Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 281 Number Stove

   In the days following the fall of the Tartai family, a large group of cavalrymen from the Turdun Department slaughtered one after another to the west bank of the Bighorn River.

   For a time, the people and horses on the west bank neighed, and the sand and dust were everywhere, and the commoners of Niuhogu Valley said, "There is thunder in winter" - in fact, it was the sound of thousands of hoofs trampling the earth.

   And because of the winter wind, the Teltown people are upwind, and the Oxhoof Valley is downwind.

  The smoke from the barbarians burning animal dung for warmth and the rolled up sand and dust were mixed up and blown by the west wind to the east bank, causing the people of Tiefeng County to cough from morning to night.

   The smoke of the barbarians burning the fire is so terrifying, so what if the barbarians cross the river?

   Niuhogu was in a state of panic, many civilians even wanted to abandon their homes and flee, and even the will of the warriors was shaken.

   But seeing the blood-red flag flying on the church bell tower, everyone's minds calmed down again - the blood wolf is still here, what are we afraid of?

   Nixhoof Valley is now the front line between the two armies, so Winters has not left.

The   Telltown army arrived, and the troops under Winters also arrived in the Oxhoof Valley one after another.

   The 11th and 12th companies were the first to come to support.

   The second batch of reinforcements was the "Volunteer Brigade" led by Samukin - although fighters from other companies generally called them "Basketing Brigade".

  Because the Volunteer Brigade recruited from the prisoners, all of them were carefully selected by Samukin, the prisoners who were best at weaving baskets—and the most obedient prisoners.

   The name of the captive brigade was not pleasant, so Winters personally gave it the designation "Volunteer Brigade".

   He has signed a new contract with the captives of Vigne:

  [The head of a Teltonite is captured, and he will be freed after the war; two heads of Teltun are allowed to be transferred to the field-granting order; more than two heads will be accumulated according to the standard of active soldiers. ]

   Niusho Valley was originally garrisoned by 1st and 2nd companies. With the addition of the 11th and 12th companies and the "basket weaving brigade", the total strength was close to 1,000.

   If you count the civilians of Niuho Valley as auxiliary soldiers, the size of the army can instantly expand to 5,000.

  According to the rules, make a false report. Then [Winters Montagne personally led a 20,000-strong army to confront the 100,000-strong iron cavalry of Telltown's army across the river] is obviously very reasonable.

   In order to monitor the enemy's situation, Winters mobilized manpower to build a series of watchtowers on the east bank of the Big Horn River.

   At this moment, he was on one of the towers, leaning on the railing and looking at the Terdun barbarians on the other side.

   "You said." Winters leaned on a cane, and suddenly asked a few people behind him with a smile: "Are the Hurd tribes poor and only horses left?"

   Hearing this, everyone present laughed.

  Winters wore a ragged hat and a triangular scarf on his face, like a shearing thief, and he did not look like "Your Excellency the Tribunal".

   The others are similar, they are all wrapped tightly, only a pair of eyes are exposed.

   Speaking of which, Winters had done it himself. He burned the meadows on the west bank of the Big Horn River to the ground. Even if there was no human activity, the wind would blow up the dust. Now with the help of the Teltown Department, the sandstorm is even more powerful.

"In addition to horses, there are also cattle and sheep!" Bart Xialing's eyes narrowed with a smile: "Of course the most valuable thing is horses! Centurion, barbarians have given us a generous gift, we must thank them very well. !"

  According to the initial visual estimates of Tamas and Bart Shaling, the number of horses in the Tartai Department should be around 500 to 600.

   But after the battle, he counted nearly a thousand horses, which was a windfall. Poor Tartai worked so hard to save a little fortune, all of which fell into Winters' pocket.

  The lucrative robbery business indirectly led to a somewhat "nomadic" trend among Winters' officers.

   Saving, saving, saving, saving and saving is still tight, Winters can't even make up a hundred warhorses.

   If you win a battle, you can grab nearly a thousand horses in one go - although there are good ones and bad ones. What's the point of breeding? Can't you grab it? How happy?

   Winters had to correct the second company commander: "The Teltown people did give a great gift, but the most expensive gift is not a horse."

  Bart Xia Ling nodded respectfully: "This subordinate is stupid, please make it clear."

   Winters raised his jaw slightly: "It's that big fat Tartai, who is worth a thousand horses alone. Tamas, well done."

  Tamas scratched his head with a smile.

   In the first battle of the surprise attack on Tartai, Tamas captured the enemy chief alive and did better than Winters - after all, if Winters did it, the possibility of Tartai surviving would be lower.

"The Teltown people don't know the truth of our side, but we have already figured out the details of the Teltown people." Winters pointed to the mighty Teltown company on the other side: "No matter how many people and horses there are, the more It's just a gift for us!"

  The officers laughed.

   In addition to the officers, there was also the mayor of Niu Hoof Valley.

   Mr. Mayor grinned awkwardly. The barbarians on the other side could raze the Ox-hoof Valley to the ground just by stepping on a horse. He really couldn't laugh.

   "Mr. Mayor, don't be so embarrassed." Winters said to the Mayor of Oxhoof Valley with a smile.

   The mayor of Niushogu shuddered in his heart and laughed even more ugly.

"You think I'm bragging, don't you?" Winters leaned against the fence and asked with a grin.

   "I don't dare, Your Excellency, I don't dare." The mayor of Niuho Valley shook his head desperately.

   "Don't dare, that's what you have in mind?" Winters' eyes curled into a smile.

   The other party asked with a smile, but the mayor of Niu Hoof Valley was about to cry, and he didn't know where to provoke this killing god.

   "Come." Winters beckoned: "Stand on the edge of the railing."

  The mayor of Oxhoof Valley trembled as he walked to the fence. He couldn't help but glance down and felt the world spinning.

   The watchtower is more than five meters high, and there is a soft river beach below, but in the eyes of the mayor of Niuti Valley, it is as high as a 100-meter cliff.

  The Mayor of Niusho Valley felt a thrust behind him, he screamed, and then found himself alive.

   "What's your name?" Winters took the mayor of Oxhoof Valley by the shoulders and asked with a smile, "Scare me."

  The mayor, who was nearly forty years old, was hugged by the blood wolf, his face was bloodless, and his speech became stammered: "Surge... subordinate... subordinate's heart is surging... so much that he screamed..."

   "Oh? Surging? It's good to get used to it." Winters enthusiastically pointed to the horses on the opposite bank: "I'm afraid you don't understand, so I'll explain it to you. Do you see there? It's the Teltown people drinking horses."

   "Look, see, see."

   "According to my observation, Teltown people drink horses three times a day, which should be the reason for not having fresh grass to eat." Winters smiled and asked: "Tell me, how many horses are in the group of horses that are drinking?"

   The mayor of Niuho Valley burst into tears: "This, this... this subordinate really doesn't know!"

"Then let me tell you, there are about a hundred horses, and every time they drink horses, it is the same size. According to my speculation, it should be because there are too many horses to drink water, so the Teltown people will take turns in groups of about a hundred horses. into the river to drink."

   "Your Excellency is wise!"

   "Stop flattering and listen carefully." Winters smiled: "These are all military secrets."

   The mayor of Niuti Valley was sobbing and nodded, as if pounding garlic.

"Then it's the key point." Winters put his left hand on the shoulder of the mayor of Oxhoof Valley, and took out a small notebook with his right hand: "According to the records of the observation towers along the coast, Teltown people drank horses a total of 402 times yesterday - there may be omissions and repetitions, But it's roughly accurate. Tell me, how many barbarians are there on the other side?"

   The mayor of Niu Hoof Valley seemed to be hit by five thunders: "I, I, my... subordinate, how does this subordinate know?"

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter." Winters reassured the mayor. He remembered something and added seriously: "I forgot to tell you that although there are rich and poor, statistically speaking, the main force of Teltown is about three per person. A horse. What else?"

   The mayor of Niusho Valley shook his head desperately.

"If my algorithm is correct." Winters put away his notebook and said firmly: "There are more than 13,000 horses on the other side, and the strength should be around 4,000. This is similar to the enemy chief 'Taltai' captured by our army. The information provided can confirm each other. Counting the number of times of drinking horses can find out the truth of the enemy, isn’t it interesting?”

   "Interesting." The mayor of Niutigu nodded hurriedly: "Interesting."

   Winters' conversation turned sharply: "Mr. Mayor, you know that there are 4,000 enemies, so do you know how many people our army has in Oxhoof Valley?"

   The mayor of Niuhogu Valley swallowed and shook his head.

"Four companies, plus a brigade, less than a thousand people. These are military secrets." Winters patted the mayor of Niuho Valley on the shoulder: "I told you without reservation, you have to keep it a secret for me. "

   The mayor of Niu Hoof Valley couldn't hold back any longer. He knelt on the ground with his knees weak, hugged the blood wolf's legs and cried bitterly with snot and tears, shouting for mercy.

  Tamas and Bart Xia Ling stepped forward and pulled the mayor of Oxhoof Valley away, and the two worked together to hold the latter up.

   "Everyone laughed just now, but you didn't laugh." Winters' eyes became cold: "Why don't you laugh?"

   The Mayor of Niusho Valley was sobbing that he was speechless.

  The conversation cannot continue.

   Without Winters' order, Bart Shalling had already helped the mayor stop his tears, and the conversation could continue.

   Winters leaned on the fence, his sword on his knees: "You don't laugh because you are afraid. Of course you should be afraid, the enemy four and me one, no matter how you count it, you will definitely lose.

   I might as well tell you that the palace guards of the enemy chieftain have not yet arrived. When the fire-boilers arrive in person, it will be seven to one. Ooh, it's dead. So you don't laugh, you even think we laugh funny. "

   "No...no..." The mayor of Niuho Valley shook his head like a rattle and cried, "This subordinate has never thought of this..."

"No?" Winters raised his sword eyebrows and drew out his saber: "Come, kiss the blade, swear you didn't say 'you must lose, run for your life as soon as possible', swear you didn't swear in church, swear you didn't secretly form a party Against me. Promise, you can go."

  The Mayor of Niuhogu was trembling all over, not daring to make a sound.

"Well, it's honest." Winters put his sword in the sheath, his expression became relaxed, and he smiled again: "Of course you can think like this, you can also say this, even if you say that at the dinner table, I can forgive you. . But you can't speak in public because you're the mayor. In front of the people, you represent my authority and position."

Wen Tesla sat on the edge of the fence with the mayor of Niu Hoof Valley: "Mr. Mayor, you might as well think about it, the enemy is outnumbered and I am outnumbered. With a sad face, what would it be like?"

"I know better than you the danger of this battle." Wen Tesla held the arm of the mayor of Niuho Valley and smiled lightly: "But we have to laugh, not cry. I laugh, you cry. I cry. , you still have to be scared to death?"

  The officers laughed loudly, and the mayor of Niushogu also squeezed out a smile.

Winters looked at the mayor, his words earnestly and softly: "I laugh, I want to set an example for the soldiers. I hope you will also set an example for the civilians in the Oxhoof Valley, and stop making small circles and gangs against me. ,OK?"

   "Good! Good! My subordinates will not dare any more!" The mayor of Niuhogu's triangular scarf was wet with tears, he nodded desperately.

"It's fine if you agree. Didn't you send your wife and children to Gervodin the day before yesterday?" Winters said kindly: "I'll take you back to the Oxhoof Valley. Didn't you hide three horses to prepare?" Run away? I also confiscated it for you."

   The mayor of Niusho Valley had black eyes, and it was all because of Winters' support that he would not fall into the watchtower.

Winters explained patiently: "Before the war, it's not good for you to send your wife and children away. You are the mayor, and it is your responsibility to keep the land. As soon as you run, everyone else will follow to Gervodin, the cow's hoof valley. There is no way to keep it. As it is now, if you can keep it alive and die together, it’s good.”

   The tears that the mayor of Niusho Valley had just stopped poured out again.

   "Don't cry." Winters comforted the mayor: "Don't worry, I've won the battle against Teltown, strictly speaking, so far. Do you hear me clearly?"

   "Listen clearly." The mayor of Niuhogu Valley cried with swollen eyes: "The record is a complete victory."

   "Okay, it's good to know, just tell everyone in Niu Hoof Valley." Winters patted the other party's arm: "You can go."

The mayor of    Nixhoof Valley has not recovered from the impact, and he didn't wake up like a dream until Bart Shalling signaled to him.

  The mayor of Niu Hoof Valley, like a pardon, turned back and left in three steps. As he stepped on the ladder with one foot, he heard the gentle voice of the tribune:

   "Mr. Mayor."

   The Mayor of Niu Hoof Valley seemed to be scalded by hot charcoal, his body suddenly tensed, and his back became cold: "Yes! Your Excellency!"

   "This battle is over." Winters smiled and waved goodbye: "You hand in a resignation."

  …

"You bastard, you really don't need to talk nonsense with him." Looking at the back of the mayor of Niu Hoof Valley, Bart Xia Ling said indignantly: "Following the law, driving up prices, and inciting the townspeople to oppose us, you should put him Divide the corpses of five horses in public! Shock the other Xiao Xiao."

"He wants to escape to Gervodin. The better we defend, the more he can't go." Winters leaned against the rail: "So he tried every means to sabotage our preparation process, which is 'to steal a handful of wheat, Burn a silo'."

   "How can there be such a person?"

   Winters sighed softly: "There are not a lot of such people, it should be said... There are such people everywhere. Internal and external troubles, internal and external troubles."

   Several company commanders were sullen for a while.

   "But—after all, there are still many good people." Winters found that the atmosphere was not right, and smiled to explain a few people: "People are like a vast ocean. Although there is some dirty water, the sea itself is still clean."

  Tamas, Bart Shaling, and Samukin exchanged glances with strange expressions.

   "What's the matter?" Winters laughed: "Don't believe me?"

   "It's not that I don't believe you." Tamas bravely stood up: "We... have never seen the sea."

   Winters took a deep breath and corrected his remarks: "People's kindness is like a prairie. Although it is sometimes scorched by a fire, it will be reborn sooner or later."

   "We'll understand that!" Bart Xialing smiled happily.

   Winters summoned the captains, not just to watch the enemy.

   "How about the carriage collection?" Winters restrained his smile.

   "Everything that can be expropriated has been expropriated." Tamas replied immediately, and he added in a low voice: "It's the forced expropriation of carriages that made the peasants a little bit resentful."

   "Make a mark and register it. Tell them that there is a loan and a repayment, and a loss and compensation."

   "Yes." Tamas raised his hand in salute.

  Bart Shalling held the hilt of his sword and asked, "Will the village near Oxhoof Valley be burned down?"

"No, there is no need to burn it here for the time being." Winters smiled and shook his head: "I can't burn them all, the people still have to live. Burn one now, and lose one in the future. Burning the house will hurt me. heart."

   The company commanders smiled kindly.

   Immediately, Winters rearranged the tasks for each company.

   That afternoon, four companies of the Iron Peak Infantry Regiment drove out of the Oxhoof Valley and built small barriers on the banks of the river.

  There is another logging team in the vicinity of Oxhoof Valley to cut trees to build rafts and boats.

  The fortress of Niusho Valley has basically taken shape, and the new fortifications completely wrap the town of Niusti Valley, and the next step is to continue strengthening - this part of the work is handed over to the civilians.

  Samukin's Volunteer Brigade is stationed at Niutigu Town. Currently, their main job is... basket weaving.

  In the evening of that day, an unprecedented cyan ponytail appeared on the hills on the west bank of the Big Horn River.

   Here comes the fire roaster.

   [Thanks to book friends for their aimless leader, thank you]

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   (end of this chapter)