionally loudly. It was unknown whether this instinctive reaction of men was engraved into genes during evolution, spanning races and time, and achieving a unity of consciousness.

"Be careful! If she has syphilis, there's no other option but to remove the weapon." Li Rufeng glanced at Hulucierjia, and the grown man asked shyly, "Shaman Rufeng, how do you tell if that woman has syphilis?"

Although Li Rufeng was a man of great talent and could diagnose a patient's condition through observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, this was obviously not the time to impart knowledge. He was more concerned about where these Genoese had hidden their cannons.

He had been thinking about the cannons that Qinggelinayan had promised him for a long time. After all, no one in the world knew the development trend of future war patterns better than Li Rufeng.

Qinggelinayan waved to Li Rufeng, indicating that he should go with him to welcome this group of mercenaries who came from afar.

As they rode forward, two leaders on horseback also came out from the Genoese side. The leader was wearing a high-collared Pulpovan (Note 1) and a pair of tight trousers that made Li Rufeng feel uncomfortable.

Pulpovan is a black cotton dress with gold patterns and intricate decorations, and the shoulders are also made into puff shoulders.

As a result, coupled with those tight pants, it is obvious at first glance that this outfit is not suitable for riding, but its owner insists on wearing it like this and no one can stop him from showing off.

"Respected Mongolian Khan, hello, I am Renzo Piano, leader of the Golden Arrow Mercenary Group. I have arrived as promised." Renzo Piano introduced himself in Chagatai language with a strange tone, then blinked and spoke a long string of incomprehensible words, looking at the entourage around him.

The attendant, whose origins were unclear, though his skin was slightly dark, translated, "Captain Renzo Piano said he hopes to receive the remaining advance payment and allow the mercenary group to trade with the soldiers while accompanying them."

The language barrier was a big problem for both parties involved in the hiring process. Li Rufeng didn't know how Qinggelinayan had found this group of people to serve as mercenaries.

But obviously, his offer was enough to attract the head of the Renzo Piano team from afar. From the expression on his face, it was clear that the other party was very satisfied with the amount of the commission.

"How much did you spend?" Li Rufeng asked Qinggelinayan in a low voice. Although he knew that Renzo Piano didn't understand, he still wanted to know how much money he would need to prepare in advance if he hired mercenaries in the future.

"Three hundred florins (Note 2) in advance, another two hundred florins when his men arrive, and another five hundred florins after the battle," Qinggelinayan explained. He pulled a fist-sized nugget of gold from his pouch and tossed it directly to Renzo Piano. "They only accept florins. Three hundred florins weigh almost a kilogram."

Renzo Piano, who received the gold, showed an ecstatic expression on his face. He showed off by shaking the gold in his hand to the mercenaries behind him, which drew cheers.

Li Rufeng did a careful calculation and found that hiring this group of people to fight would cost him three kilograms of gold. However, this kind of employment relationship was a bit beyond his understanding, and for a moment he didn't know whether it was appropriate.

"Usually, we need to sign a contract of at least six months to accept employment. This is a short-term job, and we'll be charged on a per-job basis. We'll only be responsible for sieges and long-range attacks. We came because the Mongolian Khan guaranteed that we wouldn't be threatened and that the war would be over within two months of our arrival." The translator, perhaps sensing Li Rufeng's confusion, gave a brief explanation and, by the way, helped to improve his mercenary group's style. "Otherwise, our Golden Arrow Mercenary Group rarely takes on such short-term jobs. We have many skilled artillerymen, all of whom are the best!"

"They were previously working for the Ottomans, but the general who hired them was killed, and their successor doesn't even acknowledge the employment contract. If Jatalehun hadn't known they had artillery and helped them, the leader would have been killed by his subordinates by now." Qinggelinayan pointed his whip at Renzo Piano and sneered mercilessly, "So they better be really good at artillery, or I'll kick them all out."

Seeing the Mongol Khan pointing at him and laughing, Renzo Piano responded with a nervous smile. He could not understand what the other person was saying and could only keep looking at his translator.

But the translator wisely chose not to translate this sentence, but his expression became a little ugly. It was obvious that although the new employer was generous, he was very difficult to fool.

"Show me your cannons. Every penny of my money must be spent effectively." Qinggelinayan waved at Li Rufeng, motioning him to follow, and walked towards the mercenary convoy alone.

After Renzo Piano heard the translator repeat Qinggelinayan's words, he hurriedly rode his horse to catch up with Qinggelinayan, mumbling something in Ligurian (Note 3).

"Mongol Khan! Please wait a moment, we need time to assemble the cannon!" The translator also chased after him, seeming to be more anxious than his captain.

Looking at the reactions of the two, Li Rufeng suddenly felt cheated.

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The author says:

Author's Note: I didn't have time to update twice today, so I can only update one chapter, which is a thousand words short... Regarding the mercenary contracts and the price of employment, I did some research, which delayed me a bit. The main reason was that different regional currencies and weight units needed to be converted...

Note 1—Originally meaning "quilted cloth," purpoin was a sturdy garment made of several layers of cloth, worn under or over a soldier's mail mail, to protect against physical damage. Originally, purpoin reached the knee, but by the mid-14th century, it had shortened to the waist or hips, becoming common among men. This garment was tight-fitting, fastened at the front with buttons. The chest was padded with wool or linen scraps to create a bulge, tapering at the waist. The sleeves were long, tight, and fastened with a row of buttons from the elbow to the cuffs. It was generally collarless. Purpoin was made of luxurious materials, including velvet, brocade, silk, and high-quality wool. The use of buttons for fastening was a hallmark of purpoin, a style said to have been adopted from Asian clothing and characterized by its functionality. From then on, this style became ingrained in Western European clothing, and buttons officially entered European history.

Note 2-In 1252, Genoa and Florence began to mint gold coins called hot florins, which weighed about 3.5 grams and were made of pure gold.

The increasingly important trade routes from southern Europe into western and northern Europe became the prototype for most later European gold coins.

Note 3 - The official language of the Republic of Genoa, it is probably closer to French in terms of grammar and context than Italian, which is derived from the Tuscan dialect.

Chapter 124: The Old Man with a Cannon

It is said that the earliest gunpowder weapons in Europe were brought back by a group of Crusaders from the battlefields of Asia Minor. According to the records of missionaries, it was a magical powdery substance that would burn fiercely in a fire bath. When it was ignited in a house or container, it would produce a loud noise and burst out with unexpected destructive power.

These powders emit a pungent odor that people describe as a stink from hell, and many priests initially declared it a form of black magic.

Before the appearance of the Turks, Westerners had no idea that saltpeter existed. They learned the method of making saltpeter from the Arabs. The first mention of saltpeter in Arab literature was in a medical book, where it was called "Chinese snow" and the Turks called it Chinese salt.

But no matter whether the Mongols once represented civilization, they have now become backward. The Nayan people, who can mobilize thousands of cavalry, need to go to neighboring countries to hire a foreign mercenary army if they want to find artillery.

Renzo Piano's panic made Qinggelinayan's face flash with a trace of gloom. He didn't care about spending money, but he didn't want to be played like a fool.

As he went deeper into Qinggelinayan, Li Rufeng also witnessed the true appearance of the mercenaries of this era up close. His intuitive feeling was that these people looked harmless, especially the young people. Their first reaction after seeing two foreigners rushing into the chariot camp was to hide.

On the other hand, the veterans were much calmer. They were all like Habashibuka, with calm eyes, as if nothing could surprise them anymore.

But even these veterans had no intention of stopping Qinggeli and Li Rufeng. They had already seen the gold that Renzo Piano had hinted at. In the minds of these veterans, the employer's reputation was obviously greater than the captain's, especially the captain who was in arrears of wages.

Renzo Piano followed behind Li Rufeng, his face flushed as he kept shouting something, but all he got was rounds of laughter. It was not until Renzo Piano took out the nugget of gold again and held it above his head that the group reluctantly responded to him.

Following Renzo Piano's shout, the entire convoy stopped. A heavily loaded four-wheeled carriage was surrounded by a group of people. The men shouted slogans and carried the guy out of the carriage.

A real cannon, a straight-barreled cannon, but with a rough surface, no other parts or decorations, only a gray-looking metal tube.

Li Rufeng could even tell from its exterior how it was forged: a pile of iron bars were arranged around a log of suitable thickness, welded together, and the core removed to form a metal tube. One section was then blocked, reinforced with metal hoops, and the gaps sealed with molten lead.

The entire cannon was only about one and a half meters long, with a diameter of about 30 centimeters. Li Rufeng dismounted and personally lifted it along one side, but the cannon did not move at all. However, he felt that the total weight of this thing would not exceed three hundred kilograms.

Li Rufeng looked up at Qinggelinayan, then at the mercenaries who had stopped and were waiting for their employer's orders, as well as Renzo Piano, who was constantly wiping his sweat and holding his hat in his hand. He asked in a daze, "Just this one cannon?"

This time there was no need for the translator to intervene too much. Everyone could understand Li Rufeng's confusion from the expression on his face and nodded in unison.

Without a word, Qinggelinayan drew his saber and pointed the tip at Renzo Piano: "Do you think I'm taking your money for free?"