Halfway up the mountainside of the majestic snow-capped mountains, Lao Qijia walked forward, leaning on his flag spear and pulling the yak's reins.
The paws made of horse bones stepped on the muddy and slippery mountainous terrain, and his heavy breath became the mist on the snow-capped mountains.
The slope of the mountain range, which is dozens of miles wide, is not too steep, but the rising snowline in summer makes the mountainside halfway down the mountain muddy and slippery, making it difficult to climb over.
From the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, more than a dozen teams of dozens of people walked forward with their heads down. The tiger heroes in the team who had experience in climbing snow-capped mountains looked back from time to time to take care of the soldiers.
Liu Chengzong's original plan was to climb over the mountains from the entire Zuoying, but many people climbed halfway up the mountain. If they took another step up, they would be like gooses that had their throats strangled, and they would never be able to go up again.
In order to cross the mountain, the Zuoying camp was reorganized. Those with sufficient physical strength and ability to cross the mountain were awarded the best equipment and yaks, while the remaining people stayed in the valley under the leadership of Basan and continued to build a defense line.
Qijia and his son, who were abandoned by King Baili's army and forced to live on the snowy mountains for half a year, became the leaders of this team and were assigned to complete the most dangerous mission. .
They have 1,440 soldiers. With the spoils from the source of the Yellow River, everyone has Mongolian-style long and short boots and Mongolian fur coats, more than 300 pairs of chain armor, more than 100 pairs of leather armor, and 60 sets of armor. Prick armor and fifty sets of cotton armor.
Equipped with bows and arrows, sabers, axes, slings, dog-beating clubs, long and short spears and shields, as well as hundreds of yaks.
Both the cotton armor and the yak were given by Liu Chengzong before leaving. The quality of the cotton armor was not very good. The internal armor pieces only protected the vital parts. They were mainly used to keep soldiers warm in the mountains.
The yaks carried heavy loads of arrows, which they could eat when they were besieged.
In fact, most soldiers have never eaten yak in their lives, because they don't have cattle, and the cattle belong to the nobles.
This is just like the people respecting the mountain gods but opposing other people's mining. The mines belong to the monks and nobles, and the people have no mines.
Lao Qijia stopped, bent down to nail down wooden wedges, and fixed the rope ladder on the muddy road with wooden stakes. He looked back at the soldiers who were left behind and shook his head helplessly.
Large-scale troops crossing mountains are a great danger and test for the troops.
Lao Qijia took off the equipment on his body, threw down the small hammer, and walked towards the stone pile with support on the flagpole. When he got closer, he spread out the Hundred Flags and planted it deeply next to the stone pile, signaling to several teams climbing the mountain in parallel. , the road here can continue to climb.
The flag of the Hundred Corps with the words "Peace under Heaven" was flying in the wind. Lao Qijia, whose cheeks were blown purple by the wind, took out a round stone from his sleeve and added it to the messy pile of mani. He glanced at the flag "Peace under Heaven". , knelt down and prayed silently.
It has been seven months since the last war ended. He heard that the Generalissimo liked the words on the flag very much. He thought he was also a peace-minded man. Lao Qijia hoped that after this war, peace would last longer next time. .
It's a pity that Lao Qijia only knows one thing but not the other. The marshal's ultimate ideal is indeed peace in the world, but his short-term goal is to free Manan Mountain.
For the Qinghai Marshal's Mansion, releasing Manan Mountain neither symbolizes peace nor can it be used to describe ideological paralysis.
On the contrary, because Nanshan is Huashan, this word is full of aggressiveness, which means to capture half of the country west of Tongguan.
Xiao Qijia rested his hands on the stone with deerskin gloves and took off his helmet to release the heat in his head. He saw Lao Qijia starting to pray for peace in the world again.
When they were assembled in Nangqian, Xiao Qijia only had a chainmail armor with a breastplate on him, but when they were about to climb the mountain, the generalissimo summoned the guards and hundred commanders of Zuoying and gave them some Lion Army weapons. Iron cotton armor, used to keep warm in the mountains.
Xiao Qijia touched the cotton armor with dragon patterns on his body and the pair of deerskin gloves specially given to him, thinking that the commander was really a considerate person.
Because he had never worn armor like this before, the commander specifically told him before leaving that if he needed to run quickly and the armor hindered his movements, he could roll it up. There were several ribbons on the inner thigh, so he could roll the armor up. Tie up.
However, Liu Chengzong also told him that there were few iron leaves inside this set of cotton armor, which mainly provided warmth. In terms of defense, it could only protect the vital points, so he should be more careful during combat.
This is enough for Xiao Qijia. Although the area without armor leaves is not as protective as the mail armor, this set of armor is more comfortable to wear.
He looked back towards the river valley. The troops stationed in the camp were moving very quickly. Three trenches being dug had already outlined the prototype of the river valley position.
Liu Chengzong carried a three-eyed gun and dug trenches in front of the formation together with the soldiers.
The three-eyed gun in his hand was Huang Shengxiao's masterpiece when he was in Nangqian.
The Lion Army has always had many three-eyed muskets, but only Tangqi is really equipped with this weapon in large quantities.
Because Tangqi generally do not cooperate with other troops in combat, the range is not important to them. When fighting alone, multiple tubes can give them more hope of survival.
But Huang Shengxiao not only made bird cannons in Nangqian, but also made a large number of three-eyed cannons.
This was mainly because he was entrusted by Yang Dingrui, the magistrate's yamen, to make a batch of weapons for the township officials of seven counties.
Huang Shengxiao thought about the scenario in which more than 3,000 township officials in seven counties need to use weapons. They may face robbers with low level of organization and high level of skills.
The battle is sudden, the distance is short, there are few opportunities for firearm shooting, and the probability of accurate hits is very low. You may have to face a situation where there are fewer enemies and more enemies.
What weapons can meet this need? Three-eyed gun.
The loud sound can attract reinforcements, and the fault tolerance rate is high. Spraying and running away can effectively resist the enemy. Running away to bring reinforcements is a very wise strategy.
Catching up with Nangqian's boom in manufacturing farm tools, Huang Shengxiao also made some retro ones, using old tools from the Wanli period such as spades and pickaxes.
The three-eyed bludgeon Liu Chengzong held in his hand at this time was a blunderbuss and spade.
In fact, it is just to install a shovel on the other end of the three-eyed gun. It has a long-range shooting capability that is higher than that of the Peasant Rebel Army, and has a melee combat capability that is no less than that of the Peasant Rebel Army. It can also throw away its arms and engage in a hearty earthwork Operation.
When he got excited, Liu Chengzong simply took off the three-eyed gun and started working with only a shovel.
Although he is proficient in all kinds of martial arts, he is not very good at earthwork, a required skill for the army. He is only slightly better than the Corning serfs. It is not that he is better in technology, but in terms of physical strength and strength.
He practiced formation and personal skills all day long in Yuhe Fort. In order to prevent the soldiers from mutiny and death from exhaustion, He Renlong basically did not arrange for training such as earthwork and pulling exercises that consume a lot of physical strength.
It is difficult to increase the combat effectiveness of an army, but it is very easy to reduce it.
In terms of the efficiency of digging trenches, Liu Chengzong is basically equal to the mascot; but in terms of the efficiency of the mascot, Liu Chengzong is the most powerful one.
They have no shortage of mascots. In addition to the troops responsible for defense, generals and colonels at all levels are working hard. The soldiers share the joys and sorrows, and the nobles of Kangning Mansion also join in. The efficiency of those people is actually not as good as Liu Shishi.
But what Liu Chengzong values is not efficiency.
When digging trenches and building camps, this army can be divided into classes for a short time. Everyone is exhausted by the three trenches. When they are done, they kill sheep and cattle, and together they complete the hardships and pleasures of life. The soldiers of the third battalion are the first in the collective. times bridged together.
The design of Liu Chengzong's camp was very simple. The valley was divided into two banks by a river. On the left bank where it was the widest and the right bank was the narrowest, the first square trench was dug on the left bank as the Lion Army's position. At the same time, earth walls were piled and tarpaulins were laid to prepare for the imminent danger. The coming rainy day.
A second trench was dug on the right bank a hundred steps away in the south to protect the troops behind and facilitate cavalry attacks.
If the cavalry of the right battalion wants to attack, they must first cross the river from the left bank and rush to the battlefield from the right bank; if the Mongolian cavalry wants to attack their baggage in the rear, they also need to take this road, both of which are within the range of the cannon.
Liu Chengzong rushed to build a defense line before the rain, but the Mongolian army on the other side of the mountain was waiting for the rain to come.
In the Mongolian camp on the other side of the mountain, the dusty Erengchi was reading the law loudly and executing the punishment of defeat on Guyang Batuer.
Erengchi is not a noble, it is the name of a civilian position, similar to a messenger, who is responsible for conveying important news such as alliances, wars, and the death of Nayan. At this moment, they are the envoys of Chuoketu Taiji.
The news of Guyang's defeat at the source of the Yellow River reached Chuoktu Taijina, just as the vanguard generals were defeated at Guide Qianhu, and the news of the defeat of the two soldiers and horses arrived at the same time. Chuoktu was extremely annoyed and directly let him go. People took the law and ordered it to be read out before the battle.
Taking legal orders means doing things according to the rules. Due to the long-term division, the laws of Khalkha and the codes of Tumed and Wala have many differences except respecting the Khan.
As for the Mongolian coalition forces of Chuoktu Taiji, they have not followed the rules for many years. There is no other reason than poverty.
According to the law, Guyang Batu'er was punished for escaping from battle and was fined with a hundred pieces of armor, a thousand war horses, and a hundred camels; the more than 300 Hashi who escaped back were fined with one set of armor, four war horses; He was punished by riding two horses.
Counting all the gains from conquering Guru's territory, Guyang did not have a hundred pieces of armor and a thousand horses. Even if his soldiers did not lose the battle, they did not reach the level of four horses per capita.
But the furious Choktu Taiji punished him like this, and also provided Guyang with a solution. They didn't have these things as debts, but the Han army on the other side of the mountain did. After defeating the Han army, they would be deducted from the loot. punishment.
In addition, Chuoktu Taiji mobilized several nearby Nayan nobles who were originally used to capture Huangnan Xiaohetao to fully support Guyang's southern operations.
Listening to Erengchi reading out the laws, Guyang lowered his head and cursed in his heart.
These laws can punish him, and no one else will listen anyway. If you have the ability, go and read the laws to Dai Qing! Can you find it?
The leader of the great nobles who arrived as reinforcements this time was also named Daiqing, and was known as Haojigar Ahai Daiqing of Khalkha.
This ambiguous name is a bit convoluted, but it is very easy to understand. Haojiger means a person with thin hair or baldness, and Daiqing means good at fighting or intelligent.
Xin Daya is probably... Bald Qiang when he comes here?
Ahai Daiqing stood not far away with his arms folded, a sneer on his face, and his braids falling from his temples, watching the Chuck Rabbit and Taiji Messenger perform.
He knew very well that Chuoketu Taiji was not punishing Guyang, but using it to punish Guyang to pave the way for punishing leaders like them who rushed to help.
Because Guyang is a pauper, it is impossible to get a war horse armor, and he is a close confidant of Chuoketu Taiji, unlike these powerful nobles who came from an alliance.
During this time, he had heard people say more than once that Chuoketu Taiji wanted to be Qinghai's Khan.
Although they both belong to Khalkha, Ahai Daiqing is not from Chuoktu Taiji. He only leads more than 2,000 cavalry from the north. They are the reinforcements brought to Tibet by the Yellow Sect monks from Khalkha. In fact, he and Tumote of Rajun is an ally.
Because of this, he entered Qinghai in the name of a pilgrim to Tibet and reached an agreement with the Gansu General Soldier, crossing Gansu Town.
The problem is that after crossing Gansu Town, Liu Chengzong is standing in front of him. Bald Qiang is unwilling to fight with the Marshal's Mansion... He wants to go to Uzang, so what's the point of fighting with the Han army here.
But the border troops in Gansu Town were very bad. They allowed him to go from north to south because they gave him a lot of gifts. Now that he has no gifts, he is not allowed to go back from south to north.
The Gansu border army knew what Ahai Daiqing was facing after crossing Gansu, and deliberately let him pass. Anyway, this man would definitely want to come back when he saw Liu Shishi in the past.
If you want to come back, you have to pay for the tolls. As for how the tolls came from, the Gansu border troops don't care. If they have the guts, they will fight across the Qilian Mountains.
In order to ensure that they would not be laid off, entrepreneurship was the main theme of the frontier guards in the seventeenth century.
Ahai Daiqing originally thought that when he passed through Gansu, he would be greeted by Xiao Lazun, but he never expected that the area around the lake in Qinghai had changed its owner. He could not defeat the north and did not want to defeat the south.
Due to the fact that the road to Tibet was cut off by the Qinghai Marshal's Mansion, he briefly stopped outside Gansu and was forced to join up with Chuoktu Taiji.
As a result, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Due to the changes in the situation in the eastern grasslands, some tribesmen were gathered together, and they also occupied a secondary position in the coalition forces of Chuoke Tu Taiji.
Ahai Daiqing is bald, strong, and extremely smart. How could he not see Chuoketu Taiji's trick to punish Gu Yang? If he punished Gu Yang this time, he would not be able to punish him justifiably next time.
However, this situation is not a big problem for Ahai Daiqing. For the time being, winning is enough. As for the future, following Chuo Ke Rabbit has no big future. Defeating Liu Chengzong and entering Tibet as soon as possible to earn a sweat is the main business. .
Anyway, it has been raining for the past two days. Guyang said that the Han army's cannons and artillery in the south are very powerful, so they can just wait until it rains before attacking. He just wanted to get some cannons and artillery.
Watching Chuoktu Taiji's son tinkering with imitating self-defense latt guns and cannons in Wulan Mountain, he was so greedy that he was always dreaming about how Orusi's barbarians got these things.
Dai Daozi stayed at the mountain pass for three days. He insisted on becoming a philosopher and discovered the principle of the uncanny valley. People hate things like themselves.
For example, now, he hates these Tatars who are like scholars.
At first, the Mongolian cavalry tried to break through his blockade, but after more than a dozen people died, they simply stood at a distance and watched like Tangqi. As soon as Tangqi approached them, they ran away. When they were far away, they even tried to capture them with their superior strength. Tangqi surrounded and annihilated him.
Finally, the sky turned dark, there was a roar of thunder in the sky, light rain mixed with ice shards fell from the sky, and he heard the galloping hooves of the Mongolian cavalry in the distance of the mountain pass.
The battle flag wavered, and Tangqi retreated layer by layer from the mountain pass to the river valley, shrinking towards their position.
In the valley on the other side, lightning pierced the dark sky. The Western nobles buckled their helmets with feathers, held their spears with spiral wooden poles, and led their horses. They walked through the mud in order to be awarded the merits of the new territory. River Valley heads toward the battlefield.
