Chapter 96: Temüjin
Just as Li Xiao finally ate the fragrant glutinous rice, a different scene unfolded on the grasslands a thousand miles to the east.
The Selengge River water still flowed, but it was now stained red with blood.
The river surface was littered with broken weapons, severed limbs, and the corpses of some Grasslanders, emitting a nauseating bloody smell.
The grassland by the river was trampled into disarray, charred tent remnants emitted wisps of smoke, and the air was filled with the mingled scents of fire and blood.
On a nearby hill, a tall middle-aged man surveyed the brutal battlefield with a stern gaze.
His facial features were well-defined, tanned dark by the sun, and etched with the deep marks of time and war.
He wore heavy black leather armor, its rivets flashing coldly in the sunlight, each one seeming to tell of his formidable military achievements.
A white wolfskin cloak draped his shoulders, rustling fiercely in the wind, displaying his bravery and fearlessness.
He rode a black warhorse, standing steadily atop the hill like an unshakeable peak.
His left hand held the reins, while his right lightly caressed the hilt at his waist.
That saber had drunk the enemy’s blood in this great battle, and now lay quietly in its scabbard, yet still emanated a chilling killing intent.
And this man’s name was Temüjin.
“Report~”
Just then, a cavalryman galloped quickly up the hill and shouted loudly.
“Chieftain Temüjin.”
“General Borchu has captured Toqto’a’s family, but unfortunately, Toqto’a escaped.”
Upon hearing this, disappointment flashed in Temüjin’s eyes, and he let out a soft sigh.
His low voice said, “That cunning rabbit still managed to get away.”
Standing beside him was another man with a similarly rugged face and a full beard, a Grasslander.
His name was Jelme, and he shared a life-and-death friendship with Temüjin; when Temüjin was pursued by the Merkit tribe, Jelme personally stayed behind to cover Temüjin’s retreat.
“Toqto’a is indeed a cunning rabbit, but now he’s a cornered dog.”
“He can’t escape.”
“Chieftain Temüjin, let me take men to continue the pursuit.”
“I will definitely deliver Toqto’a’s head to your presence.”
Jelme placed his right hand on his chest, his ferocious gaze filled with killing intent as he spoke.
Toqto’a was the leader of the Udut tribe within the three Merkit tribes, and in later generations, he would be known as the most formidable debater on the Mongolian grasslands.
This was because he had been an enemy of Temüjin’s father, Yesugei, for his entire early life.
In his later life, he relentlessly tried to kill Temüjin.
His lifelong mission was to argue with Temüjin and his father.
This was because, initially, Temüjin’s mother was supposed to marry Toqto’a’s younger brother, but she was snatched by Temüjin’s father, and Temüjin was born afterward.
Furthermore, Temüjin’s wife was also captured by the Merkits and given to another of Toqto’a’s brothers by Toqto’a.
Such hatred for wife-snatching was irreconcilable for both sides.
In the beginning, Temüjin was still very weak and could do nothing to the Merkit tribe, and was severely pursued by Toqto’a.
This name almost became a shadow of Temüjin’s youth.
Later, he allied with Ong Khan of the Kereit tribe, and through repeated battles, he continuously weakened the Merkit tribe’s strength.
In the battle that just concluded, the Merkit tribe was finally completely annihilated, but unfortunately, Toqto’a managed to escape.
However, he did not stop Jelme’s request to pursue and nodded lightly, saying, “Go, my anda.”
“Let Toqto’a also know the might of us Mongols; as long as he lives, the fire of revenge will never be extinguished.”
“As you command!”
Jelme responded loudly, then mounted his warhorse and led his men to rendezvous with Borghul, continuing the pursuit of Toqto’a.
Temüjin, meanwhile, turned his head, his deep eyes beneath his thick brows, like stars in a cold night, now coldly gazed down at the defeated Merkits below the mountain.
They were dejected, their eyes filled with fear and despair.
Some were ragged and wounded, blood seeping through their simple clothing; others had their hands bound tightly with rope, kneeling on the ground with difficulty, their bodies trembling slightly as they fearfully begged for mercy.
Facing this tragedy, Temüjin’s eyes held no trace of pity, only the dignity and ruthlessness of a victor.
His cold voice said, “All male members of Toqto’a’s family who are taller than a wagon wheel shall be beheaded.”
He could not show leniency to the family of his sworn enemy.
“As you command.”
The soldier nodded heavily, turned, and left.
Temüjin continued to stand on the mountaintop, overlooking the land, the mountain wind whistling past, blowing his hair and cloak.
Looking at the ravaged battlefield and the captured enemies before him, Temüjin felt an indescribable sense of accomplishment.
This was the feeling of victory, the charm of power.
He, Temüjin of the Borjigin clan, would make everyone prostrate themselves at his feet.
He would become the Khan of Khans.
At this moment, Temüjin’s gaze was firm, his heart roaring with passion.
However, his grand ambitions were soon dampened as if a basin of cold water had been thrown on them, extinguishing more than half of it.
“Chieftain Temüjin, Lord Wanghan requests your presence; he has important matters to discuss.”
Hearing this, Temüjin’s heart immediately became alert.
His wings were not yet fully grown, and his strength was far from enough to satisfy his ambitions, so he could not get carried away for the time being.
He had to bide his time.
He nodded gently and said, “I will be there immediately.”
Wanghan, leader of the Kereit tribe.
His real name was Tolui, and “Wanghan” was not his khan title, but an official position bestowed upon him by the Jin Dynasty.
He was not a khan who had undergone a formal enthronement ceremony and received widespread recognition like Sun Khan.
Because, in essence, he was an official of the Jin Dynasty.
Temüjin was the same.
Two years ago, when the Jin Dynasty attacked the Tatar tribe, Temüjin immediately responded to the Jin people’s call, and after the battle, he was appointed “Jaghut Khurli” by the Jin.
This was roughly equivalent to the position of vanguard commander.
However, this official title was of great significance to Temüjin, as it signified his official recognition by the Jin Dynasty.
This further enhanced his influence on the grasslands.
From this point on, the possibility of a rift with Wanghan slowly began to emerge.
But for now, Temüjin had to lie low.
Thus, he and his men quickly arrived at the Kereit tribe’s camp, dozens of miles away.
“Greetings, Lord Wanghan.”
Upon entering Wanghan’s large tent, Temüjin immediately placed his hand on his chest and bowed.
Wanghan appeared to be in his fifties, with a robust build and a dignified face. He wore a wolfskin coat and sat imposingly on a folding stool, holding two beauties in his arms.
Seeing Temüjin arrive, Wanghan laughed and nodded, waving his hand and saying, “Temüjin, there are no outsiders in this tent, so don’t call me ‘Lord’.”
Temüjin straightened up, a gentle smile appearing on his face, and nodded, saying, “Temüjin greets you, Godfather.”
Hearing this appellation, Wanghan nodded with satisfaction.
He was not a legitimate son, nor did he inherit the leadership of the Kereit tribe in succession; a fierce struggle had been involved.
As a result, Wanghan, after becoming the leader of the Kereit tribe, was not widely popular.
Not only did his brother rebel against him, but his uncle also raised an army in revolt. The situation in those years was extremely precarious, but fortunately, he received the help of Temüjin’s father, Yesugei, to stabilize the situation.
Afterward, he became sworn brothers with Yesugei.
And after Yesugei’s death, he recognized Temüjin as his godson and helped the then-weak Temüjin defeat his enemies on several occasions.
It was under his protection that Temüjin grew to his current position.
Therefore, their relationship could definitely be described as “father and son.”
“Temüjin, you’ve arrived at a good time. What do you think of these two beauties?”
“They are both top-tier selections from the Merkit tribe.”
Wanghan pushed one of the women forward to entertain Temüjin.
Temüjin did not refuse such matters, smiling as he embraced the woman and commented.
“Although these two Merkit women are beautiful, they are ultimately just women of ordinary status.”
“My subordinates have just captured Toqto’a’s two daughters, and I was planning to present them to you, Godfather.”
“Isn’t the greatest joy for us men to slay our enemies and take their wives and daughters to rejoice?”
Hearing Temüjin’s words, Wanghan burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, good.”
“Temüjin, you truly are becoming more and more like your father.”
Temüjin’s actions pleased him, as he also held a grudge against the Merkit people.
Because his mother’s background was not high, Wanghan had a miserable childhood and was even captured by the Merkits and became a slave.
That was a dark past he did not wish to mention.
Therefore, he was now sparing no effort to eliminate the Merkit people.
It was a pity that Toqto’a’s wife was too old, otherwise, Wanghan would not have let her go.
“My Godfather’s praise is too much; I am still far inferior to my father,” Temüjin said with a humble smile.
Then, as if recalling something, he said, “Although the Udut Merkit tribe has been defeated by us, their leader Toqto’a has escaped.”
“I have already ordered men to pursue him.”
“Furthermore, in this battle, the Kereit soldiers contributed the most and deserve the greatest reward.”
“I am willing to hand over all the captives and women of the Udut Merkit tribe to you, Godfather, for your disposal.”
Temüjin was well aware of the importance of population. He certainly coveted these defeated Merkit people.
But he had no choice; to avoid arousing Wanghan’s suspicion, he had to appear obedient and unambitious.
However, Temüjin was secretly recruiting personnel from various tribes on the grasslands to expand his strength.
“Oh? Temüjin, you are truly as generous as your father.”
Wanghan was very satisfied with Temüjin’s proactive offering of captives.
He became even more convinced that Temüjin had no ambitions and could be a useful subordinate for his unification of the grasslands.
“Your Kiyan tribe does not have many people. If you absorb so many Merkit people, there will surely be trouble.”
“Leave these people to me, the Kereit tribe, to manage,” Wanghan said without reservation.
Temüjin immediately nodded respectfully, appearing completely submissive to Wanghan’s decision.
“Furthermore, there is no need to chase Toqto’a anymore.”
Wanghan then said, “Gather your Kiyan tribe’s forces and accompany me to conquer the Naiman tribe.”
“What?”
Hearing Wanghan’s words, Temüjin froze in surprise, looking at Wanghan with astonishment.
“This, are we going to war with the Naiman tribe?”
The Naiman tribe was one of the largest tribes on the grasslands, with strength comparable to the Kereit tribe.
Once war broke out between the two great tribes, the consequences would be unpredictable.
“Godfather, has something happened?” Temüjin keenly sensed that there must be some hidden reason here.
Temüjin was aware of some of the enmity between Wanghan and the Naiman tribe.
However, Wanghan had endured it for so many years, and now he was suddenly preparing to attack the Naiman tribe.
Without any special circumstances, Wanghan would not be so reckless.
“You’ve guessed correctly, Temüjin.”
“The Naiman tribe has run into trouble.”
“They went to war with the Liao State and were defeated by the Liao army, losing many men.”
“Baibuhua and Tuoteboluo, those two fools, are being chased by the Liao people and are causing chaos all over the grasslands.”
As he spoke, a bright smile appeared on Wanghan’s face.
The smile grew increasingly arrogant, eventually turning into a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha~”
“Temüjin, my godson.”
“I have waited too long for this day; it is time for revenge.”
Wanghan clasped his hands tightly, laughing triumphantly.
He would not forget how the Naiman tribe had bullied him when he had just become leader.
Now, it was time to retaliate.
Having already defeated the Merkit people, the next step was to strike the Naiman while they were down.
Temüjin’s expression changed drastically upon hearing this.
His eyes widened, and he exclaimed in disbelief, “The Naiman tribe was defeated by the Liao people?”
“This, this~”
“It’s truly shocking.”
“It’s too shocking.”
