Chapter 1022: The Night Before the Storm

Chapter 1022 -244: The Night Before the Storm

At dusk, the nomadic army on the prairie was resting on the flat land of the River Region.

The warhorses they brought from the Eastern lands had become thinner due to continuous marching, but under the fertile water grass of the River Region, they were rejuvenated.

The Tatar’s prairie horses, although short and lacking in short-distance explosiveness, did not seem as robust as the Arabian horses or the breeds from the River Region, yet they were as enduring as the Tatar Cavalry upon their backs.

Whether it was rugged mountain paths, winding river valleys, or wet marshes, they traversed them as if on flat ground.

The number of the Tatar Army, after dozens of battles big and small, did not decrease but rather increased when Jochi gathered troops at Hamadan, summoning back the Thousand Households from various regions, expanding almost twice since the start of the Western expedition.

Originally, when the Tatars moved west to conquer the Western Liao, their forces were less than fifty thousand, among which thirty thousand were the elite of the Tatar main tribe, and the rest were over ten thousand Contract Army dispatched by the subordinate tribes.

But after the Tatars devoured the Western Liao and Khwarazm, the number surged to eighty thousand.

Then, after the Tatars conquered Persia, the number reached nearly one hundred thousand.

These Contract Army recruited from conquered tribes, cities, and villages varied greatly in quality, but there were many of them, and half were auxiliary troops while the other half could be considered combat troops of considerable strength.

They were integrated into the Tatar Army system for a long time and received rigorous training, completely different from the combat effectiveness of the rank-and-file cannon fodder.

Ivan Thousand Households, finally returning to the main army, immediately met with his superior, the vanguard officer of the Western expedition, Subutai.

Ivan actually had quite a good impression of this Tatar superior. He managed the army strictly, was fair and generous, brave and wise. In his view, there was no better general than him under heaven.

In fact, although Ivan’s unit was a Vassal Army, it also had a certain standing in the Tatar Army.

This was all thanks to the first Western expedition, where Ivan’s unit, using their own two legs, fought under Quchulu’s command.

Moreover, in this Western expedition, Ivan’s unit was leading troops meticulously selected and emulated after Mamluk training, well armed, considered elite among the Contract Army.

The Tatars adhered to a very simple value system, respecting the strong and despising the weak.

“General, we have already made an alliance with the Emperor of the Franks, with the Zagros Mountains as the boundary. Why do we still need to advance?”

“It is the order of Noyan Jochi.”

Subutai actually didn’t wish to continue westward. Even though the Tatars had siege technology far superior to ordinary nomadic tribes, attacking these cities still incurred serious damage, not to mention the formidable opponents like the Franks they were about to face.

If they moved forward from the northwest, subduing the steppe tribes would incur fewer losses and be easier to integrate into the Tatar military system.

“But this is not the order of the Great Khan. The Fulin people are not easy to deal with. Their Emperor has never been defeated since gaining fame.”

The Tatars called all Western Christians Fulin people.

They were not entirely ignorant of Christianity. On the contrary, one of the Great Khan’s four principal wives, Yisugei, was a Nestorian, and the Kerait tribe from which she hailed had many members who believed in Nestorianism.

However, prairie people generally practiced pragmatic religiosity. They never shouted slogans such as “fight for God.” Be they Fire Worshipers, Buddhists, or Christians, the Tatar sabers were always impartial.

Subutai was puzzled: “I know you were once defeated by the Franks and even forced to flee thousands of miles, but isn’t it just about winning again after a loss? Why be so terrified?”

Ivan’s face was bitter: “Precisely because I have lost, I know how terrifying he truly is. When he first arrived in Goodes, he had no prestigious background and no soldiers loyal to him, yet within a year, he rose to become king, repeatedly defeating Saladin and making a big name in Christendom. Moreover, over the years, that Southern Frul country has already changed dramatically.”

Subutai frowned slightly: “Tell me, what kind of person is that Frankish Emperor exactly?”

Subutai was very curious about how someone could build such an Empire from scratch so quickly.

Even the Great Khan inherited the legacy left by his father Yisugei and the Qiyat tribe, not starting from nothing.

“No, I doubt he is even human.”

Ivan spoke without thinking.

On his way back, he had already pondered this question many times.

“He can tame a Demon Dragon, make a majestic castle rise overnight, and plant sacred oaks that turn deserts into oases. Against an enemy like that, we have no chance of winning!”

“Our Shamans can call the storm, our monks can unleash thunder. He has Christ’s protection, and we have Longevity Heaven’s protection.”

Subutai was silent for a moment then chuckled lightly: “Just magic, isn’t it? Who doesn’t have it, Ivan? We will win. This time, I will help you wash away your disgrace and shatter the nightmare in your heart.”

Ivan looked at Subutai’s confident eyes and could only sigh: “I hope so.”

…

After Baghdad surrendered, next was Tarsus.

After much delay, the main force of the Crusaders finally reached the city of Tarsus.

The dark mass of the Crusader formations was arrayed under the city of Tarsus.

According to the envoy sent by Bahram in advance, they would open the city and surrender when the first ray of sunlight hit the city walls in the morning.

If one were to divide the world into Eastern and Western halves, excluding the distant Heavenly Kingdom, the brilliance of the Eastern World’s civilization lies in this great city comparable to Constantinople.

According to the envoy sent by Bahram in advance, they would open the city and surrender when the first ray of sunlight hit the city walls in the morning.

If one were to divide the world into Eastern and Western halves, excluding the distant Heavenly Kingdom, the brilliance of the Eastern World’s civilization lies in this great city comparable to Constantinople.

According to the envoy sent by Bahram in advance, they would open the city and surrender when the first ray of sunlight hit the city walls in the morning.

If one were to divide the world into Eastern and Western halves, excluding the distant Heavenly Kingdom, the brilliance of the Eastern World’s civilization lies in this great city comparable to Constantinople.

“Your Majesty, from this day forth, the Undead Army will fight under your banner.”

Ten thousand Undead Army, even if most were a previously filled reserve, still constituted a formidable cavalry force. The Sassanids were known for their Heavy Cavalry, and the Undead Army was the elite among them.

Losa had many palaces, the legacy left by the Umayyad, Abbas, Fatimid, and Ayyubid dynasties, so numerous that even if he changed them monthly, he could hardly manage to live in all of them.

But among these palaces, none could compare to those in Tarsus.