MLMD -Chapter 49 All This Trouble Caused by Showing Off

On the second day of the eleventh month in the fifth year of Chongzhen, the grasslands were already filled with a biting cold. For the people living on the steppe, autumn had long since drawn to a close. For the nomadic tribes of the grasslands, winter was their greatest enemy. Adults and children alike were busily preparing for the harsh season. It was at this time that Yue Yang and Li Yuan arrived at the Khorchin tribe.

In Mongolian, “Khorchin” means “makers of bows and arrows.” Historically, the Khorchin grasslands were the domain of Hasar, the brother of Genghis Khan. Today, the Khorchin tribe had over ten thousand warriors capable of fighting, and it was one of the few major tribes among the Mongols.

Yue Yang and Li Yuan were leading a large caravan with a very obvious purpose. As soon as they entered the territory of the Khorchin tribe, they were spotted.

Mongols were generally nomadic, moving wherever the pastures were abundant. Entering the Khorchin territory, Yue Yang was greeted with a vast expanse of cattle, sheep, and horses, along with countless tents. Under the blue sky, herders were busily tending their livestock to fatten them up before winter. Children and women were stockpiling hay. The entire tribe appeared in a constant state of activity.

Li Yuan pointed toward the busy herders and was about to say something to Yue Yang when a sudden, urgent blast of horn sounded from ahead. The horns, made from oxen horns, were deep and resonant, carrying far across the plains.

“Woo… woo…”

At the sound, the tribe immediately stirred. Soon, people mounted their horses, and within moments, over a thousand riders had gathered, charging directly toward Yue Yang’s caravan.

Seeing this, Yue Yang teased Li Yuan, “Master Li, looks like you really have a lot of influence! These people are putting on quite a show just to welcome you!”

“I… this… shouldn’t be a welcome, right?” Li Yuan was stunned. He knew himself to be just a minor merchant; it was impossible for him to command the attention of over a thousand Mongol cavalry. That level of respect would only befit a prince from the Later Jin, not a simple trader.

After a while, Yue Yang noticed something was off. Though not an expert in cavalry tactics, he knew enough to see that the Mongol riders were not coming to greet them—they were preparing for battle.

Yue Yang quickly took a telescope from his satchel and surveyed the approaching force. About a thousand meters away, the Mongol riders were astride their horses, their waists adorned with various curved swords and long blades. Some had even removed their horn bows and fitted them with arrows, the tips glinting sharply as they pointed directly at them.

Seeing this, Yue Yang bristled like a cat that had been stepped on. Without thinking, he grabbed the whistle hanging around his neck and blew forcefully:

“Toot… toot toot toot… toot… toot toot toot…”

During his militia training, Yue Yang had placed great emphasis on rapid response. The troops, well-trained, reacted immediately to the sound. Within minutes, a thousand soldiers had formed a five-rank phalanx under the command of junior officers, ready to counter the Mongol cavalry.

Seeing the soldiers ready, Yue Yang snapped at Li Yuan, “Old man, you always boast about how well you know the Khorchin tribe. So why are these people showing a black-on-black attitude the moment we arrive? You better explain this, or I won’t let it go!” In his frustration, Yue Yang didn’t spare polite language, unleashing a string of curses.

Li Yuan was also bewildered. Stammering, he tried to explain, “I… I don’t know! They weren’t like this the last time I came!”

“Hmph. We’ll settle this later!” Yue Yang snorted. Seeing the Mongol cavalry closing in, he realized now was not the time for argument. Meanwhile, the caravan drivers and porters quickly formed the wagons into a large circle. Though hastily done and still containing gaps, the formation could at least slow the cavalry.

Yue Yang strode along the formation, issuing orders. Soon, the front row of spearmen took out their shields. These were not small bucklers for sword-and-shield soldiers but massive steel shields, one meter wide and one and a half meters high, weighing over thirty kilograms each. Each shield had a sharp iron spike at the bottom that, when thrust into the ground, formed an impenetrable wall, capable of withstanding even powerful bows and crossbows.

These heavy shields had been specially made in Yue Yang’s modern-era steel factory to resist cavalry and projectiles. Now, they were proving invaluable. Two hundred shields formed a wall stretching over two hundred meters. Behind them crouched two hundred spearmen, and behind them, five hundred sword-and-shield soldiers, each armed with a repeating crossbow angled toward the sky. At Yue Yang’s command, countless arrows would rain death upon the enemy.

“Five hundred meters… four hundred… three hundred… almost there…” Yue Yang observed the approaching cavalry through his telescope.

This time, Yue Yang had prepared extensively. He had commissioned hundreds of heavy shields and five hundred repeating crossbows from his steel factory. These crossbows were powerful, capable of piercing armor at 150 meters, and their reload mechanism allowed ten bolts to be fired in ten seconds—almost covering fire by the standards of the era.

Because of their power, the factory manager had repeatedly warned Yue Yang not to let the authorities see the weapons, or everyone would be in trouble.

Confident in their strength, Yue Yang knew that once the Mongols entered the crossbow range, he could shred over a thousand riders.

“Ready… crossbows cocked… ready…”

Junior officers barked orders, and many soldiers raised their hands, prepared to unleash their deadly volley as soon as the enemy came within range.

Just as the battle was about to erupt, the front line of Mongol riders suddenly slowed. They began spreading out to the sides and halted less than three hundred meters from Yue Yang’s caravan.

A middle-aged Mongol rode forward, shouting in Mandarin: “Are you the Shanxi Li family caravan? Is Master Li here? Step forward and answer!”

“What the… why did they stop?” Yue Yang muttered, frustrated that the perfect chance to strike had evaporated. He snapped at Li Yuan, “Hey, your turn—go over there already!”

“Oh… oh, right…”

Li Yuan suddenly realized and spurred his horse forward. He shouted to the Mongol in front, “Brother Udamu, I am Li Yuan from Yingzhou Prefecture, Shanxi. What are you doing? Why are you attacking our caravan?”

The Mongol, Udamu, glared and barked, “Hmph! You have the nerve to ask why we attacked? I should ask you why you brought so many soldiers into Khorchin territory. Are you trying to start a war with us? Don’t think that just because winter is coming our warriors can’t handle swords and spears. If you make even the slightest move, our warriors will tear you to pieces like rabbits!”

“Ah… war? In winter?”

Hearing this, Li Yuan first froze, then glanced at Yue Yang and the fully armored soldiers surrounding him. He finally understood: the Khorchin had overreacted because Yue Yang’s showy, heavily armed troops looked like a provocation. Yue Yang had gone too far showing off.

Realizing this, Li Yuan shot Yue Yang an annoyed glance, then urged his horse forward, calling out while running: “Brother Udamu, you’ve misunderstood! We’re not here to fight. We came to trade. These soldiers are friends of mine, here only to protect the caravan!”

As he spoke, Li Yuan drew closer, nervously explaining himself in front of Udamu…