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

Chapter 151: The Han people of Shandong and Hebei are in an uproar, opening their eyes to the world, the flames of conquest are ignited!

Later, Zhao Shuo stepped down from the platform, and the military judge Mochibieduwen took over the distribution of money and goods to the fallen soldiers and those stationed far away.

Of course, these soldiers who died in battle or were stationed far away refer to the steppe warriors. The families of the Han Chinese Eight Banners were stationed in Fu, Chang, and Huan prefectures, as well as Hebei and Shandong. Zhao Shuo could not possibly send their families more than a thousand miles to Harka Guicheng.

Due to the extensive use of conscripted soldiers, the number of grassland warriors killed in battle was not large, totaling only 322.

The grassland warriors stationed outside consisted of 2,300 Flying Eagle Army soldiers and a 1,000-man squad in the Terek River Valley, totaling 3,300 men.

For the families of the fallen steppe warriors, Mochibieduwen set up ten tables on a high platform, each with a plaque bearing the name of one of Zhao Shuo's ten commanders. Each table was overseen by a five-man military law team, who distributed spoils and compensation to the families of the fallen steppe warriors of that commander's unit.

For the families of the Flying Eagle Army soldiers and the families of the soldiers in the Terek Valley, the money and goods that the soldiers had sent back were distributed.

Mochibieduwen divided them into thirty-three teams, following the original division of one hundred households. These thirty-three military law teams distributed the goods and letters entrusted to them by the soldiers to bring back, standing below the high platform. Not only were they distributed, but their families were also required to sign receipts acknowledging receipt of the items.

The whole process was carried out in an orderly manner, and the distribution was completed before dark.

Next came a grand celebration banquet.

Preparations for the victory feast began three days in advance, involving the slaughter of a thousand cattle, three thousand sheep, and a thousand old horses. The meat was not only roasted or stewed, but also seasoned with spices plundered from the Persian regions.

Cumin and pepper are essential.

Although these two spices had appeared in China through trade between the East and the West, they were too expensive. Pepper, in particular, was comparable in price to gold. The people of the grasslands lived frugally and would not spend so much money on these spices.

Now, cumin and pepper are generously added to meat dishes, allowing the people of the grasslands to taste the fruits of the warriors' conquests and experience exotic flavors.

Some of the large pots used for cooking meat also contained saffron from Post, which, although quite fragrant, was specifically instructed not to be consumed by pregnant women or injured people.

The drinks include traditional grassland mare's milk wine and liqueur produced in Zhao Shuo's workshop. Now, Zhao Shuo's workshop has developed various types of alcohol, but the 42-proof liqueur is still the most popular among the grassland people.

All meat and alcohol were provided free of charge to the grassland people, artisans within Zhao Shuo's system, and their families.

Merchants and their families in the city of Harka only need to pay one hundred coins each to participate and eat and drink as much as they want.

That means we're charging just the cost price.

But many businessmen and their associates couldn't care less about food and drink at this time.

Now is a great time to do business.

Even the most ordinary soldiers had valuables worth five hundred taels of silver. The families of those who died in battle had even more.

Once you have money in your hands, won't you have the urge to spend it?

Children's toys, women's cosmetics, and everyday household items were all in high demand. If not now, when?

For a time, the air outside the city of Harkagui was filled with the aroma of wine and meat. The sounds of men playing drinking games, children laughing and singing, women chatting and singing, and merchants hawking their wares blended together, creating a veritable sea of ​​joy.

Zhao Shuo, his wife, and children were not present.

They had already returned to the Prince Consort's residence before the sun had set.

Zhao Shuo had five sons and two daughters before his western expedition.

He now has six sons and four daughters, a total of ten children.

Among them, Queen Rusudan named Zhao Shuosheng's son Zhao Mu, who is only three months old and has already returned to Bagrajionni with Rusudan.

Hua Zheng gave birth to two sons for Zhao Shuo: Zhao Shuo's eldest son, Zhao He, who is fourteen years old this year, and Zhao Shuo's fifth son, Zhao Xuan, who is five years old this year.

Su Na gave birth to a son and a daughter for Zhao Shuo: Zhao Shuo's second son, Zhao Yan, is seven years old this year, and his eldest daughter, Zhao Ying, is six years old this year.

Hulan also gave birth to a son and a daughter for Zhao Shuo: Zhao Shuo's third son, Zhao Yi, is six years old this year, and his second daughter, Zhao Xue, is five years old this year.

Aliya gave birth to a son for Zhao Shuo: Zhao Shuo's fourth son, Zhao Yu, who is five years old this year.

Wanyan Ningjia was already pregnant before Zhao Shuo went on his expedition. After Zhao Shuo's westward expedition, she gave birth to a daughter named Zhao Ke, who is now just over three years old and not yet four.

Of these children, the eldest son Zhao He and Zhao Shuo are very close.

He was fourteen years old, yet already only two inches shorter than Zhao Shuo. The high cheekbones characteristic of Mongolians had been softened by his Han Chinese ancestry, while his nose, like Zhao Shuo's, was high, straight, and sharply defined, as if sculpted by a knife. His facial features were smooth, with a youthful leanness yet a sense of strength; his cheekbones, though soft, remained prominent, reflecting his Mongolian heritage. His lips were thin and distinct, and his jawline was strong, outlining a handsome and heroic profile.

Over the years, Zhao He stayed on the Hulunbuir Grassland, learning horsemanship, archery, martial arts, and military strategy from the fast-running Altana.

You can't learn military strategy by reading military books. Altana has never studied any military books, and he can't even understand them.

But he's strong in actual combat!

Altana had Zhao He learn in the military camp, to see how the soldiers lived and how the entire camp actually operated.

Altana and Zhao He each commanded five hundred men in battle. The warriors on both sides fought with long arrows with the arrowheads removed, wooden spears wrapped in cotton cloth, and wooden swords, to see whose army would prevail.

Sometimes, Altana would take Zhao He on horseback to places with mountains and rivers, and tell Zhao He how to arrange his troops in such terrain.

If a strong wind suddenly blows, what should you do if it's with the wind? And how should you deal with a headwind?
What should you do if a sudden downpour or blizzard occurs?

Now, apart from lacking practical experience, Zhao He is more than capable of serving as a Mongol centurion.

Zhao He also studied some cultural courses with Lu Zibu.

You must be proficient in both Mongolian and Chinese, but you don't need to study the Four Books and Five Classics. However, you should study history, and master common idioms and allusions. You should also learn about geography and landscapes.

Zhao He has already mentioned these learning contents and his learning progress in his correspondence over the past few years.

In his reply, Zhao Shuo also recounted his experiences in the war and the customs and culture of the West.

Therefore, although Zhao Shuo and Zhao He were separated for four years, the relationship between the father and son did not diminish in the slightest.

But the other children were separated from Zhao Shuo before they could even remember anything, and Zhao Ke had never even seen Zhao Shuo's face.

Therefore, there was a bit of awkwardness when they first met.

However, after spending some time together during the day, they kept calling him "Abu" repeatedly.

Upon returning to the Prince Consort's residence, Zhao Shuo began distributing gifts.

He seized too many spoils of war; there were more than three hundred boxes of jewelry alone.

Zhao Shuo simply had Suna, Hulan, Aliya, Wanyan Ningjia, and Maria, the Byzantine princess he brought back, open blind boxes.

Zhao Shuo ordered his men to bring twenty boxes filled with jewels, allowing each of them to choose one. Hua Zheng didn't need to choose; all the valuables belonged to both Zhao Shuo and Hua Zheng, and she could decide whether to use them herself or as gifts.

Zhao Shuo prepared gifts for all the children.

The horse he gifted to his eldest son, Zhao He, was a prized steed belonging to the Khwarazmian Sultan Muhammad. This horse had a crescent-shaped white mark on its forehead, a cascading silver mane, and stood four feet seven inches tall; it was exceptionally magnificent. Furthermore, Muhammad equipped the horse with exquisite saddlery, and even the whip was decorated with gold thread.

The gift given to the second son, Zhao Yan, was a gold-inlaid scimitar belonging to King Yuejib of the Byzantine Empire, with the Arabic inscription "Blade of the Victor" inlaid with turquoise on the hilt.

The gift given to his eldest daughter, Zhao Ying, was a set of painted parchment scrolls of the Book of Kings. At that time, the West did not have printing technology, and the illustrations on these parchment scrolls were drawn by the most skilled Persian painters, depicting various figures and animals with remarkable lifelike detail.

……

After Zhao Shuo finished distributing the gifts, the family began to eat dinner.

To welcome Zhao Shuo, tonight's dinner is very lavish.

The main dish is called "Wucha". It is made from the back of a two-year-old castrated sheep and slow-roasted in a special oven for six hours. The outer skin is crispy like amber and the inside is fragrant with fat.

Side dishes include hand-pulled mutton, blood sausage, jade milk tofu, sand onion deer fillets, boiled beef, and other common Mongolian delicacies.

The wine they drank was a top-quality Persian wine that Zhao Shuo had brought back. This wine was called "Sasanian Jade," a gift from a wealthy Persian merchant. Because it was made using a special method with the addition of sea buckthorn juice, it not only had a unique flavor but also a faint golden sheen on its surface.

Zhao Shuo quite liked the taste of this wine, and he drank it again this time. The women and children didn't drink alcohol; instead, they drank steaming hot milk tea.

After dinner, Zhao Shuo told his family about the various stories of the western expedition, the different customs and scenery along the way. The little ones listened with rapt attention, and Zhao Yan repeatedly said that his father must take him on the next expedition, as he was already seven years old and could ride a pony and shoot arrows.

Zhao Yi and Zhao Yu were still young, but their eyes were filled with longing.

Zhao He remained remarkably calm.

Because Zhao Shuo had already discussed these matters with him in their correspondence.

Moreover, he knew that if there were another westward expedition, he would be taken along even if no one else was on it.

In fact, Zhao Shuo had already instructed Zhao He before this western expedition that if Chagatai's son, Mu'atugan, summoned him to the Khwarazmian front, he should absolutely not go. Zhao Shuo would definitely take him with him on the next expedition.

Because it's just too unlucky.

Historical records indicate that Mu'atugan took several of Temujin's grandsons, all over ten years old, to Khwarazm. Mu'atugan was killed in battle while attacking Fanyan Fort. Enraged, Temujin not only massacred the entire city of Fanyan Fort but also ordered that no property be taken and no living creature be spared, turning Fanyan Fort into ruins.

Zhao Shuo didn't want Zhao He to be tainted by Mu Atugan's bad luck.

If something were to happen to Zhao He, wouldn't Zhao Shuo and Hua Zheng be heartbroken?
Sure enough, last year, Mu'a Tugan invited Jochi's eldest son Orda, Zhao Shuo's eldest son Zhao He, Chagatai's sons Guiyou, Khoduan, and Khochu to go to Khwarazm. Zhao He resolutely refused to go; he was quite popular among his younger brothers, which made the others hesitate as well.

Ultimately, Mu'a Tugan's westward expedition failed.

In a sense, it also saved Mu'a Tugan's life.

Although Zhao He was unaware of the whole story, he had indeed received Zhao Shuo's promise, so he remained very calm.

They talked until the second watch of the night before the women and children went to rest, leaving only Zhao Shuo and Hua Zheng in the house.

The couple, separated for many years, naturally spent the whole night together in tenderness, needless to say.

……

……

Meanwhile, in Lijiazhuang, Suning County, Hejian Prefecture, Hebei Province, the lights were still on.

"You've never seen anything like the Dalban city of Khwarezm in your life! To the left are high mountains, and to the right is the Caspian Sea. The city walls are all made of stone, and they're at least twice as high as the walls of our Suning County! Inside the city, there are also seven-zhang-high (approximately 33 meters) fortifications, which are at least three times higher than the walls of Suning County!"

"What? You don't know how big the Caspian Sea is? Well, let me put it this way, it stretches over 1,200 li from north to south. Has anyone been to Baiyangdian? Ten Baiyangdians can't compare to one Caspian Sea. The water there is salty, a vast expanse of blue, and you can't see the end even standing on the watchtower of Daerban!"

"We also went to a place called the Black Sea. That sea is not only larger than the Caspian Sea, but it is also very eerie. On the surface, the water is very clear, but when you sit on the boat and look down, the seabed is pitch black, so it is called the Black Sea."

"The Caucasus Mountains are so high! It's still summer in the valleys, but winter on the summit, with ice covering everything. If we hadn't captured Derban and marched through the valleys, it would have been impossible to cross the Caucasus Mountains!"

……

This Lijiazhuang was the garrison of the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Han Army.

A Han soldier named Li Tiezhu was speaking animatedly to his tenants and children, recounting his experiences on the westward expedition.

What Caucasus Mountains? Which Caspian Sea or Black Sea?
And what about those majestic and imposing foreign fortresses?

Let alone the tenants and children present, even the most knowledgeable scholars in China would be completely unaware of the situation!
At this moment, their eyes widened, and they looked at Li Tiezhu with great respect, regarding him as an extraordinary figure.

Li Tiezhu thoroughly enjoyed this feeling, talking animatedly, and even now, he doesn't feel sleepy at all.

Suddenly, someone interrupted, "Stop just telling stories! Brother Li, how much benefit did you gain from this western expedition? Let us see, so we can broaden our horizons."

"Then you'd better be prepared! Don't scare you to death when I take it out!"

Li Tiezhu was just about to show off when this man's words gave him the perfect opportunity.

As he spoke, he went back into the house, carried a huge wooden crate, and came out with heavy steps, saying, "Take a look, all of you!"

wow~~
He tipped the box over, and everything inside spilled out.

The yellow stuff is gold!
The white stuff is silver!
There are also four exquisite silk fabrics! These are not the common silks and satins found in China, but the material is soft and smooth, and they are decorated with exquisite, exotic patterns. They are obviously very valuable, the kind of things that a peasant could never afford in his entire life.

Several rubies, gleaming with dazzling light, rolled down the hill. No one in the farming family knew the price of these rubies; they only knew that they could never afford them!

"This...so much? How much money is this?!"

"I've never seen so much silver in my entire life!"

"Is this gold? Can I touch it? I've never touched gold in my life."

……

For a moment, the men stared intently at the valuables, not only exclaiming in amazement but also breathing heavily.

The children, though not as fanatical as the men, knew that money was a good thing, and that money was what their family lacked most. The wealth before them was something they could never earn by toiling in the fields their entire lives!
Li Tiezhu said, "According to our Han army's calculation method, it's about five hundred taels of silver. However..."

As he spoke, he tugged at the high-end silk fabrics and said, “This stuff isn’t available in the Central Plains! Scarcity drives up prices. Do you think I can sell it at the local price in Khwarezm? And these rubies, they were worth one tael of silver each back then. But in Hebei, they’re worth ten times that, and you still can’t buy them!”

"Does that mean you've earned at least six hundred taels of silver? Our entire family doesn't even have sixty taels!" someone exclaimed.

There was even a child around ten years old who exclaimed, "I want to be a member of the Eight Banners Army! I want to earn lots and lots of money! I want to see the vast ocean and towering mountains thousands of miles away!"

Li Tiezhu recognized him; this was the child of one of his tenant farmers, named Qian Xiaoshan.

"Good boy!"

Li Tiezhu patted his head and said, "Then practice your martial arts diligently and strive to join the Eight Banners Army as soon as possible."

……

……

Similar incidents continued to occur as the Eight Banners returned to defend their positions.

Tonight, countless Eight Banner soldiers are telling their tenant farmers and their children about their experiences on the westward expedition and showing them their gains.

These tenants and their children would then tell their relatives and friends about what they had seen and heard.

These messages will gradually spread throughout Hebei and Shandong!

The Han people in the countryside are about to erupt in excitement!
There's no way around it; serving as a soldier for the prince consort is just too lucrative! A single expedition can earn a farmer more than he could earn in a lifetime by toiling in the fields!

They also want their children to go to school, their parents to be cared for, and their wives to have beautiful clothes to wear!
In the past, wasn't there no opportunity?

I don't have the skills to do business.

Not only is it difficult to afford education, but becoming an official is extremely rare, with only one in a thousand being selected.

They fought tooth and nail, yet everyone felt they had a chance!

Moreover, it wasn't just about getting rich; it was also about not being confined to their hometown for the rest of their lives. They wanted to see the outside world!

They also wanted to see Khwarezm and the Caspian Sea.

Let's see that Persian beauty.

Come and see the lush, flower-filled Qincha grasslands!

Joining the army, following the prince conquest of the world, becomes the spark that ignites in the heart of every Han man!
These flames, when joined together, become a raging fire that will conquer the entire world!
(End of this chapter)