Mount and Blade Central Asia

He was slashed on the face and lost one eye. Half of his face is numb now. When he smiles, only the muscles on half of his face move. Even he feels scared when he looks at it.

There was a long wound on his chest, stomach, and arm. It was only because the Persians were good at using knives that many of the wounds did not penetrate the bone. Otherwise, even if Muzaffar survived, he would definitely not be able to stand up.

He heard that Shaman Rufeng was going to meet some mysterious knights this morning, so he waited at the camp gate early, hoping to meet the Shaman.

He waited for four hours, until noon when the sun was at its highest, when he saw Li Rufeng riding back on horseback with his personal guards, and he immediately went to meet them.

"Shaman Rufeng! I have something to discuss with you!" Muzaffar Natanzi Zhangka blocked the way with his arms. Those guards who had rarely seen him almost subconsciously drew their swords and attacked people. Fortunately, Li Rufeng still remembered Muzaffar's former majesty and remembered this old friend, so he stopped the guards from taking action.

"Are you ready now?" Li Rufeng turned over and got off the horse. He could get on and off the horse with ease now. If he was lucky and the horse was in a good mood, he could even try his unique skill of hiding in the stirrup.

"Not yet, sir. The wound still hurts a little, especially on cloudy days, but it's no longer a problem." Muzaffar Natanzi respectfully stepped back, letting go of Li Rufeng's embrace. He bowed deeply and said, "You saved me, twice."

"We're all friends, why be so polite?" Li Rufeng took a nonchalant step forward and pulled Muzaffar up. "Have you adapted well enough in the tribe? Actually, I didn't know if you could survive. With injuries like that, I could only do my best. It all depends on your physical condition and your will to live. Only a true warrior can escape the arms of death."

"You're too modest, Shaman Rufeng. Without your miraculous healing touch, even if Ali (Note 1) were still alive, he would have died a bitter death." Muzaffar followed Li Rufeng, helping him lead his horse, and then said, "Shaman Rufeng, I want to go back to the post station to see that you have defeated Duoshite, and the Black Sheep People are coming too. I want to find a way out for my people."

"Of course my friend, you are not a prisoner here, no one restricts your freedom." Li Rufeng felt that Muzaffar was a bit too polite. He only owed him a small favor for saving his life, and he had no intention of repaying the favor, not at all!

"You misunderstood, Shaman Rufeng. I wanted to take them to find a way out under your command. I heard that you will attack Aleppo soon. Maybe the people in our post station can help you then." Muzaffar Natanzi explained with gritted teeth. He knew that his behavior was a bit shameless, but it was not only for himself, but also for those low-level officials who were also abandoned by the Khanate on this land.

As mentioned before, the post station system was the main artery for Timur to control the entire Khanate. It was a new tool that Timur used to try to unite this loose country.

Those people in the post station

They were neither officials nor nobles, but they had some privileges. In the initial screening, those selected in the post station system were basically descendants of impoverished nobles, children of wealthy craftsmen, or second sons of noble families who were not valued, or even illegitimate children.

They all had only one thing in common, that is, all the power in their hands came from the old Sultan Timur, so they were completely loyal to Timur himself and were his eyes and hands in the country.

Now that the old Sultan is gone, those nobles and officials who could no longer contain their restlessness have long been dissatisfied with the post station system and are almost eager to destroy this new class of power.

Muzaffar Natanz is in charge of the post system in this remote frontier area and has not been affected yet, but he has also seen the fate of his colleagues in the post system in the Central Asian region, and even if he returns to his homeland, he will not have a good life.

In this land, Duosite could barely be considered a potential partner before, but not only did he defect to the Black Sheep People, but he was also killed by the shaman in front of him... Therefore, the broad-minded and far-sighted Li Rufeng became the most suitable target for the entire post station system.

He wanted to rule the city of Aleppo, but he couldn't rely on a group of nomads to rule. He needed someone to form a management system, someone to implement his will and execute his orders. Muzaffar could confidently say that the post system he represented was the most suitable candidate in this land.

They are all experienced officials who have received systematic education and know how to manage people, build order and maintain order.

They need Li Rufeng, and Li Rufeng also needs them. However, bringing this up now would sound like asking for an official position, which would not look good.

But Li Rufeng was obviously very happy. He was now eager to recruit talented people. Compared with most rulers, Li Rufeng was the most open-minded one when it came to power.

He is a systematic man. His future is not here. He doesn't even know his limits. He can use relationship data to distinguish those who are dissatisfied with him and those who are in awe of him.

Li Rufeng agreed to Muzaffar Natanzi's request almost without hesitation. "Excellent, my friend. I was worried about this. Tell your people that they can choose any location in the city and each will get an apartment. I'll add 10% to your previous salary. If they can bring in people willing to immigrate, I'll give them a per-person reward, and double the amount for craftsmen!"

Muzaffar Natanz was overjoyed and wanted to kowtow to Li Rufeng right now. He was sincerely grateful to Li Rufeng, not only for saving his life, but also for recognizing his talent. He felt that Li Rufeng understood the joys and sorrows of his class even better than he did.

In fact, this is true. Perhaps even Timur himself did not understand the importance of the post station system to this country as well as Li Rufeng did. Li Rufeng's vision went beyond the limitations of the times.

This country had the potential to change the future world situation. Unfortunately, the old Sultan dared to provoke the dragon of the East. His failure was almost inevitable. Even if there had not been that accident and the old Sultan had not died, the result would not have been any different (Note 2).

< src = "" >

< src = "" >

The author says:

Author's words: Note 1 - The Lion of God, holding the sword of Zulfiqar, killed Walid, the first warrior of Mecca, killed Amr, the legendary warrior of the Arabian Peninsula, who was said to be equivalent to a thousand people, killed the Jewish hero Mahab, rushed into the battle and killed dozens of people, defeated the enemy's standard-bearing officer but released him, lifted the gate that required 40 people to move, there is an Arabic proverb to describe him, which roughly means: There is no sword except the sword of the spine, and there is no hero except Ali.

Note 2 - It is said that upon entering Xinjiang, Timur's army was already complaining. Almost as soon as the old Sultan was defeated, they dispersed and went back to their homes. At that time, Zhu Di, the ruler of the Ming Dynasty, had already stationed nearly 100,000 troops in Hami Guard, and the domestic firearms unit, the Shenjiying, was ready to go. No matter how you look at it, Timur's expedition was unlikely to win...

Chapter 178: Hybrid Horse

That afternoon, Muzaffar Natanz ignored his injuries, asked Li Rufeng for a horse and set out.

Li Rufeng watched his receding back and sent dozens of scouts to conduct reconnaissance near Aleppo. He wanted to know what the current situation was in the city of Aleppo, whether the Mamluks had made any unusual movements, and the recent situation of the Ottomans.

Under the iron fist of the old Sultan, the Ottoman Empire remained in a state of civil strife, and almost every prince with the right of inheritance had more or less received the support of Timur.

The wise old Sultan hoped that the Ottoman Empire would remain in this fragmented state, so that his northwestern border would never be in danger and he would not have to worry about having Christians as neighbors. It would be perfect.

It only took a few years in history for Bayezid to

It was his son, Muhammad ibn Bayezid ibn Murad, who would end the conflict, kill his brothers, and become the famous Muhammad I, laying a solid foundation for the Ottoman Empire to become a true empire in the future.

In fact, the period that the Ottoman Empire is currently experiencing is known in history as the Great Interregnum. If the rise and fall of a kingdom is like the ebb and flow of the tide, then this is its first ebb.

After this tide receded, the Ottomans ushered in an unprecedented era of prosperity. They prospered for a century and a half, and then relied on the foundation accumulated from the prosperous era to continue their decline until the First World War.

Compared to the Mamluks next door who now seem powerful, Li Rufeng is more concerned about the movements of the Ottomans.

But to be honest, Li Rufeng was still a little disappointed with his cavalrymen who were only proficient in swordsmanship and horsemanship. He needed officers, officers in the true sense of the word.

These officers can understand maps, even draw maps, and write their own orders using simple grammar. On this basis, if the officer himself is also good at fighting... then he must have ambitions to become a general or a sultan.

Li Rufeng did not continue to fantasize. Even the Eagle of Order organization might not be able to find many such people. He could only try his best to tell the scouts what he wanted to know, and let them repeat it over and over again until they could memorize it.

He wanted to know how many people were now settled in Aleppo, how many of them were civilians, how many were merchants, and how many were soldiers; he wanted to know how the Ottoman generals near the border were reacting to the Khanate's move to shrink its borders; he wanted to know whether the Mamluks were now gathering forces and moving north towards Damascus.

When Li Rufeng opened the map, he hoped that he would be fully aware of the movements of all the forces around him, rather than being as ignorant as a blind man.

Compared to the Ottomans, Mamluks, and even the Qara ...

The Mongols are a nation of horsemen, and they naturally have the advantage of speed. Li Rufeng doesn't have to worry about them, so he has to work hard on intelligence.

Throughout the day, Li Rufeng sent out three batches of militiamen in the tribe who could barely be considered adult men, a total of 150 people, heading in three directions.

Each group has five personal guards as commanders, who will then be further divided into five teams of ten people to obtain intelligence from the Ottoman, Mamluk, and Aleppo directions respectively.

After finishing all these things, Shaman Rufeng is finally ready to go and see his priceless hybrid horses!

Those were three mixed-breed horses. Li Rufeng had already thought about it. One male and two females. They were named Chitu, Dilu, and Zhaoye Shizima!

My father certainly hadn’t seen it either! Even Genghis Khan probably hadn’t seen it!

"Give me two months, and I will definitely make these horses adapt to the environment here." Aduqin knew why Li Rufeng sent these three horses. Improving horse breeds is not a new thing for nomadic people. They have been consciously guiding the hybridization of different breeds of war horses, but they do not have a relatively mature experimental system. Many times, the results are only spread orally among a few people.

"First, we must ensure the reproduction of purebred offspring of the hybrid horses. Among these three horses, the male one will be called Chitu." Li Rufeng pointed at the stallion with grayish hair and a pair of black eyes and forced him to name it.

Although the opponent is not red, it is as ferocious as a tiger. In fact, Li Rufeng estimates that this horse is a little more ferocious than a tiger.

Aduqin didn't care what these horses were called. He only cared whether this horse could be gentler after having a full meal and not bite the mares he sent to him. If that didn't work, he could only use his family's unique skills to put the horse on a mount.

At Li Rufeng's strong request, the other two mares were named Di Lu and Zhao Ye Shi Zi.

With Aduqin's introduction, Li Rufeng learned that Lu was currently pregnant, which was why Chitu was so irritable. These mixed-breed horses were very smart, even smarter than Arabian horses.

They knew that they were handed over from their original owners to these strangers, so they just expressed their nervousness and did not hurt anyone.

Although it is unknown how the people of the Eagle of Order created these creatures, they obviously retained many of the habits of horses, and under the guidance of the Knights of the Eagle of Order, the domesticated hybrids maintained restraint towards humans.

"These horses need to eat blood every day. Animal offal that the tribe can't eat, steamed blood will do, but they must be fed well every day." Li Rufeng knew he knew nothing about raising horses, so he chose to trust Aduqin. "First, let Zhaoye Lion get pregnant, and then guide Chitu to crossbreed with other horses."

Aduqin nodded. This was also his plan. He couldn't wait to see the result.

"I'll send someone over to record the food you feed these mixed-breed horses every day. For three horses, choose three different types of food each time and keep a record of everything," Li Rufeng continued. "Every time a mare becomes pregnant, record it as well."

"Sir, but I can't write..." Aduqin was confused. He didn't know why he had to record these things.

"I'll send someone to write it. You just need to change the food every three months to find out which one will make these hybrid horses grow fast and strong." Li Rufeng told Aduqin not to panic. "Remember to call me when the first foal is born."

Unlike humans, it only takes a little over a year for a horse to be ridden from birth, and it becomes a qualified mount within two or three years after birth.

If everything goes well, Li Rufeng will soon be able to see his own hybrid horse.

I have made great progress and look much more stable than before.

Let's not talk about Habashibuhua, after all, he had served as an officer under the old Sultan before. As for Huluchirga, he had been commanding a cavalry team of 50 people alone before, and he felt overwhelmed. A while ago, he even found Habashibuhua every night during the rest time to ask him various issues about leading troops in battle.

War is indeed the most physically challenging activity in the world. After a war, those recruits who have never fought in a war and never seen blood are tempered. These Mughals, who have no shortage of food and water, are far superior to other ethnic groups in physical fitness. In addition, influenced by the culture and environment within the tribe, they have been skilled in archery and horse riding since childhood and can be said to be natural cavalrymen.

Of course, the Mughals were not without problems. Their literacy rate was too low, and they were used to being free and undisciplined. They could only be used as rangers. It would be a bit of a waste to use them in sieges and battles.

Li Rufeng had no intention of changing the characteristics of the Mughals. The way the old Sultan used them had been proven to be very effective in actual combat, so he just had to read from the script.

Rather than forcing these people to learn about probability, it would be better to select enough soldiers from the civilians who are struggling to make ends meet and retrain them. Since ancient times, strong soldiers have emerged from remote and impoverished areas. By this standard, Li Rufeng's place should be filled with battle-hardened soldiers...

"I heard that your tribe has a kind of strong liquor. Bring it out for us to see later." Qinggelinayan rode his horse all the way to Li Rufeng, and jumped off the horse in a dashing manner without even using his hands. Li Rufeng was jealous of him.

"No problem, Bater. Take out the jar of wine that I treasure. Take out all the jars that I asked you to bury behind my tent!" Li Rufeng generously invited people to dig out his collection.

Before traveling through time, Li Rufeng was considered a "good man" who didn't smoke or drink. Thanks to this, he was able to survive in this land where alcohol was nominally prohibited. The Mongols' winemaking skills were not very high, mainly because they did not master the distillation method which required certain equipment. Li Rufeng was not used to the suspension version of the wine, so he had to find a way himself.

Passing caravans rarely carried perishable goods like wine. Qinggelinayan usually bought his wine from the Ottomans. He had been thinking about Li Rufeng's "disinfectant" since he had drunk it in Urfa Castle last time.

But at that time Li Rufeng warned him that if he didn't want to die young, he should not drink when he had a severe cough. Now that he had recovered a lot, he immediately became addicted to alcohol.

That night, people drank and drank, sang and danced. The Mughals, who were good at fighting, were also good at singing and dancing. Li Rufeng had a wooden platform built in the small square in the middle of the tribe. The platform was not high, only about half a meter, but it was enough for men and women who wanted to show their talents to show themselves in front of everyone.

In addition to the nobles of Li Rufeng's tribe, officers of all levels of Qinggelinayan, and immigrant representatives stationed outside the city, those who attended the celebration banquet were mostly craftsmen, and a few were businessmen. Li Rufeng deliberately arranged these people in front of the two craftsmen from his own tribe to express his dissatisfaction with them.

The group of people gathered around the roasted whole lamb, whether they knew each other or not, just started to complain.

The poor Mongol didn't understand what the man was saying, but seeing that he was a guest of Rufeng Shaman, he enthusiastically tore off a leg of lamb and handed it to him as a warm hospitality.

"Look, I'm a guest!" Renzo Piano rolled his eyes at the group of veterans behind him. "Now don't follow me like an idiot. How much you can eat tonight depends entirely on your own ability!"

"Don't look at my leg of lamb, it's mine!" Renzo Piano proudly waved the leg of lamb in front of them, without showing any embarrassment at all when he was slapped on the forehead by these people.

"Captain, you brought more than 50 people in to eat and drink for free. Don't lose our order." Interpreter Antonini said worriedly beside him.

When the Rufeng Shamans came over and said they wanted to have some fun together in the evening, they probably didn't expect Renzo Piano to be so shameless. He brought almost all the backbone members of the mercenary group to eat for free. When they came in, the guards at the entrance of the tribe glared at them for a long time.

But the time-tested Renzo Piano didn't care about the glares of such small people. In Renzo's eyes, if these big-bellied men could eat and drink enough tonight, he could use wild vegetables and staple foods to make up for the group's daily diet for at least the next seven days, which could save a lot of money.

"All of you, disperse! Don't gather together, or you'll be kicked out!" Renzo Piano, upon seeing this group of idiots, whose skin color was noticeably different from the surrounding Mongol people, immediately became furious and shouted at them, "Do you hear me? Disband!"

Li Rufeng had actually seen the group of sneaky mercenaries a long time ago. If they were in a nobleman's castle, they would have let themselves go long ago. However, they were surrounded by fierce Mongols, so they restrained themselves and did not dare to take anything by force.

He was convinced by this group of people, and at the same time he had a new understanding of Renzo Piano's shrewdness. It is said that the Venetians are famous for their shrewdness and stinginess, but it is obvious that the Genoese are not much behind.

Fortunately, Li Rufeng's tribe has prepared enough supplies for tonight's banquet. At this time of year in previous years, the tribe would have handed over supplies to Doste, including but not limited to war horses, cattle, sheep, furs, etc. This year, it is obviously not necessary. Only less than one-third of these things are needed to make the whole tribe lively.

It seems that it was good that Dosite died. Li Rufeng raised his glass and toasted the group of Eagles of Order led by Haishar who were sitting in the corner.

Haishar and another knight who looked very haggard, each with an apprentice, returned a glass of wine from a distance.

What surprised Li Rufeng was that Karim Ansarifard also came. As the representative of the people of Hezhong, he was sitting between Qinggelinayan and Dangertai, chatting happily with the people around him. There was no sign of the fierceness that had existed between the two groups fighting each other for several years.

After Doshite's death, not only did the problems not decrease, but they increased. It seemed as if the fate of all the Mongol people suddenly fell on him alone. Qinggelinayan felt that he was not ready for this, and his body was not able to keep up with the situation.

Sometimes he was even glad that the old shaman's students could stand up at this time, show their ambition, and help him share some of the pressure.

Who else can he count on?

His younger brothers were either too young or had no prestige, and his officers were all reckless men. The most cunning one was Boledeba... the centurion he was least close to.

"This land is large enough to accommodate all of us, even if our numbers were ten times greater. We're using the land too inefficiently. If we could improve efficiency, this land could support millions." Li Rufeng offered a rare glimpse into his heart. "As a shaman of Changshengtian, I've always been very dissatisfied with the current situation, but previously I was powerless to change it."

Li Rufeng gazed at the dazzling starry sky. This was the most satisfying part of the world for him. Whenever he looked up, he could see a sky full of stars. This spectacular sight, rarely seen in modern times, could make him completely forget the difficulties and struggles around him.

Well, actually, there aren't many shady things happening around Mr. Li, and he hasn't suffered any losses since his debut.

And now, he actually couldn't experience the pressure that the so-called aggressive Black Sheep people brought to the Mughals...

As a country mainly formed by Turkmens, the Black Sheep Dynasty was destroyed and massacred by the Khanate repeatedly. Sultan Karl Yusuf fled abroad to beg for the restoration of his country... twice. Can you imagine how deep the hatred between the two sides was?

"From now on, I will fully cooperate with you. I believe the old shaman will not make a mistake in choosing you." Qinggelinayan also looked up at the starry sky and said with some melancholy, "But we must consider the reaction of the Mamluks. We don't have the energy to provoke those slave soldiers and slave nobles right now."

After a night, Qinggelinayan left with his men. They were going back to rest for a few days before preparing to go on another expedition. The soldiers' armor needed to be repaired, their weapons needed to be sharpened, and the arrows...they didn't need much replenishment. They had captured more arrows than they had shot.

Of course, Li Rufeng also used gold to buy the remaining food in Qinggelinayan's team. The Mongols were not short of food, and now that they had reached their doorstep, there was no need to take the food back.

Qinggelinayan looked at Li Rufeng's generous payment and seemed to be hesitant to speak. Li Rufeng had been purchasing grain during this period. He was willing to buy any surplus grain from the Mongol tribes as long as someone sold it, and almost all of it was paid in gold.

It is not impossible to say that all this gold was obtained through house confiscations. It only indirectly shows that Shaman Rufeng does not love money. However, there are indeed rumors that Li Rufeng obtained a large amount of gold in his sealed monastery.

city.

There was no water in the moat, and the huge V-shaped gaps on the city wall had not been completely repaired. The whole city looked like a shy girl at the mercy of others.

"Shaman Rufeng, the information we received from the caravans said that there are less than three thousand people in the city, maybe even less, but they already know that we intend to attack this city." A personal guard followed behind Li Rufeng. He was previously responsible for gathering intelligence in the direction of Aleppo.

"How did they know we were going to attack the city?" Li Rufeng was puzzled. Are businessmen so well-informed nowadays?

"It is said that a prophet returned from a long journey and brought a warning. The prophet wrote in blood on the city gate that the Mongols would attack the city again, and then died. I also heard that when the dead prophet's body was found, it was a rotten corpse that had been dead for a long time." The personal soldier told all the information he had obtained.

Li Rufeng frowned. This thing sounded very familiar...that dark wizard was here to make trouble for him again.

The author says:

Author's words: Today is a little busy, there are a lot of things to do in the past two days, so I'll watch it first.

Chapter 181: Depressed City

According to Habashibuhua, they used heavy catapults to destroy the city walls, engineers blocked the river, causing the moat to dry up, and insiders poisoned the water wells in Aleppo, leaving the residents without drinkable water. Even so, thousands of people still died before they finally broke into the city.