Chapter 301: Willing To Follow The Great Khan Into Battle, Vowing To Kill Temüjin Even In Death
Temüjin led his remaining troops to retreat towards the upper reaches of the Onon River.
Soon, a scout rushed back with a report: “Great Khan, the Northern Frontier Army did not pursue us; only the troops of Zhamuha are following behind.”
Temüjin, astride his horse, furrowed his brow: “What’s going on? The Northern Frontier people didn’t fall for it? Was it seen through?”
His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the distant Onon River.
It was already summer, yet the water level of the Onon River was about two inches lower than at this time in previous years.
This was not a natural phenomenon but a result of Temüjin’s prior arrangements.
He had ordered his men to block an important tributary of the Onon River upstream, causing the water level to drop.
However, this two-inch difference was not significant, and unless one lived by the Onon River year-round, it would not be noticed.
The inspiration for this strategy came from a Han scholar he had rescued after breaking through the Kereit tribe.
That scholar had told him the story of Guan Yu flooding seven armies during the Three Kingdoms period, which sparked an idea for him to flood the Northern Frontier Army with the waters of the Onon River.
But he never expected that the Northern Frontier Army would remain stationary, and instead, it was Zhamuha and his traitors who attacked, with approximately twenty thousand troops.
Temüjin pondered for just a moment before sternly ordering, “The grand ceremony on the Onon River will be reserved for the Northern Frontier people.”
“We will deal with Zhamuha ourselves.”
A hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes; the breaching of the Onon River was a formidable weapon he had specifically prepared for the Northern Frontier Army.
Using it on Zhamuha would be a terrible waste.
Moreover, apart from this water attack, Temüjin could not think of any other means to deal with the Northern Frontier Army.
That iron-clad army, capable of leveling the grasslands, and those mysterious weapons that roared like thunder and could destroy everything.
It was simply beyond human strength to resist.
He racked his brain but could not think of any way, other than a water attack, to defeat such terrifying enemies.
Therefore, the ultimate weapon had to be reserved for the most formidable enemies.
Why use a butcher’s cleaver to kill a chicken? The warriors of his own Kiyan tribe were more than enough to deal with Zhamuha.
Furthermore, since the Northern Frontier Army was not in pursuit and only Zhamuha and his forces were deep in enemy territory, it was the perfect opportunity to deal with them.
“Go inform Muqali to prepare for action,” Temüjin commanded decisively.
Upon hearing the order, a personal guard immediately spurred his horse and galloped towards Burkhan Khaldun.
Temüjin, meanwhile, continued to lead his troops in retreat towards the upper reaches of the Onon River.
Behind them, Zhamuha and his men clung to Temüjin like a persistent ulcer, relentlessly pursuing him.
Toqto’a, on his horse, his face flushed with excitement and his eyes shining, couldn’t help but shout, “Temüjin, your Eternal Blue Sky no longer protects you.”
“This time, let’s see where you can run.”
“Hahaha~”
The Merkit tribe and the Kiyan tribe were ancient enemies. Previously, he had been chased by Temüjin like a stray dog, utterly disheveled.
Now, he finally had his moment of triumph, able to pursue his enemy in turn, the exhilaration was beyond words.
In contrast, Zhamuha was not as excited as expected; instead, his expression was somber, his brow slightly furrowed.
The scene of him and Temüjin becoming sworn brothers in his childhood involuntarily came to mind.
At that time, they were the best of friends, confiding everything in each other, even entrusting their lives to one another.
Even when Borte was snatched by Toqto’a, it was he who came to his aid and helped Temüjin get her back.
But when did the two of them start to go their separate ways?
Zhamuha sighed inwardly.
It was probably after Borte was rescued that Temüjin, taking him by surprise, took away some of his followers and killed his younger brother.
At that moment, Zhamuha finally fully realized Temüjin’s ambition, and the two of them broke apart completely because of it.
He had once wanted Temüjin to assist him in becoming the greatest Khan on the grasslands.
But Temüjin’s ambition was too great; the grasslands could not accommodate two Great Khans.
Now, seeing his former companion meet such an end, Zhamuha’s heart was filled with mixed emotions and a sense of solemnity.
He mused to himself, “After capturing Temüjin, I will persuade him to surrender; perhaps Li Xiao will spare his life.”
This was because Zhamuha had his own ambitions. As someone who had been a Gurkhan, how could he be content to live under others for long?
However, the Northern Frontier Army’s power was too great, forcing him to lie low for the time being.
He was waiting for an opportunity, for the Northern Frontier forces to show weakness.
Then, he would unite with other tribes on the grasslands to resist the cruel rule of the Northern Frontier people and reclaim his Gurkhan position.
If he could have Temüjin’s assistance, brothers united would be like a tiger with wings.
What needed to be done now was to defeat Temüjin, gather as many of his followers as possible under his command, and accumulate strength for future plans.
With this in mind, Zhamuha’s eyes sharpened, and he waved his hand, leading his followers to continue the relentless pursuit.
Not long after, as they reached a river valley, the surrounding mountains suddenly closed in.
At this moment, the sound of urgent hooves suddenly erupted from a mountain hollow on the side.
“Kill!”
“Warriors, charge forward and drive the Northern Frontier people out of the grasslands.”
A burly man clad in rusty, worn-out iron armor, with a rugged face, led two thousand ambushing soldiers who charged out like sharp swords.
It was Muqali and his troops, who had been lying in ambush here for a long time.
Upon appearing, they cut Zhamuha’s army in half.
“Ambush!”
Zhamuha’s pupils contracted sharply, his heart sank, and he cursed inwardly, “Bad!”
“We’ve been tricked!”
He suddenly reined in his horse, looking at the cavalry that had charged out, his teeth grinding: “Temüjin, that fox of the grasslands, is this cunning.”
Feigning defeat was a common tactic of grassland cavalry: first show weakness to lure the enemy into pursuit, then use the familiar terrain to set up an ambush, thereby crushing the pursuers in one fell swoop.
This time, Temüjin was employing the same tactic, allowing those ragtag soldiers to feign a rout to lure Zhamuha and his men deeper into this river valley.
Zhamuha was not without vigilance, but he had not expected Temüjin to be so ruthless and malicious, abandoning the more than ten thousand allied forces who had suffered a crushing defeat, and instead gathering all his elites here.
Therefore, he had been somewhat careless.
Meanwhile, Temüjin, seeing Muqali’s attack from the front, immediately shouted, “Warriors, reinforcements have arrived.”
“Charge with me!”
The Kiyan tribe’s cavalry roared and charged back, forming a pincer attack with Muqali.
Zhamuha’s soldiers, seeing this, fell into a panic.
Although they had a numerical advantage, the narrow terrain of the river valley restricted the deployment of their cavalry.
Moreover, most of these soldiers were prisoner soldiers drafted from various tribes; they were a rabble, only capable of fighting when things were going their way.
After encountering the ambush, although they still held an absolute advantage, their morale had wavered, the soldiers gradually began to break, and their formations became chaotic.
In contrast, Temüjin’s side consisted mostly of elites.
After breaking through the Kereit tribe, he had recruited a group of young and strong warriors from the Kereit khanate and surrounding tribes.
With the more than one thousand Kiyan tribe warriors who had followed him on the thousand-mile march to Zhezhe Yundushan Mountains as the backbone, he had formed an elite cavalry force of five thousand men.
A portion of these were led by him personally, and another portion was assigned to Muqali for the ambush here.
Those who had previously suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Northern Frontier Army were merely ragtag troops from other tribes.
Even if they were all wiped out, Temüjin felt no heartache; instead, it would save grain.
At this moment, facing the pincer attack of these five thousand elites, Zhamuha’s allied forces found it even harder to resist and quickly collapsed.
“Toqto’a!”
Temüjin’s gaze was sharp, and a fierce roar echoed through the river valley as he led a detachment of elite cavalry straight towards Toqto’a.
In his heart, Toqto’a was his number one enemy, more detestable than Sangkun.
Toqto’a, upon seeing this, panicked and immediately called for men to intercept Temüjin: “Quick, quickly block him.”
He himself turned his horse, attempting to flee.
But how could Temüjin give him such an opportunity? He spurred his horse in hot pursuit until he was right beside Toqto’a, with no guards left.
He thrust out his spear, directly impaling Toqto’a and throwing him off his horse.
Temüjin ordered his guards to cut off Toqto’a’s head and carry it on the spearhead as a display to everyone.
The allied forces of the Jadalan tribe, Merkit tribe, and others, seeing this situation, became even more demoralized and scattered in all directions.
Zhamuha, watching from afar, also had his eyes narrow, gritted his teeth, and said hatefully.
“Damn it, Temüjin has escaped a calamity again.”
Does the Eternal Blue Sky still favor Temüjin?
Can’t he just honestly submit to me and assist me in resisting the rule of the Northern Frontier people?
“Retreat,”
Zhamuha shouted loudly.
But at this very moment, an arrow suddenly shot out, hitting him precisely in the chest.
“Ah~”
Zhamuha cried out and fell from his horse.
“Leader~”
“Leader Zhamuha,” his guards turned pale at the sight.
Seeing Muqali approaching with his men, they no longer cared about Zhamuha’s injury, helped him onto a horse, and fled quickly.
Not long after, Temüjin urged his troops to quickly clear the battlefield.
Sabers, spears, swords, shields, saddles, supplies, and anything that could be utilized were quickly packed and carried by the personal guards on horseback.
No one could say when the Northern Frontier Army would attack, so everyone moved with haste, even their breathing was rapid.
Muqali strode over, the bloodstains on his battle robe still not dry: “Great Khan, what about the captives?”
“Form them into another unit and assign it to Khasar for command.”
Temüjin replied without looking up, his gaze still sweeping over the soldiers who were inventorying supplies.
Wars on the grasslands were essentially games played by the upper nobility; hatred never extended to the common herdsmen and slaves.
The laws of survival, ingrained over thousands of years, were etched into the very bones of the lower herdsmen and slaves: the winner reigns supreme, the loser becomes dependent; they would follow whoever could give them a way to live.
Muqali acknowledged and made a note, then stepped forward and whispered, “Great Khan, during the skirmish just now, I think I saw Zhamuha get shot; his fate is unknown.”
“What?”
Temüjin suddenly turned around, his eyes widening, his composure instantly replaced by shock, a trace of imperceptible worry appearing on his brow.
Although he and Zhamuha had long been enemies, he had always considered the other his best sworn brother.
He had never intended to take the other’s life, only hoping that one day he would yield and submit.
But now, Zhamuha was injured?
“Who shot him? Is the injury serious?”
Temüjin concealed his inner anxiety and asked in a deep voice.
Muqali slowly shook his head: “I asked Jebe, and I asked the archers; neither of them did it.”
He paused, his tone becoming somber, “The arrow hit Zhamuha directly in the chest, and judging by the circumstances… the injury is not light.”
Temüjin clenched his fist in silence, gazing in the direction Zhamuha had disappeared, his heart a turmoil of emotions.
“Sworn brother, may the Eternal Blue Sky protect you.”
…
On the other side, Zhamuha’s ‘corpse’ lay flat on the grassland. Although he still had a breath of life, judging by his appearance, he likely wouldn’t live much longer.
The arrow was too deep, and the jarring of riding all the way had caused him to lose a lot of blood.
Meanwhile, Zha Heganbu, Da’er Wusun, and other tribal leaders stood before Li Xiao with shame etched on their faces.
Each of them hung their heads and said in low voices, “Great Khan, we… we fell into Temüjin’s ambush, we lost troops and generals, and Zhamuha and Toqto’a…”
By the end, they were all somewhat speechless, burying their heads even lower.
An army of over twenty thousand chasing a few thousand remnants of Temüjin’s forces, only to suffer a crushing defeat, was indeed too humiliating.
Li Xiao, clad in golden armor, stood before Zhamuha, his voice cold:
“I sent you to pursue Temüjin to achieve merits, not to be toyed with like prey by him.”
His sharp gaze swept over everyone, his tone growing sterner: “Zhamuha is my man, and Toqto’a also served my Northern Frontier;”
“Now that they have met such an end, how am I to explain this to their respective followers?”
After a pause, Li Xiao took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress his anger, and said in a deep voice, “Temüjin, that cunning evil wolf, dares to be so arrogant, to injure my generals and kill my allies!”
“If this hatred is not avenged, how can I, Li Xiao, have the face to rule the grasslands?”
He drew the saber at his waist, pointed towards the direction Temüjin had retreated, and declared loudly, “Issue my command: prepare the army for battle.”
“I will personally lead the army to avenge Zhamuha and Toqto’a, and the warriors of the grasslands who perished in the river valley, I will surely tear Temüjin, that evil wolf, to pieces, to comfort their souls in heaven!”
Hearing Li Xiao’s words, Zha Heganbu and the others felt both guilt and moved; they knelt on one knee and said, “We are willing to follow the Great Khan on campaign, and swear to kill Temüjin.”
Afterward, Li Xiao ordered his men to treat Zhamuha with all their might.
After everyone had left, his face immediately regained its calm, and his gaze drifted towards Burkhan Khaldun.
He murmured to himself, “Perhaps I’m overthinking it?”
“Or is the bait I cast too small?”
Then, his gaze shifted to the distant, perpetually calm Onon River, his expression becoming resolute.
Dealing with a fox-like opponent like Temüjin required extreme caution; any slight lapse could become a fatal weakness.
At this moment, Zhang Shitou, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, approached Li Xiao and reported in a low voice.
“Great Protector, our scouts have already infiltrated Temüjin’s army.”
Li Xiao nodded slightly upon hearing this: “Good.”
“With this, even if Temüjin were to flee into the deepest mountains, he would not escape.”
The Imperial Guard scouts had long since disguised themselves as grassland people and infiltrated the ranks of Zhamuha and others.
Now, captured, they had become Temüjin’s soldiers.
They would sprinkle a special spice on the path of Temüjin’s retreat.
The hunting dogs of the Northern Frontier Army would then follow the scent to track down Temüjin’s whereabouts.
This move was considered planting a hidden piece, mainly to guard against Temüjin escaping with a small group later.
Its effect in the early stage was not great, as the movement trajectory of an army of thousands of cavalry is difficult to conceal.
Immediately, Li Xiao asked in a deep voice, “Are there any reports from the scouts on the upper reaches of the Onon River?”
Zhang Shitou did not speak; he was in charge of special operations.
The liaison work for the scouts from various tribes was also handled by a dedicated person.
“Reporting to the Great Protector.”
The orderly bowed and replied, “There has been no news from the three groups sent out.”
Li Xiao’s expression sank as he said, “Dispatch two more teams of scouts.”
“As you command.”
Li Xiao had not initially noticed the problem with the Onon River. He had only become suspicious upon seeing Temüjin continuously retreating upstream along the river, so he ordered scouts to take a detour and investigate.
After all, he had done such a thing himself before.
Using the dam on the Ili River, he had destroyed thousands of royal court troops. Therefore, when facing a river during its flood season, he naturally became more vigilant.
Historically, there are many examples of using water attacks to eliminate enemy forces.
Zhu Yuanzhang built a dam on Poyang Lake to cut off water, trapping Chen Youliang’s giant ships like fish in a barrel.
The Oirats dug a dam on the upper reaches of the Onon River, causing Altan Khan’s cavalry to become trapped in the mud along with their horses…
The latter situation was exactly the same as the current one.
In the face of such a situation, what Li Xiao had to do was also very simple.
First, dispatch scouts to check if a dam had been built upstream.
Then, lead the army forward from other routes to maintain the encirclement of Temüjin, preventing him from escaping.
Although the Onon River Valley was a shortcut into Burkhan Khaldun, it was by no means the only path.
Did Temüjin want to use the water’s momentum?
Then he would first cut off the opponent’s possibility of escaping by river.
…
Within Burkhan Khaldun, a Northern Frontier scout, led by two Merkit tribe slaves, arrived near a tributary on the upper reaches of the Onon River.
Following the stream downwards, they finally found their target.
“It’s there!” a soldier reined in his war horse and pointed forward.
A dam made of mud and stones divided the river into two. The upstream had accumulated a large amount of river water, while the downstream was dry enough to see the riverbed.
“I knew it!”
“There shouldn’t be this much water in the upper reaches of the Onon River at this time; it must have been blocked by someone,” an excited Merkit herdsman said.
Because he had found this dam, the Northern Frontier Army would reward him with fifty sheep, and he would no longer be a slave.
Captain Zhang Heng, however, ignored the excitement of the two Merkit people. With a solemn expression, he looked at the dam and said in a deep voice, “The Great Protector is truly a divine strategist.”
“These prairie barbarians actually wanted to bury our army using the water’s momentum; they really had a good plan.”
If this dam were to burst, the Onon River Valley downstream would instantly turn into a swamp. No matter how sturdy the main army’s cloth armor was, it couldn’t withstand being trapped in the mud with their men and horses, making them easy prey.
He waved his hand sharply and said in a low voice, “Set up the cannons!”
Two scouts immediately unloaded two Tiger Zun Cannons from their horses; every scout team had them.
Before departing, Li Xiao had specifically instructed: “Destroy any dam you see, do not hesitate.”
After all, the ones fighting fiercely with Temüjin in the river valley were the Grasslanders. Without investigating the situation, Li Xiao would not allow the main army to enter the Onon River Valley.
Afterward, several scouts operated the cannons, loading, firing, and aiming with practiced efficiency.
“Fire!”
By the riverside, Qin Xiangrong was directing Kiyan tribe soldiers to build the dam.
He was originally an inconspicuous scholar in the Jin Dynasty, captured by Kereit cavalry two years ago and taken to the grasslands.
When Temüjin broke through the Kereit Khanate that day, he saw that Qin Xiangrong was literate and asked him about methods to defeat strong enemies.
Qin Xiangrong did not understand military strategy and, in a moment of panic, fabricated some stories about water and fire attacks that were told by marketplace storytellers. To his surprise, Temüjin listened with bright eyes.
He immediately decided to imitate Guan Yu’s water attack on the seven armies and ordered Qin Xiangrong to oversee the construction of the dam on the upper reaches of the Onon River.
With a knife to his throat, he could only agree.
Looking at the earthen dam stretching across the river valley, Qin Xiangrong’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.
He could not bear to imagine the tragic scene of the flood after the dam broke, yet he also felt a sense of absurd heroism.
In the Jin Dynasty, he was just an unknown scholar who couldn’t even pass the imperial examination. Now, he could influence the direction of a major grassland war.
He should let those who mocked him back then see.
Thinking this, a sound of hooves approached from the distance; it was Subutai, a general under Temüjin.
At this time, Subutai was just a junior under Temüjin, similar to a trusted guard commander, and had not yet truly made a name for himself.
Military campaigns were handled by Muqali, Chilawen, Hasar, and others. The less experienced Subutai was assigned to lead people in building the dam, with Qin Xiangrong providing technical support.
Seeing Subutai arrive, Qin Xiangrong immediately stepped forward, wearing a somewhat fawning smile, and asked, “General Subutai, has Great Khan Temüjin sent any orders?”
He paused and then pressed, “Can we open the sluice gates and release the water now?”
During his two years of being plundered by the Kereit tribe, he had learned some grassland languages. Although he spoke haltingly with a heavy Central Plains accent, he could communicate adequately.
Hearing this, Subutai frowned, his expression grave, and shook his head, saying, “We still have to wait.”
He had just come from downstream and had seen Temüjin.
Although the Kiyan tribe had recently achieved a great victory, they had only defeated the troops of tribes like the Jadarans and Merkits. The Northern Frontier Army had suffered no losses at all.
Therefore, Temüjin decided to continue blocking the Onon River Valley, waiting for the Northern Frontier Army to attack, and then open the sluice gates to sweep them away in one go.
After all, in his view, this was the most likely way to defeat the Northern Frontier Army.
Otherwise, he would only be able to run away like a stray dog forever. Temüjin would rather take this gamble.
However, when Qin Xiangrong heard this, his face fell, and he complained with bitterness and grievance, “General Subutai, we cannot wait any longer.”
He pointed to the rising river water, his voice filled with anxiety.
“This is the flood season, and the river water upstream is increasing. Our dam has been reinforced by more than six feet, but the river is still rising. If this continues, it will eventually collapse.”
Hearing this, Subutai’s expression remained firm, and he sternly ordered, “Then continue reinforcing it.”
His gaze was sharp as a knife, and his tone was irrefutable: “In any case, as long as the Khan has not ordered a flood release, this dam cannot be destroyed.”
Qin Xiangrong could only shrug helplessly, sighing inwardly, “Whatever Subutai says goes. Anyway, the Kiyan people are the ones doing the work; I’m just a figurehead.”
Then, he moved a couple of steps closer and lowered his voice, “General Subutai, you must speak to Great Khan Temüjin properly. I am just a worker; I cannot bear such great responsibility.”
“If the Northern Frontier people don’t fall for it, and our dam doesn’t serve its purpose, it has nothing to do with me.”
He paused and then advised, “In my opinion, we should think of an escape route as soon as possible and let the brothers feed their horses well, ready to slip away at any time.”
During Qin Xiangrong’s two years in the Kereit tribe, the most frequently heard things, besides the grievances and entanglements between the various grassland tribes, were about the Northern Frontier.
Who would have thought that in the Western Regions, thousands of miles away, a powerful military force led by Han people would rise?
They had even annihilated the Naiman Tribe, which was capable of rivaling the Kereit Tribe, striking fear into all the Grasslanders.
Ong Khan and Temüjin were both extremely wary of them.
It was like a cotton ball suddenly appearing from a ditch, catching everyone off guard.
And precisely because many in the Northern Frontier Army were Han people, Qin Xiangrong was somewhat uncertain about the water attack strategy.
After all, there were too many examples of water attacks in the wars of the Central Plains dynasties, especially the story of Guan Yu’s water attack on the seven armies, which everyone knew.
He could only show off his skills to grassland people like Temüjin, who were unfamiliar with Central Plains military strategy. As for whether he could deceive the commander of the Northern Frontier Army, Qin Xiangrong had no confidence.
Subutai also had a solemn expression. His battlefield intuition was extremely keen, and he could naturally see how dire the situation of the Kiyan tribe was.
Therefore, the dam before him had become the key to defeating the Northern Frontier Army and could not be lost.
So, he said in a firm voice, “Eternal Blue Sky will surely bless us.”
Afterward, ignoring Qin Xiangrong’s wry smile, he shouted loudly to the Kiyan tribe soldiers in the river, “Continue reinforcing the dam, put more effort into it!”
But at this moment, a huge roaring sound echoed in the distance.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom~”
Two iron shots, trailing sharp tails, tore through the air with a destructive aura, smashing fiercely into the center of the earthen dam.
“Rumble—”
Earth and stones flew, smoke and dust billowed, and the sturdy earthen dam instantly burst open with a huge gap under the impact of the iron shots.
The river water, like a beast that had been imprisoned for a long time, roared out from the gap, carrying mud and stones, and surged downstream.
“Crack—”
The cracks in the dam continuously widened, and more river water gushed out, forming a surging flood.
The originally stable dam swayed precariously under the impact of the flood and finally collapsed with a roar, creating towering waves.
Qin Xiangrong curled up on the ground, his lips trembling, and cried out in terror, “What sound is that? How could this happen?”
Subutai stood on the bank, staring dumbfounded at the earth-shattering scene, his face drained of color.
He also muttered to himself, “It’s over… the Khan’s plan… it’s all over…”
He knew that this dam was the Kiyan tribe’s last hope. Now that the dam was destroyed, everything was decided.
