In the grassland in late autumn, the temperature difference between day and night is huge.
When the sun sets over the mountain col, the earth turns dark and cold follows.
Experienced herdsmen will always return to their yurts before the sun sets and drink a bowl of hot kumiss.
Then we gathered around the campfire and cooked the mutton with water.
Sprinkle with a handful of green salt and serve with fragrant white ghee, and it's a perfect dinner.
For herdsmen, late autumn is their happiest day.
Cattle and sheep that have been raised for a long time will be slaughtered in large quantities at this time, and food will become extremely abundant during this period.
But at the same time, this is also the saddest day.
This season means a rich harvest for the farming people, but for the herdsmen, it means the cold winter is coming.
The earth will be covered with winter snow, and the vast grasslands will turn into a vast expanse of white.
Shepherds have to work hard to find grass roots for their cattle and sheep to satisfy their hunger. At the same time, they will also become food for the herdsmen to satisfy their hunger.
Natural selection and survival of the fittest are vividly demonstrated at this moment.
Young, sick, and thin sheep among the flock will be slaughtered in late autumn.
Because they are destined not to survive the cold winter.
Late autumn is a grand carnival and helpless sadness for the herdsmen.
The Tatar tribe is a very small tribe and belongs to the Tatar tribe.
Their great Khan is a descendant of the great Golden Family, Totu Buhua Khan.
Although, their tribes total only more than 500 people.
But they have plenty of supplies.
This is all due to the fact that a few years ago, the leader of the tribe followed the Khan's tribute team to the Ming Dynasty.
He brought back many iron pots, salt, and tea leaves from the capital of the Ming Dynasty.
As a result, the Tatar tribe moved to a place less than two hundred miles away from the Ming border in that autumn.
Not only is this place rich in water and grass, the weather is warm, but there is no intrusion from other tribes.
More importantly, the leader found a stable channel to obtain salt and tea, which made the tribe's life much easier.
Not only that, if it were this time in previous years.
After the tribe slaughters the lambs that are destined not to survive the winter, the leader will summon the strongest warriors of the tribe, lead them on their own horses, and cross the border in the middle of the night.
Therefore, in every winter that is extremely difficult for shepherds, the Tatar tribe can have abundant supplies to help them survive the cold winter.
But this year is different, the great Khan has summoned his warriors.
Under the protection of the great Immortal Heaven, Khan will lead his tribe back to the fertile land in the pass, allowing everyone to prostrate themselves under the scimitar of the Golden Family.
The glory of the Ming Dynasty has passed, and the Golden Family will rule the world again!
Every time he thinks of this sentence, every herdsman in the Tatar tribe will become excited.
It was a beautiful night, with stars twinkling in the sky and clear moonlight shining softly on the earth.
The biting cold wind could not stop the shepherds from celebrating the abundant food.
Beside the high-burning bonfire, more than a dozen elderly shepherds, holding whips in their left hands, herded dozens of thin lambs together.
In his right hand, the bright silver scimitar shone with a cold light under the moonlight.
The rhythmic Morin Fhuur and drums played, and the young girls danced primitive and ancient dances around the bonfire.
The lambs bleated in fear, the shepherds sang loudly, and the girls danced gracefully.
Next to the blazing flames, they together form a harmonious and mysterious picture.
The old shepherd's hand was very steady.
He raised the knife with his hand and stabbed it accurately on the lamb's throat.
Hot blood spurts out, and the lamb falls to the ground helplessly.
There are only a dozen shepherds, but there are dozens of sheep.
The companions were killed one by one, but these lambs could only huddle together.
Anyone who ran away would be severely beaten with whips by the old shepherds around them.
The young children followed the old shepherd and struggled to carry the lambs one by one.
Then he came to his mother's side, skillfully peeled, haired, washed, and finally threw it into the hot iron pot that had been prepared long ago.
The whole tribe was happy and joined the dancing team one after another. It was a happy day.
It's a pity that there are few young men, most of them have been recruited by the Great Khan to fight in the war.
Otherwise, countless beautiful loves will be born around the bonfire tonight.
Crisis always comes quietly when people are happiest!
The shepherd's high-pitched singing covered up the sound of galloping horses' hooves in the distance.
"Whizzing"
In the silent darkness, countless sharp arrows shining with cold light descended from the sky.
The old shepherds who were concentrating on driving the sheep were the first to be shot!
The sharp arrow accurately penetrated their defenseless backs, and their lives were taken away before they could even make a sound.
The bonfire was knocked over, but it did not go out. Instead, it tended to burn brighter and brighter.
The girls who were singing and dancing looked frightened, and all of them let out ear-piercing screams, huddled tightly together, and shivered.
The children were frightened by the sudden change and cried loudly. The herdsmen who were originally singing loudly under the beat of drums became frightened and noisy.
On the distant horizon, a strange-looking team appeared.
It was a group of cavalry, and the smoke raised by the horses' hooves was as high as half a man, which showed that they were coming at a gallop.
Under their crotches were fat and strong horses, with sharp knives hanging on their waists. Their clothes, which should have been very neat, were now stained red with blood.
They were wearing the clothes of the Ming people, but they were not the standard armor of the Ming Dynasty.
However, the iconic long sword and walnut-colored strong bow clearly indicate their identity.
Accompanied by the trembling sound of the bowstring, the sharp crossbow arrows flashed with cold light, easily taking away the fresh lives.
The knights drew their swords without making a single sound, and silently swung their swords at the helpless herdsmen.
This is a one-sided massacre!
People's frightened screams, chaotic stampings, and bitter pleas were intertwined together, forming a sharp contrast with the silent knight holding a long sword.
Under the moonlight.
Hot blood spurted out, and heads were chopped off one after another.
The helpless people fled in all directions, but they could not outrun the majestic horses or dodge the sharp arrows that shone with cold light.
The noisy sounds gradually disappeared, leaving only the sound of the burning campfire, accompanied by the frightened bleating sounds of the surviving lambs.
The night seemed extremely silent at this moment.
The herdsmen who had just been singing, dancing, and smiling happily were now lying in a state of disarray beside the bonfire, and the blood that gurgled out dyed the land red.
Silent like a picture scroll, cruel and bloody.
The knights remained silent, dismounted, and used the long knives in their hands to look at each person who fell on the ground one by one.
Then, he took out the sharp arrows on his back, dipped them in strong wine, and lit them on the bonfire nearby.
A "whoosh" sound.
Dozens of flaming sharp arrows landed on each yurt.
In an instant, flames shot into the sky.
At the same time, the silent knight finally spoke in a low voice.
"Let's go to the next tribe, ninety miles northwest."
This chapter has been completed!