Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 295 Dead Land
The essence of the Storm Plan can be summed up in one sentence: to force the Teldens into battlefields where cavalry would be less effective.

How can this be done?
Winters' strategy was simple and straightforward—block all other routes.

Defense must rely on the natural defenses of mountains and rivers, but what about the Tuo River, which has no natural defenses?

Then the only solution is to build mountains and rivers from flat land.

The wall is a man-made mountain.

Of the two sections of construction, the [Shield Wall] was overseen by Bard and had already broken ground when Winters mobilized to evacuate the people of [Lower Iron Peak County].

The manpower that Bard used were civilians who had taken refuge in Blackwater Town and Five Mastiff Town.

The conscription of refugees to build the wall was not only to meet military needs, but also a way of managing and providing relief.

The total length of the [Shield Wall] is approximately 18 kilometers. It is mostly located in areas with uneven terrain that are difficult for large armies to pass through. The wall is built using the traditional method of "digging trenches and ramming earth into walls".

Bud deliberately left the main roads leading to Cowhoof Valley and Little Rock unpaved—at Winters' request.

Therefore, Taichi actually wronged his subordinates.

Qing Lingyu wasn't lying. He crossed the river to investigate the two main roads, and indeed, he saw nothing. There were no walls or moats, and the roads were completely flat, without even a ditch.

On the night of the second attack on Tushe by Teldun, Winters led a large force to the battlefield and used wooden stakes, baskets, mud and a brand-new earthwork method to build a nearly 4-kilometer-long "Dagger Wall" overnight.

The next day, when Teldun's army crossed the river, Taichi saw the scene before him: a low wall, not very high, blocked his way, with both ends of the wall stretching to the horizon.

While the subjects and slaves might be afraid because of the rumor that "demons helped two-legged people build a city overnight," Zhukota and Nayan were not surprised at all.

Although the Telden nobles still did not know how the two-legged people could build a wall more than ten kilometers long overnight, they had seen more robust defensive structures after years of fighting.

The question is, how do we break it?

……

The Teldun riders, carrying sheepskin bags filled with dirt, took turns rushing to the ditch and throwing the bags down.

The militia of Tiefeng County retaliated with bows and arrows, and also threw pottery jars filled with lamp oil and burning fiercely, but they still could not stop the earthen mounds from piling up higher and higher.

The wall was so low that an adult could easily climb over it with a little effort.

The Terdun barbarians certainly couldn't be unaware of this.

While the riders attacked the city from the front with earthen ramparts, other armored soldiers quietly circled around to approach the walls and cooperated to climb them.

Upon seeing this, the watchtower on the wall immediately sounded the alarm and waved a flag to indicate the location.

Just as a Terdun soldier climbed onto the wall, he heard the sound of wind in his ear, and the next moment he was struck on the head by a flail that shattered his skull, causing him to fall to the ground bleeding profusely.

On the other side of the wall, an honest-looking militiaman shouted excitedly, unable to contain his excitement: "I killed one!"

Most of the militia members were just ordinary farmers just two weeks ago. They had more courage to use flails to beat up "thieves" who were climbing over walls than to engage in brutal close combat.

Before the honest militiamen could rejoice for long, one after another, more Terdun soldiers leaped over the wall.

Having just "achieved a first-class victory," the honest militiamen grew bolder and shouted as they raised their flails to strike the barbarians.

However, the Terdon armored soldiers calmly raised their shields and met the flail at a very small angle.

The yoke left only a scratch on the shield, and the Teldun warrior strode forward, raising his scimitar and slashing fiercely.

The honest militiaman, stunned and unable to react, had his neck nearly cleaved in two and died on the spot.

Upon witnessing their comrade's gruesome death, the other militiamen scattered in panic.

The armored soldier, Teldun, laughed menacingly, while his personal slave knelt on the ground, retching uncontrollably.

However, Terdon's laughter soon ceased, and his slave could no longer vomit, for they were both dead.

The lance that killed the Teldun warrior was held by Bart Sharing.

Bart Sharling did not linger by the corpse; he still had to hunt down the other Terdun warriors.

Ancient military strategists described the Had people as follows: "These barbarians have short and weak lower limbs, which have atrophied from years of riding horses, making it impossible for them to walk for long periods of time, let alone fight on foot."

This is, of course, a completely untrue misunderstanding; the Hurds could certainly fight on foot if necessary.

However, the very fact that this misunderstanding occurred demonstrates that the Heds would go to great lengths to avoid dismounted combat, to the point that their enemies were almost never seen.

Once the Hitts lost their warhorses, they lost their most powerful weapon.

For example, these elite Teldun soldiers who were the first to arrive could never have imagined that one day they would become two-legged people, and that two-legged people would ride horses and charge at them with guns.

Bart Sharling, leading three squads of ten riders, routed more than a dozen Teldun armored soldiers who had scaled the wall in a single charge.

So the Terdun warriors took off running for their lives, while the Paratu cavalry raised their maces high and smashed them down on the back of the Terdun men's heads.

This scene not only occurred in Barth Sharing's defense zone, but also in three other defense zones with flat terrain suitable for cavalry attacks.

……

Although it was just a low wall, Winters and Bard had planned it carefully:

On the one hand, the project was adapted to the terrain to minimize the amount of work; on the other hand, the project was built in locations where cavalry could not pass through.

Looking at the map alone, it's easy to mistake Tiefeng County for a plain.

In fact, Tiefeng County is located on the northern foothills of the Jinding Mountains. It is the last ripple of the mountains, with undulating terrain and limited areas suitable for large-scale cavalry to pass through.

Based on this, Winters deployed his main company in three "choke points," while he himself was stationed at [the Dagger Wall].

The defense zones of the Second Company, the Fourth Company, and the militia auxiliary detachment were the most suitable key areas for cavalry deployment—because the main road of Tiefeng County passed through this area.

……

Taichi and the other Teldunnayan could not see what was happening on the other side of the wall.

This wall not only blocked the warhorses but also obstructed the Teldun's view, preventing them from knowing the defenders' deployment.

Under the banner of the horse tail, the few Terdun Qinglingyu could only see the armored soldiers who had climbed over the wall either crawling out with bloodied heads or never returning.

Taichi looked around and saw that the faces of the various lords were all looking increasingly grim.

Even if Zhunayan doesn't speak, Taichi knows what Zhunayan is thinking.

During the great battles at Bianli and Minghe in the winter and spring seasons, the Teldun tribe suffered heavy losses, and many of its leaders are still recovering from the trauma.

By the end of the month, the horses were well-fed, and the Teldun tribe wanted to join forces with the Suz tribe to plunder.

And what was the result? They didn't gain anything.

Then, when the troops were sent out again, the fire-bringers clearly said they were there to gather grass and slaughter fat sheep, so why did they suddenly start risking their lives?

The raid during the full moon was barely a break-even operation; but if the raid during the slaughter month continues like this, taking things one bone at a time, then no matter how much they steal, they will still lose money.

[Note: The complete month is the eighth month of the lunar calendar; the month of slaughter is the tenth month of the lunar calendar.]
Just as a thief suddenly realizes that theft has turned into robbery, or a robber is shocked to find that his plan is too difficult, many Teldun leaders also began to consider resigning.

To understand this mentality, one must remember one fact: for the low productivity levels of the Hart tribes, the motivation for war was more economic than political.

In short, the Teldun nobles were very unwilling to turn the task of clearing the barn into filling the city moat.

Whether we win or lose is another matter, but even if we win, so what? Will we make a profit? No, we'll lose!

The right wing of Teldun's army can currently be basically divided into two factions.

One group consisted of leaders who had already made a profit. They were full and just wanted to send their spoils back to the tribe as soon as possible, so they were not very interested in filling the moat.
The other faction consisted of leaders who had reaped nothing and even lost a considerable amount of warhorses and cattle; naturally, they wanted to cross the river and plunder as much as possible.

But the two-legged people's resistance was too fierce and too resolute. If the fighting continued like this, the Yans were worried that they would lose more than they gained.

As far as Taichi knew, the leaders of the latter faction were conspiring to get the fire-gatherers to redistribute the spoils of the former faction.

Look at this, Iron Peak County under Winters' rule is divided between the north and south, and the Telden people are also riddled with internal conflicts.

The story is so absurd and bizarre that it's less like a game of chess between two players and more like a small guard dog fighting to the death against a lame wolf.

Taichi didn't know what the battle was like on the other side of the wall, but the siege with earthen sacks was going very smoothly, and the gentle slope made of sheepskin earthen sacks was almost wide enough for horses to run on.

"Who wants to go first?" Taichi asked the men, turning around.

The first to reach the summit not only receives a generous reward, but according to the rules, they can also choose the spoils first. However, given the current situation, it seems like a tough nut to crack, so no one is paying attention to Tai Chi.

Seeing his father humiliated, Taichi's eldest son became enraged, grabbed the horse's tail banner, and roared, "Are you rats or birds? How can you be so cowardly? Father! I'll go!"

Some of the Nayans were annoyed, some sneered, but all remained silent.

Taichi glanced at his eldest son and pointed to another son, Nayan, with whom he usually did not get along: "Wulianghe, go and fight."

Knowing that Tai Chi was deliberately provoking him, the Qinglingyu named Wulianghe remained silent, bowed respectfully with his hands on his chest, and returned to his own troops with his banner.

Wuliang and Xunsi didn't know how many two-legged people were on the other side of the wall. Wouldn't it be risking their lives to rush over there?
So he summoned one of his less favored subordinates, Turukota [Subechi], and ordered the latter to lead his troops to test the waters.

Wulianghe specifically instructed Subiechi to retreat if the situation became unfavorable.

Suberchi was overjoyed. Shooting the first arrow in battle was not only a great honor for the Hart nobles, but also brought them extremely generous rewards.

Subechi, however, did not take Yan's concerns seriously.

In his view, the two-legged man's bow and arrow were weak and powerless, and it was clear that the bow-wielders were all farmers and commoners. The only reason they could hold out here was because of the low wall.

Once the Teldun cavalry leaped over the low wall, how could a two-legged man not flee in panic under the trampling of their hooves?

With this confidence, Su Biechi drew his bow, spurred his horse, and roared as he charged over the wall.

Then he tried to rein in his horse in alarm, because he finally saw what was ahead.

Inertia prevented Subechi from doing so, and his warhorse neighed as it leaped down from the wall. Given the wall's height of nearly two meters, Subechi's horse's ability to maintain its footing was truly remarkable, a testament to its exceptional steed status.

Some Teldun riders, unable to dodge in time, also jumped off the wall, breaking their horses' legs in the process.

The quick-reacting Teldun riders either turned their horses around or simply abandoned them and jumped down the slope, causing the hundred riders rushing up the ramp to fall over.

Tai Chi's expression remained calm, as if he had known this would happen all along.

Subechi leaped over one wall, and despair saw another wall—or rather, three walls.

Wulianghe rushed up to Taichi and yelled, "Taichi! You two-legged man built a wall between your legs! You knew all along, didn't you?!"

The "wall" that Hart spoke of is what is commonly known as a "multi-layered city wall," or "barbican."

From the second wall, Bard gave the first order to fire the muskets: "Fire!"

The first rank of musketeers pulled the trigger without hesitation, followed by the second and third ranks.

After three volleys of gunfire, Subechi was riddled with bullets and his flesh was mangled. There were also few survivors among the other Teldun people in the barbican.

Zhu Nayan was not surprised by the losses suffered by the Uriyangkhai. On the contrary, the successive sounds of musket fire startled the people under the horse-tail banner.

The number of muskets was limited, and Winters concentrated their use on them. Therefore, this was the first time that the Iron Peak County side had deployed a musket unit.

Taichi listened intently to the sound of gunfire, then suddenly opened his eyes: "The two-legged musketeers are firing so neatly!"

The sound in the air wasn't the scattered popping of beans, but a unified, synchronized volley, like the beating of drums.

Taichi tried hard to recall where he had last heard such gunfire.

He remembered; it was at a small fortress northwest of Bianli. Last time, the Teldun tribe had also suffered heavy losses by crashing into the moat.

"Does anyone with two legs know this kind of shooting technique?" Tai Chi pondered. "Or did we run into an enemy?"

"Two-legged men with muskets? These aren't ordinary two-legged men; they must be elite guards." Another Qinglingyu asked, "Should we fill the moat again? Taichi? Perhaps we should retreat first and then decide what to do."

Tai Chi said with a stern face, "Wait a little longer."

Zhu Qingling and Yu looked at each other, none of them knowing what Tai Chi was waiting for.

On the other side of the wall, it was Bud who waited for Winters.

“My judgment was wrong; we shouldn’t have used the musketeers,” Bard said wearily to Winters. “The Teldens would have retreated as soon as the guns were fired; we should have waited.”

“It’s alright.” Winters took off his helmet, took a deep breath of fresh air, and gestured to the other riders behind him to remove their saddlebags: “They’re going to back anyway… pick these up and show them.”

The Blue Feathered, Red Feathered, and ordinary Teldun tribesmen were shocked to see long poles with heads stuck in them rising one after another from the other side of the low wall.
The long pole carried not only heads, but also bloodstained armor and horsehair banners.

The other girls all turned to look at Taichi, whose face was ashen, his grip on the reins was tight, and his teeth were grinding.

The western riverbank of Jungcheong County is about 80 kilometers wide, and the Dagger Wall and Shield Wall together are about 22 li wide.

After the Teltowns changed their main attack direction, Winters shortened the width of the area that needed to be defended.

But 22 kilometers is still too wide. In some ways, this defensive line is full of loopholes.

The Teldun people's advantage lies in their mobility, while the Iron Peak County side's advantage lies in its terrain.

Therefore, Winters focused his defense on several key strategic locations, while using cavalry against cavalry in other areas.

The Teldenans could send small groups of elite cavalry to maneuver around the mountains, and Winters could also send out cavalry to counter-sweep.

With their surprise attack thwarted, Taichi chose to retreat.

The other attacks and feints by the Telden forces also failed.

Winters ordered the militia to collect all the sacks of earth that Teltown had left outside, since sheepskins were a valuable commodity.

The daytime battles take place at the Wall of Shields, while the nighttime battles are initiated at the Wall of Daggers.

"Why did the enemy general not defend the riverbank, but instead cede it and set up defenses inland?" Taichi was puzzled by this question.

That very night he understood—or at least he thought he understood.

The terrain dictates that the Shield Wall and Dagger Wall are roughly L-shaped.

If the size of [L] is smaller, within the range of muskets and cannons, then the space between the two walls has a term called the "kill zone" or "killing field".

Although the walls of daggers and shields are measured in kilometers, their relative positions still suggest a pincer movement.

The wall is not only a shield to defend against the enemy, but also a striking position to launch an attack—a topic covered in siege tactics lessons.

That evening, when Taichi learned that a large force was attacking from the "long wall," he was not surprised at all, but instead shouted "Good!" three times.

[Note: "Long Wall" and "Short Wall" are the Tertons' names for the "Shield Wall" and the "Dagger Wall."]
He had long anticipated that the enemy would launch a surprise attack at night, and that they would definitely attack from the short wall; the noisy attack from the long wall was surely a trap.

In any case, as long as the other side chooses to leave the fortifications and fight in the field, it will give the Telden people an opportunity.

Following Taichi's plan, the leaders who had been scattered and encamped gradually moved closer together, drawing the two-legged people deeper into the area.

Taichi's elite troops were stationed near the low wall, waiting to ambush the raiding force that would emerge from it.

Sure enough, after the Long Wall launched its attack, the Low Wall also made its move.

Torches were lit one after another, and shouts of men and neighing of horses filled the air as Taichi waited patiently.

It wasn't until the thunderous sound of galloping hooves came from behind that Taichi realized something was wrong.

Winters attacked from neither the wall of daggers nor the wall of shields.

He built a pontoon bridge at the spot where the Teldun Raiders had once swum across the mountains, led his cavalry through the forest, and stabbed the barbarians in the back.

After a night of fierce fighting, the Teldun forces retreated to the south bank of the Pangtuo River, while Taichi only left a small number of elite troops on the north bank to control Tushechang.

Iron Peak County ultimately controlled the battlefield, so from that perspective, the Teldun people lost.

But the Teldenans' defeat was short-lived; at daybreak, they retaken the north bank.

Meanwhile, the troops from Tiefeng County had once again retreated behind the two walls.

The second day's offensive was even fiercer than the first. If the first day was just about using earth and flanking maneuvers, the Teldun began to use brute force to break through the walls on the second day.

Winters also spared no effort, committing his reserves to defend the Shield Wall while simultaneously launching a cavalry assault on the Teldonian flank.

Lead bullets flew and warhorses galloped. By that afternoon, the Telden men, who had been fiercely attacking just moments before, suddenly retreated like a tide.

At dusk, a pale-faced messenger brought Winters bad news.

"Sir, the barbarians... the barbarians have demolished the horse-stopping wall on the north bank of the Pangtuo River." The young messenger, almost unsteady on his feet, said with a sob in his voice, "They've gone west along the canyon path!"

When the messenger found Winters, he was being treated for his injuries at the infirmary. Also present were the tall, thin representative and the short, stout representative from Bullhoof Valley, both members of the cavalry and also wounded.

"Damn it!" The short, stout representative—whose name was ["Fatty" Nandor]—suddenly felt dizzy and grabbed the messenger's collar, asking in a trembling voice, "How would the barbarians know about the canyon path? Only the locals know it! Someone betrayed us! Who?!"

The messenger, with tears in his eyes, shook his head desperately.

"That narrow path?" Fat Nandor was on the verge of losing control. "That path is so narrow! How can the army pass through?"

The tall, thin man—whose name was [Jacob Green]—was also ashen-faced and swaying precariously.

Winters slowly began, “When the water is shallower, more dry banks are exposed, allowing more troops to move.”

"No way! That path won't be visible in the summer! Even in winter, the water is only shallow enough for one person and one horse to pass through! How could it possibly allow a large army to pass?! Your Excellency!" Fat Nandor grabbed Winters's sleeve as if grasping at a straw: "Those barbarians must not have sent many men! There's still time! It's not too late to go now!"

“I’m afraid it’s too late.” Winters leaned against the tree trunk and shook his head slightly. “If even the main force of the Teldens can’t get through, what’s the point of me building a dam upstream to block the water?”

"So... all for nothing?" The fat man, Nandor, was completely stunned. He cried out in anguish, "All the blood we shed and risked our lives here was for nothing? We still couldn't hold them off..."

The tall, thin Jacob Green snapped out of his daze, grabbed his old rival, and respectfully asked Winters, "Sir, what do you mean by... dam?"

“The dam.” Winters breathed a sigh of relief and slowly lay down among the pine branches and dead leaves, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders: “It’s the dam.”

……

Located 80 kilometers upstream of the Pangtuo River, within the territory of Xiaoshi Town.

In the canyon, a simple dam made of wooden piles, gabions and mud has been filled with water, raising the river level by several meters.

Starting from the dam, walk downstream for ten kilometers, and the river will meet another river.

Further down the river, you'll find the Pangtuo River.

The river blocked by the dam is the Huiqing River, a tributary of the Pangtuo River.

The water volume of the lower reaches of the Pangtuo River comes from the tributary [Huiqing River] and the main stream [Pangtuo River].
Winter is already the dry season, and Winters has further blocked the Huiqing River. Unbeknownst to many, the water level of the Pangtuo River has reached its lowest point in thirty years.

The Telden people downstream knew nothing about this.

……

Niu Ti Valley, southwest of the open field.

Everyone in Cowhoof Valley, regardless of age or gender, was mobilized. Under the leadership of Battalion Commander Tamas, they worked tirelessly through the night to build another wall.

This is the death trap that Winters chose for the Teltowns.

[The list of acknowledgments for the past few days will be added tomorrow.]
[I have a map, but it's too late today, I'll draw it tomorrow. This chapter needs a lot of maps to read comfortably, like the river at the end, which has actually been there for a long time...]
[Fixed a plot bug: Winters didn't build all the walls overnight.]
First, his efficiency wasn't that high. I actually measured it, and the wall wasn't just a dozen kilometers long, but more than twenty kilometers.

Caesar recorded a siege wall of 30,000 men, built in seven days, spanning 20 kilometers. While Winters' walls couldn't match the quality of Caesar's, constructing them in a single night would have been impossible, both in terms of manpower and efficiency.
Second, Winters didn't need to rush. He did have the idea of ​​luring the Teldenans to attack, but building walls in advance in inconspicuous or inaccessible areas was a more reasonable strategy.

If the intention was simply to appear weak, then not building even a single meter of wall and only waiting for the Telden people to arrive before starting construction is clearly not realistic.
[I've been updating every two days lately. See you all on Thursday, April 8th!]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
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(End of this chapter)