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Nature is marvelous because it can create many things that inspire awe.
For example, the Northern Bend camp before Yu Fuluo and the black-robed elder. A winding river, a protruding hill, forming a complete defensive system.
"Ahead was originally a market, the only one in this northern region," Yu Fuluo said, pointing from afar at the flat ground with grass sheds in front of the Northern Bend camp. "But it's temporarily closed now."
The black-robed elder said, "Opening a market is easy. Once this matter is settled, it can be reopened."
Yu Fuluo ignored the implication in the black-robed elder's words. Instead, he pointed with his finger at the small hill beyond the market, across the Xin River. "On that hill are mounted crossbows, no fewer than ten."
Upon hearing this, the black-robed elder was taken aback.
Mounted crossbows were too technically advanced; not something just anyone could handle. Like catapults, they belonged to the category of advanced machinery in the Han Dynasty, crucial tools for attacking and defending cities. Most importantly, mounted crossbows and catapults weren't aimed at infantry but at siege equipment. An ordinary ramming chariot, hit by a crossbow bolt or stone projectile, would be pretty much wrecked.
The black-robed elder quickly regained his composure, chuckled, and said, "Why fear them? Though powerful, mounted crossbows lack precision. Not a major concern."
Yu Fuluo glanced at the black-robed elder. "Some Qiang people were guests here before and gave a demonstration. A target a hundred zhang away, five shots all hit." Of course, it might not have been a hundred zhang; the Qiang might not have known exact numbers, so there might be some exaggeration. But it was indeed five hits out of five, no question.
Yu Fuluo's words were simple, but the black-robed elder suddenly widened his eyes. Hitting a target within a hundred zhang meant the mounted crossbows on that hill had considerable accuracy within that range. Even discounting that, say fifty zhang, it was still a terrifyingly impressive figure.
The black-robed elder fixed his gaze on the distant hilltop, straining to search, as if trying to spot the glints of cold light hidden on the mountain.
Mounted crossbows and catapults had tremendous killing power and were even more terrifying for morale. If they lacked precision, soldiers could find some psychological comfort in that. But if what Yu Fuluo said wasn't empty talk, it would be quite troublesome.
The Hu people themselves weren't very adept at assaulting fortifications. An ordinary wooden camp would be one thing, but now this had clearly become an earth-and-wood structure with an external moat drawing water from the Xin River. Overall, it already resembled a small city. Add mounted crossbows to that…
Yu Fuluo said no more. He didn't want to attack Northern Bend. Too hard, not easy to assault.
Now, Northern Bend was like a hard shell covered in spikes. With these mounted crossbows, siege equipment couldn't even get close. It meant using flesh and blood to hammer it open. Even if pried open, both hands would certainly be a bloody mess.
The black-robed elder scrutinized for a long time but couldn't find any obvious flaws in the Northern Bend camp. In the end, he abandoned the idea of prying open this hard shell and said, "In that case, could the Chanyu dispatch men to patrol and cut off their supply lines? Would that be feasible?" This was a move born of helplessness. The original plan was to first take this Northern Bend camp, then press southward. But given the current situation, the Southern Xiongnu simply didn't want to chew this hard bone, and indeed, a forced assault would be too difficult. So they could only settle for the next best option: severing its connection with Pingyang.
Yu Fuluo smiled. "That is certainly feasible."
Yu Fuluo now had only four to five thousand men. A strong assault wasn't impossible, nor was it unwinnable, but the difficulty was too high, the losses too great. Not worth it.
But chasing supply convoys in open country, cutting supply lines—that wasn't a major problem. So Yu Fuluo no longer declined, agreeing quite readily.
The black-robed elder turned his horse. Before leaving, he cast one last glance at the Northern Bend camp and sighed inwardly. Truly a good piece of land!
Only, it has fine branches and leaves but hasn't yet taken root…
×××××××××××××××××
On the hilltop of the Northern Bend camp, the mounted crossbows weren't merely ten as Yu Fuluo had said, but twenty-five!
Of course, only the five initially assembled from core components brought from Xiangyang had the best accuracy. The rest… well, they could shoot, but accuracy wasn't guaranteed…
Ma Yan stood on the hilltop, frowning as he watched the small group of horsemen in the distance depart.
Though the distance was great, he could roughly discern they were likely Xiongnu, with some black-robed Han soldiers among them.
Yesterday, the Qiang chieftain Li Nagu sent a Qiang man, saying that tribesmen herding outside recently had spotted a group of black-robed Han people among the Southern Xiongnu…
Today, Ma Yan saw them with his own eyes.
Although Ma Yan didn't know which side these suddenly appearing black-robed Han belonged to, he understood it wasn't a good thing. Ma Yan truly wasn't worried these people would rashly attack the camp. Not just because of the mounted crossbows nearby, but the "S" shape structure of the Northern Bend camp made it extremely difficult to deploy forces for an attack. Unless a large force attacked simultaneously along both banks of the Xin River, Ma Yan could, via the already constructed pontoon bridge, deploy cavalry at any time to strike the enemy's rear.
Defending wasn't a problem. But attacking…
Although the Southern Xiongnu numbers weren't enough to counterattack the Xiongnu royal court, in this region, they still constituted a considerable force, not easy to deal with.
Yesterday, after receiving Li Nagu's report, Ma Yan sent someone with some cloth as thanks, also probing the Qiang's stance.
The result was much as Ma Yan expected. The Qiang didn't like the Southern Xiongnu acting overlords here. They mostly believed the Xiongnu should return beyond the Yin Mountains, not come here occupying their grazing lands. But to have these Qiang engage in large-scale conflict with the Xiongnu—they weren't willing to easily start a war either.
These Xiongnu came and went like the wind. Without sufficient cavalry, gaining any advantage was out of the question. Ma Yan currently didn't have many troops under his command, especially lacking Han cavalry. Though they were strengthening training in this area now that they had some horses, a cavalry force couldn't be formed overnight.
The recruited Hu people, though somewhat numerous, were still Hu after all. In a real fight, for an easy victory, picking up spoils, these recruited Hu would probably charge faster than anyone. But for overcoming difficulties, they might not be reliable.
Therefore, all Ma Yan could do now was hunker down within the hard shell of the Northern Bend camp, safeguarding the foundation Fei Qian left here. As for advancing and expanding—the will was there, but not the strength. In the end, he could only send men to deliver news to Pingyang but couldn't prevent anything. It was indeed somewhat helpless.
Ma Yan looked east, towards the direction of Pingyang County town. How were things progressing there?
Northern Bend, though deep in Hu territory, surrounded by a jagged array of large and small Hu tribes, wasn't as dangerous as imagined. Firstly, because Northern Bend was the only market established in recent years, which the Hu people themselves greatly needed. Secondly, this place was merely the blossoming branches and leaves of a tree, while the roots were still in Han territory, still with Fei Qian…