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

Chapter 171 An Unparalleled Empire is Within Reach!
"What? Jalal ad-Din really went to Persia? That's wonderful!"

Inside the Royal Palace in Cairo, Sultan Kamil of the Ayyubid dynasty, upon receiving a report from his prime minister Al-Ahlai, was so delighted that he drank three cups of wine in succession.

Jalal ad-Din was not only the eldest son of Muhammad, the Sultan of Khwarazm, but also a skilled and exceptionally brave warrior. It is said that when Genghis Khan personally led his army to pursue Jalal ad-Din to the north bank of the Indus River, Jalal ad-Din jumped directly into the river.

Just when everyone thought that Jalal ad-Din had perished in the Indus River, he swam across the river in armor and brandished his sword to provoke Genghis Khan.

Is it possible for a human to swim across the Indus River while wearing armor?
When Camille learned of this, he could hardly believe his ears. However, so many people spoke with such certainty that he had no choice but to believe it.

Later, Jalal ad-Din led 8,000 troops and, after three years of bloody fighting, conquered all of Iraq, which made Kamil gasp in astonishment.

If Jalal ad-Din dared not attack the Mongols but instead attacked the Ayyubid dynasty, it would truly give Kamil a headache.

He said to his prime minister, Allai, "Send someone to ask Jalal ad-Din if he is willing to buy eight thousand fine horses, including five hundred Sakrawi horses and seven thousand five hundred other warhorses. I, the Sultan, guarantee that each horse will be at least four feet three inches tall at the shoulder."

"According to the order."

Eight thousand fine warhorses were a very appropriate number, as they would enhance Jalal ad-Din's strength without making him too powerful to pose a fatal threat to the Ayyubid dynasty.

Let Jalal ad-Din fight the Mongols!
If the rumors are true, after Temujin's death, the Mongols were caught up in internal strife and had no time to attend to their distant territories.

Then Jalal ad-Din will achieve a glorious victory.

Then, the Ayyubid dynasty could take advantage of Jalal ad-Din's unstable foothold to attack Iraqi territory, seize more land, and even annex the former Khwarazmian lands.

If the Mongols remain militarily powerful and quell the rebellion of Jalal ad-Din, that's fine too. The Ayyubid dynasty selling warhorses to Jalal ad-Din is merely normal trade and not a serious offense.

Now we'll see what the true nature of the Mongols becomes after Temujin's death.

……

……

Europe, Sicily, Palermo, Royal Palace.

Although Frederick II was the Holy Roman Emperor, his permanent residence was not in the Holy Roman Empire, much less in Rome, which was outside his jurisdiction, but in Palermo, the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily.

Frederick II has been living a rather comfortable life for the past year.

With the news of Temujin's death, the alliance of European nations, which had been united by the strong pressure from the Mongols, had in fact collapsed, even though the Crusader taxes and Crusader bonds were still collected and sold.

Frederick II has already mobilized his troops to prepare for the Lombard League, a coalition of cities in northern Italy (the ancient name for Italy).

The Teutonic Knights, expelled from Hungary, quickly fell into the arms of Frederick II. Frederick II issued a permit to Hermann von Salza, Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, allowing him to conquer Prussia.

If all goes well, Frederick II's territorial expansion may one day surpass Charlemagne's achievements.

However, a letter from the new Pope Gregory IX completely shattered Frederick II's good mood.

In this letter, Gregory IX demanded that Frederick II fulfill his pre-accession promise to the Papacy to launch the Sixth Crusade and reclaim Jerusalem. He threatened excommunication if Frederick II failed to comply.

After all, with Genghis Khan dead, rumors of discord between Tolui and Ögedei spread to Europe, and the newly appointed, stubborn Pope was eager to stir up some trouble.
Fight!

How could Jerusalem, the holy city of Christianity, have been under the long-term control of evil pagans?

In addition, Gregory IX may well have intended to challenge Frederick II to see who was the true leader of all of Europe.

Snapped!
Frederick II smashed a glass worth ten gold dinars to the ground.

If it weren't for his strong sense of reason suppressing his emotions, Gregory IX's letter would probably have been torn to shreds.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

Queen Isabella took the letter, glanced at it, and advised, "The Pope's request for you to reclaim Jerusalem may not be a bad thing. I am the daughter of the King of Jerusalem. If you reclaim Jerusalem, and our children become the new Kings of Jerusalem, who would dare to disagree?"

Although Jerusalem is now under the control of the Ayyubid dynasty, there is still a King of Jerusalem in the West.

The current King of Jerusalem is John the Great, Emperor of the Latin Empire. The Latin Empire was the state established after the Crusaders conquered Constantinople.

Isabel was the daughter of John the Great, Emperor of the Latin Empire.

"Hmph, perhaps it's not necessarily a bad thing?" Frederick II sneered. "How easy is it to conquer the Ayyubid dynasty, thousands of miles away? And what about the Mongols..."

He didn't say what he was going to say next.

Frederick II would not have been too troubled by merely recapturing Jerusalem.

But isn't there still Mongolia?
It must be noted that although Frederick II quickly began expanding his territory after learning of Temujin's death, he did not look down on the Mongols.

He simply believed that Mongolia posed no threat to European countries in the short term.

He further argued that even if a divided Europe were to forge an alliance, each nation would harbor its own ulterior motives. Therefore, it would be impossible for them to unite and fight against the Mongol army when they attacked.

Since that's the case, he might as well conquer more territory and prepare for a future conflict with the Mongol army.

However, if he were to capture Jerusalem, he would be close to the Mongols. Frederick II did not have much confidence in dealing with the Mongols at this time.

Of course, there was no need to say these words aloud and worry the Empress.

Hopefully, as rumored, the Mongols are indeed embroiled in internal power struggles and have no time to spare for anything else.

Frederick II sighed and said, "In any case, the Pope is God's representative and the father of all Christians. How can I disobey his will? It seems that I have no choice but to personally lead the army eastward."

……

……

If Frederick II was extremely depressed at this moment, then Emperor Puxianwannu of the Eastern Kingdom was full of ambition.

"Your Majesty, are you really determined to send troops to Goryeo? Shouldn't you reconsider?" Empress Li Xian'e advised worriedly.

"What are you afraid of?"

Pu Xianwannu said confidently, "With the large number of soldiers and generals in my Dongzhen Kingdom, how could we not be a match for little Goryeo?"

Li Xian'e continued to persuade, "That's true, but we also need to consider the attitude of the Mongols!"

Pu Xianwannu shook his head slightly and said, "It is precisely because of the Mongols that I want to take this heaven-sent opportunity to attack Goryeo. It's a very simple reason: the Mongols are far more powerful than our Dongzhen. If our Dongzhen Kingdom does nothing, it will be taken over by the Mongols sooner or later."

"Genghis Khan has only recently passed away, and Tolui and Ögedei are at odds. My Eastern Jin Kingdom should seize this opportunity to annex Goryeo, so that we will have more resources to maintain our independence under the Mongol military might. Of course, if the internal strife within the Mongol Empire intensifies in the future, even to the point where the princes turn against each other, then don't blame me, Puxian Wannu, for marching out of Liaodong and taking the opportunity to sweep across the world, hahaha!"

Seeing that Pu Xianwannu was determined, Li Xian'e did not try to persuade him further. She simply added, "Before Your Majesty sends out troops, shouldn't you first ask the Mongol Khan for permission? Just find a plausible reason for an emergency. Anyway, whether the Mongol Khan agrees or not, we've already sent out troops. Can we turn back? Even if the Mongol Khan blames us later, we'll have a reason to explain."

"Fairy, you really think the same way I do. We do need to find a reason to send troops. However, I've already come up with a reason."

"What reason?"

Pu Xianwannu smiled sinisterly and said, "Not long ago, didn't Ögedei send an envoy named Zhuogu to Goryeo to demand tribute? I've already sent men to ambush him on his return journey. Killing Zhuogu and framing Goryeo would be the best reason to send troops, wouldn't it?"

"Huh? Kill the Mongol envoy?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xian'e couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

If everything goes smoothly, that's fine. But if even a tiny bit of news leaks out, the Eastern Zhen Kingdom might face annihilation!

However, as it turns out, Li Xian'e really didn't understand the Mongolians at all.

Things were more serious than she had imagined!
When news of the killing of the Mongol envoy Zhuogu reached the steppe, Ögedei Khan was furious and immediately issued an edict summoning all Mongol noyans to Karakorum for a meeting.

Not only that, he also specially dispatched his prime minister Zhenhai to Zhongdu to invite Zhao Shuo. Zhao Shuo had already learned of the killing of the Mongol envoy, as well as Jalal ad-Din's invasion of Persia and the Jin Dynasty's troop deployment to attack Shaanxi.

However, Zhao Shuo was far less angry and anxious than Ögedei Khan.

Compared to the powerful Mongol Empire, the Jin Dynasty, Jalal ad-Din, and the Eastern Jin Dynasty were all minor powers. No matter how much they struggled, they could not change the inevitable outcome of their impending demise.

Goryeo is a bit troublesome, but with the strength of the Mongols, it shouldn't be a problem to teach Goryeo a harsh lesson.

"I had long thought that after Genghis Khan's death, some people would look down on me, the new Great Khan of the Mongols, and even look down on the Mongols. But I never imagined that these people would be so ungrateful!"

Ögedei's face was ashen, as if he were suppressing his anger. He said in a deep voice, "My Mongol envoy, Zhuogu, was intercepted and killed on the border between Goryeo and Dongjin. I don't know whether it was the Goryeo people or the Dongjin people who did it."

"That's bad enough, but Dongjin Kingdom actually invaded Goryeo with an army of 80,000 without even requesting permission, using this as a pretext. What do you suggest we do?"

Wow~~
As soon as Ögedei finished speaking, the entire hall erupted in a frenzy, as if a pot had been boiled over.

"When Genghis Khan was on his western expedition, the Eastern Zhen Kingdom was already restless. Now, without asking for permission, they've mobilized their troops. I think Puxian Wannu is tired of living!"

"Perhaps it was the Dongzhen Kingdom that killed my Mongol envoy and framed Goryeo!"

"Even if Goryeo did something wrong, Puxian Wannu's contempt for the Great Khan is a death sentence!"

"If you ask me, it doesn't matter who did it, the bottom line is that it can't escape these two countries! Let's just wipe out Dongjin and Goryeo and avenge our Mongol envoy!"

"Great Khan, issue the decree: first destroy Dongjin, then take Goryeo!"

……

The Mongol nobles all spoke, but their opinions were almost unanimous.

The Dongjin Kingdom's unauthorized attack on Goryeo is an act of disrespect towards the Great Khan, and the kingdom must be destroyed as a warning to others.

As for Goryeo?

Since they are suspected of murdering the Mongol envoys, they must not be allowed to live!

Most importantly, since Genghis Khan's death, the Mongol nobles have not fought a war for two years and are itching to get back to fighting!

Where would the slaves come from if there were no wars?

Without war, where would the immense wealth come from? Collecting tribute from ordinary herders on the grasslands is barely enough to satisfy one out of a hundred livestock!
After the wars against the Jin Dynasty and the war to destroy Khwarazm, these nobility of the steppes had long understood that collecting tribute on the steppes was a dead end. To get rich, they had to wage war and go out to plunder!

Goryeo and Dongjin have really run into a brick wall this time!
Zhao Shuo had neither a question nor an opinion on this matter.

After two years without fighting, he was eager to get back to work.

Now that he is second only to the Great Khan of the Mongols, there is no need for him to make a loud statement to express his opinion; he can simply watch quietly.

Ögedei seemed very satisfied with everyone's performance and said, "Besides the instability in Dongzhen and Goryeo, there are also Persia and Jin. Jalal ad-Din, a remnant of Khwarazm, has already led an army of 50,000 to invade Persia. I'm afraid the five thousand households left by Tolui Khan in Persia cannot resist him."

"According to reliable intelligence, the Jin Dynasty is plotting against Shaanxi. I, the Khan, have decided that whether it is the Jin Dynasty, Jalal ad-Din, or even the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Goryeo, since they dare to underestimate the Mongols, they must pay a heavy price!"

What do you think?

The crowd exclaimed in unison, "The Great Khan is wise!"

"In that case, Guiyou, Elerjidai, and Subutai!"

"Yes!" Ögedei's eldest son Güyük, Temujin's nephew Eljeed, and General Subutai answered in unison.

Ögedei said, "Güyük will be the commander-in-chief, with Eljid and Subutai as his deputies. They will lead an army of 30,000 to reinforce Persia and take over the entire Iraqi region! After the victory, no matter where you pursue them, you must bring me back the head of Jalal ad-Din!"

"According to the order!"

Zhao Shuo had a clear understanding of Ögedei's thoughts.

Firstly, of course, was to eliminate Jalal ad-Din, so that the world would know that although Genghis Khan had passed away, under the leadership of Ögedei Khan, the Mongol Great Khan, the Mongol Empire remained as powerful as ever.

Secondly, Ögedei's eldest son was appointed commander-in-chief. After the war, when rewards were distributed, Iraq could be easily annexed by Ögedei.

Thirdly, it was an intentional attempt to poach Tolui's men. Subutai was Tolui's subordinate, but now he was under Guyuk's command. Over time, this made Subutai more inclined towards Ögedei's faction.

Of course, this matter had little to do with Zhao Shuo; he simply listened quietly.

Ögedei looked at Tolui and said, “Fourth brother, how about we lead the main Mongol army to first destroy Dongzhen, and then take Goryeo? After conquering the two countries, you will get Dongzhen, and I will get Goryeo.”

Tolui nodded slightly and said, "I will listen to the Great Khan."

Then, Ögedei looked at Zhao Shuo and said, "The Jin Kingdom is now in your hands, brother-in-law. Before my father died, he said that whoever conquers a territory in the future will own it. The territory you conquer will naturally be your fiefdom."

"can."

Zhao Shuo nodded slightly.

In fact, Zhao Shuo was somewhat puzzled when he first heard Ögedei's arrangements.

Why did Ögedei Khan choose to attack the much poorer Goryeo and Dongjin kingdoms instead of the more prosperous and wealthy Jin kingdom?

However, he quickly realized what was going on.

Although the Jin Dynasty was far richer than Dongjin and Goryeo, it had too many fortified cities within its borders, making it not so easy to attack.

Even someone as strong as Muqali was shot by an arrow during the siege of Fengxiang and died young.

Shortly after Ögedei Khan ascended to the throne, the most important thing in his first battle was not how rich the results were, but that he could only win and not lose, and get off to a good start.

In that case, it's easier to bully Dongjin and Goryeo.

However, Ögedei Khan is likely to miscalculate.

If he only conquered some cities in Goryeo and plundered some of Goryeo's children and wealth, that would be fine; the main Mongol army would certainly allow him to achieve his goal.

But it would be difficult to completely destroy Goryeo.

With its many high mountains and strategic passes, as well as islands in the sea where one could escape, Goryeo was not so easily destroyed.

Historical records indicate that it took the Mongols nearly a century and nine wars against Goryeo before they finally managed to conquer it.

The reason it's described as a "barely" conquered Goryeo is that the Mongols only largely controlled the Goryeo court; Goryeo wasn't destroyed, but rather considered a Mongol vassal state. After the decline of the Mongols, Goryeo easily broke free from Mongol control.

If Ögedei Khan insists on destroying Goryeo now, he will likely suffer a great loss.

His first war after ascending to the throne will also end in a disgraceful defeat.

As for the Jin Kingdom, Zhao Shuo did not think it was difficult to defeat.

Weren't Hebei and Shandong, which he conquered, the territory of the Jin Dynasty? So what if he conquered Shanxi, Shaanxi, or even Henan?
After two years of recuperation, let the fortified city of Jin test the fighting strength of Zhao Shuo's army!
To bring the four provinces of Hebei and Shaanxi under his control was Zhao Shuo's long-cherished wish. With these five provinces in hand, the Jin dynasty would surely perish.

Zhao Shuo commanded over thirty million, nearly forty million, Han Chinese. Looking across the land, who could rival him?

Then, when the opportunity arises, Zhao Shuo can take advantage of the internal strife within the Golden Family to annex the Southern Song Dynasty.

Finally, they combined the power of the Central Plains to intimidate the Mongols.

An unparalleled empire is within reach!
(End of this chapter)