Mount and Blade Central Asia

As a result... when the soldiers defending the city could no longer withstand the pressure and opened the city gate, the group of devilish knights rushed out and rushed all the way into the city gate.

The city of Hama, which had lost both its governor and its emir, was like an undefended city. No one could stop the massacre. Nearly two hundred knights rode their horses and killed people in the city, and the whole city was in chaos.

As Li Rufeng and his men advanced, smoke began to rise in the city of Hama, with several fires scattered in all directions. It was unclear whether the fire was set by the followers of the Green Wind or accidentally started by the citizens while fleeing.

When Li Rufeng and his men chased to the south gate, the Immortal Knights had already left Hama and left most of their cavalry in Hama to commit crimes.

Hunt down these immortal knights, or curb the chaos and take over the city of Hama?

Li Rufeng stood on the city wall, watching the Immortal Knights retreating. He clenched his fists and ultimately slammed his fist against the wall. He ordered his guards, "Close the city gates! Encircle and destroy all enemies within the city! Burn all the bodies!"

The Mughal cavalry dispersed instantly and engaged in an alternative cavalry battle with the followers of the Green Wind in the city.

To the people of Hama, both the followers of the Green Wind and the Mughals were outsiders, and when these two groups of outsiders started a melee with the city as the background, the people of Hama suffered.

Those followers of the Green Wind played their greatest advantage in the urban environment. They were fully armored, which gave them an advantage in close combat. The complex terrain of the city also made it difficult for them to fight.

This restricted the Mongol people's flexible and maneuverable running tactics.

Fortunately, this time the troops led by Li Rufeng had the advantage in numbers...

...

"My lord, Idrissa was killed in battle!"

"Sir! Cavalry is charging into the city!"

"Sir! The Mongols are coming!"

Gulanchi Goncalves, who was suffering from a high fever, felt like his brain was a mess. The only one left by his side was his youngest concubine, who held a bowl of ice water and fed him a sip from time to time to help him cool down.

With Idrissa rashly leaving the city and then dying in battle, this originally small city fell into a state of complete disarray.

His guards went out again and again, and each time they brought back worse news, the span of which was so great that even Gulanqi felt that he was hallucinating.

Otherwise, how do we explain why the Mongols also came to join in the fun, as if Hama City wasn't lively enough...

"Sir! Sir! It's bad, the Mongols are here!" The guards rushed in, crawling and tumbling. When the cold wind blew outside the door, Gulanqi immediately shivered and broke out in a cold sweat. He seemed to be exhausted and became even more listless.

"Get out! Do you want to kill Master Gulanqi?" The concubine helped Gulanqi tighten the quilt, drove the panicked guards out, and shouted, "When the Mongols come, pick up your swords and tell them whose land this is! The time has come to do your duty. Do you want to die standing or live on your knees? You have completely disgraced the Mamluks!"

The guard's face turned red and white, and he turned around and walked outside with a knife in his hand, but the next second two knives were put to his neck.

"I wonder who this heroine is?" Li Rufeng walked into the governor's yard, accompanied by twenty personal guards. Outside the yard, there were another twenty cavalrymen on guard.

The task of encircling and suppressing the followers of the Green Wind in the city was given to Centurion Mengge. The elite troops under his command were no less equipped and had the same morale as the followers of the Green Wind. With the support of Li Rufeng's soldiers, they were able to directly defeat those cultists who created chaos.

And Li Rufeng has already begun to take over the city.

Hama is the settlement closest to Aleppo on the Damascus-Aleppo trade route. It is adjacent to the Asi River and has been a fulcrum city in the surrounding area since the Roman rule.

With Hama as the center, there are large tracts of arable land within a radius of 30 kilometers. The grain produced by these lands has been supplied to cities such as Homs and Damascus in the south.

The city of Hama itself is also a primary processing center. There are several huge water wheels on the banks of the Asi River that drive mills to grind grain into flour. The largest of these water wheels was even built by the Romans.

From a geographical point of view, as the lord of Aleppo, it is actually difficult for Li Rufeng to take into account the rule of Hama, because the area between Aleppo and Hama, more than 100 kilometers, is a severely desertified plain with few resources, little output, and no defensive value.

In fact, except for the east and west coastal areas, the geopolitical situation in most of the Arabian Peninsula is like this. The rulers do not rule the surface, but the points, as well as the trade routes between the points.

This is why Arabs have always attached great importance to business, which is their "arable land" for creating wealth.

Theoretically, Li Rufeng already controlled Aleppo. All the northbound land transport business on the Arabian Peninsula would inevitably pass through him, giving him a share of the profits. However, controlling Hama, besides increasing political risks, offered no real benefits. Hama itself was merely a point on the trade route from Damascus to Aleppo...

But in reality, Li Rufeng occupied Hama, which enabled him to obtain a grain-producing area with a good foundation, increase his strategic depth when facing the Black Sheep Dynasty, and use grain to block Damascus.

So, after just a little consideration, Li Rufeng decided to take over the city.

Chapter 283 The Mongols Are Coming

"What's your name?" Li Rufeng was very interested in the woman who scolded the guard. She was obviously well-educated, otherwise she wouldn't have said such words.

As a witness of the times and also a competitor, Li Rufeng also did some research on Islam. At least in his time, Li Rufeng had to say that Islam was much more advanced than the Christian civilization next door.

But at this time, starting from this era, it has begun to show some signs of decline, the most obvious example of which is the suppression of female scholars, especially female Confucian scholars.

The Quran, written in the 7th century AD, once taught believers that "learning is the duty of men and women." When it comes to receiving education, Islam emphasizes in the name of God that there is no difference between men and women.

In the 9th century AD, the religious scholar Muslim ibn Hajjaj reiterated in his Sahih Muslim that the Holy Quran tells us that all children should receive an education, including our daughters and sisters.

The Quran even explicitly states that God does not directly intervene in the world - after creating the world, he gave actual control to humans.

Since the world has been handed over to human beings, it is human beings' mission to understand and explore the world. Therefore, Islamic scholars naturally have a kind of "God-given" self-confidence, with a strong spirit of exploration and sense of mission.

As early as when the Quran was first written and the Prophet Muhammad was still alive, women religious scholars

The jurist and judge, Fatimid al-Qais, was already a court advisor to the Umayyad Caliph. The quotations from her discussions with Caliph Umar I on Islamic jurisprudence are still used as a reference by many jurists in studying Islamic law.

Shafi'i, the founder of the famous Shafi'i school of Islam, also studied under Hazrat Nafisa in Baghdad.

Four hundred years ago, the Islamic Academy of Seville, founded by the Arab female scholar Mariam Yaqub in Iberia, was regarded as an unattainable institution of higher learning by the Europeans of that time.

Of course, the most famous of these inspirational women is the heroine of the Mamluk dynasty, Pearl Branch. After the then Sultan died on the battlefield, she took over the heavy responsibility, defeated the Crusaders in one fell swoop, captured King Louis IX of France, and returned to her country to serve as Sultan.

Although she was in office for only a little over eighty days and her political skills were far inferior to Wu Zetian's, she still left her name in history.

After Pearl Twig, it was difficult for Li Rufeng to find the name of a woman in historical materials. Not to mention Sudan, even famous scholars and officials were rare.

This is also the reason why Li Rufeng deliberately improved the status of women in Aleppo. He could only spread his influence from corners that others did not pay attention to.

For example, the Mongolian tribes that refused to plan, the women who were not valued, and what others didn't want, Li Rufeng wanted them all. After all, the religious business was not easy these days, and there were too many competitors, and they were too competitive.

In addition to Islam and Christianity, the four wind gods are also watching covetously. After all, the world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit, and the world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit.

For this little belief, the Christians split into the Eastern and Western Churches, and the many factions within Islam are constantly fighting each other. If the belief in Eternal Heaven wants to grow and develop, it must take advantage of every opportunity.

"Aisha Ahmed, my Lord." The woman in silk had a gorgeous face, talking eyes, a moving waist, milky skin, and a generous and proud figure.

After Li Rufeng came to this world, he had also seen some beauties, such as Isabella and Parisa, but compared to the woman in front of him, the former two were more or less immature, while the woman in front of him was the kind of ripe fruit.

For a moment, the thought of robbing and robbing even flashed through Li Rufeng's mind, but he immediately suppressed this thought.

"Governor of Hama, where is Gulanchi?" Li Rufeng looked at the delicate scimitar in the woman's hand and no longer paid attention to the woman's suggestive waist.

"Lord Gulanqi is ill and is in his room. He cannot see guests now." Aisha stood guard at the door with a clear voice, but did not retreat a single step.

Li Rufeng could hear coughing coming from the room. At this moment, he even envied the man inside. With a woman like this, what else could a husband ask for?

"I am the lord of Aleppo, and I have come here to chase those evil people who spread the plague. I have medicine to treat the plague, but I need the cooperation of the governor here." Li Rufeng thought about it, and his bodyguards expelled the guards of the governor's mansion left and right and took control of the place.

"Lord Gulanqi is ill and cannot see guests now." Aisha still stood there and refused to give way.

"Take her away!" Li Rufeng is a ruler and a conqueror after all. Love is just a scenery along the way. He can show courtesy to Aisha, but he will not change his decision because of it.

The two guards immediately stepped forward, blocked Aisha's scimitar with their weapons, and then hit the opponent's enchanting waist with the scabbard.

In just a moment, Aisha went limp and couldn't breathe evenly. Obviously, this waist was ergonomically designed. As long as it was aesthetically pleasing, it definitely couldn't provide strength.

"Come here, give him the medicine, triple the dose, until he's full." Li Rufeng pointed at Gu Lanqi from a distance and ordered, "Wear a mask and gloves, and protect yourself."

The experienced guards immediately walked into the room and roughly pulled Gulanqi up from the bed. One of them held his head from behind and pinched his philtrum, while another pulled his chin and poured medicine into Gulanqi's mouth with a cowhide bag filled with wine.

"Cough... cough... puff!" It turned out that the patient in a semi-comatose state could not withstand such torture and he vomited it out after just two sips.

"Pour more! Keep pouring until he wakes up." Li Rufeng was actually not sure whether his "miracle medicine" would work on the governor of Hama City. He had not yet figured out the scope of application of his ability.

In order for the medicine to be effective, does it need to gain widespread public recognition, or does it only require Li Rufeng himself to believe in it?

However, considering that the governor is almost dying, we should try to save him.

Perhaps Li Rufeng's medicine was indeed effective, or perhaps Gulanqi wasn't too ill to withstand the interrogation-style drug-forced injection. In any case, after the third bowl of medicine was poured in, he woke up...

"Who are you?" Gulanqi felt that every part of his body was uncomfortable, but his head was not so dizzy anymore, and he felt more energetic... He had the energy to think about the news that he had just vaguely heard, that the Mongols had arrived.

He now believed that his guards were not crazy, and the Mongols really came...

Chapter 284: The Governor Who Dances with Long Sleeves

For Gulanqi, what happened in the past two days was a bit magical. The Sultan's soldiers came and brought plague. They burned, killed and looted the city, and even killed the Emir of Hama.

Then the Mongols came and brought a cure that not only cured the plague but also restored the city.

The order within...

What did Sultan Nasir want? To openly break with the emirs of Syria? And what did the Mongols want? To capture Hama?

Gulanqi had long known about the tricks in Aleppo. After all, Cairo might not know what Ais Baker's situation was, but the nearby city of Hama knew it clearly.

They just pretended not to know. After all, Aleppo was always so deserted, which was not good for business. In this increasingly desertified land, every city was an indispensable supply point.

Both merchants and travelers need to stop here to rest and replenish food and water.

From Mecca to Jerusalem, from Jerusalem to Damascus, from Damascus to Homs, from Homs to Hama, and from Hama to Aleppo, this trade route connects the entire Eastern world with the Western world.

Among them, Damascus and Aleppo are the most important. This is why the emirs in the Syrian region were willing to cooperate and pretend to be stupid even though they knew that it was the Mongols who occupied Aleppo.

As long as Aleppo regains its former prosperity, it will benefit everyone. As for the majesty of the Mamluk Empire, that thing cannot be exchanged for money.

As the city closest to Aleppo, Gulanqi heard a lot about Li Rufeng in Hama. The name most mentioned by those businessmen in recent months was Li Rufeng.

Wind Shaman is now exempt from tolls! Wind Shaman is now exempt from city gate taxes! Aleppo Grand Market now offers warehouses and stalls to merchants for free! And so much more.

In Gulanqi's impression, Li Rufeng was probably an open-minded Mongolian leader, different from other Mongolians they had dealt with before. He even developed a little admiration for Li Rufeng because of the distance and slightly improved business activities.

After all, with the end of the war that broke the backbone of the empire, commercial activities in the entire Syrian region fell into decline. Both merchants and emirs urgently needed a wise and capable lord to quickly restore order in Aleppo and allow it to perform its due duties.

However, when this ambitious lord rode his horse and led the ferocious Mongols to rush to his doorstep, Gulan suddenly realized that all ambitious Mongols were keen on expanding their territory and conquering the unknown...

"As you can see, I'm not Mongolian." Li Rufeng amiably poured tea and pushed a cup towards Gulanqi, who had just recovered from a serious illness. "The herbal remedy you drank earlier is a secret recipe from the ancient Eastern Empire. We've been using it to fight this plague for thousands of years, and we've seen success in Aleppo."

"I will fully cooperate with you in the disaster relief work in Hama City. If there is anything you need me to do, you can just ask me directly." Gulanqi looked at the Oriental man you invited too much, weighed his tone, and tried to test his intentions towards the method.

If he wanted money or food, Hama would open every door and let him take it. If the other party wanted to occupy the city, Gulanqi would immediately pack up and leave without even leaving a sip of water to drink before leaving.

The massacres that had occurred in Aleppo and Damascus had already proved the cruelty of these people, and Gulanqi had no intention of adding to it.

"I want the city of Hama. From now on, this city belongs to me. Governor Gulanqi, if you don't mind, I plan to let you continue to serve as the governor here, but from now on, you will work for me, not the Sultan." Li Rufeng looked into Gulanqi's eyes and said the most rebellious words in the calmest tone.

"Shaman Rufeng, do you know what you're talking about?" Gulanqi's eyes widened. "How can you... be compared with the Sultan?"

Yes, although Sultan Nasir was in a somewhat awkward situation and was not recognized by the emirs in various places, he was still the ruler of one of the most powerful empires in the Islamic world. He could mobilize tens of thousands of troops with just a blink of an eye.

Li Rufeng, on the other hand, only had one city, a thousand armed men, and a total population of less than ten thousand.

How could he be qualified to let him do such a stupid thing? But what surprised Gulanqi was that he did not get angry about this. On the contrary, what he asked was not so much a question as it was an encouragement for Li Rufeng to continue speaking and to bring out more chips to prove his strength.

"I can guarantee that, under my notice, those knights who spread the plague that you saw before will never have the chance to return to this land again." Li Rufeng said this while looking at Gulanqi with a smile.

The reason why he was so confident and dared to speak so arrogantly was that at this time, in the system interface, as an important figure in Hama City, Gulanqi's favorability towards him was as high as 82 points.

These more than 80 points of favorability did not all come from the life-saving grace. When he revitalized Aleppo's business, he also increased the favorability of important people in Hama. After he cleared up the chaos in Hama, Gulanchi's favorability also increased.

Obviously, this was a governor with aspirations and ambitions. In addition to being loyal to the Sultan, he also had feelings for the land he governed.

"Sultan Nasir won't let this go, and the Syrian emirs won't allow you to extend your hand so far." Gulanqi looked at the overly young lord of Zeger and warned, "Even if you have the support of one of Timur's heirs, it won't work."

"The power behind me is far stronger than you can imagine." Li Rufeng glanced at Haishaer and spoke loudly.

"But..." Gulanqi's voice became softer.

What really moved him actually had nothing to do with Li Rufeng. He was just disappointed with the Sultan.

The knights who spread the plague, the ever-increasing taxes, the increasingly impatient replies, and the support that always remained only verbal, all of these made Grunky feel desperate.

The dissatisfaction of the regional emirs of Syria with Sultan Nasir was almost open. Under such circumstances, being sent to the Syrian region as governor was almost tantamount to suicide for the officials in Cairo.

And Gulanqi not only relied on his eloquence to gain a foothold here, but also paid taxes for the first time in history. What did he get in return?

It was a whole group of passing Plague Knights, and the indiscriminate slaughter after defeat...

"If this is your request, for the peace of Hama City, I am willing to obey all your orders." Gulanqi replied with a smile.

The author says:

Author's words: Back to my hometown, just arrived home, first chapter

Chapter 285: Choice

Order in Hama was restored quickly. After all, the city was relatively small and had a small population. After the Mongol cavalry charged back and forth several times, all the smart people learned what it meant to obey orders.

While Gulanchi, escorted by the Mughals, was walking along the streets calling on citizens to actively fight the epidemic, the remaining followers of the Green Wind in the city had been surrounded and blocked by the Mughals and were trapped in a mosque on the south side of the city.

The mosque in Hama is like the city itself. Although it is not big, it has everything. However, the solemnity of the past has been lost in the mosque. There are about fifty remaining Knights of the Green Wind. These people have piled up the corpses of believers and other debris at the door and are guarding it.

They had been entrenched here for two days, and the cavalry brought by Li Rufeng lost a total of eighty-seven people in this melee.

The fighting will of those followers of the Green Wind is very strong. Even if they are surrounded by people, they will take someone with them before they die. Moreover, almost all of their weapons are coated with poison. Anyone who is injured will quickly start to have a fever and inflammation. If they are not treated in time, it will be too late.

Li Rufeng did not sleep for two days and two nights. Apart from dealing with the surrender of Governor Gulanchi, he spent almost all his time performing medical debridement in a makeshift operating room.