Chapter 294: Three Sons And Two Daughters, The Kereit Khanate Falls
Li Xiao always clearly distinguished when naming his children: he would decide on their formal names, while their mother would choose their nicknames.
Just like this newborn child, Sorghaghtani’s chosen nickname was “Mongke.”
In the grassland language, it carried the beautiful meanings of “eternity, auspiciousness, and health.”
As for his formal name, Li Xiao had long decided it would be Li Shihui.
The character ‘Hui’ is the same as ‘Radiance’, symbolizing radiance and glory, and also the afterglow of the sun, carrying his hopes for his child.
Not long after Mongke was born, the loud cries of an infant also came from a room on the other side.
A Uyghur maidservant hurried out to report, her expression seeming slightly disappointed.
“Reporting to the Great Protector, the Madam has given birth to a young lady.”
At this moment, in the room, the disappointment on the faces of Tajiguli and Asu Guli was evident the instant they heard it was a daughter.
Now that the Kingdom of Gaochang no longer existed, the sisters had lost their greatest support. They had hoped to give birth to a son to solidify their standing in the Great Protector’s Mansion.
To have a daughter instead, their inner disappointment was hard to conceal.
Tajiguli even cried, repeatedly telling her sister to strive harder and to quickly get pregnant and have a son.
However, Li Xiao showed no disappointment at all. He already had three sons and one daughter, and another daughter would be very good.
Thus, he happily waved his hand and announced generous rewards for all personnel who assisted in the delivery for the two Madams.
At the same time, his newborn second daughter was named Li Ruyue.
Thus, Li Xiao now had three sons and two daughters.
His eldest son, Golden Saber, was named Li Shizhao.
His eldest daughter, Li Lingyue.
His second son, Longbow, Li Shixuan.
His third son, Mongke, Li Shihui.
His second daughter, Li Ruyue.
Coupled with the children gestating in Er Ya and Xiao Yanyan’s wombs, the Li family’s lineage was becoming increasingly prosperous.
Another winter arrived.
Thick snow had accumulated on the streets and alleys of Dragon City, icicles hung half a foot long from the eaves, and the cold wind whistled past, carrying snow flurries.
During this year, the Northern Frontier Army recuperated and did not launch any major wars.
Only in areas like Gansu and North Sea were there occasional skirmishes, which were minor expansions by the Northern Frontier Army.
It was left to the generals in various regions; they were rewarded for victory and punished for defeat, not requiring Li Xiao to expend too much effort, as he was not a master of micro-management.
On this day, Li Xiao was in his study, reviewing a memorial from Zhang Xinghua, the Governor of Gansu.
Zhang Xinghua reported in detail on the year’s work: leading the military and civilians in resuming farming and establishing garrisons, and persuading the common people who had fled into the mountains to descend and settle with land distribution.
Luo Meng led the Fourth Garrison’s troops out of the pass three times, looting a significant amount of population, grain, and wealth from Hexi.
The population of Gansu had recovered from last year’s two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand, with an eighty percent land reclamation rate, capable of supplying at least three hundred thousand piculs of grain to the Northern Frontier.
Behind these numbers lay the increasingly solid foundation of the Northern Frontier.
Li Xiao nodded with satisfaction as he read, “Not bad.”
Although he had been implementing the strategy of ‘Western Great Development,’ migrating common people from the Central Plains to the Northern Frontier.
The foundation of the Northern Frontier was ultimately still too shallow.
The output from Gansu alone could account for one-third of the entire Northern Frontier.
It was only when he reached the last few sentences that his gaze deepened.
Zhang Xinghua mentioned in the memorial that an envoy from the Song Dynasty had arrived in Wuwei City, intending to form an alliance with the Northern Frontier to jointly attack the Jin Dynasty, and asked how to proceed.
“An envoy from the Song Dynasty?” Li Xiao murmured, his fingers lightly tapping the table.
He knew clearly that in another year, the Song Dynasty would launch its Northern Expedition.
If the Northern Frontier could tie down the Jin Dynasty’s forces in the northwest, the Song’s Northern Expedition would be twice as effective. It was no wonder they were eager for an alliance.
However, alliances were never solely beneficial to one party.
Li Xiao’s fingertip paused on the words “jointly attack the Jin Dynasty,” and a hint of calculation flashed in his eyes.
Although the Northern Frontier was currently on a strong upswing, there was no need for them to act as the vanguard for the Song’s Northern Expedition.
After a moment of thought, Li Xiao picked up his brush and wrote a reply to Zhang Xinghua.
He first affirmed Zhang Xinghua’s achievements over the year, stating, “The people’s livelihood is stable, and military supplies are abundant; these are your merits,” and encouraged him to continue his efforts.
The grain from various parts of the Northern Frontier was barely sufficient for self-sufficiency this year; the grain from Gansu could be reserved for future campaigns against the Xia Kingdom.
Then, he shifted the topic, stating that the Song envoy did not need to come to the Northern Frontier, as he would send someone to Wuwei for negotiations.
“If we are to form an alliance, the Song people must show some sincerity.”
“The might of our Northern Frontier is not to be casually lent to the Song Dynasty.”
Not long after, Li Xiao selected the person to carry out the negotiations.
Since Hu Li, the Staff Officer of the Honglu Temple, was still on the grassland, he chose the newly appointed Staff Officer of the Law Enforcement Department, Suo Rui.
He was a Han Chinese born and raised in the Great Desert. He had followed Li Xiao in battles a long time ago and rose through the ranks based on his military merit.
He understood both military affairs and civil administration. When the Great Protector’s Mansion was established, he chose to retire from active duty and served as the Deputy Staff Officer of the Law Enforcement Department.
Last year, when Gu Zizhong served as the Governor of Western Prefecture, Suo Rui naturally became the Staff Officer of the Law Enforcement Department; he was a formidable individual.
Before his departure, Li Xiao summoned him privately to his study, pointed to the map on the wall, and said, “Remember, although we are all Han Chinese, we have no relation to those spineless Song people.”
“Whether they live or die is unimportant.”
“What’s important is that we cannot lose the face and interests of our Northern Frontier.”
“Grain, silk, and tea – we want it all.”
“As for a joint attack on the Jin, just give a vague agreement. The specific timing of troop deployment depends on our wishes.”
“Let them fight the Jin first.”
“When the Jin’s forces are mostly depleted, it will be our Northern Frontier’s time to march south.”
Suo Rui cupped his hands and accepted the order. The next day, he set off for Wuwei with his personal guards.
…
At the same time in the Northern Desert, the weather was freezing, no less severe than the snow and wind of the Northern Frontier.
The world was a vast expanse of white; almost all the herdsmen were hiding in their tents for the winter, but one army was marching alone in the wind and snow.
They were wrapped in layer upon layer of old sheepskins, riding warhorses and trudging with difficulty, their exhaled white mist instantly torn apart by the cold wind.
The person at the head of them was none other than Temüjin.
His face was covered in frostbite, and his palms were cracked like old tree bark.
Only his eyes were as bright as those of a hungry wolf, staring intently at the horizon blurred by the wind and snow.
“Leader Temüjin, ten more brothers froze to death today,” Muqali said as he rode his warhorse to catch up with Temüjin.
“If this continues, we will never reach Zhezhe Yundushan.”
Marching in winter was simply inhumane torture.
Temüjin’s cavalry originally numbered two thousand, but along the way, one to two hundred had already frozen to death, and morale had fallen to an extreme low.
Coupled with the arduous march for days and lack of food, even the direct soldiers of the Kiyan tribe, who had always blindly worshipped Temüjin, began to grumble, their gazes towards him showing signs of wavering.
Temüjin saw all of this, but his heart remained as hard as stone.
He knew that to defeat a behemoth like the Kereit tribe, the lives of many soldiers had to be sacrificed.
So, he looked at Muqali with a resolute gaze and said in a deep voice, “Muqali, if we turn back now, it will be a true dead end.”
“Only by continuously moving forward can we find life in the face of death. You must believe that the Eternal Blue Sky will protect us.”
Muqali’s military talent was no less than Temüjin’s; in fact, he was even better at commanding battles.
However, he was still young, and his grasp of human nature and application of tactics could not compare to the seasoned Temüjin.
“But we endure the cold wind and heavy snow, and we don’t even have enough food to fill our stomachs. I fear that if we continue, the warriors truly won’t be able to hold on.”
He looked at the numb faces of the surrounding soldiers, his voice filled with worry.
A rout was a disaster for any army, let alone their remnant forces who were already in a desperate situation.
“Although we have no grain and no cattle or sheep, we still have warhorses,” Temüjin’s voice was as hard as iron.
The next second, he suddenly drew his saber and, without hesitation, plunged it into the neck of the warhorse beneath him.
“Hooooo~”
The warhorse let out a mournful cry, startling the surrounding Kiyan tribal soldiers to look over.
They watched in shock as their leader acted, witnessing him personally kill his warhorse.
This “Dalai Nuur Horse,” a king of horses presented as tribute by the Balaghu tribe by the northern Great Marsh, had always been treasured by Temüjin, and now its blood stained the snowy ground.
The soldiers found it hard to believe.
Moreover, the feelings of grassland people for their warhorses were no less than those for family, and they would not easily slaughter their warhorses.
After the warhorse finally breathed its last, the blood-soaked Temüjin stood up, holding the dripping saber, his gaze sweeping over everyone like lightning, and shouted, “Warriors of the Kiyan tribe, all of you watch closely.”
He stepped on the horse’s carcass, and scarlet blood dripped from the sole of his boot onto the snowy ground.
“So what if this horse is a king of horses?”
“When it can no longer lead us to victory, it must become our sustenance.”
“Today, I, Temüjin, will eat a horse with all of you…”
Temüjin was a true hero; for him, a mere warhorse was insignificant.
He wouldn’t care even if he had to give up all his wealth and all his women.
Only fame and tools could not be shared; all else could be.
Seeing that Temüjin had actually slaughtered his beloved warhorse to be food for everyone, the Kiyan tribal soldiers were indeed moved.
Then they heard Temüjin continue shouting, “There are only three thousand Kereit soldiers at Zhezhe Yundushan. They are currently embracing women and drinking horse milk wine and would never expect us to dare to cross the blizzard in winter, nor would they be prepared for us.”
“The Eternal Blue Sky will not abandon true warriors.”
“As long as we reach Zhezhe Yundushan, we will surely crush all the Kereit tents.”
“And I, Temüjin, promise you that each of you will become a centurion, an envoy of the Eternal Blue Sky, and a person above all others.”
“You can enter the Kereit’s warm tents, gnaw on their roasted lamb legs, drink their aged mare’s milk wine, and there are those fair-skinned Kereit women for you to choose from.”
“You are enduring hunger and cold now for the sake of becoming nobles, for the sake of enjoying comfort on felt blankets.”
Temüjin suddenly pointed his saber to the sky and shouted, “As long as I, Temüjin, am here, the Kiyan tribe will not perish.”
“In the future, your sons will become chiliarchs, your grandsons will lead ten thousand cavalry, and the entire grassland will sing your praises.”
“Now, who is willing to go with me to crush the Kereit’s encampment and seize their women?”
The cold wind and snow could not block his voice from striking every soldier’s ears.
Under Temüjin’s impassioned incitement, the Kiyan tribal soldiers, whose morale had been low and were almost ready to set up camp, instantly regained their fighting spirit.
Someone, not sure who, first shouted, “Willing.”
Following that, more and more voices broke through the wind and snow.
Frozen fingers gripped the sabers again, and flames ignited on their numb faces.
They believed, or rather, they were willing to believe that this man, who had personally killed his beloved horse in despair, could lead them from hell back to paradise.
Temüjin looked at the scene before him with satisfaction, bent down, cut a piece of bloody meat from the horse carcass, and put it directly into his mouth, chewing vigorously.
“Move out!”
“Let the Kereit people know how sharp the claws of the Mongolian eagles are in winter.”
Then, Temüjin remounted a small Mongolian horse and continued forward, braving the wind and snow.
As for the other Kiyan tribal soldiers, not a single one fled.
Instead, one by one, they came before the warhorse, each cutting off a piece of meat and swallowing it raw.
Zhezhe Yundushan was the temporary encampment of the Kereit Khanate.
At this moment, a lively banquet was being held within the Khan’s tent, the air filled with the mellow aroma of horse milk wine and the savory scent of roasted mutton.
Ong Khan sat on the tiger skin chair at the head of the table, wrapped in a thick marten fur, yet he could not stop coughing and wheezing.
Below sat many Kereit nobles, each wearing a luxurious brocade robe, clinking wine cups and conversing loudly.
However, there were two unfamiliar faces among the guests.
Seated on the left was Hu Li, the Staff Officer of the Northern Frontier’s Honglu Temple.
Li Xiao’s orders to him were clear: as long as the war on the grassland was not settled, he was to remain with the Kereit tribe, monitor their movements, and relay information.
At this moment, he held a wine cup, seemingly socializing with the nobles beside him, but his peripheral vision was constantly observing the activity within the tent.
Seated on the other side was a robust middle-aged man, none other than Temüjin’s own younger brother, Hasar.
Although his robe was respectable, he looked like a country bumpkin, appearing somewhat out of place among the Kereit nobles.
“Great Khan, Temüjin defies heaven and acts against fate; he will perish on his own sooner or later!” Hasar raised his wine cup, stood up, and offered a distant toast to Ong Khan, his voice loud but with a hint of deliberate flattery.
“I have long seen his true nature and am unwilling to follow him to my death. I have come to surrender to the Great Khan and wish to serve you diligently, helping the Great Khan to completely eliminate that rebel!”
The tent quieted down instantly, and the nobles’ gazes all turned to Hasar, with scrutiny, disdain, and a playful anticipation of what was to come.
Ong Khan coughed twice, narrowed his eyes to examine Hasar, and said slowly, “Since you are Temüjin’s brother, and you come to surrender now, aren’t you afraid I’ll suspect you’re a spy he sent?”
Hasar immediately knelt on one knee, placing his hands on his chest, “May the Great Khan see the truth!”
“Temüjin and I have long severed ties. For the sake of power, he would abandon even his own kin; staying by his side would be a dead end for me.”
“I am willing to offer all the secrets of the Kiyan tribe that I know, only asking the Great Khan to grant me and my people a path to survival!”
Prior to this, Temüjin had dispatched Jelme to surrender to the Khanate, but Sangkun had demanded that Temüjin come to the Khanate with his hands bound and kneeling.
Temüjin knew his grievances with Sangkun were deep; once he entered the Khanate, Sangkun would absolutely not let him go.
Thus, the war continued.
And under the Kereit’s powerful pressure, the Kiyan tribe finally began to fracture.
Temüjin’s younger brother, leading a portion of his men, came to surrender to Ong Khan.
This act greatly pleased Ong Khan, and Sangkun did not have any major objections.
His target was not the Kiyan tribe, but Temüjin himself.
He always believed that Temüjin was ambitious, and only by killing Temüjin could the grassland be peaceful.
As for Hasar?
He was merely a stray dog.
Letting him live and earning the Kereit tribe a reputation for magnanimity was not an issue.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
“Get up,” Wang Han said, coughing and wheezing, his face flushed, struggling to utter a complete sentence.
“Since you’ve come to surrender, my Kereit tribe can accommodate you. Sit down and have a drink first. As for what happens next, it depends on your performance.”
Hasar quickly thanked him, rose, and took his seat.
The clamor in the tent gradually resumed, with the clinking of wine cups and laughter echoing again.
By the time the banquet dispersed, the wind and snow outside had lessened somewhat. Moonlight, filtering through the sparse clouds, cast a cold, clear light on the snowy ground.
Hu Li and Zha Heganbu walked side by side, and Hu Li spoke first, “Your Highness, what do you think of Hasar’s surrender?”
Zha Heganbu pulled his marten fur collar closer, his brow furrowed, and shook his head with a solemn expression, “This matter is very strange.”
“Hasar is Temüjin’s most capable arm. I still clearly remember the scene of the two brothers fighting side by side by the Onon River.”
“If you say he genuinely submitted, I wouldn’t believe it.”
He paused, his tone laced with a touch of complexity, “I actually have a great deal of admiration for Temüjin. In the words of the Han people, it’s a kind of hero cherishing hero sentiment.”
“He is a man with a streak of ruthlessness in his bones, ruthless to his subordinates and even more so to himself. He would never be defeated so easily.”
“Hasar’s surrender at this time, it’s almost like…”
“Almost like he’s throwing himself into our hands?” Hu Li finished the sentence, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes.
“Highly likely.”
Zha Heganbu nodded, “Temüjin, though seemingly crude, is actually very meticulous in his thoughts.”
Hu Li nodded lightly, his exhaled breath dispersing in front of him, “Although I don’t know Temüjin very well, the Great Protector always mentions him, saying he is the most dangerous wolf on the grasslands.”
“In my opinion, he probably won’t be easily defeated.”
He then turned to Zha Heganbu, his tone serious, “During this period, please Your Highness ensure your family members and subordinates are disciplined and extremely vigilant.”
“Send out more patrols at night, and don’t keep the lights in the tents burning too late, lest opportunities be given.”
Zha Heganbu nodded in agreement, “Adviser Hu, rest assured, I understand the gravity of the situation.”
The two walked a few more steps when Hu Li suddenly remembered something and slowed his pace, smiling, “By the way, Your Highness, I have some good news to tell you.”
“Madam Sorghaghtani gave birth to a son a few days ago. The Great Protector named him Li Shihui, and his nickname is Mongke.”
Zha Heganbu was first taken aback, then a smile spread across his face, “Really? That is truly great news.”
He then began to murmur the name ‘Mongke,’ listening to it with increasing satisfaction.
“Mongke is a good name! I hope he will always be healthy and auspicious.”
“I’ll have to arrange for some gifts to be sent to the Northern Frontier.”
“Your Highness is very thoughtful.”
Hu Li smiled and clasped his hands, “Everything went smoothly during Madam’s delivery, and the child is very robust. I’m sure Madam Sorghaghtani would be delighted if she knew you were thinking of them so much.”
On this day, Zha Heganbu’s tent was warm and cozy.
He and his wife were packing gifts for Sorghaghtani, preparing to entrust them to the Hexi Merchant Guild’s caravan to be sent to Dragon City.
“Although the Northern Frontier is more prosperous than the Northern Desert, with abundant supplies and all sorts of rare things,”
“how can things from our hometown compare in thoughtfulness?”
Zha Heganbu’s wife said with a smile as she stuffed dried fruit into a sack.
“These sea buckthorn dried fruits are her favorite from childhood. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see them.”
Zha Heganbu nodded in agreement, “And pack that jar of deer blood wine too~”
As the couple was talking, they suddenly heard the faint sound of war horses galloping.
Zha Heganbu stood up abruptly, his hand instinctively resting on the saber at his waist.
“Someone’s coming.”
Soon after, a confidant rushed in with a panicked report, “Master! A large cavalry force is charging from the north!”
Zha Heganbu’s expression became serious, and he asked calmly, “How many? Which tribe are they from?”
“It’s too far to see the banners clearly, only a dark mass!”
Zha Heganbu’s brow furrowed, and he instantly thought of something, his voice deepening, “Could it be Temüjin?”
At the same time, Wang Han’s royal tent was in chaos.
Wang Han, who had just taken his medicine and lay down, was startled awake by the sound of shouting and sat up abruptly, coughing violently.
Sangkun flung open the tent curtain and rushed in, his face filled with alarm and anger, “Father Khan! Enemy troops are attacking from the north!”
“Is it the Northern Frontier Army?”
Wang Han clutched his chest, gasping for breath, his first thought being of those who occupied the west of Yudu Jin Mountain.
It was precisely because they were far from the Northern Frontier Army’s attack range that they had moved their Khanate further east to Zhezhe Yundushan Mountains.
“These bastards, they really had ill intentions!” Sangkun also thought it was the Northern Frontier Army.
After all, the current Kereit tribe was undeniably the overlord of the Northern Desert, without exception.
Besides those scoundrels from the Northern Frontier, who else would dare to sneak attack the Kereit tribe’s Khanate?
However, Sangkun had stationed many scouts in the Yudu Jin Mountain area and around the old Khanate. If the Northern Frontier Army was attacking, why hadn’t they reported it?
Then, a guard stumbled in, speaking rapidly.
“There are no Sun and Moon Battle Flags from the Northern Frontier, nor yellow or red armor. They are all cavalry wearing worn sheepskin, and they look more like… tribes from our Northern Desert!”
Tribes from the Northern Desert?
Sangkun’s heart skipped a beat, and he instantly thought of a name, asking sternly, “Where is Hasar? Where is that Wugur slave?”
The subordinates around them looked at each other, none able to provide an answer.
Sangkun overturned the table, finally understanding that he had been tricked.
That Hasar was a spy sent by Temüjin. Having been around Zhezhe Yundushan Mountains these past few days, he had likely mapped out all the terrain thoroughly.
“Guards! Muster all troops and meet the enemy!” Sangkun roared in fury.
The timing Temüjin chose was truly terrible for the Kereit tribe.
In the middle of winter, most of the troops were either hunkering down in their tents or scattered across pastures hundreds of miles away. There were only three thousand guards around the Khanate.
Whether they could withstand Temüjin’s surprise attack likely depended on the will of Tengger.
Meanwhile, on the vast snowy plains to the north, Temüjin was leading over fifteen hundred cavalry in a charge.
His worn sheepskin jacket was stained with snow and mud, but his eyes shone with an astonishing intensity, full of a desire for revenge.
Beside him, Hasar galloped his horse, expertly guiding the troops around traps and dangerous terrain.
“Charge! Take the royal tent, and the Kereit’s cattle, sheep, and women are ours!” Temüjin roared furiously.
“Boom, boom, boom~”
Amidst the thundering hooves of war horses, over a thousand beggar-like Kiyan tribe soldiers stormed into the Khanate.
Although the Khanate’s guards had a numerical advantage, they were completely unprepared and were quickly overwhelmed by Temüjin’s furious surprise attack.
They retreated step by step, their blood staining the snowy ground of the Khanate.
