Chapter 863: Wolves of the Steppe
In the seventh year of Chongzhen's reign, late autumn...
While the Central Plains of China were still merely in autumn, the Mongolian Steppe was already bitterly cold.
Every year, this time marked the beginning of hardship for the people of the steppe.
Without enough food, countless individuals would freeze and starve to death.
Therefore, at this time each year, they fought desperately to gather provisions.
Hong Chengchou, the Supreme Commander of the Three Borders, leading his personal retainers and a detachment of border troops, was patrolling the frontier, inspecting the various forts and guarding against Mongol incursions.
Suddenly, a scout galloped up, and without dismounting, offered a deep salute to Hong Chengchou from horseback, exclaiming: “Report! Supreme Commander, our spy embedded in the Ordos tribe has sent back urgent news. Bo'erzhijin Elinchen, the leader of the Ordos tribe, intends to surrender to the Manchus. He is currently hesitating, preparing to send emissaries northeast to negotiate with the Manchus.”
Hong Chengchou's heart tightened, and his expression instantly soured.
More and more Mongol tribes were defecting to the Manchus each day. Even the renowned Ordos tribe, one of Mongolia's most prominent, was on the verge of turning. Once this massive tribe pledged allegiance to the Manchus, the Great Ming Dynasty... alas!
Yet he knew such a thought was nothing more than a pipe dream, without even the slightest possibility of becoming reality.
He did not know that... just over a hundred li northeast, two Mongol tribes were locked in a fierce battle.
Indeed! A pitched battle!
The Wushen tribe leader, commanding a cavalry unit, was fiercely assailing the right flank of the Bo'er Su Te tribe, while the Otog tribe, already allied with the Wushen tribe, was fiercely attacking the left flank of the Bo'er Su Te tribe.
Two tribes against one, the Bo'er Su Te tribe naturally struggled to hold its ground.
The Bo'er Su Te tribe leader roared, “Wushen, Otog, you are going too far! This is the season to raid the Han people and seize food for winter. Yet you insist on fighting me? You must be sick! Go see a doctor!”
The Wushen tribe leader acted as if he hadn't heard a word, and relentlessly charged straight at the Bo'er Su Te tribe’s front lines...
The Bo'er Su Te tribe was shattered by the assault, on the verge of collapse.
Just then, the sound of horns echoed across the steppe to the northwest, and a fresh force appeared. The cavalry of the Dalad and Hanjin tribes emerged, riding in formation.
The two tribal leaders laughed heartily, “Bo'er Su Te, we have come to reinforce you!”
The Bo'er Su Te tribe leader was overjoyed, “I've been waiting for you for a long time!”
It turned out the Bo'er Su Te tribe leader wasn't one to simply wait for death. In recent days, the Wushen tribe had been constantly clashing with and annexing other tribes. The Bo'er Su Te leader had sensed trouble brewing long ago, and had secretly contacted the Dalad and Hanjin tribes.
The three tribes had agreed to watch out for each other, and if the Wushen attacked, they would unite to resist.
Now, the reinforcements from the Dalad and Hanjin tribes had finally arrived.
The Bo'er Su Te tribe leader burst into hearty laughter, “Wushen tribe, your arrogance ends here! My Dalad and Hanjin friends, let's charge together!”
The battlefield dynamic shifted!
From two against one, it became three against two.
The Wushen and Otog tribes immediately found themselves at a disadvantage.
The two tribes retreated in disarray towards the southeast.
The Bo'er Su Te tribe leader was unwilling to let up, “Pursue them! Hunt them down! Today, our three tribes united will eliminate the Wushen, this pest of the steppe!”
The three tribes gave chase with renewed vigor.
With that pursuit, the Otog tribe began to waver. Their hearts were already filled with thoughts of retreat: “The Wushen are weakened, being chased by three tribes. If I continue to help them, I'll also be chased. Perhaps I should defect to those three tribes and join them in attacking the Wushen...”
Such was the principle of survival on the steppe!
However, at that very moment, a cavalry force suddenly appeared on the southern steppe. At its head rode a female general: Zao Ying.
The Wushen tribesmen rejoiced, “Haha, our Han reinforcements have arrived! They always appear precisely when we are in trouble!”
The Otog tribesmen, who had just been contemplating betrayal, immediately extinguished their thoughts upon seeing Zao Ying: “Damn it, the Han are here again! This Han arquebus cavalry unit is incredibly strange. How do they always know when the Wushen are in trouble, and then appear at the perfect moment? No, no, with the Han here, I can’t betray the Wushen. For now, I must still obey the Wushen!”
In a matter of mere minutes, the Otog tribesmen swayed back and forth like blades of grass in the wind several times, but ultimately drifted back to the Wushen's side.
The three tribes of Bo'er Su Te, Dalad, and Hanjin, who were still in pursuit, were completely oblivious to the trap ahead. The three tribes roared, “Wushen, don’t run!”
The Wushen stopped running. With a swift turn, they faced their pursuers.
The Otog likewise ceased their retreat, standing firmly with the Wushen.
The two tribes confronted the charging three tribes, their faces etched with grim determination!
The three tribes, still adorably oblivious to the unfolding situation, charged fiercely towards the two tribes...
At that moment, the Wushen and Otog cavalry simultaneously split to both sides, revealing Zao Ying’s forces behind them. The “bang, bang, bang” of arquebuses erupted.
A large swathe of the three tribes’ cavalry was instantly mowed down.
After firing a volley, Zao Ying’s unit pulled back, and the Wushen and Otog tribes immediately surged forward like mad tigers, pouncing on the three tribes.
“Aoo, aoo, aoo!”
The Bo'er Su Te tribe was left reeling, utterly bewildered. They couldn't grasp what was happening. The other two tribes were also in a panic, “What just happened? What kind of demonic weapons are those?”
The Wushen and Otog tribes acted like two sharp blades, slicing through the three tribes’ cavalry, crisscrossing their charge. As the two forces momentarily parted, Zao Ying’s unit opened fire once more. “Bang, bang, bang,” and another hail of bullets tore through the ranks.
The three tribes suffered heavy casualties again, and before they could even catch their breath, the Wushen and Otog tribes once more surged through their flanks...
The battle ended swiftly!
In short order, all three tribal leaders surrendered simultaneously, declaring that from then on, they would follow the Wushen tribe’s lead and obediently offered up beautiful women and livestock.
Only then was the Wushen tribe leader satisfied. After chastising the three leaders soundly, he returned triumphantly to his settlement with the spoils of war.
“General Zao, thank you for your assistance once more.” When facing other Mongol tribes, the Wushen leader acted like an alpha wolf. Yet the moment he saw Zao Ying, he transformed into the second-in-command of the pack.
Zao Ying wasted no words. She produced a letter and handed it to the Wushen tribe leader, “A letter from your wife and son.”
The Wushen tribe leader was delighted, and quickly took it.
The letter was written in Han characters, but he could understand it. Opening it, he saw his wife’s message, penned by their son, was brief—just a few trivial lines. His son's part, however, was quite long...
“Father, winter must be approaching on the steppe, isn't it? Your son at Gao Family Village misses you greatly... Recently, I’ve learned textile techniques at Gao Family Village. My sworn brother, Liu Maopao, provided the funds to help Mother and me start a small textile factory. It made me think of our sheep back home. Our use of sheepskins and wool is too rudimentary. If we brought the wool from these sheep to your son's textile factory, we could probably weave some truly amazing things...”
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