According to the spies' report, Li Jiangyao, Baron Metasequoia and commander-in-chief of the Zhenjiang Army, who had mysteriously disappeared for a long time, suddenly appeared in the army again recently. Not long after that, the actions of the Zhenjiang Army became extremely frequent.
The first change was that they drew elites from each legion under their command, about 10,000 people, to form a large number of light cavalry teams. These light cavalry used methods similar to horse thieves and were scattered throughout the Ghost Desert in Western Xinjiang, specializing in robbing and harassing local garrison patrols and grain transport teams.
The Intelligence Department of the Zhenjiang Army, which is known as "all-pervasive", provided accurate information to the "horse thieves" light cavalry, including the composition of the garrison, the strength of the combat power, the route of travel and the location of relay rest points, etc. No matter the details. This information seemed to open the eyes of the world, and it often allowed the light cavalry of the Zhenjiang Army to easily ambush or surprise the garrison troops with several times the superior strength.
In ten months, dozens of similar sneak attacks and ambushes broke out one after another. The Turkic and Western Xinjiang coalition forces were almost completely defeated. Either a large number of grain, grass and baggage were burned and robbed, or dozens or hundreds of troops were wiped out. For a time, the troops stationed across Western Xinjiang were panicked.
Such repeated attacks have made many commanders no longer dare to easily send people out of the camp to perform daily patrol tasks. In this way, it is tantamount to being divided and blockaded by the Xinjiang Army, and they gradually become blind and deaf. , and then completely lose the initiative on the battlefield.
Of course, Gema was not unresponsive to this.
In order to fight against the harassment of the Zhenjiang Army, 15,000 Yakut elite soldiers formed a guerrilla army. They also attacked in multiple ways, using dispersion against dispersion and guerrilla against guerrilla. They specifically targeted the Zhenjiang light cavalry and implemented mobile defense.
However, his thoughts are beautiful, but the reality is very cruel.
Although the Yakut cavalry can indeed be regarded as an excellent combat force in the Western Continent, except for the troops of the Turkic Golden Tribe, there are not many forces that can pose a great threat to the Yelun Tribe's armed forces, especially in the vast grasslands of Yakutia. , Gema and the others came and went like the wind, invincible, fully demonstrating the superiority of the cavalry unit.
But the problem is that this is not the Western Continent, let alone the Yakut grassland. This is the territory of the Western Xinjiang people.
Whether it was the Xijiang people on the Zhenjiang Army side or the Xijiang people on the Turkic side, no one was willing to help Gema Khan.
Without the cooperation of local snakes, no matter how fierce the Yakut cavalry is, they can only shake their fists in the air - a thankless effort. The usual situation is that a grain transport team is besieged by Zhenjiang light cavalry, and the Yakut guerrillas take action upon hearing the news. Only when they arrive in a hurry do they realize that the enemy has already gone to attack the next target.
Always being slow has become the norm for Turkic troops.
Faced with this helpless disadvantage, the kings of various countries in Western Xinjiang couldn't help but start a group mocking mode.
"This is simply a great shame for the Xijiang reorganized army! Instead of doing this, it is better to disband the team early and go back to each family to find their own mothers!" Alek Jiang, the leader of the Xijiang alliance, snorted dissatisfied.
King Geerhan of Chechi also sneered: "Brother, I have been a horse thief for many years. I robbed homes and houses everywhere, so I have some experience. The Zhenjiang Army's fighting style is simply the horse thief among horse thieves, the leader of horse thieves!"
"Maybe I'm just confused," King Tajik of Shule said to himself: "Sometimes I really can't figure out who is more like the invincible cavalry that comes and goes like the wind? Is this the level of the Turkic elite? Can’t even deal with horse thieves?”
Hearing this, Gema couldn't help but feel angry and itchy: You can lose the war, but being humiliated by the grandsons of Xijiang is absolutely unacceptable.
He immediately summoned his men and formulated a new battle plan: lure the snake out of its hole.
The Turks deliberately spread the word that because of the intense fighting in the Eastern Expedition, new supplies had to be transferred to the front line, so they prepared seven or eight military towns in the west to store grain, all of which were gathered together and sent to Shanshan for transfer to the two passes.
This grain transportation plan can be described as large-scale. More than 6,000 ox-carts and horse-drawn carriages were mobilized at one time, as well as more than 4,000 camels and nearly 30,000 people.
At the same time, 27,000 Yakut cavalry were divided into two groups: light and dark. On the surface, there were 3,000 people responsible for guarding along the way. Secretly, 24,000 soldiers and horses were distributed within ten miles of the transport team for mobile defense.
As soon as the Zhenjiang Army appears, no matter how many come, they will all be killed!
However, I didn't expect that Gema's painstaking plan only ended up being lonely. From Junzhen to Shanshan Ulan, the journey of several hundred miles was uneventful. The entire group of people, whether it was the grain transport team or the light and dark cavalry, ran to the destination with a squeak. Not only did nothing happen, but they received emergency reports from several vassal states!
Taking advantage of the opportunity for the main force of the Yakut cavalry to concentrate on action, the light cavalry of the Zhenjiang Army suddenly launched a multi-pronged attack. They attacked twelve pro-Turkic Western Xinjiang vassal states overnight. Forty-one towns in the southeast of Guimo were killed. The sky is shaking, and there is fire everywhere!
You're trying to lure a snake out of its hole, right? He's trying to pull people out of the cauldron. Are you angry?
Gema Khan was almost pissed to death.
However, he was really helpless. In terms of strength alone, Gema now simply does not have the courage to directly challenge Metasequoia City.
"Be patient a little longer." Gema Khan was not only comforting his injured allies, but also comforting himself: "When my tribal reinforcements arrive from the Western Continent, I will make sure that Li Jiangyao looks good!"
Unfortunately, before his reinforcements arrived in Western Xinjiang, the Xinjiang Army's second move took the lead.
When the scope of activities of garrisons in various places was continuously restricted and compressed by light cavalry, the recruiting officers in Zhenjiang drove their carriages loaded with food and silver coins to the towns and villages of each vassal state, and began to recruit troops and horses as if doing business.
"If one person signs up to join the army, the whole family will receive 300 silver coins and 500 catties of food! The conditions are favorable and the places are limited!"
Such shouts soon resounded in every corner of Western Xinjiang.
The people who had been oppressed by the Turks and had no way to survive immediately saw the hope of survival. In order to feed their families and avenge the deaths of their compatriots, more and more people came to sign up to join the army. The recruitment booths in Zhenjiang were packed every day.
Not long after, teams of new recruits wearing dark blue Shengtang military uniforms set off from various parts of Western Xinjiang one after another. Under the cover of light cavalry detachments, they assembled towards the Yarumqi Mountains.
"Mom! There are actually 100,000 recruits?! Or is it an incomplete count?" Gema smashed the table in front of him with his palm and cursed angrily: "Didn't those bastard kings say that they no longer have adult men to recruit into the army? ? Why did an army of 100,000 appear now and come to Li Jiangyao's place?!"
In fact, Gema really wronged the kings on this issue.
Alik Jiang and the others did not deceive the Turks. The countries in Western Xinjiang were indeed unable to recruit more recruits. This was not entirely because there were no people, but mainly because there was no money.
Since ancient times, it has been a natural thing for soldiers to eat food and receive pay for fighting. Without sufficient food and pay, it is impossible to support the army. Since the countries in Western Xinjiang rebelled against the Holy Tang, there has been almost no calm for nearly five years.
After several wars, every family's treasury is empty and their wallets are dry.
Especially when he encounters two demon-level money-sucking scourges - Li Jiangyao and Ge Ma.
Li Jiangyao's usual tactic is to "fight a war and try not to kill anyone." He specializes in large-scale kidnapping and extortion. After repeated trips, the ransom money collected from the kings of Western Xinjiang is an astronomical figure.
The fierceness of Gemma Khan was the creative invention of the "overlapping tax system". With the iron abacus, no one from the king to the slaves could secretly save private money.
In front of these two inhumane guys, the kings of Western Xinjiang were worse than a beggar.
Geerhan even thought about resigning from the position of king many times and returning to his old career as a horse thief.
The conditions are so difficult, who do you think can still free their hands and feet to recruit soldiers?
What's more, joining the Western Xinjiang reorganized army is tantamount to working for the Turks, and it is very likely that he will be sent to the east to fight against the Shengtang army. This kind of thankless task of making wedding clothes for others, and of course it is difficult to get the response and support from the people of Western Xinjiang.
But then again, I heard that the Zhenjiang Army had recruited so many troops. No matter how angry Gema Khan was, there was nothing he could do - he couldn't send the kings to the west when they needed the support the most. Pull him out and beat him up, right?
Tolerate! If you are anxious, you must endure it even more!
Seeing that Li Jiangyao's Xinjiang Army was getting stronger and stronger, while his own side was becoming more and more unstable, Gema secretly reminded himself that now that the troops were insufficient and the intelligence system was weak, any strategies would be in vain. Only by being patient can you wait for the opportunity to strike back.
He originally planned to write a letter to Chili, hoping that after the Battle of the Imperial Capital, the eldest prince would transfer some of the Yakut troops back to help him strengthen his military presence in the Ghost Desert of Western Xinjiang.
However, the crazy battle in the imperial capital, regardless of the cost, completely shattered Gema Khan's plans.
Based on the current situation, not to mention that Prince Chili will never agree to send troops back to Western Xinjiang. Even if the son-in-law nods and agrees to release the people, the soldiers who will come back will be disabled and exhausted, and there is no hope for them in a short time. .
The only reliable thing at the moment is the reinforcements urgently transferred from the Yakutia grasslands of the western continent.
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"Sir, we have just received the latest news. The reinforcements from the Turkic Yelun tribe are most likely to follow the Bien Pass at the southern foot of the Altay Mountains, around Kanas Lake and enter Western Xinjiang."
In the Metasequoia City Guards House, Yudora, the leader of the Zhenjiang Army Intelligence Department, said seriously: "According to the Persians, there are about 60,000 to 70,000 Turkic troops who came to reinforce Gema this time, including some of Yelun's subordinates. Tribal soldiers and horses. It can be said that this is Gema’s old strength.”
Li Jiangyao stared at the map and sighed faintly: "Would it be too cruel to take away someone's old salary all at once?"
