Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 326 The Burning of Karakorum: The Decline of the Mongol Golden Family!

There are quite a few Mongolian noyans who have made similar choices to Bo Yaohe.

Alchi, the son-in-law of Temujin, who married Checheyijian, the second daughter of Ögedei Khan, was not pressured by Ögedei's faction, but he still declined Möngke's envoy and led his three commanders of three thousand to retreat directly into the Hulunbuir Grassland, declaring that he would follow Zhao Shuo's lead.

Muqali's eldest son, Bolu, led three hereditary commanders of Muqali's lineage into the Shaanxi region of the Zhao Shuo Khanate. Although Muqali himself only had one hereditary commander, his brothers and uncles were also among Temujin's founding heroes, each holding a hereditary commander, making a total of three hereditary commanders in his family.

Jebe's "granted land" was in the former Naiman region. When the army of Ögedei's faction pressed in, Jebe's seven sons led their own thousand households to retreat into the Western Xia province of the Zhao Shuo Khanate.

In addition, four ordinary hereditary commanders near the Great Wall entered the pass and joined Zhao Shuo.

There are still risks involved in what they are doing.

After all, they had no real connection with Zhao Shuo, and in a sense, their actions betrayed the Tolui faction. Who prefers a two-faced traitor to a loyal minister? Zhao Shuo might have a negative opinion of them. Fortunately, they were lucky; Zhao Shuo didn't make things difficult for them and simply accepted them.

Having come from the grasslands and lacking farming skills, Zhao Shuo directly used these Mongol commanders as regular troops, providing logistical support and giving ordinary grassland soldiers one tael of silver as a monthly military salary.

Is there such a good thing?

Although they already knew about the good treatment the grassland warriors under Zhao Shuo received, actually experiencing it was still like a dream for these grassland warriors.

You should know that on the grasslands, they not only don't receive military pay, but they also have to pay taxes to the Nayan people!
What is the difference between this entry and exit?
So what if we have to fight for Zhao Shuo from now on? We are steppe warriors under the Mongol faction, don't fight each other!
Serving Zhao Shuohan was definitely the right move!

Su Butai did not vote for Zhao Shuo.

Given his friendship with Zhao Shuo, siding with Zhao Shuo would be no problem at all. However, he's over seventy years old; how many more years does he have left to live? Subutai isn't afraid of death, but of his lifelong reputation being ruined!
As one of Genghis Khan's "Four Mastiffs," Genghis Khan assigned him to the line of Tolui, and he was to be a loyal dog of Tolui's line until his death!
Of course, on the other hand, Subutai also had to consider the future of his children and grandchildren.

His eldest son, Uriyangkhadai, is now the most capable general in Mongolia. Subutai couldn't bear to see Uriyangkhadai lose in this civil war, so he sent Uriyangkhadai to join Zhao Shuo.

In short, before the decisive battle between the Ögedei, Chagatai, and Tolui factions, sixteen steppe chiliarchs announced their defection to the Zhao.

This demonstrates Zhao Shuo's power and prestige, but it also shows that most Mongols still recognized the Golden Family.

In the blink of an eye, more than two months have passed. The various households of the grassland have assembled and lined up, and the decisive battle will take place a hundred miles east of Helin City.

With a vast territory, there were 45,000 steppe warriors, 90,000 vassal troops of the Western Liao, and 30,000 vassal troops of the Chagatai Khanate, totaling 165,000 troops.

There are two reasons why the number of people is so small.

Firstly, after Zhao Shuo allowed Ariq Böke to cross the border, he sent someone to inform Yesu of the Chagatai Khanate. Yesu immediately panicked. No matter how good his relationship with Guyuk was, there was no reason for him to lose the very foundation of the Chagatai Khanate for the sake of the Ögedei line.

The distance from Karakorum to Samarkand is about the same as the distance from Baghdad to Samarkand. If we don't go back now, it will be too late!
Therefore, Yesu urgently proposed to Kuchu that he lead an army of 70,000 back to the Chagatai Khanate.

Kuochu didn't have a good solution for this ally.

Furthermore, if Ariq Böke were to take the Transoxiana region, he would then have to attack the Western Liao region of the Ögedei Khanate, which was indeed not to be lost, so we had no choice but to agree.

Secondly, there is Helin City.

The city of Karakorum was garrisoned by 10,000 Kheshig soldiers, the strongest army in the Great Mongol Empire.

However, this army was completely unusable.

If they were used for field battles, some of them might even defect to Möngke. As for defending Karakorum, they would be even less useful; countless people would be tempted to open the city gates.

Kill them all? Then Kochu would become the enemy of all the Mongol Noyans.

Therefore, he separated a thousand-household commander from the Ögedei Khanate and a portion of reliable Western Liao soldiers to garrison in Karakorum, on the one hand to monitor the Kheshig army, and on the other hand to guard the hostages sent by the Mongol noyans who had submitted to him.

Therefore, in Kuochu's view, both Helin City and the 10,000 Kheshig troops were completely useless, neither worth eating nor worth throwing away.

Therefore, instead of defending the city of Horqin, he met the enemy on the grassland a hundred miles east of Horqin.

Therefore, at this crucial moment, he had less than 170,000 troops under his command!

The forces of the Tolui faction were not many.

The Mongol army numbered 47,000, the Jurchen Eight Banners army numbered 36,000, and the Wild Jurchens numbered 16,000! By now, Moge had taken over all of Northern Goryeo, and Hedan had fled into Southern Goryeo, which was Zhao Shuo's territory, thus escaping with his life.

The newly recruited Goryeo infantry were too late to participate in this field battle; Maegha only sent his main cavalry force.

The Wild Jurchens were used to life in the forests of the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River. They were not good at riding horses, but they were very strong in battle. Mo Ge provided them with horses and they were considered mounted infantry.

Therefore, Möngke's troop strength consisted of 83,000 cavalry and 16,000 infantry!

Kuochu's troop deployment consisted of 45,000 steppe warriors and 60,000 Western Liao cavalry, totaling 105,000 cavalry. In addition, there were 60,000 Western Liao infantry and infantry from the Two Rivers region.

"Charge! Kill!"

"Avenge the Khan of Godan!"

"Charge into battle, risk your life, all for the sake of Kuochuan!"

……

"Kill for Möngke Khan!"

"The Eternal Heaven favors the Tolui lineage!"

"You despicable and shameless Ögedei clan, die!"

……

The shouts of the cavalrymen from both sides mingled together, and the battle quickly escalated into a fierce contest.

Both sides were primarily composed of steppe warriors, familiar with each other's tactics. The commanders on both sides were also roughly equal in ability, and there was little terrain on the vast steppe to set up ambushes. This battle was devoid of any tricks; it was a head-on clash.

The fate of the Great Khan of the Mongols was decided by the blood of countless warriors of the steppe!

The first to be deployed were the cavalry from both sides.

The number of Mongol cavalry on both sides was roughly equal, with Tolui's faction having a slight advantage. Among the vassal cavalry, Ögedei's faction had a numerical advantage, but the Jurchen Eight Banners were modeled after Zhao Shuo's Han Chinese Eight Banners, and their fighting strength surpassed that of the Western Liao cavalry; Tolui's faction was still not at a disadvantage!
"Third Brother, let's send out the infantry!"

After fighting for more than an hour, the two sides were still locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle. Seeing that his side was not gaining any advantage, Mieli anxiously offered a suggestion, saying, "Our infantry far outnumber Möngke's! Let me lead the infantry in an attack; we will surely secure victory in one fell swoop!"

"Alright, send out the infantry! Let's see whether the Eternal Heaven favors us or the Tolui faction!"

Kuo Chu decisively issued the order.

He was left with only a Mongol commander and three thousand infantrymen as guards, while the remaining 160,000 troops were all mobilized!
On the other side, Möngke had no choice but to send out the Wild Jurchens.

"Subutai!"

Mongke said, "You are one of Genghis Khan's four mastiffs, and also the only remaining four mastiffs and four heroes! You lead the wild Jurchens into action! Perhaps it is the will of the Eternal Heaven in the dark that Genghis Khan gave you to his father, which means that the position of Great Khan will return to the hands of my Tolui lineage!"

Möngke was well aware of the fighting strength of the Wild Jurchens. They were different from the corrupt and decadent Jurchens of the Central Plains who were easily crushed by the Mongol army, and even different from the mature Jurchens of the former Eastern Kingdom.

These wild Jurchens were born between the white mountains and black waters, grew up in the bitter cold of dense forests, drank ice and slept on snow, and hunted jackals, tigers, and leopards. They were highly skilled in martial arts, extremely strong in physique, and fearless in the face of death, making them the best source of soldiers in the world.

Therefore, after Subutai returned, he directly placed these wild Jurchens under Subutai's command. After several months of reorganization and training by Subutai, these wild Jurchens became even more powerful.

In this crucial struggle for the Khanate, Möngke even equipped them with iron armor and sharp, durable swords, spears, and bows, arming them to the teeth and further enhancing their combat strength.

"Yes!" Subutai answered loudly.

Then, he led 16,000 wild Jurchen warriors straight to the front!

16,000 vs. 56,000!

"Genghis Khan, I have always remembered my oath to you, to be loyal to you and your descendants for life. I don't know who is right and who is wrong in the internal strife of the Golden Family. But since you have given me to Tolui, I will fight for him to the death and fulfill my oath to you!"

Subutai thought to himself, and led 16,000 wild Jurchens in a fierce charge.

His seventy-something-year-old body was no longer broad and strong, but slightly hunched, and the armor he wore looked somewhat empty. Only his eyes had not been worn down by the years, and now they shone with a sharp inner light, like a surging undercurrent beneath a calm sea.

He held a large spear in his hand, its tassel crimson, like congealed blood.

A swordsman and shield bearer from a vassal state of the Western Liao suddenly appeared in front of him. The young man's eyes flashed with a fanatical desire to kill the enemy chieftain, and his sword slashed down with a powerful gust of wind.

The speedometer stopped moving.

His movements lacked the explosiveness of a young man, yet possessed a precision and shrewdness honed through countless trials. With a swift step and a slight shift in his body, his battle blade narrowly grazed past his breastplate. Simultaneously, the seemingly excessively long spear in his hand, like a lurking venomous snake, suddenly thrust out.

There was no thunderous force, only a soft "poof" sound.

The spear tip seemed to have eyes, piercing precisely through the gap at the top edge of the shield and striking the soldier's throat. The soldier's momentum came to an abrupt halt, the fervor in his eyes instantly replaced by a deathly gray, and he fell to the ground without a sound.

Subutai's Jurchen army was equally valiant!

In fact, although outsiders called them "Wild Jurchens," they themselves did not know what race they were.

They ate raw meat and drank blood, had short lifespans, had no written language, and only knew hunting and fighting. How could they remember their origins?
If we must draw an analogy, we can think of them as the Solon soldiers of the Qing Dynasty.

During the reigns of Nurhaci, the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and Hong Taiji, the Solon soldiers were renowned as a "powerful force." They were incorporated into the Eight Banners and became the sharpest spearhead of the Qing army, making great contributions in the wars to unify the Jurchens, conquer the Mongols, and destroy the Ming Dynasty.

The campaign to pacify the Dzungar Khanate was the most glorious chapter in the history of the Solon army. Faced with the equally formidable Dzungar Mongol cavalry, the Qing army often struggled to keep up. The Solon soldiers, however, with their terrifying fighting prowess, dominated the battlefield.

Emperor Qianlong praised: "Among the Eight Banners' elite troops, the Solon and Barhu are the best."

He even issued a direct decree: "No war shall be waged without the arrival of the Soren army!"

The fighting prowess of the Solon soldiers is evident.

To reiterate, we are all Homo sapiens, so how much difference can there be between different races? What truly causes the differences is the natural environment and the culture within each race.

Möngke's Jurchen mercenaries were similar in their tactics to the Qing Dynasty's Solon army!

Despite having only 30% of the enemy's numbers, Subutai's command forced the enemy, which outnumbered him three to one, to retreat steadily!

Of course, there were also heroes in the Western Liao and the Two Rivers regions. Among these vassal armies, there were also those with considerable fighting prowess.

Whoosh!
Just as the veteran general Subutai was leading the wild Jurchens in a valiant charge, a cold arrow came straight from afar!

"what!"

Subutai was startled and quickly turned his head to avoid it.

puff!
Subutai was getting old, and his reaction speed was not as good as when he was young. He was actually shot through the helmet by a sword. The cold arrow went straight through the helmet and passed by Subutai's cheek.

"Humph!"

What a fine Subutai! He truly deserves to be one of Genghis Khan's four generals, and even more so, he is a renowned Eastern general who instilled fear in Westerners.

He snorted coldly and forcefully tore off the long arrow that had pierced his cheek and shattered his five teeth!
"kill!"

Subutai roared and continued to lead the wild Jurchens in a fierce charge. Drops of blood fell from Subutai's face, making him look like a demon!
"kill!"

"Keep up with the speed!"

"Protect the old general!"

……

These wild Jurchens were unruly and difficult to subdue; Möngke could only employ them, not subdue them. However, at the same time, they most admired those who were brave and fierce in battle!
Subutai, though over seventy years old, was still incredibly brave. This greatly boosted the morale of the Jurchen soldiers, who charged forward with ferocious force!

"Oh no, we're going to lose! I really don't know where Tolui's faction trained and found such a fierce infantry force. Although I have more infantry, they are no match for them!"

Seeing this, Kuochu, who was commanding the overall situation from the central command, understood that although his infantry could hold out for now, they would likely collapse soon. Once the infantry collapsed, the collapse of the cavalry would not be far off.

Of course, he wasn't particularly flustered.

Once the infantry was defeated, his cavalry scattered and fled. The grasslands were vast, how could Möngke's cavalry possibly stop them?
Genghis Khan had experienced several major defeats before making a comeback.
Wars on the grasslands are not decided by one or two major battles. If that were the case, the grasslands would have been conquered by the Central Plains dynasties countless times!

This battle is far from over!
However, it's certain that Helin City cannot be defended.

"Smoke signal to notify Helin!"

Kuo Chu is a natural-born leader; he anticipated defeat even before victory and had already made preparations.

In the blink of an eye, billowing smoke rose straight into the sky.

Twenty miles away, smoke signals rose again!
After four relays, the signal of defeat had reached Hohhot.

"Defeated! How could they have been defeated? Useless! Güyük is useless. Köchük had the advantage in numbers, yet he still couldn't defeat Möngke. He's utterly useless!" Queen Haimishi was filled with disappointment upon receiving the news, cursing Köchük.

The old shaman, Hutu, quickly said, "Now that things have come to this, I beg the Empress to issue a decree to quickly take those hostages and withdraw from Karakorum. Only with these hostages can we control those defeated troops."

"Of course I know that. But before that..."

The Queen of the Sea Lost's eyes flashed with madness as she said, "First, burn down Horqin City! If I can't have it, neither can Mongke!"

This foolish woman is an expert at internal strife but a complete novice at external conflicts; when it comes to matters of national strategy, she prioritizes her own pleasure above all else.

She didn't even consider that Horqin City was the capital of the Great Mongolian Empire.

What does burning down Helin mean for the Golden Family?!

(End of this chapter)