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

Chapter 221 The Second Western Expedition: An All-Star Lineup!
On July 16, 1231, Ögedei Khan issued an edict of self-reproach in the Karakoram Palace, declaring that he had been misled by the slander of the sorcerer Wusunchar, which led to the death of his younger brother Tolui, and expressed deep remorse.

He ordered the immediate execution of the shaman Wusunchar and the conversion of Iraq into the fiefdom of Möngke, the eldest son of Tolui.

Furthermore, it was announced that King Zhao Shuo would lead his troops south to destroy the Song Dynasty. Batu Khan, the second son of Jochi Khan, was appointed as the commander-in-chief, and the eldest sons of the various Khans were appointed as deputy commanders, leading an army of 150,000 to the west.

At the same time, Zhao Shuo also issued a series of imperial edicts.

Firstly, Gerile led his troops, along with the two commanders Wudutai and Moluhe, to the Baluwan Grassland to relieve Hairige.

The 2,300 Flying Eagles led by Hai Rige will serve as the main force of Crown Prince Zhao He in this western expedition.

Hairige was a Mongol general personally discovered by Zhao Shuo. He was three years younger than Zhao Shuo, and his military talent was no less than that of famous Mongol generals such as Muqali and Subutai.

He is now at the peak of his abilities as a general, possessing a combination of strength, experience, and wisdom.

The Flying Eagle Army is Zhao Shuo's elite force, second only to the Black Cavalry. They have long been stationed on the Baluwan Grassland, controlling vast areas of Afghanistan, Khorasan, and north of the Indus River.

It's time to get some exercise.

Secondly, the Khitan commanders under Zhao Shuo's command, Shi Mo Xiande, who were not under his direct command, were subordinate to the crown prince Zhao He and also participated in this western expedition.

Shi Moming'an and Guo Baoyu surrendered to Zhao Shuo together at Huihe Fort. Guo Baoyu had long since become a Han army commander of ten thousand, but Zhao Shuo had no intention of establishing a Khitan commander of ten thousand; this Khitan commander of a thousand had always existed as a direct subordinate force of Zhao Shuo's main army.

To be fair, this Khitan commander was extremely powerful. His forces included not only Khitans under Shi Moming'an, but also some of the most elite of the three thousand felt soldiers who had surrendered to Zhao Shuo at the walls of Zhongdu.

To this day, this Khitan commander has a total strength of 1,500 men, and his individual combat strength is by no means inferior to that of the Flying Eagle Army.

This Khitan commander, Shi Moxiande, was among the top warriors under Zhao Shuo, ranking alongside Zhang Hui, Mochibieduwen, Shi Tianxiang, Guo Zhongyuan, and Wang Shixian.

If the expedition goes well, a Semu (Central Asian) ten-thousand-household unit will be formed based on this Khitan thousand-household unit.

Thirdly, Su Fei led his own thousand-household troops to serve as the personal guard for the crown prince Zhao He.

The veteran general Suhe was the sworn brother of Zhao Shuo's father, Zhao Yong.

Suhe's daughter, Su Na, who has heterochromia, married Zhao Shuo.

Su He's eldest son, Su Lun, served as a representative of Zhao Shuo's nephews and was appointed as a commander of the Kheshig army.

The second son, Su Fei, inherited Su He's original title of commander of a thousand households.

It can be said that the Su family, apart from the Genghis Khan family, was the family with the closest relationship with Zhao Shuo.

Su Fei is a very suitable candidate to serve as Zhao He's personal guard commander.

Fourth, Shi Tian'an was appointed to temporarily replace Shi Tianze as the Second Commander of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Semu people. Shi Tianze and Hairige were both deputy commanders of Zhao He's western expedition.

Fifth, all the Han Chinese Eight Banners commanders and Semu Eight Banners commanders under Zhao Shuo, if they have sons who are fourteen years of age or older, must send their eldest son to accompany the heir Zhao He on the western expedition, and each commander must also select one thousand elite soldiers from their own commandery to accompany him.

The eldest son of each commander of a thousand households who is willing to join the campaign is also encouraged to participate, and must select one hundred elite soldiers from their own commander's household to accompany him.

Sixth, Fan Qiao led a battalion of two thousand artillerymen to accompany Prince Zhao He on his western expedition.

In this way, Zhao He had a total of 2,300 Flying Eagle Army soldiers, 1,200 ordinary grassland soldiers, 1,500 Khitan soldiers, 2,000 artillery battalion soldiers, and 28,000 people drawn from 28 households, for a total of 36,000 people.

These 36,000 troops were scattered throughout Asia, separated by thousands of miles. They certainly wouldn't gather in Zhongdu first and then head west; rather, they would proceed in stages.

The troops drawn from the 140,000 households of the Han army's Eight Banners, the troops drawn from the Semu households stationed in Goryeo, the troops of the Khitan households, the troops of Su Fei's household, and the artillery battalion will be the first to meet with Zhao He in Zhongdu.

Then they would head to Baghdad, where they would join forces with troops drawn from the 14 banners of the Semu people, as well as troops from the other four factions, to march westward.

Such a long march would take at least a year.

……

……

Hannan Province (Goryeo), outside Cheongju City.

"Third brother, this time when you go to the West, you must fight well! Earn another ten thousand households for our Shi family!"

Shi Tianan patted Shi Tianze on the shoulder and earnestly gave him some advice.

Shi Bingzhi had three sons: Shi Tianni, Shi Tianan, and Shi Tianze. Shi Tianni was the most outstanding, followed by Shi Tianze, and then Shi Tianan.

However, these "second best" are all relative.

According to historical records, Shi Tianze served as a high-ranking official for fifty years, and was trusted by his superiors and had no complaints from his subordinates. He was cautious, resourceful, decisive, and adept at assessing the enemy and using troops. He advocated winning hearts and minds and strongly opposed killing and plundering. Many people compared him to figures like Guo Ziyi and Cao Bin.

Such a person is more than qualified to be the prime minister of a country. How could he be so simple?

This Shi Tian'an was historically the commander of the Five Routes of Zhending.

However, Zhao Shuo pacified Shandong and Hebei too quickly, taking all the heroes who emerged during the chaos into his own hands. Without the opportunity for them to fight each other, the Han Chinese Eight Banners became filled with fierce generals, leading to intense competition.

To this day, Shi Tianan is merely a Han Chinese Plain Yellow Banner commander of a thousand households, and Shi Tianze is only a Semu commander of ten thousand households.

Of course, the Shi family is doing very well now. Shi Tianni is the banner lord of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Han Army, Shi Tianxiang is the first commander of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Han Army, and Shi Huaide and Shi Tianze are both commanders of the Semu people.

However, human nature is never satisfied, and historians still wanted to go further.

"Let alone one household with ten thousand households, it's not impossible for two households with ten thousand households!"

Shi Tianze is now filled with boundless pride.

Although he was nearly thirty, he only had two daughters and no sons yet. However, his elder brother Shi Tianni's two sons, Shi Ji and Shi Quan, would both be going to war.

The two children, one seventeen and the other fifteen, both inherited Shi Tianni's outstanding talents, being both brave and resourceful.

Although they are young now, when the real battle begins, one will be eighteen and the other sixteen.

With four or five years of fighting, he might very well receive the title of commander of the Semu tribe.

Most importantly, Shi Tianze understood that the Shi family's power was too great, and the king would not allow the Shi family to control the Han army's Eight Banners' 10,000 households again.

However, the world is so vast that more troops are needed to guard it. Historians could certainly try to win over the Semu Wanhu (a type of non-Han ethnic group).

Isn't this good enough?

In the future, as the king's power spread throughout the world, the Shi family will also spread its branches and leaves all over the world, becoming one of the most widely distributed noble families in the world.

Such an achievement is not only enough to comfort the historians and ancestors, but it is also incredibly exciting to even think about.

……

... Zhongdu City, the Office of the Grand Secretary.

"Hyun'er, now that you've joined the army as the Crown Prince's secretary, do you know what the most crucial thing is?"

Yelü Chucai looked at his eldest son, Yelü Xuan.

The term "jishi" refers to a secretary in ancient times. Although the official rank was not high, the position was very crucial.

“Many people have told me that the Crown Prince is the heir apparent. I should take this rare opportunity to get close to him and become his confidant. In the future, I may become the prime minister of the country after my father.”

Yelü Xuan is twenty-two years old this year, two years younger than Zhao He. However, he is mature beyond his years and speaks slowly and deliberately.

Yelü Chucai asked, "And what do you think?"

Yelü Xuan shook his head slightly and said, "I think they are wrong. The Crown Prince and the King are somewhat similar in temperament, valuing real merit rather than flattery. Besides, I am not capable of flattering the Crown Prince. And with my talents, I am not qualified to be the future Prime Minister."

"So what are you planning to do?"
"Just do what needs to be done. I'll do whatever the young master tells me to do, and I'll do my best to complete the tasks assigned by the young master."

"Very good! My son has great self-awareness; he is a blessed man!"

Yelü Chucai had two sons and one daughter: his eldest son Yelü Xuan, his second son Yelü Zhu, and his only daughter Yelü Ping.

Needless to say, whether or not his daughter should enter the palace as the Crown Prince's wife depends on Zhao Shuo's decision.

The second son, Yelü Zhu, is the most like Yelü Chucai. He has long been known as a child prodigy and may very well become the prime minister of the empire someday. Unfortunately, he is only eleven years old this year and it is impossible for him to accompany Zhao He on the western expedition.

Yelü Xuan, the eldest son, was upright and taciturn, and Yelü Chucai had no expectation that he would have any career advancement.

But Zhao Shuo valued Yelü Xuan's temperament and his expertise in mathematics, so he transferred Yelü Xuan to Zhao He's central army as his secretary, assisting Zhao He in handling logistics. If Yelü Xuan did this job well, why would he worry about not having a bright future?

Hearing Yelü Xuan's words of self-awareness, Yelü Chucai was truly comforted.

……

……

Siros, outside the city of Chiva.

"Kan'er, others only recently received the King's decree for the western expedition. But we are different. Ten years ago, when the King left Xiluos, he ordered us to prepare for the second western expedition. You lead the most elite warriors of my Semu Bordered Blue Banner. You must not tarnish the reputation of the Guo family, and you must not disappoint the King's expectations!"

Guo Dehai, the head of the 20,000th household of the Semu Bordered Blue Banner, solemnly instructed his son, Guo Kan.

"I understand, son!" Guo Kan replied loudly.

Guo Kan and Zhao He are the same age, both twenty-four this year.

He was tall with broad shoulders and a straight back.

His eyes were dark and bright, his nose was high and straight, his lips were tightly pressed together, and there was a hint of unwavering determination at the corners of his mouth. His short beard outlined his youthful features, while also adding a touch of composure from years of battle.

His black cloak fluttered in the wind, adding to his air of boldness.

Historical records indicate that although Guo Kan was Guo Dehai's son, he was raised under the command of Shi Tianze from a young age. He will step onto the historical stage next year, first defeating 40,000 Jin troops at Xinweizhou, and then attacking the west gate of Bianjing under the command of Subutai. He will then follow Shi Tianze to garrison Taikang, and then march south to capture De'an. He can be described as starting at max level, invincible in every battle.

Although Zhao Shuo changed history, Guo Kan's military experience surpassed that of historical figures.

In recent years, due to the migration of Han Chinese immigrants and the implementation of the Fubing system, the situation in Xiluos has been relatively stable, with few battles fought.

However, the Rus' territories under Jochi's rule were not peaceful.

Unfortunately, Jochi only had nine Mongol commanders of a thousand households, and no Han Chinese immigrants. When ruling the vast Kipchak Steppe and Rus' territories, there were bound to be times when his army was unable to be mobilized in time to suppress rebellions.

Therefore, Guo Dehai repeatedly sent Guo Kan to lead troops to assist Jochi in suppressing rebellions in various Rus' regions.

In this process, Guo Kan not only gained rich war experience, but also trained a powerful cavalry composed of Rus' herdsmen.

What is this concept?
The historically renowned Cossack cavalry was composed of the Rus' nomadic people who lived on the steppes of Eastern Europe.

They were renowned in the West for their rapid, highly mobile, lethal, and valiant attacks.

Napoleon once said, "If I had Cossack cavalry in my army, I would use them to conquer the world." They were excellent light cavalry, but their lack of discipline and unwillingness to dismount limited their effectiveness on the battlefield. They were also ruthless towards civilians.

Before Zhao Shuo left Xiluos, he already had the idea of ​​forming a Cossack cavalry, which he entrusted to Guo Dehai and his son to carry out.

Under the tutelage of the gifted general Guo Kan, these Rus' cavalry retained their fierce spirit and superb horsemanship, while eliminating their lazy and undisciplined style, making them even more capable of fighting than the Cossack cavalry of later generations.

Their warhorses, armor, and weapons were all provided by Zhao Shuo. Each person had five horses and three sets of armor: lamellar armor, iron-rimmed armor, and cotton armor. Their long swords and great axes were also made of Damascus steel.

In addition, they also possessed a special weapon—the Chashik cavalry saber.

The Chashikh cavalry saber, also known as the Cossack scimitar, did not exist in history at this time. Zhao Shuo commissioned the workshop to forge them based on designs from his memory.

This knife has a thick back and a wide blade, with an oak leaf-shaped tip and a deep, curved blood groove that occupies two-thirds of its width.

The most crucial design feature is the elimination of the handguard, shifting the center of gravity rearward to facilitate swinging and turning the knife during vigorous movements, as well as ensuring the blade remains stable and does not wobble when thrusting at an opponent while mounted.

In other words, the Chashik cavalry saber maximized its killing efficiency on horseback at the cost of defense.

The Cossack cavalry, equipped with Chashik cavalry sabers, were greatly enhanced in their roles as scouts, raiders, and battlefield cover.

Today, Guo Kan will lead 200 of the most elite Han soldiers from the 20,000th household of the Semu Bordered Blue Banner, along with 800 Rus' warriors who are even stronger than the Cossack cavalry of later generations, on an expedition.

At this moment, Guo Kan was filled with extraordinary excitement.

Although Guo Kan had made many military achievements over the years, they were nothing compared to the great battles during the Western Expedition that his father, Guo Dehai, had fought, which involved the massacre of cities and the destruction of countries.

Now, the opportunity has come.

He will lead his thousand warriors to join Crown Prince Zhao He's western expeditionary army to massacre cities and destroy countries, and to establish his own glorious achievements!

In fact, this was precisely the high expectation Zhao Shuo had for Guo Kan.

According to the History of Yuan, Guo Kan conquered more than 700 cities in his lifetime, including more than 120 cities in Frankish territory.

Is this record true? Did the Mongol army really reach such a far distance?
Many people in later generations expressed doubts, believing that the historical records were either exaggerated or simply wrong.

Whether it's true or not, Zhao Shuo wants it to be true.

Tremble, Western nations!

Guo Kan, the "Heavenly General of the East," has arrived!

(End of this chapter)