The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 301 Willing to follow the Great Khan on the expedition, vowing to kill Temujin to the death.

Temujin led his remaining troops in a retreat towards the upper reaches of the Onon River.

Soon, a scout rushed over to report: "Great Khan, the Northern Frontier Army has not pursued us; only Jamukha's troops are following behind."

Temujin, mounted on his horse, frowned deeply: "What happened? The people of the northern frontier didn't fall for it? Or were they exposed?"

His gaze involuntarily drifted to the Onon River in the distance.

It was already summer, but the water level of the Onon River was about two inches lower than it usually was at this time.

This was not a natural phenomenon, but rather something that Temujin had planned long ago.

He ordered his men to block a major tributary of the Onon River upstream, which caused the water level to drop.

However, the difference of two inches is not too great, and if it were not a herder living along the Onon River all year round, they would not be able to notice it at all.

The inspiration for this plan came from a Han Chinese scholar he rescued after conquering the Kereit tribe.

The scholar had told him the story of Guan Yu flooding the seven armies during the Three Kingdoms period, which gave him a flash of inspiration, and he thought of using the Onon River to flood the northern frontier army.

But to his utter surprise, the Northern Frontier Army remained inactive, while traitors like Jamukha attacked with a force of about 20,000.

After only a moment of contemplation, Temujin solemnly ordered, "The great gift of the Onon River will be left to the people of the northern frontier."

"We will take care of Jamukha ourselves."

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. This devastating weapon, the breaching of the Onon River, was something he had prepared specifically for the Northern Frontier Army.

Using it on Jamukha would be a huge waste.

Moreover, apart from this water attack method, Temujin couldn't think of any other way to deal with the Northern Frontier Army.

That armored legion capable of flattening the grasslands, and that mysterious weapon comparable to a thunderous roar, capable of destroying everything.

It's simply beyond human capability.

He racked his brains but couldn't think of any other way to defeat such a terrifying enemy besides a water attack.

Therefore, the most powerful weapons should be reserved for the most formidable enemies.

Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? The warriors of the Qiyan tribe under my command are more than enough to deal with Jamukha.

Moreover, the Northern Frontier Army did not pursue them; only Jamukha and his men were deep in enemy territory, making it the perfect opportunity to deal with them.

"Go and inform Muqali to prepare for action," Temujin said decisively.

Upon hearing the order, a guard immediately spurred his horse and galloped off towards Burkhan Khaldun Mountain.

Temujin then led his people to continue their retreat up the Onon River.

Meanwhile, Jamukha and his followers relentlessly pursued Temujin, like a persistent, lingering disease.

Riding on his horse, Tohtoa was filled with excitement, his eyes shining, and he couldn't help but shout, "Temujin, your Eternal Heaven no longer protects you!"

"Let's see where you can run to this time."

"Hahaha~"

The Merkit and Kiyan tribes were sworn enemies for generations. Previously, he had been chased by Temujin like a stray dog, and was in a sorry state.

Now that I can finally hold my head high and turn the tables on my enemies, the joy I feel is indescribable.

In contrast, Jamukha was not as excited as expected; instead, his face was somber and his brows were slightly furrowed.

The scene of him becoming sworn brothers with Temujin when he was young involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
At that time, they were the best sworn brothers, talking about everything and even entrusting their lives to each other.

Even when Börte was stolen by Tokhtoa, it was he who stepped in to help Temujin get it back.

But when did the two of them go their separate ways?
Zhamuhe felt a pang of sadness.

It was probably after Börte was rescued that Temujin took advantage of his unpreparedness, took away a group of his followers, and killed his brother.

At that moment, Jamukha finally realized Temujin's ambition, and the two broke off their relationship completely.

He once wanted Temujin to assist him in becoming the greatest Khan on the grasslands.

But Temujin's ambition was too great, and the grasslands could not ultimately accommodate two Khans.

At this moment, seeing his former comrade in such a state, Jamukha felt a mix of emotions and a sense of gravity.

He thought to himself, "Once we capture Temujin and persuade him to surrender, perhaps Li Xiao can spare his life."

Jamukha also had his own ambitions. As someone who had once served as Gurkha, how could he be content to remain subservient to others for long?
However, the Northern Frontier Army was too powerful, so he had to lie low for the time being.

He was waiting for the right moment, waiting for the people of the northern frontier to weaken.

He then united with other tribes on the grasslands to resist the brutal rule of the northern people and reclaim his rightful place as Gurkha.

If they could have Genghis Khan's assistance, the brothers would be even more powerful together.

What needs to be done now is to defeat Temujin, gather as many of his followers as possible under our command, and accumulate strength for future plans.

Thinking this, Jamukha's eyes sharpened, he waved his hand, and led his men to continue their relentless pursuit.

Soon after, upon reaching a river valley, the mountains on both sides suddenly narrowed.

Just then, the rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out from the mountain gully on the side.

"Kill!"

"Warriors, charge forward and drive the people of the northern frontier out of the grasslands."

A burly man with a rugged face, wearing worn and rusty iron armor, led two thousand ambushers out like sharp swords.

It was Muqali's troops who had been lying in ambush here for a long time.

Upon their arrival, they cut Jamukha's army in half.

"ambush!"

Zhamuhe's pupils contracted sharply, his heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "Oh no!"

"be cheated!"

He abruptly pulled on the reins, staring at the charging cavalry, his teeth grinding: "Temujin, that fox of the grasslands, is so cunning."

Feigning defeat is a common tactic used by steppe cavalry. They first show weakness to the enemy, luring them into pursuit, and then use the familiar terrain to set up an ambush, thus defeating the pursuers in one fell swoop.

Temujin used the same tactic again, deliberately causing the ragtag army to collapse, thus luring Jamukha and his men deep into the valley.

Jamukha was not without vigilance, but he did not expect Temujin to be so ruthless and vicious, letting the more than 10,000 allied troops suffer a crushing defeat and instead gathering all his elite forces here.

That's why I was a bit careless.

When Temujin saw Muqali charging towards him, he shouted, "Warriors, reinforcements have arrived!"

"Kill with me!"

The Qiyan cavalry roared and charged back, forming a pincer movement with Muqali.

Upon seeing this, Jamukha's soldiers immediately panicked.

Although they had superior numbers, the narrow terrain of the valley limited the deployment of their cavalry.

Moreover, most of these soldiers were prisoners of war transferred from various units, a complete rabble, only good at fighting when things were going well.

After being ambushed, although they still held an absolute advantage, morale had begun to waver, the soldiers gradually began to collapse, and their formation fell into disarray.

On the other hand, Temujin's side consisted mostly of elite troops.

After conquering the Kereit tribe, he selected a group of young and strong warriors from the Kereit Khanate and surrounding tribes.

He formed an elite cavalry force of five thousand men, based on the more than one thousand Qiyan warriors who had followed him on his thousand-mile raid on the Yundu Mountains.

He personally led one part of the force, while the other part was left to Muqali to lie in ambush there.

The troops that had previously suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Northern Frontier Army were merely ragtag forces from other tribes.

Even if all the food was used up, Temujin would not feel bad at all; on the contrary, it would save food.

At this moment, facing the pincer attack from two sides by these 5,000 elite troops, Jamukha's allied forces were unable to resist and quickly collapsed.

"Take off your black clothes!"

Temujin's eyes were like torches, and with a roar that echoed through the valley, he led a troop of elite cavalry straight toward Tokhtoa.

In his heart, Tokhtoa was his number one enemy, even more hateful than Sangkun.

Upon seeing this, Tuohei Tuo'a panicked and hurriedly ordered his men to step forward and stop Temujin: "Quickly, stop him!"

He then turned his horse around, intending to escape.

But Temujin would not give him a chance. He spurred his horse and pursued relentlessly until he reached Tokhtoa's side, where there were no more guards.

With a sudden thrust of his spear, he knocked Tuohei Tuo'a off his horse.

Temujin ordered his guards to cut off Tokhtoa's head and display it on the tip of their spears as a show of force to everyone.

Seeing this, the allied forces of the Jadaran and Merkit tribes collapsed even further and scattered in all directions.

When Jamukha saw this from afar, his eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth and said hatefully.

"Damn it, Temujin has escaped again."

Is the Eternal Heaven still favoring Temujin?
Why can't we just make him obediently submit to us and assist us in resisting the rule of the Northern Frontier people?
"withdraw."

Jamukha shouted loudly.

But at that moment, an arrow suddenly shot out and struck him precisely in the chest.

"Ah~"

Jamukha screamed and fell off his horse.

"Chief~"

"Chief Jamukha!" His guards turned pale at the sight.

Seeing Muqali leading his men to attack, he disregarded Jamukha's injuries, helped him onto his horse, and fled with him.

Soon after, Temujin urged his men to quickly clean up the battlefield.

Swords, spears, halberds, saddles, baggage, and everything else that could be used were quickly packed up and carried on horseback by the personal guards.

No one could say for sure when the Northern Frontier Army would arrive, and everyone was walking hurriedly, even their breathing was rapid.

Muqali strode over, the bloodstains on his battle robe still wet: "Great Khan, what should we do with those prisoners?"

“Compile another one and hand it over to Khasar for command.”

Temujin gave the orders without looking up, his gaze still sweeping over the soldiers who were counting the supplies.

Wars on the grasslands were essentially power struggles among the upper nobility, and hatred was never directed at the lower-class herders and slaves.

The survival rules of thousands of years have been ingrained in the bones of the lower-class herders and slaves: the victor is king, the loser is subservient; whoever can give them a way to live, they will follow.

Muqali acknowledged and noted it down, then stepped forward and whispered, "Great Khan, during the melee just now, I think I saw Jamukha get hit by an arrow, and we don't know if he's alive or dead."

"what?"

Temujin turned around abruptly, his eyes widening instantly. His composure vanished in shock, and a barely perceptible worry crept onto his brow.

Although he and Jamukha had long been enemies, they always regarded each other as the best sworn brother.

He never intended to take the other's life; he only hoped that one day he could make the other bow down and submit.

But now, Jamukha is injured?
"Who shot him? How badly is he injured?"

Temujin concealed his worries and asked in a deep voice.

Mu Huali slowly shook his head: "I asked Zhebie and the archers, and it wasn't their doing."

He paused, his tone turning heavy, "The arrow struck Zhamuhe squarely in the chest, and judging from the situation... he was seriously injured."

Temujin clenched his fists in silence, gazing in the direction Jamukha had disappeared, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

"Anda, may the Eternal Heaven bless you."

……

On the other side, Jamukha's 'body' lay flat on the grass. Although he was still breathing, judging from his appearance, he probably wouldn't live much longer.

The arrow wound was too deep, and the bumpy ride on horseback caused him to lose a lot of blood.

Meanwhile, the tribal leaders, including Zhaheganbu and Dayierwusun, stood before Li Xiao with faces full of shame.

One by one, they hung their heads and said in low voices, "Great Khan, we...we fell into Temujin's ambush, suffered heavy losses, and even Jamukha and Tokhtoa..."

In the end, they were all speechless, their heads bowed even lower. It was truly humiliating that an army of over 20,000 had been able to pursue Temujin's mere few thousand remaining soldiers and suffer such a crushing defeat.

Li Xiao, clad in golden armor, stood before Jamukha and spoke in a cold voice.

"I sent you to hunt down Temujin so that you could achieve great things, not so that you could be played with like prey by him."

His sharp gaze swept over the crowd, his tone growing increasingly stern: "Zhamuhe is my man, and Tuohe Tuo'a has also contributed to my northern frontier."

"Now that they've come to this, how am I supposed to explain this to their followers?"

After a pause, Li Xiao took a deep breath, as if trying his best to suppress his anger, and said in a deep voice: "Temujin, that treacherous wolf, dares to be so arrogant, injuring my generals and killing my allies!"

"If I don't avenge this grudge, how can I, Li Xiao, have the face to rule the grasslands?"

He drew his sword from his waist, pointed it in the direction Temujin had retreated, and shouted, "Pass on my order: prepare the army for battle!"

"I, the Khan, will personally lead the army to avenge Jamukha, Tokhtoa, and the steppe warriors who perished in the valley. I will tear Temujin, that vicious wolf, to pieces to comfort their souls in heaven!"

Upon hearing Li Xiao's words, Zhahegan and the others felt both guilty and moved, and they all knelt on one knee: "We are willing to follow the Great Khan on his expedition and vow to kill Temujin to the death."

Subsequently, Li Xiao ordered his men to do everything in their power to treat Zhamuhe.

After everyone left, his face immediately returned to calm, and his deep gaze turned towards the direction of Burkhan Khaldun Mountain.

He muttered to himself, "Am I overthinking it?"

"Or was the bait we used too small?"

Then, his gaze turned to the Onon River, which remained calm in the distance, and his expression became firm.

To deal with a fox-like opponent like Genghis Khan, one must be extremely cautious, as any lapse in vigilance could become a fatal weakness.

Just then, Zhang Shitou, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, came to Li Xiao's side and reported in a low voice.

"Great Protector, our spies have already infiltrated Temujin's army."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiao nodded slightly: "Okay."

"In this way, even if Temujin hides deep in the mountains and forests, he will not be able to escape."

The Jinyiwei spies had already disguised themselves as nomads and infiltrated Jamukha and his men's ranks.

Now they have become prisoners of war and soldiers of Temujin.

They would sprinkle special spices along Temujin's retreat route.

The hunting dogs in the Northern Frontier Army could find Temujin's trail by following his scent.

This move can be seen as laying a trap, mainly to guard against the possibility of Temujin escaping with a small group of people later.

It wasn't very effective in the early stages, since the movement of a cavalry force of several thousand men was difficult to conceal.

Then, Li Xiao asked in a deep voice, "Has there been any news from the scouts on the upper reaches of the Onon River?"

Zhang Shitou didn't speak; he was in charge of special operations.

The liaison work for the scouts from each unit was also handled by designated personnel.

"Reporting to the Grand Protector."

The messenger bowed and replied, "The three groups of men sent out have yet to be heard from."

Li Xiao's expression darkened as he said, "Send two more scout teams."

"As ordered."

Li Xiao initially did not notice the problem with the Onon River. He only noticed that Temujin was retreating upstream along the Onon River, which puzzled him. So he ordered his scouts to detour and check it out.

After all, he himself had done such a thing.

Using the dikes of the Ili River, they destroyed thousands of royal troops, so they were naturally more vigilant when facing the river during the high-water season.

Historically, there are many examples of using water attacks to eliminate enemy forces.

Zhu Yuanzhang built a dike on Poyang Lake to block the water, trapping Chen Youliang's massive ships like turtles in a jar.
The Oirats dug a dam on the upper reaches of the Onon River, trapping Arughtai's cavalry and their horses in the mud...

The latter is exactly the same as the current situation.

Faced with this situation, what Li Xiao needs to do is quite simple.

First, scouts were sent out to check if any dikes had been built upstream.

Then, he led his army to advance along other routes, continuing to encircle Temujin and prevent him from escaping.

Although the Onon Valley is a shortcut to Burkhan Khaldun Mountain, it is by no means the only route.

Is Temujin trying to manipulate the water's power?

Then he would first eliminate the possibility of the other party escaping by using the river.

……

In the Burkhan Khaldun Mountains, a group of scouts from the northern frontier, led by two slaves from the local Merkit tribe, arrived near a tributary of the upper reaches of the Onon River.

Following the tributary downstream, we finally found our target.

"There!" A soldier reined in his horse and pointed ahead.

A dike made of mud and stones divided the river in two; the upstream section was filled with a large amount of water, while the downstream section was so dry that the riverbed was visible.

"I'll just say it!"

“There isn’t this much water in the upper reaches of the Onon River at this time of year; it must have been blocked by someone,” a Merkit herdsman said excitedly.

Because he found the dam, the Northern Frontier Army would reward him with fifty sheep and he would no longer have to be a slave.

Ignoring the agitation of the two Merkits, Commandant Zhang Heng looked solemnly at the dam and said in a deep voice, "The Grand Protector is truly a divine strategist."

"These barbarians from the grasslands actually wanted to use the floodwaters to bury our army. They really have a clever plan."

If this dam were to breach, the Onon Valley downstream would instantly turn into a swamp. No matter how sturdy the armor of the main army was, it would be impossible for them to withstand being trapped in the mud and at the mercy of others.

He waved his hand sharply and said in a low voice, "Set up the cannons!"

Two scouts immediately unloaded two Tiger Cannons from their horses; each scout team had one.

Before setting off, Li Xiao specifically instructed: "Destroy the dam as soon as you see it, without hesitation."

Since the people fighting Temujin in the valley were steppe people, Li Xiao would not allow the main force of his army to enter the Onon Valley without first ascertaining the situation.

Then, several scouts operated the cannon, loading powder, loading ammunition, and aiming, all in one smooth motion.

"put!"

On the riverbank, Qin Xiangrong was directing the Qiyan soldiers to build a dam.

He was originally an insignificant scholar in the Jin Dynasty, who was captured by the Kereit cavalry and taken to the grasslands two years ago.

On the day Temujin conquered the Kereit Khanate, he saw that the man was literate and asked him personally about the method to defeat the powerful enemy.

Qin Xiangrong, who knew nothing of military strategy, quickly came up with a story and made up some tales of flooding and fire attack told by street storytellers. Unexpectedly, Temujin's eyes lit up when he listened.

He immediately decided to emulate Guan Yu's flooding of the seven armies and forced him to oversee the construction of a dam on the upper reaches of the Onon River.

With a knife to his neck, he had no choice but to agree.

Looking at the earthen dam that stretched across the valley, Qin Xiangrong felt a mix of emotions.

He couldn't bear to imagine the devastation of the flood after the dikes broke, yet a sense of absurd grandeur also arose within him.

During the Jin Dynasty, he was just an unknown scholar who couldn't even pass the imperial examinations, but now he can influence the course of a major battle on the grasslands.

Those who mocked him back then should really see what he's made of.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar; it was Subutai, a general under Temujin.

At this time, Subutai was just a junior under Temujin, similar to a trusted bodyguard commander, and had not yet truly distinguished himself.

Muqali, Chilaowen, Hasar, and others were in charge of leading troops into battle, while Subutai, who lacked experience, was assigned to lead the construction of dikes, with Qin Xiangrong providing technical support.

Upon seeing Subutai arrive, Qin Xiangrong immediately stepped forward, a fawning smile on his face, and asked, "General Subutai, has Great Khan Temujin sent an order?"

He paused, then asked again, "Can we open the floodgates and release the water?"

During the two years he was abducted to the Kereit tribe, he learned some of the grassland language. Although he spoke it haltingly with a heavy Central Plains accent, he could still communicate with difficulty.

Upon hearing this, Subutai frowned, shook his head with a serious expression, and said, "We'll have to wait a little longer."

He had just come from downstream and met Temujin.

Although the Qiyan tribe had just won a great victory not long ago, the defeated troops were all from the grassland tribes of Zandalan and Merkit, while the northern frontier army suffered no losses at all.

Therefore, Temujin decided to continue blocking the Onon River Valley, waiting for the northern army to attack, and then open the sluice gates to release the water and wash it away in one fell swoop.

After all, in his view, this was the most likely way to defeat the Northern Frontier Army.

Otherwise, he would be forced to run away like a stray dog ​​forever, and Temujin was willing to take this risk.

Upon hearing this, Qin Xiangrong's face fell, and he bitterly complained, "General Subutai, we can't wait any longer."

He pointed to the rising river water, his voice filled with anxiety.

“It’s the high-water season now, and the river water upstream is getting higher and higher. Our dikes have been reinforced by more than six feet, but the river water is still rising. If this continues, it will eventually break down.”

Upon hearing this, Subutai's expression remained firm, and he shouted sternly, "Then continue to reinforce it."

His eyes were sharp as knives, and his tone left no room for doubt: "In short, the Great Khan has not ordered the flood to be released, so the dikes here must not be destroyed."

Qin Xiangrong had no choice but to shrug and sigh inwardly, "Whatever Subutai says goes. Anyway, the people doing the work are all from the Qiyan tribe. I'm just a figurehead."

Then he took two steps closer and lowered his voice, saying, "General Subutai, you must have a good talk with Great Khan Temujin. I'm just a laborer; I can't bear such a heavy responsibility."

“If the people of northern Xinjiang don’t fall for it, and our dike doesn’t work, then it’s none of my business.”

He paused, then advised, "If you ask me, we should think of an escape route as soon as possible, make sure the brothers are well fed, and be ready to slip away at any time. That's the right thing to do."

During his two years in the Kereit tribe, Qin Xiangrong heard the name "Northern Frontier" most often, in addition to the grudges and feuds among the various tribes of the grasslands.

Who could have imagined that a powerful military force led by Han Chinese would rise up in the Western Regions, thousands of miles away?

They even wiped out the Naiman tribe, which was strong enough to rival the Kereit tribe, making all the steppe people tremble with fear.

Wang Khan, Temujin, and others were extremely wary of him.

It was like a cotton ball suddenly popping out of a gutter, catching you completely off guard.

It was precisely because many of the soldiers in the Northern Frontier Army were Han Chinese that Qin Xiangrong was somewhat uncertain about the water attack.

After all, there are too many examples of water attacks in the wars of the Central Plains throughout history, especially the story of Guan Yu flooding the seven armies, who doesn't know it?

He could only show off his abilities in front of Temujin, a steppe man who was unfamiliar with the military tactics of the Central Plains. As for whether he could deceive the commander of the Northern Frontier Army, Qin Xiangrong really had no confidence.

Subutai also had a solemn expression. His battlefield intuition was extremely sharp, and he could naturally see how dire the situation was for the Qiyan tribe.

Therefore, the dike in front of them became the key to defeating the Northern Frontier Army, and it could not be lost.

Then he said in a firm voice, "The Eternal Heaven will surely protect us."

Then, ignoring Qin Xiangrong's wry smile, he shouted loudly to the Qiyan soldiers in the river, "Keep reinforcing the dike, keep it up!"

But at that moment, a huge roar rang out in the distance.

"Boom boom boom~"

Two iron bullets, trailing sharp echoes, pierced the air and, carrying an aura of destruction, slammed heavily into the center of the earthen dam.

"Boom——"

Earth and rocks flew everywhere, and dust filled the air. The sturdy earthen dam was instantly blasted open by the impact of the iron bullet, creating a huge breach.

Like a giant beast that had been imprisoned for a long time, the river roared as it surged out of the breach, carrying mud, sand and rocks as it rushed downstream.

"Click——"

The cracks in the dam continued to widen, and more river water surged out, forming a raging torrent.

The once relatively stable dike teetered on the brink of collapse under the impact of the flood, and finally crumbled with a deafening roar, unleashing towering waves.

Qin Xiangrong curled up on the ground, his lips trembling, and cried out in terror, "What was that sound? How could this happen?"

Subutai stood on the shore, staring dumbfounded at the devastating scene before him, his face drained of all color.

He muttered to himself, "It's over... the Khan's plan... it's all over..."

He knew that this dike was the last hope of the Qiyan tribe, and now that the dike had been destroyed, everything was already set in stone.

(End of this chapter)