Most of May has passed, and the moist east wind blows from the distant large lake, warming the fertile land beside the Leman River. The drizzle of light rain falls from the gloomy sky, soaking the fields where corn seeds are sown. This is cultivated by farmers.
At this time of year, the spring breeze blows warmly, the drizzle is like oil, and everywhere you look is full of green vitality.
In the field on the south bank of the river, a thin pointed bud has sprouted from a corn. The one-inch new bud separated into two small leaves, stood up a slender stem, and stretched towards the sky full of hope.
A pair of bare feet covered with calluses ran past in panic, and with panicked shouts, they suddenly stepped the young sprouts into the dust. A season of growth ended at this moment. Then, more pairs of bare feet panicked and staggered away. They ran away.
They stepped on the fields they cultivated with their own hands, crying and howling feebly, and fled south full of fear.
After a while, countless pairs of straw sandals took powerful steps and once again ran over the budding fields. The low-hanging war sticks wiped the green grass beside the road and cut across the barren land. According to His Highness's order, the figure of the straw sandals was not in a hurry.
Chasing is not meaningless killing. They just keep driving away farmers, setting fire to gathered villages, and creating waves of people fleeing.
The silhouette of the straw sandals went all the way south. Until the bluestone fortress was vaguely visible, the warriors with bronze spears banged their shields on the wooden stronghold, and the alarm sound of conch horns resounded throughout the southern wilderness. Only then did the Mexican warriors, amidst the enemy's shouts and curses,
Retreat slowly and orderly.
On the big boat in the Leman River, Shulot carried the commander's flag and looked calmly towards the south.
Around him, three hundred large boats lined up in sequence, like beasts of prey, showing their huge power to the Tarascans and inviting the two boat divisions to engage in a decisive battle. Thousands of small boats were divided into two, with one half patrolling the outer end.
Youyou, like a shoal of agile fish, are constantly scouting and patrolling. The other half is full of warriors, constantly shuttling back and forth, mobilizing troops from the north and south.
"Sowing corn and beans in May, pumpkins in June, resting in July, and harvesting in August, September, and October. The alliance provoked wars during this season, dispatching direct samurai who were out of work to invade the enemy's agricultural areas. The enemy's troops were insufficient.
If it is difficult to defend, we must give up spring plowing and re-mobilize warriors and militia. This is harmony and giving full play to the alliance's manpower advantage."
Shulot thought calmly, life began to turn into a simple number, and all actions were carried out for victory. He observed the Tarascan camp, waiting for the reaction of the enemy commander.
Not long after establishing a foothold on the north bank, the Mexican advance army launched a large-scale invasion with great momentum. Although the advance army made a pretense of a large-scale invasion, in fact only two thousand warriors from the western city-states crossed the river and invaded south. These warriors were scattered into groups of hundreds.
The small team invaded the land of Akambaro state everywhere. They burned the settlements on the south bank of the river and drove the farmers of Tarasco southward until they reached the enemy camp more than ten miles away.
Their mission is to destroy, test, and lure: to destroy the enemy's spring plowing this year, to test the current status of the enemy's mobilization, and to lure the enemy warriors to attack.
Shulot's eyes stayed on the river bank in the south, showing a confident smile.
At the beachhead on the south bank of the river, five hundred jaguar warriors and a thousand temple guards were waiting leisurely. These elite battle groups had a relaxed attitude, well-equipped equipment, and no doubt about their combat effectiveness. At this time, they sat cross-legged on the ground to rest, ready to
Prepare to launch a surprise attack on a large group of enemies.
On the river, Shulot's fleet was fully loaded with the real main force, waiting solemnly. The three thousand most elite warriors had their long bows strung, their quivers slung across their bodies, and their fingers tightened. They sat on the boats, conserving their strength.
They were always ready to rain down arrows on the enemy, regardless of whether they came from the water or the shore. The huge boat also carried an additional two thousand warriors with sticks and shields for possible boarding battles.
There were more than ten oarsmen in each large boat, and two or three people in the small boat. There were a total of 8,000 sailors and militiamen of the Mexica Marine Division, all of which were in preparation for war.
Shulot looked up at the sky, and strands of drizzle slid softly, creating circles of ripples on the water. The first rain had been falling for three days, from the beginning of sporadic drops to the current silk
The rain was like a line, and it was about to fall heavily.
The young commander's face was expressionless and he was thinking deeply.
This is the last time the Mexican advance army lures the enemy, and it is also the last invitation for the navy to fight. All the eight thousand warriors of the main force are dispatched, leaving only one thousand city-states and one thousand direct warriors in the wooden fort on the north bank, who are scattered and guarded.
Eight thousand prisoners. Under the raincloth covering the big boat were bundles of rockets, and the longbow warriors replaced the strings of their bows.
If the Tarascan navy goes to battle, the Mexican navy will give them an unforgettable "surprise" and establish an absolute advantage on the Leman River.
Shulot looked at the river mouth in the southwest again. The tall river mouth fortress was in the distance, but there were only a few Tarasco boats on the water. These boats were spying in the distance, passing the fortress from time to time, reporting back military information. The main force of Tarasco's navy
They are all hidden in Lake Quiceo, under the strict protection of the river mouth fortress, and it is not known whether they have been assembled.
"If the rain intensifies again in a few days, the rainy season will really come. At that time, gunpowder weapons will no longer be usable, and the power of longbows will be greatly weakened. Under the weather, the Mexica navy will lose its absolute long-range
advantage is no longer a good opportunity for war."
While Shulot was thinking about the circumstances of the war, he suddenly heard the scout's report.
"Your Highness, a large group of enemies appeared ten miles southeast, numbering at least five thousand!"
Hearing this, Shulot boarded the high platform of the boat and looked far to the southeast. Ten miles was almost the limit of visual distance from flat ground. Several groups of small dots were faintly running in the southeast. And behind the small dots, there were large groups of black dots.
The birds startled when passing the black dot.
Shulot was stunned for a moment, and then his face lit up with joy. He once again glanced at the scattered enemy ships on the southwest river, and there was no call for naval troops to be dispatched. After thinking for a moment, the young commander ordered two thousand warriors with sticks and shields to land on the beach.
The elite battle group prepared for battle. Then, three black smokes were lit on the south bank to gather the scattered city-state warriors.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! A few more quarters of an hour later, two thousand warriors have landed. The enemy army in the distance is already clearly visible, and the patches of bronze spears are shining coldly. There are three to four hundred Mexica warriors.
While fleeing to the river, he blew the bone whistle. Seeing the huge size of the fleet on the river and the Mexica warriors who were preparing to fight, Tarasco's pursuit slowed down significantly.
Shulot listened for a while and could only distinguish two repeated syllables. The young commander thought for a moment, then decisively gave up thinking and asked the warrior commander beside him.
"Bertard, what does this whistle mean?"
Bertard had been listening for a long time. He smiled slightly and answered calmly.
"Your Highness, the meaning is: be careful, there are many enemies."
Shulot was speechless for a moment. When he saw that the pursuers on the south bank had stopped and seemed to be preparing to retreat, he no longer hesitated and waved the battle flag fiercely.
The drums of the attack suddenly sounded. A thousand temple guards shouted the name of the god feverishly, and the sound shook the sky. They lowered their shields, raised their war clubs, and rushed towards the warriors of Tarasco at the front. Afterwards, the warriors handed over their shields.
, the body collided, splashing mud and water all over the body.
The temple guards swung their war clubs and hit the enemy's head, denting the leather hat and bones. The Tarasco warriors stabbed out their bronze spears, penetrated the guards' cotton armor, and penetrated deeply into the soft lungs.
The frontal battle became fierce in an instant. The warriors on both sides continued to struggle and fell, and the blood gradually dyed the ground red.
The two thousand direct warriors were divided into two groups, attacking the enemy's left and right sides respectively. They were attacked by groups of bronze spears, and their opponents were civilian militiamen without shields. The direct warriors were skilled and experienced. They held their shields high and shouted
then extended to the flanks, forcing the militiamen on the opposite side to gradually disperse. Then, the leading senior warriors burst out with angry shouts and bravely rushed in through the gaps in the enemy's formation. They used their skilled combat skills to hold their hands while swinging close to the enemy.
The militiamen with spears were knocked down one by one.
The five-hundred Jaguar battle group slightly deflected, like agile cheetahs, around the enemy's rear. They howled intimidatingly and threw two rounds of spears, creating two gaps in the enemy's formation. Immediately, the elite battle group
Breaking into the scattered and wavering militiamen, killing them wantonly. The ferocious beast-shaped helmet carried an intimidating power, like a charging beast, making the militiamen tremble with fear. The skilled war stick was even more deadly. During the continuous blows, those who were attacked by surprise
The enemy fell to the ground like cornstalks, blood splattered on the spot.
Shulot stared at the south bank, calmly observing the battle situation. As the two sides engaged in battle, the battle lines of the warriors and militia spread out to the two wings, and the group of enemies slowly expanded into a long line. It was not until this moment that he could fully see the enemy's intentions.
Specific composition.
On the front were a thousand Tarasco warriors. They resisted the fanatical attack of the temple guards and were temporarily at a disadvantage. When the two wings engaged, Tarasco's army resisted for a moment and then retreated loosely. This should be due to training.
The militiamen. When the Jaguar warriors who surrounded the rear launched an attack, Tarasco's military force suddenly slumped inward, the flag was crooked, and it quickly disintegrated... The rear must be ordinary militiamen.
The more than 300 city-state warriors who fled could only rest for a quarter of an hour. When they entered the battlefield again, Tarasco's army was about to collapse. Under the instructions of the commander's flag, the city-state warriors formed an arrow and started again from the gap in the flank.
Breaking in. Tarasco's army was like a taut silk thread, which was cut into two pieces by a sharp blade, and then collapsed.
Thousands of militiamen threw away the bronze spears in their hands, let out a loud and meaningless shout, and turned and fled south. As soon as the Mexica warriors blocked it, groups of militiamen knelt down and surrendered. The direct subordinates on both wings
The warriors began to pursue southward, while the city-state warriors were exhausted and were in charge of the surrendered militiamen.
The noble Jaguar battle group did not bother to chase the militiamen. They roared again and attacked the Tarasco warriors from the rear. This kind of attack from behind is the most deadly and can completely destroy the rhythm of the defense. It only takes half a quarter of an hour.
, a thousand bronze spear warriors disintegrated, turned and fled to the south. The temple guards enthusiastically praised the name of the god, thanked the Lord God for the victory, and then stalked away in pursuit.
Seeing the victory coming so quickly, Shulotran laughed out loud and shared the joy of battle with the generals. Then he lowered his eyes and thought secretly.
This Tarascan army only has a thousand warriors, and the remaining four to five thousand are militiamen. The expected battle did not come, and the enemy's navy did not dispatch. Now, the main force of the Tarascans is hiding
Behind a series of camps and fortresses, he firmly controlled the southern defense line. He could not find out the details of the enemy's mobilization, nor was he sure about the enemy's troop distribution. He could only continue to test carefully and beware of potential dangers.
A strong wind blew, bringing distant thunder. Soon, the rain in the sky became heavier and heavier, soaking the raincloth on the boat and the prepared rockets.
Shulot raised his head, letting the raindrops hit his face, savoring the slight pain, as if listening to the will of the gods.
Soon, Barda came back to report again. In this battle, he killed 200 Tarasco warriors and captured 500. He killed hundreds of militiamen and captured more than 2,000 people. More than 3,000 long and short bronze spears were captured.
The Mexica casualties were only over a hundred warriors, most of which occurred on the frontal battlefield where the warriors fought. At this time, a large number of warriors were still chasing.
The young commander nodded majestically and praised the warriors for their bravery. As long as the warriors did not exhaust their energy, break up and flee, or be completely surrounded, the casualties in frontal battles would not be too many. Once the militiamen broke up, they could often run away.
Faster than a samurai, this kind of target is not worth the risk of pursuing.
After thinking for a moment, Shulot ordered in a deep voice.
"Very good. Barda, you fought well! The next order is: recall the pursuing warriors, treat our wounded, classify the prisoners, and ask for details about the enemy!"
Barda bowed solemnly and left as ordered.
After a while, dozens of heralds ran around, spreading the order to withdraw the troops. Then, groups of prisoners were unloaded with equipment, escorted back and forth on boats, and transported to the north bank in batches. The warriors put away their weapons.
, carrying the captures on the battlefield, eagerly discussed the battle just now, and boarded the boat with high spirits.
Strong winds blew, war flags fluttered, and continuous rain fell in all directions. The rain diluted the blood-stained soil and washed away the simply buried bodies.
Shulot rejected the proposal to fortify the Jingguan. In the warm rainy season, corpses should be buried as soon as possible to prevent the occurrence of epidemics. With the official arrival of the rainy season, luring enemies and inviting battles came to an end. He did not want to over-stimulate
The enemy fought hard in the heavy rain season.
The young commander finally looked toward the river mouth fortress in the southwest. The enemy's boats were still swimming, sending news of the defeat on the river bank back to the south. These were the eyes of the Tarascans, and the river mouth fortress was the key to the eyes.
Shulot watched for a long time, and came up with some ideas in his contemplation. Then, the commander's flag pointed north, the conch bugle sounded loudly for the withdrawal, the battalion captains loudly agreed, and the sailors rowed the oars again.
Soon, thousands of boats were swaying, millions of people were returning north, and the dim sky covered everything. The Mexica navy, loaded with the spoils of victory, sailed towards the stronghold on the north shore, leaving only the green smoke gradually extinguished in the drizzle.
Note: There is a detailed map of the Tarasco strategy at the end of the chapter, which covers the land of Mikancho.
