Chapter 93 Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road
On the boundless grassland, a troop of cavalry is slowly driving thousands of fat sheep forward.
A group of men, clad in leather protective gear and carrying standard-issue long swords, rode proudly on sturdy steeds. Lin Changning was in high spirits, as were the cavalrymen. The flock of sheep resembled a moving white cloud, densely packed together, moving forward, their bleating rising and falling in a noisy chorus. However, it didn't dampen Lin Changning's good mood; even the bleating sounded like the lambs singing. Occasionally, a few sheep would strafe the flock, but before they could run a few steps, the cavalrymen would catch up and whip them back into the flock.
Lin Changning hummed "Serve the country with utmost loyalty," while Zhang Baihu grinned from ear to ear, having finally managed to fleece his neighbors on the grasslands over the years.
Normally, they wouldn't get to rob anything; it's always these bastards who come down to steal grain, kill, and set fires year after year. Now it's finally their turn to get their hands on something. Changning even killed a leader—a great achievement, a truly outstanding one.
Zhang Baihu thought to himself with delight that he should be able to return to the rank of Qianhu this time. There was still a position available, and they had fought over all these sheep. He was bound to get a promotion, and he could probably snatch a lot of meat for the New Year this year.
Unlike them, Hadar's team not only failed to seize any grain during their raid on Daxing, but also suffered a severe beating. Their own leader almost perished in Daxing. While one side was doing well, another side was not.
As the morning sun rose again, it painted the grassland golden. The cavalry, who had suffered heavy losses and were left with only a little over a thousand men, walked dejectedly on their way back to the tribe. The all-night run had taken its toll on many of them. With no other option, and with Hadar still unconscious, the cavalry leader immediately ordered them to set up camp and rest.
The tents were set up, and the team of over a thousand people set up camp on the spot. Hadar was quickly carried into the tent for treatment.
Hadar lay pale in the tent. His chest had been simply bandaged, but blood was still seeping through the gauze. The accompanying medic instructed, "The wound is quite large. Try to avoid jostling to prevent it from reopening. The medicine has already been applied, but you'll need to return to the tribe for proper treatment."
The cavalryman removed his armor, stood beside Hadar, and nodded to indicate that he understood.
Outside the camp, horses were grazing on the dry grass on the ground, with water bags and dry rations hanging on their saddles. Groups of soldiers dismounted and sat together, each with a look of dejection on their face. Wounded cavalrymen were gathered in one tent, tending to their wounds and bandaging themselves.
Those with minor injuries helped move supplies and kept the weapons and horses safe and secure.
Hadar woke up in less than half a day. This time, he had lost both his wife and his army, and he was even hung on the city wall of Daxing. It was an utter disgrace.
He failed to seize any supplies and lost half his troops. He didn't know how to explain it to the tribes. If he went back empty-handed, he probably wouldn't be able to lead troops again for four or five years.
Thinking of this, Hadar sat up and pondered how to salvage some of the losses. Besides Daxing, there were a few other Han Chinese cities that he could cross, but now he only had a little over a thousand cavalrymen left. With so few men, it would be difficult to break through the city walls.
But I'm really not willing to go back empty-handed, so why not?
Hadar pondered for a moment and thought of other hostile tribes. The grasslands were not all harmonious. Now that the Khan was seriously ill, several princes were vying for power, which gave him an opportunity. With more than a thousand cavalrymen, if he couldn't rob the Han people, couldn't he rob other tribes?
Thinking this, Hadar gritted his teeth and decided to raid the nearest Baturuk tribe, since the Wala and their Mong tribe were already at odds and had many conflicts.
After making his decision, Hadar was helped out of his tent by two guards. After a brief pep talk, he announced that they would camp for a day of rest and launch a surprise attack on the Baturuk tribe the next day to seize their sheep and warhorses.
The demoralized warriors looked at each other upon hearing this, but quickly rallied under the loud shouts of their guards.
Day 2
They had come quickly on a long march, but their speed slowed down considerably on the way back with such a large flock of sheep. However, almost every Da Xuan cavalryman had a joyful expression on their face, and they even roasted dozens of sheep to eat when they set up camp.
The lamb sizzles and drips oil when roasted over a fire in winter, and with a sprinkle of salt, the aroma is so enticing that it makes your tongue tingle. The domineering fragrance of roasted lamb permeates the grasslands in winter, and last night it even attracted a pack of wolves. However, due to the intimidation of the eight hundred cavalrymen, the wolves only glanced at the lamb and did not approach. Instead, they waited until the lamb was gone before slowly gathering some of the entrails and dismembering the lamb.
Perhaps having tasted the sweetness of victory, the wolves dared not approach, but instead lagged far behind them. Lin Changning glanced at them a few times but didn't care. The wolves were hungry, but a pack with an alpha wolf wasn't stupid. They didn't dare approach so many cavalrymen with swords. Once they got close, it was hard to say who would be the prey.
A group of people were walking unhurriedly towards Daxing when suddenly, Lin Changning noticed the ground beginning to tremble slightly. Almost instantly, he became alert, drew his sword, and shouted, "Everyone! Be on alert!!"
The cavalrymen felt the ground tremble and instantly formed a battle formation. Just as they were wondering if the people behind them were catching up, they suddenly discovered more than a thousand Tatar cavalrymen galloping towards them from several hundred meters away.
The leader was Hadar, who naturally saw the Da Xuan Border Army herding sheep. Before he could even react, the two cavalry units suddenly clashed. Lin Changning was speechless; how did they catch up so quickly?
The two men on horseback stared at each other, and Hadar was completely exasperated. He hadn't expected that they would still be chasing after them even after they had come all this way. He was so angry that he wanted to grind his teeth!
Lin Changning was also stunned, unable to understand how the Tartars, whose warhorses had been blown off by cannon fire and were halfway away, managed to catch up.
It was only a moment later. Hadar had learned his lesson. He glanced at the flock of sheep behind Lin Changning and ground his teeth. The cunning Han people must have some kind of trap waiting for him! Thinking this, Hadar quickly ordered his cavalry to run around them and continue plundering the Baturuk tribe.
The few remaining cavalrymen cannot be wasted on the Han people.
Hadar led his men and ran away. Lin Changning was also dumbfounded, but after a few seconds of thought, he shouted, "Leave the scouts and fifty men to guard the sheep and drive towards Daxing! The rest of you! Follow me and kill them!!"
After saying that, he led Zhang Baihu and more than 700 cavalrymen in a whirlwind chase after them.
Lin Changning quickly realized that this group was probably from Daxing, and there were still pursuers behind them. If the two groups were to join forces, it would be difficult to get back. Once he understood this, Lin Changning immediately led his cavalry to intercept them. As long as they could stop the group from returning, their military rations would be safely in the hands of Daxing Guard.
Seeing Lin Changning catching up, Hadar felt that the Han people were treacherous and definitely there to kill him. He couldn't help but cover his reopened wound and shout, "Speed up! Retreat!"
Seven hundred Da Xuan cavalrymen thundered across the grassland, chasing a thousand men. Lin Changning, who was leading the charge, got covered in dust and became increasingly convinced that the cavalrymen ahead were planning to regroup and steal sheep.
He brandished a knife and shouted, "Charge! Cut them down, and the lambs are ours!!"
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