Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks

Chapter 673 443: Shocking Sight

On an autumn grassland, a frozen rain began to fall.

The soldiers under Losa's command braved the icy torrent, quickly setting up tents to shield themselves from the elements. Despite their strength as elite troops, the severity of the cold left many shivering uncontrollably.

Hans, riding his warhorse, returned alongside Eclipse, carrying a black creature resembling both a bear and an ape. "Sir, this monster prowled around the camp for a while—luckily Eclipse spotted it just in time."

Losa examined the creature carefully, unable to identify it. He called for the Night Patrol Flag Officer, who simply shook his head: "The grasslands are rife with demon beasts; I can't tell what this creature is either."

Losa had Hans discard it, with a sigh: "The nomadic life is tough—the grasslands are full of demon beasts, and it's freezing already just after autumn's arrival. No wonder the Tatars are so fearless and tenacious, barefoot ones don't fear those wearing shoes."

As the Night Patrol Flag Officer mentioned, the common herders likely can't afford even an iron pot.

Since a Ming Dynasty iron pot costs two pieces of silk, Tatars, who used to earn enough by selling warhorses to the Ming Dynasty every year, could afford these expensive necessities. They could also equip elite troops with armor through this bilateral trade.

However, the North has been peaceful for quite some time; there was no need for conflicts with Tatars, and the Ming Dynasty wouldn't need as many warhorses. Maintaining horses is a costly affair, after all, and expensive warhorses can't just be put to pulling carts?

Thus, Wang Zhen slashed the price of warhorses by eighty percent, disrupting initially balanced trade. If Esen didn't want his people only using bone arrowheads and reverting to eating raw flesh, they would have to wage war on Ming.

Therefore, the Wala attack on Ming is, in fact, an economic issue.

The frozen rain ceased, and the troops moved out.

Sitting upright on his horse, Losa saw soldiers trembling from the cold, casually took off his cloak, and draped it over one of them.

"Sir, this..."

"It's hard marching; keep it on."

Losa patted the soldier's shoulder. Though his armor was cold from the grassland wind, such low temperatures were nothing to him, just as they were to Baron Charlie, the first Dragon Blood kin under Losa.

In the bitter cold, Charlie was bare-chested, feeling overheated. Unable to control the dragon blood within, his body was like a boiled lobster, and his skin turned red.

Once they circled back within the Great Wall, the wind wasn't as chilling as on the grasslands.

They marched till dusk.

Losa called the Night Patrol for inquiry, learning they could reach an inn—half an hour's march away—prompting them to quicken the pace.

Yet upon arrival, they found the inn burned to ruins, with only a few charred pillars standing in the rubble.

At this point, going forward was unrealistic. In the dark, the army, following Losa's orders, began setting up camp and checkpoints, defending against not just Tatars but demon beasts too.

An uneventful night.

Onward again the next day.

Getting close to Xuanfu City, traces of rampant armies were everywhere.

Fields of the garrison trampled, pillaging rampant, Ming soldiers and civilians stripped of clothes and belongings, piled naked together, or fallen in dry ditches and field ridges.

The remains of carts and horses, rudely pushed to roadsides.

As the troop approached, mosquitoes and flies swarmed up like black clouds.

This grim scene made Losa gnash his teeth, and the Night Patrol was also gloomy, muttering: "This is the Huai'an Guard, bypassed by the Capital Camp army both coming and going."

Losa said coldly: "Several dozen miles east, ought to be where our glorious orthodox Emperor's entourage is?"

The Night Patrol shivered, feeling Losa at that moment appeared more imposing than His Majesty the Emperor seen from afar, and hastily bowed his head, replying, "Your envoy is correct."

Losa suddenly laughed, spurred his horse swiftly down the path lined with corpses, sending a chill down the Night Patrol's spine. What kind of twisted, terrifying person, can laugh amidst such tragic scenes?

Baron Charlie, puzzled, rode alongside, asking, "Sir, do you find this funny?"

"I'm finding myself funny."

He shook his head, offered no further explanation, lightly nudged his horse, galloping forth, leaving Baron Charlie's steed—far inferior to Eclipse—behind quickly.

Losa's original plan was to choose between two tasks.

Now, witnessing this scene, he chose to undertake both.

Task one: prevent Zhu Qizhen, the Ming Emperor, from falling into Wala's hands.

Task two: kill Choros Esen, leader of the Wala forces.

If he could personally eliminate Zhu Qizhen, wouldn't that prevent him from falling into Esen's hands? Esen possessed the Destiny Dragon Vein; Zhu Qizhen, the Ming Emperor, would have a stronger Dragon Vein!

As for the impact on this world's Ming Dynasty after seizing the Dragon of Destiny—he believed it's less than what Zhu Qizhen could cause alive.

Continuing the march.

The number of corpses gradually decreased.

Many cities displayed Ming flags. Tatars excel at field battles, but the nomads' weakness in sieging continued here—only if Ming troops held strong in their cities, gathering nearby civilians inside, Tatars couldn't easily overcome them.

By evening, they were already heading south from Xuanfu City.

Losa saw bodies again, but only clad in thin clothes, without visible wounds—likely starved and frozen to death roadside.

"How long has the Ming been founded; already like a dynasty at its end?"

Losa sighed inwardly. He initially had a good impression of the Great Ming Dynasty, as it reclaimed proud China and opened a new Great Song era against the Mongols, more legitimate than Zhao Song, who usurped through oppressing women and children.

Yet looking now, the sight was still shocking.

How many years since the Ming was established? Less than a hundred yet?

"Your Ming Country's emperor is truly a peculiar individual—seeking sustenance from enemies, not nomadic groups…"

Hans, hearing Zhu Qizhen's less than ten days preparation before leading the army, puzzled, approached the Night Patrol Flag Officer to inquire.

He was a Prussian, a Germanic immigrant along the Baltic Sea coast.

It seemed unlikely for him to know Chinese, but being a One-Star Attendant naturally made him fluent.

The Night Patrol Flag Officer smiled helplessly: "It's all due to that eunuch Wang Zhen's monopolistic power ruining the nation! Court officials repeatedly advised against it, being dismissed by that castrated servant..."

"Come on, isn't Wang Zhen just a eunuch? Is he of a noble family or an imperial descendant?"

Hans avoided rash conclusions.

Eunuchs in the Eastern Empire could even become Grand Shepherds, perhaps really capable of swaying the Empire's situation.

"Uh, this..."

The Flag Officer was left speechless.

Wang Zhen's status was neither noble nor a government official by examination.

Hans rolled his eyes, confused how the Ming Emperor was so foolish yet still excused by others.

If it were a Grand Master or any Duke, a King acting thus would have faced revolts from subordinates long before.

The Flag Officer remained sullenly silent, thinking these foreign barbarians were indeed without king or father, lucky their 'Ha' named Prince remained loyal.