The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 228 Guo Jing Returns to the Grassland

In the autumn of 1225, Genghis Khan returned to the northern desert after seven years of westward expedition.

The grass is lush and the birds are singing. The endless grassland is green with a hint of autumn yellow. The clear river flows slowly and quietly, like a jade belt.

The autumn sun shines above the clouds, and the shadows of large clouds slowly move across the grassland highlands. A long team winds across the grassland, as if passing through the gaps between the clouds. The early autumn wind still brings heat waves.

After several years of westward expedition, the Mongolian army finally returned to their own grasslands. Tens of thousands of people were buried in a foreign land. The black leather armor was covered with marks of swords and knives. The carriages were rolling with large and small bags, and there was a long queue of carriages. The spoils of the westward expedition were not only gold and silver treasures, but also craftsmen from various countries in the Western Regions and beautiful female slaves.

In the center of the convoy, Genghis Khan sat in the carriage, wearing a silk singlet, with a few wine stains on his gray beard. The curtains were rolled up, and the sunlight was shining in from outside. He raised his head and looked outside. The yellow and green grasslands and hills were stacked up under the bright sunshine, extending to the end of the sky. Occasionally, shepherds and horse riders could be seen waving whips in the distance.

Suddenly, there was a faint sound of singing, magnificent, vast, passionate and heroic, which made the heroic lord feel a faint joy in his heart. He was finally back. He had been on the Western Expedition for several years and had seen prosperous cities, barren deserts, and various tribes, but it was still this grassland that made him feel the most at home.

As messengers rushed across the grassland, all tribes learned that Genghis Khan of Mongolia had returned.

A few days later, the army arrived at Khan Erdun, the most important political center of Mongolia, located in Kude'e Asule on the Kerulen River.

"Father Khan is back!"

Inside the Khan's tent, a woman was talking to someone. Suddenly, someone came in to report the news of the army's return. A smile of surprise immediately appeared on her face, and she summoned the tribal elders and cavalry to go out and welcome them.

This is Alahai Begi, the current leader of the grassland, and the third daughter of Genghis Khan, also known as the Third Princess Regent. He spends most of his time on wars, and the responsibility of guarding the family falls on his wife Borte Wuzhen and the Third Princess Regent.

Soon, the army gathered, with envoys from both sides leading the way. Alahaibeji led the elders of the Qiyan tribe to welcome the return of Genghis Khan.

"Greetings to the Khan!"

Tens of thousands of troops surrounded Genghis Khan, with the flags of the eagle and the white wolf waving in the wind. Genghis Khan stepped forward, surrounded by his personal guards, and shouted, "Get up!"

Then, everyone returned to the tribe together.

Genghis Khan first met with the tribal leaders, rewarded them with money and goods, and then hosted a banquet for the guests, not resting until late at night.

A breeze was blowing as Borte Uzhen sat in the yurt, staring at the lamp on the table in a daze, not knowing what she was thinking about. When Genghis Khan came in, she came to her senses, stood up to greet him, and took off the black sable fur banner from Genghis Khan and hung it on the rack.

"I've been out for so long, and I'm finally back."

Borte Wuzhen was already over fifty years old, her black hair had turned completely white, her eyes were full of crow's feet, but her bones still showed the charm of her youth. She asked someone to bring hot water, took off her boots, and washed Genghis Khan's feet. "You are already old, but you still lead the troops out all day long. Come back this time and take a good rest."

Genghis Khan looked at his wife's aged face and touched her hair affectionately, "If it weren't for my old wife, how could I go out with peace of mind?" Thinking of how he and his wife were rarely together, and how all the big and small affairs of the tribe fell on Borte Uzhen, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty, and then he continued, "Ogedei and Tolui can finally stand on their own. I can rest assured that the Khanate will be handed over to them. You, don't worry."

"If you want to go out, can I stop you?" Borte Wuzhen rolled his eyes at him, helped him dry his feet and put on his shoes.

Afterwards, the two went to bed. The warm yellow light cast a shadow of their huddled figures on the tent curtain. They spoke in simple and quiet words about their past encounter and their future dreams. Soon, as the night deepened, the lights in the big tent went out and the entire tribe sank into the darkness.

The next day, Genghis Khan distributed the spoils he brought back to the various tribes under him. At the same time, the Mongolian cavalry who had fought with him for many years also returned to their fiefdoms to enjoy the long-lost peace.

After the army returned, the grassland fell into a long-lost frenzy.

In the past few years since he went on the expedition, under the leadership of Guo Jing, trade between the grassland and the Central Plains has become increasingly prosperous. In addition, Mu Huali was fighting against the Jin Kingdom, and news of wars in the Western Regions was reported from time to time. Even if Genghis Khan was not on the grassland, no one dared to cause trouble.

What's more, when Genghis Khan went on the Western Expedition, he basically took away the elite troops of each tribe, and the tribes were unable to cause chaos. After returning to the tribe, Genghis Khan inspected the tribes with his personal guards.

Suddenly, a familiar figure with a bald head, a big beard, a crooked nose and slanted eyes ran towards the convoy.

"Great Khan, I haven't seen you for several years." He slowed down his running steps, stopped, and staggered a few more steps. When he saw the figure getting off the horse, his Adam's apple rolled, he slowly raised his hand, said something in a choked voice, and suddenly half-knelt down, hugged Genghis Khan's legs, and burst into tears: "Great Khan, I dream of returning to the army and continuing to eat meat and drink with everyone. Let me come back!"

Genghis Khan recognized the man as an old soldier who had fought with him on the grasslands before, and helped him up. "Old Muwen, I'm glad you're still alive, I'm glad you're still alive!"

He patted the crying bald man on the shoulder, looked at the army behind him, and took a deep breath, "Mu Wen, many of our old brothers are gone. Borchu died a long time ago. You should take care of yourself too."

After that, he ordered a team of people to bring dozens of carriages over, "Old Mu Wen, live well, I will come to see you next year."

This old soldier became disabled in the early battles. Later, when Genghis Khan established the Mongolian Empire, he distributed a large piece of pasture and slaves to them. They were considered the new military aristocracy.

Old Muwen looked at Genghis Khan and bowed his head to the ground, "Great Khan, I can't follow you to fight anymore. Let my son take my place!"

Genghis Khan nodded and said, "Okay, I will assign him to the Keshig Army."

As the sun sets, on the hillside, a one-armed bald strong man looks at the guards leaving, his eyes full of loneliness and hesitation, and his figure becomes hunched. He is old, and the Khan is old too. The grassland in the future belongs to the young.

At night, a huge bonfire was burning, reflecting people's shadows dancing ferociously and strangely on the mountain walls and trees. The priests dancing the shaman dance wore scary masks and shook the sacred bells hanging on their bodies. Around the bonfire, dozens of Mongolian men with strong upper bodies were surrounding the bonfire, dancing savagely and fiercely to please the gods.

On the plains, yurts stretch as far as the eye can see. Men and women on the grassland sing and dance, offering sacrifices to the Eternal Blue Sky.

In the flickering firelight, Genghis Khan was wearing a sable banner, his chest was bare, his thick and strong muscles were knotted and bulging, his skin was dark, and there were several scars left by arrows, which showed his achievements in battle.

Looking at the sacrificial dance around the bonfire over there, he picked up the scimitar on the table and cut the fresh beef and mutton and distributed them to the chiefs of various tribes. After receiving the meat, the chiefs cheered and danced with joy, as if they had received the supreme reward.

……

"The Khan is finally back!"

In Daming Prefecture, Mu Huali received a letter from the grassland and immediately stood up from the tiger-skin throne with excitement flashing in his eyes. With the fall of the Jin Dynasty and no more wars in the Central Plains, he now wished he could return to the grassland immediately and reunite with his old brothers.

"By the way, Guo Jing doesn't know about this yet, we need to send someone to inform him immediately."

Logically speaking, when Genghis Khan returned from his western expedition, the leaders and nobles of the various tribes on the grassland should go to the royal tent to meet the Khan. The same goes for Mu Huali and his men. After guarding the area for many years, it was time for them to go back and report.

Soon, a group of cavalry messengers left Damingfu and headed towards Luoyang. …

"Finally home!"

At the same time, Guo Jing received a secret letter from the grassland tribes, his eyes sparkling with excitement. In terms of information channels, he had far more than Mu Huali. Genghis Khan passed through many tribes on his way back from the Western Expedition, and many of them had been doing business with them all year round, so they were well-informed.

Therefore, he knew it earlier than Mu Huali.

However, death will come sooner or later, so one must be prepared. Thinking of this, Guo Jing ordered someone to find Dahu.

A few days later, Mu Huali's urgent letter arrived, and the news that Genghis Khan had returned from the Western Expedition spread throughout the shogunate.

In the hall, Guo Jing looked at Hua Zheng who had a puzzled expression and said with a smile, "Hua Zheng, you will go back with me this time. Your father is on the Western Expedition, and you and your daughter haven't seen each other for a long time."

"Really?" Hua Zheng's eyes flashed with surprise.

Guo Jing stroked her hair and said softly, "Really, I will not only take you back, but also Ping'er and An'er back with me, so that they can see the scenery of the grassland."

"I made a promise to the Khan that I would chop off Wanyan Honglie's head and give it to him. The Khan will surely be happy to see this gift."

Then, Hua Zheng became distressed again, "But, if we leave, what will happen to our family?" Although she was happy, she did not forget Guo Jing's identity. He ruled so many territories and could not just leave.

Guo Jing had been prepared for this. "Don't worry, let the Grand Tutor take charge of the government. It's only been two months since we came back from the grassland. How could there be any trouble?"

……

The next day, Guo Jing came to Su Ming's yard.

In the garden, Sha Gu sat cross-legged on the grass, her forehead full of silver needles, and she was unusually peaceful.

Guo Jing stepped forward, "Teacher."

Su Ming casually inserted a silver needle into the acupuncture point on the top of Shagu's head and said casually, "Genghis Khan has returned to the court. You and Mu Huali should also go back to see him."

Guo Jing nodded, "Well, the journey to the grassland cannot be delayed, I must go there."

"Then go ahead."

"Teacher, after I leave, please ask you and my father-in-law to help me take care of the family affairs." Guo Jing bowed to Su Ming again, then walked forward, holding a token in both hands and handed it to him.

"Please accept this token, Master. With this token, you can mobilize 5,000 elite soldiers of the Shengjie Army outside the city, which is enough to stabilize the overall situation."

"No need. If anything happens, I am enough. If a large army enters the city, there may be trouble." From his words, he was certain that Guo Jing would cause trouble after leaving Luoyang.

Guo Jing thought of his teacher's terrifying strength and took back the token. Indeed, with his teacher around, it was enough to stabilize the situation. Although he didn't know what level his teacher's martial arts had reached, every time he stood in front of him, he always felt very small. He couldn't see his back, let alone tell how superior he was.

He had discussed his teacher's strength with his father-in-law Huang Yaoshi and came to the conclusion that even if he had thousands of troops at his disposal, no one could do anything to him.

"This action is related to the overall situation in the future, you must be careful."

This time, Genghis Khan conquered vast tracts of land during his westward expedition, and a new round of enfeoffment was inevitable. Among his many descendants and meritorious officials, there would inevitably be open and covert struggles.

Seven days later, Guo Jing led 10,000 elite cavalrymen from Luoyang, passed through Henan and Hebei, and joined forces with Mu Huali. The two sides returned to Mobei together.

……

One month later,
They arrived in Mobei and came to the Qiyan tribe.

Along the way, the two sides had a combined force of 20,000, and their powerful military might caused fear and shock among the various tribes.

As soon as they set foot on the territory of the Qiyan tribe, a group of cavalrymen came galloping from afar. They were in front of them in the blink of an eye. The leader was a dark-faced general. He rode his horse to Mu Huali and hugged him, "Mu Huali, you are finally here."

Seeing the newcomer, Mu Huali was also very excited and embraced him with his strong arms, "Boershu, long time no see!"

After a long time, the two separated. Boershu looked around and saw Guo Jing riding on a little red horse. Seeing him, Boershu was surprised and drove his horse forward, "Guo Jing, you are here too!"

"Uncle Borshu, long time no see." Guo Jing approached and hugged him.

The familiar voice and the familiar face immediately eliminated the strangeness. He patted Guo Jing on the shoulder and said, "Let's go. The Khan has been waiting for you for a long time."

……

Soon, the army set up camp on the grassland, and Guo Jing and Mu Huali came outside the golden tent.

Mu Huali went in first, while Guo Jing and Hua Zheng were waiting outside. The two were just getting bored when a figure jumped out from the side, "Guo Jing Anda, I missed you so much."

When he heard who was coming, Guo Jing burst into laughter, "Tolui, it's really you!"

"Haha, I just heard the news about you and came here, just in time to meet you." Times have changed. Tolui is no longer the naive young man he was back then. He exudes the iron-blooded aura of a military career. His skin is rough and dark, and his brows are filled with a firm edge, like a sharp blade.

Guo Jing looked at his face and punched him in the chest, "Tolui, how come you have become as old as Uncle Borshu?"

Tuolei punched him back and said with a smile, "Hey, you don't know how strong the sandstorms in the Western Regions are. There is also snow in the north, which is freezing to death. It is more terrible than the white disaster. It's a pity that you didn't go with us. The scenery there is no worse than that in Mobei."

At this moment, someone came out of the golden tent and said, "Guo Jing, the Khan wants you to come in."

(End of this chapter)