"Hyah! Hyah!"
"Go! Go!"
The Great Ming border scouts came and went, their hoofbeats neat and crisp, like the prelude to a cold wind. These night-raiders in cotton-and-iron armor were decisive to the extreme, never dragging mud and water, and they kept formation through every advance and retreat. By contrast, the Jianzhou irregular riders on either side were slack and disorderly, with no formation at all. They had nothing but a burst of bloody courage, and had nearly charged straight at the hillock to their deaths.
"Wait! Don't go! Listen to me! I am the Assistant Regional Commander of the Harman Guard!"
The Tame Jurchen Ali's anxious shouts drifted far away, finally scattering in the wind; who knew how much those Ming scouts had heard. On the hillock, Maha Aguda shook his head, picked up a giant bow, and calmly oiled the bowstring. Beside him, a row of heavy arrows like Short Spears had been thrust into the earth, their sharp arrowheads hiding their edge without showing their bite.
"Those unarmored Jianzhou irregular riders don't count as much of an opponent. They're like a pack of village dogs. But those armored border cavalry look fierce as can be. They've got the scent of snow wolves! Mm. We'll need heavy bows and great arrows. Let them close to thirty paces before shooting! Best to wait for them to attack uphill, shoot a few volleys, then charge down and fight!"
"The Great Emperor's army is coming!"
Zuwaro gazed as far as his eyes could see, his Divine Eye Lens constantly searching for figures farther to the west. And yet this Lord Li of Tieling Guard was far more patient than he had imagined, like the most cautious of hunters. On the first day, the tribute horse caravan made camp. On the second