It's too cold.
Losa exhaled a breath of white mist, watching his soldiers, as the Knights took off their Iron Gloves and rubbed their hands. These people, accustod to the heat of Egypt, were suddenly thrown into such an environnt, it was truly unbearable.
Amongst the pack animals carrying armor, equipnt, food, and other supplies below many marching soldiers, there were even so single-humped cals.
If the march continued for a few more days, many Warhorses and pack animals would die of illness on the Grassland.
The influence of the Little Ice Age had begun to show. In the Middle Ages, Iceland, Greenland, and other places were important fishing grounds. On Iceland, they could even grow so crops. Vikings often traveled by longship, but by this ti, due to the severe cold and frequent sea storms, these two great islands were almost completely isolated from the world.
With the help of the Watchn at the Ancient North Platform, Losa and his party found a well they used regularly and replenished their water source before setting off again.
Unfortunately, Jeanne's group was moving at a noticeably faster pace. Since they were also heading to Tumu Castle, Losa had no intention of hastening his march to catch up with them, only to exhaust his troops without catching up.
Along the way, they encountered several groups of Tatar Cavalry, numbering no more than a few hundred, marauding here and there, which were all accounted for by a wave of Charges from Losa's Winged Cavalry.
These ordinary Tatar Cavalry had very crude Equipnt. Only a few leader-level figures were equipped with Scale Armor, Zha Armor, and Cloth Armor; most wore Leather Armor or padded coats. The Arrowheads they used would rely deflect off the Winged Cavalry's Chest Armor, deforming.
After all, "the plunderers can't slt or forge"; Iron pots were strategic resources on the Grassland. How could small tribes afford good Armor?
After annihilating a group of Tatar Riding Cavalry, Losa inquired, "Whose followers are these?"
The Night Patrol Flag Officer carefully discerned for a mont and speculated, "I don't know, but esteed envoy should know, Esen's Chuoluo Tribe has over ten thousand Armored Cavalry, which are his elite force, not to be compared with these."
He paused and added, "At this ti, if they're not attending the war council at Tumu Castle and are raiding in Great Ming territory, apart from the Arashi Departnt, they can only be small tribes — the Arashi Departnt is a major Wala clan, with strong power. Seeing their combat strength and Equipnt, it's clear they're definitely not part of the Arashi Departnt."
Seeing his vague response, Losa frowned and said, "Be honest."
The Flag Officer had to truthfully say, "It should be a Han tribe that pledged allegiance to the Tatars, possibly driven to the North with the Yuan Court during Taizu and Chengzu's campaign against the Yuan Court. They were captured in large numbers, each in tattered clothes, suffering greatly."
Losa nodded, "I understand. Henceforth, report thoroughly on military strategies; there's no need to hold back anything."
The Central Plains Dynasty seed to be constantly at war with Northern nomads, era after era.
Eastern Hu, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Turkic, Qidan, and now the Tatars (the Jurchens being more hunter than nomad).
It's as if there's always a new Barbarian Race refreshing at the borders of the Central Plains Dynasty.
But in reality, Losa thought, the Grassland is just there. Whoever lives on the Grassland will beco Barbarians, even if it's emptied, other nomadic tribes will fill in.
So Han, either actively defecting or passively raided to the Grassland, would quickly lt into the great lting pot of nomadic tribes.
Just like the Turkic people in Asia Minor, how could there be so many Turks migrating from the far Eastern? A significant portion of them were Greeks gradually Turkicized under the rule of the Turkic Princes.
It wasn't until the late Ming Dynasty when large-scale Han immigration began to turn this situation around.
Initially, it was a group of people who went to the Grassland in the sumr to help the Tatar landlords farm. Once the weather turned cool, they returned inland for the New Year, taking with them stories of the Grassland's fertile land.
Coinciding with the frequent natural disasters at the end of the Ming Dynasty, so places had no rain all year round, making it impossible to grow any food on already unworkable and extrely barren land, prompting large numbers of Han people to head for the Tatar Grassland.
The Tatar Princes were also happy to have these farming and handicraft-savvy Han people settle in their lands, and the two parties easily reached an agreent.
This was the so-called "Walking the Western Pass".
A hawk soared across the sky, and the Night Patrol Flag Officer exclaid, "It's a Tatar hunting falcon, they probably already discovered us."
This world's Tatars also train hunting falcons; nomadic peoples all seem to have this habit.
"Prepare for battle!"
The delegation led by Losa imdiately went on full alert. Based on their experience fighting the Saracens, where there are hunting falcons, the enemy is not far off.
The Flag Officer hastily said, "Esteed envoy, please dispatch a few people to follow my orders to scout the enemy!"
"Hans, take a few with you and go with him."
The Scouts were dispatched.
Yet, the delegation did not remain motionless; they helped each other don Armor and gear from the carts, fed premium feed to the Warhorses, and prepared for battle.
About a quarter of an hour later, the Night Patrol Flag Officer ca rushing back with a few Scouts, shouting, "Ahead is a well-equipped force of Tatar Cavalry attacking our supply convoy, requesting the esteed envoy's assistance!"
Supply convoy?
Losa's expression shifted slightly.
"Are they troops led by the Arashi Departnt?"
The Night Patrol Flag Officer said, "They should be."
"How many are the enemy?"
"Rough estimate, at least two thousand."
Losa frowned, "Investigate further! If it's the Arashi Departnt's troops, they'd have at least ten thousand."
He needed to first locate the enemy before deciding whether to swallow the raiding Wala Cavalry supply convoy or to besiege and draw reinforcents from them.
A large number of Scouts were dispatched.
If only Furin were by his side, she could summon a Stone Gargoyle to bring an eye for the army with ease.
The delegation, having made combat preparations, began to advance forward slowly.
"Prepare for battle!"
Hans waved the Command Flag, and the fastest Winged Cavalry rushed to the front lines.
They raised their red-lacquered Lances, with Swallowtail Banners or Square Banners tied to their spearheads, creating a forest of Riding Spears.
Below, thousands of light cavalryn sward the Ming supply convoy like wolves, forcing them to keep their heads down under a rain of arrows from afar.
The Ming forces numbered only a few hundred, mostly in Cloth Armor, with many Shield Soldiers, Crossbown, and Firearms Soldiers, defensively relying on the carriage horses loaded with supplies; though nurous, the enemy cavalry couldn't overwhelm the supply convoy.
As the delegation led by Losa took a firm stand on the hill, the two sides engaged at the base also slowly pulled back from each other.
Across the hill, several armored Tatar Generals revealed themselves, and the leading man exchanged a glance with Losa, montarily stunned. He asked his left and right, "Who is that General across with the Golden Mask?"
Soone beside him imdiately replied, "Judging by their armor style, it should be that foreign delegation, reportedly not weak in combat strength, appointed by the Emperor of the Ming Country to accompany the army on campaign."
Arashiyuan laughed heartily.
After a long pause, he said, "The Ming Country is devoid of people; they send a hodgepodge Semu to lead the army in battle."
Yet, though coldly sneering, his eyes were already filled with dread.
Who exactly was this masked man?
Even a distant glance sent a chill down one's spine.
A crowd of followers also laughed, though this laughter lacked vigor. Anyone with eyes could see the precision of the opposing troops' Armor and weapons, and the mask-wearing leader on a marvelous giant horse, appearing more terrifying than even the Great Demon of Lingbei by threefold.
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