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

Chapter 153 The Pope: How is that possible? The Mongol territory is larger than the entirety of Europe?
Two months after Zhang Shijie left, Zhang Rou became the commander of the Han Army's Plain Blue Banner. The other outstanding young men in the Zhang family also held positions such as commander of ten or one hundred households.

Zhang Shijie has no regrets about this.

Zhang Shijie had been leading fifty men under Zhang Rou back then. Leaving Zhang Rou to carve out his own territory was Zhang Shijie's original choice.

Nearly ten years have passed, and Zhang Shijie has worked hard in the Xiangyang Navy without any chance of advancement, which he has accepted.

You have to accept the consequences of your bet.

Without Zhang Rou's support, Zhang Shijie could only remain a lowly soldier. He had lost his gamble, but Zhang Shijie wasn't one to accept defeat.

It wasn't until news of the Mongol army's westward expedition arrived that Zhang Shijie realized he had lost far too much!
We really can't afford to lose!
An ordinary soldier can receive valuables worth five hundred taels of silver!
Zhang Shijie is twenty-six years old this year, not young anymore, and he also wants to get married and have children. With his monthly income of less than two taels of silver and his social status as a "bandit convict" in the Song Dynasty, how could he possibly settle down and start a family?

Most importantly, the experiences and observations of the soldiers on the western expedition greatly broadened Zhang Shijie's horizons.

The ears of Husihan on the banks of the Chu River are the homeland of the Han people!

One of the fiefdoms of Prince Consort Zhao Shuo was Tokharistan, which was the location of the Persian Governor's Office during the Tang Dynasty!
The city of Kejiyun, where the imperial son-in-law Zhao Shuo killed Muhammad, was a place the Han people had never reached before.

The Caspian Sea is called a sea, but it is actually a large lake. The water in this lake is salty, and it is probably a thousand times larger than Honghu Lake!
There is also the Black Sea, which is even larger than the Caspian Sea!

West Ross has vast black soil!

There is the Kipchak Grassland, with its lush green grass and wildflowers everywhere!

All of this filled Zhang Shijie with longing.

It turns out that there is such a vast world besides the Song, Jin, and Mongol dynasties.

It turns out that the small territory that the Song and Jin dynasties fought over for so long was insignificant in the grand scheme of things!
If he hadn't deserted back then, he probably would have become a commander of a thousand men in the Han Army's Plain Blue Banner.
These experiences should have been his, and Zhang Shijie should have had a share in such great achievements!
Now, Zhang Shijie is filled with regret.

He finally realized what he had missed out on because of his youthful impetuosity.

But what could Zhang Shijie do?
Returning north to join his own clansmen? Even if Zhang Shijie could bring himself to do it, what kind of friendly treatment would his clansmen have of him as a "traitor"? Zhang Rou's military law is strict; it would be kind enough if he weren't punished for desertion.

What about throwing other flags?
How could the other seven banners accept someone of unknown origin?

Zhang Shijie had already heard that the selection of Eight Banner soldiers was now very strict. Not only did they have to be skilled in archery and horsemanship, but they also had to have a clean background, with priority given to brave and valiant soldiers from local prefectural garrisons.

Could Zhang Shijie really be so powerful as to forge a soldier's identity for himself? If he really had that ability, would he still be a common soldier in the Song Dynasty?

Therefore, Zhang Shijie was very depressed recently. He became even more depressed when he heard his comrades discussing the Western Expedition of the Han Army's Eight Banners, so he simply hid away.

"Zhang Li! Zhang Li!"

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang out behind Zhang Shijie.

Zhang Li was the alias Zhang Shijie used when he defected to the Song army. Although he left Zhang Rou at the time, it was only out of dissatisfaction with his uncle's cold-heartedness. He didn't want his defection to the Song to cause any unnecessary trouble for Zhang Rou and his clan.

The person calling out "Zhang Li" is Li Cong, Zhang Shijie's superior.

Li Cong's official rank was Captain, with a hundred men under his command. He certainly knew that Zhang Shijie's talent far surpassed that of ordinary soldiers, but Zhang Shijie had neither the opportunity to make merit nor the money to bribe his superiors, and Li Cong would not speak up for Zhang Shijie.

However, Li Cong still valued Zhang Shijie, a capable key member of the team.

"Greetings, Chief Li!" Zhang Shijie quickly turned around and greeted Li Cong.

Li Cong asked, "The brothers are all eating inside the tents now, Zhang Li, why are you eating out by yourself?"

Zhang Shijie replied perfunctorily, "Mainly these past few days, whenever the brothers have a moment to spare, they talk about the Mongol western expeditionary force. They repeat the same few sentences over and over again, and I'm so tired of hearing them that I came out to find some peace and quiet."

"I'm afraid it's not just about seeking peace and quiet, is it?" Li Cong raised an eyebrow and said, "Zhang Li, to be honest, are you worried about confronting the Mongol army?"

"I'm not afraid!"

"It would be a lie to say I'm not afraid. I was quite scared when I first heard about these things. But if you think about it carefully, weren't the Jin people powerful back then? Why did our Song Dynasty still manage to retain half of the country? The key was the strength of our navy. Northerners are good at horses, and southerners are good at ships."

Zhang Shijie seemed to understand something, and repeated, "Northerners are good at riding horses, while southerners are good at sailing?"

Li Cong said, "Yes, that's the key to the North-South conflict. So what if the Mongols are powerful? Didn't they conquer all those territories through land battles? When they attack, as long as their navy can't gain the upper hand, they can't cut off Xiangyang's supply line. Our Xiangyang city will be as stable as Mount Tai, and the Great Song Dynasty will be as stable as Mount Tai!"

As he spoke, he patted Zhang Shijie heavily on the shoulder and said, "Work hard! When the Mongols attack again, there will be plenty of opportunities for our navy to make a name for itself. I know your abilities, Zhang Li, and I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to take good care of me when I get promoted and made a fortune!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Officer Li!"

Zhang Shijie bowed deeply to Li Cong, seemingly already overwhelmed by the promises Li Cong had made.

However, in reality, a storm was raging within him.

Yup!

Online trolls!

The Han Chinese Eight Banners are now incredibly powerful; it seems that having one more Zhang Shijie won't make a difference, nor will losing one more Zhang Shijie.

However, the Han Chinese Eight Banners were absolutely lacking in naval forces!
For nearly ten years, he has served in the Xiangyang Navy, working diligently and conscientiously, and has thoroughly understood the situation of this navy.

Wouldn't they be rare talents after joining the Eight Banners?
Although his cousin Zhang Rou was a strict enforcer of military law, he knew what was important and might be willing to show leniency.

"I'm taking the gamble! I lost last time. I'm going to gamble again this time, maybe I can win back my losses and even make a profit!"

Zhang Shijie secretly made up his mind.

Three days later, he secretly slipped out of the naval camp and went north to join the Han army's Plain Blue Banner.

……

……

Three months later, on the Tibetan Plateau, in the Sangzhuzi region, at Sakya Monastery.

Sangzhuzi region, which is the later Karizhe region.

Sakya Monastery was founded three hundred years ago by Kun Gonchok Gyalpo, the founder of the Sakya school. It is also the root of the Sakya school.

Since the late Tang Dynasty, the various tribes of Tibet had split into more than a dozen large and small factions. Most of these factions were theocratic and controlled by local religious sects.

The two largest powers in Tibet today are the Sakya school, which controls the central part of the plateau and the Tsang region, and the Kagyu school, which controls the southern and eastern parts of the plateau.

The two sides are currently evenly matched.

However, the Kagyu school is declining, while the Sakya school is becoming increasingly powerful.

In a few decades, the Sakya school will likely become the dominant power in Tibet, ruling over most of the plateau.

The current leader of the Sakya school is named Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen, who is recorded in history as the uncle of the master Phagpa.

However, Phagpa has not yet been born, and Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen is only forty years old and has been on the throne for less than a year.

"Have all of these claims been verified? Could they be exaggerated or based on hearsay?"

Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen looked at his trusted disciple Sherpa with a solemn expression and piercing gaze.

Sherpa bowed respectfully and said, "In order to find out the accurate information, I not only sent people to contact the Mongol army stationed in Qaidam, but also sent people to the Central Plains. After verifying from multiple sources, it should be close to the actual situation."

"This is a bit troublesome."

Sakya Pandita Gongga Gyaltsen pondered for a long time, then finally sighed and said, "On behalf of me, prepare some gifts and go to the Mongolian grasslands to present them to Genghis Khan. This will also help us, the Tibetan Empire, to establish a good relationship with Genghis Khan in advance."

Sherpa asked doubtfully, “Is it necessary? Although the Mongols are powerful, the plateau is the best barrier for our Tibet. For more than four hundred years, Tibet has been in a state of division, yet no force has been able to conquer the plateau. Why is the Master so wary of Genghis Khan?”

"Even now, don't you understand that Mongolia is completely different from the powerful Eastern nations of the past four hundred years? Not to mention the past four hundred years, even in the history of my Tibetan Empire, have we ever recorded any powerful nations conquering Persia? Have we ever recorded the distant Caucasus region, the Kipchak Steppe, the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, and the Rus' lands?"

After a pause, Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen sighed deeply and said, "This is a great upheaval that has never occurred in a thousand years! If my Tibet is not careful in dealing with it, I'm afraid the countless cities that have been slaughtered by the Mongols will be the fate of my Tibet. In such a critical situation, how can I not act with caution?"

"Is it that serious?"

Sherpa was still somewhat doubtful and asked, "Does the master really believe that Mongolians can adapt to the climate of the high plateau?"

Sakya Pandita Gongga Gyaltsen, however, said, “What does the climate of the plateau matter? Back then, the Tang Dynasty conquered the plateau when my Tubo was at its strongest; it was just a matter of victory and defeat for both sides. Now, the Mongols are far more powerful than the Tang Dynasty. How could my Tubo possibly be a match for them?” “Furthermore, don’t forget that the Mongols have already taken over the Persian territories and have a large quantity of saffron, and have even learned about its wonderful uses. Therefore, it will be much easier for the Mongols to attack my Tubo than for the Tang Dynasty to attack my Tubo.”

That's definitely true.

Although saffron is named "Tibetan" saffron, it originated in Persia.

The core geographical unit of Persia is the Persian Plateau, covering the central and western regions of the country. Saffron was widely cultivated because it helps alleviate altitude sickness, has a unique aroma, and possesses certain medicinal properties.

Later, saffron was introduced to India, and then from India through Tibet to China, where it was called "Tibetan saffron" by the Chinese.

Now that the Mongols have conquered all of Persia, they are naturally familiar with saffron and its wonderful uses.

With saffron, the Mongols found it much easier to attack Tibet than the Tang army.

Moreover, the Mongol army was more powerful than the Tang army.

However, the Tibetan Empire today is far weaker than it was during the Tang Dynasty!

If the Mongol army had been ruthless enough, conquering Tibet would not have been difficult at all.

Perhaps the only hope for Tibet to maintain its independence lies in the fact that the Mongols look down on this barren land.

But thinking about it carefully, how could that be possible?

Look at the Mongol way of doing things: they bestowed upon Zhao Shuo the title of "King of Khorasan, Tokharistan, North India, Bagrajionni Kingdom, and Western Rus'", upon Chagatai the title of "King of Transoxiana", upon Ögedei the title of "Kashgar Khan", and upon Jochi the title of "Khan of the Caucasus, Rus' and Kipchaks"!
The territory that Temujin had just conquered was immediately divided among his sons-in-law and sons!

What about Genghis Khan's grandsons and great-grandsons? Will they be granted fiefdoms within the empire, or will they continue to conquer more territories and grant fiefdoms? Is there even a question?

I'm afraid the whole world isn't enough for them to have!

Even if Tibet was barren, it was still an area spanning thousands of miles. Would the Mongols let it go?

Therefore, Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen, the most prominent figure in Tibet and the uncle of Phagpa in historical records, said that this was a major change that had occurred in a thousand years.

Not just Tibet, but the whole world is included!
If Tibet still harbors any illusions, it is playing with fire!

It's better to establish good karma now and strive for better treatment in the future.

"Yes."

Sherpa then realized the seriousness of the situation and said, "This disciple will go and carefully prepare gifts to present to Genghis Khan on the Mongolian steppe."

"Go."

……

……

Three months later, in Rome.

The current Pope Honourius III is very depressed.

He was relatively happy last year.

Firstly, Zhao Shuo, the "Calamity of God," seemed satisfied after conquering the Rus' territories and led his main army back to Mongolia. This truly relieved King Khunjerud III.

After all, once Zhao Shuo arrives, he's unlikely to acknowledge him as the father of all Europeans. Even if the Pope were willing to fawn over Zhao Shuo and call him "father," Zhao Shuo probably wouldn't agree to retain the Pope's authority.

Therefore, he not only prayed day and night to thank God for his protection, but also sent dozens of elite members of the Papacy to various parts of Persia to investigate the "God's calamity" and everything about the Mongols, and to assess whether Zhao Shuo would make a comeback.

The Mongols had troops stationed in various parts of Persia, as well as countless officials who had close interactions with them, so it shouldn't have been difficult for them to find out this information.

Secondly, the Fifth Crusade achieved considerable success.

They captured Damietta, the city of the Ayyubid dynasty (Egypt), and gained control of the Nile estuary. This Crusade could very well recapture the Holy Land of Jerusalem, bringing him great prestige as Pope.

Third, he crowned Frederick II as "Holy Roman Emperor".

Frederick II reciprocated by issuing an edict on the rights of priests and princes, exempting the church from tax obligations, and enacting laws against heresy.

Frederick II also promised to send a large army of the Holy Roman Empire to reinforce the Crusaders.

With the situation looking excellent, King Hongnoliu III was extremely pleased.

This year, Frederick II did indeed send troops as agreed, but he only dispatched 3,000 soldiers to reinforce the Crusaders. What good was that? Moreover, the Ayyubids inflicted an unprecedented defeat on the Crusaders through a water attack.

It is clear that the Fifth Crusade will end in a very undignified manner, just like the Fourth Crusade.

Unfortunately, at this time, the spies sent by King Hunnoul III returned.

They brought back detailed information about Mongolia and Zhao Shuo.

"This is Rome, this is the Kingdom of England, this is the Frankish Kingdom, this is the Holy Roman Empire, this is Hungary... all of these together make up Europe. Rus', Khwarazm, the Kipchak Steppe, the Western Liao, the Mongolian Steppe, and these former Jin territories—that's Mongolia?"

"And what about the Song, Jin, Goryeo, Fusang, and Tianzhu?"

"My God, is this true? Those infidels actually occupy such a vast territory?"

"Mongolia alone is bigger than the whole of Europe!"

"Lord! Is all of this Your arrangement? Is this a test of the piety of the people of Europe towards You?"

"Or is this God's calamity your punishment for us sinners?!"

……

After compiling the intelligence gathered by his spies and creating a map of the East, King Honolulu III lost control of his emotions and cried out repeatedly.

He knew beforehand that the Mongols were very powerful, and that Zhao Shuo, the "Calamity of God," was very powerful.

If they weren't powerful enough to bring annihilation upon the True God religion, an enemy of Christianity, then what would have happened? The most powerful True God state, Khwarazm, had already been destroyed by the Mongols. And the Crusaders, facing the Ayyubid dynasty, which was even weaker than Khwarazm, had just suffered an unprecedented and devastating defeat.

What a stark contrast!
However, Khonoryu III never dreamed that the Mongols would be so powerful.

The power of heretics can be so great!

Europeans have very little understanding of Asia.

The word "Asia" originates from the Roman Empire's name for a province in Turkey (Asiana), meaning "eastern province." Later, through silk from the East, they learned of a powerful state called "Da Qin," but that was all.

With the arrival of the Dark Ages, Europeans' understanding of Asia regressed rather than progressed.

These Europeans envisioned the East as also under Christian rule, with a powerful nation established by "Elder John." It was only because of the barrier of the true God's religion that the "people of God" on both sides could not communicate.

Christianity is indeed the most awesome!
However, the creation of this map shattered the pride of Pope Honourius III.

It turns out that although some of the countries in the East may have people who are God's children, these countries generally have little to do with Christianity!
The Presbyterian Kingdom they fantasize about doesn't exist at all!
Also, these heretics have such a huge territory!

At least four times that of Europe!
The territory of Mongolia alone far exceeds that of Europe!
King Hunnuoli III now felt like a big fish in a small pond, only now seeing the ocean!
At the same time, he was gripped by deep fear.

Such a powerful Mongol Empire was united under the banner of Genghis Khan. The Mongols also possessed the invincible and undefeated Zhao Shuo, the "Calamity of God"! A divided Europe was no match for the Mongols!
As for whether the Mongols will attack Europe?
This problem is no longer a problem for King Honnoll III.

Because he already knew that every ordinary Mongol soldier had received a reward worth five thousand silver dinars.

Even if he doesn't understand the Mongols, he does understand the Crusaders!

Those who joined the Crusades ostensibly to respond to the Pope's call and for their faith in God. But in reality, weren't they also after the wealth of those countries that practiced Christianity?
The Crusaders were simply incompetent, suffering repeated defeats and acquiring very little.
The Mongol army, however, was formidable and acquired wealth that ordinary Crusaders could only dream of.

How could they not come?

The Mongol army's westward expedition yielded such enormous wealth that it was like a tiger tasting human blood for the first time, and it was impossible for them to stop!

The East has awakened, and Europe in the West is about to face annihilation!
"Someone is coming!"

After the initial shock and fear subsided, Honnold III made up his mind and exclaimed, "Quick, bring me paper and pen! I will write to the monarchs and princes of all the countries in Europe, asking them to come to Rome to discuss how to deal with an enemy more terrifying than Attila!"

(End of this chapter)