Chapter 191: Eternal Blue Sky, Grant Me The Power Of Revenge
“What?”
“What did you say?”
Inside the large tent of the Kiyan tribe, Temüjin suddenly jumped up from his seat, his eyes instantly widening like two burning coals, staring intently at the soldier who brought the report.
“Great Khan… the Great Khan!”
“They’re all dead, so many of them are dead.”
“They died a horrible death.”
A Mongol soldier stood in the tent, trembling like a sieve, crying as he spoke.
He had narrowly escaped from the battlefield and then traveled day and night, finally returning to the Kiyan tribe.
He reported this brutal matter to Temüjin: the Western Expeditionary Army led by Borchu and Kublai had been completely annihilated.
Upon hearing this, Temüjin staggered as if struck by a heavy hammer, the muscles in his face twitching uncontrollably.
“What happened?”
“Are all over ten thousand troops gone?”
Temüjin’s voice trembled violently with anger and disbelief, the air in the tent seeming to ignite with this rage, becoming hot and heavy.
The soldier, his voice choked with sobs and his despair almost palpable, trembled as he recounted: “We were ambushed by Zhamuha.”
“Zhamuha colluded with the Liao State army, deliberately luring us to attack their main camp.”
“Then, then, the Eternal Blue Sky became enraged.”
“Thunderbolts rained down, striking dead many of our brothers.”
“Our warhorses became uncontrollable and trampled many of us to death.”
“The situation then was too horrific, with blood, intestines, and bone fragments all over the ground…”
As the soldier spoke, his face contorted with fear, as if touching the deepest, most terrifying memory in his heart. He suddenly shivered and began to mutter to himself, showing signs of delirium.
Temüjin, witnessing this scene, looked shocked, clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth, saying hatefully: “Liao people!”
From the soldier’s description, he had a general understanding of how the defeat had occurred.
The so-called rage of the Eternal Blue Sky must have been the mysterious weapon of the Liao army.
That weapon had been used in the war against the Kereit tribe, which had routed Sangkun’s army.
Therefore, upon hearing the soldier describe the scene again, he could not help but close his eyes in despair.
“Where are Borchu and Kublai? Where are they?”
Temüjin asked with a voice full of rage, his breathing growing more rapid, his chest heaving violently.
He could lose armies, women, and tribes, but he could not lose these two brothers.
“General Kublai~”
The soldier, jolted by the reprimand, came back to his senses, paused for a moment, and said: “General Kublai, he… he died in battle!”
“We were first surrounded by Zhamuha’s army. The two generals led us out, and then we encountered an attack from the Liao army.”
“We were outnumbered and could not fight them. General Kublai, he… he was struck by several blades, and his blood flowed like a breached river, unstoppable~”
As for Borchu, the soldier hadn’t seen; everyone was in a panic then and couldn’t worry about anything else.
Hearing the news of Kublai’s death in battle, Temüjin slumped heavily onto his stool, his body weak and limp, utterly devastated.
“Borchu… Kublai…”
He murmured, his voice as deep as if it had come from the depths of hell.
These two men had known Temüjin since their youth, they were comrades-in-arms, and even more so, dear friends and brothers.
For many years, they had followed him in his conquests across the grassland, enduring countless fierce battles and achieving great military merit; they were his most important right-hand men.
Now, Kublai had fallen by the hands of the Jin Prefecture Army, and Borchu was missing. How could this not pain him deeply and enrage him uncontrollably?
“Jin Prefecture Army, well done, Jin Prefecture Army.”
Temüjin said through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching with a creak, his facial muscles contorted with extreme anger.
Not long after, looking utterly dejected, he walked out of the large tent and came to the high altar for sacrifices. He slowly spread his arms, knelt on the ground.
His voice, filled with sorrow, murmured: “Eternal Blue Sky!”
“The Liao people, these instigators of war, they colluded with that treacherous Zhamuha.”
“They made my brave soldiers spill their blood on the battlefield, and I lost my most trusted brothers.”
“They caused countless families to lose their pillars, helpless children to lose their fathers, and eagerly waiting wives to lose their husbands.”
“They wielded power as a sword and greed as a blade, severing the threads of our peaceful lives and casting a shadow of disaster mercilessly over this grassland.”
Temüjin suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, looking towards the heavens, with resolute hatred: “I cannot suppress the hatred and anger in my heart.”
“Eternal Blue Sky, grant me the strength to take revenge!”
Kneeling at the altar, Temüjin prayed to the Eternal Blue Sky for a day and a night, but he felt no response.
The next day, as he stood up from the altar, he said to everyone: “I have decided to send an envoy to the Liao State.”
“To seek justice for our fallen brothers.”
“They must hand over the murderer, Zhamuha.”
Upon hearing this, Chilawen, who stood at the front of the crowd, looked confused and shouted: “For those who killed our brothers, there is no need for words, we should speak with knives.”
Kublai’s younger brother, Kudus, clenched his saber, his face contorted, and loudly shouted: “Mobilize troops to conquer the Liao people and completely eliminate Zhamuha.”
Immediately, the surrounding Kiyan tribe soldiers all raised their spears and shouted in unison: “Mobilize troops to conquer the Liao people.”
“Completely eliminate Zhamuha.”
“Mobilize troops to conquer the Liao people.”
Facing the impassioned Kiyan warriors, Temüjin also showed a look of sorrow, gently raising his hand to signal them to calm down, stopping their shouts.
He said loudly: “In these years, you have shed too much blood, and I truly cannot bear to see you risk your lives again.”
“But I promise you, if the Liao people do not repent, and do not hand over Zhamuha and these murderers who killed our brothers.”
“My own blood, my brothers’, my foreign brothers’, my sons’, my grandsons’ blood, is willing to flow together with yours.”
“But this revenge cannot be a reckless impulse.”
“We must be like cunning foxes, patiently planning, finding the right moment, and delivering a fatal blow to the enemy.”
“From today onwards, we must sharpen our weapons and train hard in riding and archery, making our weapons sharper and our warhorses stronger.”
“I swear to the Eternal Blue Sky, and I swear to you all, that I will lead you to reclaim our honor and make the Liao people and Zhamuha pay a heavy price for their evil deeds.”
Temüjin’s voice echoed through the camp, lingering for a long time, and the warriors also let out roars of revenge.
But in reality, Temüjin knew in his heart that even if he led all the troops of the Kiyan tribe to conquer the Liao people, they might still be annihilated.
The Liao people were too powerful, and the current Kiyan tribe could not defeat them.
Therefore, Temüjin had to suppress the flames of revenge, accumulate strength, and strengthen the Kiyan tribe’s power, waiting for the opportunity for revenge.
On the other side, within the magnificent Khanate of the Kereit tribe.
Sang Kun heard the news and immediately threw his head back and laughed: “Hahaha!”
“Back then, that Temüjin fellow secretly laughed at me, saying that I, Sang Kun, had become a soft sheep’s belly, easily defeated by the Jin Prefecture people like pinching a lamb.”
“Hmph, he was quite arrogant!”
Sang Kun’s face was full of disdain, the corners of his mouth turned up high, and his eyes flickered with mockery.
“But what about now? Look at the current situation.”
“His Borchu and Kublai, who were always known as the most adept at charging into battle and were brave and invincible, what good did they do?”
“Weren’t they also routed by the Jin Prefecture people, like sheep scattered and fleeing from a wolf pack?”
“His subordinates are just so-so.”
Listening to Sang Kun’s laughter, the Kereit generals beside him echoed his sentiments.
It was Ong Khan, sitting at the head of the table, who slightly frowned and advised: “Sang Kun, you need to change your temper.”
“Temüjin is my sworn brother, your Anda.”
“His soldiers were defeated by the Liao people. Instead of helping him seek revenge, you shouldn’t mock him.”
Sang Kun heard this, curled his lips slightly, his face showing utter indifference, and stood up to say: “Father Khan, you consider Temüjin your sworn brother, but in his heart, he doesn’t regard you as a sworn father at all.”
“In this battle against Zhamuha’s allied forces, our Kereit tribe contributed the most, yet all the greatest benefits were taken by Temüjin.”
“You are too kind, fooled by Temüjin’s sweet words, and failed to see his wolfish ambition.”
Ong Khan, hearing this, became displeased. His face sank, and he coldly snorted, “Your Father Khan is not yet senile.”
Sang Kun’s expression also instantly became serious, his brows furrowed, and he said solemnly: “Father Khan, do you know that the Duo’erbian Tribe, the Heda Jinn Tribe, and the Shanzhi Kun Tribe have all surrendered to Temüjin?”
“Yes, I consented to that.”
Ong Khan nodded slowly, his expression calm, as if everything was under his control.
“These are all insignificant small tribes, with a population of less than ten thousand.”
“In the Battle of Kuitian, Temüjin’s Kiyan tribe contributed significantly, so it is only right to give him some of their people.” Ong Khan squinted his eyes slightly, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalance.
“But do you know that Temüjin has formed a marriage alliance with the Jadalan Tribe and plans to have his son, Chagatai, marry Chierjidaibatu’s daughter?” Sang Kun said in a deep voice.
Ong Khan’s face instantly darkened upon hearing this: “What?”
“What does Temüjin intend to do?”
The Jadalan Tribe was the most powerful tribe in the northern grassland. Besides giving rise to a formidable figure like Zhamuha, they also had many powerful leaders.
After the Battle of Kuitian, Zhamuha led his direct followers to flee, while the remaining Jadalan tribesmen surrendered to Ong Khan and Temüjin.
Among them, Chierjidaibatu’s faction was the strongest.
However, the Jadalan Tribe was located in the northernmost part of the grassland, far from the Kereit tribe, so Ong Khan could not annex the Jadalan Tribe and allowed them to submit to the Kereit tribe.
They were still ruled by leaders like Chierjidaibatu.
But if Temüjin were to form a marriage alliance with Chierjidaibatu, the implications would be entirely different.
“Father Khan, Chierjidaibatu is currently the strongest faction within the Jadalan Tribe.”
“If a marriage alliance is formed with Temüjin, will Chierjidaibatu submit to us, the Kereit tribe, in the future, or will they collude with Temüjin?”
“Moreover, the tribesmen of the Taichiud tribe have already been annexed by Temüjin, and the leader of the Hongjila Tribe, Xuechen, is Borte’s father, Temüjin’s father-in-law.”
“Coupled with the Duo’erbian Tribe, Heda Jinn Tribe, and Shanzhi Kun Tribe that were just annexed by Temüjin, the entire eastern part of the grassland has become Temüjin’s territory.”
“Where does Temüjin intend to place you, the King of the Grassland, the Khan of Khans?”
Hearing Sang Kun say this, Ong Khan’s expression became even more somber. At this point, he also gradually realized that Temüjin’s power had indeed become somewhat formidable.
The entire eastern grassland had become Temüjin’s territory, almost on par with the Kereit tribe.
“We cannot let Temüjin and Chierjidaibatu form a marriage alliance,” Ong Khan said in a deep voice.
He then looked at Sang Kun and asked, “How many daughters does Zha Agambou have unmarried?”
While Ong Khan did not disregard this talented younger brother, he truly wasn’t concerned about how many daughters he had.
“After Sorghaghtani went to Jin Prefecture, there are still three daughters,” Sang Kun replied.
“Then select the eldest one to marry Temüjin’s second son, Chagatai,” Ong Khan commanded directly.
“As for Chierjidaibatu’s daughter, she will marry your son.”
The purpose was to disrupt the marriage alliance between Temüjin and the Jadalan Tribe.
Then, Ong Khan began to consider how to completely bind the Hongjila Tribe to the Kereit tribe’s war efforts.
After all, Temüjin’s series of actions truly made Ong Khan feel uneasy.
Due to the complete annihilation of Borchu’s army, Temüjin wanted to win over allies and strengthen the Kiyan tribe’s power to avenge Borchu.
However, this further deepened the rift between him and Ong Khan.
Meanwhile, Li Xiao, in Jin Prefecture, also received news of the battle.
“In this battle, our army annihilated four thousand enemies, captured eight thousand, beheaded the Kiyan tribe’s great general Kublai, and severely wounded and captured Borchu…”
In Li Xiao’s hand was the battle report sent by Li Sanhe.
The Jin Prefecture Army had achieved a great victory. Except for a few Mongol soldiers who escaped, most of the soldiers were killed or captured.
The specific details of the engagement were also reported in detail. In Li Xiao’s opinion, the battle fought by Li Sanhe was flawless and in the style of the Jin Prefecture Army.
As for their own casualties?
With Zhamuha’s allied forces and Naiman captives serving as cannon fodder, the Jin Prefecture Army’s losses were minimal.
On the contrary, Zhamuha and the Naiman captives suffered a total of eight hundred deaths and nearly a thousand severely wounded.
Although the Mongol army was still a ragtag force with outdated equipment, their combat strength was not to be underestimated.
At the end of the letter, the number of people who had distinguished themselves in the Jin Prefecture Army was recorded.
Naiman people were the most numerous, as they charged at the front line, with the arrows of the discipline team behind them. To gain freedom and wealth, they had to fight hard.
And besides the Naiman people, there were Han slaves exchanged from the Kereit tribe, some of whom had also killed many enemies.
“Four hundred and thirty-two people?”
“That’s quite a lot,” Li Xiao nodded slightly and murmured.
He hadn’t expected that in this war, over four hundred Naiman captives and over two hundred Han slaves would each kill more than three enemies.
At the same time, there were many who killed one or two enemies, but these were not recorded.
It seemed that the temptation of freedom and wealth was the same for everyone.
Li Xiao took out another piece of cloth and wrote with a brush: “To General Li Sanhe, General of the Western Sea Protector Army, be advised: Zhamuha’s allied forces are crucial to our Jin Prefecture’s strategy in conquering the grassland. You are hereby ordered to immediately resettle them in the area inhabited by the Oirats.”
“This area will serve as a forward position for our Jin Prefecture’s eastward expansion, bearing the heavy responsibility of opening up new territories.”
“Regarding Borchu, a general of the Kiyan tribe, if he remains stubborn and refuses to surrender, there is no need for leniency. He may be decisively dealt with according to military law, and executed on the spot as a warning.”
“Furthermore, the four hundred and thirty-two Naiman captives and two hundred and eight Han Kuli Army soldiers are all to be freed from slavery, rewarded, and properly integrated into the ranks of the Three Town Soldiers, henceforth becoming elite warriors of our Jin Prefecture.”
“All officers and soldiers must treat them equally, train and teach them diligently, without any slackness or errors.”
Li Xiao still placed great importance on Zhamuha. After all, he was a Gurkhan of the grassland with immense prestige.
When attacking the grassland in the future, Zhamuha could play a significant role.
The territory of the Oirats was located north of the Kereit tribe, in the northern half of Yudu Jin Mountain, adjacent to the Merkit tribe.
Stationing Zhamuha’s army in the Oirats’ territory would also serve as a barrier for the Western Sea.
As for Borchu, he was already forty years old this year. This man had grown up with Temüjin since childhood, was loyal and devoted, and it was uncertain whether he would surrender to Jin Prefecture.
If it were Muqali, Jebe, or Subutai, Li Xiao would definitely have them escorted to Jin Prefecture to persuade them to surrender personally.
But for Borchu, Li Xiao’s evaluation was that his luck outweighed his ability, and his future development potential was limited.
If he had not been among the earliest to follow Temüjin, and if Temüjin had not needed someone to balance Muqali’s influence, he would not have had the right to stand on equal footing with Muqali.
Moreover, fierce generals like Borchu were abundant in the Jin Prefecture Army. Compared to him, Li Xiao trusted these Jin Prefecture generals who had followed him all along more.
“Come here!”
After Li Xiao finished writing the order, he shouted, then put the cloth and silk into a box, sealed it with sealing wax, and handed it to his personal guard, saying.
“Tell Myriad Household Commander Li Sanhe that those eight thousand Mongol captives shall remain by the Western Sea and be well guarded.”
As for whether Li Sanhe could manage those eight thousand Mongol captives well, Li Xiao was not worried.
Because there were still Naiman captives.
The Jin Prefecture Army soldiers were not numerous, so the Naiman captives could be used to manage the Mongol captives.
Although they were all prisoners of war, they were still ranked.
The Naiman captives, the first to be captured by the Jin Prefecture Army, had the highest status and the best treatment, followed by the Kereit Tribe captives, and the Mongol captives were the lowest.
The benefit of doing this was to create division among the prisoners of war.
Compared to the Mongol captives, the Naiman captives and Kereit Tribe captives would feel a sense of superiority.
By using a small amount of power to bully and manage Mongol captives, they would gain psychological and physiological pleasure, subconsciously forgetting their own status as slaves, and instead more actively serve the Jin Prefecture Army.
The Mongol captives, on the other hand, would transfer their hatred to the Naiman captives who directly managed them.
To avoid being bullied by the Naiman captives and to climb higher, they would even actively try to please the Jin Prefecture Army.
The Jin Prefecture Army only needed to remain aloof and act as arbitrators to effectively manage all the captives.
“Furthermore, if any officers and soldiers in the Western Sea Army capture more than ten enemy heads.”
“Order them to come to Jin Prefecture to study at the Hexi Military School, and I will personally award them the ‘Warrior Medal’,” Li Xiao said in a deep voice.
In the cold weapon era, the mortality rate of soldiers was very high. Anyone who could kill ten enemies and survive could be called a ‘warrior’.
If they could kill ten enemies in close combat without armor, they could be called ‘soldier kings’.
For such talent, Li Xiao had to cultivate them as key seeds for future generals.
He had to personally award them the ‘Warrior Medal’.
Drawing from later generations, Li Xiao was establishing a medal system for Jin Prefecture.
The most important among them was the ‘Warrior Medal’, which required killing more than ten enemies and had to be personally awarded by Li Xiao.
The purpose of this was to ensure that talent would not be overlooked, and to facilitate Li Xiao’s cultivation of these individuals into his core followers.
Bestowing favors face-to-face would make them more loyal to Li Xiao.
……
Yili is located west of the Tianshan Mountains.
Surrounded by mountains on three sides, north, east, and south, the two mountain ranges gradually close from north to south towards the east, eventually forming a “8” shaped river valley that opens to the west.
The land within the river valley is fertile and the water source is abundant, making it one of the most prosperous regions in the Western Regions.
Before the Tang Dynasty, the Yili River Valley had been a gathering place for the Geluolu people.
After the Western Liao Dynasty was founded, the ruling powers suppressed the Geluolu people several times, forcibly migrating them and bringing in other tribes.
However, the Geluolu people still remained the dominant tribe in the Yili River Valley.
Two years ago, the Yili Geluolu Tribe launched a rebellion, which was forcefully suppressed by Xiao Simo.
Subsequently, the Yili River Valley was incorporated into the sphere of influence of the Northern Frontier. Xiao Simo dispatched supervisors to Yili to monitor the movements of the Geluolu tribes, urge them to pay taxes, and organize soldiers to fight alongside the Northern Frontier Army.
However, on this day, a roar erupted from the Da’atu Tribe: “Beast, let go of my sister.”
A Geluolu youth, with bloodshot eyes and a saber in hand, charged recklessly towards the beast who was bullying his sister.
The supervisor sent to Yili from the Eastern Capital was a Khitan named Nie’edu.
No one expected that this Geluolu youth would suddenly attack. Nie’edu’s guards were busy watching the spectacle and did not have time to intervene, allowing the youth to reach Governor Nie’edu.
“Pfft~”
Blood splattered.
Nie’edu’s eyes widened as he looked at the rusty saber plunged into his chest, his expression one of shock and disbelief.
He could not imagine that he would die at the hands of a lowly Geluolu youth.
He was a confidant of King Xiao.
With a single word, he could decide the fate of the entire Geluolu tribe.
How dare they kill him?
But no matter how unwilling Nie’edu was, he could only feel his life force ebbing away as his body fell heavily to the ground.
His guards, seeing this, were greatly alarmed and shouted in terror, “He killed the supervisor.”
“Damn it, kill him.”
“This Geluolu tribe is finished; we must report to the Great King and have them all annihilated.”
With that, the guards rushed forward and chopped the Geluolu siblings into pieces.
But the matter was far from over; the tragic deaths of the siblings completely enraged the other Geluolu people.
Someone shouted angrily, “Tribesmen, the Khitan people do not treat us as humans. They arbitrarily insult our women and slaughter our brothers.”
“I am not going to tolerate this humiliation any longer.”
“At worst, we die.”
“Kill these Khitan people.”
“Rebellion!”
With one person leading the way, all the other Geluolu people became impassioned and shouted in unison, “Rebellion!”
“Kill these Khitan people.”
Shouting this, many Geluolu people quickly grabbed their spears and bows, and killed the Khitan guards.
Afterwards, the tribe’s leader, with a grim expression, shouted loudly, “It has come to this; we can no longer turn back.”
“Rather than wait for the Khitan’s retaliation, we should take the initiative.”
“Contact the other tribes and rebel against the Khitan people together.”
