Therefore, Li Ke speculated that Li Tai's people probably arrived here one day in advance and planned to ambush here, otherwise there would be no tiger lie concocted by Kuang Dazhuang.
Fortunately, the post station was defended this time. On the one hand, Lao Mo reacted quickly enough and controlled the post soldiers in time despite being prepared in advance. On the other hand, it was also because the veterans of the heavy iron team were extremely experienced in combat and could quickly and effectively Establish a good defensive position.
The yard was filled with corpses, but while Tian Luming was shaking his head and walking through it, he didn't find any clues that could be used.
Li Ke took Lao Yuan to check all the horses and livestock. Fortunately, the losses were not serious and would not affect the next march.
But what was the purpose of Li Tai's attack this time?
Li Zhi, a kid who has begun to learn reasoning, ran over excitedly: "One may be to eliminate Li Ke, and the other may be to delay time. Hehe, my analysis makes sense, right?"
That makes sense!
Without Li Ke's intervention, Lao Yuan could criticize Li Zhi's comprehensive and unfocused analysis.
There is only one possibility for the enemy to launch such a fierce attack, which is to eliminate everyone in the inn.
Such a plan and such intensity are completely not what ordinary bandits would do, but a serious method of warfare.
Judging from the entire attack process, it was not meant to delay time at all.
If it was to delay time, Li Tai should have adopted other harassment tactics that would be more reasonable and not leave so many corpses.
Everything depends on the conflict that took place last night. Was it a fight or a brawl?
Li Zhi was dumbfounded: "Is Wu Meiniang so cruel?"
Of course they are ruthless, they want to eliminate everyone led by Li Ke.
The pitch-black post station is no longer habitable, and the soldiers of the heavy railway team now sleep in their own military tents.
After the heavy battle last night, we must regenerate enough energy and spirit as soon as possible to be fully prepared for the next battle.
Li Ke carefully grabbed a handful of yellow grass on the ground and thought about it silently.
Li Tai suffered heavy losses last night. He needs to recuperate and replenish himself anyway. He should not attack again soon.
On the other hand, from the perspective of the heavy railway team, now is a good time to take the initiative to attack Li Tai.
But how to find Li Tai quickly?
There are many hills outside the inn.
Li Ke led the cavalry team to move quickly.
Since Li Tai had many wounded soldiers, people with sword and arrow injuries would definitely be discovered if they went to a crowded place.
Li Ke also firmly believed that Li Tai's hiding place would not be too far away from where people gathered.
Because the captured postman at the post station had already confessed, Li Tai came in too hasty and did not bring much supplies and food. If he was too far away from the crowd, it would be difficult to obtain supplies.
As long as Li Ke searches the surrounding area repeatedly, he should be able to find clues about Li Tai.
"Did I run too fast?" Lao Yuan was a little worried.
The soldiers who followed this time all wore only one helmet, and they only wore chest armor. In the winding hilly area, if they were suddenly attacked, the consequences would be disastrous.
But Li Ke dismissed Lao Yuan's question: "So it must be faster and it must be unexpected."
To speed up the cavalry, arrive at a place quickly and then leave quickly, Li Ke's goal is to find Li Tai before he is ready.
According to the postman's report, Li Tai indeed brought more than a hundred war horses. It was impossible for so many horses to leave no trace at all.
Although Lao Yuan knew that using speed could catch the enemy off guard, judging from the attack last night, the men in black led by Li Tai were not ordinary bandits. They were of high quality and would be very difficult to deal with if they encountered them.
What's more important is that Li Taifang was defeated in the new battle, and it was impossible for him to be unprepared for the troubles around him.
Li Ke also knew that running around on the hillside was risky, and once again issued an order to remind: "Be vigilant and turn around immediately if there is any suspected danger."
The configuration of one person and two horses is to ensure that you can retreat quickly when the situation is unfavorable and to minimize risks.
In fact, Li Ke originally hoped to mobilize Zhe Chongfu troops across the state, but unfortunately the current procedures were too complicated, and now he could only take risks in order to seize the time advantage.
Fortunately, there is a lot of room for maneuver in the hilly terrain, which allows Li Ke to travel covertly and quickly, and Li Tai must not have expected that Li Ke would come so fast.
Lao Yuan was a veteran and knew that Li Ke was determined so he didn't say anything more.
The hillside path was not a good road, and the soldiers discovered that the shorter horse could actually move faster than the war horse they purchased.
The powerful horses are indeed good horses. Although most of the powerful horses accompanying this time have some hidden wounds left after doing rough and heavy work, they still have a significant advantage in the harsh geography.
I finally found a mark that had been carefully buried in front of me. When I dug out, there were piles of horse manure wrapped in cloth bags.
It is horse manure that is uniformly sorted during the march. In order to conceal its whereabouts, many armies often hang a manure bag on the horse's buttocks to prevent horse manure scattered along the road from being exposed.
From the amount of horse manure, we can roughly estimate the number of horses, which must be more than a hundred horses.
"Judging from the freshness of the horse manure, it should have been pulled down before dawn." A veteran was very experienced. He had served as a cavalryman before.
Li Ke nodded: "Li Tai should be within a short distance."
More than a hundred war horses, without sufficient food and grass and still bearing wounds, would never hide too far away.
The terrain ahead gradually became more dangerous, the trees were swaying in the wind, and some ghosts were bumping into each other.
…
Finally, Li Tai's hiding place was found through horse dung.
The jungle is not big, but very dense.
Li Ke crawled forward, climbed over a broken branch of grass, and carefully hid under the root of a big tree.
"There is one hidden sentry and two open sentinels." Lao Yuan lowered his voice and wanted to report to Li Ke.
Li Ke gave a thumbs up, because Li Ke only saw two bright whistles and did not have the eyesight to spot the hidden whistle.
This is indeed a good place to hide people, with dense woods and uneven stone cracks.
Li Ke quietly ordered that everyone put a small shield on their arms and prepared to fight.
The soldiers all knew that their team was very bold, but twelve people attacking a garrison with a numerical advantage still made people take a breath.
It is indeed very cold. Li Ke's attack plan is to hit more with less, and it must be very violent.
The fierce and violent bows and arrows directly killed two open sentries and deliberately left behind hidden sentries.
The secret whistle exclaimed, rolling away from the thick withered grass: "The enemy is attacking! The enemy is attacking."
Li Ke led his soldiers in fierce pursuit, deliberately missing the whistle that was shouting wildly.
