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

Chapter 143 This revenge will be taken! The Kipchak Allied Forces: The advantage is on our side!

Before marching into Europe, Zhao Shuo rested for three days in the city of Daerban, where he made a final reorganization of his troops.

Firstly, Zhao Shuo kept his word; the remaining 60,000 conscripts were given travel expenses and a certain amount of food, and all were released. The 542 who had rendered sufficient military merit were incorporated into the regular army and enjoyed all the benefits of regular soldiers.

Secondly, the Balu Battalion had 6,234 men before the Battle of Daerban. 567 of them died in the battle, and another 672 men were credited with their achievements and incorporated into the regular army.

These soldiers incorporated into the regular army were naturally added in the order of Zhao Shuo's main force, the Han Chinese Eight Banners, and the Khwarazmian Eight Banners.

Even now, although Zhao Shuo's main force has 3,000 men each in Shandong, Hebei, and the Hulunbuir Grassland, and also left the Flying Eagle Army in the Khorasan region, it still numbers 15,000.

Although the Han Chinese Eight Banners each left two commanders of a thousand in Han territory, broke through Khwarezm, and left wounded soldiers in Khorasan as local officials, each banner still had a strength of 7,500 men, totaling 60,000 men.

Each of the five banners of Khwarazm was assigned a commander of a thousand in the Khorasan region.

They conquered the Persian provinces of Mazada and Kejiyun, and swept through the Caucasus countries. However, after repeated replenishments, each banner still had 8,600 men, totaling 43,000.

The Baru camp still has a little over 5,000 men left.

Therefore, apart from the engineering battalion of nearly 5,000 men, Zhao Shuo's total military strength is now 123,000.

Incidentally, during these three days, the envoys sent by Temujin finally caught up with Zhao Shuo.

Unfortunately, although the Khorasan region, where Zhao Shuo left more than 7,000 troops, remained relatively peaceful, he left no troops in the provinces of Mazada and Kejiyun in Persia, as well as in the Caucasus countries. He only left some wounded and disabled soldiers to maintain a symbolic presence.

In these places, the major cities were able to maintain order, but bandits roamed the countryside, making the messengers' progress very slow.

Zhao Shuo then learned of the advance of the other two Mongol armies through an envoy.

Ögedei and Chagatai led an army of 50,000 to attack Urgench, but the attack was very unsuccessful.

Historical records indicate that it was Jochi and Chagatai who besieged Urgench. Because Temujin had already granted Urgench to Jochi, Jochi wanted to preserve the city's strength and avoid unnecessary casualties. However, Chagatai was reckless and prioritized capturing the city. This led to a major conflict between the two, and the siege of Urgench dragged on for a long time without success.

This time, Temujin bestowed Yulongjiechicheng upon Chagatai, and Chagatai and Ögedei were also embroiled in similar conflicts.

It's a very simple principle: Zhao Shuo treated Mongols and Han Chinese equally. So what if he killed too many people? He could just replace them with Han immigrants later.

But for Jochi, Ögedei, and Chagatai, they couldn't just use Mongols to fill the gaps, could they?

If they slaughter all the soldiers, civilians, and people in the major cities under their control, who will do business? Who will pay taxes? How will they govern in the future?

Therefore, such conflicts are completely unavoidable.

Temujin led his central army to conquer all the cities along the Amu Darya River, but the campaign was unsuccessful.

There is a fortress called Netherrath here, nestled among mountains, where catapults cannot be deployed. Temujin attacked it for a month without success.

Therefore, Temujin was overjoyed upon seeing Muhammad's head and ordered Zhao Shuo to recall a portion of his troops. They then used ballistae to destroy the fortress of Nasraite. As for the main force of Zhao Shuo's army, having already captured Kejiyun City, they continued their southward advance to conquer the Persian territories first.

Zhao Shuo guessed that with Temujin's abilities, even without ballistae, breaking through Nasrat Castle wouldn't be a problem; it would just take some time. However, Temujin was getting old, and since he had readily available ballistae, he was too lazy to think of a way to breach this fortified city.

Therefore, he dispatched 1,300 engineers, a thousand-household commander from Khwarazm, and a thousand-household commander from the Han Chinese Eight Banners, a total of 3,000 men, with 300 ballistae and the spoils that Temujin was entitled to, to escort the envoy back to report and explain to Temujin the situation Zhao Shuo was facing.

In this way, Zhao Shuo's total force for advancing into Europe was twelve thousand, plus an engineering battalion of more than three thousand.

Although the road at Daerban Pass was relatively wide, it was still too narrow for an army of 120,000. In fact, when Zhao Shuo marched in the Caucasus region, he always divided his army into seven routes and advanced along different paths.

In any case, Zhao Shuo's 120,000-strong army stretched for nearly a hundred miles and took ten days to reach the Terek River Valley.

This valley is a delta plain formed by the alluvial deposits of the Terek River, characterized by hilly grasslands that are lush and verdant. Covering a total area of ​​4,000 square kilometers, it was the homeland of the Asud people. Here, the Asud established a city called "Mekshes" as their capital.

It was precisely because of the existence of the city of Myaqis that Jochi's army was firmly blocked by the Asu tribe and besieged by the Asu and Kipchaks.

The commotion caused by Zhao Shuo's 120,000-strong army was naturally known to the Asu tribe's scouts long ago.
They dared not continue their siege of Jochi, but instead retreated into the city of Myqen, waiting for the Rus' reinforcements to arrive before engaging the Mongol army in a decisive battle.

Zhao Shuo's 121,000 troops and Jochi's remaining 22,000 troops, totaling 143,000, successfully joined forces outside the city of Mieqiesi.

At this time, only eighty-three days had passed since Jochi sent his envoy to Zhao Shuo to request assistance.

It took Zhao Shuo only seventy-three days to swiftly reach Yuncheng after he led his troops out.

Of course, Zhao Shuo, as the commander-in-chief of the entire army, was in charge of the overall situation in the middle of this army that stretched for hundreds of miles, and was still thirty miles away from here.

This is just Zhao Shuo's vanguard; they have now officially joined forces with Jochi.

Inside the central command tent of the Mongol army.

"Haha, I told you, Ashu wouldn't let us down!"

Jochi looked at Jebe and Subutai with a smug expression, saying, "In just seventy-three days, we annihilated three kingdoms in the Caucasus, subjugated one, and marched here. I, this Anda, truly deserve to be called the first Batel of the steppe, don't I?"

Cough~~
Jebe coughed a few times before nodding, panting, and said, "That...that's natural. The Prince Consort is not only the number one batel on the steppe, but also the number one general of our time! Now that the Prince Consort's army has arrived, it's time for us to settle our scores with the Asu and Kipchaks."

"Yes, we should really do the math."

Subutai touched his injured cheek and said through gritted teeth.

Jochi, Jebe, and Subutai only had 30,000 troops under their command, and they had already lost more than 2,000 during their campaigns on the Kipchak Steppe. The remaining army was no match for the combined forces of the Asu people's 50,000 troops and the Kipchak people's 80,000 troops, totaling 130,000.

Although they had built strong fortifications along the mountainside in preparation for the arrival of the Kipchaks, they still suffered five or six thousand casualties. Jebe was stabbed in the fighting, possibly injuring his lungs, which caused him to cough incessantly and made it difficult for him to fight on the battlefield.

A cold arrow grazed Subutai's cheek.

Although it did not affect his combat ability at all, a bloodstain remained on his cheek, disfiguring him.

With two of his generals wounded, Jochi was under immense pressure. For several days, he not only ate and slept poorly but also had to command the battle, his eyes becoming bloodshot. Furthermore, a dozen or so white hairs had quietly appeared on Jochi's head.

The Kipchaks and Assudans had driven them to this point; how could they not want to exact revenge?
The arrival of Zhao Shuo's 120,000-strong army seven days ahead of schedule filled them with ecstatic joy.

Immediately, the three of them went out of the tent and traveled ten miles to meet Zhao Shuo. When Zhao Shuo saw the three of them in this state and heard what had happened, he was filled with rage.

Jochi was not only his brother-in-law, but also his sworn brother-in-law; the two had been friends since childhood.

Jochi regarded Zhao Shuo as the only sworn brother of the time.

Zhao Shuo regarded Jochi as a brother he could trust to carry his back.

Zhao Shuo originally thought that he had changed a lot of history.

For example, the city of Yulongjiechi is now being attacked by Chagatai and Ögedei, not by Jochi and Chagatai in cooperation.

Jochi must have been in a much better mood than in history, and he would not have died young again.

Unexpectedly, the siege by the Kipchaks and the Assuds forced Jochi into a state of extreme frustration, causing him to age considerably.

Subutai was Zhao Shuo's chosen general for the western expedition.

If that arrow had missed even slightly, Subutai would have been dead!
As for Jebe, Zhao Shuo had no good solutions for his internal organ injuries. It was hard to say whether Jebe would ever be able to return to the battlefield.

With such a great general lost, how could the Asur and Kipchaks not pay a heavy price?

Back in the central command tent, Zhao Shuo nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "With accounts in place, there's nothing to fear. Jochi, do you have any concrete ideas?"

Jochi said, "Jebe, Subutai, and I have already discussed this. There are only three options. First, we should find a way to break through the city of Meghes and slaughter the Kipchaks and Asus. However, if we do that, the Rus' 70,000-strong army will probably not dare to come."

"Secondly, we will besiege the city and attack its reinforcements. We will divide our forces into two groups to besiege the city, while the main force will ambush the Rus' people in a place they are sure to pass through. However, the grasslands are vast, and the Rus' people will send out countless scouts, so it will not be easy to successfully ambush them."

"Thirdly, we can do nothing now and wait for the Rus' to come, then fight them directly. However, this would put us under a lot of pressure."

"These three methods each have their advantages and disadvantages. What do you think, Ashu?"

Zhao Shuo thought for a moment and said, "Then let's wait for them to join forces, and then we can wipe out the Kipchaks, Assudans, and Rus's all at once."

Jochi, Jebe, and Subutai exchanged a glance and nodded, saying, "Alright, we'll listen to you, Ashoka."

Originally, Jochi, Jebe, and Subutai were all famous generals of their time.

The three methods they proposed each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and none of them are inherently wrong.

Zhao Shuo made a choice, and of course, they had no objections.

What? The Rus' have entered the city of Myles, and what should we do with an army of 200,000 defending the city?
That is impossible.

Now that they have no reinforcements left, what's the point of holding the city any longer?
Moreover, with 200,000 troops defending the city, how much food and fodder would they need every day? How could the Asu tribe sustain this supply in the long term?

On the Mongol side, the area outside the city was a lush grassland with abundant water and grass, so there was no problem with fodder for the horses. Zhao Shuo's wagons carried a considerable amount of grain, enough to easily feed the army for three to five months.

Therefore, the only option for the Rus', As', and Kipchak people after they joined forces was to fight a decisive battle against the Mongol army!
The Rus' intelligence arrived later than Jochi's.

After all, the idea of ​​reinforcements arriving within three months was merely wishful thinking on the part of the Rus'. Although the Rus' currently had a "Grand Duke" who nominally ruled over the various tribes, in reality, each tribe operated entirely independently. How easy would it be to gather all of the Rus' troops?

In fact, the Rus' army of 70,000 did not arrive until twelve days later.

The Mongol army did not intercept them and watched as Rus's 70,000-strong army entered the city.

Three days later, as expected, the allied forces of the Kipchak, Assud, and Rus' sent a challenge, inviting the Mongol army to a decisive battle outside the city of Myqen in five days.

Five days later.

dong dong dong~~
As the war drums sounded, the Kipchak, Asu, and Rus' army, totaling 185,000 men, marched out of the city of Myqes and formed ranks.

That's right, it was 185,000 troops.

Jochi, relying on his strong fortified camp, fought against the Kipchaks and Rus' for more than two months, suffering considerable casualties, including wounds to Jebe and Subutai. However, the Kipchaks and Asudes were engaged in siege warfare, resulting in far greater casualties than Jochi.

Now, the allied forces of the three races only have 185,000 troops left.

However, their morale is quite high.

Because the wise man Altay Burke of the Kipchaks had already explained it to them clearly.

It was this Altai Burke who, on his mission to the Caucasus region, facilitated the alliance between the Byzantine Empire and the Bagration Kingdom, who held the city of Tebilius and blocked Zhao Shuo's advance.

Although the plan failed, it also led to Zhao Shuo destroying the Byzantine Empire of Azhe'er.

However, Altai Burke remained confident.

"That Mongol prince consort Zhao Shuo, known as the First Batel of the Steppe, is indeed renowned. Since he separated his forces from Genghis Khan, he occupied the Khorasan region within half a year. Within two months, he successively conquered the provinces of Mazada and Kejiyun. In just over two months, he devastated the land of Azerbaijan, and his military prowess seems formidable."

"But in fact, they are all Mongol troops, so why aren't Jochi's troops as powerful? Jochi, who was supposed to join forces with Zhao Shuo, was actually blocked by us outside the city of Mieqiesi?"

"After careful investigation, I discovered that Zhao Shuo's military tactics were very different from Jochi's. Jochi's army was mostly composed of Mongol soldiers, and every death of one of them was a loss, so Jochi cherished his soldiers very much. However, Zhao Shuo's army included Mongol soldiers, Han soldiers, Khwarazmian soldiers, and conscripts composed of local young men."

“In every battle, Zhao Shuo would first send out conscripted soldiers to attack the city. When the battle reached a critical moment, he would generously send out Khwarazmian and Han troops. After the Khwarazmian and Han troops suffered casualties, he would use brave soldiers from the conscripted army to replenish their ranks.”

"Just think about it, how many cities did Zhao Shuo destroy in less than a year? How many casualties did his regular army suffer? Weren't all those casualties replaced by conscripts?"

"Therefore, although Zhao Shuo still has 120,000 troops under his command, many of them are conscripts and cannot be counted." Our troops, on the other hand, are all elite grassland warriors.

"180,000 to 140,000, the advantage is in my hands!"

……

His words were actually taken to heart by the Kipchaks, the Assuds, and the Rus'.
Especially the Rus' people, who had never fought against the Mongol army.

(End of this chapter)