Inca Elegy (Novel) "The Fall of the Inca Empire" (Volume 2) by Zhang Baotong
After reading the letter from King Inca, he did not want to continue eating, so he asked the mayor to bring him some thread and began to weave a reply to King Manco. The content of the reply was that after Commander Kunzu and Princess Moteri died in the line of duty, he regrouped nearly 10,000 Indian soldiers to defend on the other side of the Rimac River. Now General Chukwuka continues to guard the other side of the Rimac River with 2,000 soldiers, and he and 8,000 soldiers killed more than 100 Spanish cavalry reinforcements yesterday in the unknown mountain col, and are now guarding the Matukana Xiao They were stationed in the town, waiting for news from Lima.
After weaving the knotted rope, he wrapped the knotted rope in a cloth bag and asked the guard to call the man from Cusco who had just delivered the letter. After giving a few instructions, he handed the cloth bag to the man. At this time, it was already noon, so the woman had to prepare another meal for him and put it on the table for him to eat. But when he just started eating, a spy sent another letter. This letter came from Lima, saying that more than a hundred Spanish cavalry were coming along the mountain path towards Cusco for reinforcements.
This really surprised him, because after the Spanish cavalry squad was wiped out in the mountains and deep valleys, he did not believe that Spain would send the same troops to repeat the same mistake. Therefore, he thought that he could use the same method to annihilate the Spanish cavalry squad. However, the unknown mountain col could no longer be used as an ambush location.
But he knew that the small town of Matucana was the only way from Lima to Haoha and Cusco, and he could use the dangerous passes outside the vicinity as an ambush location. However, he was not familiar with this place, so he called the mayor and asked, "Now there is a Spanish cavalry team of more than a hundred people going to Cusco from here. Do you think where is the best place to lay an ambush?" ?” The mayor thought for a while and said, “The ax ditch should be the best place.”
Mokwa asked the mayor to describe the topography of the trench with an axe. The mayor said, "Xucigou is a narrow mountain path, only about three to five to ten steps wide. On the left and right are cliffs with a height of more than ten people, and at both ends are very narrow mountain passes. As long as two of them are blocked, No one inside can escape from the mountain pass."
When Mokwa heard this, he was overjoyed and asked, "How far is Axegogo from here?" The mayor said, "It's at least fifty or sixty miles away, and it takes most of a day." But Mokwa was about to go. Said, "Take me over now to have a look." The mayor said, "Okay, let's leave now."
So, Mokwa led seven or eight of his subordinates and guards into the casual clothes of local farmers, left the town together, and walked toward the high mountains to the east along a path leading to Haoha. The peaks here are higher and higher, and the path becomes more and more difficult to walk. Because the mountains were empty and deserted, they walked for a long time before occasionally seeing one or two hunters who went into the mountains to hunt hares or trap wolves, and farmers who dug herbs.
When we reached a small village on the roadside, it was already afternoon and everyone was a little thirsty, so the mayor took everyone into the village. There are only a dozen farmhouses of the same size in the village. There are some farmers working in the corn fields around the farmhouses. When they see the mayor bringing people, they take the initiative to say hello to the mayor. The mayor waved to them casually and led everyone towards the village chief's home.
When we came to the village, we saw more than a dozen farmhouses built on the hillside. Due to their age, they were dilapidated and dilapidated. In front of some houses, you can see some old people sitting on small stools and basking in the sun. The old man is the head of the family and has absolute control over the entire family and the marriage of his children. When they saw the mayor coming, they stood up and bowed respectfully to the mayor, as if they had received great honor in front of their home, while leading the mayor to their home. But the mayor kept waving his hands and led everyone directly to the village chief's house.
The house of the village chief's house is obviously better than other farmers' houses. Not only is the house spacious, but it also looks clean and tidy. But before entering the house, a strong smell of urine hit me. Because there are two cows and three sheep in the house next to the house. In this impoverished mountainous area, the only family that can own two cows and three sheep is the village chief's family.
The village chief is not at home, and some of the village chief's women have gone to work in the fields, while others are shucking corn in the house, and a young and beautiful concubine is washing the body of a two-year-old child with urine. Because they think washing children with urine will kill lice. There was another three- or four-year-old boy sitting on the ground outside, crying at the top of his lungs, but no one was there to coax him or take care of him.
An older woman brought small stools for everyone to sit on, and brought a small pot of fresh pears for everyone to eat. While expressing their gratitude, everyone picked up the fresh pears and ate them. After walking such a long mountain road and feeling hot and thirsty, everyone felt very happy to be able to eat such fresh pears.
As soon as everyone sat down, they saw guinea pigs scurrying past everyone's stools along the corner. In order to repay the woman, a guard caught one on the spot and gave it to the woman. The woman happily said that there would be something delicious again tonight.
It was getting late, so everyone only sat for a short while before continuing on their way. After walking for about half an hour, they entered a narrow mountain pass. Originally, the sun was shining warmly on the mountain road, but as soon as we entered the mountain pass, the sun was suddenly blocked by the high cliffs on both sides, and a cold breeze passed through the canyon, giving people a chilling feeling. Follow a path between the two cliffs for about five hundred meters, and you will reach the exit. The exit is very narrow like the entrance, only five or six meters wide.
The mayor asked Mokwa, "How is it?" Mokwa said with great satisfaction, "It's a good coffin." But Mokwa said, "Take me to the top of the cliff to have a look." So, After everyone left the mountain pass, they took a long detour before reaching the top of the cliff. On the top of the cliff is a slope consisting of several hills, with many pine trees growing there. Mokwa stood on a hill and looked out while happily saying to his men, "Great place, we will ambush here."
One noon three days later, the sun had just risen over Dongshan Mountain, and the dew on the grass and wild flowers in the mountains was still shining wetly. Pieces of white clouds or fog are still floating briskly on the mountainside and peaks. From the dense forest on the top of the mountain, you can see a large group of Spanish cavalry walking slowly along the mountain path.
They actually walked very fast, but it made the Indian soldiers who had been lying in wait here for a day and night feel very slow. Originally, according to the spies' report, Spanish soldiers might pass through here yesterday evening. However, perhaps because it rained in the evening, the Spanish stopped their march and spent the night in the small village on the roadside. We started on our way this morning after the rain cleared up.
Seeing the Spanish cavalry appearing on the road ahead, Mokwa asked the soldiers to prepare and pay attention to concealment. He and several lieutenants hid in the dense forest on the top of the mountain and carefully observed the Spanish's march. After about half an hour, the Spanish cavalry arrived at the foot of the mountain and were about to enter the mountain pass. And the cavalry team can no longer be seen on the top of the mountain. So, Mokwa took his men and the trumpeter to the woods on the edge of the cliff and continued to observe.
After a while, Spanish cavalry was seen entering the mountain pass. This was more than a hundred cavalrymen of the Spanish King's Guard, led by the Lieutenant of Madrid. They wore very distinctive and neat uniforms of the Spanish Royal Guard, and rode tall horses with a sacred and arrogant aura. Entering the mountain pass, they suddenly stopped and saw Madrid calling an Indian guide for questioning. The Indian guide pointed at him for a while, then Madrid waved his hand and asked the guide to lead the soldiers forward.
The Indian guide led the soldiers very fast, and when he reached the middle of the narrow cliff path, he slowed down. In fact, all the cavalry had already entered the ambush circle at this time. However, Mokwa still did not give the order immediately, wanting Spain to go deeper. However, Lieutenant Madrid seemed to be aware of the danger of this place and ordered the cavalry to speed up and leave here quickly.
Seeing this, Mokwa immediately asked the trumpeter to blow the horn. The Indian soldiers had been waiting here for too long, so when they heard the sound of the horn, they couldn't wait to jump into the battle. First, whole pine trees were thrown into piles towards the mountain pass, and the entrance and exit were quickly sealed, making it impossible for the Spanish cavalry to pass. Then, they smashed and rolled the whole big rocks towards the place where the Spanish cavalry was concentrated.
The Spanish cavalry was ambushed and immediately transferred the rear team to the front team and retreated. However, when they retreated to the mountain pass, they found that the mountain pass had been sealed, and the Indians kept rolling down boulders from both sides of the cliff. As a result, Madrid had no choice but to let the cavalry rush forward. However, someone immediately told him that the intersection there was also blocked.
Madrid immediately ordered the cavalry to dismount and move away the tree trunks and boulders blocking the entrance, so that the soldiers trapped in the narrow passage could break out. As a result, the soldiers dismounted one after another, hid in the corners of the stone walls of the passage, and fired at the Indians on the cliffs, covering the soldiers who moved and cleared the tree trunks and stones at the entrance. However, while the soldiers were moving here, more Indians kept throwing trees and rolling rocks down from the cliff, not only killing and injuring many Spanish soldiers, but also at the entrance. There are more and more tree trunks and rocks. Almost the entire entrance was blocked tightly.
Thousands of Indians on the cliffs on both sides were constantly throwing stones and tree trunks into the passage. Dense stones and tree trunks rolled down like raindrops in the narrow passage, smashing the Spaniards until they howled like ghosts and had nowhere to hide. The frightened horses ran wildly in the passage, trampling over the fallen soldiers and colliding with those who had not yet fallen, making the besieged soldiers even more frightened and panicked.
