Me and countless me.

Chapter 623 The Abnormal Development of the Situation

"Did you lead the Mongols here?"

Li Ke looked at his only advisor, Muqali, who was in charge of internal affairs. The moment he heard that Kublai Khan had come to see him, he looked at Muqali. Muqali's flickering eyes proved that Kublai Khan had indeed been summoned by him. Li Ke was very nervous looking at the round-faced man, so he began to explain.

"Kublai Khan has had a hard life; his father died young. I noticed that you have a good relationship with his father's sworn brother, the chivalrous Guo Jing, so I was thinking, could we let Kublai Khan come and serve under you?"

After speaking, Muqali explained to Li Ke the current situation Kublai Khan was facing, so that Li Ke would understand that Kublai Khan had truly come to surrender.

At this moment, Kublai Khan's situation was extremely bad. When Möngke Khan went to war, he did not take Kublai Khan with him, but instead took his officers. Möngke Khan used various methods to weaken the officers who were loyal to him, and had Ariq Böke monitor Kublai Khan. Moreover, most of the people in Mongolia were engaged in factional struggles, and Kublai Khan had been completely excluded from the Mongolian political circle.

It could even be said that Kublai Khan was practically a dead man to the Mongols, as his territory and pastures were being seized in various ways, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

Li Ke nodded. This was similar to the historical record. If nothing unexpected happened, Kublai Khan in history should have united various Confucian scholars and Han landlords to start fighting against his uncles and brothers.

Because most of his generals were Han Chinese, he was also known as Liu Bilie.

However, at this moment, although he did not give important positions to the Han landlords and even took advantage of them, he was strong enough and needed people enough. At this moment, Kublai Khan did not have the strength to become the Great Khan, and he had also occupied the ecological niche. Therefore, it was normal for him to seek refuge with him.

So Li Ke thought about it and realized that with his current strength, it wouldn't matter if Kublai Khan really rebelled, so he nodded to Muqali.

"Then let's open the gates and welcome him. Mu Huali, go and prepare the troops to welcome my future General Who Conquers the North."

Li Ke waved his hand, and Muqali immediately went to prepare to welcome Kublai Khan's troops, and sent someone to tell Kublai Khan to come to his senses.

However, Kublai Khan does not intend to accept Muqali's good intentions at this time.

"What do you mean by the Eternal Heaven descending to earth? Has Muqali gotten so old that his brain is starting to malfunction? What's the difference between him and Xiang Yu and Lü Bu from those Han Chinese stories?"

Therefore, when Kublai Khan looked at the letter sent by Muqali, he couldn't help but sigh and then shake his head.

His purpose in coming here wasn't entirely pure. Although he claimed to be seeking refuge, he wanted to see what was wrong with Muqali. If he was truly old and senile, he would seize power; if he was being threatened by someone named Li Ke, he would find a way to eliminate Li Ke and thus occupy Dadu, so that he could contend with his brothers and uncles.

As for the contents of Muqali's letter, such as the Heavenly Khan descended from the Eternal Heaven, he didn't believe a single word, completely betraying Muqali's good intentions.

However, when he saw the boundless golden wheat fields, he was momentarily stunned. He knew that Muqali absolutely did not have such ability. Mongols were not good at farming from birth, so this unusual performance must be the work of that person named Li Ke.

So, after thinking it over, he made a decision.

"In that case, we really can't kill this Li Ke, but where should we put him..."

As Kublai Khan was pondering this, he saw the city gates of Dadu (Beijing) open wide, and troop after troop of soldiers rushed out.

At first, there was a squad of brightly armored infantrymen, each wearing lamellar armor and holding long spears, but Kublai Khan didn't care much, because the Song Dynasty could also achieve this level of armament. However, the soldiers' morale was really poor, and he didn't think that the Jurchens, who had lost to the Mongols, could be transformed by Li Ke in just a few months.

Squads of cavalrymen in full armor emerged from the gate, their armor reflecting light in a continuous stream. Each of them carried a new bow, crossbow, long sword, and spear. Even their horses were armored. The knights were all strong and powerful, clearly Mongol cavalrymen. However, unlike the others, these knights who filed out were the real Ironclad Cavalry!
Even their hands were covered in iron armor!

The thousands of heavy cavalrymen looked at Kublai Khan with shining eyes. He finally understood the source of Muqali's confidence in rebelling. His men quickly changed formation, ready to cover Kublai Khan's escape at any time. But Kublai Khan was thinking about something else.

"What magnificent cavalry! If they could serve under my command, they would surely achieve unparalleled feats! It's just that their training is a bit lacking."

He was somewhat disappointed. Although these heavy cavalrymen were very imposing when they walked, he could tell at a glance that they were newly trained. Many of the knights were not yet familiar with their armor or the way heavy cavalrymen rode.

Many warhorses didn't even deserve to have full armor!
"If these armors were in my hands..."

He couldn't help but think, but just then, he saw a person appear on the city wall.

The moment this person appeared, the surroundings seemed to dim, yet strangely, it gave people the feeling that he was radiating light. This made Kublai Khan see this person almost immediately, and he couldn't help but frown.

Although he was far away, he could still see that the armor on the other person was exaggerated in style, especially the shoulder armor. It was completely sacrificing practicality for the sake of looking imposing and good-looking. The entire shoulder armor was not only ostentatious but also unworthy of its name. Moreover, Kublai Khan was certain that the shoulder armor was made of iron plates, because just looking at the thickness of the shoulder armor, it was at least ten centimeters thick. Who could wear such armor?

"Is it another one of those superficial imitations from the Song Dynasty?"

However, just as he frowned, Li Ke's cavalry and soldiers neatly parted the smooth road.

As for Li Ke, the man Kublai Khan was referring to, he looked at Kublai Khan with a frown and felt that Kublai Khan was not a domineering man. Like Muqali, he was a round-faced big man. Although his troops were wearing old armor and looked travel-worn, and even seemed to have been starving for several days, they were all in high spirits. Although they were afraid of his military might, none of them showed any intention of retreating.

"He is indeed a skilled military commander; it would be a shame if he were a general."

Li Ke offered his comments, while Muqali immediately stepped in to defend Kublai Khan.

"What are you saying, Your Majesty? Kublai Khan's words merely reflect his generalship..."

Li Ke knew that Muqali did not want Kublai Khan to be feared by him, but Li Ke just smiled.

"What nonsense! In my opinion, he could have become the Great Khan, but unfortunately, he met me. But since he has come to pledge allegiance to me, I should naturally show him some respect. Muqali, have someone fire a salute to welcome him!"

As he spoke, Li Ke, wearing his armor which was three centimeters thick on average, leaped from the city tower, which was more than ten meters high, carrying his spear which weighed several hundred kilograms!
Mu Huali instinctively reached out to stop him, but he withdrew his hand the next moment because Li Ke had dashed out like a meteor! In just that instant, he had covered hundreds of meters!
Kublai Khan felt a strange sensation before his eyes. Li Ke's figure suddenly enlarged, and almost instantly, the figure in flamboyant armor landed beside him!
Amidst billowing dust, the cavalrymen surrounding Kublai Khan watched in horror as the ground beside their master suddenly caved in and split open, revealing a figure resembling a demon, its long spear piercing the earth, gleaming with the cold light of steel.

A knight instinctively tried to snatch Li Ke's weapon, but when his hand grasped the spear that Li Ke had released, he couldn't lift it no matter what he did, making him realize that this iron spear was made of real steel and was a spear that only an unparalleled warrior in this world could use!

Kublai Khan's horse was so startled that it reared up and kicked Li Ke in the chest. However, Li Ke did not retreat an inch. Instead, the warhorse let out a mournful cry, and its front leg broke instantly, throwing Kublai Khan into the air.

Kublai Khan was still in shock and had no time to react before being thrown into the air. In his moment of terror, Li Ke reached out and grabbed him by the collar, easily lifting the Mongol Khan and placing him on the ground. He then patted Kublai's shoulder and laughed heartily. "My apologies! I originally intended to personally lead you into Dadu, after all, a talent like yours is rare indeed. But alas, we can only enter Dadu side by side!"

Li Ke laughed heartily, but Kublai Khan's heart was in turmoil, because he clearly sensed that the armor Li Ke wore was real! Including the thick shoulder armor, it was all real! It wasn't an illusion, it wasn't just for show!

He secretly glanced at the knight beside him who was still struggling with Li Ke's spear. That knight was the strongest of his personal guards, capable of lifting a horse by himself. But even with the help of the horse's strength, he could only barely shake the spear that Li Ke had casually stuck into the ground.

In an instant, unlike the emperors and ministers of the Song Dynasty who caused people to have brain thrombosis, Kublai Khan's face instantly showed a sincere smile from the bottom of his heart, and then, with Li Ke holding his hand, he knelt down directly on the ground.

"I am truly at a loss for words to express how Your Majesty, a man of such stature, has been treated with such courtesy by your subject, Kublai Khan!"

As he spoke, Kublai Khan's tears came unbidden, as if he were truly moved by Li Ke. Tears streamed down his face, and he immediately knelt down.

"If you do not abandon me, Kublai Khan is willing to follow you through life and death! I only wish to be a foot soldier under your command! To serve you faithfully!"

He knelt so thoroughly that his subordinates were stunned, but Kublai Khan knew very well that this was the best solution!

The distance between him and Li Ke on the city wall was at least three hundred meters. This meant that the person in front of him was carrying a spear weighing hundreds of kilograms and wearing armor weighing hundreds of kilograms. In an instant, he was in front of him and could lift him up with one hand as if he were a chick.

What the hell is this?

If you can't compete with farming, and you can't compete with force, are you not even human?
Voted!

Kublai Khan decisively surrendered and smoothly joined Li Ke's forces. Then, when he saw Li Ke's overflowing granaries, which forced him to stop harvesting the grain, the factories that could mass-produce tens of thousands of armor plates and tens of thousands of arrowheads every day, and the mortars that Li Ke was researching, the smile on his face never stopped.

Because he had already figured out how to entertain his uncles and brothers!
As for what it means to become a Khan?
Liu Bilie had never thought about this!

How could a descendant of the mighty Han Dynasty associate with the Mongols!

However, just as Li Ke was working diligently, information about the Red Serpent Fairy spread far and wide.

Therefore—

"Is Senior Sister with Li Ke?"

Sitting at the dining table, Xiaolongnu listened to Granny Sun's words, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Since Li Ke left, she hadn't had a good night's sleep. She could only fall asleep on the Jade Bed and in the room where Li Ke was forging iron.

Granny Sun saw all of this, and after much deliberation, she decided to give Little Dragon Girl a push!
"Yes, young lady, Li Mochou is now the head nurse, working for Li Ke. If she wins Li Ke's favor and brings her men to cause trouble for us, that would be terrible. Besides..."

Grandma Sun paused for a moment, then sighed again.

In her opinion, Li Ke was definitely not a good match, but the matter of Xiaolongnu and Li Mochou forced her to make plans for Xiaolongnu.

But she herself didn't realize that when she was trying to persuade him, she subconsciously put herself in Li Ke's shoes!

So the tone of her words became somewhat ambiguous.

"Moreover, Li Mochou is ruthless and lacks skill, which will surely tarnish the reputation of our Ancient Tomb Sect. As the current leader of the Ancient Tomb Sect, how can you turn a blind eye to this? Therefore, why don't you leave the Ancient Tomb and talk to Li Ke to clear things up..."

But Xiaolongnu shook her head.

"No, I will not violate the rules of the Ancient Tomb Sect."

After saying that, Xiaolongnu turned and left, returning to the room where the Jade Bed was located, and began to meditate on the Jade Bed.

After meditating for only a short while, the image of Li Ke forging iron kept flashing in her mind, causing her to reluctantly open her eyes and look at the sword placed on the cold jade bed.

Her eyes flickered, and she couldn't help but rub her legs, which were wrapped in white silk trousers, as she recalled the things that could calm her mind. In her mind, the image of Li Ke, shirtless, forging iron kept flashing before her eyes, as if the man was still forging iron not far away.

The sounds of hammering and Li Ke's heavy breathing began to ring in Xiaolongnu's ears, making her mind even more confused.

"No...I can't..."

She bit her lip, struggling internally, but still couldn't help but hug the sword to her chest, holding it tightly... and carefully stroking it.

Finally, after a long period of torment, Xiaolongnu smiled. Li Ke's image no longer flickered in her mind, and amidst exhaustion and a racing heart, she had a blissful dream.

Outside the door, Granny Sun kept shaking her head, sighing as she left.

"Girls grow up and leave home!"

And at the same time...

"Lingbo..."

Li Mochou looked at her disciple with a flushed face, leaving Hong Lingbo, who was stunned and absent-minded after being forced to wear Li Ke's clothes, somewhat at a loss. Then, Hong Lingbo heard something she couldn't believe.

Your name is now Li Ke!

(End of this chapter)