Chapter 388: The Mountain Barbarians and the Gold Mine

February 13th, Rock Ridge Castle, second-floor conference room.

Lorist tapped the family territory map hanging on the wall with a slender wooden pointer. "You all just heard Mayor Dubov's briefing on the mountain barbarian tribes. In terms of overall combat strength, a hundred thousand mountain barbarians are less headache-inducing than a single border roving corps under Grand Duke Phasaburan's command. In both organization and equipment, our Norton Family forces already hold an overwhelming advantage over the mountain barbarian hordes. The reason we haven't gone looking for trouble with these mountain barbarian tribes before was twofold: first, they hadn't come down the mountains to provoke us, and second, we simply didn't have the time to go up there and play hide-and-seek with them.

But now they're coming. Supposedly an army of over a hundred thousand strong. Perhaps they still think of us as those old Northland lords who were scattered and disorganized like loose sand — a hundred thousand mountain barbarians, and they imagine they can swagger through the Northland on an armed parade. But to us now, they're nothing more than a dish — fish and meat delivered right to our doorstep. We ought to sharpen our blades and see where to start carving them up."

Lorist's words drew a hearty round of laughter from the Family Knights present. Once the laughter subsided, he continued: "I have never once considered the mountain barbarian tribes a threat. This is not ignorance — it's not that I don't understand their true strength. Quite the opposite: precisely because I know them too well, I have this confidence. Never mind a hundred thousand mountain barbarians — double that number, and in my eyes they still wouldn't constitute a threat to our family.

From the Blue Azure River to the eastern reaches of the Northland, the border territory adjoining the Demon Dragon Mountains stretches nearly a thousand li. If the mountain barbarian tribes wanted to raid the Northland, it would indeed be difficult to defend every point. However, according to historical records of mountain barbarian raids on the Northland over the past century, only two areas have truly suffered their pillaging and destruction. One is our former family territory, and the other is the eastern Northland. These two directions have been the most active and frequent routes for mountain barbarians descending from the mountains to raid.

Ever since the Kemmes family took control of the eastern Northland, their approach to the mountain barbarian tribes has been one of carrot and stick. They established trading posts along the border and set up merchant houses dedicated to doing business with the mountain barbarians, purchasing their specialty goods at relatively fair prices and selling them various refined daily necessities — so that the mountain barbarians could obtain the supplies and goods they desperately needed without resorting to pillaging. They then employed methods of division and discord, using the merchant houses to sow discord between mountain barbarian tribes, turning them against one another so they could never unite.

For those tribes that were hopelessly addicted to raiding, they used hiring and bribery to drive other mountain barbarian tribes to attack them, with high bounties offered by the Kemmes family for military results. At the same time, they dispatched their own family forces to relentlessly pursue and crush these raiding tribes, eliminating them or forcing them to relocate elsewhere, so they could no longer pose a threat to the eastern Northland. In just five or six short years, mountain barbarian raids on the eastern Northland ceased entirely, and the border enjoyed complete peace.

The facts have shown that the Kemmes family's strategy toward the mountain barbarian tribes was extraordinarily effective. Even now, the Demon Dragon Mountain specialties and medicinal herbs that those mountain barbarian tribes trade through the merchant houses have become a major source of income for the Snow Salt Trading Company. I can't help but admire the Kemmes family's shrewdness and foresight in business — they truly are a merchant dynasty worthy of the name.

But our Norton Family has no way to learn from the Kemmes family's approach to dealing with the mountain barbarian tribes, because we don't have the time — the mountain barbarian army will be here soon. There was once a similar opportunity in the past, but our attention wasn't focused on that matter. With our family forces campaigning east and west, we were already stretched beyond our limits.

Mayor Duboff just finished telling us about the Habibaba tribe that borders our family's territory. This is a major mountain barbarian tribe with a population reaching two to three hundred thousand. Their chieftain is Grand Chieftain Qiangbasen, a position equivalent to a Grand Duke in our kingdom. He also rules over twenty-subsidiary mountain barbarian tribes, and given the mountain barbarian custom of universal conscription, deploying an army of over a hundred thousand is no mere rumor.

There have been rumors in the eastern Northland about a mountain barbarian army descending from the mountains to raid, but these reports basically came from the mountain barbarians who came to trade — even they treated it as a story to spread around. Since that area is not within the Habibaba tribe's sphere of influence, the mountain barbarian tribes there had no desire to rally to the Habibaba's call, nor did they carry out any mobilization. From this we can determine that the eastern Northland will not suffer mountain barbarian raids this time. We should remain vigilant, but there is no need to be overly anxious.

From the eastern Northland to Rock Fortress Castle, the Red River Plains have already been developed in this corridor. However, between the Red River Plains and the Demon Dragon Mountain Range lies hundreds of li of continuous black forest — a vast, boundless expanse that serves as a natural dividing line. A mountain barbarian army cannot break through from this direction unless they are willing to spend two or three months carving a road through the black forest first. This is precisely why, for nearly a century, no mountain barbarian tribes have ever launched incursions from the direction of the Red River Plains.

Our family has already developed the black mud swamp on our side of the territory. From Tortoise Mountain Fortress to Reclining Ox Hill Fortress, we have constructed a defensive wall. The Imperial Guard Corps' Third and Fourth Battalions are stationed there, and Two Mountain Town sits directly in front of this defensive wall. This route is also the most convenient path for a mountain barbarian army to descend from the mountains. In the past, every mountain barbarian raid on our family's territory entered through here. Now, with this defensive wall and its complete fortifications, we have every confidence of keeping the mountain barbarian army on the other side.

"Fengle Plains. So, this entire region will be the hunting ground of the Flying Tiger Corps. Every mountain barbarian that emerges from the black forest will be your prey. I do not want to hear news of mountain barbarian forces breaking through to Fengle Plains and raiding the various towns and villages…"

Rose the Tiger stood and pressed his fist to his chest. "Your Highness, the Flying Tiger Corps will never disappoint you. We guarantee that not a single mountain barbarian will slip through."

Lorist nodded at him and gestured for him to sit. "I trust your guarantee, and I trust the fighting capability of the Flying Tiger Corps. This zone is in your hands. As for Terman's Angry Bear Knights, you are to relocate to Tortoise Mountain Fortress. Once the defensive wall has blocked the mountain barbarian army's advance, the moment you detect them splitting their forces, you are to sortie from Tortoise Mountain Fortress, follow the banks of the Blue Cang River around to the mountain barbarian army's rear, and crush the forces massed in front of the defensive wall completely."

"Yes, Your Highness." Terman stood to accept the order.

Lorist tapped the map again with his long wooden stick, pointing at the eastern Northland. "I have already appointed Knight Vasima as acting commander of the Hunt Rider Corps. Although the corps suffered devastating losses in the ambush in Muye Plains Province, the surviving soldiers can still be reorganized into a regiment. This regiment will be responsible for defending the eastern Northland against the mountain barbarian tribes. As for all the towns and villages across Fengle Plains, Xing'an Plains, and the Red River Plains — once the rainy season ends and the winter wheat is harvested, they are to enter a Level Two state of war readiness. While carrying out spring plowing, they must also intensify military preparations and form emergency defense battalions, ready at any time to reinforce the front line. Baron Shrade will be in charge of all these matters."

Fatty Shrade stood up. "As you command, Your Highness."

"Now for some good news," Lorist once again tapped the map of the family's territories with his long wooden stick. "Right here."

What Lorist was pointing to was the Black Forest between Wolonggang Fortress and Panshi Castle. He picked up a quill pen, dipped it in some red ink, and drew a red circle on the map. "This is a hilly area inside the Black Forest, with a large river beach as well. It's roughly forty-odd li from Panshi Castle and thirty-odd li from Woniu Ridge Fortress as the crow flies. After several years of reconnaissance, Town Mayor Durbaf has confirmed that there is a major gold mine here. He reported this discovery to the family."

However, the hills where this gold mine is located are currently occupied by a mountain barbarian tribe of some twenty to thirty thousand. This tribe, called the Walisinga, is a vassal of the Habibaba tribe. In other words, when the Habibaba tribe launched this massive invasion of our Norton Family's territories, the Walisinga tribe joined them. So our goal this time is not merely to defeat this army of one hundred thousand mountain barbarians—we must also seize this opportunity to occupy the hills in the Black Forest and take control of this gold mine.

"Let me remind everyone of something special," Lorist continued. "In this war against the mountain barbarian army, the family will not rank contributions by how many enemies you kill, but by how many mountain barbarian prisoners you capture. Why do this? It's quite simple—the family is desperately short of free labor. After destroying the Madras Duchy, the two hundred thousand-odd prisoners who surrendered to us have already served two years of forced labor, and this year makes three. Next year, they will be granted their freedom. The roads, water conservancy, and infrastructure in Draymark Province have already been greatly improved thanks to their diligent work. This year, those two hundred thousand-odd prisoners will handle the finishing touches and complete the development of Draymark Province."

But we defeated the Fisabren Family and acquired Winston Province and the Southern Province. These two provinces are starting from scratch, with numerous development and construction projects that require a large labor force. Although we captured over a hundred thousand enemies, many among them are wounded soldiers. Compared to what the two provinces need done, that amount of labor is hardly sufficient."

Now the entire Northland has become the territory of our Norton Family. The most pressing matter is to redesign and rebuild all transportation infrastructure so that travel throughout the Northland becomes convenient and swift, reducing distances and travel times. We badly need free labor, and even if we secure the gold mine, we will need workers to mine it. So if the mountain barbarian army numbers one hundred thousand, I hope we can capture at least sixty thousand young and able-bodied mountain barbarian prisoners to contribute to the development and construction of our family's territories."

Doles, the Golden Knight who commanded the War Chariot Crossbow Corps of the Flying Tiger Legion, stood up. "Your Highness, will the mountain barbarians captured this time also serve three years of forced labor before being granted freedom?"

Lorist shook his head. "They are not soldiers of the former empire—they are nothing like our men. These mountain barbarians will serve eight to ten years of forced labor in our family's territories. Only once they have accepted our way of life, come to aspire to living in our family's lands, and are willing to assimilate and become the family's subjects, will they be granted freedom. Otherwise, they will spend the rest of their lives in the labor gangs."

Doles let out a sigh of relief. "Your Highness, that puts my mind at ease. I was worried that if these mountain barbarians also served only three years of forced labor before being freed, we'd have nowhere to find more free labor for the family!"

Everyone burst out laughing at what Doles had said.

Fierce Tiger Ross stood up and asked, "Your Highness, will our Flying Tiger Corps also be responsible for seizing the hills where the gold mine is located?"

"No, you'll only be providing support." Lorist pointed at El and Reddy. "Originally, I planned to have El and Reddy take over the Hunting Cavalry Corps, but because of this gold mine, I've decided to have them lead the guard battalion as the main assault force. At the same time, I've brought in the seventh and eighteenth battalions of the Royal Guard Corps to handle the defense of the hills after we've seized the gold mine.

The hills will be entrusted to the guard battalion under El and Reddy's command along with the two Royal Guard battalions."

"Understood, Your Highness." Ross the Fierce Tiger sat back down.

"While I'm asking you to capture as many mountain barbarians as possible for labor, I'm not asking you to take unnecessary risks. An army of a hundred thousand mountain barbarians isn't something to fear—we can defeat them. But what we must be careful about is that every single mountain barbarian warrior is incredibly fierce and tough. Even when vastly outnumbered, they will often fight to the death, considering it an honor to fall in battle. I also don't expect you to put the family's soldiers in danger just to capture prisoners.

The best way to deal with these mountain barbarian warriors is to defeat their champions through single combat. This will crush their morale and ultimately destroy their will to resist. Mountain barbarian warriors have always worshipped strength and consider single combat the most sacred of traditions—they won't use poisoned arrows during a duel. We can exploit this. After surrounding the enemy, we use the outcome of a single combat as the condition: if we win, they surrender; if they win, we release them. Only in this way will the mountain barbarian warriors willingly become our prisoners.

This concludes the strategic deployment for dealing with the mountain barbarian tribe invasion. If any changes are needed going forward, you will be notified accordingly. It is currently February—I expect the mountain barbarian army to descend from the mountains in May. That gives us three months. After winter comes the rainy season, and after the rainy season we'll need to harvest the winter wheat and prepare for spring plowing. So when you return, make good use of the time to rest and train. If you need anything, submit your reports to Baron Shrade—he is the chief logistics coordinator for this campaign against the mountain barbarian army."

After Lorist delivered his final summary, the strategic preparation meeting for dealing with the mountain barbarian tribe invasion came to an end. Everyone returned to their respective posts to begin preparations for war. Lorist, meanwhile, saddled up and took a full company of guards heading for the eastern region of the Northland. He was going to visit the remnants of the Hunting Cavalry Corps and check on Corps Commanders Josk and Yuri, who were still recovering from their injuries.

...(To be continued.)