Mount and Blade Central Asia

Chapter 168 Conflict

Before leaving Mardin, Qinggelinayan arranged for engineers to use the limited gunpowder to blast a V-shaped gap more than three meters wide in the city wall on the side of the Mardin city gate.

If time had allowed them to do so, they would have planned to demolish the entire city wall. However, now they could only do it as a gesture. It was not a fatal weakness for the city's defense, but it was disgusting enough because Li Rufeng had taken away all the stonemasons and civilians in the city. When the time came, the Black Sheep People could only transfer people from Mosul to work on the city wall.

It took the Mughal army less than five days to travel from Urfa Castle to Mardin City, but it took them seventeen days to return. The civilians, who had to carry their families with them, moved very slowly, and they were so robbed that they didn't even have a mule.

All the horse-drawn carts brought by Li Rufeng's troops were used to carry spoils of war. It would be more reliable to hope that Li Rufeng would find a village with Chinese culture near Aleppo tomorrow and recruit a large number of level 2 soldiers than to expect the Mongols to be kind enough to lend their precious transportation capacity to these civilians.

Li Rufeng is a shaman, not Changshengtian. He cannot solve all problems. He can only solve the current problems slowly and bit by bit.

At least, he had succeeded in saving the residents of Urfa Castle and Mardin from massacre, hadn't he? Although they had lost a lot of property, at least they were still alive. Li Rufeng hoped that these people would be grateful.

As for the Mongols, Li Rufeng hopes that they can quickly adapt to their current status in the future.

"Master Shaman, there is a conflict in the immigrant group ahead. A Kurd has taken a fancy to a woman among the immigrants, and is confronting the woman's husband and family." Hulucierjia rode to Li Rufeng and reported in a low voice.

Li Rufeng had previously told him to keep an eye on the immigration team and not allow any evil incidents to occur.

Although Huluchirga didn't know what Shaman Rufeng's purpose was, he was willing to obey the shaman's orders, so he always did his best. He had seen several Kurds hanging around the group of immigrants for no reason. As they were all bachelors, they knew each other well. Huluchirga certainly knew that the other party had bad intentions.

Sure enough, while he was peeing, a Kurd came to snatch the woman.

Unlike Saladin, these Kurds were not so respectful of shamans. Some fanatical Muslims were even hostile to Li Rufeng, or rather, they were hostile to the Mongols themselves.

There is not much tenderness between the conquerors and the conquered. Li Rufeng and Saladin can reach a consensus on interests, but the people below will only remember the hatred of killing each other.

When Li Rufeng arrived on horseback, Saladin Muhet had already arrived. The Kurd who intended to rape the woman was kneeling on the ground and being whipped by Saladin.

The person kneeling on the ground had a flushed face, as if he had suffered a great injustice. The person whipping him also had a flushed face, as if he was under tremendous pressure.

Li Rufeng glanced at the heroine who was hugging her husband not far away. She was indeed so beautiful that it made him feel pity. The woman looked like an Armenian. Her flaxen hair looked much cleaner than other refugees in the breeze.

Her husband was a large Persian man. Just by looking at his clothes, you could tell he was a blacksmith. His leather apron, which could be used as armor, was covered with scorch marks.

Holding a hammer in one hand and a pair of tongs in the other, he stared at the Kurds fiercely, as if he was ready to kill them if they disagreed with him.

Nowadays, blacksmiths, like alchemists, are considered high-level technical talents, and both have good physical fitness and a courageous attitude to risk their lives. Judging from their physique alone, if this blacksmith and that Kurd were to fight one-on-one, the blacksmith would probably win.

After viewing the scene, Li Rufeng roughly reconstructed what happened. He dismounted and walked to Saladin. He reached out and snatched his whip, shaking his head gently: "Saladin, the whip can't solve the problem. How about letting me handle it this time?"

Saladin and Muhet looked at their own people, then at Li Rufeng, and finally nodded and took a step back.

Li Rufeng reached out and shook the whip in his hand. It was a genuine calfskin whip, and the touch was fine and delicate. It was a good thing... Li Rufeng, who had originally wanted to throw the whip away, put it on his belt. Then he squatted in front of the Kurd and asked, "Why did you disobey my orders? Didn't I say that no one is allowed to harass these immigrants?"

"You also promised that after this war, we will be brothers and you will treat us equally!" The Kurd raised his head and stared at Li Rufeng. "Then why can the Mongol people take women from the refugees, but we can't?"

This was getting interesting. Li Rufeng turned around and asked Hulucierjia, "Is what he said true?"

Hulucierjia was visibly stunned for a moment, then reacted and walked forward angrily: "Erile had taken a fancy to a girl from the immigrant community, but he came with a betrothal gift!"

Is Erile getting married? This is the first time Li Rufeng has heard of it. After all, Erile is considered an old man around him. He was one of the first soldiers selected by Li Rufeng to be a full-time soldier. He also participated in the battle of Taierbahe tribe and luckily escaped without any injuries.

Li Rufeng turned around with a smile on his face, looked at the Kurd again and asked, "You heard it, they are in love and have even given a betrothal gift."

"The people are with you Mongols, so you can say whatever you want!" The Kurd stiffened his neck and spoke stubbornly, but his tone was no longer so tough.

He did this because he heard that the Mongols did this. After all, the shaman said that he would treat them equally, and he wanted to take advantage of the situation. He had a bad reputation in his own tribe because he loved to take advantage of others, did not work hard, and was lazy, so he could not find a wife at all.

This time he wanted to take a gamble and find a beautiful woman to be his wife. If he couldn't make ends meet in the future, he could sell her again. If it worked out, he would have a secure life for the next few years.

Li Rufeng glanced at Saladin, who turned his head away in shame. He didn't know the man in front of him, who was a soldier recruited from the newly joined tribe.

"Bring Erle and the girl's family here. We won't have a one-man show. We need to produce all the evidence and confront them face to face. Send more people, including Mongols, Kurds, and immigrants from Mardin, to see if that family really has a betrothal gift." Li Rufeng patted the Kurd's shoulder and gave a gentle order.

Chapter 169: Establishing Authority

"Master Shaman, we believed you!" Saladin Muhet stepped forward and pleaded softly, "We were wrong."

"Saladin, I've always said that our two peoples should get along like brothers, but that doesn't mean the people below us can act recklessly without any parents." Li Rufeng's face was calm, but his tone was stern as he reprimanded Saladin. "I said no one is allowed to harass these immigrants. Why don't you keep your people in check?"

"Have I been too kind to you? And you said we must fight a bloody battle before we can truly trust each other?"

Saladin Muhet's face was a little pale. What Li Rufeng said was exactly what he had been worried about.

Li Rufeng and Saladin certainly knew that it would take time to reach a consensus on interests between two different ethnic groups, but the war against Dost ended too quickly and too smoothly because of Li Rufeng, and they did not have time to adjust.

Therefore, Li Rufeng could only act more assertive.

Soon, Erile, the girl he picked up, and the girl's family were surrounded by people and walked here. The girl had a large family, including both parents, two brothers, and a sister.

My sister looked only three or four years old and was still in my arms.

The two elder brothers each carried a bag on their backs. The bags were not big, but each could hold about 30 kilograms of food. The older brother also had a Mongol saber on his waist.

"Shaman, we testify that these things have been in Madeline's house since early morning." A carpenter testified. Faced with the Kurds who came to rob women, the residents of Mardin suddenly felt that the Mongols, especially the Mongols of Li Rufeng's tribe, were so amiable.

"Shaman Rufeng, we fell in love with each other when we were in the city before." Erile smiled naively, his face filled with happiness, and the girl lowered her head shyly.

"For her, I even fought with Lord Dangertai's soldiers." Erle pulled the girl over and held her in his arms. He looked at the Kurds kneeling on the ground with some disdain and spat, "You lowly bastard! Do you think everyone is like you?"

The Kurd seems to have leaked

Furious, he dropped to the ground, crawled towards Li Rufeng, and kissed his shoes: "Respected Shaman, I was wrong! I was blinded by horse manure and only wanted to marry a beautiful wife!"

"Lord Saladin, I was wrong! I was wrong!" This Kurd was a smart guy. He knew that what he did not only violated the shaman's rules, but also made Saladin lose face.

"Don't panic. I'm the shaman of Changshengtian. We've always been fair." Li Rufeng didn't stop the man from shouting. Instead, he asked in a gentle voice, "What's your name? Why haven't you found a wife yet?"

"Sir, my name is Jarata. My family is poor, so I have never been able to find a wife..." Before Jarata could finish his words, his Kurdish companion, who was familiar with him but also disliked him, booed him.

But at this time, there were many people and the man just hissed and didn't show up again. Only Jarata looked around angrily, as if he wanted to find this "villain" and repay him well in the future.

"Because your family is poor and you can't find a wife, you're trying to steal someone else's." Li Rufeng stood in front of Jarata and helped him up. "But you're not poor anymore. You've gained a lot in Martin City, right?"

Under Li Rufeng's gaze, Jarata couldn't say no and could only grunt a few times and nodded.

"Very well, I brought you out to fight. If you can survive healthy and intact, and gain something that will make your future life a little easier, then I'll be satisfied." Li Rufeng said, then looked at the refugees from Mardin City. "I know this isn't fair to you, but this is a war, a war started by Dosite. I was powerless to stop him before, but now, as long as I'm alive, I'll ensure the same thing never happens to you again."

Li Rufeng's words made both parties quiet down temporarily. They had become accustomed to listening to Li Rufeng speak. His demeanor and tone when he spoke seemed to have a kind of silent charm that made people indulge in it.

Many girls, just by listening to Shaman Rufeng speak, feel that their suffering is over...

"But now, you are no longer poor. On the contrary, they are the poor. Why do you want to bully people who are as poor as you were before?" Li Rufeng continued to ask, "Did your former clan leader teach you to chop downwards and bully the weak?"

Jarata stammered and was speechless. Most people, or the vast majority of people, would find it difficult to express their thoughts when surrounded by hundreds or thousands of people. Their minds would go blank due to nervousness.

But Jarata was a weirdo. He was used to swallowing his pride. The people watching him had no effect on him. He simply didn't know how to refute them because he really came here with the intention of making a profit.

So Jarata simply knelt on the ground again, completely alone, and said, "Please, Shaman Rufeng, forgive my sins!"

"You oppressed the weak, that's one crime; you were tempted by beauty, that's another; you attempted to separate couples and destroy families, that's another." Li Rufeng shook his head, but Jarata, kneeling on the ground, didn't see this. "You harbored evil intentions, sowing discord, and attempting to undermine the brotherhood between the Mongol and Kurdish peoples, that's one crime; you ignored the chief's orders, that's another. And the most serious crime, you violated my orders. I cannot, and I won't, forgive you."

Jarata was stunned. He didn't expect that he had committed so many crimes in Li Rufeng's mouth. He looked at Saladin for help, but the other party just looked at him with disgust, as if he was looking at a dead person.

"But Changshengtian is fair. Perhaps he can judge you more impartially, Jarata." Before the other party could react, Li Rufeng grabbed the other party's hair and pulled it back to expose his throat, then slashed his throat with a dagger.

Amid Jarata's he...lu...he...lu...panting, Li Rufeng said to him, "So as Changshengtian's spokesperson, all I can do is personally send you to Changshengtian to defend yourself."

(Your one-handed weapon proficiency +3, 18/25)

(Your relationship with the important person Saladin Muhet -5)

(Your relationship with the important figure Bactria +15)

(Your relationship with the important figure Dravsh increases by 10)

(Your relationship with the important figure Farroch increases by 5)

...

The moment Li Rufeng killed Jarata, a series of system prompts appeared, allowing Li Rufeng to clearly understand everyone's reaction to this matter.

Chapter 170 Return to the Tribe

When the group passed through Urfa Castle in a mighty procession, the scouts who had been sent out had already encountered the Black Sheep cavalry less than 20 kilometers west of Mardin. They had just finished fighting with the Khanate's rebellion-suppressing army east of Tabriz, and they couldn't wait to come to the vicinity of Mardin to investigate the situation.

That Sultan Karl Yusuf actually expanded his territory in all directions of east, west and south. That is to say, the White Sheep people in the north were quite powerful and had an ambiguous attitude towards the Khanate. The Black Sheep people did not want to cause trouble for a while, otherwise its territory would probably expand outward like a ball.

On the way here, the Mughals had already figured out all the nearby settlements. On the return trip, Li Rufeng ordered people to go to every settlement to publicize his immigration policy.

The general content is that as long as you come to Rufeng Shaman's territory and are willing to live in Aleppo, you will be given a house and enough food to eat for three months. If you are willing to farm near Aleppo, you will be given fields and you will be free.

For tenants, if you have a skill and pass the assessment, Rufeng Shaman will provide you with a business loan.

Commercial loans are still a relatively new concept in this area, but the Venetians and Genoese next door have already played with it for a long time.

Renzo Piano is now very worried that the Eastern Shaman will break the contract. They passed by Aleppo when they came here. There were not even a few people in that place, let alone the city defense. What if the Shaman launches another night attack and directly captures Aleppo? What will happen to their commission?

With such doubts, the Genoese Golden Arrow Mercenaries followed the Mughals and traveled for a month. When they arrived, the grassland was still desolate, but now it is covered with green grass.

The immigration team moved slower and slower. After crossing the Tianshui River again, many Mongol leaders asked Qinggelinayan for instructions and led their teams away from the main force. They were anxious to go back and deal with the property they brought back, and were also worried about whether something had happened in the tribe.

After a meeting, everyone decided to gather troops at the location of Li Rufeng's troops and attack Aleppo before June 10th at the latest. It would be impossible to fight in July because of the hot weather. Even if people could bear it, the horses would not be able to bear it.

This group of people have made up their minds that if the fight is easy, they will join in; if it is not easy, they will just symbolically go back home.

Li Rufeng could naturally see what these people were thinking. They had no idea about Li Rufeng and Qinggelinayan's concerns, and they also felt that provoking the Mamluks was a dangerous decision. However, the two most prestigious Mongols had decided to attack Aleppo, and they were powerless to resist.

"What do you think will be the future of the Mongols if we fail this time?" Li Rufeng asked as he rode beside Qinggelinayan.

After more than a month of rest, he had regained his usual eagle-eyed and wolf-watching demeanor. After hearing Li Rufeng's words, he pondered for a moment and smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid the Kurds under your command are our future. There's no unowned land on the grasslands, only to be bullied."

"In my hometown, there's a saying: 'Those without permanent property have no permanent heart.' The grasslands are vast. If the Mongol people want to retreat, there will always be a way out." Li Rufeng continued, "Perhaps until the day our generation dies, we won't see a dead end, but the next generation, and the next generation, will always reach a point where there's no way out."

"I understand what you mean. Even Genghis Khan had Karakorum. We need a strong city to unite the hearts of our people." Qinggelinayan nodded, signaling Li Rufeng not to do his work anymore.

"After Aleppo is taken, the city will belong to me and the grassland will belong to you. We are the closest allies. Eternal Heaven is my witness that neither of us will betray the other." Li Rufeng said lightly, then whipped his horse. His people were waiting for him, and Li Rufeng needed to rush back to the tribe before the immigrants arrived.

That's more than 2,000 people, and it will take some effort to accommodate them.

Li Rufeng brought ten personal guards, plus Satuya, and they rushed all the way at lightning speed. It took them four hours to reach the grassland of Li Rufeng's tribe. During this period, his riding skill proficiency increased a little bit and is now 34 points.

But it seems that he still can't ride as well as Satuya. Although the little girl has a thin waist, she is very powerful...

The Wuerhun chief had already learned from the scouts that Li Rufeng would be returning today. He squatted on the watchtower outside the tribe, staring into the distance like a husband-waiting stone. He waited for two hours before he saw the silhouettes of a group of people in the distance. With an irrepressible smile on his face, he shouted to his followers, "He's back! He's back! Go back and prepare some wine and food! The shaman has been away on the expedition for several months and must be exhausted. Have someone boil some water! The shaman needs to bathe tonight!"

As Wuerhun's followers rode back to the tribe and delivered the chief's orders one by one, the whole tribe became lively.

The most aggressive adult men of Li Rufeng's and Taierbahe's tribes had been taken out to fight by Li Rufeng in the past two months. The remaining people were either shrewd old foxes or the elderly, weak, women and children. With sufficient living supplies, they could easily integrate with each other.

Of course, the reason why it is said so simply is mainly because Wuerhun is an experienced and shrewd person who specializes in smoothing things over. If there is something dirty between the two tribes, Wuerhun will figure it out before it spreads and ferments.

Mrs. Medinatah was undoubtedly the happiest. She took the risk of letting her son Hanlusi follow Li Rufeng to fight, but she and Bater sent a group of refugees back halfway. This made her a little worried that Hanlusi was ignorant and angered Li Rufeng.

As for men, he has to take her pulse personally to know for sure.

Gu Dier was also very happy. He also had a son who followed Li Rufeng to lead troops in battle. He wanted to know whether his son had made any contribution, so he quickly ordered his other son to find a few fat sheep to slaughter and have a feast in the evening.

Mirzan was also very happy. He knew that Li Rufeng had returned with a great victory this time, and there would definitely be a lot of money and goods. His dream of the caravan was about to come true.

Only Sayyid Kuda was unhappy. He had spent a lot of money to feed countless people during the past two months while Li Rufeng was away. However, although these people had food to eat every day, no one was willing to change their beliefs.

Now, Li Rufeng has returned with his fame at its peak, and his work is destined to be more difficult than before...

Muzaffar Natanzi, who was seriously injured before, has also

Now that he was able to walk, he followed the children running around all the way to the camp gate, waiting to welcome Li Rufeng back. He had a lot to say to Li Rufeng.

Chapter 171 Some are happy, some are sad

"I offer my blessing to the great Shaman Rufeng. May the Eternal Heaven protect you and make you invincible!"

"From the moment I saw Shaman Rufeng, I knew he was no ordinary person. His every move revealed his extraordinary qualities. He is truly the chosen one of the Immortal Heaven!"

"I heard that this time, that bastard Dost even asked for help from a black wizard, but he was ultimately defeated by the Rufeng Shaman and lost the city..."

"I remember Shaman Rufeng hasn't officially married yet?"

"Shaman Rufeng has forty Blood Guards under his command. They are all ruthless men who dared to take arrows for the Shaman. It is said that the attack on Martin City this time was led by these Blood Guards!"

At the celebration banquet of Li Rufeng's tribe, which was full of grassland style, the people below were drinking wine, eating meat and whispering to each other. Various legends about Shaman Rufeng became more and more numerous after this war.

"Shaman Rufeng, I want to toast you. When I was in the Taierbahe tribe, I knew that you were a good fighter. At that time, Lord Taierbahe..." Gudier had just said half of his words when he saw a trace of embarrassment on the face of Lady Medinatah, who was sitting not far away. He immediately stopped talking and changed his angle to flatter him.

"Gudi'er, I brought back a lot of people this time. There are Armenians, Persians, Arabs, farmers, and craftsmen." Li Rufeng looked at the "dog owner" who had the most livestock in the tribe, enthusiastically took his hand and began to beg for alms. "In my opinion, everything on the grassland is temporary. Only people are the most valuable. Every person, as long as they are alive, creates wealth, so you have to help me ensure these people don't starve to death."

Gu Dier looked troubled. He had inquired about it. The previous group that had returned had only about 200 people, which was not a big deal. But now Shaman Rufeng has brought back over 2,000 people. How can he feed so many mouths? How many sheep would he need to eat?

"For every sheep and bag of grain you take out now, have your sons keep a record of it. Next year at this time, for every sheep you give me, I'll give you two, and for every bag of grain you give me, I'll give you two." Li Rufeng said loudly, making a promise. "I've always said that as long as people are alive, they can create wealth. How much wealth can one person create in a year?"

"My words apply not only to Gudi'er, but to everyone. If you're willing to give me your own food and livestock, I promise to return it double in one year." Li Rufeng stood up and said to everyone, "I swear here today in the name of Changshengtian that if you can't get the things you lent back, it will be entirely my fault. Come to me directly for it then!"

"We believe in Shaman Rufeng's guarantee. Our family is willing to provide 500 sheep and 500 bags of grain." Gudi'er knew that he couldn't escape this time, so he simply generously took out most of his family property as a payment for what he had not paid last time.

"I'm not as rich as Father Guder, but I'm willing to contribute fifty sheep and two hundred bags of grain." As the future caravan leader chosen by Li Rufeng, Mirzan knew that he had better be sensible, and he stood up to pledge the money without giving in.

His caravan went out to seek refuge.