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

Chapter 222 An unprecedented world war is about to break out!

Hebei Province, Hejian Prefecture, Suning County, outside Lijiazhuang.

"Xiaoshan, do a good job! This time when you go to the West, try to bring back a female slave of a Western noblewoman, haha!"

Li Tiezhu, along with more than a dozen Han soldiers from the Bordered Yellow Banner and Qian Xiaoshan's family, saw Qian Xiaoshan off as he was about to embark on his westward expedition, their conversation filled with warmth.

Of course, Li Tiezhu couldn't help but feel a little sour inside.

This time, the Han army's Bordered Yellow Banner selected one thousand elite soldiers to accompany the Crown Prince on his western expedition. Three to four thousand people volunteered, including Li Tiezhu and Qian Xiaoshan.

It's a very simple principle. Although there are two more wars to fight—the southern campaign and the western campaign—the Song state is ultimately in the hands of the Han people, while the western region is in the hands of foreign tribes.

Can foreign wars and civil wars be considered equally valuable? To seal the wolf's lair and inscribe the monument on Yanran Mountain is the dream of almost every valiant Chinese man. Who wouldn't want to expand China's territory and display their might to foreign lands?

Furthermore, although the State of Song was wealthy, its people were all of the same ethnicity. Attacking Song would not be as drastic as conquering other tribes, where soldiers would readily resort to conscription and massacres, or even simply flatten the city with cartwheels. Consequently, the spoils that the soldiers would receive would naturally be significantly less.

Not to mention, the fortified cities in the west were far less fortified than those in the Song Dynasty.

Therefore, setting aside the factor of being reluctant to leave their homeland, the soldiers naturally preferred the western expedition over the southern expedition.

With so many people signing up, the competition naturally becomes fierce.

Although Li Tiezhu also wanted to go to the West to make a big splash, he was no match for the new recruits who had joined the Han Army's Eight Banners in recent years, and was ultimately rejected.

Firstly, he is indeed quite old, and he should retire in two more years.

Secondly, Li Tiezhu was originally Miao Daorun's subordinate. He surrendered to Zhao Shuo along with Miao Daorun and joined the Bordered Yellow Banner.

Although he was considered a brave and fierce warrior under Miao Daorun at the time, how could he compare to the new generation of young people?
In Zhao Shuo's two heartland regions of Shandong and Hebei, seventeen years of peace had fostered a new generation of young people who enjoyed ample nutrition, were instilled with a martial spirit, and even received martial arts training from a young age. Each time new recruits were added to the Han Chinese Eight Banners, forty or fifty men would compete for a single spot.

In addition, the recent wars against the Jin and Goryeo dynasties have given these new recruits valuable war experience.

There's no comparison, absolutely no comparison!

Despite Li Tiezhu's official position as a tenth-household commander and his experience from the previous western expedition, he still failed to qualify.

However, Qian Xiaoshan, the son of a former tenant farmer, was selected for the Western Expeditionary Thousand-Man Team of the Bordered Yellow Banner.

"Thank you for your kind words, Uncle Li!"

Qian Xiaoshan is now full of ambition.

Ten years ago, Li Tiezhu returned from his western expedition, bringing back valuables worth five hundred taels of silver. He told Qian Xiaoshan about the scenery thousands of miles away from his hometown, opening a door to a new world for Qian Xiaoshan.

He also wanted to see the vast Caspian Sea, the mysterious Black Sea, the majestic Caucasus Mountains, and the lush, flower-filled Kipchak Steppe.

He wanted to see for himself the different races and customs of people 20,000 miles away.

He wanted to be like Li Tieshan, bringing back a vast fortune that his parents could never earn in their lifetime.

From then on, Qian Xiaoshan studied and practiced diligently like a madman. With the full support of his parents, who had broadened his horizons, he finally joined the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Han Army seven years ago, and his family's life improved significantly.

However, this is still too far from his original goal.

Now the opportunity has finally arrived. He will set off with the Crown Prince to conquer the world further west, where wealth and women are plentiful, and there is also the glory of expanding the territory of the Han Dynasty.

Of course, beautiful women are also a good choice.

"What Western noblewoman? I've heard there are many Western countries. It's not impossible for me to get a Western princess like Zhang Mancang did! The West, here I come!"

Qian Xiaoshan thought to himself.

He bid farewell to his hometown people and went to Hejian to join the soldiers of Xianghuang Banner, embarking on his journey.

……

……

North of the Indus River, outside the city of Srinagar.

Banners fluttered, bugle calls swayed, men and horses stood at attention, their helmets and armor gleaming.

Wu Xian, the banner lord of the Semu Plain Red Banner, is seeing off the two thousand elite troops who have been selected.

Wu Xian was originally a Taoist priest. Later, he was busy with military affairs and did not marry or have children until the end of the Western Expedition.

It was only after he settled permanently in the region north of the Indus River that he married a beautiful Indian woman and they had two sons.

One is seven years old and the other is four years old this year, so naturally they cannot join Zhao He's western expedition.

Therefore, for this western expedition, Wu Xian selected two of his most capable generals.

Firstly, there was Ge Tianliang, nicknamed "Iron Spear Ge." Historical records state that Ge Iron Spear once fought Zhang Rou, shooting an arrow into Zhang Rou's cheek and knocking out two of his teeth. Although Zhao Shuo altered history and this event never occurred, he was indeed the most formidable general under Wu Xian.

Secondly, his name was Zhang Xilai.

Zhang Xilai, originally named Qasim, was a camel driver in Barihei City and a contract slave of a merchant guild. Later, Qasim joined Zhao Shuo's army as a conscript, where he unleashed his talent, fought bravely, and repeatedly made meritorious contributions, often being the first to scale the walls. He is now the commander of the fourth thousandth household of the second ten thousandth household of the Semu Plain Red Banner.

Let alone a commander, ever since joining the Eight Banners, Qasim has considered himself a Han Chinese. Over the years, he has diligently studied the Han language and culture, and even gave himself the Han name Zhang Xilai.

"By the way, Zhang Xilai, any news about your sister?"

Before leaving, Wu Xian suddenly remembered Zhang Xilai's long-held wish and asked him a question.

"Hey!"

Mentioning his younger sister, Kayashan, Zhang Xilai's expression darkened, and he sighed, "After making many inquiries over the years, I learned that my sister was resold multiple times before falling into the hands of a Genoese merchant named Andrea. Where that Genoese merchant sold her after that, I don't know."

"That would be difficult."

Wu Xian understood that in those days, Genoese and Venetian merchants were practically synonymous with slave traders.

Taking advantage of the Crusades, they ventured deep into the Black Sea coast, cooperated with local Byzantine forces, and established a global network for the slave trade.

After falling into the hands of Genoese merchants, Kayashan may have been sold to countries of true religion, or to European and Roman countries further west, or even to distant countries south of the Sahara Desert.

Finding Kayashan is practically impossible.

Wu Xian could only comfort him, saying, "It's alright, take your time searching. Good people are always blessed. I believe that one day you and your sister will be reunited."

"That's what I think too. If all else fails..."

Zhang Xilai gritted his teeth slightly and said, "One day, the king's army will conquer every inch of land under the sun. I refuse to believe that when that time comes, I will ask the king for a decree and still not be able to find my sister's whereabouts."

"Then you'll have to make enough contributions. These days, a mere commander of a thousand households of the Semu people isn't enough."

"understand!"

Zhang Xilai's light blue eyes gleamed with determination as he said, "In this western expedition, I will definitely earn the title of a Semu commander! To repay the King's great kindness, and to take another step towards finding Kayashan!"

"Then, let's go!"

"set off!"

Boom~~
Two thousand elite troops of the Semu Plain Red Banner left Srinagar and headed towards the Baluwan Grassland.

……

……

And so, Zhao Shuo's elite troops set off towards their respective destinations. Among them were Han Chinese, Khitans, Jurchens, Persians, Slavs, Assudans... the most powerful army in history was about to take shape.

In fact, it wasn't just Zhao He's army.
Guyuk's military expedition was not only aimed at conquering his own fiefdom, but also at establishing the prestige of the next Great Khan.

Möngke also coveted the position of Great Khan.

The 30,000 troops they led were all pure Mongol steppe warriors. Although Jochi had no ambition for the Khanate, in order not to lose face, he dispatched four Mongol commanders of 1,000 and 26,000 elite Kipchak cavalry.

Chagatai was the weakest, but he still spared no expense to support the Ögedei line, sending six Mongol commanders and 24,000 elite troops from the Transoxiana region.

A terrifying storm, poised to engulf the entire world, is gathering towards Baghdad.

……

……

Inside the Ayyubid Palace in Cairo.

"Come! Let us drink this cup to the brim to celebrate the founding of the Second Alliance of the True God Cult."

Camille held up a glass of fine wine and looked toward the twenty-seven leaders of the True God Cult in the hall.

They included Kekubad I, ruler of the Sultanate of Rum, the Sharif regime in the Hejaz region, the Uyunid regime in the eastern part of the peninsula, the Bedouin tribes in the Najd region, the Ibadi regime in Oman, and the rulers of Basra and Hormuz along the Persian Gulf coast.

"Dry!"

"For the true God!"

"Spread the glory of the true God throughout the land of the East!"

"Kill all the male faithless men of the East, and make the female faithless men our slaves!"

"Thanks be to God, for bestowing upon us the rich lands of the East and beautiful slaves!"

……

The nobles of the True God Cult drank it all in one gulp, stretched out their arms, and shouted loudly.

There was no other way; for more than a decade, the True God Cult had been living a very stifling life.

First, Khwarazm, the strongest state of the True God religion, was destroyed by the Mongols, and then even the nominal leader, the Caliph, was killed by the Mongols.

Furthermore, five years ago, Holy Emperor Frederick II led a large army on the Sixth Crusade.

At that time, the Ayyubid dynasty was not peaceful. Sultan Mu'azam, who ruled Damascus, Syria, had a major conflict with Kamil, and the two sides launched a civil war.

Thus, under Frederick II's persuasive words and immense internal pressure, Camille reluctantly made his decision.

Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Monfort and Torun Castle, as well as the corridor from Jerusalem to Jaffa, were returned to the Roman Catholic Church. Christians were allowed to build walls in Jerusalem, while True God believers retained only the right to freely enter and leave Jerusalem.

The Holy City was lost, the Caliph was dead, and the prestige of the True God Church plummeted to rock bottom.

Fortunately, the true god intervened, and Mongolia suddenly descended into internal strife. Ögedei Khan murdered his own brother, and Zhao Shuo was about to declare himself emperor; a civil war was imminent. The True God Cult's opportunity to reclaim lost territory and even march eastward had arrived!

So, all of this was a test from the true God!
His followers are destined to rule the whole world!

Heretics are destined to be slaves of the true God's people!

The only drawback was that the envoys sent by Camille to Western Europe, urging the European nations to take advantage of the Mongol civil war to launch an attack eastward, returned disappointed.

After Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II returned to Europe having achieved the great feat of recapturing the Holy City without bloodshed, he was shocked to find that Pope Gregory IX was leading a large army of European nations to attack the Holy Roman Empire's Sicily region.

The Pope's stated reason was that Frederick II had openly signed a treaty with infidels, thus blaspheming the faith.

The actual reason is quite simple: Frederick II recaptured the Holy City without relying on the assistance of other European powers or enlisting the help of the Pope. What use would God's people have for the Roman Catholic Church?

In any case, the most powerful country in Europe is currently engaged in a major war with other nations led by the Pope, and simply cannot afford to attend to the East.

But isn't this a good thing too?

Perhaps this is also a manifestation of the true God, designating the East as the promised land for true believers, and forbidding those heretics in the West from interfering!

These nobles of the True God Cult became increasingly excited and ecstatic as they imagined it.

However, at this moment—

Deng Deng Deng~~
With a series of hurried footsteps, a Mamluk rushed into the hall, holding a document, and said, "Reporting to the Sultan, there is urgent intelligence from the East!"

"Bring it to me and see."

"Yes."

"what?!"

Camille took the intelligence report, glanced at it, and his expression changed drastically. After reading it through in its entirety, he was utterly ashen-faced.

He took two deep breaths and said in a deep voice, "I have some bad news for you all: not only has the Mongol civil war not started, but..."

He explained the information in the intelligence report, including Ögedei Khan's edict of self-reproach, the unity of the Mongol Empire, and the simultaneous southern campaign against the Song Dynasty and the dispatch of 150,000 troops to the west to conquer the countries of the True God religion.

"How...how is it possible?"

"real or fake?"

"Wasn't it said that Mongolia was about to go into civil war? How come they've suddenly united?"

"Could Ögedei, that despicable man who killed his younger brother, possibly admit his mistake and correct it?"

"Can Zhao Shuo really resist the temptation to become emperor?"

"Sultan Kamil, this intelligence report can't be wrong, can it?"

……

The nobles of the True God Cult were discussing it amongst themselves, hardly believing their ears.

Camille shook his head slightly and said bitterly, "This intelligence is absolutely correct. Ever since the first Mongol westward expedition, I have sent countless spies to the east. Among them, one spy has made contact with a true god's disciple in Quanzhou, Song State. This person is not only extremely loyal to my True God Cult, but also runs a very large business, has good relations with the Quanzhou government, and is the most well-informed."

"So, this is indeed true?"

"An army of 150,000! When the Mongols took Iraq, killed Jalal ad-Din, and captured Baghdad, they only used 30,000 troops! Can we stop an army of 150,000?"

"It's over! God above, have you abandoned your people?"

"Could it be that Zhao Shuo is really some kind of divine calamity?"

……

Now, the nobles of the True God Cult inside the main hall were completely dumbfounded, and cries of despair filled the air.

What Mongolian civil war?

Mongolia did not have a civil war; the real civil war was fought among the European countries that might become their allies!
Moreover, the Mongol army of 150,000 is about to attack them, just as they destroyed Khwarazm and Baghdad!
What do the wealth, women, and vast lands of the East have to do with them? Their wealth, women, and lands are probably those of the Mongols!

God, who are you protecting?
These nations of the True God Church are on the verge of collapse!

Some even exclaimed, "World War! This is the first world war in history! Whether our country can continue to exist after this world war, only God knows."

is not that right?

In the far east, Mongolia is about to attack the Song Dynasty, the second largest country in the east!
In the far west, the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope are locked in fierce battle!
At the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa, a massive Mongol army of 150,000 men marched menacingly toward the nations of the True God religion!

This intelligence was sent from Quanzhou in the Song Dynasty and reached Cairo.

Jerusalem, the holy city shared by the Roman and Christian nations and the true God religion, will also face the threat of the Mongols!
The whole world has been drawn into this war.

An unprecedented world war is about to break out!

(End of this chapter)