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

Chapter 110 Returning to the grassland, Zhao He's little follower Batu

If you say that the Han people cannot defeat the Jurchens, it doesn't make sense, because the Flower Hat Army under Pushan Anzhen is mainly composed of pure Han people.

Today, the Han forces in Shandong are divided into two parts. One is the Red Turban Army composed of people who are loyal to the Song Dynasty due to the peasant uprising, and the other is the Flower Hat Army organized by Jin officials who are loyal to the Jin Dynasty.

After the fall of Yehuling, the Jin court realized that it needed help from the Han people and dispatched 460 elite Han army officers from Zhongdu to Shandong, greatly strengthening the Flower Hat Army. This enabled Pushan Anzhen to secure the three prefectures of Shandong.

Now, Pushan Anzhen's 100,000-strong army, with these 20,000 flower-hat soldiers as the main force, is drinking water from the Yangtze River.

The Han people’s fighting power is quite strong!

You can't say that the northern Han people are strong in combat and the southern Han people are weak, right?

Then, wasn’t the policy formulated by the Southern Song Dynasty court of “Southerners go south, northerners go north” a stupid policy?

If the southern Han were as powerful as the northern Han, then wouldn't the problem lie with the high-ranking officials in the court? Or even with the Emperor of Song?

That's absolutely impossible!

The Emperor of the Song Dynasty was wise and brave, and the officials in the court were talented and eloquent. How could there be any problem?

What exactly is the problem?

General!

That’s right, there’s a problem with the Song Dynasty’s generals!

The officials in the Song Dynasty court racked their brains and finally found the culprit who had misled the country and the people!
It must be because those generals did not read poetry and books, did not know the principles of loyalty to the emperor and serving the country, deceived their superiors and subordinates, feared the enemy like a tiger, embezzled military funds and sucked the blood of the soldiers, which led to such a tragic situation in the Song Dynasty!
For example, during the Kaixi Northern Expedition, wasn't it Wu Xi who rebelled and proclaimed himself King of Shu, causing the Song court to panic?

For example, the current Sichuan governor An Bing.

When Wu Xi rebelled, the Song Dynasty was shaken. A man called Yang Juyuan, along with An Bing, Li Haoyi, and others, conspired to eliminate Wu Xi. Although An Bing participated in the plot, he wavered in his pursuit. Ultimately, Yang Juyuan and Li Yi, under the guise of conveying imperial decree, led over seventy warriors into the "Imperial Palace," dissuaded the guards, and killed Wu Xi.

After the deed was accomplished, An Bing, who had been playing both sides, not only received a promotion but also concealed Yang Juyuan's reward, leaving him with nothing. Yang Juyuan was dissatisfied and repeatedly sent messengers to the court to complain about his grievances. Frightened, An Bing ordered his men to arrest Yang Juyuan and assassinate him en route.

Everyone in the court knew about this.

As a result, An Bing not only did not think about making amends and repaying the court, but was defeated again in Qinzhou and destroyed 100,000 troops. He really misled the country and the people!
what?
Was An Bing a Song Dynasty Jinshi (Jinshi) scholar, but actually a civil servant? The man he killed, Yang Juyuan, was actually a military commander?

Don’t pay attention to these details. It must be that An Bing has been leading the army for a long time and has been led astray by those generals!

In short, the military generals were not good. They misimplemented the far-sighted policies formulated by the Emperor of the Song Dynasty and the officials in the court, which led to the disaster today.

The officials in the Song court used their eloquence to shift the blame, but the Jurchen soldiers could not be persuaded to retreat.

What a headache!
However, their headache had nothing to do with Zhao Shuo.

Zhao Shuo returned to the Mongolian grasslands.

It was late summer in 1212 AD, the season of peak vegetation. As far as the eye could see, a vast expanse of emerald green stretched endlessly. Only when a strong breeze blew could one see the grazing cattle and sheep, the flowing river, and the Mongolian yurts.

"Hua Zheng!"

"Ashuo!"

When a gust of wind blew by and Zhao Shuo saw the team that Hua Zheng was welcoming, Jin Shanshan's speed reached its limit and he came in front of Hua Zheng like a flash of lightning.

The couple hugged each other tightly!
They were childhood sweethearts and a young couple. Since they met at the age of seven, they had never been separated for such a long time.

The couple hugged each other for a long time, and Zhao Shuo spun her around several times. If there weren't so many people outside, he would have bent down and kissed her.

Later, Hua Zheng felt a little embarrassed, and the two slowly separated.

It was not until this time that Zhao Shuo noticed the child next to Hua Zheng.

The child looked to be about five or six years old, with bright eyes, a straight nose, three-dimensional and deep facial features, fair skin that had a healthy tan, and a gilded longevity lock tied around his left wrist, with the four Chinese characters "百岁安泰" (A Hundred Years of Peace and Prosperity) engraved on the front.

At this moment, he was blinking his eyes and looking at Zhao Shuo with interest.

Those blue, deep gem-like eyes and those handsome facial features that resemble Hua Zheng, who else could it be but his son Zhao He?
"Haha, Ah, my good son!"

Zhao Shuo smiled, rubbed little Zhao He's head, and picked him up: "Do you remember me?" Zhao Shuo scratched Zhao He's nose and asked with a smile.

Little Zhao He turned his head and looked at Hua Zheng.

Obviously, he couldn't remember clearly.

Hua Zheng looked at her son, smiled and said, "Ah, why don't you call me father?"

Little Zhao He immediately turned his head back, took a good look at Zhao Shuo, and then said crisply, "Father!"

"Hahaha, good!"

The word "father" made Zhao Shuo laugh out loud.

When he left the grassland, Zhao He was less than two years old. More than two years later, it was already difficult for little Zhao He not to resist his embrace, and it was almost impossible for him to remember his appearance.

After playing with his son for a while, little Zhao He quickly became close to Zhao Shuo.

The connection between blood is very mysterious. Zhao He, who usually hardly allows "strangers" to hug him, did not resist Zhao Shuo from the beginning. It is obvious that he still has a general impression of Zhao Shuo as his father.

After spinning Zhao He in the air for a while, Zhao Shuo put his son down and said with a smile:

"Ah, I brought you some gifts after returning from this expedition."

When you return from an expedition, you naturally have to bring gifts.

What Zhao Shuo prepared for his son was a pony, a small knife, and a string of wind chimes.

This pony came from the Jin Dynasty. Well, actually, it was a tribute from the Song Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty. It was called "Han Gong Guo Xia Ma." Although it was only two feet seven inches tall, it was almost an adult. It could run and jump, and its temperament was gentle, just right for Zhao He to ride.

That small knife, naturally, was also sponsored by Wanyan Yongji. It was forged by skilled Jin artisans from fine iron, with a sandalwood handle intricately carved with patterns and inlaid with three gemstones. The scabbard was made of tanned lambskin, with a silver-inlaid sheath engraved with the Big Dipper.

The wind chimes were made by Zhao Shuo's skilled craftsmen.

Among the seven thousand craftsmen captured by Zhao Shuo from the Jin Kingdom, there were nearly a thousand craftsmen who were good at making various luxury goods. They had nothing to do in Fuzhou, so they racked their brains to make some luxury goods.

Among them is this string of wind chimes.

This string of wind chimes, polished from fragments of precious Jin Dynasty colored glass, is as thin as paper and can be blown by the wind. It comes in seven colors and is intricately carved with various designs: a Mongolian horse, a Khitan deer, a Jurchen eagle... Atop the chimes is a bronze Saker Falcon.

When a gust of wind blew, the porcelain pieces collided and made a pleasant crisp sound, like the singing of white birds.

Zhao Shuo originally thought that Zhao He should like this wind chime the most.

However, contrary to his expectations, what Zhao He was most interested in was the fruit horse and the exquisite knife.

Little Zhao He took the initiative to grab a handful of green grass and put it to the mouth of the fruit horse, watching it eat. Then, he took the knife and waved it non-stop.

Looking at little Zhao He like this, I really want to ride on Guoxia's horse and gallop away.

"Hey, who is this kid?"

Zhao Shuo suddenly noticed that a little kid next to him, who looked about three or four years old and was wearing gold and silver, was looking at Zhao He with envy in his eyes.

Hua Zheng said, "He's my eldest brother's second son, named Batu. I don't know why, but Batu particularly likes our son and always calls him brother, following behind Ah He. This time, he's brought by our wet nurse to spend a few days with Ah He."

"Batu?"

Zhao Shuo looked at the three or four-year-old child and was immediately surprised.

If they were Genghis Khan's grandchildren, which one would be the most promising?

Zhao Shuo will definitely select the capital. The man who almost beat Europe.

Now Batu is just a little kid wearing open-crotch pants, and he is also his son's little follower. It feels really interesting.

"So it's Jochi's son!"

Zhao Shuo smiled, stepped forward, and hugged Batu, who would later shake Europe with a single stomp, and said, "Batu, call me uncle!"

Batu was still small, but he was not afraid of strangers at all. His dark eyes were very intelligent. He called out very obediently:
"Uncle!"

"Okay! You can't call me uncle for nothing. Ah He has a gift, and you have one too!"

If there wasn't only one pony, we could just give Batu another one. But he was still young, so no matter how much he liked it, he could only sit on the pony for a while under the supervision of an adult.

In addition, Zhao Shuo captured too many luxury goods from the Jin Dynasty.

Zhao Shuo also chose a toy camel and a small bow and gave them to Batu.

The toy camel, a masterpiece of Jin Dynasty craftsmen, was crafted from brass, with two figures on its back. Driven by water, the figures would rotate with the camel's back.

The bow was painted with seven colors, symbolizing a rainbow. The arrow feathers were also dyed seven colors, but it had no arrowheads and could not possibly kill anyone. It was just a child's toy.

Batu immediately danced with joy after receiving the three gifts. It was obvious that although he was quiet by nature, he was still a little boy who loved toys.

Originally, Zhao Shuo thought that Badu would take these three things and go to Zhao He to show off.

However, he underestimated the innocence of the child.

Batu took the bronze camel that he was most interested in and went to play with Zhao He.

Zhao He acted like a big brother. He no longer paid attention to the man who got off the horse and the exquisite knife. Instead, he asked the people who were accompanying him for a water bag and started driving the little man on the bronze camel.

Then, the two children watched the performance of the little man on the bronze camel without blinking.

Watching the two brothers playing, Zhao Shuo was overjoyed. This time, he also gained Guo Baoyu's grandson, Guo Kan. In the future, these three brothers could form a western expedition trio and plow the Eurasian continent!
In a good mood, Zhao Shuo immediately announced that the Black Knights would disband and each of them would return home to enjoy family happiness.

Zhao Shuo, Hua Zheng and others returned to their own tent.

Zhao He was still playing with Batu outside, so he asked the maid to leave, leaving only the couple in the room.

Zhao Shuo hugged Hua Zheng. They had been separated for nearly three years and had endless things to say to each other.

Hua Zheng first asked Zhao Shuo if he was injured during this expedition, and then asked Zhao Shuo if he encountered any danger.

After asking these questions, the two began to talk about family matters. Hua Zheng counted them one by one with Zhao Shuo.

For example, women often asked her to arrange for their daughters to marry Su Lun. Su Lun was the son of the veteran Su He, so the proposal should be made to the Su family.

However, Su Lun served as a captain of a thousand men in the Qiexue army as Zhao Shuo's representative, and was deeply influenced by Zhao Shuo.

I'm afraid that Zhao Shuo and his wife will have to decide Su Lun's marriage.

For example, after Tolui went on the expedition with Temujin, his second son, Hududu, was born. Unfortunately, the child was unlucky and died shortly after birth.

For example, shortly after Ogedei left for war, his fourth son, Kharachar, was born. He was also said to be fathered by Doregnei, though whether this is true or not is unclear. Was Ogedei so doting on Doregnei that he only had children with her? Or did this woman resort to some other trickery?
After all the talk, we came to the topic of Lu You's son Lu Zibu.

Hua Zheng said, "Lu Zibu is very famous on the grassland now. Ah Shuo, do you know him?"

"Why?" Zhao Shuo asked, "The army has set out, and besides the ten thousand defenders, there are only a few elderly, weak, women and children left on the grassland. What earth-shattering event can he accomplish?"

"It's not a big deal," Hua Zheng said. "Didn't Lu Zibu teach the herdsmen to read? After you left, he simply gathered the children from the neighborhood and taught them Mongolian."

"The grassland is vast. He probably can't teach many children, and it probably won't have much impact."

"No. The children have to help with chores around the house and can't study with him all day. Every day he teaches, he moves to another place and teaches a new group of children. Ten days later, he returns to teach the rest of the content of the first group. This way, the children only study one day in ten, and there won't be any complaints from the family. Besides, he teaches many more children than you expected."

When Lu Zibu taught ordinary herdsmen to read, he did so in a fixed place.

Anyone who wants to learn can come, and if you don’t want to come, we won’t force you.

Now it seems that he intends to popularize writing on the grassland starting from the children.

Zhao Shuo was still a little confused and said, "Even so, the grassland is so vast. He can only teach a few hundred children, right? How can he become famous like that?"

"It's not just that," Hua Zheng explained. "Lu Zibu also taught the children his Mongolian epic poems, some praising Genghis Khan, some praising you, and some praising the grassland herders. After the children learned them, they would teach them to the adults at home. These epics spread quickly, and almost everyone on the grassland had heard them.

As a result, Lu Zibu's name spread throughout the grasslands. Almost everyone knew that a talented man from the south had come to the grasslands. He was called Lu Zibu. He not only taught the children to read, but also wrote poems praising Genghis Khan and his son-in-law.

Zhao Shuo understands this.

The role of these epics compiled by Lu Zibu is actually similar to that of the nursery rhymes circulated in the Central Plains. They not only spread quickly and widely, but are also the most effective way to achieve political goals.

For example, the children's rhyme "Rocking the fishing nets, arriving in Henan, and paying homage to Yanshi" that was popular in Hebei Province may have saved him a lot of trouble during his conquest of Hebei.

This Lu Zibu is really something.

On the one hand, he made up these nursery rhymes to make himself famous on the grassland.

On the other hand, it strengthened the prestige of Genghis Khan and Zhao Shuo.

And most importantly, it promoted the Mongols' favorable impression of the Han people in the south.

Simply kill three birds with one stone.

"It seems that Lu Zibu is a talented person. I'd like to meet him someday when I'm free." Zhao Shuo said, "By the way, how is Xin Qiji's son Xin Lu?"

Hua Zheng seemed to be lost in thought. "I heard he took a caravan to Khwarezm and made a lot of money. We're too far from Khwarezm, so I don't know the details."

Khwarezm? Zhao Shuo had never expected that Xin Yu could actually run so far.

"Then leave him alone for now and wait until he achieves something."

"By the way, Ashu, you should meet Zardusht first tomorrow. He heard that our army is returning, so he rushed all the way from Persia to see you. He has been waiting for more than a month." Hua Zheng reminded.

"Zardusht?"

Zhao Shuo's face showed strange expression.

This Zardusht was the Persian merchant whom he had asked to search for Arabian war horses and Wootz steel smelting technology.

I didn't expect him to come again.

Did he get the Arabian war horses and Wootz steel smelting technology he wanted?

Zhao Shuo actually became curious.

The Arabian warhorse and Wootz steel smelting technology are extremely important. If they can be succeeded, the strength of his subordinates will be greatly improved.

But Zardusht must see me tomorrow.

Zhao Shuo looked down at Hua Zheng and said, "Let him wait patiently. Hua Zheng, I miss you." Zhao Shuo leaned close to Hua Zheng's ear and whispered.

The hot breath swept across Hua Zheng's earlobes and cheeks, and Hua Zheng's body suddenly softened.

Her chest heaved, and her hands, which had originally been around Zhao Shuo's waist, moved to Zhao Shuo's neck.

The couple didn't say anything because Zhao Shuo had already shut up.

The candlelight flickered in the tent, and the remaining words might have to be left until tomorrow to be said slowly.

(End of this chapter)