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Xihan Mountain is not a high mountain. There is a large virgin forest on the top. The forest becomes sparse below the middle slope, with many meadows in between.
In the early Ming Dynasty, this area was the pasture of the Three Guards of Doyan, which was a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty and nominally the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Now the Three Guards of Doyan no longer exist, and the original territory has long been divided up by various tribes.
From Xihan Mountain to the east is the Greater Khingan Range. "Khingan" means an extremely cold place in Manchu. This mountain range, which is more than 2,000 miles long, is the watershed between the Mongolian Plateau and the Liaodong Plain. It is already freezing here at night in August.
A few dozen miles north of Xihan Mountain is Zhalute Right Banner, and further north is Left Banner. After passing Left Banner, you will reach Hulunbuir Grassland.
Almost none of the Qin soldiers led by Aobai had ever been outside the Great Wall. In autumn here, the temperature difference between day and night is very large. Especially last night, a sudden cold current woke everyone up. Many soldiers could not adapt and fell ill. Even the deputy general Tian Heng was in tears.
The military doctor accompanying the army boiled a large pot of medicine, and the smell of medicine filled the hillside.
When Aobai was crossing the sea by boat, he vomited bile and lay on the shore for several days before he came to his senses. At that time, Tian Heng and others laughed at him a lot.
Now Aobai saw that even Tian Heng had caught a cold, but he couldn't laugh. Back in Korea, Aobai was seasick but his life was not in danger, and at that time the Qin army had the strategic initiative.
It is completely different now. If soldiers in the army get sick and cannot be cured, they will die.
Moreover, Yatu and Qitate have now annexed the Zarut Right Banner, and their strength has been further enhanced, with 6,000 troops. However, except for the wounded and sick, only 2,000 of his own men are able to fight on horseback. This situation makes Aobai worried.
Fortunately, Yu Keming, the assistant, did not fall ill. He had no good plan, so he could only ask Aobai: "General Guaerjia, what should we do? Qitate may lead his army to attack at any time. Our camp is full of patients overnight. Does General Guaerjia have any countermeasures?"
Aobai frowned. Mengke sent him an order, asking him to "front the sheep", that is, once Qitate annexed a tribe, he should trim it to prevent it from growing stronger and becoming difficult to deal with in the future.
But now so many people have fallen ill overnight, it would be better if he didn't come to fight me. What's the point of "shearing the sheep"
Aobai slammed his thick-backed sword on the grass and said to Yu Keming, "I thought Kenzhehe could cause considerable casualties to Qitate, but I didn't expect him to be so vulnerable. I have sent someone to contact Qin Tiedan, he should be here soon. Now the only way to continue to gain the upper hand is to join forces with him."
"Report!" The scouts at the bottom of the slope came back at full speed, shouting from afar, "General, Qitate is leading 4,000 troops to attack us, 40 miles away."
Aobai heard the news. He suddenly pulled out the big knife stuck in the grass and said to Tian Heng: "General Tian, you take a thousand brothers to stay here to take care of the patients. I will lead a thousand men to hold Qitate back. When Qin Tiedan's reinforcements arrive, we will counterattack in one fell swoop."
Tian Heng immediately responded, "Okay, General Guaerjia, go and hold him back. I will take care of this."
Aobai nodded, and then instructed Surter: "Suter, send more scouts around to prevent the Qitate from sending troops to attack this place."
"Yes, General."
As soon as Aobai arranged the tasks, he quickly assembled a thousand men and rushed away!
In August, white clouds and lake water stretch out on the grassland, and the sea of grass is a mixture of green and yellow, like a colorful blanket spreading to the horizon.
In the sky, eagles are soaring with their wings spread and whistling; on the grassland, horses are galloping with their hooves raised and the sound of metal clanging is heard.
A large black flag with the word Qin on it swept across the plains and over the hills. Thousands of troops rushed past with overwhelming momentum. Aobai took the lead with his burly body lying on the horse's back. The man was like a tiger and the horse was like a dragon, both of them were filled with murderous intent.
As the "first brave man in Manchuria", he was fighting for the Qin Dynasty without any regrets. The King of Qin not only gave him a house in Nanjing a while ago, but also gave him Dorgon's second wife Tong Jia and concubine Gong Qite. This move made Aobai very excited and grateful.
Dozens of his family members were massacred by Dorgon, his parents' bones were dug up and whipped, and his wives and concubines were tortured to death. This hatred was heavier than a mountain and deeper than an ocean.
Now, he only hoped to end the war on the grassland as soon as possible, return to Beijing, severely ravage Dorgon's wives and concubines, dig out Dorgon and grind his bones to ashes. If he did not get rid of this hatred, he would never be content for the rest of his life.
In order to go back, he must first win. He desires victory and credit more than anyone else. This is not only to repay the King of Qin, but also to prove himself.
He was the only general who surrendered from the Qing Dynasty. As a former enemy, he was in an awkward position among the generals of the Qin Dynasty. So he had to strive for more impressive military exploits, so as not to be embarrassed in front of others.
Now Qin Mu trusted him and gave him a stage to display his talents instead of hiding him away because of distrust. For this, Aobai was very grateful.
However, winning requires strategy, not just blood and courage, which is very clear to Aobai. Although he is eager for a hearty victory, he will not lose his mind.
A thousand men led by him soon met Chitate. It was a half-slope terrain. Chitate arrived first and was parked on the top of the slope, looking down from a high position.
One thousand against four thousand, and without the advantage of terrain, Aobai stopped a few miles away and quickly looked around to observe the nearby terrain.
He was not in a hurry. Delaying time would be beneficial to him. Qin Tiedan's two thousand troops were rushing to join him.
Qitate, however, did not have the leisure to look at him affectionately from a distance. He had just been having a great time with the Yatu sisters, and was annoyed that his pleasure was interrupted.
Seeing that Aobai had only a thousand men, it was a good opportunity to bully the weak. Qitate immediately ordered his men to blow the attack horn, and four thousand men swooped down like a torrent, with such momentum that the earth shook.
Aobai blew a sharp whistle and led a thousand Qin soldiers to rush to the left, avoiding the sharp edge of Qi Ta Te. The two armies were hiding and chasing, two or three miles apart, rushing like clouds, and the grass on the plains was broken and the sand was blowing in their faces;
The strange men and horses slapped their horses and chased them wildly, howling like wild beasts, just like a pack of wolves on the grassland. The Qin army in front was silent, just whipping their horses and galloping away.
A few miles away, there was a large sparse forest, about six or seven miles in radius. Aobai led a thousand Qin troops and rushed in like a rabbit escaping from a pack of wolves.
Seeing this, Qitate immediately had his horn blown, and the 4,000 men and horses stopped outside the sparse woods. This sparse forest did not affect the galloping of a single horse, but it was very unfavorable for a large army to fight.
Once Chitate's 4,000 troops entered, they would be divided into pieces and it would be difficult for them to exert their military strength. Seeing this clearly, Aobai resolutely rushed into the sparse forest.
Qitate watched Aobai disappear into the woods, hesitant for a moment. His deputy general Hezhe asked anxiously: "Sir, what should we do..."
"Call me Khan!"
"I'm sorry, Khan!"
"Come with me, let's go west and set a fire with the wind. If we can't burn him to death, we can force him out. Quick!"
Qitate ran ahead after he finished speaking. He hated being called Fu-e. The title of Fu-e was derived from the princess and was a vassal of the princess.
But now, he has beauties on both sides and can have two princesses serving him at the same time. He does not want to be a vassal anymore and wants to be the Khan, the Khan of the entire Mongolia!
Four thousand men and horses galloped to the west side of the forest. It was the season when the grass began to turn yellow and the west wind was howling, making it easy to ignite a fire.
However, people on the grassland are very cautious about using fire. They are usually very careful when using fire, because the grassland is not only the hope for the survival of the herdsmen, but also the circumstances are special. Once a fire breaks out, it often continues, which will be a disaster for the herdsmen.
"Khan, do you really want to set the fire? What if the fire gets out of control?" Hezhe looked hesitant and asked Qitate again whether he really wanted to do this.
Qitate gritted his teeth and shouted, "Burn!"
Hezhe did not dare to persuade him anymore, and immediately led people to set fire. The grass was soon ignited, and with the fallen leaves in the forest, the fire quickly spread, and black smoke billowed, which was blown away by the west wind and covered the sky... ...
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ps: I've been very exhausted these past two days. I've been busy revising old chapters to build a harmonious society. I've been so busy that I've been too tired to add more chapters and ask for votes. I've been up until midnight every day. To be honest, I'm even dizzy now. Regarding the Mongolian plot, although I don't plan to write too much, I really want to write about the flavor of the grassland, and I hope the plot will be more grand. But I can't do it now. I'll have time to think about it in two days. Brothers, please vote for me to encourage me. At this time, my spirit is particularly fragile and I especially need your support! Please vote for me!
.(To be continued..)
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