Since entering the grassland, the weather has gradually turned colder. At first, you can still see towering pitch pine and spruce trees. The further north you go, the more withered the trees become.
A few days later, the army has arrived in the hinterland of the desert, where the wind blows and the grass is low, and the sea of clouds thousands of miles away can't be seen at a glance.
As the saying goes, the sky is like a dome, covering the four fields. Three thousand troops walking on such a vast grassland are like a small boat in the vast sea. Everyone laments the vastness of the world and the insignificance of human beings.
Under this situation, Zhu Qizhen was not in the mood to feel emotional because he was lost.
There isn't even a map of this place, and even if there was one, it would be of no use, because it is surrounded by grasslands without any landmarks, and you wouldn't be able to understand the map if I gave it to you.
"Report!"
Facing the setting sun, a scout horse galloped over. The knight on the horse gasped and said: "Five miles ahead, I found a lake, and there is a village of Oara people on the lakeside!"
The Oara people are nomadic people, and the so-called villages are nothing more than temporary gathering places for several families. When the water and grass here are exhausted, the tents are rolled up and moved to the next pasture.
It is precisely because of this that it is difficult to find their traces.
The most effective way is to look for water sources. Where there is water, there may be Oara people's activities.
When Zhu Qizhen heard this, he immediately became excited and asked: "How many people are there on the other side?"
"Back to the emperor, there are about five to six hundred people!"
Zhu Qizhen's eyes swept quickly, and his roar penetrated the field: "Preach my will, speed up the whole army, and resolve the battle before sunset!"
As soon as the soldiers heard that a battle was finally about to be fought, their enthusiasm immediately surged. Their tired bodies were trembling with great strength, and they galloped forward.
The calm lake surface rippled gently under the breeze, making a rustling sound, as if it was a harmonious and peaceful poem.
There is a tribe living near the lake, and all their young men have joined the southern expedition team, and may soon return with a large amount of loot.
The southerners are very wealthy. Iron pots, salt, and cotton cloth, which are extremely scarce materials on the grasslands, are available in ordinary people's homes.
Although occasionally smugglers would bring some supplies to the grasslands in exchange for horses and furs, but those were only available to the upper class. Lower-class herdsmen like them could only rely on warriors from the tribe to go out and plunder.
Sometimes, the soldiers would bring back some slaves. In short, if they wanted to improve their lives, they would go south to plunder. In their eyes, this was a matter of course.
As the sky gradually darkened, people in the tribe gathered in twos and threes in front of the campfire, chatting about the Taishi's southern expedition. In this expedition, the tribe not only sent all the soldiers, but also contributed a large number of cattle and sheep, waiting for the army to return.
The teacher will definitely reward them with a lot of trophies.
At this time, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the distance.
An old man raised his head and saw the cavalry rushing towards him under the setting sun. He frowned and said, "Didn't I just send supplies the day before yesterday? Why are they here again?"
Another person said: "I heard that the fighting on the front line has reached a stalemate, presumably because there is not enough food and grass."
"However, most of our tribe's cattle and sheep have been requisitioned, where can we get supplies for them?"
"Aren't there two hundred sheep left?"
"Winter is coming soon. If we send them all to the front line, the people in the tribe will starve!"
"Don't worry, when the soldiers and horses on the front line come back from the victory, the benefits will be ours."
"Alas, that's all it can do."
Seeing the cavalry getting closer and closer, the old man who spoke first stood up and ordered: "Tell everyone, drive all the sheep over here!"
At this time, someone looked puzzled and said: "Why do I feel wrong?"
"What's wrong?"
"The armor on these people..."
Before the man finished speaking, he heard a whoosh and an arrow shot into his chest.
Immediately afterwards, arrows flew one after another, and these people finally reacted.
"It's the Ming army!"
"Enemy attack, enemy attack!"
However, it is already too late.
Zhu Qizhen took the lead and shouted with all his strength: "Kill!"
The soldiers of the Three Thousand Battalion were like tigers coming out of the gate, galloping on their horses, roaring and rushing towards the Walas, their bright swords shining with an icy light in the afterglow of the setting sun.
To be able to burn the flames of war onto the grassland is the dream of every Ming Dynasty soldier.
Before this, only Emperor Yongle had done it.
Everyone's eyes were flashing with fanatical flames, their faces were flushed, and their expressions of excitement were palpable. The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves covered half of the sky.
These Oara people never expected that the Ming army would appear in the hinterland of the desert!
The thunderous sound of horse hooves broke the peaceful life of this tribe. In the past, they went south to rob the people of the Ming Dynasty. They never thought that one day they would be massacred by the Ming army.
For a time, there were shouts of terror everywhere in the tribe. It was obvious that the Wala people, who had never been plundered, regarded this Ming army that penetrated the grassland as tribal warriors transporting supplies.
However, even if they found that something was wrong, they did not flinch. Whether they were men, women, or even children half a person's height, they were all trying to resist.
In the impression of the Oara people, it is impossible for the Han people to step into the grasslands because they are weak and vulnerable by nature.
A gray-haired Wala man held a scimitar and mounted a war horse. He was once a warrior and had accompanied the army south many times. Facing the menacing Ming army, he was not afraid, but chose to fight head-on.
Opposite him, a horse crossed over. Immediately afterwards, the sharp blade flashed past like a snow-white sword. Blood spattered everywhere. The old man Wala's body was broken into two parts, and he fell off the horse with a thud.
Come.
His sunken eyes trembled and protruded outwards, and the misery in his eyes was clearly visible. Obviously, he never expected until his death that he would be buried under the blade of the Ming army at the door of his home.
With a fierce look on his face, Ha Ming spat fiercely at the corpse of the old man Wala. He swung the big knife in his hand, and the blood on the blade spread far away, and then he went to look for the next target.
"Kill!"
The Ming army was so fierce that they broke into the sheep and slaughtered them wantonly like wild wolves on the grassland.
The battle was almost a one-sided massacre, and the Wala people finally understood that this Ming army seemed to be very different from what they had in mind.
Finally, they woke up, and the fierce light in their eyes turned into fear.
"Run quickly!"
In panic, countless Wala people threw away their weapons, ran away and ran away.
However, how could the Ming army let them go!
These panicked Wala people instantly became living targets for the Ming army.
Thinking of the flesh and blood compatriots who died tragically under the iron hoofs of the old days, the ferocity hidden in the Ming army began to explode. With cold expressions, they slowly pulled the long bows and watched the rotating arrows shoot away and penetrate the enemy's chest.
Listening to the sound of their sternums breaking, all the anger seems to be released in the dripping blood.