Chapter 16 one

In Yulong Jiechi, Batu still paid attention to the war to conquer Xixia directly commanded by Zu Khan. The messengers frequently traveled to and from the fiefs of Genghis Khan and the four princes, conveying various news.The post station established by Genghis Khan continued to play an important role. It allowed the orders from the central government to be quickly transmitted to every corner of the Eurasian continent ruled by the Mongol Empire, and it could also bring together political and military movements from all directions to Genghis Khan’s camp with the highest efficiency. . Battle reports kept coming, with joys and sorrows.

In the autumn of 1225, Genghis Khan went to Xixia after offering sacrifices to the flag. When the Western Xia Dynasty first descended, its lord Li Anan promised that in the event of a war, Xixia would go out together as the left and right hand of Mongolia.However, when Mongolia was preparing to go west, the Xixia side not only refused to send troops, but also spoke rudely.At that time, for the great cause of the Western Expedition, Genghis Khan silently endured it, and only said: "When I hold the golden le to triumph, I will personally raise the army to punish the treacherous Xixia."

Genghis Khan was a man with tenacious will and strong self-esteem. He would never submit to anything, let alone break his promise.But regardless of the fatigue brought about by years of fighting and old age, the real reason for him to ride the horse west again is: in order to completely conquer the Kingdom of Jin, Xixia must first be eliminated. As early as 1216, the Jin rebel general Puxian Wannu established a state regime with a separatist nature in the land of Liaodong, which was called "Eastern Xia" to the outside world.After Xixia publicly rebelled against Mongolia, Xixia, Dongxia, and Jin formed a joint resistance against Mongolia.Using Xixia and Dongxia to attack is the prerequisite for guaranteeing all-out gold.

In the winter of 1225, Genghis Khan led an army to the Aerbu area.There was a desolate open space in front of him, the mountains were covered with forests, and wild donkeys often appeared in it.Genghis Khan loved hunting all his life. Seeing this scene, he couldn't restrain his enthusiasm and asked his soldiers to drive the wild donkey from the forest to the open space.He galloped and jumped, and the arrow hit the target, winning bursts of applause.At this time, a wild donkey crossed in front of his red rabbit horse. The red rabbit horse was frightened and suddenly raised its head and raised its hooves.Unprepared, Genghis Khan couldn't rein in the horse, and was thrown to the ground.

It was already the spring of 1226 when the Mongolian army arrived at Helan Mountain and met the Xixia army. The Xixia army laid down the battlefield along Helan Mountain in advance, intending to take advantage of the Mongolian army's long-distance attack and exhausted troops, and caught him by surprise. Facing the menacing Xixia army, Genghis Khan remained calm as usual.He ordered the army to disperse in all directions, and when the enemy approached, they greeted them with bows and arrows.For a time, countless arrows were shot by the Xixia army, and the rest retreated hastily. The Xixia Army lost the first battle, but quickly organized a second wave of strong attacks.

The Xixia army waited for work with ease, and Yuan also had the upper hand.It's a pity that his opponent is Genghis Khan, the Mongolian army, not the kind of mob who haven't fought for a long time.If the Xixia army sticks to the danger, it may be able to persist for a few more days, but their commander is too ignorant of the strength and characteristics of the Mongolian army.The Mongolian army has been battle-tested and has strict discipline. Even after traveling long distances, it can maintain strong physical strength and combat effectiveness.In the face of such a powerful enemy, it is still difficult to defend oneself, not to mention throwing oneself into a trap like the Xixia army?

The Xixia Army's second attack was even more fierce. Genghis Khan still faced each other in the previous way, and ordered the soldiers to disperse more widely, gradually forming a semi-encirclement trend towards the Xixia Army.The Xixia army couldn't resist the Mongolian army's sharp arrows and crossbows, and was defeated again. Seeing that it was not possible to control the people, the Xixia army was controlled by the people instead. They did not dare to launch a third attack and wanted to withdraw their troops.How could Genghis Khan allow them to retreat to the main camp and ordered the army to fight out from three sides.In this desperate fight, the Xixia army was killed all over the place.

In the summer of 1226, Ganzhou and Suzhou fell.In order to avoid the summer heat, the Mongolian army sent troops to Hunchui Mountain. Genghis Khan divided the army into three groups.He and Tuo Lei led the main force to continue to conquer Xixia; Chagatai led troops to Liaodong to conquer Puxian Wannu; Wo Kuotai entered the hinterland of Jin to capture Bianjing, the capital of Jin. The Mongolian army continued to advance eastward, and Tuo Lei led the troops to conquer Xiliang Mansion, and Genghis Khan moved to the city. At this time, the rest of the Mongolian army also reported success frequently.The second prince, Chagatai, successfully exterminated the "Eastern Xia".At the same time, Wo Kuotai approached Bianjing via Xi'an Prefecture, and was invincible along the way.Although Bianjing was difficult to break due to the natural danger of the Yellow River, Emperor Jin couldn't wait to negotiate peace with Mongolia.

In December 1226, Lingzhou, an important town in Xixia, fell.At the end of April 1227, the Mongolian army surrounded Xingqing, the capital of Xixia. In June, Genghis Khan went to Liupan Mountain to recuperate due to lack of physical strength. It has been more than a month since Batu received the battle report in June.The night before, he dreamed that Zu Khan was hunting in Burkhan Mountain on a red rabbit horse.Suddenly, a group of colorful auspicious birds twittered and flew towards Genghis Khan. They flew up and down around Genghis Khan, and gradually danced into a huge crane.The cranes danced lightly, and glaring rays of light began to flash from all over Genghis Khan's body.Batu looked at Zuhan with wide eyes.At this time, melodious music sounded in his ears, and for a moment, his eyes were covered by golden light, and he could not see anything. When the light disappeared bit by bit, the crane disappeared, and neither did Zu Khan. up.Batu called Zuhan loudly and woke up.He looked at the light coming out of the window, recalled the Chituma standing alone and blankly, and felt as uncomfortable as if he had been hollowed out.

Ordo was the first to get the battle report and came to Batu's sleeping tent early.Since the conquest of Khwarizm, Batu's temporary residence is still Yulongjiechi.Batu asked his elder brother to sit down, and before he got up, he told his elder brother about his dream just now.He spoke in great detail, not omitting any detail.After the speech, the two brothers looked at each other with an ominous premonition in their hearts. After a long time, Ordo forced a smile and said: "The battle report says that Zu Khan is recuperating in Liupan Mountain, maybe..." Ordo originally wanted to say that maybe Zu Khan was much better, but he was not good at concealing his nature, and there were bursts of turmoil in his heart. The panic in his heart made him swallow the words involuntarily.

Ba didn't dare to look at Ordo again, nor dare to think about it. Er Duoqiang cheered up: "You..." Batu interrupted him, "Brother, I want to visit Zuhan." "Going to Liupan Mountain?" "yes." "If you want to go, let Brother Bie Er go with you." "Berge has to stay. He has fought against Zalandin several times, and he is very familiar with Zalandin's tactics. Now, many cities that we have conquered are about to move. With him to cooperate with the eldest brother in commanding the army, the eldest brother can rest easy. Of course, I know that Zalandin will not make any major moves for the time being, but we still need to be more cautious to prevent problems before they happen." "Alright, then let Xiban go with you. He told me many times that he wanted me to find him an errand back to Mongolia, even as a messenger." "Really? His state of mind coincides with mine. Mongolia will always be our home and our roots, but here, there is always a sense of loneliness in a foreign land. I remember when my father passed away. I went back to Mongolia, and two years have passed in a flash. The only change in the two years is that Weixuan and Lan Rong are both married. I think, after I go back this time, after meeting Zuhan, I will definitely try to visit Weixuan And Lan Rong. Lan Rong said in the letter that she married Kuo Chu from the big tent of Zu Khan. There was a rebellion in Zimo, and it was too late to return, so she reneged on her promise. Lan Rong was very considerate of me, and kept getting letters, but Weixuan was not as good as Lan Rong in this regard, for more than a year, she hadn't written us a single letter." "Doesn't Wuliang Hetai receive letters from time to time? Said that Weixuan gave birth to a very beautiful daughter in her first child. He also asked you to name the child. You named the child 'Nuomin', did you forget?" "How can I forget. Actually, I'm not really complaining about Weixuan, but I just miss her a little bit. This girl likes to follow me since she was a child, and the second brother screamed, insisting on pestering me to play with her. That Time really bothers her! Now that I haven't heard her voice for more than a year, I feel that something is missing." "Yes. I know you are impatient. Since you are going to leave, let me make some preparations." "Bring the pair of amethyst sun and moon cups that the Erman Kingdom paid tribute to not long ago. Zuhan must like it." "Okay." Ordo agreed, his heart trembling slightly. Batu's eyes showed the same worry. The gift prepared for Zu Khan, can Zu Khan still use it? Batu met the messenger on the way. On July 12, 1227, the day after Batu dreamed of Zu Khan, Genghis Khan passed away in his palace in Liupan Mountain. The death of Zu Khan made Batu feel grief, and keenly sensed that the struggle for Khan's position in Mongolia would set off new waves. During his lifetime, Genghis Khan divided the areas occupied by the Mongolian army among his sons as hereditary fiefdoms: the eldest son Shuchi owned the land of the Caspian Sea and Khwarazm; Yali reached the banks of the Amu Darya in the west; the fief of the third son, Wokuotai, was in the Yemi River Basin; the fief of the fourth son, Tuo Lei, inherited the Mongolian mainland.In addition, when Genghis Khan passed away, he left the 125,000 households under his control, 101,000 households, to his youngest son, Tuo Lei, and distributed the rest to Chagatai, Wo Kuotai and his brothers.In this way, Wo Kuotai inherited the position of Khan, and Tuo Lei inherited the real power of the Mongolian Empire. According to Mongolian customary law, the succession of the Great Khan to the throne still needs to be elected by the Kuliltai Assembly. Only when it is recognized at this noble council can the succession of the Great Khan be legal.Originally, before the Mongolian army's first Western Expedition, Genghis Khan had designated Okuotai as his legal heir, but more nobles and generals secretly inclined to Tuo Lei, who inherited his father's legacy.Under such circumstances, in addition to the fact that Xixia had just surrendered, and the war against Jin was in full swing, the kings, nobles, and meritorious generals met to hold a Kuliltai meeting when the time was right, so as to finally determine the candidate for the Great Khan . Batu developed a high fever on the day he attended Zuhan's funeral.The high fever persisted for several days, and he couldn't eat anything, and lost a lot of weight.The doctor said that it was caused by running around for days and being overly sad.Mrs. Su Ru was worried, and sent Meng Ge to take Batu into her tent for careful treatment and recuperation. Batu's illness has just improved, and Yelu Chucai made a special trip to visit Batu. Batu was very clear about the purpose of this virtuous official whom Zu Khan had trusted all his life. I haven't seen him for more than two years, Yelu Chucai is still elegant and elegant, but compared to then, there are more gray hairs on the sideburns, and the tiredness and vicissitudes on his face.Batu had a teacher-student friendship with Yelu Chucai when he was a child, and he respected him very much.And Yelu Chucai has always been frank with Batu.Even though Batu later became the sole general and even inherited his father's throne, he still treated Yelu Chucai as a disciple.This time, if he hadn't been delayed by illness, he would have visited Yelu Chucai long ago. When the two met, Yelu Chucai asked Batu to retreat from the crowd.Then, he sat down and had a long talk with Batu all night in a willful and stubborn manner. In retrospect, the content of the conversation always revolved around the topic of Khan's position, which should be the most sensitive topic, but Batu had no intention of avoiding it.What's more interesting is that during the entire conversation, Yelu Chucai mostly asked questions and Batu answered them.Just like when Batu was a student of Yelu Chucai, Batu often asked questions, and Yelu Chucai answered them tirelessly. Batu clearly remembered that after saying a few polite words, Yelu Chucai asked straight to the point: The Great Khan had established the third prince Wokuotai as the heir to the Khan throne, and as a representative of the eldest son line, would he be willing to serve Wokuotai? Taiwan-based? Batu replied honestly: Zuhan had his own considerations.However, I personally think that the third uncle Wo Kuotai is indeed inferior to the fourth uncle Tuo Lei in some aspects. Yelu Chucai asked: What aspects?Please tell me bluntly, my little prince. Batu replied: Let me say three o'clock.One is that the courage is not as good; the other is that the military command ability is not as good; the third is that the self-control is not as good.My fourth uncle has been with Zu Khan since he was a child, received the most education, and also inherited Zu Khan's extraordinary wisdom and courage.He not only established his lofty prestige in World War I, but also had strict restraint on wine and sex.In these respects, my third uncle is worse. Yelu Chucai asked: Then, what advantages do you think your third uncle has? Batu replied: The third uncle is tolerant, prudent, fair and modest, and is good at handling conflicts between brothers and nephews. At the same time, he does not lack loyalty to Zuhan's cause and a sharp and sober mind. Yelu Chucai asked: What do you think is more important to rule such a huge country than outstanding military accomplishment or flexible political mind? Batu replied: Both are necessary.Didn't the teacher often say that you can conquer the world immediately, but you cannot rule the world immediately.In today's Mongolian Empire, Vientiane is renewed, and conquest and governance coexist. It needs a leader who is both a military strategist and a statesman, like Zu Khan. Yelu Chucai asked: If you were asked to recommend, who would you prefer? Batu replied: My fourth uncle Tuo Lei.This is for the long term.Fourth Uncle's personal ability is one aspect, but more importantly, Fourth Uncle has several outstanding sons who are the future of Mongolia. Yelu Chucai was silent for a moment, and then asked: Once the Kuliletai Assembly followed Genghis Khan's wishes and formally established the third prince of Okutai as the heir, would you still stick to your point of view? Batu replied: Yes. Yelu Chucai asked: With your influence, don't you worry that this move may cause even greater disputes over Khan's position? Batu replied: Is it possible for an individual to control the direction of the people?Although I prefer my fourth uncle to succeed Khan, I will abide by the covenant and wholeheartedly maintain the unity of Mongolia. Yelu Chucai asked: What would you do if the fourth prince had nothing to do with Khan's position? Batu replied: Respect the wish of the fourth uncle, and try my best to assist the new Khan. At dawn, Yelu Chucai left with trust and anxiety.Batu rode his horse all the way to send Yelu Chucai out of the camp. He knew that before his third uncle ascended the Khan throne, this virtuous official who was loyal to Mongolia and his third uncle would never give up any effort. Batu did not mention Yelu Chucai's visit to his fourth uncle.Soon, taking advantage of the opportunity of being alone with his uncle and nephew, Batu asked bluntly about his fourth uncle's opinion on his third uncle's succession to Khan.Tuo Lei made it clear that he had made an oath in front of his father Khan to assist the third brother with all his strength, and he would never break his promise.What's more, he knew very well in his heart that no matter he or Wo Kuotai, he had a group of loyal supporters around him. If brothers killed each other in order to fight for the throne of Khan, it would only speed up the disintegration of the Mongolian Empire and make the Khan who worked so hard to build Career ruined. Batu finally understood his fourth uncle's indifference to power and his good intentions to put the interests of the Mongol Empire first. He decided to stay temporarily and assist his fourth uncle in recovering the cities of Pingyang and Taiyuan in Shanxi that had been reoccupied by the Kingdom of Jin, and cleared the periphery of the Kingdom of Jin. of resistance. Batu, Meng Ge and Wu Liang Hetai cooperated again.At this time, a Mongolian army of 8,000 men who attacked Dachangyuan in Gansu Province was defeated by Monk Wanyan Chen led by the Zhongxiao Army with 400 cavalry, and Dachangyuan fell into the hands of Monk Chen.The First Battle of Dachangyuan was the first major victory that the Jin Kingdom did not have in the nearly 20 years of the Mongolian-Golden War. When the good news came, the Manchu Dynasty was invigorated, and the morale of the Jin army was greatly boosted.Tuo Lei was extremely furious when he heard the news, and ordered Batu, Meng Ge, and Wu Liang to join forces and immediately march into Gansu to retake Dachangyuan.Batu, who served as the vanguard, carefully studied the enemy's situation, and sent a fast horse to ask the fourth uncle to take back his order, temporarily avoiding his front, and still attacking Pingyang and Taiyuan cities according to the original plan.At the same time, the envoy sent by Meng Ge also presented his father with the same analysis of the enemy's situation.After overall consideration, Tuo Lei's usual calm prevailed, and it was decided that Batu, Meng Ge, and Wu Liang would lead the left wing together, and Kuo Duan and Kuo Chue brothers would lead the right wing, and jointly attack the cities of Pingyang and Taiyuan. A month later, the left and right wings met in Taiyuan as scheduled. Batu and Lan Rong had a rare chance to get together for several days. Not long after Lan Rong and Kuochu got married, Kuochu was ordered to go to Jindi and retake Yanmenguan, which was occupied by the Jin army.The newlywed Yaner Kuo was reluctant to part with Lan Rong, so he brought her to the front line.The Mongolian army was unable to attack Yanmen Pass several times, and it was hard to think of any countermeasures. Lan Rong offered an authentic plan: take advantage of the cover of the night, the whole army worked together, dug a tunnel and approached the city overnight, and then blasted open the city gate with strong gunpowder.According to the plan, when the city gate was broken, the army was led to attack by force, and the first battle was successful.But Jin Shoujun still relied on some fortresses in the pass to resist tenaciously. Lan Rong worried that the Mongolian army would suffer heavy casualties, so he hurriedly sent people to gather the women and old people in the city.This move really worked, and in the early morning of the next day, all the defenders surrendered.Kuo Chu accepted Lan Rong's advice and lived in harmony with the surrendered Jin army. Yanmen Pass quickly restored stability and order, and became an iron wall of the Mongolian army. The battle of Yanmen Pass gave Kuo Chu a better understanding of Lan Rong's talent.Genghis Khan died of illness in Liupan Mountain. Facing the Jin army who was still planning to recapture Yanmen Pass, Kuo returned to Mongolia before the funeral, and handed over the seal of commander to Lan Rong, and she was in charge of Yanmen Pass.However, it was this decision that brought Kuo so much regret.Due to uninterrupted tension and fatigue, Lan Rong suddenly had a miscarriage without much warning. Moreover, due to the continuous bleeding, Lan Rong fell into a coma, and the army doctor was helpless.At this critical juncture of life and death, fortunately a goddess doctor who was living in Yanmen Pass rescued Lan Rong, who saved Lan Rong's life.When Lan Rong recovered a little, the goddess doctor told Lan Rong with regret that her uterus was infected and she would never be able to conceive again. For a Mongolian woman, this blow was almost fatal, but Lan Rong kept silent with extraordinary courage.She couldn't forget that day, Kuo Chuu hurried back from the main camp in Mongolia, picked her up from the hospital bed, and only said one sentence repeatedly: Don't leave me, don't leave me... She saw the fragility, panic, and worry in Kuo Chuu's eyes And helplessness, that innocent attachment like a child, made her stand up and bear this suffering together with this man.Yes, she had faced death several times, and now she could no longer disappoint Kuo Chou, the man who loved her more than his own life. Reunited after a long absence, Batu couldn't help hugging Lanrong with the etiquette of an elder brother.There were crystal tears in Lan Rong's eyes, but they were replaced by a calm smile in an instant.Babu stared at her worriedly, Lan Rong, who had just recovered from a serious illness, was still a little pale. Lan Rong asked Batu to sit down.A little boy of three or four years old was playing around Lan Rong, even if Batu was present, the child was not timid.It can be seen that Lan Rong loves this child very much. The child's name is Shi Lie Men, the eldest son of Kuo Chu, and the beloved grandson of Wo Kuo Tai.The child's mother is Kuo Chu's eldest wife.There is no love at all in Kuo Chu's marriage this time, it is just for political purposes.Fortunately, Kuo is loyal and kind by nature. Although he doesn't love the child's mother, he gives her enough respect.After learning that Lan Rong had a miscarriage and could not conceive again, Wo Kuotai out of pity, decided to give the lost family to Lan Rong for upbringing.The mother of Shi Liemen did not raise any objections. One is that she already has a second son; the other is that she knows that in the eyes of her father-in-law and husband, her status will never be compared with that of Lan Rong. She is a smart woman. I would rather choose to live in harmony with Lan Rong. Childlike innocence is like a good medicine, ever since Shi Liemen came to her side, Lan Rong's gaze has an indescribable gentleness and tranquility.Seeing this situation, Ba could not help thinking of the proverb widely circulated on the grassland: What makes a woman beautiful?It is maternal love; what makes a woman strong?Still maternal love.