A Great Army at the Gates

"How many troops did the enemy have?"

Victor asked with a look of concern.

The Tuwu reinforcements had arrived somewhat faster than expected.

Fortunately, the Third Army had completed its reorganization in time. If it had dragged its feet even a little, it would have been crying now.

Everything was ready. All that remained was to wait for the enemy to come.

Only by winning this round of counter-encirclement could the army continue west without worry.

"Judging by the tents, the enemy has around ten thousand troops in total.

"However, several nearby tribes have also shown considerable signs of activity. I reckon they intend to support this enemy force.

"If all the tribes send troops, we'll face as many as twenty to thirty thousand enemies, perhaps even more."

Preston answered gravely.

Whether there were ten thousand enemies or twenty to thirty thousand, the Third Supplementary Army was at an absolute numerical disadvantage.

The previous tactic of using superior numbers to defeat smaller forces one by one would be hard to repeat now.

"Oh, the enemy really thinks highly of us."

"By tying down so many enemy troops, we're helping relieve the pressure on the northern frontier provinces. It looks like we can add a little more to our military merits.

"Send for the battalion commanders. We'll hold a meeting to discuss how to defeat the enemy."

Victor smiled as he spoke.

Though he was panicking inside, he remained outwardly calm, as if everything were under control.

Compared to the rabble they had faced last time, the enemy's organized encirclement was clearly a step up.

To win the counter-encirclement, they would have to fight the coming battles with great care.

The command tent of the Seventh Tumen.

"Tumen commander, people from the Black Bear Tribe, the White Fox Tribe, the Black Wolf Tribe... have arrived."

The captain of the personal guards lowered his voice to report.

All of those tribes had people serving in the army, and they were figures with real power in their tribes.

In theory, military matters could be discussed directly with them.

But where the division of interests was concerned, subordinates clearly could not bargain easily with their superiors. If talks broke down, it would be hard to deal with the aftermath.

Bringing in another group with no command relationship meant that even if talks fell apart, harmony in the army would not be affected.

After all, the tribes had already fulfilled their obligations to the khanate by sending their elites to serve in the army.

Cooperating with the Seventh Tumen now was an additional military obligation.

Even brothers had to keep clear accounts. If they took on an additional military obligation, they had to receive a corresponding reward.

If they happened to suffer heavy losses on the battlefield, they would also need the khanate to step in and guarantee their safety.

"Bring them in!"

Tumen Commander Jeremiah said, rubbing his forehead.

Every tribe had its own little schemes, and matching wits and courage with them was simply too exhausting.

Rather than haggle like this, he preferred leading his troops into a head-on fight with the enemy at the front.

If he had not wanted a swift victory so he could hurry back to the front and catch up with the main force heading south to raid, he would not have wanted to waste time with these people.

The Seventh Tumen was made up entirely of elites drawn from the various tribes. Its fighting strength was beyond comparison with the trash the Goshawk Tribe and the Cors Tribe had left behind.

Even without the tribes' cooperation, it could still complete the royal court's assignment by spending a little more time.

"Honored Tumen Commander Jeremiah, Lancaster of the Black Bear Tribe greets you!"

"Honored Tumen Commander Jeremiah, Tristan of the Black Wolf Tribe greets you!"

"Honored Tumen Commander Jeremiah, Sanders of the White Fox Tribe greets you!"

"There's no need for formalities. We all serve the khanate, so let's get straight to the point!"

Tumen Commander Jeremiah waved a hand.

He dispensed with all pleasantries, showing nothing but impatience with the tiresome social formalities throughout, leaving everyone rather embarrassed.

They had long heard that this tumen commander was no good at social graces, but they had not expected him to be so blunt.

"Honored Tumen Commander Jeremiah, in the coming battles, our tribes will cooperate fully under your command.

"There are just a few details we need to settle in advance."

Lancaster was the first to speak.

Since Tumen Commander Jeremiah liked to get straight to the point, there was no need to ramble on and annoy him.

The sooner they finished talking, the sooner they could be done.

"Rest assured, everything will be handled according to the khanate's rules!"

"Sending troops this time can count against your future obligations to do so.

"The royal court will provide the tribes with appropriate compensation for losses suffered while cooperating in battle.

"Tribes that suffer heavy losses in battle may apply to the khanate for protection. Your pastures will remain unchanged for twenty years.

"..."

Tumen Commander Jeremiah recited the regulations by rote.

With supplies blockaded, the Golden Horde Khanate had been able to hold its own against the Holy Glory Empire for so many years thanks to this system.

Though it could not achieve absolute fairness, on the whole it was enough to win people over.

Having no intention of playing tricks over this, he simply laid everything out.

"Honored Tumen Commander Jeremiah, how will the spoils be divided?"

Sanders asked.

Established rules could not be overturned with a few words.

The spoils they captured were where they could truly bargain for benefits.

Even though the Holy Glory Empire had grown decadent, it still had a great advantage in weapons and equipment.

Captured armor, bows, crossbows, spears, sabers... were all treasures on the steppe.

Captured enemy soldiers were also a valuable source of labor.

Deep in the steppe, in some areas with favorable natural conditions, tribes had used captured prisoners of war to establish rudimentary farming systems.

Though their harvests could not compare with those of their neighbors next door, farming was still superior to herding.

Much of the soybeans, barley, and other feed for the khanate's livestock came from cultivation.

The Holy Glory Empire often sent troops onto the steppe largely to disrupt agricultural production.

As a result, agriculture within the Golden Horde Khanate consisted entirely of scattered plots, making it hard to achieve economies of scale.

"You may take seventy percent of all spoils except armor.

"The exact allocation will be based on each tribe's contribution.

"If a tribe performs exceptionally well, I can also petition the khanate to reward it for its merits!"

Tumen Commander Jeremiah promptly promised.

It was not coming out of his own pocket, so there was no need to begrudge it.

Weapons and equipment would be damaged in battle, and most of the weapons ultimately captured would have to be reworked and repaired.

The cattle, sheep, and warhorses in the enemy's hands were not worth that much on the steppe.

Rather than fight over a few scraps here, it was better to finish the battle quickly and head south for a major haul.

The goods taken from raiding any noble's fief would put these meager spoils to shame.

"Honored Tumen Commander Jeremiah, we are willing to follow your orders and cut a path through all obstacles for the khanate!"

Everyone answered in unison.

The terms offered were so generous that failing to accept them promptly would have been rather ungracious.

"How much information have you gathered about this enemy force?"

Tumen Commander Jeremiah then asked.

Before setting out, he had personally interrogated a captured enemy commander and used every method at his disposal, yet he had still failed to obtain any useful information.

It was as if this enemy force had fallen from the sky.