Free Web NovelChapter 2146: Chapter 1558: Ah! If This Mongolian Army Flag Is Seen by the Ming Army..._2
"You’re asking why? Because there will always be new Wild Man Tribes moving south, or small Mongolian Tribes migrating east, filling the gap in the northern grasslands. Occupying this place directly and facing the ever-southward harassing Wild Man is indeed too troublesome. So, this place is actually uncared for, neither Wuliangha Thousand Households nor Duoyan Sanwei cares..."
"And the Three Guards only need to come every few years, conscript men southward, and take them to the Great Ming Border to plunder! Whatever they loot is a gain, and if they die in battle, it saves food. The grasslands are like this, unlike the forest, there’s no place to hide, and for large groups of cavalry, there is no danger. This is also a kind of consumption, to avoid any powerful tribes truly rising in this northern intersection that could threaten them..."
The two rode on horseback, following the Pastoral Slave’s steps, moving forward slowly. The grim determination of two hundred Warriors pursued the startled Flying Bird, gradually raising dust. The grasslands and the Forest Sea are always different, with a team of this size, unless moving on rainy days, the dust is unavoidable.
"Chief Divine witness! The Mongolians bring Warriors to the Great Ming Border to die regularly, as if agreed upon in advance... This sounds a bit like a ’Flower Battle’, doesn’t it?"
"Huh? What’s a ’Flower Battle’?"
"Well, it’s a battle to the death for the honor of the Divine Spirits, and to return life to the earth, praying for a bountiful harvest next year..."
"Haha! Ancestor High Priest, Mongolians don’t farm, they only herd. They don’t have a bountiful harvest, only fearing the white disaster... But maybe it’s truly the cold Tenggeri sky that drives the Mongolians south? If they can’t plunder from the Ming, those Mongolian Tribes might start fighting each other, devouring themselves..."
"Oh! Like you Shengshu and Shushu Jurchen Tribes?"
"Uh! Ancestor High Priest..."
The warhorses trotted forward, the Pastoral Slaves stumbled as they ran, and the Armor-clad troops silently followed. Zuwaro pondered thoughtfully while asking questions. A moment later, he suddenly spoke.
"Ali! Do you think, since there’s the ’Duoyan Sanwei’ in the south, there must be at least three Great Chiefs who make decisions. And these small northern Tribes come and go, popping up like grass... Do you think they truly recognize the leaders of those Great Southern Tribes?"
"They probably wouldn’t recognize them, right?... Ah! Ancestor High Priest, you mean?"
"Exactly! I was just thinking... Could our team impersonate a Great Southern Mongolian Tribe? These small northern tribes probably wouldn’t dare resist the Great Southern Mongolian Tribe, right? If we pretend to be from the Great Southern Tribe, requesting horses, food, and casually give them some bags of salt, gold and silver, ironware... wouldn’t it be whatever price we name, without them daring to refuse, much less bargain or raise prices?"
"Huh? Impersonate Duoyan Sanwei to forcibly requisition horses and food?"
"Not forcibly requisitioning... it’s a transaction! A trade! A mutually agreeable trade!"
"But... this! This!..."
Hearing Zuwaro’s words, sweat instantly appeared on Ali’s forehead. Ancestor High Priest is really bold to the extreme, what if this draws the cavalry of Duoyan Sanwei here? But indeed, the Three Guards are quite chaotic, and those disorganized northern small tribes can’t distinguish clearly... Ali’s lips were a bit dry, and after a while, he hesitantly spoke.
"Ancestor High Priest, impersonating the Great Southern Mongolian Tribe would indeed give us an absolute advantage in trading with these small tribes... but we don’t even speak Mongolian, only Jurchen, nor do we have any Mongolian banners, how could we impersonate?"
"Not knowing the Mongolian Tribes’ language and only knowing Jurchen is indeed a problem... Let’s do it this way! We’ll say we are a ’Jurchen Guard Station’ newly affiliated with the southern Three Guards, a newly joined vassal Great Tribe! This way, it makes sense that we’re lacking horses and are here in the north to collect and buy horses. Anyway, we just brandish the Three Guards’ banners to scare people, showing a fierce and arrogant facade... which of these small tribes would really dare question us?... As for the Mongolian banner, don’t we have one? Have you forgotten, Ali? That very powerful one!"
Zuwaro thought for a moment, then slapped his thigh and spoke to Hu Nu, walking nearby clad in armor.
"Hu Nu! Where’s that box I told you to carry all along? Bring it out! It’s that Mongolian Army Flag given by the Japanese merchant!"
"It’s here. Right here..."
"Ah!! This one?!..."
The blue Eagle Banner, though tattered, symbolized the glory of the Golden Family and the peak era of the Great Yuan. Chief of Harman Ali’s finger trembled, looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar Eagle Banner, his eye twitching, unable even to speak coherently.
"Ancestor High Priest... this... this is the banner of the Mongolian Golden Family! It’s not something to wave around recklessly! If the Ming Army sees this banner..."
"Ali, there are no Ming Army here! We are impersonating the Great Southern Mongolian Tribe, so isn’t this banner perfect? These small northern tribes probably can’t tell the difference anyway."
"But... this... this banner?..."
"Chief Divine’s protection! As long as it serves its purpose and gives us an advantage, then wave this banner! After we forcefully buy the horses, we’ll plunge into the eastern forest... even if the southern Great Mongolian Tribe hears of it later and sends people to seek us, they won’t catch us in time... Although we don’t bring much, but since there are two hundred people, we must return with at least two hundred horses! Hahaha!"
"Yes! Two hundred horses! Ah haha!..."
"..."
Zuwaro chuckled, Aguda laughed broadly, while Ali smiled wryly in silence. A moment later, this blue Eagle Banner was finally tied to a Long Spears and stuffed into the hands of the most clumsy Wu Xiong.
"Wu Xiong, hold this banner! If anyone asks you anything, just roar!"
"Roar! Got it! Master! Roar!!..."
"Don’t call me Master, call me what, ’Lord’!"
"Yes! Master... Lord! Roar!!"...
"Excellent! Just need to be that fierce and spirited!"
Pastoral Slave Amo shivered as he turned around, only to see the Warriors on horseback wobble their Bows and Arrows, scaring him to continue leading the way to the village. The group moved forward again, and after two quarters, several patrolling Tribal Cavalry suddenly appeared ahead. These Tribal Cavalry became startled seeing the incoming large troop. And upon seeing the reflection of the Iron Armor, they were even more frightened, turning and running, blowing the warning Cow Horn.
"Woo! Woo woo! Woo woo woo!..."
"Wait... wait! It’s from the south... Thousand Houses Lord..."
"Woo woo woo!!"
The Tribal Roving Cavalry blew their horn, continuously roaming ahead, never approaching. Even as Pastoral Slave Amo urgently shouted, no one responded, not even Wu Xiong cared anymore.
Because in everyone’s sight, a sizable village with a fence and earthen wall, and even with a Watchtower, had already appeared by the river. And the Cavalry coming out from the village, each wielding Horse Bows and sporting small braids, in no time gathered seventy or eighty riders.
"Cavalry! Lots of cavalry! These are all horses... this tribe isn’t small!"
"Chief Divine of the Eastern Sea! This is the style of the Ming Army’s Border Fortress, this must be Huli Ping Village! We finally reached Huli Ping Village on the Black River!"
