"Woo! Woo!~~"
A low horn sounded, accompanied by messenger cavalry galloping at full speed. Under the command of the Ming army's signal flags, the five hundred mixed riders of the Jianzhou Five Tribes obeyed the order and gathered, forming wedge-shaped formations suited for charging from the west, south, and east. The two hundred elite Ming cavalry adjusted their formation and moved to the northern gentle slope, the most convenient point for a charge. Everything proceeded in perfect order as they made their preparations before the slaughter.
Only, the tribute horse convoy occupied the heights on Hetu Ala's hill, looking down from above, and fences had been erected across every passage that allowed ascent or descent. Behind the fences stood at least two hundred Jurchen archers with their bows hanging low. The armor on their bodies was wrapped in fur coats, making them look like bloated orange tabbies, yet they carried a genuine threat. Farther back, a group of armored heavy cavalry could faintly be seen, and the neighing of warhorses drifted over, but the hill blocked the view, making it impossible to tell exactly how many there were.
"Mm? The positions of these fences, the archers' placements? There's some skill to it!"
Li Wenbin, the Assistant Regional Military Commissioner of Tieling Guard, narrowed his thin eyes and waved the signal flag to direct the Ming troops' movement. His horsemanship was excellent, and in his youth he had once been famous for his bravery. Only now, at forty years of age, he had already gone from a fearless, boar-charging Nurha into a steady and cunning Fox. At this moment, he stood tall in the middle of the two hundred elite cavalry and smiled at Wang Dashun, the silent battalion commander of Fushun Pass, beside him.
"Heh! These bandits are all heavily