Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 414 Surprise Attack
[The Great Wilderness]
More than a thousand riders and three times that number of horses were divided into six squadrons, each squadron carrying a herd equivalent to that of a small Herd tribe.

After a torrential rain, the once scorched wasteland on the west bank of the Dajiao River has once again become lush and green.

The six squadrons, like six torrents, advanced side by side across the black wasteland dotted with light green.

Squadrons could not see each other directly; only the dust kicked up by distant horses' hooves could prove the presence of friendly forces.

Winters, caught in the torrent, witnessed one casualty after another: some warhorses fell because they stepped on rat holes, and some riders fell from their horses because they were exhausted.

His heart was bleeding, but he was powerless to help. The stragglers had to wait alone in the wasteland for the rescue team to arrive.

Because the flood cannot be stopped; it can only move forward.

At the border between the no-man's-land and Teldun territory, six squadrons of Iron Peak light cavalry met up with the guides and horses sent by Taichi, replaced the mounts that were nearing their limits, and then continued their westward journey without stopping.

This was not a "Platonic" crushing blow, but a "Herd-style" light-armored surprise attack.

Because its core purpose is not to kill the enemy, but to cut off the snake's head.

……

The production methods of nomadic tribes meant that they could not gather large numbers of people and livestock together for extended periods of time.

As a productive resource, pasture is distributed almost evenly across the grasslands. For livestock to thrive, tribes must make the most of pasture resources.

At the same time, an excessively large herd will easily deplete the pasture in its habitat, and the grazing distance of horses, cattle, and sheep is limited. Even if they change their camping location every day, they cannot migrate too far.

Therefore, even the largest tribes must live separately as individual families. As a result, maintaining a standing army in the wilderness becomes extremely costly.

Therefore, in peacetime, a tribe's royal tent can only maintain a very limited permanent military force, which means that the royal tents of various tribes are almost always in a state of lack of protection.
For this reason, most wars between the Hed tribes took the form of "launching a surprise attack on the king's tent of the enemy tribe" and usually ended with "killing the leader of the enemy tribe".

Large-scale battles with open warfare and direct confrontation were actually quite rare.

For the various tribes of Hede who lived scattered by water and pasture, the royal tent was their weakest, most fatal, and most vulnerable point.

……

A skilled swordsman can always launch an attack from an unexpected position, and the key to gaining the advantage of "surprise" lies in two things: concealment and speed.

According to Winters' battle plan, the Taichi tribe would be responsible for luring the enemy into a trap during this raid.

On the banks of the Jinliu River, Winters told the son of Taichi bluntly: "I don't care what methods your father uses, he must get 'Red Serpent's' attention completely focused on him."

“And I will personally lead troops in a covert raid from another direction.” He drew a shallow indentation along the foot of the Golden Peak Mountains on the map, then plunged his dagger heavily into the finish line: “Cut off the snake’s head!”

At the same time, in order to pursue a marching speed beyond the limit, all the equipment of the cavalry participating in the raid was made as lightweight as possible.

Blankets, horse coats, silver-inlaid scabbards, brass belt buckles... all weight that could be reduced was lightened, and all decorative items were discarded.

Each cavalryman participating in the raid carried only a bag of dried meat and a sachet of fermented mare's milk as supplies. If they could not seize supplies from the enemy, they would starve and die of thirst in the wasteland.

When selecting personnel, each candidate was truthfully informed that this was a long-distance trek with no possibility of retreat or defeat. If they fell behind, they would only be able to wait for rescue in the vast wilderness.

However, not a single candidate backed down—because this was a battle that had to be fought.

……

At present, Winters' small "government" seems to be thriving. However, in reality, the nascent Iron Peak County government is standing on the edge of a precipice.

Externally, the Maplestone City Incident has brought the war between the Red Rose and the local power factions of the New Reclamation Legion to the brink of eruption. Although both sides are currently courting Iron Peak County, it is only out of necessity. Given the opportunity, Winters has no doubt that they would ruthlessly suppress the "rebels."

Internally, Iron Peak County was equally unstable. Although the great victory at the Battle of Bloodsludge temporarily gave Winters absolute authority, he was still far from winning the hearts and minds of the people. The people were simply following his rule out of habit, and if one day Red Rose "reclaimed" Iron Peak County, they would also habitually follow Red Rose's authority.

Not to mention that Shovel Harbor also has a mayor named Potal who outwardly obeys the orders of Ghevodan, but in reality secretly gathers bandits and deserters and plots treason.

However, compared to the complex situation in the newly reclaimed land, the threat from the wasteland made Winters feel more uneasy.

Although the Khanate of the Teldun tribe suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Blood Mud, and even the Fire-Kissed himself was killed, the Teldun tribe was not completely wiped out.

A lion died, but from its remains a pack of wolves and vultures emerged.

Taichi was originally supposed to take on the responsibility of suppressing the wolves and vultures, but the crushing defeat in the Blood Mud Battle also greatly weakened Taichi's strength.

Not only was he unable to eliminate the wolves and vultures, but he also appeared exhausted and was about to be devoured by the wolves and vultures.

Now, a Teldun noble family called "Red Serpent" has openly raised the banner of revenge for the Fire-Burning People, attempting to reunite the fragmented Teldun tribes.

As a trusted confidant of the fire-breastener and an archer, Chi Lian was also the most hostile Terdun nobleman to Iron Peak County.

After the Battle of Bloodsludge, Winters continued to buy back the Palatine prisoners and slaves held by the Terdun tribe through Taichi.

Most of the Teldun nobles chose to accept Taichi's generous offer—except for Chilian, who not only arrogantly refused to redeem the prisoners but also gave Taichi two expeditionary prisoners whose eyes had been gouged out and whose tongues had been cut out.

The meaning couldn't be clearer.

"insult".

This adds a layer of personal grudges to the decapitation strike.

The trade between Tiefeng County and Chihe Tribe requires the stability of the Terdun Tribe's territory, and Tiefeng County cannot tolerate the Terdun Tribe's resurgence.

Since Taichi could not subdue the hungry wolves and vultures.

“Then I will handle it myself,” Winters said to the son of Taichi.

……

[Red Serpent Tribe Territory]
[An unnamed grassland]
[dusk]
The white-clad man "Hanshan" heard the thunder of horses' hooves.

Upon hearing this, Hanshan thought his own horses had been startled, and he rushed out of the tent without even putting on his boots.

However, his horses and sheep were all fine, and the hoofbeats grew louder and closer, while the dust on the horizon was tinged blood red by the setting sun, exuding an unyielding killing intent.

"[Hede] There's a war!" Hanshan ran back to his tent, thinking frantically, "[Hede] There's a war!"

From the day the Red Serpent Chieftain announced his intention to deal with the Thai Red Serpent Chieftain, Han Shan knew that a battle was inevitable. It would either be the Thai Red Serpent Chieftain attacking the Red Serpent Chieftain, or the Red Serpent Chieftain attacking the Thai Red Serpent Chieftain.

But no matter who hit whom, it shouldn't be now!
"[Hede] How can we fight in the spring? How can we fight in the spring?!" Hanshan roared through gritted teeth, hurriedly putting on his long robe.

Having barely survived the harsh winter, the livestock were all emaciated, and the horses had not yet regained the weight they had lost.

Hanshan couldn't understand it at all: "[Herd] How could there be a war? How could there be a war now?!" A Herd woman carrying a child ran into the tent upon hearing the noise. Seeing her head of household's frantic appearance, she asked in fear, "[Herd] What's wrong?"

"[Herd] Didn't you hear?" Han Shan asked fiercely, pulling out a leather bag and scooping in a few spoonfuls of yogurt curds. "[Herd] There's a war!"

"[Hede] So what are you going to do next?"

Han Shan tightened the leather bag, slung it over his shoulder, and lifted his leg to walk out: "[Hede] I must warn the Red Serpent Chief."

Upon hearing this, the woman immediately grabbed the man's sleeve tightly, and the child behind her burst into tears.

“[Hede] Don’t go,” the woman pleaded.

Han Shan paused for a moment, a hint of struggle showing on his face, which was lined with wrinkles from the wind and rain.

He clenched his fists tightly and said painfully, "[Hede] If I hadn't warned the Red-Striped Chieftain, you and I would have been sewn into sheepskin bags by him and trampled to death by the horses."

For the Bai people residing on the outskirts of the territory, it was their duty to inform the tribal chief if a hostile tribe invaded. If the tribal chief escaped without being warned, he would never let the negligent Bai people off the hook—not to mention that the chief of Hanshan was the notoriously cruel Chilian.

The woman lowered her head and silently released her grip.

Hanshan touched the child on the woman's back, picked up the saddle, and instructed the woman: "[Hede] You should also hide in the mountains. I will come back to find you when I return."

After saying that, he walked out of the tent without looking back.

Han Shan selected three of his best horses, saddled them deftly, and then galloped towards the location of the Red Serpent leader's camp.

Fearing being overtaken by the cavalry behind him, he was cautious and didn't dare take the shortest route. Instead, relying on his familiarity with the nearby grasslands, he first rode south for a distance, and then, relying on his memory, traveled day and night to reach his destination.

From dusk till dawn, except for changing the saddle, Hanshan never left the horse's back.

One after another, the three fine horses were exhausted and collapsed. Hanshan could only pray that the horses could find their way home on their own, and painfully abandoned the exhausted horses.

When the last horse was nearly out of commission, Hanshan finally saw the familiar pile of guide stones on the outskirts of the Red Serpent Chieftain's camp.

He whipped the horse beneath him with all his might, but the horse had exhausted its last bit of strength. The horse neighed mournfully, foaming at the mouth as it collapsed, pinning Hanshan beneath it.

With great difficulty, Hanshan pulled his leg out from under the horse's belly. Without even glancing at the convulsing horse again, he limped up the hillside.

As dawn broke, a golden sword pierced the darkness. Hanshan struggled to climb to the summit, stood there for a moment, and then collapsed to his knees, utterly exhausted.

The sight before him filled this tough man, Hed, with despair:
The black-clad cavalry, covering the mountains and plains, were like giant scythes, leaving only mutilated limbs in their wake; in the center of the valley, the Red Serpent Chieftain's impregnable camp had been reduced to a sea of ​​fire, and men and women scattered and fled.

……

On the hillside on the other side of the valley, Winters was also watching the scene in the valley.

A skilled swordsman can always launch an attack from an unexpected position, but the best swordsman can be so fast that the enemy cannot react in time.

If the speed of the assault can exceed the speed of the sentry's retreat, if the vanguard of the raid can arrive on the battlefield before the enemy who has given the intelligence.

Therefore, speed is the key to concealment.

……

In the middle of the valley.

Major Saber once again slaughtered his way through the barbarian camp. He threw away his dull saber, picked up a new one, and charged into the barbarian camp again.

"Where is the barbarian leader?" Cypher roared madly.

Anglu caught up with Cypher from behind: "Major! The barbarian leader has escaped!"

"They escaped!" Seborrhe stopped his horse, grabbed Anglou's collar, his eyes bloodshot, and roared like thunder: "They escaped?!"

“We didn’t escape for long.” Anglu skillfully controlled Redmane to create distance and calmly replied, “We didn’t escape for long; the blankets are still warm.”

Enraged, Cyber ​​yelled, "Chase them!"

……

Meanwhile, at the Shovel Port Wharf.

"Hey." Fisherman Marin stopped adjusting his fishing net and asked his friend beside him in confusion, "Did you hear me?"

Fisherman Nemo removed the still-struggling little fish from the net and lazily asked, "What did you hear?"

Marin listened intently for a long time, then shook his head self-deprecatingly: "Nothing."

“The mayor won’t let us go to Thevordan now, and there’s hardly anyone buying fish in Shovel Harbor.” Nemo asked casually while working, “How about we make fish sauce and sell it in winter?”

"Okay," Marin sniffed, "but what do we do now?"

Nemo remained calm and unhurried: "Let's eat fish."

Before he finished speaking, Nemo stopped what he was doing.

"What's wrong?" Marin asked.

“Then…then…” Nemo pointed in horror behind Marin: “…the ship!”

Marin turned his head in alarm and looked back. A dozen large ships had just broken through the thin mist on the lake. Long oars extended into the water from both sides of the ships, like a pair of wings, flapping up and down, propelling the ships toward the Shovel Harbor dock at high speed.

"I knew I hadn't misheard!" Marin shouted excitedly. "It's the sound of paddling! A boat is coming!"

It's no wonder Marin was so excited, because apart from the ships that the mayor had mysteriously acquired, no merchant ships had docked at Shovel Harbor for a long time.

“No,” Nemo’s voice trembled with tears, “it came down from upstream!”

……

On the large ship, an officer wearing an iron mask closed the drum-shaped silver box in his hand and coldly ordered: "The dock cannot accommodate all the ships. Have the transport ships on both sides adjust their direction and run directly aground."

“Yes,” a man with a red birthmark on his face replied curtly. “Captain Morrow.”

Outside Shovel Harbor, Lieutenant Andrea Cellini, holding a drum-shaped silver box, watched the pointer inside slowly move one tick at a time, growing increasingly impatient.

[26025/100000]
[The moon is dark, the wild geese fly high, the Xiongnu chieftain flees in the night. I wish to pursue with light cavalry, but the snow covers my bow and sword.]
[A Few Random Thoughts: Why would a dignified Xiongnu chieftain flee in the dead of night?]
Before the Battle of the Thirteen Wings, most of the wars recorded in the Secret History of the Mongols seemed inexplicable—either A was being chased like a rabbit, or B was being chased like a rabbit.
The war between the Qiyan tribe and the Three-Surname Merkits is a typical example. First, the Three-Surname Merkits launched a surprise attack on Temujin and his brothers, scattering Temujin's followers and capturing his wife. Then, with the help of "Wang Khan" and Jamukha, Temujin launched a surprise attack on the Three-Surname Merkits (specifically described as an attack, "suddenly entering through the skylight of their tents"), "they could have launched a surprise attack while Tokhtoa Beki was still asleep," but because a hunter tipped them off, the enemy escaped.
[For two great tribes to go to war, it's truly laughable that a tribal chief would flee naked in the middle of the night.]
[However, considering the nomadic lifestyle, this situation is not surprising: you may have 100,000 archers, but your yurt may only have a thousand or so people at any given time.]
This leads to two phenomena: 1. Resident guards are extremely important to tribal chiefs, and the status of the guards far exceeds that of the guards themselves; 2. The Champion Marquis's military achievements are not exaggerated by historians, or rather, the Champion Marquis's tactics are the most effective tactics, only difficult to execute—the raiding force must be elite enough, cannot get lost, and must be able to accurately locate the royal court.
[I wanted to talk more about the guards in the summer tent, but I'm out of space T_T]
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(End of this chapter)