Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

Han Yuan's military aid acted like a shot in the arm, stabilizing the crumbling Canglang tribe and holding off Ögedei's offensive at the Langjuxu Mountain line.

However, Xiao Chen knew that relying solely on Batu's family, even with an equipment advantage, it would be no easy task to completely defeat Ögedei, who commanded tens of thousands of troops and received secret support from the Western Regions, and would inevitably come at a heavy price.

War is never just about fighting with swords.

While Han Yuan's supplies and advisory team rushed to the front lines, another war without gunpowder smoke quietly began amidst the felt tents of the grasslands, the camel bells of caravans, and the shadows of rumors. Xiao Chen's order to Night Owl consisted of only four words: divide and conquer.

I. Using trade as bait to induce division.

Ögedei's alliance was not monolithic.

The Naiman, Merkit, Tatar and other tribes temporarily submitted to Ögedei Khan, either out of fear of his military might or out of greed for spoils of war.

However, they were riddled with internal conflicts and were all extremely dependent on trade with the Central Plains, especially in salt, iron, tea, and cloth.

Night Owl's spies, disguised as smuggling caravans from the Western Regions, Northern Yan, and even the Central Plains, quietly infiltrated the territory controlled by Ögedei Khan, carrying large quantities of salt, tea, fine cloth, and even a small amount of ironware.

However, they did not trade with Ögedei Khan, but bypassed him and directly contacted the leaders of the small and medium-sized tribes who were subordinate to him.

"If your tribe ceases its attacks on the Canglang tribe, or... if you shirk your duties on the battlefield, or even provide Ögedei's military intelligence, these goods will be yours. Moreover, King Hanyuan promises that after the war, your tribe will be designated a 'friendly tribe,' your border market will be opened, and you will be provided with double the salt and iron quotas, at prices... only half of what Ögedei gave you."

Faced with such tempting conditions, many tribal leaders who already harbored ulterior motives wavered.

They joined Ögedei Khan's forces to plunder, but now that their plunder has failed and they have suffered heavy losses, why wouldn't they want to obtain much-needed supplies without fighting, or even gain the "friendship" of the behemoth that is Han Yuan?

Soon, strange things began to happen frequently in Ögedei's army.

When the Naiman cavalry pursued the fleeing Canglang tribe, they always "coincidentally" got lost or their horses were "accidentally" startled; the intelligence brought back by the Merkit scouts was often delayed or even wrong; when the Tatar tribe distributed spoils of war, they clashed fiercely with other tribes, even drawing their swords against each other.

Ögedei Khan had to devote a great deal of energy to suppressing and appeasing these "allies" who harbored dissenting intentions.

Second, a strategy of sowing discord and diverting disaster eastward.

The spies of the Night Owl spread carefully crafted rumors across the grasslands, like a deadly poison, silently eroding the foundation of trust in the Ögedei Alliance.

Rumor 1: "Ögedei Khan signed a secret treaty with the people of the Western Regions, under which 70% of the cattle, sheep, slaves, and pastures obtained in this battle would go to the Western Regions, while the various tribes of the steppe would only receive 30% of the scraps."

Rumor 2: "Ögedei Khan has secretly promised to grant the Naiman tribe's grasslands to the Merkit tribe after the war as a reward for their service."

Rumor 3: "The envoy from the Western Regions brought a 'divine medicine' that can make people infinitely strong, but only Ögedei's confidants can enjoy it; warriors from other tribes are just cannon fodder."

These rumors are a mix of truth and falsehood, making it difficult to distinguish between them.

The grassland tribes were inherently suspicious, and they harbored resentment towards Ögedei Khan's collusion with the Western Regions.

Once the rumors started, the tribal leaders looked at Ögedei with suspicion and vigilance.

In order to prove his innocence, Ögedei Khan had to distribute some of the spoils of war and supplies sent from the Western Regions to various tribes, which in turn exacerbated the internal conflicts over distribution.

An even more ruthless move was that the Night Owl forged several "secret letters from Ögedei Khan to his masters in the Western Regions." The letters were arrogant, referring to the leaders of the Naiman, Merkit, and other tribes as "foolish wild dogs" and "useless pawns." And "accidentally," these letters fell into the hands of the relevant tribal leaders.

Upon learning of this, the leaders were furious and nearly clashed with Ögedei Khan on the spot, had it not been for the imminent threat of a major enemy.

Third, support proxies to use barbarians to control barbarians.

On the edge and behind the territory controlled by Ögedei, there were many small tribes that remained neutral or even harbored resentment towards Ögedei.

Night Owl, carrying a large sum of money and "proof of friendship" from Cold Abyss, secretly contacted these tribes and supported them to become agents of "anti-Ögedei".

"As long as you attack Ögedei's supply convoys, intercept his messengers, and burn his hayfields, Han Yuan will provide weapons, armor, and even... in the future, you can replace the Naiman and Merkit as the new masters of those pastures."

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

These small tribes are like hyenas on the grasslands. Although they dare not challenge lions head-on, they will not hesitate to pounce and bite if the lion is injured or weakened.

Suddenly, Ögedei's rear was in a state of panic, with transport teams being attacked repeatedly, messengers frequently disappearing, and grasslands catching fire at night.

Ögedei Khan had no choice but to recall his elite troops to defend the front lines, leaving the frontline forces stretched thin.

Fourth, use public opinion to influence public sentiment and spread the power of Han Yuan.

At the same time, a large number of "storytellers," "wandering poets," and "wandering witch doctors," carrying "scripts" and "bounties" provided by Han Yuan, appeared in every corner of the grassland.

They sang of the strength and benevolence of the Hanyuan Army, praised Xiao Chen's "Heavenly Khan" reputation, and told the "myth" that after the Canglang Tribe allied with Hanyuan, the people lived in peace and prosperity, and cattle and sheep roamed everywhere.

"King Hanyuan is the son of a god. His army, aided by the Thunder God, can pierce iron armor with arrows and cleave mountains with swords!"

"Following Han Yuan, we'll have salt to eat, iron to use, doctors to treat illnesses, and children can go to school!"

"Ögedei Khan is a jinx; wherever he goes, rivers of blood flow and nothing grows! The gods have abandoned him!"

"Only by submitting to Han Yuan and honoring the King of Jingbei can the grasslands usher in true peace and prosperity!"

These stories and songs, like dandelion seeds, drift with the wind and take deep root in the hearts of ordinary herders.

Their weariness of war and longing for peace gradually transformed into a yearning for the cold abyss and a fear of Ögedei Khan.

Many ordinary soldiers in Ögedei's army began to become passive and reluctant to fight, and some even deserted, joining the Canglang tribe or fleeing directly into Hanyuan territory.

Fifth, a swift and decisive strike to deter the villains.

In order to coordinate the division and disintegration efforts, Xiao Chen ordered Zhang Meng to organize a "Thunder Exercise" at the border.

Three thousand elite cavalrymen from the Cold Abyss, clad in black armor and wielding steel swords and powerful crossbows, conducted intensive tactical drills along the border.

The sheer force of the cavalry charge, the roar of the crossbows firing in unison, and even the use of a small amount of gunpowder terrified the scouts secretly observing them, causing them to flee in disarray.

Night Owl deliberately exaggerated the scale and power of the exercise, and the news spread rapidly across the grasslands: "The Cold Abyss Army has deployed 100,000 iron cavalry, equipped with divine artifacts that can summon heavenly thunder, ready to flatten the northern desert at any time!"

This final blow completely shattered the psychological defenses of many wavering factions within the Ögedei Alliance.

The leader of the Naiman tribe secretly dispatched an envoy to the Canglang tribe's camp, expressing his willingness to remain "neutral" and even to "atone for his crimes through meritorious service."

Following suit, the Merkit and Tatar tribes also followed suit.

Ögedei was horrified to discover that the seemingly powerful alliance had fallen apart overnight, with his supporters turning against him.

He was surrounded by only a few thousand loyal followers of his own tribe, as well as those "allies" who harbored ulterior motives and might turn against him at any moment.

On the other side, the Canglang tribe, fueled by Han Yuan's blood transfusion, was riding high on morale and ready to pounce.

Even more terrifying, on the southern horizon, it seemed as if countless icy iron cavalry were coldly watching him, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

By sowing discord and disintegrating, Xiao Chen subdued the enemy without a fight. He used trade, rumors, interests, and fear to dismantle the alliance that Ögedei had painstakingly built.

The outcome of a war is often predetermined long before the actual decisive battle begins.