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

Chapter 140 Are the conscripts and prisoners of war this strong? The Queen sacrifices herself!

In the blink of an eye, seven days later, the Mongol army erected red tents.

Zhao Shuo stood on the command platform, his face cold as he looked at Tiebilisi City.

The city walls were three zhang high and nine li in circumference. The walls were faced with brick and had four gates covered with thick iron sheets. A moat was formed around the city by diverting water from the Aji River.

The moat is two zhang wide and one zhang deep.

Between the moat and the city wall was a three-zhang-long open space, densely covered with sharp stones, which hindered the advance of large siege ladders or towers.

It is indeed a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

But so what?
Zhao Shuo had attacked far too many fortified cities, including Jin Zhongdu, which had a circumference of nearly forty li and four inner cities. There was also Samarkand, which was not much smaller than Jin Zhongdu and was surrounded by four moats. And even Kejiyun City, which was built of stone and had walls over four zhang high.

He didn't even consider the city of Thebillis a threat.

In fact, Zhao Shuo was not thinking about the city of Tebilis in front of him, but about Wu Xian, the commander of the Khwarazmian Plain Red Banner and the military commander standing behind him.

Wu Xian was appointed as the commander of the conscripted troops and repeatedly made military achievements. He had been rated as having the third-class merit at the military merit evaluation meetings several times. The Khwarazmian Eight Banners now had five 10,000-household commanders, and the military achievements of the other four 10,000-household commanders were completely incomparable to those of Wu Xian.

After pacifying Khwarezm, Zhao Shuo will definitely return to China.

So, should the military affairs within the country be handed over to Wu Xian for overall command?

Wu Xian's talent is certainly unquestionable, but he is also unruly and inherently unwilling to be subordinate to anyone. Currently, the families of Wu Xian's Han soldiers are all in the Central Plains, so Zhao Shuo has no need to worry about his loyalty. However, in the future, these families will certainly be relocated to Khwarazm.

By then, with the emperor far away and the realm beyond his reach, how could Zhao Shuo ensure Wu Xian's loyalty?

Or is it that a Mongol commander-in-chief was left in Khwarezm to oversee the overall situation?
For example, Hairige of the Flying Eagle Army was left in Khwarezm to oversee military affairs within Zhao Shuofeng's territory, making him the superior of the Khwarezmian Eight Banners.

Wu Xian was granted the title of Banner Master of the Plain Red Banner of Khwarazm and given an additional ten thousand households under his command, which was enough to reward his military achievements.

"Your Highness, the time has come."

Wu Xian had no idea that Zhao Shuo was currently considering his new duties, and respectfully reminded him, "Should we begin the siege now?"

"Well, let's get started."

"Yes!"

Upon receiving the order, Wu Xian descended from the command platform and rode his horse toward the conscripted troops who were already fully prepared and ready to depart.

"Long arrows for ranged attacks, short arrows for supervision, and those not chosen fill the moat!"

Snapped!Snapped!
Before Wu Xianren arrived, he threw out two feathered arrows, one long and one short, which he had prepared beforehand.

His ten conscripted officers agreed, leaped up, and rushed to grab the two arrows, one long and one short.

Back in the Khorasan region, in order to establish the Khwarazmian Eight Banners, Wu Xian gave certain preferential treatment to the conscripted soldiers. He not only distributed a certain percentage of the spoils of war to them, but also organized siege suicide squads, which helped those who were brave and fierce to stand out.

However, the majority of the 100,000 new recruits are Azerbaijanis, and they do not receive any of these preferential treatments.

They were only given the promise of going home and being promoted to a higher rank if they made great contributions.

Moreover, in order to further exploit the potential of the conscripted soldiers, Wu Xian made a new invention—shaving their heads.

All conscripts had to shave their right sideburns to create a clear identifier, completely distinguishing them from the Mongol army and even the local soldiers and civilians.

There are three advantages to doing this.

Firstly, it was a local custom in Persia to brand slaves on their right forehead. Inspired by this custom, Wu Xian ordered all conscripts to shave off their right sideburns.

This gave these conscripted soldiers a strong psychological suggestion: their heads no longer belonged to them, but to the Mongol army. Only by fighting hard could they redeem their heads and regain their freedom.

Secondly, if any conscripted soldiers were to escape, their irregular hairstyles would be too conspicuous, making them easy targets for capture and execution. Moreover, even if they managed to escape, so what? Everyone knows that the conscripted soldiers are stained with the blood of countless of their own people; they would likely be killed directly by their own clansmen.

However, when they were all released back together, their numbers were too great, or their hair had grown back, so they were able to continue living.

Thirdly, it is about distinguishing between friend and foe.

The conscripted soldiers lacked uniforms, making them vulnerable to friendly fire from the Mongol army in the brutal street fighting. Wu Xian's initial solution was to have each soldier wrap a red cloth around their left arm to distinguish them from the enemy. However, this red cloth was too easily imitated by the enemy.

Now that the soldiers have shaved their right sideburns and tied red cloth around their left arms, the problem of distinguishing friend from foe has been completely solved.

It must be said that Wu Xian was truly a talent for reorganizing the chaotic army, constantly introducing new ideas and squeezing out the potential of the conscripted soldiers.

Today, the main task of these 100,000 conscripts is to fill in the moat, which is two zhang wide and one zhang deep, to extend it by at least one li.

Boom boom boom~~
The roar of the Mongol army's catapults heralded the start of the battle.

Countless twelve-pound stones rained down on the city of Thepidus. Among these stones were also some earthenware jars containing Greek fire.

Pa~~
With a series of cracking sounds, the clay pot shattered, and the liquid from the Greek fire splashed onto the defending soldiers and weapons, or flowed down the city walls.
Whoosh whoosh!
Eight hundred triple-bow crossbows unleashed their power simultaneously!

Five thousand six hundred arrows, each consisting of a spear and three swords, bound with burning cotton cloth, were fired toward the city of Tebil.

Some of the targets of the three arrows and one spear were the catapults on the city wall.

Some of the arrows and three swords were aimed at the spot where the pottery jars had just been smashed.

Boom~~
In an instant, a huge fire shot into the sky.

Central Asia is rich in oil, and the walls of the city of Tepiris were already stocked with numerous oil cylinders, oil bottles, and other such items.

The fire quickly ignited the kerosene canisters and bottles.

It even ignited the Greek fire liquid that had been on the soldiers and their weapons.

In an instant, thick smoke billowed and flames soared from the city tower of Tebil.

"Help! Help!"

"Quick! Take off your clothes! This is Greek fire, water can't extinguish it! It'll be too late if you wait any longer!"

"Put out the fire! Put out the fire!"

"Damn it, we Mulas people have provided the Tatars with such terrifying weapons!"

"Kill me! Kill me!"

……

On the city walls of Tiberias, cries of agony, shouts for help, and complaints filled the air, creating utter chaos.

It was at this time—

"Charge! Charge forward!"

"Break the city of Tiberius!"

"If I make twenty round trips, I can survive today!"

……

Countless soldiers with red cloth wrapped around their left arms and their right sideburns shaved off, carrying sandbags that had been prepared beforehand, swarmed toward the moat of the city of Tebil.

They and the people of the city of Tebil were originally from the same country.

However, such bizarre attire completely distinguished the two sides.

Either they die, or the people of Thebilis die.

This absurd and bizarre feeling terrified the people of Thebilis.

What terrified them even more was the speed at which these conscripted soldiers filled the moat.

By now, the Mongol army's methods of attacking cities had been greatly improved.

The sandbags for filling the moat were prepared during the seven days it took to erect the white tents, less than three hundred paces from the moat.

The recruits also underwent certain military training.

They moved slowly outside the range of the catapults and crossbows in Tiberias, conserving their energy. However, once inside the range of the catapults and crossbows, they would run faster than rabbits, maximizing their chances of survival.

Before evening, a section of the moat that was a kilometer long had already been filled in.

"Mochibieduwen, let the Balu camp try to attack!"

Seeing that there was still plenty of time, Zhao Shuo, standing on the command platform, decisively issued the order.

The conscripted soldiers were already exhausted from filling the moat. Driving them to attack the city now would only increase casualties and boost the morale of the defenders of Tebil.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo mobilized the Balu Camp.

"Yes!"

Mo Chibieduwen loudly agreed.

Zhao Shuo's Balu Battalion now numbers less than 10,000 men.

There was no other way; after the Mongol army invaded Khwarazm, they frequently carried out massacres. Some of the soldiers in the Balu Battalion died in battle, while others distinguished themselves and became regular soldiers. There was only a loss of soldiers, and now only this few remained.

But then again, over nine thousand people is not a small number.

Most of these people were Khwarazmian regular soldiers captured outside the city of Husihan!
Both the Azhar Byzantine Empire and the Bagration Empire had previously been vassals of Khwarazm.

The Khwarazmian regular army was not only indeed stronger in combat than the regular armies of the two countries, but also had a great psychological advantage.

Moreover, as the number of people in the Balu Battalion dwindled, the soldiers in the Balu Battalion became increasingly panicked.

The status of the soldiers in the Balu Battalion was above that of the conscripts.

The current Balu Battalion has fewer than 10,000 men, not even as many as a single Eight Banners commander, and will soon be unable to undertake independent combat missions.

Who knows, one day the prince consort might get impatient and conscript all the soldiers of the Balu Battalion into the regular army. The mortality rate of the regular army is far higher than that of the Balu Battalion!
Now that they've finally found an easy target, aren't they going to squeeze them hard?

They are striving for the last chance to become regular soldiers!

"Charge! Kill!"

"Smash the city of Thebillis, seize its money and women!" "Destroy the Byzantine Empire of Azer!"

"A tiny vassal state dares to be arrogant? Brothers, kill! Becoming a regular soldier is just around the corner!"

Those who retreat will be beheaded!

……

With shouts echoing, over nine thousand soldiers of the Balu Battalion, carrying ladders and pushing battering rams, launched a fierce attack on the city of Tebilis under the cover of catapults and triple-bow ballistae.

The sharp stones beneath the walls of Tebilas were intended to impede large siege ladders or towers, but they were of no use against the hastily constructed, rudimentary siege ladders of the Mongol army.

Boom boom boom!
Almost simultaneously, twenty-three siege ladders were erected on the walls of Thebillis, and the warriors of the Baru Camp, clad in heavy armor, struggled to climb them.

This section of the city wall happened to be guarded by the Kingdom of Bagration.

Unfortunately, the Bagration Kingdom practiced Christianity, while the Byzantine Empire practiced a religion of true God.

They couldn't even urinate in the same pot.

These two countries only barely managed to defend the city of Tebiliz because of their shared interests.

It is completely impossible to expect them to cooperate closely or for the military to be integrated.

Each side was assigned to be responsible for two sections of the city wall: east, west, south, and north. The warriors of the Bagration Kingdom were simultaneously responsible for the defense of the eastern and southern city walls.

The Mongol army attacked the southern city wall!
"Quick! Stop them!"

"Don't let them get up there!"

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows!"

"Put down logs and pour boiling water!"

……

Oil and boiling oil were obviously out of the question; those things were too easily ignited by the Mongol army's Greek fire and had already been removed.

As the soldiers of the Balu Camp ascended the siege ladder, the soldiers of the Bagragioni Kingdom shouted loudly and unleashed a barrage of logs and arrows at them as if they were free!

However, the Balu Battalion was extremely powerful, well-equipped, and fearless.

In less than 15 minutes, dozens of brave and fierce Balu soldiers had climbed the city wall, and more Balu soldiers followed in a continuous stream.

The brutal battle to scale the city walls has begun.

To protect this section of the wall, the Kingdom of Bagration deployed its most elite troops.

At the critical moment of the battle, King George IV personally led his personal guard to the front line!
From the moment the Balu Camp soldiers attacked the city until nightfall when Zhao Shuo ordered the sounding of the horn to signal a retreat, the Balu Camp soldiers suffered over two thousand casualties, and the Bagrajionni Kingdom's soldiers also suffered over twelve hundred casualties!
It should be noted that the soldiers of the Kingdom of Bagration were on the defensive side of the city, giving them a significant geographical advantage!
That night, George IV, having fought all day, went to bed early.

Rusdan was not at ease and personally interrogated the prisoners.

After all, George IV had no children, and Russodan, as his sister, was the first in line to the throne of King Bagration and held considerable power.

Interrogating these prisoners personally was certainly within her authority.

When she learned that the true identity of the soldiers who were so powerful and well-equipped was just a soldier in the Balu Battalion with slightly better treatment than those who had been recruited into the army, she could hardly believe her ears!

However, since all seventeen prisoners spoke with one voice, Rusudan had no choice but to believe them.

Oh, God!
Zhao Shuo's army was even stronger than he had imagined!

He almost broke through the city of Thebillis today by only deploying slave soldiers!

The fighting force still consists of these slave soldiers; under Zhao Shuo's command, there are more than 120,000 warriors!

Such a powerful army, is it really a detachment under Genghis Khan?
Can Tiberias really hold out for three months?

I'm afraid we won't even be able to hold out for three days!
Three days later, the city of Tebilius will surely fall, and none of the 70,000-strong army of the Bagration Kingdom within its walls will survive.

That's fine. We can do without the 70,000-strong army, and we can also let our brother George IV die in battle, but what about the Bagration Kingdom, which has been passed down for hundreds of years?
Must we be buried with them?
"Perhaps, it was a huge mistake for our Kingdom of Bagration to participate in this war. It was an even bigger mistake for us to be enemies of the 'God's Plague'! My brother is not a competent king; he has led the entire country into hell! I cannot let this mistake continue."

Lusudan gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

Immediately after making some preparations, he ordered someone to hang a basket with a rope and send him to the city.

……

……

Half an hour later, inside Zhao Shuo's sleeping tent.

"You all go down."

"Yes."

At Zhao Shuo's command, the eight Night Owl guards retreated outside the tent.

Only three people remained inside the tent.

Zhao Shuo, a woman named Payana, and a Georgian woman who covered her beautiful figure completely with a black mink cloak.

Payana was a Persian noblewoman who voluntarily surrendered and presented herself to Zhao Shuo.

This beauty is not only beautiful, but when she sweats, pink spots like cherry blossom petals appear on her snow-white skin, making her truly stunning and alluring, a feast for the eyes.

Most importantly, he received an excellent education from a young age, and was not only familiar with the various stories and anecdotes of Khwarezm, but also proficient in the languages ​​of more than a dozen major ethnic groups within Khwarezm.

In this respect, Xin You could not possibly do it.

After all, he was busy with official duties and couldn't possibly devote all his energy to learning various languages. Moreover, because of his busy schedule, he couldn't always be by Zhao Shuo's side as a translator.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo kept Payana by his side throughout the march.

The Georgian beauty in the sable tent was none other than the princess of the Bagration Kingdom, who would later become Queen Rusdan.

"Princess Rusdan of the Kingdom of Bagration pays her respects to the esteemed prince consort."

"Tell me what you want from me."

Zhao Shuo did not give a friendly look to the famous Georgian queen in front of him.

These Georgians deliberately led a large army to block his path, which was a suicidal act. He had already decided that after helping Jochi resolve his troubles, he would return and destroy Georgia, annihilate the nation and its people, and slaughter all the Georgian men.

Rusudan knelt respectfully before Zhao Shuo and said, "Your Highness, my brother is blindly arrogant and has led the army of the Bagration Kingdom against you. This is his folly. I wish to stop his mistake and offer you the city. I wonder if you can calm your anger and give the Bagration Kingdom a chance to survive?"

Upon hearing Lu Sudan's words, Zhao Shuo began to look at this future queen with slightly different eyes.

This woman is indeed much smarter than her foolish brother.

"So, you think surrendering the city is a great achievement?"

Zhao Shuo said lightly.

Lu Sudan shuddered, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his skin.

She knew what Zhao Shuo meant. The city of Tiberias was very strong in the eyes of his brother George IV and King Joachim of Azerbaijan, but it was indeed vulnerable to Zhao Shuo.

She also came to this conclusion from the prisoners.

"Your Highness, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to appease your anger as much as possible..."

Rusudan knelt on the ground, her slender back and thin, snow-white shoulders looking very delicate.

However, Zhao Shuo saw resilience and courage in this woman.

“You are very clever. But you can’t save your brother’s life, nor can you save the lives of the soldiers of the Kingdom of Bagration in the city.”

Zhao Shuo said coldly.

Rusudan's brother led a large army to block his way, which angered him. Such clownish behavior could not be forgiven by Rusudan's pleas.

Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Bagration inside the city had been fighting fiercely for a day, killing and wounding many conscripted soldiers and soldiers of the Baru Camp. These soldiers who participated in the resistance, even if they defected, did not deserve forgiveness.

Rusudan looked dejected and said in a trembling voice, "I know, Your Highness, I am willing to offer up my brother's head and open the city gates for you, just begging you to show mercy and spare the people of the Kingdom of Bagrajioni!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shuo understood Lu Sudan's thoughts.

Abandon the car to save the handsome man.

This woman wanted to sacrifice her brother and tens of thousands of soldiers in exchange for the Mongols not massacring Georgians.

Very decisive and has excellent judgment.

Zhao Shuo thought about it and felt that this woman did have some value and unique charm.

"Okay, but you need to show me your sincerity."

Zhao Shuo walked up to Lu Sudan, bent down and lifted her chin, looking down at her.

"Yes……"

A rosy glow appeared on Rusdan's beautiful, pale face.

She first glanced subconsciously at Payana next to Zhao Shuo.

Then, with a slight grit of her teeth, as if she had finally made up her mind, she lifted her silver sable cloak, revealing all the infinite beauty inside.

Inside was Lu Sudan's undergarment; no wonder she had covered herself completely with a sable cloak, not revealing even a trace of it.

The close-fitting bodice was exquisitely tailored, its length reaching only below the ribs, revealing a slender waist, as if whispering the beauty of the Georgian mountains.

The front of the dress was tied tightly with a deep red ribbon as thin as a hair, winding from the chest to the abdomen. The neckline was wide and low, slightly open, revealing the elegant collarbone and the cool white skin of the shoulders.

Two slender gold chains, adorned with seven or eight gemstones, were tied around Rusdan's waist, shimmering under the light. This added to the mystique of the area below the necklace.

(End of this chapter)