The coalition had 1,742 Kazakh riders.

Among them, there were 240 elite warriors, each wearing a chain armor and a helmet of a jewel, three or four war horses, and one of them was wearing a padlock vest.

They were all guards sent by Tawu Khal Khan to his nephew Ulazi, and the remaining four hundred and eighty light cavalry were their auxiliary soldiers, while the rest were camels, carrying water and food.

The head general sent by the Ming army was Dong Yiyuan, and the troops were Zhu Yu, five thousand Ministry of Revenue.

Similarly, there were not many people in the Ming army who really took on combat tasks, and in addition to transporting baggage, they also shouldered the mission of setting up post stations.

After all, unlike the Kazakhs, Qi Jiguang's purpose was not to help Kuchukhan hold on for a while, but to establish permanent strongholds and trade routes on this land.

The two troops streamlined military soldiers, both carrying sufficient horses for transportation, and Kazakhs who knew the road acted as guides. When they marched at the fastest speed, they even walked 340 miles in two days.

However, that time it was a marching force, which was to reach the water source. At other times, it was like crossing the Kazakh mountains for twenty-five miles a day. When it was fast, it was only a hundred miles a day. Normally, it was like a 60 miles a day like an outing. When it was a place where food was abundant, it would take a few days to replenish the food.

In addition, the construction of outposts and hundreds of households along the way, and temporary barracks were built for subsequent troops to rest.

Their overall marching speed is not only unfast, but also too slow. Therefore, the old man who was criticized by the Kazakh troops for riding donkeys walked faster than them for a month.

However, there is also a bit of surprise to the Kazakh cavalry. No matter where they go, no matter how far they wait for the Ming army to run forward that day, they can always see the Ming army scouts responding to them.

The Kazakh riders who led the way even felt self-doubt: Who is the guide and who is the guide?

Dong Yiyuan is so thief. The upper-level generals of the Ming army all knew what Tawu Kel Khan was thinking about. There is only one ultimate goal of this battle. Naturally, I must show my might as well as I can, but I can't show off my trump card before the war.

At least the marching ability should be hidden, and there is no harm. Kuchukhan is also gathering troops. The capital has long been lost, and the entire guerrilla team has nothing to worry about.

Secondly, you can also maintain your energy and retain your horsepower. Looking at the villages and tribes you stay along the way, you can eat more food for a few days, and you can also find out the production capacity here.

It was just like this, and when they approached Dawuwat Lake, they finally could see the normal swamps of the Siberian Khanate landforms, swamps everywhere.

The nearly 7,000 troops were walking and stopping all the way for nearly three months. After midsummer, the weather quickly became colder, and there were only 2,300 troops left.

The Ming army could not freeze. The soldiers who left their team set up forty-six military stations wherever they passed, of which forty-two stations had the function of hoarding food and grass, and were carefully constructed with civil, wood and stone everywhere as a fortress for troops to station and resist the enemy.

This is not only a transit station for the large army to advance, but also a retreat and defending point after the offensive is blocked. In terms of site selection, it guards the rivers and roads. Convenient transportation is a good place to build towns.

The situation of friendly troops was worse. Some Khanate troops were not resistant to cold due to lack of winter clothes and were frostbite and fever. After discussion with Ulazi, Dong Yiyuan left the troops lacking winter clothes at the fortresses and inns built along the way.

"Our target is Iskel, the capital of the Siberian Khanate. If the guide is right, there is only 400 miles left, and these soldiers do not need to bear non-combat reduction." Dong Yiyuan said to Ulazi: "What's more, the main Guchu Khan is still gathering his troops 600 miles away. Do you think non-combat reduction?"

"It is a noun, falling, getting sick, being eaten by wild animals. These casualties that are not fighting with the enemy but losing their combat capabilities are called non-combat reduction."

Ulazi didn't expect that Ming Jun looked very capable, but he couldn't even bear this, which seemed too pretentious.

The Kazakh Khanate is close to Siberia. Of course, it knows the environment and weather here, but what can I do?

They are here to fight, not travel. Can the heat make people take off their armor during battle and the cold will cause the knights on the horse to leave the battlefield?

"This is their fault. They did not prepare thick cotton coats. The Siberians who lost their capital also fought in this way. Don't underestimate us, they have no problem."

In Dong Yiyuan's eyes, Ulazi's words were like standing and talking without a pain in his back. A great nobleman with mink hair exposed on the edge of the chain armor said that it was their fault that the conscripted men could not afford to wear cotton armor.

Of course he could blame this, because in their country the soldiers' armor and weapons must be prepared by themselves, and the lord has no obligation to prepare the equipment needed for the troops to fight.

But Dong Yiyuan could not let Ulazi leave frostbite and the sick soldiers continued to stay in the team. These soldiers who lost their combat effectiveness put other soldiers in the battle, not to mention that there was no need to let them go to the battlefield at all.

"The place we are going to is the capital of the Siberian Khanate, a strong city. The Yermark headquarters is not large in number, but they have artillery and may also have surrendered grassland noble reinforcements. You also saw that my people did not bring cannons."

Ulazi frowned as he listened to Dong Yiyuan's words: "Didn't bring a cannon, then what are you dragging in your car?"

"That's a Franc machine cannon, a small field cannon, light weight, fast firing, and no threat to the stone city wall. The siege may be delayed for several months. It shouldn't be the coldest time yet, right?" Dong Yiyuan's expression was very cautious, and he reiterated to the general interpreter: "I didn't underestimate your thoughts."

"But in the coldest winter, most soldiers can't hold on in the wild for a month. Your people are like this, and so are mine."

Dong Yiyuan's words made Ulazi feel suspicious.

At least he suspected that the real Ming Empire infantry would not be unable to survive the winter field battle. He had seen the Long Live Army infantry try on the winter uniforms and cotton armor they carried while resting.

Even the thinnest people wear those who are burly like a hibernating bear, the most flexible people will be unable to move and be bulky and slow because of the armor, but they are very warm.

"Ha, don't doubt it. We have tried it in the Wulianghai in the east. It shouldn't be the north. Even if you wear Your Majesty's winter clothes, you can only make people freeze later. It's so good. Don't always think about doing the right thing to God."

Dong Yiyuan smiled. Some people in the Ming Dynasty knew how to survive in the coldest place in the world, but what kind of thing they were wearing in Majiagang was there, so there was no need to think about how to fight. As long as they were not frozen to death, they would win.

This is incomparable in the Siberian Khanate.

"We are very close to let them rest here. We only need two thousand people to meet with Kuchukhan. Even if they are needed during the siege, we can send riders to summon them and we can arrive in three days."

"It's better not to siege the city in winter. The battle situation is really unfavorable. We can drag it until the beginning of next spring, as long as they don't let them leave the city."

Dong Yiyuan has seen the secret of how to win easily.

The Zhejiang Army and the Wansui Army in the Ming army generally had better protection against the cold winter than any army he had seen in standard equipment, and their ability to march long distances was stronger than most of the army he had seen.
Chapter completed!