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

Chapter 204 Goryeo, Your Great Han Grandpa is Here!
"Why recruit Zhao Shuohan? If we join forces with Fourth Uncle, can't we really destroy Goryeo?" Kuo Duan asked, following closely behind Zhenhai.

Silly son!
Ögedei glared fiercely at Köden.

Zhao Shuo truly hoped that Jochi would ascend to the throne.

On the issue of whether Ögedei or Tolui should become the Great Khan, Zhao Shuo adopted a neutral stance, remaining neutral towards both sides.

If Ögedei Khan truly succumbed to his injuries in Goryeo, and Zhao Shuo was absent while only Tolui was present, then command of the steppe army would entirely fall to Tolui.

Whatever will be left by Ögedei Khan was ultimately up to Tolui to decide.

Even if Tolui was a devout believer, what about his eldest son, Möngke? I'm afraid Köden and Köchü don't even know how they died!

Guyuk wouldn't be able to return for at least a year. By then, Tolui would tell him directly that Ögedei's will stipulated succession by brother to brother, and what could Guyuk do about it?
Zhao Guangyi of the Song Dynasty had already used this trick once before!

Zhao Shuo's arrival in Goryeo with his army clearly brought two advantages.

Firstly, this was the most promising way to eliminate Goryeo before Ögedei Khan's death.

The significance to the Mongols was entirely different for a Great Khan who died after conquering Goryeo and one who died before conquering Goryeo.

To put it bluntly, wasn't Temujin killed by a beautiful assassin from Western Xia after he destroyed Western Xia? Did that affect Temujin's lifelong reputation?
Ögedei Khan was just too reckless on the battlefield and got hit by an arrow from a Goryeo, so what? As long as Goryeo was destroyed by Ögedei Khan, he would still be a wise and brilliant Khan who expanded the territory of Mongolia!
Secondly, and most importantly, it was to balance the Torei faction.

In Ögedei's mind, Zhao Shuo was merely Temujin's son-in-law, not his son. Could he truly ascend to the throne of the Mongol Great Khan? At most, Zhao Shuo was disobedient and disrespectful to him. Tolui, however, was a genuine threat to his position!
Now that Zhao Shuo has arrived in Goryeo, at least Tolui cannot defy public opinion and alter his will, so there is no need for him to harm Kuoduan and Kuochu.

To put it more bluntly, would Zhao Shuo really want Tolui, who had complete control over the steppe warriors, to ascend to the throne instead of his son, Ögedei's son?

Chagatai was the most trustworthy and could balance Tolui's power to some extent, but he was far away in Samarkand. How long would it take to travel from Goryeo to Samarkand? By the time Chagatai arrived with his army, it would be far too late.

To put it bluntly, it was simply that Ögedei Khan himself lacked the strength to succeed.

Ögedei Khan only had five hereditary commanderies of a thousand households on the steppe, and they were still stationed in the former territory of the Western Liao. In present-day Goryeo, the only troops not influenced by Tolui and who only obeyed Ögedei Khan's orders were the Kheshig army.

The Kheshig army only obeyed Ögedei's orders because he was the Great Khan of the Mongols; after his death, Köden and Köchü were completely unable to take over.

When Ögedei was in good health, he could suppress Tolui by virtue of his title as Great Khan of the Mongols and the support of Chagatai.

Even if Ögedei were to die, or even if he were to be seriously injured as he is now, the situation would be completely out of his control. He would feel that danger was everywhere, and even Zhao Shuo would seem handsome to him.

He now even has doubts about Zhenhai and Liu Zhonglu.

The journey from Guizhou to the grasslands is thousands of miles long. Could his body really withstand such a long and arduous journey? Could it be that Zhenhai and Liu Zhonglu have secretly betrayed him to Tuolei, hoping to hasten his death?

Of course, Ögedei Khan wouldn't show these thoughts in his mind.

He shook his head and said, "If Guizhou is so difficult to attack, what about Gaegyeong? It has both elite Goryeo troops and fierce Dongjin soldiers. Even with your fourth uncle's troops, it will probably be difficult to take it down in a short time. Do you want me to die before I see Goryeo destroyed?"

He then turned to Zhenhai and said, "Have Surun deliver the decree to Zhao Shuo Khan, that once Goryeo is conquered, it will be divided in two. The area north of the Han River is my territory. The area south of the Han River is his Ulus."

Before the Mongol army set out on this expedition, Ögedei and Tolui had already agreed that the Eastern Kingdom would belong to Tolui, and Goryeo would belong to Ögedei.

Ögedei Khan wanted Zhao Shuo to send troops, which would naturally require a huge financial sacrifice.

In fact, from Ögedei's own perspective, the most important thing now is to ensure that the position of Great Khan is passed to Güyük.

In comparison, what harm would it do to give all of Goryeo to Zhao Shuo?
But the Mongol Khan had gone on a long and arduous campaign, and Ögedei had almost lost his life, yet he was working for Zhao Shuo for free. Where did that leave his pride?

Giving half of his territory to Zhao Shuo was the biggest concession he could make.

Zhenhai nodded slightly and said, "I'll make the arrangements right away."

"Wait a minute." Ögedei looked at Liu Zhonglu again and said, "My injuries are so severe, could I possibly endure a long journey?"

“There shouldn’t be a big problem.” Liu Zhonglu explained carefully, “Although the arrow from the Goryeoman went quite deep into the flesh, thanks to the protection of the Eternal Heaven, it didn’t damage the Great Khan’s internal organs. However, the arrow was coated with an unknown toxin. Although we have already cut the flesh to treat the Great Khan’s wound in time, I’m not sure if we can successfully expel the remaining toxin. That’s why we told the Great Khan to make preparations in advance.”

There was something else Liu Zhonglu didn't say: Ögedei Khan had a long history of alcoholism, and his physical condition was too poor; he really didn't have high hopes for Ögedei's ability to recover.

"I see... Zhenhai."

"exist."

"After you give your instructions to Su Lun, arrange for the withdrawal of troops. We will go to Xijing in Goryeo to join forces with my fourth brother, and I will also recuperate in Xijing."

"Yes!"

In fact, Ögedei Khan's decision to transfer Tolui to continue attacking Guizhou would be the most advantageous option for Mongolia.

However, if Ögedei failed to capture Guizhou and was severely wounded, Tolui would easily take it. Such a stark contrast would only elevate Tolui's prestige and further tarnish Ögedei's reputation.
It goes without saying whether the steppe warriors wanted Tolui or Ögedei's son to succeed as Great Khan.

Therefore, Ögedei would rather give the glory of conquering Guizhou to Zhao Shuo than allow Tolui to claim even a fraction of it.

In any case, three days later, the Mongol army split into three groups and slowly withdrew from Guizhou City.

The Mongol army consisted entirely of cavalry, and the Goryeo garrison in Guiju dared not pursue them. However, shouts of "Wan Sheng!" (meaning "May you win forever") echoed throughout the city, turning the entire Guiju into a sea of ​​joy.

Inside the garrison headquarters of Guizhou City, a grand banquet was held to celebrate this unprecedented victory. The protagonist of this great victory was, of course, Jin Yunhou, who had shot an arrow at Ögedei Khan.

"Come, Master Yunhou, let me toast you!"

Jin Qingsun's right arm injury was still severe, but he still raised his cup with his left hand and looked at Jin Yunhou: "Back then, when our army was defeated at Shuozhou, you, as a monk, volunteered to join the army halfway through the battle. You were exceptionally skilled and killed two Mongol soldiers. I was very pleased and let you join my special army. I never expected that you, Master, would not only be proficient in swords and spears, but also in archery!"

"I also toast Master Yunhou!"

"Master Yunhou will be remembered in history for his great achievement of shooting down Ögedei Khan!"

"The messenger reporting the victory has already departed, and it shouldn't be long before Master Yunhou returns to secular life. Your official rank should be above ours!"

……

Including Park Seo, the garrison commander of Guizhou, everyone toasted Kim Yoon-hou.

Kim Yun-hou wore a helmet when he went into battle, but Ögedei and the others could not tell that he was not an ordinary Goryeo soldier, but a monk.

What Ögedei Khan could never have known was that, in a history without Zhao Shuo, he did not personally lead the expedition against Goryeo, but instead dispatched his general Salita to lead the army. As a result, Salita underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly, and was shot and killed by the monk Kim Yun-ho of Baekhyeon-won at the foot of Chuin-seong. Consequently, the Mongol army was forced to retreat in that Mongol invasion of Goryeo.

Zhao Shuo changed history. Ögedei Khan led the main Mongol army to attack Goryeo. Kim Yun-ho felt that Goryeo was not far from its demise and could no longer stay in Baekhyeonwon, so he took the initiative to join the army.

"I dare not accept such an honor, I really dare not accept it."

Jin Yunhou shook his head repeatedly and said, "When I claimed on the city wall that I had shot and killed the Mongol Khan Ögedei, it was only to boost the morale of our army and diminish the prestige of the Mongols. Now that the Mongol army has not held a mourning ceremony, it is clear that Ögedei is not dead. I dare not take credit for it."

Park Hee-do said, "Didn't the master say that the armor-piercing arrow was coated with your unique poison? Could Ögedei Khan withstand it?"

"Exactly! If Ögedei was alright, why did the Mongol army retreat? Perhaps they kept his death a secret!"

"Even if Ögedei is still alive, he's probably half-dead and not far from death. This is still thanks to you, Master!"

"Our Goryeo has turned the tide this time, and the master deserves the undisputed greatest credit!"

Kim Yun-hou remained humble, saying, "The Mongol territory is more than ten times the size of Goryeo's. They have many talented and extraordinary people. I cannot guarantee whether my unique poison will be effective. Moreover, Ögedei has only lifted the siege of Guizhou. If he sends other troops, Goryeo's situation will still be precarious!"

"What's that?"

Park Si's confidence had swelled to unprecedented heights. He said, "We are now dealing with the main force of the Mongol army. Even if the Mongols send in more foreign troops, what use will it be?"

"General Park is right!" Kim Kyung-sun added, "At most, the Mongols could send Zhao Shuo's troops from the Central Plains again. Could those Han Chinese troops possibly be stronger than the steppe soldiers? That's a joke!"

"So what if Zhao Shuo destroyed the Jin Dynasty? The Jin Dynasty was already decimated by the Mongols. Zhao Shuo just got a huge windfall. If Zhao Shuo doesn't come, fine. But if he dares to come, I will personally lead the army into battle and slaughter them all!"

The one who said this was Jin Zhongwen, the defense commissioner of Shuozhou.

In the Battle of Guizhou, the morale of his "Biechao" troops was low, and they were left behind by Jin Qingsun. Jin Zhongwen naturally had no chance to share in the glory of killing the Mongol Khan, which was extremely humiliating.

No matter how powerful Zhao Shuo's army is, can it be more powerful than the grassland warriors?
Jin Zhongwen had made up his mind that if Zhao Shuo dared to come, he would get back the face he had lost from Zhao Shuo.

To put it bluntly, after this great victory, the Koreans realized that the Mongols were really nothing special.

Zhao Shuo's grassland warriors number only a little over ten thousand. Even if reinforcements arrive, what trouble can they cause?

However, they never dreamed that they would be facing such a terrifying enemy!

"Ögedei Khan really picked a good time to ask for help!"

Nine days later, when Zhao Shuo met with Su Lun in Zhongdu City, a rather amused smile appeared on his face.

After the Battle of Bianliang, the Song army attacked other Jin cities in Henan. Zhao Shuo led 50,000 elite Eight Banner troops and 20,000 Balu troops back to Zhongdu and held a grand triumphant ceremony.

If Ögedei's plea for help had arrived a few days later, the Eight Banners army and the Balu Battalion would have returned to their respective garrisons. It would have taken Zhao Shuoguang at least half a month to gather his troops.

Now, he could directly lead these 50,000 elite soldiers, the 20,000 Jin soldiers forming the Balu Camp, plus a 10,000-household garrison in Hebei, a total of 80,000 troops, directly to Goryeo.

Suren said, "So, Your Majesty, you agree to send troops?"

"Of course," Zhao Shuo chuckled, "If the Mongol Khan dies in Goryeo, I'll lose face too, won't I?"

Actually, there was something else he didn't say: Goryeo was disgusting not only in this era, but also in the Han and Tang dynasties, and even in later generations.

Goryeo cannot be equated with Goguryeo, but it is not unreasonable to consider them descendants of the Silla people. During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, finally helped the Silla people destroy their sworn enemy, Goguryeo. However, Silla took advantage of the war between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet to annex a large area of ​​territory to the north.

In later generations, they engaged in all sorts of underhanded tactics, as if the universe itself belonged to them.

Zhao Shuo felt uneasy if he didn't destroy the country and exterminate its people.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo gave the order, and three days later, an army of 86,000 left Zhongdu and marched towards Goryeo.

Among them, Zhao Shuo led a central army of 11,000 men, mainly composed of grassland warriors, a 5,000-strong artillery battalion, 50,000 Han Chinese Eight Banners soldiers, and 20,000 Balu soldiers.

The artillery battalion moved together with Zhao Shuo's central army, but not very fast.

The first to enter Goryeo were the First Ten Thousand Households of the Plain Yellow Banner and the Bordered Yellow Banner. Instead of going to Xijing to join forces with Ögedei Khan, they marched aggressively towards Guizhou.

Fifty li north of Guizhou City, in a dense forest.

"Reporting to the Defense Commissioner, Zhao Shuo's vanguard army is less than fifteen li away from us," the scout reported to Jin Zhongwen.

"How many of them are there?"

"It should be two commanders of a thousand men each, about two thousand strong. However, their follow-up troops are less than fifty li away from here. The first batch of troops to enter our Goryeo consisted of two commanders of ten thousand men each from the Han Army Banner, totaling twenty thousand men."

"Are these two thousand men also Han soldiers?"

"Yes."

"Okay! Done!"

Jin Zhongwen led 3,000 troops to ambush Zhao Shuo's vanguard in the dense forests on both sides of the road, aiming to annihilate the vanguard of Zhao Shuo's army and achieve a resounding victory.

Among them were 400 "Biechao" under his command and 2,400 ordinary elite soldiers from Guizhou.

In Kim Jung-on's mind, the 1,200 "Bye-cho" (a type of elite Goryeo soldier) were able to hold their own against the Kheshig army of the Mongol Khan. Now, with 400 "Bye-cho" as the core, the 3,000 elite Goryeo soldiers failed to ambush 2,000 Han soldiers. How could that be possible?

The key is to be fast. Before the Han army's reinforcements arrive, eliminate these two thousand vanguard soldiers and establish Tajin Zhongwen's formidable reputation!
However, what he didn't expect was that at this very moment, Hao Duan, the second commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner, also received a report from the scouts.

"What? Birds are circling in the dense forest fifteen miles ahead? Very good! You didn't get too close to scout and alert the enemy; you did a very good job!"

Hao Duan immediately made a decision, saying, "It seems the Koreans are planning an ambush here. Go and tell Commander Shi to be on high alert. Today, we'll turn the tables on them and let the Koreans see the might of our mighty Han!"

"Yes!"

How many soldiers and horses could be hidden in the dense forests on both sides of the road?

Hao Duan refused to believe that they could be a match for two thousand heavily armed Manchu Han soldiers!

(End of this chapter)