Mount and Blade Central Asia

Four full days passed, and Li Rufeng finally breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the soldiers in the mosque had no adverse reactions.

"Aziz, this is the balance I promised you, as well as the pensions for the dead and wounded." Li Rufeng walked up to Aziz and handed him the bag full of gold.

Although there was no direct communication between them during the past two days, they were observing each other.

Li Rufeng wanted to know if there was a chance to recruit this Mamluk officer who was paid to do the job. Logically speaking, although the Mamluks were in decline, the military system of this huge empire was not rotten to the core. The collapse of the superstructure did not affect the combat effectiveness of the small military nobles in the middle and lower levels.

If Mr. Li remembers correctly, until the Napoleonic era, the Mamluks were still able to muster a group of elite knights who were relatively combat-capable and could withstand the firepower of the French army at that time.

What's more, Aziz is really a competent officer. He would rather give up his position and honor than not find a way to feed his subordinates and earn money to support his family. These days, good people have a hard time.

And Aziz, of course, was also observing Li Rufeng.

A purer warrior, his background was better than Muzaffar's. He came from an orthodox Mamluk family, was trained in a slave camp in his childhood, and had followed a Mamluk noble as a personal soldier in his youth.

It's a pity that he was not a Circassian, and that the Mamluk noble was a Cairo Mamluk, and died of the plague...

Muzaffar was sent to the western frontier of the Timurid Khanate to gain experience, waiting for the right opportunity to soar to the top. However, his wise leader died halfway through, leading to his bumpy fate.

Aziz was a pure and innocent person, a white lotus that grew out of the mud. Because he refused and had no money to give gifts, he was exiled to Syria to fend for himself.

Becoming a Mamluk is both simple and difficult. The Mamluk military system, or we can simply call it the military class now, is essentially the same as the Janissaries of the Ottomans and the Ghulam system of the Roma. They are all artificially created groups that are helpless and rootless in the local cultural circle.

They have different blood, culture and religious beliefs from the locals, making it difficult for them to integrate into the group. Therefore, in order to survive, they can only cling tightly to the rulers who formed this legion.

In the process of collective conversion, dependence on companions turned into solidarity, the ideological impact brought by the new belief shaped new objects of loyalty, and promotion through military merit became the only way to move forward.

Therefore, this system was easy to form a strong fighting force at the beginning of its establishment. First, there was the creation of myths by Guram, then there was the revival of the Mamluks, and later there would be the glorious shining of the Janissaries.

But history has proven this system countless times: once a country stops expanding externally, cannot acquire more land, cannot continue to make the cake bigger, and cannot satisfy the appetite of this new interest group, they will not stop, but will turn to internal plunder.

Just like the Mamluks today, when the new generation of Mamluks couldn't make a name for themselves in the existing system, even the civil service positions in Cairo were contracted out to Mamluks. From tax collectors to sheriffs, from grassroots officials to Virgil, they were all Mamluks... Everything was about personal relationships, the purity of bloodline, and money...

Aziz had had enough. If he hadn't been thinking about the young men under his command, he would have even thought about leaving the Mamluks to become a mercenary and travel around the world.

It's not that he is disloyal to the country, but he doesn't know who to be loyal to. The Mamluks he is loyal to are dead, and His Majesty the Sultan treats him like a piece of trash.

And now, a brand new opportunity lies before him.

"Is what you said before true?" Aziz asked first.

"What's true?" Li Rufeng was stunned by the question, but he immediately realized that the other party was referring to the sentence he had said: "If you want to follow me in the future, and I owe you a copper, you can come to the lord's mansion with a knife to ask for it..."

f the 21st century, p106 (electronic version available in the HKU online library)

I've written so much because I don't want you to think this conversion is abrupt. In that era, Islam wasn't as radical as Christianity, and many Muslim rulers were very secular in their approach to religion, genuinely treating it as a tool. Of course, it's also possible that the Mongols started this trend. After all, they were truly Draconian in the Muslim world back then, and conversions were a smooth sailing. Their piety was primarily determined by the number of cavalrymen under their command...

Chapter 295: I order you to be brave!

Persuading people to convert to religion is a thankless task for Li Rufeng. After all, compared with long-standing religious systems such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Taoism, the belief in Eternal Heaven is still in a relatively primitive stage.

In Anti-Dühring, Engels discussed the nature of religion as follows: All religions are nothing more than the imaginary reflection in people's minds of the external forces that dominate their daily lives, in which human forces take the form of superhuman forces.

Superficially, various religions refer to the belief and worship of gods.

The "God" of Christianity and the "Allah" of Islam are both called by specific divine names and given specific meanings of existence.

The Changshengtian religion evolved from shamanism. The basic characteristics of shamanism are that it has no ancestor, no doctrine, worships multiple gods, has no organization, and no fixed cosmic church. Shamans believe that all things have spirits, and the vastest and boundless sky is the most powerful spirit.

Later, with the passage of time and the advancement of the Mongolian cavalry, the initially anthropomorphic existence of Mongke Tengri was also added to the Eternal Heaven belief.

But compared to its local counterparts, Tengri's existence was too short, and its foundations too primitive, leaving it too late to build up such detailed information, which makes it seem somewhat pretentious. Of course, this is just the personal profile of the uneducated Mr. Li. Perhaps on the Mongolian Plateau, the shamans living in their homeland have already written down a detailed ideological system that is no less than that of other religions...

In any case, Li Rufeng didn't learn any real knowledge about faith from the old shaman. Instead, the two of them often discussed philosophy and science, and even had several arguments about the philosophical views of materialism and idealism...

Therefore, when Aziz cautiously asked Li Rufeng how he should gain a deeper understanding of the Changshengtian faith if he wanted to convert, Li Rufeng was stunned for a moment.

He couldn't just tell the other person, "If you can't do it, just figure it out yourself. Our God, who has no taboos and doesn't ask for anything, is the best God." Of course, if He doesn't ask you to do anything, you'd better not ask Him for anything either. He also hates trouble...

Fortunately, the Mongolian belief in Eternal Heaven is mysterious in the eyes of these outsiders, which gives Li Rufeng a lot of room to maneuver.

A devout believer!"

Tsk, Li Rufeng looked at Aziz with some toothache, complaining in his heart that you are too decisive... You always catch me off guard, and sooner or later it will hurt you.

But no matter how much he complained, the ceremony still had to go on. Li Rufeng racked his brains to recall how he got into the industry, but the only scene he could remember was -

"A couple is getting married next door tomorrow, and I have to go and bless them. Do you want to go?" asked the old shaman as he sprinkled salt into the pot.

Li Rufeng remembered that the old shaman was boiling a mutton bone soup. The aroma wafted from the large pot, making Li Rufeng feel a little drowsy. "Go, otherwise I won't be able to have fun."

"Okay, I'll tell everyone that you are my student, and it will be easier for both of us." The old shaman finally threw a few peppercorns into the pot and said this.

He has been in the industry since then... No, it can't be so sloppy!

Li Rufeng glanced around, stood up straight, and drew the magic sword from his waist. The flame on the blade burned automatically without wind, which scared Aziz. He had always thought that Li Rufeng had poured wine on the blade.

Li Rufeng stood in front of Aziz with a sword in hand, and then he put on a ring inlaid with amber gemstone given to him by the old shaman. The ring itself had no symbolic meaning, it was just a commemoration, but he should have it in the future -

"In the name of Tengri, I, Li Rufeng, the chosen shaman of Changshengtian—" Li Rufeng raised the magic sword horizontally, gently hovering a few centimeters above Aziz's left shoulder. The raging flames seemed to come alive beside Aziz's face, baring their fangs and claws, ready to pounce. Li Rufeng's voice suddenly rose, "I command you to be brave! Conquer the fear in your heart!"

As Li Rufeng spoke, he gently placed the magic sword on Aziz's shoulder... Aziz's mind was instantly enveloped by the brutality contained in the magic sword, and his eyes turned red!

The author says:

Author's words: The origin of the Eternal Blue Sky belief is much earlier than that of Islam. It was introduced into the region as early as around the 4th or 5th century AD along with the Huns. The Great Bulgarian Khanate was in a state of coexistence of Slavic polytheism and Eternal Blue Sky for a long time. However, the Uighur Khanate became a watershed after converting to Manichaeism in the 8th century. The Eternal Blue Sky belief began to slowly decline with the domino-like conversion. Except for the indigenous people of Siberia, no more believers joined, especially the Turkic peoples in Central Asia began to believe in Islam, which made Eternal Blue Sky lose its most staunch believers.

After the rise of Genghis Khan, he went on another westward expedition. In fact, it was a revival of the Eternal Heaven religion, not its first appearance... But as I said, the belief in Eternal Heaven is essentially a primitive worship that believes that all things have spirits. Whether there is a heritage relationship between the Eternal Heaven believed by the Huns and the Eternal Heaven believed by the Mongols remains to be verified. But it is probably like the relationship between the Huns and the Huns. It is like the Ship of Theseus in the religious and ethnic fields.

Chapter 296: Unexpected Gains

The bottom line is giving and dedication. You only need to help others within your ability. When you can do something or not, choosing kindness is enough. "

"Okay, you can kiss my ring now, Aziz." Li Rufeng put on the ring that he inherited from the old shaman and stretched out his hand. His face couldn't help but feel hot. After all, if Aziz had some knowledge of this ceremony, he would probably be able to see the clues from it... Isn't this the routine of knighting in Western Europe!

Fortunately, information flows slowly in this world, so conflicts between Mamluks and European knights are rare. Neither side understands the other's system, let alone the rituals...

Didn’t Brother Xun say that there were no rituals in this world originally, but when more people followed them, it became a ritual.

So now don't worry about whether it is formal or not, as long as it can scare Aziz, it is a good ritual.

Aziz grasped Li Rufeng's hand in a daze and gently kissed the ring. Then he heard Li Rufeng say, "You are now under the protection of Changshengtian. Get up."

Looking at the flaming sword and the shaman holding the sword so close to him, Aziz suddenly felt an inexplicable bond between himself and other Mongols. Thinking of the requirements of the ceremony, he became more energetic than before.

Li Rufeng blew a very loud whistle, which was the whistle used by the Mongols when grazing. It took him several months to learn how to blow it properly. Almost all the Mongols looked here.

"Today is a day worth celebrating. Changshengtian has gained another devout believer, and we have gained another trustworthy partner on our journey!" Li Rufeng shouted to everyone, "When we leave here, we will welcome him in the most traditional way! Aziz!"

Aziz stood beside Li Rufeng very calmly, accepting the gazes of all the Mongols. Of course, the soldiers under his command also looked at him in astonishment, watching their leader convert to other beliefs on the sacred land of the mosque.

Unlike Gulanchi, Aziz did not want to sit on the fence, nor did he have the capital. Going all in was his only option. He took the Mongols' money and fought a bloody battle with them in the mosque. This was a handle that anyone could use to kill him. He had no way out.

The most traditional way, as Li Rufeng mentioned, was naturally to drink and eat meat and have fun together. But that was not allowed now. Drinking in a mosque was something that even a tough guy like Timur, who dared to order the demolition of a mosque, would not do. It was simply pointing fingers at people and insulting them...

Fortunately, Li Rufeng planned to lift the blockade of the mosque today. Perhaps because the intervention was quick enough, the plague in Hama did not cause much trouble.

In comparison, its situation was still relatively good. In Homs and Damascus, further south, there were already signs of large-scale plague spreading.

In fact, starting from last week, long before these Green Wind defeated soldiers entered the city, Hama had already cut off contact with Damascus.

That's their specialty, and they're definitely good at fighting. But if you ask them to manage a city, then all they can do is keep the city going...

After much thought, it seems that Muzaffar is the only one under Li Rufeng who can take on this important task. First of all, he is a follower recognized by the system, so there is no need to worry about his loyalty. In addition, Muzaffar is from an orthodox family in Samarkand, and he carries Timur's expectations for the future of the Khanate. He is both civil and military, which is just right for a newly annexed place like Hama City. He can be soft or hard at will.

The only thing that made Li Rufeng a little regretful was that if he left Muzaffar behind, he would have to deal with various affairs day and night after he returned and could not be lazy.

Fortunately, Mr. Li's ambition triumphed over his laziness. He called Muzaffar to his side and said earnestly, "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and Aleppo cannot be without me for a day. I've been away for too long, and Hama is in ruins. I need someone I can trust to run the city for me."

Hearing what Li Rufeng said, Muzaffar's breathing suddenly became rapid. He had been working at the post station for more than ten years, and had wasted more than ten years. Wasn't this the opportunity he had been waiting for?

"I believe you are also aware that since I called you to talk about this matter, it proves that you are the person I trust the most. So tell me, Muzaffar, can you manage this city well?" Li Rufeng asked very seriously. You can't laugh and joke at this time. If you are not serious, it will easily cause misunderstandings among your subordinates.

"I'm ready, my lord! Unless I die, this city will belong to you forever!" Muzaffar's face flushed with excitement, but thankfully he didn't let the news get to his head. He immediately began to lay out his conditions. "I need a century of soldiers to stay here to maintain your authority. I may also need officials from at least three post stations to help me sort out Hama's tax revenue to prevent Governor Gulanchi and the city's dignitaries from defrauding you."

After Muzaffar finished speaking, he thought for a few seconds and gave the names of three post station officials.

"Very good. I will select eighty soldiers from my own army to stay with you, and I will leave twenty veterans from Centurion Mongke's army to you. These are all good warriors, but you must control them." Li Rufeng still had some confidence in his own soldiers. Most of them had not yet been trained in Timur's army and were still relatively good. But Mongke's one hundred veterans...

Even if they were in the same camp, Li Rufeng could only say that they were all good soldiers, but if no one restrained them, they would definitely be the kind of villains you least wanted to meet on the road.

"Sir, have you forgotten that one of the duties of the post station is to collect food for the army and ensure the supply of the army. I understand those soldiers." Muzaffar smiled and was very confident that he could control those soldiers.

Li Rufeng nodded upon seeing this and said that he would transfer the people he wanted as soon as he returned to Aleppo.

Later that afternoon, Li Rufeng reopened the mosque, leaving the messy scene to the believers to clean up, and he and his men moved directly into the residence of Emir Idrissa, who had died in the battle.

child...

From the relevant information I've researched, it seems that in Mamluk culture, the status of slaves was roughly equivalent to that of peasants who surrendered their land to landlords and bureaucrats during the late Ming Dynasty and became tenants. This was considered a way to survive stably, so selling one's own children as slaves was not uncommon...

Chapter 298 Sir, don’t shout, it’s me!

Li Rufeng did not deny that after coming down from the battlefield, the impulse left by the faded adrenaline made him feel a little moved and excited after seeing this group of beautiful women, but he was a shaman, a clergyman in some sense... Those old boys who believed in God knew to cover up when playing with little boys, so Master Li naturally would not do such a dirty thing as raping other people's wives and daughters.

After all, he has always asked his subordinates not to rob or harm women at will. If he does not set an example himself, how can he have the face to restrain his subordinates?

"Ma'am, you misunderstood. I have no intentions towards you. I just came back from the battlefield today and know nothing about what happened here." Li Rufeng cleared himself before saying, "What you're worried about won't happen. In fact, you can take your belongings and jewelry and leave now, but I sincerely think now is not a good time."

"Order hasn't been restored in Hama yet. Leaving with your belongings like this could bring you trouble. And judging by what happened before, your fate in Hama won't be good," Li Rufeng asked. "If you have local protectors, you can leave now. If not, I can send someone to take you to Damascus, Homs, or Aleppo. I guarantee you won't face any threats in my territory."

When Li Rufeng spoke, he didn't even get off his horse. He looked down at everyone and made the promise in front of them.

"Sir, you must be the most benevolent and generous master in the world, but my sisters and I no longer have any so-called protectors in this city. We don't want to gamble on whether other protectors will be more benevolent than you. We want to stay by your side." The leading woman hesitated briefly before gritting her teeth and saying, "If you despise us for our worthlessness, please allow us to serve as your servants and maids. I promise we will do our utmost and be loyal to you."

Seeing this, Li Rufeng didn't intend to waste any more time with these women. He simply nodded and said, "Then please ladies, please find your own accommodations. My soldiers are very tired and need a good rest. Please give us enough hot water and prepare enough food."

The women and servants immediately retreated to the sides, making way for the Mongolian masters.

Li Rufeng naturally didn't have to worry about keeping watch, as Habashibuhua had already made all the arrangements. Even the cook was followed by two soldiers to prevent the other party from poisoning the food.

The other soldiers, under the arrangement of the officers, each found a place to relax. This time, in addition to the twenty personal guards, there were also twenty cavalrymen from Li Rufeng's headquarters who moved into this luxurious mansion with Li Rufeng. With only forty or fifty people, almost everyone could find a suitable room to live in this luxurious mansion.

Shuihua, ever since he started to conquer the world, has hardly ever spent a day without worrying about food. Not long ago, he used maritime trade to exchange gold for food and bought enough food from across the sea for the people of Aleppo to last until next year's harvest season. As a result, he had to worry about the food shortage in Hama again.

There was some good news, however. Unlike Aleppo, which was massacred by Timur, Hama's agricultural production had never ceased. The surrounding farmland was constantly producing, and the annual grain output was abundant. As long as he could hold out for another six months and ensure the orderly autumn planting, he could escape the food crisis...

Wow!

With the sound of paddling, Li Rufeng suddenly opened his eyes, and then he saw two plump boats floating in front of him on the water. Even though the alarm lights flashed in his heart, he couldn't help but look a few more times...

"Who is it!" Li Rufeng asked while trying to get out of the bathtub cautiously. As a result, someone grabbed his foot. He was so panicked that he almost fell down. He had no weapons with him.

"Sir, don't shout, it's me." As the two plump breasts suddenly fell silent, a beautiful scene of a beauty emerging from the bath appeared in front of Li Rufeng, but he didn't have time to appreciate it now!

When did this guy get here? He's been hiding in the pool the whole time? No way! He's been in there for over ten minutes! Is he a water ghost? You told me not to scream in this situation? It's you? Who are you? I'm going to scream for help today even if my throat hurts!

Take a day off, everyone.

There is something going on at home, so I have to take a day off. I had dinner with friends in the evening. My wife started chatting with other people's wives. They drank a lot. I vomited a lot and had to coax the children to sleep. I didn't have time to finish today's update. I will make up for it later.

Chapter 298: Growing Ambition

The misunderstanding that occurred in Li Rufeng's bathroom was finally resolved before the guards rushed in. The person who floated into the bath from the secret passage was a concubine of Emir Idrissa, named Alana Jafari, who was the most beautiful one nominated by those women.

The reason why Alana entered the bathhouse was because there was a passage in the bathhouse that led directly to the hot water room next door, which was convenient for the servants to clean and drain the water on weekdays. Although Alana had a large area where the bathhouse should be, she had a thin waist and long legs, so she had to endure the injustice and crawl in through the lower passage.

"Sister Lydia said you were a clergyman and had concerns, so you let me in this way..." Alana huddled in the corner of the bathtub, explaining softly, "Those of us who stayed behind all come from poor backgrounds and have nowhere else to go. Please take us in."

"Who told you that I'm a clergyman?" Li Rufeng and Alana stayed at two opposite corners of the bathing pool. The guards stayed outside the door temporarily under Li Rufeng's mental command.

They learn how to serve men and women, as well as massage and cooking. Some courses even involve later psychology.

For example, now, Alana could see that Li Rufeng sympathized with them psychologically and was somewhat excited physically, but what puzzled Alana was that he still rejected her...

Was it because of Mongolian religious customs? She vaguely remembered a teacher in the slave camp saying that one of the Mongolian beliefs was that men could not marry or have children.

That would be troublesome. Alana bit her lip and prepared to use the secret technique she had learned in the slave camp...

Then Ao Yi was interrupted by Li Rufeng. He had just confirmed that the size of the drain was indeed large enough for a thin woman to crawl in and out.

He reached out to stop the other party from speaking and said directly, "I can take you back to Aleppo. There happens to be a princess there who needs someone to serve her. This arrangement should be enough to satisfy you, right?"

Li Rufeng's words instantly calmed Alana down. After all, the title of princess was still very famous.

This was not actually a sudden idea of ​​Li Rufeng. Parisa's current situation was indeed very embarrassing. As a direct blood relative of Timur, the man who married Parisa theoretically had the right to inherit this huge empire.

After all, even when Timur the Conqueror started his career, he established himself as the son-in-law of the Chagatai Khan. Therefore, the identity of son-in-law was inherited within the Timurid Khanate, and no one could say no to the inheritance rights of this identity, otherwise they would be opposing Timur himself.

But because of the special nature of Maharaja Milansha, except for the beloved Khalil, everyone else in his bloodline has been ignored intentionally or unintentionally.

In addition, several competitive heirs have now demonstrated unshakable strength, otherwise Parisa would have been coveted long ago with her identity.

However, as a time traveler, Li Rufeng does have ambitions that are not in line with his own strength. After all, for a time traveler, there is a saying that you can never refuse, and that is - now that you are here...

Considering her status, he naturally couldn't neglect her too much. Moreover, after several contacts, Parisa also showed enough intelligence. In addition, she had a bad relationship with Li Rufeng. Master Li should also consider giving her some corresponding status.

These "widows" have no roots, so it seems appropriate to place them next to Parisa.