Chapter 1533: Heavens, the Mongols Have Come to America!

"Marquis, could the people of the United States really drive herds of cattle? Have they come together with the bison?"

Iron Head had long ago heard from the French son-in-law in the tribe that in the Old World there were some tribes who could drive herds of cattle and roam as nomads, so when he heard the dense thunder of hooves and the ceaseless crack of gunfire, he actually thought of nomadic peoples.

"Of course they can drive herds of cattle — we French can too," the Marquis de Marigny answered in a couple of sentences. The gunfire ahead had already grown denser, and he knew that disaster was at hand!

But he still did not know just how bad the disaster really was.

He turned his head and said to Iron Head, "Chief, we must go and see."

Iron Head was of course fearless, and at once nodded. "Good. I too would like to see how the people who have come from the Old World drive their herds of cattle."

With that, he spurred his horse and galloped ahead toward the place where the gunfire kept sounding. All the Great Soviet warriors seemed inspired by their leader, and all spurred their horses forward, letting out wave after wave of strange war cries.

"Warriors of France, follow me! Forward!" The Marquis de Marigny, clad in a full suit of plate armor, waved to the 1,000 French dragoons following him, then led them flying westward.

The 2,000 French and Great Soviet cavalrymen spread out into several groups across the grassland and woodland on the south bank of the great river as they rode, not galloping at full speed, but holding a steady pace as they moved west.

The horse column had advanced for about half an hour. The gunfire had gradually ceased, but the thunderous hoofbeats had grown denser, clearer, and all the more chilling.

Just as the Marquis de Marigny's brow furrowed tighter and tighter and his heart told him that things had gone very badly wrong, a group of Apaches with feathers stuck in their hair (actually a kind of hat) ahead came retreating in disarray, protecting de Pierre.

De Pierre spotted the Marquis de Marigny from far off, conspicuous in his suit of plate armor, and at once shouted at the top of his lungs: "Marquis, disaster! The Mongols have come! The Mongols have come to the American continent to roam as nomads!"

What?

Mongols — come to the American continent to roam as nomads? How was that possible? The Marquis de Marigny truly could not figure it out. How had the Mongols gotten here? The Mongol steppe and North America were not connected. How had they come? Had they bought ship tickets and come over on Pacific sailing ships?

And they had come all this way to America just to roam as nomads?

While the Marquis de Marigny stood stunned, de Pierre had already galloped up to him. The former fur trader turned nobleman grabbed the reins of the Marquis's warhorse and forcibly reined it to a halt, then, without waiting for the Marquis to grow angry, said rapidly and urgently: "Too many — there are too many Mongols. They cover the hills and plains. At least 100,000 — no, 200,000!"

"What? 200,000—" The Marquis de Marigny could scarcely believe his ears.

Two hundred thousand Mongols! Three or four hundred years ago, when the European continent was still sunk in the darkness of the Middle Ages, this number of Mongols could have fought all the way from the Kipchak Steppe to Poland. Although this number of Mongols had long ceased to pose any threat to a European continent that had entered the age of gunpowder, on the great plains of North America, 200,000 Mongols were still an invincible force.

Of course, the English on the east coast and the Spanish in the south both possessed the strength to drive back 200,000 Mongols — but not to defeat them on the great plains of North America. They could defeat the nomadic Mongols on the east coast, in Mexico, in places where they could concentrate heavy forces and provide them with sufficient supplies.

But on the wild great plains, 200,000 Mongols constantly roaming as nomads would be extremely difficult to defeat! Because at present, apart from nomadism, there was no other way to maintain an army numbering in the tens of thousands for long in the interior of the great plains.

Let alone keeping such an army mobile on a desolate great plain without towns or villages. With so many people concentrated together, hunting alone could not sustain them.

And what was even more terrifying was that there was also a powerful New Continent United States acting as the backing of these Mongols!

"Marquis, let us flee!" De Pierre's voice rang in the Marquis's ear again, breaking his train of thought.

"No. I want to see with my own eyes what these Mongols who have come to America look like!" The Marquis de Marigny snatched back the reins and spurred his horse onward.

De Pierre did not dare abandon the Governor-General of New France and flee alone, so he turned his horse around and followed the Marquis de Marigny back the way they had come.

But he and the Marquis de Marigny had not ridden long before they once again reined in their warhorses.

Because they had already encountered the nomadic "Mongols"!

Unlike what the Marquis de Marigny had imagined, no Mongols riding short-legged Mongolian ponies shot arrows at them, and no Mongols brandishing curved sabers charged up to cut people down.

What they saw were "Mongols" drawn up in infantry squares beside the great river, numbering in the thousands.

The infantry squares were composed of flintlock musketeers and pikemen — flintlocks in front, pikes behind — looking somewhat like Maurice-style and Gustavus-style formations, and they were now slowly advancing.

Behind them were large numbers of lancers, about 1,000 riders, in groups of a hundred or so, also slowly moving forward.

These were the Mongols who had once made the Catholic world of Europe tremble? The Marquis de Marigny frowned and thought to himself: They look rather advanced. Perhaps not equal to the first-rate armies of Europe, but certainly not weak.

And behind these "Mongols" already deployed in battle formation were wagon columns and horse columns advancing in more than ten files across the grassland. The wagon columns were made up of large covered four-wheeled wagons that looked extremely sturdy. To the left of each wagon column, about ten paces apart, was a column of cavalry, every man carrying a musket and a lance on his back.

Between the wagon columns and horse columns were countless cattle, sheep, and horses being driven forward.

And whether it was the infantry and cavalry advancing in formation, or the riders in the distance guarding the wagons and livestock as they moved forward, all wore long robes and hoods, and indeed looked quite like Mongols.

As for their numbers, 100,000 or 200,000 were both estimates — in any case, more than 300 was certain! And at a single glance, they stretched on without end; their numbers were certainly not small.

At that moment, Iron Head of the Great Soviet tribe also galloped up to the Marquis de Marigny and said loudly: "Marquis, Crazy Horse has already been defeated — he lost many men and scattered in retreat. Let us go too!"

No one would be mad enough to fight an enemy whose numbers exceeded their own by who knew how many times and whose equipment was comparable. The Marquis de Marigny was no fool either, and quickly said to Iron Head: "Chief, Fort Saint Louis cannot be held either. Let us retreat south together — first to New Rome!"

"Very well," Iron Head nodded. "I will go with you to New Rome. I hope to see some useful things!"

"Good, let us move quickly!" The Marquis de Marigny nodded. They had to retreat; if they delayed any longer it would be too late.

The "Mongols" were not only infantry — they also had countless cavalry. If they truly pursued relentlessly, the Marquis de Marigny and the great chief Iron Head might not necessarily escape.

But these "Mongols" seemed to have no intention of wiping them out completely, and simply watched them ride off into the distance before sending one or two thousand riders to follow.

"Second Brother, those Western soldiers have gone far!"

"Let them go. Our night scouts will follow them and find the River of Gold!"

"If we really find it, we'll be rich!"

"We'll certainly find it! Look — so many Western soldiers. If there were no gold mines, why would they come to the Mississippi River area?"

"Second Brother is absolutely right. This time, our hardships have not been in vain!"

Speaking behind the "Mongol army's" formation were the brothers Zhu Hekun and Zhu Hezhen. They had of course deliberately let the Marquis de Marigny and Iron Head escape — their purpose in doing so was naturally to follow them in search of the legendary River of Gold.

The two of them had brought 150,000 men in a "nomadic army," marching for two or three months and enduring so much hardship, and had come all the way to the great plains of North New Continent, where there was nothing but bison, grassland, and forest — for what? Was it not for the River of Gold?

(End of Chapter)