The old hunchbacked grandfather was the most conspicuous person among the group of diners, because the large banner with the word "You" he held was the most eye-catching, and he never came close to the carriage.
"Is there going to be a war?" Xiao Luolan murmured.
Maybe the next war won't be the current petty fight.
Return to Yicheng.
The old king sat on the throne with a gloomy face. The six tribes around him were each sitting behind a long desk. Among them, the Khan of the Sijie tribe and the Khan of the Gulunwu ancient tribe had the worst expressions. The one from Niujiaoshan In the battle, they each lost five hundred warriors in the tribe, and a thousand people were completely wiped out, and no one returned!
The most hateful thing is that the people from other tribes saw that they were frustrated, and the number of people sent for subsequent harassment was getting smaller and smaller. In the end, under the pressure of the King of Huiyi City and Tumi'er, they sent more harassment teams.
In the main hall, there is no more singing and dancing in the past, and only a solemn atmosphere remains.
Tumi'er sat next to the old king and poured him wine. She looked at the six tribal khans below and asked with a sweet smile: "The war is about to begin. Is it true that Qimi's Angqin Khan can't decide to come? "
During their gathering this time, out of the eight major tribes on the grassland, he was the only one who didn't come: Hun, Pugu, Sijie, Gulunwugu, Abusi, Beyegu, and Huiyi. There was only one Qimi left to attend. .
The Khan of the ancient Beye tribe sat cross-legged on a colorful wool felt. He used a small bent dagger to hold the leg of lamb and ate it. The sizzling lamb leg was roasted until it was oily, and he drank a sip of it. A bowl of goat's milk and a mouthful of salty biscuits. He was fat, but after only three or two mouthfuls, his beard, which was braided into a long braid at his chin, was stained with a lot of oil. When he heard this, he looked up at the Turk Concubine Zuo glanced at her and said: "City Lord Meng hasn't spoken yet, and you are not the Dalan clan, so you are making a big move. Didn't Gus of Qimi have already sent someone to tell us that he will not participate?"
The smile on Tumi'er's face faltered.
The Khans of the remaining six tribes ate and drank as if they had not heard anything.
Meng Henamur smiled and patted Zuo Concubine's hand and said: "My beloved, don't be angry, Zhebu always speaks openly. Since Qimi Khan does not want to participate in this alliance, after it is over, then we There is no need to betray the Secret Department of the Grassland."
The old king smiled and seemed not to care at all.
The several khans present looked at each other. Zhebu, the khan of Ban Yegu, adjusted his sitting position, tore off a large piece of mutton and stuffed it into his mouth.
Tumi'er stared at him, still unhappy in her heart.
Zhebu met her snake-like gaze and sneered: "City Lord Meng, although my Baye Ancient Tribe joined this alliance at a later stage, it is unambiguous in doing things. This time my tribe has made great achievements. We sent three hundred cavalry to harass Zhou Manzi’s cavalry, if they end up like those in Gulunwugu.”
He paused, and when he saw Gu Lun Wu Gu and Si Jie, the stubborn Khan looked at him, took a sip of wine, and said: "Then I want to ask why the pagoda ride promised by your beloved concubine has not arrived yet. Return to Yi!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Khan of Gulunwugu immediately answered: "Yes, now seeing the Youzhou cavalry rushing towards the direction of returning to Yicheng, why is the three thousand pagoda cavalry promised by Zuo Fei always delayed? Not here yet?”
"Could it be that Concubine Zuo wants us to fight against the Youzhou Cavalry and collect the fruits after our vitality is severely damaged? This is not kind."
"We got together after we agreed to deal with the Youbarbarian together. If your Turkic cavalry doesn't join us, then we might as well just disperse." The Khan of the Hun tribe stood up and said loudly.
"You Turks have always been cunning. Just like the people of the Central Plains, you like to use conspiracy and tricks to make us die in vain. What a beautiful idea!"
The seven major tribes put together, except for the timid Qimi who did not join, the cavalry gathered in Huiyi City is about 20,000, which is equivalent to one tribe spending most of its wealth to provide for this war. The number of three thousand has already cost the lives of many tribes.
Therefore, during the battle at Niujiao Mountain, Gu Lunwu Gu and Si Jie Khan were so furious at the sudden loss of five hundred people and could not calm down.
The Khans of the seven tribes expressed their opinions one after another. Seeing the situation, the old king smiled and comforted Tumi'er: "My beloved concubine, the pagoda cavalry led by your eldest brother set off a few months ago. I was worried that something had happened, so I let him Your eldest brother hasn’t arrived yet?”
Tumi'er looked at the old king's always kind face like the Maitreya Buddha of the Central Plains, but she saw a touch of coldness in his eyes. Tumi'er broke out in a cold sweat instantly: "My, your lord, your eldest brother should be here soon, you Don’t worry, we Turks will definitely spare no effort to help you keep Zhou Manzi here forever.”
The old king touched Tumi'er's back and said with a smile: "That's good. I'm also worried that my brother-in-law will have any accidents on the road."
Tumi'er forced a smile and snuggled into the old king's arms.
The palace door was suddenly opened.
The eldest prince and the third prince were standing outside, followed by a sturdy middle-aged man. The middle-aged man wore thick long clothes, his hair was braided into small braids and tied behind his head, and he wore a sun-shaped golden sunglasses on his head. He was wearing a costume, and he was accompanied by ten bodyguards.
"Hahaha, Tumi'er, my brother is here to see you." The man smiled boldly and strode into the palace. He glanced past the tribal khans and then looked at the man who was older than his father with a smile on his face. Big brother-in-law.
As soon as he came in, Tumi'er was surprised and happy: "Brother, why are you here?"
"Brother-in-law is here, please sit down." The old king also got off the throne and asked people to sit down.
Su Rilakun also sat down with a smile on his face: "I'm late this time, I hope my brother-in-law doesn't blame me."
The old king suddenly smiled and said: "You and I are related by marriage. As long as you can come, brother-in-law, I will be very happy. After Zhou Manzi came to power in recent years, he has always been ruthless to people from all walks of life in our grassland. He killed them at every turn. Even many of the best pastures on the grassland have been occupied by him, especially the Yanzhi Mountain area, which has become his private domain. He has purchased horses on a large scale and has become a tyrant."
"If things continue like this, what will happen to all of us." The old king invited the seven tribal khans to come over and said: "Now only by working together can we completely defeat him and take back everything we have."
"Okay! City Lord Meng is right!"
"It should be so. Zhou Manzi bullied others too much. If we continue to be weak, I'm afraid we will be the next ones to disappear."
"We occupy the right place at the right time, and now with the help of the Pagoda Cavalry, we will win this battle!"
The Khans of the seven tribes said one after another, without any trace of the resentment and dissatisfaction they had expressed not long ago. Regardless of what they really thought in their hearts, they were united at this moment.
Tumi'er looked coldly at Jebu and...the old king, the old immortal, actually threatening her.
The eldest prince coughed lightly and asked Tumi'er to pay attention.
The third prince looked at the people in the palace quietly.
"Brother-in-law, I wonder why you came so late this time?" After exchanging an oath, the old king's small eyes looked at the eldest son of the Turkic Great Khan.
Suzila Kun said: "When I came, my father reminded me to be more careful during this trip. He felt that Zhou Manzi had probably guessed that our Turks were also involved in this war. After all, he sold bows/crossbows to us. The Wang family members were all arrested."
"I learned from the intelligence that Zhou Manzi originally had two thousand cavalry, and later added three thousand Xuanjia Battalion. Xuanjia Battalion is a powerful cavalry regiment in Youzhou, with a total of five thousand cavalry. This number can be said to be quite a lot."
The Khans of the seven tribes all nodded. It was indeed a lot. Raising a cavalry was no joke. People like them on the grasslands also spent a lot of effort and money.
"The Futu Cavalry and I set out from the Beihai side, and we were extremely cautious along the way. We were worried that Zhou Manzi, who was not among the five thousand cavalry, would lead his men to look for us with a false shot." Suzila Kun paused and said, "After all, when it comes to hatred, , we Turks and Zhou Manzi are the deepest."
"Little Khan, don't worry. The seven or eight tribes of us are all staring at that Zhou Manzi, but we know clearly that he and his newly married wife are among the five thousand cavalry, and many scouts have also seen him. Pass him, I can guarantee this!" Khan of the Hun tribe said, patting his chest.
Su Rilakun smiled and said, "I believe it."
"I'm here first. The pagoda cavalry will arrive at Huiyi in three days, so I won't miss my brother-in-law's plan."
"Okay!" Seeing the strong foreign support, the old king clapped his hands and said with a smile: "If we can defeat Zhou Manzi in this battle, I will not treat you badly!"
"There is a saying in the Central Plains." Su Rilakun also smiled and said: "Just wait and wait, right?"
"Hahaha, that's right, that's right."
"Today I reward the warriors of each tribe and let them eat and drink well. Women Hu Ji can use it as much as they want. I hope everyone can do something to hold off the Youzhou Iron Cavalry as long as possible."
"The more tired and cold we are, the better our chances of winning will be."
"Now that they have entered Tianshan North Road, the war will break out in at most ten days. In five days, we will recharge our batteries and wait for them. We will use these five days to harass them day and night, leaving them exhausted and unable to rest!" Su Rilakun said.
Except for the old King Hui Yi, the other six tribes' Khans cursed in their hearts, "You are such a ruthless boy, you have to send them inside."
"Then after three days, the Futu Cavalry will also need to join the team that disrupts the Youzhou Iron Cavalry." Gu Lunwugu said cruelly. They will do it for three days first, and then hand it over to the Futu Cavalry for the next two days. They can't be the only ones for the five days. Making an effort.
"Okay." Su Rilakun responded.
The rest of the people felt a little more comfortable.
Three days later.
Xiao Luolan was awakened from her sleep. She looked into the distance through the carriage window. In the distance, there was the chaotic sound of horse hooves, the sound of fire and the sound of killing.
She had not slept well these days. Recently, more and more cavalry were harassing them, even day and night, like groups of hyenas staring at them. The workload of scouts and prisoners increased, and they tripped the horse ropes during the day. They secretly threw kerosene into the caltrops at night. Although there were no major casualties, the disgusting feeling of being stuck on them lingered.
Xiao Luolan probably knew their intentions.
They want to delay the Youzhou Cavalry to death, and it is best to delay them until winter.
Although she knew Sect Leader Zhou's plan, she still couldn't help but feel worried.
It was too far away for her to see clearly.
Several retainers tightly guarded the mistress's carriage. Several kerosene sticks suddenly shot into the range from a distance. He Jin shot them down with his Zen staff. Zheng Yuxin immediately extinguished them with soil. The surrounding cavalry gathered. Hu Dali saw the mistress. It's okay, I'm relieved.
Hu Dali picked up the kerosene stick and checked it out. The cavalry that attacked tonight were different from the trash before.
In the darkness in the distance, Zhou Xu saw the kerosene stick suddenly appearing in the air. He narrowed his eyes slightly and walked silently in the direction of the arrow, looking for the Turkic man in the darkness.
After the cavalry from the front discovered this hundred-man team that combined reconnaissance and raiding, Zhou Xu knew that the wait for these days had come to fruition.
He stood on a high place and asked Tuoba Agu and others to entangle the small team and make sure to keep them.
The darkness was deeper in the distance. These people did not bring open flames, and the torches carried by the Tuoba cavalrymen in the opposite direction to him did not illuminate the darkness.
Zhou Xu walked silently in this area, and slowly stopped, listening to the sound of the autumn wind blowing through the long grass, and the subtle sound of the collision of gold. Turkic people like gold jewelry, both men and women. For pierced ears, gold earrings are worn all year round. Among Turkic men, the shape of gold leaves is their favorite. If they are of high status, they are in the shape of the sun. Turkic women prefer the shape of earrings shaped like flowers, grass or rivers.
Zhou Xu listened quietly for a while, then slowly drew his bow and shot an arrow.
The arrow leaves the string, just like a shooting star.
There was a bang, like a cucumber breaking, and then there was the muffled sound of a heavy body falling to the ground.
Zhou Xu waited in the dark for a while.
I saw Zhou Lingzhi leading another team to search in the direction of the arrow with torches.
In the light of the fire, Zhou Lingzhi also saw his uncle. Naturally, he also saw the Turkic man who was shot from the center of his eyebrow to the back of his head by his uncle's arrow. He glanced back. This Turkic man was an undoubted master of archery. A small amount of hillside height can shoot the kerosene stick that far.
Zhou Xu stepped forward, took out his arrow, and then cut off the Turk's head with a knife.
Zhou Lingzhi knew this habit of his uncle. When he was in a good mood with people from other tribes, he could let them go. But that was impossible with the Turks. As long as his uncle caught him, the only destination for their heads would be to decorate them, big or small. of Jingguan.
"What a great head, I can take it." Zhou Xu shook the head in his hand, the anger in his heart subsided a little, and smiled at his fellow soldiers who came over.
"Let's go."
Everyone followed behind Lord Jiedushi, as if they were surrounding themselves with their own beliefs, silently and firmly following his steps.
Chapter 77 (revision)
Under the vast starry sky, the fighting on the Tianshan North Road is still going on. Due to the order issued by the Jiedushi Master, this sneak attack team must be kept here forever, so Tuoba Agu and the Tiele tribe have to fight at all costs. This hundred-man cavalry squad is going to be killed.
One team covered, the other outflanked, attacking from both sides, forming a narrow angle, tightening the encirclement little by little, trapping the Turks who were desperately resisting.
These Turks were well-equipped, not only with bows/crossbows, but also full-moon scimitars, and their riding skills were superb. They chased them for hundreds of miles before they were surrounded. Tuoba Agu wiped the blood from his face, He was riding on a horse. He showed no mercy towards the Turks who had been with him under the grassland sky. On the contrary, his murderous intent became stronger. These skilled opponents shot several Tuoba tribesmen to death. Tiele The human casualties were greater than theirs.
However, this Turkic cavalry team is not much better. There are about a hundred people, and now only about half are left.
Because the Tuoba tribe has the best horses, the fastest swords, and the sharpest arrows! What's the point of fearing these Turks?
Tuoba Agu looked at the Turks coldly, glancing at their various gold ornaments. After a while, the Tuoba people from behind gradually caught up with them, each of them carrying a Turkic weapon in their hands. Their heads were hung on the saddles, and the horses underneath them snorted due to the bloody excitement. The horses' hooves kicked for a while. Everyone was looking at the surrounded Turkic cavalry.
No one spoke, and no one on the other side surrendered. Only the cold silence spread. Everyone knew that this battle was either his death or mine.
On the flat areas of the grassland, the duel between cavalry was simple and brutal, because it was endless, with no obstacles, no mountains, forests, ravines, and no big rivers. Once surrounded, it was impossible to even rely on the flexibility of the cavalry to rush out, because the opponent was also the same. Also cavalry.
Tuoba Amu held the long wood/cang in his hand, the night wind blew: "Kill!"
The two sides continued to fight together, and many Turks were knocked off their horses by long swords. Then they drew out their scimitars and started fighting.
