Volume 1 Nightfall Border City Chapter 47 River Bend

  The Hetao grassland is lush and green as jade.

  On the eastern bank of the Yellow River, a cavalry of seven or eight hundred men was marching.

  If it were in previous years, wanting to cross the Yellow River in spring would be a pipe dream. But this year, perhaps due to the influence of the severe drought in Shaanxi, the grasslands' rainy season has yet to arrive, and Di Zhe led his mountain stronghold's men and horses to ford the Yellow River. Wang Yi also moved the small boats that had just been built in the mountain stronghold to the banks of the Yellow River, transporting the pastoral slaves who were completely unaccustomed to water.

  The Hetao Grassland is vast and quiet, completely different from last year.

  After the Tumet people were defeated, only a few herders remained. The Chahar people had already occupied the vast pasture south of the desert, and Lin Dan Khan set up the center of the tribe in Zhangba Grassland to control the eastern Mongolian desert. Although the water grass in the Yellow River valley was good, it was temporarily vacated, and only occasionally would Chahar cavalry come to plunder the livestock of the remaining Tumet people.

  "Beyond these mountains is Hequ City!" Many of the horse thieves from Shaanxi who were familiar with the terrain guided Zhai Zhe along the way.

  Di Zhe looked at the gray and misty earth mound in front of him and ordered: "Temporarily stationed here."

  Xiao Zhiyan has been gone for seven days, and Di Zhe's heart has been uneasy.

  After finding a secluded place to set up camp, Di Zhe ordered Che Feng to lead fifty men to search for the Tumed tribe inside the river bend. Ge Ri Le Tu's two hundred horsemen were hiding in the river bend. He was worried that if they really clashed with the Ming dynasty's civilian army, having these people would give him a bit more confidence. The horse thieves from the herdsman class were familiar with war horses and their riding skills were even better than those of the Mongols, but when it came to fighting, the gap was like that between adults and children.

  Three days later, Ge Rile's cavalry arrived. Di Zhe was still staring at the mountain pass, but there was no one there.

  The Hexi Corridor is surrounded by rivers on three sides, with lush water and grass. However, the closer it gets to the Great Wall border, the more desolate it becomes. Here, you can only see yellow earth and scorched rocks. Mongolian tribes rarely approach such places.

  "Tomorrow morning, I will march into Hequ!" Di Zhe made up his mind.

  "What?" Ge Rile Tu couldn't believe his ears. "You want to go to war with the Great Ming?" He still didn't know about the situation at the river bend.

  Di Zhe briefly explained the situation at He Qu to Ge Rile Tu.

  "That is the rebellion of the Great Ming!"

  Ge Riletu shook his head and said: "This is a serious matter, I need to consult with the princess!"

  "It's too late to ask for your permission, Princess! I didn't come here looking for a fight. The people of the river bend have something that the Tumet people want!"

  "What?"

  "Han people! Herding slaves!"

  Geerdai Tu snorted and said, "The Tumet people don't need herding slaves now. The pastures and fields of the Tumet River are all in the hands of the Chahar people. Even if we have herding slaves, they're useless."

  Di Zhe patted Ge Riletu's shoulder and said, "After the Battle of Zhaocheng, the Tumet people suffered heavy losses, and there are not many troops left, right?"

  Ge Riletu opened his eyes wide and stared at Di Zhe, without responding. He didn't know how Di Zhe knew this secret.

  At the end of February, Di Zhe went to Maotian Ridge and asked about this matter. Wulan couldn't bear the pressure at that time and cried out loud. Di Zhe then guessed the general situation.

  "With the current strength of the Tumet people, even if the Chahar people are defeated by the Jurchen people, it is difficult to restore their former glory. So the princess and I discussed, wanting to absorb Han people into the Tumet tribe, on the grasslands, a large number of troops is equivalent to strength." Zhai Zhe opened his arms wide, making a big embracing gesture.

  "What does the princess mean?" Geralt was puzzled.

  "Otherwise, you think I would rush to Hetao for no reason."

  Di Zhe may have been deceiving Ge Rile, but what he said was indeed his true thoughts. The Tumet tribe cannot revive without the Han people; it is a semi-sinicized Mongolian tribe.

  Since the outbreak of the war in Mobei, fewer and fewer Han people have left through the western pass, even when they encountered famine. The Han people who escaped from the grasslands to the Ming Dynasty conveyed all kinds of frightening news. The remaining Tumet had no power or intention to absorb the Han people again, and the Chahar people treated the Han people like sheep.

  Nowadays the Hetao grassland is so empty, it can accommodate several thousand Han people without any problem. Even if they are made slaves for the Tumeds, it's better than starving to death in Shaanxi.

  The next morning, the troops set out, with two hundred horsemen led by Che Feng scouting ahead and taking the road into the mountains. The gullies of Huangtuling were like wrinkles etched by heaven over hundreds of years, a desolate and bleak sight to behold.

  The cavalry marched forward in a winding path on the mountain road. The bandits guarding the road were overjoyed to see so many people coming from the grasslands.

  A small-headed man rushed out of the mountain valley and loudly asked: "Which family's brothers have come?"

  Che Feng was startled, observed for a while without finding any ambush, and gave the order: "Take them away!" The cavalry behind him drew their bows and arrows to intimidate, and more than a dozen men rushed up to bind the robbers who blocked the road.

  "Aren't you coming to surrender at Hequ? You're all brothers from the same family!" The little leader's heart was anxious.

  "Who are you to me? You're just a brother of your own family!" Che Feng slapped him heavily on the mouth and ordered someone to report back to Di Zhe.

  "Caught some mosquitoes?"

  Di Zhe heard about it and rushed to the scene, carefully inquiring before understanding the situation. He swung his knife to cut off the ropes binding the small leader's body and said: "You go back and report, we are Mongolian cavalry, we have something to discuss with your leader."

  "Are you really Mongolians?" The little leader was skeptical.

  Di Zhe led several dozen cavalrymen with sweat-drenched horses and said, "Take a look at these. There are still several thousand cavalrymen outside the mountain. If Wang Jiaxin doesn't come out, we'll enter the mountain and attack the city."

  The little rascal ran away in a hurry.

  Di Zhe ordered the thousand cavalry to continue forward, and he led Che Feng and Ge Rile Tu's Khan troops' cavalry to march at the forefront. After more than a watch, the large army crossed the mountain pass and camped on the spot. Di Zhe let the Khan troops' cavalry accompany him to rush towards He Qu Cheng.

  The iron hooves rumbled, the dust flew, and the cavalry marched to a stop twenty miles away from the city wall. Di Zhe led Ge Rile Tu and Che Feng's three riders to rush straight to He Qu Cheng.

  The city of Hequ was in chaos, and Wang Jiayu's mind was buzzing with the report he had just received. The main forces of the Ming rebels were all defending against Cao Wenzhao's attack in the direction of Daming, and he had never thought that he would be threatened by the Mongols from behind. In previous years, even when the Mongols raided the border, they would never find this poor place of Hequ, which was completely without any profit to be gained.

  "Are you saying they have something to discuss with me?"

  "Yes!" The little captain knelt on the ground, not daring to lift his head.

  While two men were talking, a scout came to report: "A thousand Mongolian cavalry entered the border, 200 people arrived at twenty miles outside the city, and three riders rushed down to the city!"

  Wang Jiayin rushed onto the city wall and saw three riders approaching slowly in the distance. He ordered, "The Imperial Guard will follow me out of the city!"

  Di Zhe didn't stop his horse until he saw the fleeing civilians not far away, then waited for a moment before seeing more than 300 cavalry rushing out of Hequ City, and Ge Riletu's face changed slightly.

  The cavalry stopped five miles away from Di Zhe, and Wang Jiaxin also brought two attendants to come forward.

  "Long live King Jia Yun!"

  Di Zhe urged his horse forward one step and pointed at Ge Ri Le Tu saying: "This is the commander of the Tumu Khan's cavalry, Ge Ri Le Tu!"

  "Are you Chinese?" Wang Jiaxin was very surprised.

  "Exactly!"

  "I've long heard of Wang Touling's great name on the grasslands. Today I've entered your territory to discuss a business deal with Wang Touling!"

  "Tumet people?" Wang Jiayin's brain was racing, remembering that a few days ago some horse thieves had escaped from the grasslands and said that the Tumet people had already made peace with Chahar.

  "What a business!"

  "Da Ming had once sent a letter to the Khan, hoping that Tumuert could help Da Ming eliminate He Ku. But the Khan did not want to intervene in the affairs of Da Ming, and only last year the grassland slaves escaped severely, wanting to get some Han people from you."

  Di Zhe stretched out one hand and said: "Dahan will not treat you unfairly, one horse for fifty Han people!"

  Wang Jiayin carefully distinguished between the true and false in Zhai Zhe's words, he indeed needed war horses now, since fighting against Guan Ning Iron Cavalry, his subordinates not only couldn't withstand head-on, but also couldn't escape.

  "What if I disagree?"

  Di Zhe smiled and said: "Then the cavalry of the sweat account can only come by themselves!" He then gestured to Ge Rile Tu.

  Kerui Tu waved his hand back and forth, and two hundred cavalrymen came galloping over.

  Wang Jiayin hastily retreated, and the two cavalry units gathered three or four li apart, facing each other.

  Di Zhe shouted: "I'm waiting for Da Tou Ling's response!"