Chapter 3 three

The first group of troops led by Shuchi and his son came to Yulongjie Chicheng first. After the fall of Huzhi City, Mieli went through untold hardships and came to Samarkand to join Prince Zalandin.Genghis Khan attacked Samarkand with tricks, and Zalandin and Mieli retreated to the old capital Yulong Jiechi.Three months ago, Mahamo Sha, the ruler of Khwarazmo, died of illness on an isolated island in the Caspian Sea. When he was dying, he passed the throne to his eldest son Zalandin.Zalandin, the Shaking's least favorite son, has now become his only sustenance.Zalandin buried his father in the bitter wind and rain. He silently vowed to defend the dignity of the country with his life.

What the Shah left to Zalandin was already a dilapidated country, but the harsher fact is that what Zalandin faced was a political union with a loose structure and separate regimes.When the country was strong, the Shah conquered many small countries around him and became the recognized lord of all countries, but he failed to use an iron hand to turn this political union into a whole with a common national consciousness. When the Mongolian army attacked Khwarazmo's door at lightning speed, the various drawbacks of the loose alliance were exposed.Zalandin came to Jade Dragon Jiechi after going through untold hardships from the isolated island in the Caspian Sea, and prepared to use the power of his grandmother to resist the invaders.Shawang's mother, Empress Tuerkan, originally sat in Yulong Jiechi, but when Jochi led troops to capture the suburbs, Queen Mother Tuerkan fled to Masandran.Zalandin didn't know about this situation. He didn't know that his grandmother had fled until he came to Yulong Jiechi.He decided to stick to Yulong Jiechi, but the judges and priests in the city tried to join forces to kill him.Fortunately, there are other forces in the city that support Zalandin. After some liquidation and suppression, the soldiers and civilians of Yulong Jiechi reluctantly accepted the leadership of Zalandin, which is considered to have recognized his status as the heir to the throne.

Zalanding knows very well that Jade Dragon Jiechi is already the last spiritual symbol of Khwarazmo. Once it falls, all that will be left is devastation and regret for the motherland. In Yulong Jiechi, a famous commercial capital, there are businessmen from all over the world who come to do business, business travelers who use Yulong Jiechi as a post station, and adventurous travelers.Before the outbreak of the war, many businessmen and travelers hurriedly left this land of right and wrong, but some people who did not believe in the outbreak of the war remained.After the war broke out, they couldn't leave even if they wanted to. Zalandin worried that there were enemy spies among them, so he forced them to a castle on the edge of the Amu Darya River, and sent soldiers to guard them strictly. Anyone get out of the castle.

The fall of Samarkand made Zalandin and Mieli lose confidence in whether they could hold on to Jade Dragon Jiechi for a long time. Zalandin and Mieli had repeatedly discussed, once they could not hold on to Yulong Jiechi, where would they retreat?Mieli suggested retreating to India. The heat in India is unbearable for the Mongols who are accustomed to the severe cold. However, Khwarazmo has a vast area and the Mongolian army is small. It is impossible to divide troops to occupy every city. Once the Mongols withdraw, They can easily regain lost ground.Zalandin agreed with his suggestion.However, Zalandin only regards India as his last retreat, because in Gejining, he believes that he can still gather forces to support him.

Jochi first sent an envoy to Yulong Jiechi to convey his oral instructions.He said: Yulong Jiechi will become part of his fief in the future, and he hopes that it will be intact and beautiful as before.He also said that he would try his best to live in harmony with Yulongjie Chi Junmin and Zalandin to build the prosperity of the city.Zalandin was unmoved.Some famous judges and clergymen in the city advocated accepting Jochi's peace proposal, but the leaders among them were arrested and thrown into prison.At the same time, Zalandin also detained two Mongolian envoys. Zalandin sent someone to invite Mieli to discuss how to deal with the Mongolian envoy and reply to Jochi. Mieli advocated ignoring it, but Zalandin was thinking of a way to make an example.

Mie Li waited intently for Zalandin to show up.He knows Zalandin's iron-blooded character very well. Compared with his father Mahamo, Zalandin has never been cowardly, but he is a bit headstrong. Anyone who agrees with him can only use his advice in vain. There was a strange smile in Zalandin's eyes, which made his serious expression come alive. He whispered something to Mie Li, and Mie Li seemed to hesitate. "Go and make arrangements." Zalandin stretched almost contentedly, "I don't think anyone dares to clamor for peace this time!" "but……" "What are you afraid of?"

"Don't be too extreme. What the king lacks most now is an army that directly obeys your orders. Although the army in the city supports you, most of the mercenaries among them are fighting for their own gains. They may fall apart under any circumstances. It must be guarded against. It is necessary to give a warning to the petitioners who advocate peace, and it is enough to punish their leaders, and the scope must be small.” Zalandin thought for a while: "What you said is also reasonable. After a while, you take the two Mongolian envoys and the petition representatives we arrested to the square. I will arrange it myself."

Mie Li retreated. Before sunset, Zalandin came to the square.In the middle of the north side of the square, there is a wool carpet with a white background, blue borders and large bright yellow grids. In front of the carpet is a long table with various exquisite snacks and fresh fruits.Zalandin sat down on the carpet, and brought the detained Mongolian envoys and arrested petition representatives with him. Zalandin's "punishment" can be described as unique. He personally selected the two main organizers of the petition and a Mongolian envoy to stand in front of him.While looking at them, he began to pour wine into the glass. His movements were very slow, and the purple-red crystal clear liquid filled the wine glass little by little, with a leisurely smile on his face.Suddenly, he slammed the flagon down on the table. Twelve burly warriors who had already prepared for slaughter stepped forward and kicked the three "lambs" to the ground, holding them down with their hands and feet; The "instrument of torture" - a pair of iron nails about ten centimeters long - was thrown on the ground, then picked up, and nailed into the ears of the "lamb" one by one.Hearing the creepy screams, Zalandin laughed out loud, as if such a "show" could help arouse his interest.

All the onlookers turned pale with fright, and the farce didn't come to an end until the sun went down.The three "lambs" were all killed, and Zalandin ordered people to drag them down and throw them out of the city, and cut off another Mongolian messenger's ear and sent it back to report.Seeing that the expected deterrent effect had been achieved, Zalandin released the rest of the imprisoned petition representatives. Of course, these people had to kneel in front of him and swear allegiance before leaving. Zalandin stood up contentedly, and walked away surrounded by guards.He didn't pay attention to the hatred flashing in the eyes of a young sheriff, and he didn't see many generals bowing their heads silently, hiding their dissatisfaction and doubts.

Jochi still refused to give up his efforts for peace.He hoped to prove his sincerity by ordering that the gardens and buildings on the outskirts of the city should be well kept.Zalandin regarded Jochi's strategy of "peace is the most important" as indecision, and ignored it even more.Mieli was different. He had fought against Shuchi, and he knew that the eldest prince of Genghis Khan was thoughtful and brave, so he didn't dare to be careless in the slightest, and insisted on patrolling the city every day to reinforce the fortifications. Soon, brothers Chagatai and Wokuotai led 30,000 horses to join Jochi.Chagatai was surprised and angry when he saw that there was no sign of fighting between the two sides.

"You actually have the heart to appreciate the beautiful outline of Yulong Jiechi here. I thought you had at least hit the Amu Darya River." The Amu Darya River crosses Yulong Jiechi and divides Yulong Jiechi into two cities. Shu Chi remained silent.Batu was very disgusted with the attitude of the second uncle, and explained with anger: "Jade Dragon Jie Chicheng has a strong defense, if it is attacked by force, it will inevitably be destroyed in the flames of war. My father wants to solve it in a peaceful way..." "Daydreaming!" Chagatai interrupted Batu impatiently, "Do you know who is the head coach of Jade Dragon Jiechi?" "I know." Batu's voice sounded calm, "Because the peaceful solution is very slim, we need to discuss the specific tactics." "Does this also need to be discussed? No matter how strong Yulongjie's city wall is, their city defenses can be destroyed first with artillery or fire throwers. The wind direction and wind force in the past two days can also help us." "No!" Jochi categorically rejected Chagatai's suggestion, but he didn't raise his voice at all. Wo Kuotai hurriedly interjected and asked, "According to brother..." "Come and see," Jochi pointed to the front, "the ditch under the city is very deep. If we don't fill it up, our army will not be able to get through it. No matter what, the ditch must be filled first." The muscles on Chagatai's face twitched, and two ironic smile lines appeared at the corners of his mouth. "Of course, the enemy will not watch us fill the ditch. They will definitely take corresponding countermeasures. We will use trebuchets to contain them, and first destroy the city defense fortifications." Batu looked at his second uncle and interjected calmly. "Using a trebuchet? Where is the stone?" "Didn't the second uncle see the mulberry forest in the east? Just now, my father was discussing with me to saw the mulberry tree into several sections, and it would not be a problem to use it as a stone." Chagatai was speechless.He was a practical man, and he knew it was a viable alternative to the use of firearms. "Okay, let's do it like this!" Wo Kuotai thought for a moment, and took the lead in agreeing. "I agree too." Seeing that Wo Kuotai and Batu were looking at him, Chagatai expressed his attitude straightforwardly. Jochi didn't turn his horse around until then.Chagatai and Wo Kuotai were startled, they found that Jochi's cheeks were sunken and his face was tired, as if he just had a serious illness. "Brother, what's the matter with you? Are you feeling unwell?" Wo Kuotai looked at Jochi and asked worriedly.Among the four brothers, Jochi's health has always been poor, but he has never seen him so haggard. Chagatai opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he didn't say it.He didn't like Jochi since he was a child, and he never wanted to hide his dislike, but at this moment, he felt a kind of pity that even he couldn't explain clearly. "I'm fine. Let's go, go to my military tent, there are still some details that need to be discussed." Shu Chi said and urged the horse to leave. Wo Kuotai hurriedly followed up with Jochi, but Chagatai intentionally fell behind.Batu guessed that the second uncle might have something to ask him, so he let go of the rein and walked side by side with the second uncle. "What's going on?" Chagatai asked without beginning or end. "For the past few days, my father's cough has been worse than usual, and I didn't sleep all night last night." Batu replied with some reluctance.He wanted to tell his second uncle Wang that he had vomited blood twice in the past few days, but he swallowed the words again.If he told the second uncle, the words would surely reach Zuhan's ears, which was exactly what the father didn't want. "Did the doctor read it?" Cha Hetai frowned imperceptibly, and his tone inadvertently revealed inner concern. "I've seen it." Batu felt a strange intimacy with his second uncle.Due to the indifferent relationship between the father and the second uncle, Batu has always been estranged from the second uncle. Only at this moment, the natural kinship finally overcomes the harshness and narrowness of the past. "Don't be careless." Chahetai gave a short instruction, and urged the horse to chase after Shuchi and Wo Kuotai, and Badu followed closely. Jade Dragon Jiechi is one of the most difficult cities encountered by the Mongolian army since its western expedition.For seven days in a row, the Mongolian army bombarded the city wall while carrying soil to fill the trench.More than a dozen gaps were opened in the city wall, but under the personal supervision of Zalandin and Mieli, many attacks by the Mongolian army were repelled.Batu, who served as the vanguard, was extremely anxious. He suggested using artillery, hoping to use the power of artillery to further destroy all the fortifications of Yulong Jiechi.Shuchi insisted on refusing to allow it, but Badu had no choice. Chagatai gradually lost his patience, and another fierce quarrel broke out between the brothers. As a result, Chagatai led the 20,000 soldiers under his command to live in separate camps.Wo Kuotai has only 10,000 people under his command, and he only feels in a dilemma about the discord between the two brothers, and he doesn't know who to help. The conflict between the commanders seriously affected the morale of the Mongolian army. Seeing the soldiers of Khwarazmo showing off their power on the opposite wall, Batu could only look at the city and sigh, unable to make any progress. The night fell quietly as usual, the few stars dotted the sky sparsely, and the rest hid in the thick clouds.On the city wall of Yulong Jiechi, there are dots of flames swimming, and it seems that the defenders are patrolling the city.Batu was upset and couldn't fall asleep, so he put on his clothes and walked out of the tent.Coincidentally, Ordo, who assisted in the siege of Batu, could not sleep either, and the two brothers met outside the tent. "Brother." Batu called out, then fell silent. "Batu, can't you sleep too? It's a boring day, I'm afraid it's going to rain." Ba didn't answer the call.In the darkness of the night, Ordo could not see the expression on Batu's face. "Shall we go for a walk together?" He stepped forward and patted Batu on the shoulder. The brothers walk side by side. "Batu, have you thought of a way to break the city? In Samarkand, Zu Khan pretended to be defeated and retreated fifteen miles outside the city to camp. Zarandin tried his best to fight, but he was ambushed by Zu Khan and his entire army was wiped out. Once, he and Mie Li would never be fooled easily. They had no choice but to stick to the city. Alas! It would be great if they could rely on the power of artillery. As for Yulong Jiechi, since he couldn’t outwit him, he had no choice but to attack. The problem is Such a fortified city, if its walls and fortifications are not destroyed first, the soldiers will force their way to the city again and again, the casualties will be too great, it is really not worth the loss. In a blink of an eye, three months have passed, and the opinions of the second uncle and the father are still unreasonable. It's really confusing to unify. I don't know if Zuhan understands our situation here?" Orduo said in one breath, these are the words that have been suppressed in his heart for a long time. Batu looked ahead, still silent.Before they knew it, the two brothers had already walked a long way. When Erdo saw the bonfire stretching and flickering on the left, he knew that they were approaching the camp of Chagatai, the second uncle.Batu's silence all the way made Urdo very uncomfortable. He was trying to get Batu to say something, but Batu suddenly "shushed" and grabbed his arm tightly. Erdo felt baffled, "What's wrong?" He asked in a low voice. "Did you see it there? It seems... let's go and have a look." Ordo looked closely, only to find that there were little lights of fire shaking in the distance, slowly moving towards them—to be precise, towards the camp of Chagatai.In the silent night, the strange sound of "creaking" can still be vaguely heard.Batu walked so fast that his footsteps landed almost inaudibly, and Ordo could barely keep up with him. Finally, the people on the other side spotted them.All fire and sound ceased, and a soldier spurred his mount towards them. "Who?" There was some vigilance in the low voice. "Batu." Batu replied calmly. A noisy hum sounded, like a wave of undulating waves, and then calmed down again.By the light of the torch, Batu saw a black horse flashing out from the team. A young man jumped off the horse, took a few steps forward, and came to Batu and Ordo. "It turned out to be the little prince! Wu Liang met the little prince!" "Wuliang Hetai? How could it be you?" Batu and Ordo were both surprised and happy, and they stepped forward to hold Wuliang Hetai's hands.Wulianghetai is the eldest son of Subotai, one of the eight famous Mongolian generals. Like his father, Wulianghetai fought with his father since he was a child and never lost. Therefore, only his father Subotai and another famous general won the battle. Jebe won the reputation of "ever victorious general".Batu respected this young man who was four years younger than himself. Although the two had little contact, they cherished each other and were extremely congenial.According to Batu's estimation, it was originally thought that Wulianghetai should be at the same speed as Butai at this time, and the second general Jebe was near the Caspian Sea, completing the conquest of the nearby city. Who would have thought that they would meet here. A cloud of suspicion slid across Wu Lianghe's face, and it disappeared in an instant. "The Great Khan sent me to assist the Fourth Prince in capturing the Khorasan region. We just captured Naisa City half a month ago, and we are currently stationing troops in Naisa City." "Where are General Subotai and Jebe? Still in the Caspian Sea?" "No. After King Sand died of illness on the isolated island in the Caspian Sea, my father and General Jebe left there, fought all the way, and successively captured many cities, including Masandran, and captured Queen Mother Turkhan alive. Now, They have been ordered by the Great Khan to pursue the remnants of the Merki tribe who fled to the Chincha Grassland." "Really?" Batu looked behind Wuliang Hetai, thoughtful. "Some time ago, the second prince sent someone to send a message, saying that he would choose dozens of cannons from the army of the fourth prince, and he wanted the best ones. The fourth prince estimated that Yulong Jiechi had not fallen in March, and it must be because we did not have enough siege power. , so I personally selected 80 Western Region artillery with improved performance and sent me to deliver them at the same time. Fortunately, the second prince has a limited time limit, and we finally arrived as scheduled." Wu Lianghetai proposed to Chagatai The request that the artillery had to be transported there at night was a bit strange, but now it was discovered that Batu didn't know anything about it, which further confirmed his suspicion.Wu Lianghetai knew he should keep his mouth shut about this, but his loyalty to his friendship prevented him from keeping it secret from Batu. Batu pondered. It seems that the second uncle has finally decided to act alone.These cannons will definitely be placed in a suitable place tonight, and tomorrow morning, tomorrow morning, we can see their power in action... Thinking of this, Batu shook Wulianghetai's hand even more tightly. "Since the second uncle is still waiting for you, you should hurry up and pay him the order. We will say goodbye after we capture Yulong Jiechi." "Okay. I'm leaving, little prince, farewell!" "Take care of yourself!" The convoy moved forward, and by the light of the torch, Batu watched Wulianghetai and his party gradually go away. "What should we do?" When the last bit of fire was swallowed by the endless darkness, Ordo asked worriedly. "What should I do?" Batu was immersed in his own mood, and did not understand the meaning of Ordo's question for a while.He looked up at the night sky and answered irrelevantly: "You are right, I am afraid it will really rain tomorrow." "Batu!" There was anxiety in Ordo's voice, and Batu laughed instead. "Are you asking us what to do? Go back to sleep, of course." "But...you don't intend to...to my father..." Urdo hesitated suddenly. "If we hadn't happened to come out today, we wouldn't have seen anything, would we?" Batu put his arms around Ordo's shoulders, "Let's go, I'm really sleepy." "You...I don't understand what you mean." "For Zalandin and Mieli, who swore to defend Yulong Jiechi to the death, they can't get back the complete Jade Dragon Jiechi without showing our army's strong combat effectiveness. Since they can't get back the complete Yulong Jiechi, why not destroy it? Cities can be rebuilt after being destroyed, but people cannot be resurrected after death. Regardless of whether the second uncle thinks so, what he does is what I want to do but can't do, so why should we deceive ourselves and others to destroy his plan?" Batu's tone seemed to be talking about a very common thing, but Urduo knew that this was by no means an ordinary thing, he hesitated, and slowly followed Batu's relaxed pace. A dazzling flash of lightning suddenly flashed across the distant sky, instantly igniting the lead-colored overlapping clouds, and also igniting the cold and gloomy battlements of Yulong Jiechi.The dull thunder can be heard faintly, like the panting of a trapped animal, or the echo of a valley.The cool wind is like silk, floating on the face, it seems to have a little moisture.The same two or three stars forced their way out from behind layers of clouds, coldly looking down at the pale and tired face of the Amu Darya.Pale and tired like my father.Ordo paused for a moment, his blurred eyes chasing the faintly discernible bonfire not far away, his heart gradually sank into the endless darkness. Batu is as agile as a mountain leopard. It's stuffy like cotton wool. For some reason, Batu's blurred back looks a little strange.Ordo rubbed his eyes in confusion.