Chapter 7 The Enemy Appears

Chapter 7 The Enemy Appears

Chapter 7 The Enemy Appears

Three days later, the white wolf braved the snow and wind.

They walked through the endless snowfield in search of the few available foods.

I don't know what they heard.
The leader of the wolves suddenly raised his head, pricked up his ears, and looked around vigilantly.

Soon, the wolf leader's eyes suddenly became sharp.

With a slight exertion of force using his limbs, he and his tribe disappeared in a flash!

In the distance, a group of cavalry rushed past like the wind, and their pitch-black armor stood out exceptionally brightly on the snowy field!
The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, shaking the entire snowfield and breaking the original tranquility.

The cavalrymen wore heavy black armor and red helmets.

His face was wrapped in sackcloth, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes.

Their horses were tall and strong, their hooves galloping,

The snowflakes are rolled up and flying in the air, forming pieces of snow mist!

The leader of this cavalry team was a tall young general.
He held a long knife in his hand, his eyes were as sharp as torches, and he stared coldly at the surrounding mountains and rivers!

Behind him were more than a hundred cavalrymen, with extraordinary momentum.

At this time, another cavalryman stepped forward.
He squinted his eyes and looked around. The howling of the wind and snow never stopped. He could only scream with all his strength:
"My lord, it is snowing hard now. Let's find a place sheltered from the wind and rest for a while."

The young general ignored it.

Instead, he took out a map from his warhorse's bag and slowly opened it.

The soldier nearby saw this and quickly reached out and grabbed one side, thus completely spreading out the map.

The young general tapped the map, looked up at the gloomy sky, and finally found the sun above his head. He said:

"I want to rest right after leaving Qingzhou. If you delay the army's journey, be careful that Lord Yan will chop off your head."

The cavalryman beside him pulled off the sackcloth on his face, revealing a dark and cracked face.

After taking a deep breath, he said indignantly:
"Brother Yun'er, we just returned to Qingzhou.
Now we have just rested for one day and are going to go to war again, what is Lord Yan thinking?"

The young general was also feeling a little annoyed, and he also pulled down the sackcloth on his face to get some fresh air.

A handsome but dark face appeared, it was Lu Yunyi who had just become a centurion.

"The entire Qingzhou Guard has been mobilized, how can we stay alone?
Moreover, if we don’t come, who will give them guidance?”

As he spoke, Lu Yunyi took out a water bag and gulped down a big drink.

Then he looked at the white that filled his entire field of vision, and sighed:
"Xiao Hei, although it is extremely cold during the winter march, the snow all over the ground can solve the problem of lack of water."

"Brother Yun'er! When we're working, we should address each other by our job titles. You can't call me by my nickname!"

The dark-faced boy's face became even darker, and he stared at Lu Yunyi angrily.

"Okay, okay, you were originally dark-skinned, and your father named you Liu Heiying. What was his intention?" Lu Yunyi was a little curious.

"How would I know? But my mother said I was born black.
My father wanted me to be like an eagle, so he named me Liu Black Eagle. "

As he spoke, the black-faced boy showed an indignant expression, patted his fat belly, and sighed:
"But now it seems that it can't fly."

"Hahahahaha!" Lu Yunyi laughed loudly and patted his shoulder vigorously:

"You are now the general flag, wait for us to make merit on this trip,
Maybe you are a centurion, so your name is right."

Liu Heiying's eyes widened like bells, and a row of white teeth appeared on his dark face:
"Is it true? Brother Yun'er, you have made so many contributions, but now you are only a centurion.

I... I have no merit either."

Lu Yunyi smiled lightly, looked into the distance, and said in a cold voice:
"It's different now. In the past, Gyeongju only had one thousand households.

Even if you have made achievements, the positions are still occupied.

Now that the army is about to arrive, Qingzhouwei will be incorporated into the army, and there will be many more official positions. "

Liu Heiying blinked his eyes. He understood a little bit after hearing this.
Then he thought of something and said quickly:

"No wonder Brother Yun'er only got a general title after he modified the horseshoe.

I heard from some veterans in the army that after this change,
The loss of war horses can be reduced by 10%, which is a great achievement.

In this barren land of Gyeongju, adults don't know the value of things.

If it was in the capital, Brother Yuner would have risen to fame overnight."

Liu Heiying's family had a shop in Qingzhou, selling fruits and vegetables shipped from Peking to Quzhou.
In summer, 40% of energy is lost on the road, and in winter, 20%.

Even so, Liu Heiying's family was extremely wealthy in Qingzhou.
So he knew how important a 10% loss was.

What's more...this is a war horse that is countless times more valuable than fruits!

"There is no rush for this matter. Just because the Qingzhou Guards don't know the value of the property doesn't mean the court doesn't know the value of the property.
Now that the Northern Expedition is coming, the horseshoe incident will be discovered sooner or later.
By then, you and I will be promoted and become rich."

"It's Brother Yun'er who got promoted and made a fortune." Liu Heiying added.

Lu Yunyi smiled and shook his head. This young man, who had just turned sixteen this year, was still unaware of the twists and turns in the officialdom.

When one person gets promoted, everyone in the family will also benefit.
By then, even the lame horse from Liu Heiying's family can be used as a war horse!

"Okay, you and I, brothers, don't need to say any more, just keep going.

If I remember correctly, there was a small group nearby, wandering around and couldn't find their location.

Since we are here, let's find and eliminate these remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty and clear the way for the Northern Expedition Army to pass through."

Lu Yunyi lifted the sackcloth on his face and covered his face again. Murderous intent flashed in his sharp eyes.

Liu Heiying's face suddenly fell:
"Brother Yun'er, we still need to fight. Aren't we here to explore the way? Lord Yan and most of the troops are still waiting behind us."

Lu Yunyi looked over and said: "The Northern Expedition Army's march is top secret, and we can't let some remnants expose their whereabouts.

Whether it's me or the other scouts, we must do our best to clear the road.

We will try our best to ensure that no one will tip off the team along the way."

Liu Heiying sighed, clenched the long sword in his hand, and swung it vigorously.

When he raised his head again, his face was full of ferocity!
"Then listen to Brother Yun'er and kill them!"

"Pass the order down, the whole army must march quickly, and we must find them before tomorrow!"

Lu Yunyi spoke in a loud voice, holding the long sword tightly in one hand and tightening the reins with the other!

The horse neighed, raised its two front hooves high, and then dropped heavily, hitting the ground with a dull thud!
Then he rushed out first!
Behind him, more than a hundred soldiers immediately tightened their reins.
Following Lu Yunyi, we rushed out. Now the grassland was covered with snow.
It is difficult to tell the direction, and often a slight mistake can lead to a huge error.

So they could only follow Shangguan closely so as not to get lost in the snowfield.

Ask yourself, although the soldiers admire this young officer very much,
But following this person means being in danger all the time.

This is the case now. Several thousand households from the entire Qingzhou Guard entered the grassland from all directions.
The thousand households they belonged to were also like this.

But because of Lu Yunyi, they became scouts of the front army's scouts.
The hundred-man team went deep into the enemy's territory alone to scout the enemy situation in advance.

This made the soldiers worried and afraid, but more importantly, they were looking forward to making achievements.
Although this is dangerous, it is possible to be the first to engage the enemy.
If we can get a head, then this trip will not be in vain.

With excitement and anxiety in mind,
A group of a hundred people swept back and forth within the area of ​​a hundred miles, hoping to find the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty!
As time passed, the sun in the sky became darker and darker, obscured by clouds.

The sky gradually darkened!
Lu Yunyi looked up at the sky, his face was as gloomy as the sky. It would be dark in another hour.

The nights on the grassland are hard to get through. They are colder and there are wild beasts everywhere.

The endless darkness was unbearable.

Fortunately, it is winter now and the grassland is covered with snow.
The good news is that we don’t have to worry so much about mosquitoes, which used to be annoying.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunyi looked around and took the map drawn today from his subordinates. He examined it carefully.
It marked mountains, rivers, water sources, pastures, and some passes for the army to pass through.
His eyes stayed near the water source grassland, his brows knitted, his face thoughtful. If there were remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty here, their residence must be near the grassland water source.
And it is very likely in the leeward area.

Thinking about it, Lu Yunyi frowned slightly and marked a few leeward points on it.

These were the places they had explored today, but they had found no trace of the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

There wasn't even any sign of human activity, just a vast expanse of white snow.

At this time, Liu Heiying came over, his eyes resting on the map, and said with a little thought:
"Brother Yun'er, maybe the information is wrong? There are no remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty here."

Liu Heiying's lips were a little cracked, and there was a hint of fatigue in his sharp eyes.
He took the water bag and took a big gulp of water, then let out a long sigh.

Lu Yunyi shook his head slowly, and the various military reports he had read when he set out appeared in his mind again. They were at the border,

Even if there is no war, scouts are constantly sent out to explore the outside world.
A military report from a few months ago clearly mentioned that there were traces of human, livestock, cattle and sheep activities in this area.

Even the remains of tents and signs of fire were found.

It was just late autumn, and soon it started snowing heavily.
They migrated here, obviously to spend the winter.

Lu Yunyi's eyes became more determined.

There must be a very hidden small tribal camp here, but they have not found it yet.

Lu Yunyi looked at the map for a long time, then suddenly frowned, looked at Liu Heiying on the side, and asked:
"Your father's company transports fruits and vegetables from Beiping to Qingzhou. What should we do if we encounter a heavy snowstorm?"

"He must be looking for a place to rest." Liu Heiying looked at Lu Yunyi blankly.
It's like saying, 'Brother Yun'er, are you okay?'

"What if there are no shops on the official road?"

"Then let's find a place at the foot of a mountain to take shelter temporarily. Even if people get wet, the fruits and vegetables cannot get damaged." Liu Heiying said without thinking.

Lu Yunyi looked up suddenly, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. These words awakened him.

His eyes immediately moved to the map, and he scanned it quickly.
There are only a few big mountains within a radius of 100 miles, and the rest can only be described as earth slopes.

His eyes scanned back and forth across the mountains.

Finally, we stopped at a mountain not far from the grassland and water source!
Roughly estimated, this place is only a few miles away from the grassland!
Here, cattle and sheep can graze conveniently and are close to water sources.

If there is a sheltered place at the foot of the mountain, this would be a perfect place to set up camp.

Lu Yunyi's heart suddenly began to beat violently. He had a strong premonition at this moment.

That small tribe is right here!

Lu Yunyi patted Liu Heiying's shoulder hard, and his palm hit the armor with a bang.

Liu Heiying was shocked and said quickly:

"Brother Yun'er, what are you doing?"

Lu Yunyi did not answer directly, but laughed:
"Let's go, I'll take you to kill the barbarians!"

As he spoke, Lu Yunyi waved his hand towards the soldiers behind him:
"Follow up, follow up, everyone follow up!!"

While Liu Heiying was bewildered, Lu Yunyi rushed out first.
"What's going on?"

Liu Heiying muttered something, quickly tightened the reins, clamped his legs around the horse's belly, and followed the group!

In less than an hour, Lu Yunyi, who was in the front, suddenly raised his hand.
More than a hundred soldiers stopped little by little and looked at Shangguan in confusion.

Lu Yunyi dismounted and looked at the tiny bulge in the white snow!

Seeing this, Lu Yunyi couldn't help but smile.

The dry cuts on his face were torn open little by little. Although it was painful, he couldn't close his mouth.

Liu Heiying also jumped off his horse and looked at what was in front of Lu Yunyi.
It was a raised black mass, covered with a thin layer of snow, lying quietly on the snow.

"Cow dung?" Liu Heiying exclaimed.
He couldn't hide his joy in his words. He moved closer to take a closer look and even reached out his hand to fiddle with it.

When he tore the dry cow dung apart,

Suddenly a puff of white gas appeared, and this discovery made the two men's eyes widen.

"Brother Yun'er!! It's still hot!" Liu Heiying exclaimed.

"I saw it. Keep your voice down. People who don't know would think you want to eat it while it's hot."

Lu Yunyi suppressed his voice, and his depressed mood suddenly became cheerful.

Cow dung was extremely important to the people of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. It could be said to be the foundation of their livelihood.

This is because the cow dung can be used as charcoal after drying.

If the sun is bright enough, the dung will not be left outside.

Instead, they would be picked up by the Northern Yuan people and taken back to dry.

The heavy snow now makes the people of the Northern Yuan Dynasty disdain cow dung.

Lu Yunyi stood up, raised his head, and looked towards the increasingly dark sky.

And the falling snow bit by bit, clenching his fists tightly.

With this warm cow dung, the tribe must not be too far away.

He moved his gaze forward again, and not far away was the high mountain he had marked!

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunyi lowered his voice and ordered:
"All soldiers, listen up! Hold your tongue in your mouth, horses, and move forward slowly. Do not make any noise!"

After saying this, he stretched out his hand and gestured in the air, and the other soldiers understood.

This is a new addition to the original combat gestures of the Ming Dynasty.
It means there are enemies ahead and the entire army should slow down.

As soon as this gesture appeared, the soldiers immediately lowered their voices and dismounted.

Take out the cage from the bag on the side, put it on the horse's mouth, and then tighten it tightly.

This is to prevent the horse from making any noise while moving.

Then they took out some linen and tied it tightly around the horse's four hooves.
The purpose is to suppress the sound of horse hooves while moving.

Finally, the soldiers jumped onto their horses, took out a wooden stick from their arms, and bit it in their mouths!

The entire team of 100 men suddenly became silent.
The pitch-black armor, the tall horse, and a murderous aura emerged out of nowhere!

As a centurion, Lu Yunyi pursed his lips, took the lead in urging his horse to head towards the distance!

In less than a quarter of an hour, Lu Yunyi, who was at the front of the team, suddenly fixed his eyes.
He saw the towering mountains in front of him and dozens of brown tents standing at the foot of the mountains!

The dim firelight flickered gently,
Although the distance was very fast, in Lu Yunyi's eyes,
Like a raging fire, extremely dazzling.

He waved his hand gently, jumped off his horse, and lay down on the slope, carefully looking at the camp ahead.

It's a pity that the horses, cattle and sheep are probably behind the tent, so we can't see their exact number.
Otherwise, the number of soldiers could be estimated based on the number of war horses.

But it doesn't matter, there are not many tents here.

At most five hundred people, and at most three hundred combat soldiers.

Their Ming army is well-armored, so they may not be unable to win.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunyi stretched out his hand and pressed it in the air.

He signaled them to dismount and rest, and then whispered to Liu Heiying and the other general flag:

"Drink water and eat food, and wait until dark before taking action."

"Yes!" Liu Heiying nodded vigorously, his eyes revealing a piercing murderous intent.

(End of this chapter)