The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 302 Capturing Temujin Alive

Downstream, Temujin's army was stationed in the Onon River Valley.

The terrain here is treacherous, with steep mountains on both sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Other roads are rugged and difficult to travel, so the most convenient way is to go upstream along the Onon River.

Temujin sat comfortably in his tent, waiting for the Northern Frontier army to step into the trap he had carefully laid.

"How about it?"

"What's going on with the people in northern Xinjiang?"

Seeing the scouts return travel-worn, Temujin immediately stood up and asked, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"Great Khan, the people from the northern frontier have not pursued us from downstream," the scout reported, kneeling on one knee.

"No?"

Temujin frowned, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

Two days had passed since he defeated Jamukha's coalition forces, and he had been occupying advantageous terrain in the valley, ready for battle.

He had expected the Northern Frontier Army to retaliate soon, but there was no movement for a long time, which puzzled him.

"Could it be that the Northern Frontier Army has discovered us?" Temujin's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely felt that something was wrong.

Just then, a scout from the other side rushed in in a panic: "Great Khan, the northern barbarians have attacked up the mountain road from Bruji!"

"what?"

Temujin suddenly stood up, his face full of shock.

That mountain road is difficult to travel, far less smooth than the Onon River Valley. Why would the Northern Frontier Army choose to attack from there?
"not good."

He instantly realized that the Northern Frontier Army must have discovered his plan.

Temujin's face was contorted with rage. He was furious that his plan had been exposed, and he also felt that his intelligence had been completely outmatched by Li Xiao.

"Pass on the order!"

He was about to order a change in deployment when his expression suddenly shifted slightly.

A low rumbling sound seemed to reach my ears, like distant, muffled thunder.

"what sound?"

Before the words were even finished, soldiers in the distance cried out in terror, "Water! The water's here!"

Temujin rushed out of the tent and looked in the direction the soldier was pointing.

In the distance, at the end of the valley, a turbid wall of water rushed towards them like a wild horse.

Wherever it went, trees were uprooted and rocks were swept up and rolled.

"The dam has burst?"

"Damn, how could this happen?"

Temujin's pupils shrank sharply, his face drained of color, and he roared in fury.

He ordered Subutai to build a dam upstream, which would only be breached after the Northern Frontier Army advanced along the valley.

But now, he hasn't given the order to breach the dikes, so why is the flood coming?

What's worse is that the Northern Frontier Army didn't come, but many of their own troops were stationed in the valley.

"Help! Pfft~"

"Grab me!"

"Eternal Heaven, I don't want to die!"

The soldiers at the bottom of the valley were scattered by the sudden flood, their shrill screams and desperate cries echoing through the water.

"Get up the mountain! Everyone, run up the mountain!"

Temujin's eyes widened in horror as he screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice hoarse from extreme terror.

Without his command, everyone knew to run to higher ground, but the flood came too suddenly, like a giant beast falling from the sky, and instantly swept up the bottom of the valley.

Countless people were overturned by the sudden waves, screaming as they were swept into the turbid torrent, and disappeared after a few struggles.

Even the soldiers standing on the edge of the valley found their path muddy and difficult to traverse as the floodwaters quickly swept across the riverbanks.

The warhorse's hooves sank into the soft, wet mud, and it couldn't pull them out no matter what it tried.

The entire valley was instantly turned into a swamp, with people and horses howling in despair.

Temujin rode his horse and charged up the mountain under the protection of his guards.

Looking at the shocking scene before me, I was filled with fear and helplessness.

His meticulously planned water attack ended up becoming a flood that drowned him.

"Aaaaaah~" Temujin roared madly at the sky, his eyes bloodshot.

"Eternal Heaven!"

"Why did you do this to me? I'm not reconciled!"

Along the Buluji Mountain Road, the northern Xinjiang army is slowly advancing.

The terrain here is undulating, far from the open and flat grassland, and the gravel underfoot occasionally makes the horseshoes clatter.

Fortunately, there were no tall trees to block the view, and the roadside was mostly covered with low grass that was above ankle height.

At this moment, Wei Xuan was leading his own 10,000-household commanders as the vanguard of the army, forming a pincer movement with another force led by Da Hu, steadily encircling Temujin's direction.

Just then, a scout galloped up from the front, his voice filled with excitement: "Commander, the Onon River has suddenly swelled, creating a flood that has submerged Temujin's troops!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Xuan was taken aback at first, then a hint of surprise flashed across his face.

He reined in his horse, gazing towards the distant valley, and sighed inwardly, "The Grand Protector's concerns are indeed beyond our comprehension."

Just when the generals in the Northern Frontier Army were harboring ambitions of making a name for themselves and considered Temujin nothing more than a stray dog.

Li Xiao, however, keenly sensed something was amiss and ordered his men to detour upstream to investigate.

As expected, Temujin did intend to flood the northern frontier army, but fortunately, he only brought it upon himself.

This incident also served as a wake-up call for Wei Xuan, reminding him to be more cautious when facing terrain such as rivers and canyons in the future.

He composed himself and then ordered in a deep voice: "Order all commanders to speed up their advance towards the valley and surround Temujin. We must not let him escape."

"As ordered."

Meanwhile, Da Hu also received a report from the scouts.

He immediately perked up and slapped his thigh: "Good! That old bastard's got what's coming to him!"

After saying that, he shouted to his soldiers, "Brothers, give it your all!"

"Temujin is just ahead. If we capture him, we'll have accomplished another great feat."

"We can't let the 180,000 households get there first."

Soon after, Wei Xuan and Da Hu arrived at the valley, which was already raging with floodwaters.

Many people and horses were swept downstream by the flood, and some people were still stuck in the mud on the riverbank. There were also many grassland cavalrymen around who were still in shock.

However, Temujin was nowhere to be found; this was only learned after questioning the prisoners.

When Temujin saw the northern army approaching, he abandoned the rescue of the soldiers in the valley and fled upstream with some men.

"Chase him! We must not let him get away."

Just as they followed the hoofprints and bloodstains on the ground to a mountain pass, a dense sound of bowstrings vibrating suddenly came from the mountain ridges on both sides.

The Qiyan tribe's army laid an ambush here.

Hundreds of Qiyan people occupied the steep slope, raining arrows down on the Northern Frontier Army.

Although the cloth armor of the Northern Frontier Army could withstand most stray arrows, their warhorses, lacking armor protection, neighed and fell to the ground.

There were also sharpshooters like Jebe, whose arrows could always accurately aim at the gaps in people's faces, and soldiers would often scream in pain from being hit by arrows.

Faced with this sudden attack, Da Hu sneered, "A bunch of clowns."

He then roared, "Kill!"

He even personally led the charge.

The reason why the Northern Frontier Army was so powerful was not only because its equipment far surpassed that of other military branches of the time, but also because most of its soldiers were fearless and undaunted.

The Protectorate General would provide substantial compensation to the families of soldiers who died in battle.

But anyone who hesitates to fight will face severe military punishment, and their family will be subjected to the scorn and ridicule of their neighbors.

As for retreating in the face of battle, the consequences are even more severe; beheading is the only punishment, and the family members will be demoted to slavery.

Moreover, the generals of the Northern Frontier Army have always led the charge.

Military law stipulates that soldiers who survive the death of their commanders are held jointly liable, thus forcing everyone to share the same fate.

Over time, this fostered a fighting spirit of unity and determination, with everyone striving forward.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Da Hu had led his men to break through the mountain and killed most of the remaining Qiyan soldiers.

Muqali and Jebe led the remaining men over the mountain ridge and continued their escape.

"Kill! Don't let a single one escape!" Wei Xuan, also covered in blood, shouted fiercely.

The two armies of ten thousand households immediately split into two groups to pursue, like two iron pincers tightly clamping down on the remnants of the Qiyan tribe.

When a warhorse runs, it cannot run in a straight line; it will always unconsciously veer slightly to the left or right.

Each shift in direction brought them a little closer to the pursuers on both sides.

Therefore, when pursuing the enemy, a pincer movement is the optimal tactic.

As the distance closed, the Northern Frontier Army soldiers at the front drew their bows and nocked arrows, which pierced the air as the Qiyan soldiers screamed and fell from their horses.

"Fire arrows to retaliate!" Mu Huali roared, giving the order.

Feigning defeat was one of their specialties; they would use arrows to snipe at pursuing enemies.

However, it proved completely ineffective against the Northern Frontier Army.

This was simply because the Northern Frontier Army's bows and arrows had a longer range, sharper arrows, and stronger armor.

The Qiyan people's arrows either missed or, even if they hit, were difficult to penetrate their armor.

However, any arrows from the Northern Frontier Army that touched a person would either kill or wound them.

Jebe turned and fired an arrow, which pierced the neck of a warhorse with precision, and the rider fell to the ground.

He fired another arrow, his face full of resentment: "Damn it, these northerners are so troublesome, we can't kill them at all."

He was the best archer on the grasslands, yet he could only harm the Northern Frontier Army by shooting their warhorses.

Not to mention the other ordinary soldiers, who were complete sitting ducks for the Northern Frontier Army.

As the northern army drew ever closer, more and more of their own soldiers fell from their horses.

Mu Huali's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "The Nalatu Mountain is just ahead. Let's head south."

As the remnants of the army fled south, Da Hu and Wei Xuan, who had caught up with them, discovered that all the hunting dogs accompanying the army were barking wildly to the north.

“Temujin is in the north.” Wei Xuan’s eyes sharpened.

The spies of the Northern Frontier Army had already infiltrated Temujin's army under the guise of defeated soldiers from the grasslands, secretly sprinkling special spices for the hunting dogs to track.

Even though the Qiyan people had deliberately cleaned up the traces and there were no fresh hoof prints on the ground, they couldn't hide it from the noses of the hunting dogs.

"Hmph, trying to deceive everyone and secretly carry out your plan?"

Big Tiger spat: "A mere trifle."

The two immediately ordered one of their commanders to continue pursuing Muqali's remaining forces, while they themselves led the main force northward, chasing after Temujin.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves kicked up clouds of dust, as if they were about to crush the entire grassland.

"Ouch——"

The moonlight, as white as frost, bathed the depths of Mount Burkhan.

From the surrounding mountains and forests, the howls of wolves rose and fell in succession, sometimes shrill and sometimes low, adding to the eeriness and grim atmosphere.

Temujin knelt on the cold grass, his mud-covered hands gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, gazing at the bright moon in the sky.

His voice was hoarse, yet filled with an almost humble devotion as he spoke: "The omnipotent Eternal Heaven."

"You have witnessed my ambition to unify the grasslands and protected me as I crossed countless dangerous shoals."

"Today, I, Temujin, kneel before you. This is not submission, but a lost child's plea to his father."

His robes were soaked through by the flood, and his exposed skin was covered with wounds and bruises. The former sharpness of the eagle of the grasslands had been replaced by exhaustion and dishevelment.

"Please grant me the strength to break free from this predicament!"

"Even if I only have a sliver of a chance to catch my breath, I will let those who look down on the grasslands know that even if an eagle has broken its wings, it can still carve out a bloody path in the face of adversity." The howls of wolves echoed in his ears, as if mocking his destitution, or urging him toward his end.

Yet he remained in a prostration posture, even though he received no response from the Eternal Heaven.

In the end, Temujin's radiance gradually faded.

He was once only one step away from the throne of the King of the Northern Desert, but unfortunately the people of the Northern Frontier came and turned all his ambitions into nothing.

No matter what schemes or methods he used, they all seemed to become a joke under the terrifying strength of the Northern Frontier.

Now, he only has a thousand men left by his side, but most of them are no longer the warriors who followed him to attack Zhezheyundu Mountain.

Even generals like Muqali and Jebe were no longer by his side.

To help him escape, he led the people from northern Xinjiang in another direction.

"Father, have something to eat."

Tolui came over with a piece of dried meat and a water sac, and said softly.

Upon hearing this, Temujin turned his head and looked at Chagatai and Ögedei beside him.

These three are all his biological sons, and they have all grown up and are beginning to make a name for themselves in the military.

I had planned to lead them into battle to gain more experience and courage, but I never imagined that I would lead them step by step down a dead end.

Temujin looked at his sons beside him, feeling as if a stone was pressing on his heart.

"Tolui, my son, your father is not hungry, you can have this jerky."

Temujin forced a smile.

The army was defeated, and all the cattle, sheep, and provisions were gone. From now on, there would be less and less to fill their stomachs.

"Father Khan, please eat something!" Tolui pushed the dried meat back, his eyes full of stubbornness.

"Father, have a bite!"

Chagatai, in a rough voice, advised, "Our defeat this time is only temporary."

"The Eternal Heaven is watching; sooner or later, it will take back everything it has lost."

Ögedei nodded in agreement: "Once we recover, we will make those people from the northern frontier pay a bloody price."

Seeing his sons being so filial, Temujin felt gratified.

The father and his three sons sat together and shared a piece of dry jerky.

That night, Temujin had trouble sleeping. He lay on the grass, gazing at the moon, his mind racing as he pondered a way to break the deadlock.

Just then, his ears twitched slightly, and the evening breeze carried the faint sound of horses' hooves, mixed with screams.

Temujin's expression suddenly changed, and he stood up abruptly.

Just then, on a distant hillside, a soldier on guard duty rode down like a madman, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Enemy attack!"

"The people from the northern frontier are coming to kill us."

"Ah~"

Temujin was shocked. Muqali had clearly led the Northern Frontier Army to the other side, so how did they end up here?

He dared not think any further. Could it be that Mu Huali and the others had already...?

The moon, like a silver plate, illuminated the grassland brightly, allowing one to see far into the distance.

On the distant mountaintop, a dark mass of cavalry could be seen charging towards them.

"Boom boom boom~"

"Gee, gee, gee~"

"kill!"

They were all dressed in white armor, which gleamed coldly in the moonlight, like evil spirits bursting out of hell, their imposing presence unstoppable.

"It's those demons again."

Temujin's expression was ferocious. Ever since the river valley breached its banks, these white-armored demons had been clinging to him like maggots.

They had only rested for less than two hours when the enemy caught up with them.

"Kill~"

A deafening battle cry erupted from the Northern Frontier army ranks, their iron hooves thundering like rolling thunder under the moonlight.

Temujin's soldiers were already in shock, and when they saw the Northern Frontier Army attacking, they immediately fell into chaos.

Arrows rained down from the northern frontier army like locusts.

Some of the Qiyan soldiers were shot in the chest and fell straight down.

Some were shot in the leg, screamed and fell off their horses, only to be trampled into a bloody pulp by the onrushing northern warhorses.

The spears gleamed coldly in the moonlight. The northern cavalrymen thrust their spears straight forward, the tips easily piercing the thin armor of the Qiyan soldiers and throwing them off their horses.

The sounds of fighting, screams, and clashing weapons mingled together, creating a particularly tragic atmosphere under the quiet moonlight.

"Great Khan, let's go!"

Zhelemie roared and fought fiercely against the Northern Frontier Army. Amidst the flashing swords and clashing blades, he quickly acquired several wounds and gradually became a blood-soaked figure.

But he still held firm against the Northern Frontier Army's offensive, buying time for Temujin to retreat.

Until a northern cavalryman circled around behind Zhelemie and pierced his chest with his spear.

He lowered his head with difficulty, looking at the spear tip in his chest, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He glanced one last time in Temujin's direction before slowly collapsing.

On the other side, Chi Laowen was also fighting fiercely, and successively cut down several soldiers from the northern frontier.

However, the Northern Frontier Army was too large, and they gradually became physically exhausted.

A cold arrow suddenly shot from the side and struck him precisely in the neck.

Chi Laowen suddenly clutched his neck, blood gushing out from between his fingers. He coughed up blood and turned his head with difficulty.

Looking in Temujin's direction, he used his last bit of strength to clearly say, "Go quickly."

The next second, a soldier from the northern frontier, who was rushing in, slashed off his head with a cavalry saber.

“Zhelemie~”

"Chi Lao Wen!"

In the distance, Temujin roared in grief and anger, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at his fallen confidants, his heart aching as if being torn apart.

But he knew he couldn't fall; for the sake of the Qiyan tribe and his sons, he had to live.

He suppressed his grief and roared, "Follow me!"

He then turned his horse around and, with Tolui, Chagatai, and Ögedei, charged into the depths of the dense forest.

This battle shattered the last remaining force around Temujin.

He led fewer than a hundred men and began hiding in the Burkhan Khaldun Mountains.

However, he was found by the Northern Frontier Army several times and was almost captured.

In order to capture him, Li Xiao dispatched more than 20,000 troops from the First and Sixth Garrisons to conduct a comprehensive search of Burhan Mountain.

They even issued a reward: whoever captured Temujin would be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households.

They were determined to kill him.

Half a month later, in the forest of the Duolun tribe in the northeastern part of Burhan Mountain.

Hundreds of Northern Frontier soldiers surged forward like a rolling iron torrent, their hooves pounding the grassland, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Upon seeing this, the tribal chief quickly led his men out of the tribe, his face beaming with respect, and bowed to greet them from afar.

"Has Temujin come here?"

A soldier from the Northern Frontier Army, dressed in white cloth armor, rode on horseback and, speaking in fluent grassland language, loudly questioned the leader of the Duolun tribe.

The chief of the Doron tribe was an old man around fifty years old, followed by more than a dozen young men from the tribe, all of whom looked very vigilant and uneasy.

He hurriedly shook his head, his voice trembling noticeably: "Your Excellency, please understand, our Doron tribe has lived here for generations and has absolutely no connection with the Qiyan tribe."

But just as he was speaking, several hunting dogs from the Northern Frontier Army suddenly began barking wildly in the direction of the tribe: "Woof woof woof woof~"

This sudden move immediately aroused suspicion from the Northern Frontier Army.

A layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out from the back of the Doron chieftain.

Then, a burly general dressed in blood-stained white armor rode out on horseback; it was Wei Xuan.

He first glanced at the barking hunting dogs, then swept his cold gaze across the people of the Doron tribe, his eyes sharp as knives, as if they could pierce through people's hearts.

The atmosphere instantly became oppressive, as if the air itself had frozen, with only the barking of the hunting dogs echoing across the grassland.

Upon seeing this, the leader of the Doron tribe became even more anxious and quickly forced a fawning smile to explain.

"We just slaughtered a few sheep in our tribe. These dogs probably smelled the meat and are now craving some."

After listening to the translator's words, Wei Xuan gave him a deep look and said calmly, "That's right, they do want to eat meat."

Then, he turned his gaze to the neatly arranged camps ahead and asked in a deep voice, "How many people are in your tribe?"

"Reporting to the general, our tribe has more than two hundred men, women, and children."

The leader quickly replied, bowing his head even lower.

"Have you seen any other strangers passing by nearby?" Wei Xuan continued to ask, his tone completely calm.

"No, no, our place is quite remote, and people from other tribes rarely come here on weekdays," the chief hurriedly waved his hand in denial.

After some questioning, Wei Xuan ordered the chief of the Duolun tribe to gather all the people in the tribe, and specifically emphasized that not a single one should be missing.

The Northern Frontier Army marched directly into their camp and began a thorough search of every tent.

As for the hunting dogs, they gradually quieted down after entering the camp, sniffing around between the tents with their ears drooping, as if they had lost their target.

Wei Xuan's gaze fell on a tent not far away. Several freshly slaughtered sheep were hanging in the open space outside, and the strong smell of blood filled the air.

Soon, all two hundred or so herders from the Duolun tribe gathered together and lined up neatly in two rows, with a clear majority of men.

There were only about twenty able-bodied men left; according to the chief, the others had all gone out hunting.

Apart from that, the search of their camp found nothing suspicious.

But Wei Xuan still felt that there was a big problem with this tribe.

He slowly walked past each of his subjects, the sharp blade in his hand glancing slowly across their bodies.

The cold light made the herdsmen's faces turn pale, and they trembled like leaves, silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to even breathe.

Until he reached a woman, the blade gently touched the child in her arms.

Judging from her position, this relatively neatly dressed woman must have a close relationship with the tribal chief.

Wei Xuan looked directly into her eyes, his deep voice carrying an invisible pressure: "Tell me, have any other outsiders come to your tribe recently?"

Under Wei Xuan's powerful aura, the woman trembled all over, and the child in her arms cried loudly in fear.

She grew increasingly anxious, her eyes darting around in a panic, unconsciously glancing at the tribal chief opposite her.

Wei Xuan's lips curled into a cold smile; he already knew the answer in his heart.

He abruptly withdrew his knife, his face instantly turning icy cold, and he shouted in a deep voice.

"The Dolon tribe in the forest is harboring the traitor Temujin and has ulterior motives."

"Exterminate the clan!"

"kill!"

As the blade flashed, cries and screams erupted in the camp. The once orderly herdsmen's procession instantly collapsed, but ultimately could not escape the iron hooves and blades of the Northern Frontier Army.

"General, General, we are innocent! We did not protect Temujin."

"No~"

"Ah~ Father, you devils, I'll fight you to the death!"

One of the tribesmen shouted at the tribal chief, "Chief, hurry up and tell us!"

"We cannot let Temujin drag us down with us!"

Some even shouted angrily at the tribal chief: "You old dog Doron, you owe Temujin a debt of gratitude, why do you want to repay it with the lives of all the people in our tribe!"

"My lord, my lord, I'll tell you."

"Temujin is in our tribe..."

(End of this chapter)