Moma Liangshan

Chapter 232 Sacrifice, Night Raid on the New

Listening to Tieli Zhengfei's account, Lin Chong quickly understood the whole story and said, "Since you are Tieli Zhengfei, then you are our friend. Our army has just captured a batch of grain and is struggling to find a place to store it. How about we store it with you for the time being?" Seeing that Lin Chong had no intention of killing her, Tieli Zhengfei began to bargain and said, "I can obey the general's orders, but I also hope that the general can give me appropriate compensation!" The Hungry Wolf Legion was deep in enemy territory, like a tree without roots, but if they could win the support of the Khitan remnants, they might be able to break through their current predicament and fight the Jurchens wholeheartedly. Consort Tieli's request was not excessive and was quite in line with Wang Hao's style of doing things, so Lin Chong said, "Weapons and provisions can all be offered as payment. Please name your price, Madam!" Lin Chong's generosity greatly surprised Consort Tieli, who felt ashamed of her previous behavior and said, "General, you are of high rank. How dare I overstep my bounds?" Lin Chong laughed and said, "Since you are so generous, Madam, I naturally cannot be stingy either. Two hundred shi of grain, one hundred swords, seventy sets of armor, and ten crossbows will be your reward for half a year. Is that alright?"

Consort Tieli was stunned, even suspecting Lin Chong was mocking her, but given the current situation, she cautiously asked, "General, are you joking?" Lin Chong shook his head slightly and said to Yang Yong beside him, "Go and inform Zhao Tuo to hand over the supplies immediately!" Yang Yong agreed and turned to leave. Confirming that Lin Chong wasn't joking, Consort Tieli was filled with gratitude and said, "Thank you so much, General!" Lin Chong shook his head again and said, "Madam, there's no need for that. It's just a win-win situation!" Consort Tieli replied, "These provisions and weapons may be dispensable to the General, but they are a matter of life and death for me!"

Lin Chong admired Tie Li's ability to see the situation clearly, but the following conversation surprised him greatly. Tie Li said, "If the general and the soldiers need it, all the adult women in the village are available to serve!" After a slight pause, she continued shyly, "That naturally includes myself!" Lin Chong found it hard to believe. Even if the customs of the grasslands were open, they would never go to such lengths. He said, "Please, Madam, have some self-respect!" Hearing Lin Chong's refusal, Tie Li's surprise was compounded by her growing fear. She quickly said, "If the general finds me unworthy, there are several beautiful young girls in the village who can all be offered to you!" Lin Chong increasingly understood the fear in Tie Li's heart and could only say gently, "I said we can be friends; since we are friends, how can we do such beastly things?" Tie Li's expression softened slightly, but she still insisted, saying, "Whether it's myself or the women of the village, we are all willing to offer ourselves to the general and the soldiers!"

Lin Chong, a man of principle, and knowing Wang Hao's character, would never ignore such licentious behavior, said, "Compared to the pleasures of the flesh, I'd like to know the reason behind this." This time, Lady Tieli looked puzzled and said, "General, do you really not know?" Lin Chong nodded in agreement. Lady Tieli said, "General, do you think these old, weak, women, and children in the village can survive this winter?" Lin Chong replied, "It will be extremely difficult!" Lady Tieli shook her head and said, "Not just difficult, it's absolutely impossible!" Lin Chong remained silent, listening attentively. Lady Tieli continued, "We are nothing but two-legged sheep on the grassland. Without a man's protection, we can only slowly wait to die in fear and anxiety! We don't want to die, so we beg the general for protection!"

Lin Chong sighed softly and said, "The Hungry Wolf Legion has its own mission. I can offer assistance, but I cannot station troops to guard it!" Tie Li Zhengfei nodded in agreement, then said, "General, your ambitions are vast, and you cannot be bound by the concerns of women and children like us. However, even a swan soaring high in the sky, traveling far and wide, has a fixed resting place. My choice is merely to leave a lasting impression on you!" Lin Chong could see that Tie Li Zhengfei's words were sincere, but a gentleman has principles, and he said, "A gentleman's promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold!" Then he pushed open the door and left. Watching Lin Chong's departing figure, Tie Li Zhengfei murmured to herself, "Perhaps one day you truly will become an invincible king of the grasslands!" No one knew the details of Lin Chong and Tie Li Zhengfei's conversation, but from this day forward, the Hungry Wolf Legion finally had its first popular base on the grasslands. Perhaps hiding grain in the soil was a poor strategy, while hiding it among the people was the best strategy.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Lin Chong's camp and the Khitan villages were kept strictly separate, and strict orders were issued prohibiting soldiers from having private contact with the villagers. After two days of rest, Lin Chong led his army north to continue the hunting operation. The reason for heading north was that the Jurchens had concentrated almost all their forces on the front line of Shangjing to fight a decisive battle with Emperor Tianzuo, leaving their rear forces vulnerable.

As dusk fell, a troop of Jurchen soldiers was setting up camp by a small river fifty li away. Morigen's scouts, hidden in the grass on the opposite bank, discreetly counted the enemy's numbers. A short while later, two soldiers each wrote down their counts and handed them to Morigen. Morigen opened the slips of paper, saw the same answer, and immediately told the messenger, "Report this situation to the general immediately. I will monitor the enemy here!" The messenger obeyed and left.

This time, the main force of the Hungry Wolf Cavalry maintained a distance of about ten miles from Morigen's scouts. Half an hour later, Lin Chong received the message and ordered, "No fires are allowed. Eat on the spot. Half an hour later, lead your horses forward and launch the attack at Hai hour!" Lin Chong's main force was only ten miles away from the enemy. If they lit a fire to cook, their whereabouts would inevitably be exposed. The reason for leading their horses forward was that hundreds of cavalrymen riding horses would create a great momentum, and the enemy, who were waiting in ambush, would likely detect them in advance and exhaust their horses, greatly reducing the surprise of the attack and the duration of the battle.

After the last battle, every member of the Hungry Wolf Cavalry had undergone a qualitative leap in both combat skills and fighting spirit. The soldiers quietly enjoyed their semi-dried flatbreads filled with ham, while their warhorses ate bean cakes mixed with fine grains with relish. After their hearty meal, it was completely dark, and Lin Chong led the horses forward. The ten-mile journey on foot wouldn't take too long, and an hour later, the main force had crossed the river downstream and completed its initial assembly. Then, guided by the scouts left behind, the Hungry Wolf Cavalry split into three groups, lying in ambush to the north, east, and south of the enemy camp. There was also a river to the west of the enemy camp.