Mount and Blade Central Asia

Moreover, during this period, Omar was very high-profile, constantly playing the role of a lavish spender on various occasions, which greatly stimulated the enthusiasm of other businessmen to follow this route.

In just one week, the number of merchant ships sailing on the Mersin to Aleppo route increased from one or two per week to five or six per day.

With so many ships arriving every day, it was impossible for Bastos to report every ship to his colleagues at sea in advance. Moreover, as his colleagues at sea continued to harass these merchant ships under the banner of the Knights Hospitaller, it had aroused the dissatisfaction of the Venetians and Genoese.

These damn merchants are almost everywhere, and their influence in the Christian world is so great that the Knights Hospitaller must carefully consider the impact of such behavior.

Sometimes Bastos even thought that the Eastern shaman was behind all this, but this was just a thought that came out of anger. Deep down in his heart, he simply did not believe that such a young man would have such great financial resources and courage to build momentum just for such an isolated army overseas.

However, Li Rufeng did just that, for one reason only: Mr. Li was not short of money.

At this time, Li Rufeng and Badak were standing on the bank of the Seyhan River. They were fishing out of boredom, and each of them had some catch in their fish baskets.

They had been staying in the nearby mountains and forests for three days, three very dangerous days, because they had been relying on their advantage in speed to avoid the layers of blockades by Muhammad II.

So Bardock was somewhat uneasy. As a professional soldier, his professional ethics told him that every minute and every second here was becoming more dangerous, but the young man in front of him told him to be patient, as they were waiting for an opportunity.

"Don't you think the time is ripe?" Badak saw Li Rufeng catch another fish, sighed, and threw his fishing rod aside.

"It's almost done, in the next two days." Li Rufeng looked at his trophy with satisfaction. It was a long-nosed silver carp, 20 centimeters long, with a slightly flat body, a gray-green back and a white belly. The surface of the fish scales shone silver in the sun, but the taste was average. No matter how you handled it, it had an earthy smell.

"What if they find us?" Badak asked anxiously, but his complexion was much better than before. Since the death of the old Sultan, he had spent almost every day in such anxiety. Now that he had Li Rufeng to help him share the burden, he felt a little more relaxed.

"When you reach the mountain, you'll find a way. I said I could take you home, and I will definitely take you home." Li Rufeng threw the fish into his basket and said calmly, "Instead of worrying about this, you should think carefully about my previous suggestion."

It was around this time the day before yesterday, on the first day they settled down, that Li Rufeng told Badak.

As the remnant of the Khanate's western border forces, he risked going deep into enemy territory to bring them home out of moral considerations, but he really did not have the ability to lead more than a thousand people and their families through the Black Sheep People's territory and return to the Central Asian region.

You know, there are still a group of orthodox Hezhong people grazing in Li Rufeng's territory...

What's more, even if they return to the Central Asian region now, to whom will they be loyal?

The current situation in the Khanate is no less complicated than that in the Anatolian Peninsula. If you rush in, it may be a lifelong mistake. I am afraid that even the eunuchs in the Samarkand Palace don’t know who to bet on, let alone Badak who has been away from home for four or five years.

Things have come to this point, and Li Rufeng no longer hides his purpose. He tells Bardock directly that he is interested in his team of a thousand men.

If he and his men were willing to stay in Aleppo and cooperate with him, they would still be the regular army of the Khanate in name, but their nature would change from a foreign army to a border guard.

They have plenty of time to wait for the outcome of the battle in Central Asia, and then return to their hometown to pledge allegiance to the right people and make the right choice.

Considering that they remained loyal despite being isolated overseas and went through untold hardships to return to the country alone, even if they had no merits but had worked hard, even if it was just to win people's hearts, the new Sultan would never treat them unfairly.

But before that, they must pledge their loyalty to Li Rufeng just as they pledged their loyalty to the Sultan, and Li Rufeng would treat them according to the treatment provided to them by the old Sultan.

It was a win-win outcome, or so Li Rufeng tried to make him believe.

"You might be able to find someone more powerful and influential than me to pledge your loyalty to, but you'll never find a more sincere partner who values ​​you more than I do." Li Rufeng looked at Bardock's troubled face and said with a smile, "Don't be so hard on yourself, my friend. You still have several days to make your choice. After all, we're getting closer to home every day, aren't we?"

Of course, Li Rufeng was just saying this. If Bardock had dragged on until the day he boarded the ship and still refused to repent, someone would probably have died at sea.

He spent so much money and time, it couldn't be just to express his loyalty to Timur, right?

As for how the soldiers would react after Badak's death, Li Rufeng already had a basic expectation. Judging from the betrayal Badak had suffered in Anamur Port before, it was definitely impossible to say that Shahram was the only traitor in his army.

In other words, many officers and soldiers have already made up their minds to join other forces, so it is not a problem to let them turn to Li Rufeng. After all, Li Rufeng is still covered with the skin of the Khanate, and they can accept it more emotionally.

What's more, Shahram is still waiting in the team to take the blame. If Muhammad II has no ability to hold them accountable, then don't blame Li Rufeng for taking advantage of him and making him take the blame again.

He didn't need to do much. When the time was right, he could just complete the unfinished business he had done in Anamur Port, and Master Li would generously give him a way out.

Clergymen do not lie. If Li Rufeng says he will give him a way out, he will really give him a way out. But as a kind-hearted man, Master Li sincerely hopes that Bardock can turn back from his wrong path and not let things end like this.

After all, Mr. Li really loves and cherishes talents. From this point of view, ten Shahrams are not as valuable as one Badak.

Chapter 355 Go home!

As a successful businessman, Omar was a little smart. He knew that Bastos's people would definitely keep an eye on him, so he didn't even think about using his own ship to transport Li Rufeng's goods. Instead, he took this opportunity to make money without any hesitation.

After all, Omar has connections in Aleppo, and his profits are always much higher than others. In this day and age, there is no impenetrable wall. The merchants who traveled with him on this route realized this problem in just a few days.

So soon someone secretly contacted Omar, hoping to learn from him and was willing to pay any price for it.

So, Omar helped Li Rufeng find three boats. The owners of these three boats were not from Mersin, so they were relatively safer.

Of course, Omar did not tell them Li Rufeng's plan directly. Instead, he guided them to purchase a batch of goods in Mersin and set sail with a full load on a dark and windy night. Then he found a place and asked Li Rufeng's personal guards to dump the goods into the sea.

If the cargoes of these ships had not been paid for by Omar, the three ship owners would definitely not agree to Omar's men ordering them to do so. However, now that they were on a pirate ship, they had to accept the arrangements of the personal guards and go to the designated location to pick up people, otherwise they would not make any profit this time.

None of the three ships were big, but fortunately, the ships sailing on the Mediterranean route at that time were all galleys. Regardless of whether they were carrying cargo or not, they needed enough oarsmen under the deck to provide manpower for the ship.

What Li Rufeng was interested in were the characteristics of these galleys. The thousand-man team under Baddock were all strong young men. They would definitely be good at fighting. It would be a bit difficult to ask them to go on board as sailors, but there would be no problem for them to be rowers on these galleys.

As for the original rowers on the boat, they could be left on the shore as hostages.

Of course, since most of the rowers were slaves bought by the ship owner, they themselves did not have the attributes of hostages, so Master Li also deliberately left some valuable hostages, such as the ship's accountant, the ship owner's relatives, etc.

These days, ship owners who do business at sea generally bring a few blood relatives on board as confidants, otherwise they themselves will not be able to sleep well at night.

The three oared ships threw away their cargo, used the upper decks to carry people, and the lower decks to carry soldiers disguised as rowers, and the carrying capacity of each ship immediately increased.

In order to accommodate more people, they even compressed the food and fresh water on the ship as much as possible. Anyway, they would only delay the journey for two days at most, so that people could eat and drink enough before boarding the ship. At that time, they could just hold on on the journey and overcome any difficulties.

Of these three ships, two were larger than Omar's Laurel, and each could carry more than 150 people when fully loaded.

Some of the galleys sailing on the Mediterranean routes were large ships. The Venetians even built galleys that could carry 300 people each, but Omar could not find those ships, so a ship like this was enough.

The smaller one could fit nearly a hundred people when fully loaded, so the three ships took away a total of four hundred people from the mouth of the Seyhan River in one night. More than half of these four hundred people were military dependents, wounded soldiers, and the elderly and weak in the Badak Thousand Man Team.

At this efficiency, these three ships only need to make two more round trips to transport all the non-combatants of the Badak Thousand-Man Squadron back to Aleppo.

This was the first time in all these years that Bardock truly saw hope of returning home. Li Rufeng fulfilled his promise. The moment the ship set sail again, the soldiers below looked at Li Rufeng with different eyes.

Bardock knew that from now on, this army would no longer be as loyal to him as before, and it was time for him to make a choice.

"Do you really think we will have a chance to return to the Central Asian region in the future?" Badak asked Li Rufeng.

"Why not? Who wouldn't want the fertile land in the Central River area?" A smile appeared on Li Rufeng's lips. People's ambitions will change with their growth and expansion of strength.

When he first came to this strange land, he just wanted to survive. Later, he met the old shaman, and then he wanted to live a better life. Then, with the death of the old shaman and the entire tribe relying on him, he hoped that the people around him would live a better life.

As the Mongols and the Doshita fought, Li Rufeng's ambition escalated again, and he wanted to become famous so that his life would not be in vain. After he had established a firm foothold in this land, his ambition once again became to return home in glory if he had the chance, with a fortune of 100,000 taels and a crane to Yangzhou.

As for later, Li Rufeng suddenly realized in his success and victory again and again that as a time traveler, he was much more broad-minded and knowledgeable than those ignorant kings, sultans and khans of this land.

Instead of riding a crane to Yangzhou, why not create a Yangzhou with your own hands?

Why did Li Rufeng risk going deep into the Karama people's territory to bring this thousand-man team isolated overseas back home?

Because deep down in his heart he really wanted to get involved in the power struggle at the top of the Khanate, and for this reason he even did not hesitate to use his somewhat clumsy methods to manage and deceive the feelings of a little girl.

Marrying Parisa and becoming Timur's grandson-in-law was to get that ticket of admission, and gathering the Khanate's isolated overseas military forces was to continue to increase its legitimacy and military strength on this basis.

This was just the beginning. Sultan Khalil came all the way to give himself a more perfect excuse. He temporarily lent the rights of his fiefdom to Li Rufeng, making him qualified to go there to quell the rebellion, reorganize, and recruit soldiers.

It’s just that before this, Li Rufeng didn’t have the ability to get it.

But now Li Rufeng must seize these opportunities, because the power system of the entire Timurid Khanate is based on the prestige of the old Sultan, and this prestige is decaying along with his body. Perhaps in five years, the letter sent by Khalil Sultan will be just a piece of waste paper.

"In that case, from today on, I will officially pledge allegiance to you, Lord Li Rufeng. I hope that one day you can fulfill your promise and send us home." Bardock hesitated, put his left hand on his chest, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head in salute to Li Rufeng.

"Believe me, my friend, I will never let you down." Li Rufeng still had a smile on his face. All the efforts he had made and the money he had spent along the way were rewarded at this moment.

Those golds were just dead objects in his hands. As a time traveler, Li Rufeng, who had experienced life and death, was very open-minded. No matter how much money he spent, as long as the money could eventually turn into real power, it would be worth it.

Chapter 356 Crisis!

Perhaps it was the Eternal Heaven that really blessed Li Rufeng, or perhaps it was the Crusader pirates who finally couldn't withstand the pressure from merchants and the church. In any case, the three ships made four consecutive trips without encountering any trouble.

Because the ship also needed rowers to assist in navigation on the return journey from Aleppo, even though the ship owners chose to set off in favorable weather as much as possible, the ship still needed to transport back 100 soldiers who had finally set foot on Syrian soil each time. In this way, the actual carrying capacity of the three ships on each voyage was about 300 people.

During this time, Omar's own ship took advantage of the opportunity when the Crusader pirates were busy with their own business to transport "smuggled goods".

So now there are only 300 soldiers left in Badak's thousand-man team on the banks of the Seyhan River, and these 300 people include Li Rufeng, his personal guard, Haishar, and Badak himself.

The remaining soldiers are basically the most elite part of the army. They are all veterans of the battlefield. At first glance, they look like the kind of people you don't want to mess with.

Such an arrangement was naturally made deliberately by Li Rufeng.

The families of the first batch of soldiers sent there were settled by Li Rufeng in the city of Aleppo. In name, he wanted to take good care of these people and welcome them, but in reality, he was holding them hostage.

Among the later batches of soldiers sent over, only a few hundred had the opportunity to be with their families. These people were settled in the port of Alexandretta, which was a model area specially set up by Master Li to reassure them.

As for the other soldiers, Li Rufeng placed them in teams of 100 men in Hama City, Li Rufeng's pasture, and several surrounding villages on the pretext of food and epidemic prevention.

After all, people are restless, and Li Rufeng will not give these people any chance until he has straightened out their affairs.

Badack, who had already pledged allegiance to Li Rufeng, did not make any comments on Li Rufeng's arrangements. He was a very pure soldier. After pledging allegiance to Li Rufeng, he naturally accepted Li Rufeng's arrangements, which made Li Rufeng very satisfied.

As long as Bardock is not a problem, the centurions under his command will not be able to cause any trouble at all.

They are indeed the regular army of the Khanate, but the soldiers under Li Rufeng are not bad either. The Mughal knights who come and go like the wind have always been an important part of the Khanate's military power, and they can be suppressed.

"Get ready to board the ship, be careful. If anyone falls into the water and becomes a laughing stock, I'll make him swim back!" Bardock scolded his arrogant soldiers, his face full of helplessness.

There is no way around it. Almost all of these elite land combatants are landlubbers and have a natural fear of water, let alone the sea.

During their migration, they had several clashes with the Karaman people, but few died. However, during the few hundred meters between the small boat and the merchant ship at the seaport, over sixty people drowned...

This unexpected loss left Li Rufeng speechless. If he couldn't swim, he would have let these people make him afraid of water.

Despite Bardock's request, some people still fell into the sea due to seasickness when boarding the ship. Fortunately, the sailors on the ship had gained experience after the previous transportations. The moment someone fell into the sea, someone threw a wooden lifebuoy into the sea.

Finally, Li Rufeng directed his colleagues on the deck to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the unfortunate drowning man, and at least no one was killed.

Because this was the last trip, the team of 300 people was divided into three parts and boarded three merchant ships. The space on the ship seemed less crowded, and Li Rufeng did not have to be squeezed like a can of sardines like the passengers on the previous trips.

Although the owners of several ships were quite resentful before, Li Rufeng gave them generous commissions every time, so they were naturally smiling and taking good care of the soldiers on the ship.

But accidents happen, and Li Rufeng and his crew's luck seemed to have run out. When the ship turned around and started sailing towards Aleppo, they were intercepted by the ships of the Knights Hospitaller within a few hours.

The group of Crusader pirates rowed their small boats from a distance and gestured to them to stop for inspection. The hearts of the captains of several ships stopped.

Because the side of a galley is much higher than that of a small boat, and many of the soldiers of Bardock's Thousand Man Squad are on the lower deck, and the rest have hidden along the side of the ship early on, the Cross Street pirates have not yet discovered anything unusual about these ships.

But such a lie would be completely exposed the moment they boarded the ship for inspection. After all, as long as those people were not blind, they would not fail to see that there were so many Mongols and Turks on the ship, and the cargo on the deck were basically empty containers.

"Look, sir! Those ships are equipped with catapults. If a fight breaks out, we won't even stand a chance." The captain of Li Rufeng's galley trembled as he approached him. The Knights Hospitaller's ship in the distance said, "Their ships are much larger than ours, but they carry less cargo, and they're also faster and more maneuverable than us."

The ship owner's face was full of bitterness and he was sweating profusely. He obviously felt that he was doomed today.

Li Rufeng subconsciously glanced at Haishar, but the land tiger could only shake his head helplessly. He was indeed proud of his bravery, but it was impossible for him to close the gap between merchant ships and warships by his own strength.

Although both sides were sailing galleys, they each had their own specialties.

"We've been living by the sea for a while now, and we don't have enough oil on hand. The bowstring is a little damp. I'm afraid we have to get at least 30 meters closer to the opponent to pose an effective threat." Barak frowned and measured the distance between the two sides, and also shook his head.

Although he was not a naval officer, he had received basic surveying training. In addition, he had been on the coast watching these merchant ships constantly picking up and dropping off his people, so he had a basic estimate of the speed of these merchant ships.

So just by doing a quick calculation in his mind, Bardock knew they had no chance of getting close.

The situation seemed to have reached a stalemate. Even if Li Rufeng was willing to exchange the magic sword, the pirates of the Knights Hospitaller would not agree to the deal. They had no need for the magic sword, and Knight Bastos, who had a need for it, was not here.

This is the sea, all evidence will be swallowed by the sea, and the loser will leave nothing.

Update in the afternoon. I have finished writing it but have not checked it.

I'll post a new chapter around 5pm. Three chapters, 6,000 words. I'll take a nap, check for typos, and then post...

Chapter 357 I'll go talk to you!

Gastino Aurelio, captain of the Glorious Glory of the Knights Hospitaller, was a devout Christian and a member of the Knights Hospitaller. He was born in Cyprus. His father was a naval officer in Cyprus, and he naturally learned the skills of fighting at sea since he was a child.

Compared to the fanatics in the Knights Templar, Gastino is a more rational member. After all, sailing on the sea always requires someone to make calm decisions.

But this does not mean that Gastino is a "good guy". In fact, the Glorious Glory has always been one of the most efficient looting ships in the entire Hospitaller Order.

Over the past few years, Gastino had plundered nearly forty ships, most of which belonged to Muslims, but some also belonged to Christians.

In this sea, faith is important, but sometimes it is not the trump card to save lives. It mainly depends on the recent appetite of the Crusader pirates on the ship.

And obviously, everyone has been hungry recently.

The Knights Hospitaller, who occupied the island of Malta, were also an important part of the Mediterranean trade chain. They also had their own merchant ships and relied on their influence in the Mediterranean region and the East and West to do a booming business.

However, this no-cost business of piracy still occupies a very important position in the total income of the Knights. The crew members under Gastino can profit from dividends every year, and almost all of them have a small fortune.

In the past six months, due to pressure from the church, they have not been open for business for a long time, which has made the Crusader pirates who are accustomed to a wealthy life very uncomfortable.

Therefore, the pirates who had finally seized an opportunity would definitely take advantage of it to have a good time. Negotiation and trading were not options for them at all. They had already inquired and found out that apart from their enemies on land, the one who brought them back to Syria this time was a wealthy lord.

Those Muslim lords are all gold pots. As long as you whip them hard, they will continue to spit out gold coins.

So from top to bottom, including Gastino, these people are all waiting to have a full meal at once.

As for the confidants sent to the ship by Knight Bastos, basically every time they inspected a merchant ship, there was someone waiting for an opportunity behind the scenes. Once they confirmed that the ship was the one they were looking for, the unlucky guy would be pushed into the sea and drowned.

Damn Inquisition, no matter how influential they are, they can't control the Knights Hospitaller. The Knights Hospitaller are only loyal to the Grand Master and the Pope, and they don't give face to anyone else.