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

Chapter 213 The true intentions are revealed, and Tuolei returns to heaven!
On the day of the great battle in Kaesong, the entire city was almost burned to the ground, with only a few palaces remaining.

After the battle, Ögedei Khan went to the Xuanming Hall of the palace to recuperate from his injuries, while the Mongol army was stationed in the city.

Zhao Shuo commanded an army of over 70,000, but he stationed them outside the city.

dong dong dong~~
With Zhao Shuo's command, the four-foot-diameter drum standing tall outside the central command tent roared loudly!
The drumbeats were divided into three streams.

The first drumbeat, with thirty-six strikes, is the slowest. Upon hearing this drumbeat, all those who hear it don their armor and prepare their weapons.

The second drumbeat, seventy-two in number, was of moderate speed. Those who heard this drumbeat all marched out of their camps and formed ranks in units of a thousand households.

The third drumbeat, with 108 shots, is the fastest. Commanders of 1,000 rank and above who hear this drumbeat must enter the central command tent to receive orders before the drumbeat ends; those who miss it will be executed.

"Commander of the Central Army, Chief of the Grassland Thousand Households, Gerile has arrived!"

"The grassland chieftain, Altana, has arrived!"

"The military judge wiped his red coat and went to the warm place!"

……

"Shi Tianni, the banner lord of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Han Army, has arrived!"

"Guo Baoyu, the First Ten Thousandth Commander of the Plain Red Banner of the Han Army, has arrived!"

"Zhang Rou, the First Ten Thousandth Commander of the Plain Blue Banner of the Han Army, has arrived!"

……

"Zhao He, the ninth thousandth commander of the first ten thousandth household of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Han Army, has arrived!"

"Shi Tianze, the 20,000th Commander of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Semu people, has arrived!"

"Guo Zhongyuan, the fourth thousandth commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Han Army, has arrived!"

"Commander of the Artillery Battalion, Wang Alu, has arrived!"

"Even Shi Moxian, a commander of the Khitan army, cannot obtain it!"

……

After the third drumbeat, Zhao Shuo's army was on high alert. All eighty-six officers of the rank of commander or above, fully armored, entered the central command tent after their names were called.

Zhao Shuo sat upright in the center, with Yang Miaozhen and Taerhun standing behind him, all three of them clad in armor.

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"

"No gift!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After the greetings were completed, everyone rose again, and the central command tent fell silent.

What happened?
The drum of the central army is not to be struck casually; in fact, it is now the highest-level drum used to gather generals!
To put it bluntly, even if Ögedei Khan had died, it wouldn't have been worth this much!
If the Mongol army hadn't been in the nearby city of Kaesong, they would have suspected that Zhao Shuo was about to be crowned emperor today.

Of course, no matter how curious they were, they dared not show it under Zhao Shuo's accumulated power, and all of them stood respectfully with solemn expressions.

Zhao Shuo's stern gaze swept over the faces of the generals, and he said in a deep voice, "Just now, the commander of the Kheshig army, Surun, reported to me that the Great Khan has been unconscious for three days and three nights, and will probably be summoned by the Eternal Heaven soon. Princes Khoduan and Khochu are at a loss and have summoned me. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't go!"

No sooner had Zhao Shuo finished speaking than Guo Baoyu exclaimed, "Who knows if the Khan's critical illness is true or not? Even if it is true, the fact that he has been unconscious for three days and three nights might not be true! He might be taking you with him before he dies!"

Shi Tianni chimed in, "Guo Wanhu's words make sense! Even if the Khan had indeed been unconscious for three days and three nights, it would have been even more dangerous. Who knows what the two princes might do? Your Majesty cannot go!"

“This…isn’t that inappropriate?” Gerile frowned. “Unless His Majesty declares himself king today, how can he not even see the Great Khan one last time?”

"So what if I don't want to see him? Whether it's the current Khan or the future Khan, can he eat the King?"

"That's not how it works. The Khan may not pose a threat to Your Majesty, but is Your Majesty content with your current position? We must consider the hearts and minds of the people. It's not like Your Majesty is the one who is unjust even though the Khan has no faults."

"What nonsense about people's hearts! We, the Han Chinese Eight Banners, only recognize the King, not this Mongol Great Khan! Gerile, what exactly are you thinking, urging the King to go to the Great Khan's army?"

"Guo Baoyu, how dare you!" Gerile roared in anger, "When I formed an alliance with the king, you were still the Duke of Fenyang in the Jin Kingdom!"

Guo Baoyu retorted without backing down, "The past is the past, and the present is the present! Your current stance is highly questionable!"

“Guo Wanhu, isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” Zhang Rou suddenly interjected. “Let’s stick to the facts. It’s not good to doubt the other party’s loyalty to the king. The king has visited Ögedei’s army several times before, and he was unharmed.”

Mochibieduwen shook his head repeatedly, saying, "In the past, when a great enemy was at hand, the Khan's health was good enough that His Majesty was not in any danger. Now that Goryeo has been destroyed and the Khan is critically ill, no one can say for sure what he wants to do."

……

The generals argued and quarreled endlessly.

Zhao Shuo watched the generals' performance quietly, his expression unchanged.

Those who advocate against his going at this time may not be the most loyal. Because advocating against his going is the safest position, and no matter how strong their words are, there will be no danger.

However, advocating for him to go at this time, while taking a certain risk, is out of genuine concern for him.

That being said, Zhao Shuo did not doubt anyone's loyalty at this time.

The steppe warriors under his command received far better treatment than those under Ögedei Khan.

Needless to say, the Han Chinese Eight Banners were only on equal footing with the steppe warriors under Zhao Shuo's system. Their official positions and wealth were already tied to the system established by Zhao Shuo.

Only when the generals' voices gradually subsided did Zhao Shuo cough lightly and say, "I've thought about it carefully, and I still want to go. Ögedei probably won't risk fighting with our army and causing Mongolia to fall apart by doing anything to me. However, it's always better to be prepared."

He paused, then asked loudly, "Tell me, who is my heir?"

"Borjigin Zhao He!" the generals roared in agreement.

"Alright, He'er, come forward and stand here."

"Yes."

Zhao He has been serving in the Plain Yellow Banner for many years and is now a commander of a thousand households in the Plain Yellow Banner.

He strode forward, stood beside Zhao Shuo, and faced the generals.

Zhao Shuo said, "If chaos breaks out in the city, or if I do not return today, my eldest son Zhao He will inherit all my power, including my wealth and army, to avenge me."

Everyone bowed deeply and said, "We, your humble servants, pay our respects to the Crown Prince and are willing to die for him!"

Zhao He knew this was not the time to refuse, so he gestured with his hands to support Zhao He and said, "No need for formalities!"

This is Zhao Shuo reiterating Zhao He's position. In the worst-case scenario, Zhao He will directly take control of everything, including the 70,000 troops currently in front of them.

Of course, the worst-case scenario is really not that likely.

Now that Zhao Shuo's army has raised its alert level to the highest level, and with Zhao He as a backup, Zhao Shuo believes that Ögedei Khan, if he has any sense, will not take the risk.

Zhao Shuo continued, "Hey, you bald guy!"

"exist!"

"You lead a thousand Black Riders to escort me into the city!"

"Yes!"

"In addition, each of the Eight Banners' ten-thousand-household commanders will select one hundred of their most elite soldiers, totaling six hundred men. They will be led by Shi Tianxiang, Zhang Hui, Guo Zhongyuan, Mochibieduwen, Wang Shixian, and Shimoxiandebu, and will accompany me into the city! Zhang Hui's troops will be temporarily led by the first thousand-household commander!"

"Yes!"

Shi Tianxiang, Zhang Hui, Guo Zhongyuan, Mochibieduwen, Wang Shixian, and Shi Moxiande are basically the six strongest individuals in Zhao Shuo's current army of 70,000.

The Eight Banners selected one hundred out of ten thousand, meaning only the best of the best among each banner. Add to that a thousand Black Cavalry. Zhao Shuo believed that with these men at his disposal, even if Ögedei and Tolui joined forces, he could lead these sixteen hundred troops to break through Kaesong.

Even in the worst-case scenario, they could hold out for more than two hours amidst the siege of the main army until reinforcements arrived.

He even somewhat hoped that Ögedei would give him this excuse.

Once Ögedei makes a move, the other Mongol nobles will have nothing to say. After all, it was the Great Khan's lineage that attacked him first. Can Zhao Shuo just sit idly by and wait to die?

Even if some people still have reservations, at worst he can just not be the Great Khan, but become the Regent, and let his son Zhao He be the Great Khan.

After all, Zhao He was bestowed the surname "Borjigin" by Genghis Khan himself.

Boom~~
Under the escort of a thousand fully armed Black Riders, six hundred elite elites, and one hundred Night Owl Guards, and led by Su Lun, Zhao Shuo and Yang Miaozhen headed towards Chongren Gate in Kaijing.

Meanwhile, inside the Xuande Hall of the Imperial Palace in Kaijing, a voice cried out, "Khan, you mustn't go! You absolutely mustn't go! It's far too dangerous! This is another trap!"

Yao Shu, the strategist most valued by Tolui, clung tightly to Tolui's leg, kowtowing repeatedly, and refused to let Tolui leave the palace.

“Father, please listen to Mr. Yao, you absolutely must not go! What will my brothers and I do if anything happens to you!” Möngke, Tolui’s eldest son, also tightly hugged Tolui’s left arm.

Tolui's second and third sons died young, and Kublai Khan and others were still young. Now, only his eldest son, Möngke, was by his side.

"Let me go! All of you, let me go!"

Tolui struggled to break free from Möngke's restraints and roared, "Do you really think that Third Brother fears me the most? You're wrong! He fears Zhao Shuo Khan the most! How many steppe warriors are there? Zhao Shuo Khan's Han Eight Banners army has more than 120,000 men, and their fighting strength is no less than that of the steppe warriors."

“My third brother has held my hand with tears in his eyes more than once, saying that although Zhao Shuohan is our brother-in-law, he is ultimately an outsider. The bloodline of my eldest brother Jochi is also highly questionable. Yet, the combined power of the two of them surpasses that of our Borjigin clan. It's alright as long as he's here, but once he leaves, the Golden Family will depend entirely on my second brother and me. How could he possibly harm me?”

Yao Shu said bitterly, "Saying is one thing, doing is another. The Khan may not necessarily mean what he says. He has his own sons, why should he place his hopes on you and Chagatai Khan?"

Mongke chimed in, "Third Uncle wants to deal with Eldest Uncle and Uncle Zhao Shuo, but can he handle them? It's your forces that are most likely to be swallowed up by him."

"Stop talking. My mind is made up. I must go today."

Tolui said, "Did you hear the drumming just now? That was Zhao Shuo Khan beating the drums to gather his generals. He's already so wary of the Great Khan, how much loyalty can he still have for the Mongols? If my third brother and I don't unite, I'm afraid the Golden Family will change its surname to Zhao!"

Yao Shu wanted to persuade him further, saying, "But..."

Tolui's face darkened, and he said, "There are no 'buts'. I refuse to believe that my loyalty to the Mongols would be used against me by my third brother. Mr. Yao, don't force me to be unreasonable!"

"Hey!"

Having said all that, what else could Yao Shu say?
You have to understand, his physique is far inferior to Möngke's. Tolui could have easily kicked him away, but he broke free from Möngke first, which shows him great respect.

Yao Shu had no choice but to stand up, bow, and say, "In short, Khan, please be careful in everything you do."

"understood."

On the other side, the Mongol army guarding Chongren Gate dared not stop them, and Zhao Shuo and more than 1,700 others had already entered Kaijing City.

The Kheshig troops stationed around the palace did try to prevent Zhao Shuo from leading his army into the palace, under the leadership of Wanhu Bulie, but their obstruction was not resolute enough.

To put it bluntly, the Kheshig army was composed of the sons of Mongol nobles, and who among them didn't have some connection with Zhao Shuo?
With the Great Khan's fate now unknown, who would be willing to offend the most powerful figure in Mongolia?
Once they reached the Xuanming Hall, Zhao Shuo's black-clad cavalry and guards could no longer enter.

Bu Lie wanted Zhao Shuo and Yang Miaozhen to remove their armor and weapons, but Zhao Shuo, holding the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade, gave a cold laugh.

Kuoduan quickly came out to greet them and led Zhao Shuo and Yang Miaozhen into the hall.

At this time, all the chieftains of the grasslands, including Tuolei, had arrived, forming a dense crowd of nearly a hundred people.

There is another person, who is the Tongtian Wizard of this generation.

After the first Tongtiansha (a high-ranking shaman), Kokochu, died under mysterious circumstances, Temujin appointed the old man Wusun as his successor. The old man Wusun had already passed away eleven years prior, and the current Tongtiansha was his son, Wusunchar.

"Zhao Shuohan, you've finally arrived!"

Wusunchar bowed slightly to Zhao Shuo and said, "The Great Khan's illness is terminal, and medicine is ineffective. Now I believe there is only one last method left."

Zhao Shuo frowned and asked, "What method is it exactly?"

Wusunchar said, “You and all the Noyans, together with me, pray to the Eternal Heaven to prolong the life of the Great Khan.”

"So, what exactly should we do?"

"Just pray sincerely, and I will take care of the rest."

"Ok."

Since the Mongols practiced shamanism, Zhao Shuo couldn't act too outrageously, so he joined the other generals in praying for Ögedei.

Wearing a white robe, Wusuncha'er held a ritual implement called "Iledu" and chanted incantations as he performed a shamanic dance in the Xuanming Hall.

A full half hour later, Wusunchar finally finished the ceremony, panting heavily. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he said, "Thanks to the great fortune of the Great Khan and all the Noyans, the Eternal Heaven has issued a decree: Since Ögedei Khan entered Goryeo, he has laid down his chariot wheels and committed too many killings, offending the mountain and river gods of Goryeo. The gods are furious and want the Great Khan's life!"

Kuo Duan asked anxiously, "Isn't there any other solution? Must Father's life be taken?"

"Whether there is another solution or not depends on the will of the gods of the mountains and rivers of Goryeo."

As he spoke, he knelt before Ögedei's bed and said, "Great spirits of the mountains and rivers of Goryeo, the Great Khan is the favorite of the Eternal Heaven. Although you have slaughtered many people in Goryeo, could you please show some leniency? For example, we can offer a large amount of gold and jewels as a sacrifice?"

"..."

There was, of course, no response from the scene.

"We may select a thousand beauties to offer as a sacrifice to the great spirits of the mountains and rivers of Goryeo!"

"..."

There was still no response.

"Is it acceptable to offer 100,000 horses as a sacrifice?"

"..."

“I see…” Wusunchar looked troubled, gritted his teeth slightly, and said, “If it really doesn’t work, could a relative of the Great Khan be substituted?”

"Uh!"

Suddenly, Ögedei let out a soft "uh," slowly opened his eyes, and said, "Water... I want to drink..."

Before he could utter the next word "water," Ögedei closed his eyes tightly again.

That's what I'm going to say!

Upon seeing this, Zhao Shuo realized that Ögedei Khan was probably faking illness.

Zhao Shuo didn't believe in anything about the Eternal Heaven or the Korean gods.

How coincidental that Ögedei Khan opened his eyes as soon as the suggestion of a relative to take his place came up?
Clearly, Ögedei's goal was to use this situation to eliminate one of his relatives!
It is likely that Liu Zhonglu's arrow wound had healed by the time he left Ögedei Khan!

As expected, Wusunchar continued his performance.

He turned to the Mongol nobles and said, "Just now, the Great Khan's injuries have improved somewhat. This must be the manifestation of the spirits of the Goryeo mountains and rivers. Now it seems that the only way to save the Great Khan's life is to sacrifice the life of one of his relatives."

"I'll do it!" Kuo Duan declared eagerly, "I am my father's son, and my life was given to me by my father. I am willing to give my life for my father's life!"

"I'm willing to give my life for my father's!" Kuochu immediately declared.

"I'll give my life instead!"

At this point, Tolui was also filled with suspicion. He suspected that Ögedei was setting a trap, but he also felt that what Usunchar said might be true. After all, he was not a pure atheist like Zhao Shuo; he still believed in shamanism.

Besides, how many relatives did Ögedei have on the spot? Apart from Köden and Köchü, wasn't Tolui the only one?
Both Khoduan and Khochu have made their statements, so what's the point of him, Ögedei's own brother, remaining silent in front of everyone?

He prayed, “Gods and spirits of the mountains and rivers of Goryeo, if you are angry with evil, then my evil is greater than that of my third brother. I have killed more people in the war! Let me take my place in my third brother! Take me away in place of Ögedei Khan, heal him, and take his illness upon me!”

Wusunchar said, “It is commendable that the three of you are so loyal to the Great Khan. I will now bathe the Great Khan. All three of you will drink the Great Khan’s bathing water. As for whose life to take, that will depend on the will of the spirits of the mountains and rivers of Goryeo.”

Then, Wusunchar personally bathed Ögedei and poured three cups of the bath water for Tolui, Köden, and Köchü to drink.

Zhao Shuo certainly wouldn't voluntarily step forward to ask Ögedei for a cup of bathwater; even if it wasn't poisonous, it would still be too disgusting.

Moreover, he was just Ögedei's brother-in-law, and there was no blood relation between them, so no one could find fault with him.

Besides, it's obvious that Ögedei Khan wanted to kill Tolui, so what does it have to do with him?

However, after Tolui drank a cup of the bathing water, nothing unusual happened.

Tore even felt that he had been overthinking things.

Didn't Köden and Köchü also drink the water used for bathing? Would Ögedei Khan really harm his own sons?

"Father, you are back!"

Half an hour later, Möngke, who was waiting at the entrance of Xuande Hall, was overjoyed to see Tolui return and quickly went to greet him.

Tolui laughed heartily and said, "Of course I'm back. How could there be any accidents? You're overthinking it, child. Third Brother wouldn't do anything to me. This time, I willingly drank Third Brother's bathing water. Whether it's Third Brother or the people of the world, they should know even more about my loyalty to the Mongols... Wa!"

Just as he finished speaking, Tore suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and coughed up a mouthful of black blood!

(End of this chapter)