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

Chapter 228 The entire audience was shocked: The Han army's combat strength has surpassed that of the Mongols!
Instead of directly appointing a general, Zhao He looked at the two deputy commanders and asked, "Shi Tianze, Hai Rige, what do you think?"

Shi Tianze said, "According to our intelligence, the main force of the True God Sect is 270,000 regular troops. Our army spreads the smallpox virus, and based on the possibility of death of 20% to 30%, they should still have about 200,000 regular troops left."

"Furthermore, the True God Alliance, fighting like cornered beasts, will send a large number of laborers to Baghdad, even if it's just 100,000."

"Therefore, the total number of people in Baghdad can be estimated at 300,000. They are only defending and not attacking, so it will not be easy for us to take over Baghdad in a short time."

"In that case, we cannot expect to take Baghdad in a few days. A siege requires strategy. We must put enough pressure on the enemy while minimizing our own casualties and conserving our strength. Finally, when the defenders of Baghdad are gradually weakening, we should launch a full-scale attack and capture the city in one fell swoop."

Hai Rige said, "I agree with Shi Tianze's opinion. Baghdad's city walls are in a dilapidated state, so it's not difficult to take over Baghdad. However, Baghdad is actually a huge military camp with 300,000 soldiers. Simply breaking through the city walls does not mean taking over the city. We must first occupy the royal palace and the Palace of Wisdom before we can be considered successful."

"I suggest that the twenty-eight households of Semu and Han troops be divided into four divisions, with seven households in each division, to attack Baghdad for three days. After three days, the divisions will rotate."

Zhao He nodded slightly and said, "What the two deputy commanders said makes sense. However, this battle is related to the fate of the Ayyubid dynasty, so it's best to break through as soon as possible. Let's set a deadline of thirteen days. After thirteen days, regardless of whether the eastern garrison of Baghdad is exhausted enough, launch a full-scale offensive!"

"Yes!"

According to the previous military council, Zhao He's troops would need to rotate with Guyuk's forces after fifteen days. Therefore, Zhao He set the date for the general offensive on the fourteenth day.

Of course, to ensure he was the first to breach Baghdad, Zhao He also had a trump card prepared for him by Zhao Shuo. If the other four Mongol factions advanced too quickly, he wouldn't mind playing this trump card ahead of time to win the gamble.

However, this trump card is only most effective the first time it is used; its effectiveness diminishes significantly afterward.

The soldiers should try to capture Baghdad using conventional methods, saving this trump card for a crucial later event. This way, they can more easily convince the other four Mongol factions.

Zhao He continued, "Furthermore, in order to boost the morale of the entire army, I have decided to award the title of 'Tiger of Baghdad' to the first commander to breach the Baghdad Royal Palace, and to bestow upon him a 'Tiger of Baghdad' medal."

"In addition to the rewards due to meritorious soldiers, the commander of the thousand-man unit will also award all soldiers one hundred taels of silver and a 'Baghdad Vanguard' medal."

"After we conquer the Ayyubid dynasty, we will form a new ten-thousand-household unit with this thousand-household unit as its core, and the head of this thousand-household unit will become the head of the new ten-thousand-household unit. Other meritorious soldiers in this unit will naturally be promoted."

"Thank you, Prince!"

The generals responded with a resounding roar, their eyes practically gleaming.

Everyone knows that after this western expedition gains new territory, several households of ten thousand will definitely be appointed.

The first household with 10,000 households is about to be born!

Moreover, medals and honorary titles were something the Eight Banners Army had been planning for a long time.

The reason why the Eight Banners had such high morale can be summed up in four words: "heavy rewards and heavy punishments".

The effects of heavy penalties have been consistently strong.

However, as the Eight Banners waged more and more wars and the soldiers became increasingly wealthy, the effect of heavy rewards gradually diminished.

It's a very simple principle: someone who originally had only a few dozen taels of silver could earn tens or even hundreds of taels of silver in a single city capture, so of course they were extremely excited.

However, if they already have several thousand taels of property, can an income of a few dozen or a few hundred taels still provide them with sufficient incentive?

If money can't solve the problem, then we need to offer encouragement in terms of spirit.

Medals and honorary titles were thus created.

For ordinary soldiers, medals are a lifelong topic of conversation. Even after they retire in old age, they can still wear their medals and show them off, garnering countless respectful and envious glances. Their family genealogy might even include a line: "Zeng Ren participated in a certain battle on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year and received a certain medal awarded by the imperial court."

Medals are a blessing left to future generations. Whether joining the Eight Banners or abandoning military service for civil service, presenting one's ancestors' medals will certainly ensure priority consideration under equal conditions. Even if descendants are unworthy and impoverished, the government should provide some assistance if they present their ancestors' medals.

Bringing glory to one's ancestors and benefiting one's descendants—this is the essence of it all.

For officers, honorary titles and medals are even more significant.

An honorary title is different from a nickname; it not only represents honor but also seniority.

The military is a place where seniority is the most important factor.

Think about it, how does the commander's influence on the morale of the soldiers come from whether he is the "Tiger of Baghdad" or just an ordinary commander?

Think about it: when the higher-ups assign crucial tasks, do they first think of the "Tigers of Baghdad" or ordinary commanders? Crucial tasks mean opportunities to achieve great merit!

Not to mention, they were recorded in history books with great detail and left their names for eternity—the Three Heroes of the early Han Dynasty and the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai are celebrated throughout the ages!

Therefore, the officers and soldiers of the Eight Banners had long been eager to receive medals and honorary titles.

Now, it's finally going to be implemented.

Who wouldn't want honorary titles and medals? Especially the first batch of honorary titles and medals in the entire army!
Not only were the generals in the central command tent extremely excited, but when the news spread, the entire army cheered.

……

……

The next day, the sky was clear and there was no wind.

Whoosh whoosh!
The triple-bow ballista is firing!
Boom boom boom~~
The catapults were roaring!

Zhao He's forces launched a general offensive against Baghdad.

For this western expedition, Zhao Shuo ordered Zhao He to bring one thousand thunderbolts and eight thousand shockbolts.

This number is neither small nor large.

There was no other way. Zhao Shuo knew all too well that it was the Mongols who brought gunpowder to the West, ushering in a new era for the West.

While we no longer need to completely eliminate gunpowder weapons for technological secrecy, it's still best to maintain strict secrecy regarding their production, keeping it confined to key locations.

When Zhao Shuo shared this suggestion with the Mongol Khans, it received unanimous approval. After all, historically, the Mongols introduced gunpowder to Europe not because they were unwilling to impose a technological blockade, but because they hadn't considered doing so at the time.

In fact, the Mongols were constantly learning and progressing. For example, cotton had become a common crop in the Yuan Dynasty, but they maintained a technological blockade against Goryeo. It wasn't until the end of the Yuan Dynasty that Goryeo officials managed to hide cotton seeds in pen holders and bring them to Goryeo.

Therefore, the gunpowder weapons of Zhao Shuo and the other four Mongol factions were all transported from thousands of miles away, and the quantity could not have been too large.

This time, Zhao He went all out to be the first to break through Baghdad, directly taking out five hundred Thunderclap Bombs and five thousand Shock Bombs.

Not only that, but countless stones weighing twelve or thirteen pounds were also rained down on the eastern wall of Baghdad!

In the past three years, Baghdad has been breached twice, leaving its walls in a dilapidated state, with several large breaches appearing on each side. In the last ten days or so, the Allied forces of the True God Church have certainly repaired these breaches. But how can walls repaired in such a short time withstand such relentless bombardment?
Two days later, the three huge breaches that had already existed in the Baghdong city wall reappeared. The collapsed rubble and stones formed a narrow, uneven slope about three zhang high, filled with boulders.

In other words, without the need for ladders, battering rams, or siege towers, you can simply break through the breach.

It's now!

Boom~~
"Charge! Kill!"

"Break through Baghdad and be the vanguard of Baghdad!"

"The Han army, with its black-flagged banners, is invincible in every battle!"

"Charge! Charge! Charge! Don't let the Han Army's Bordered Blue Banner down!"

……

Seven Han army commanders, clad in heavy armor and under the cover of ranged weapons, charged toward the three breaches. This time, they didn't need ranged weapons like ladders, battering rams, or siege towers; they could simply enter the city via the ramps.

The soldiers guarding the eastern walls of Baghdad were from the Ayyubid dynasty.

Baghdad can be generally considered to be a rectangle, with narrow walls on the east and west sides and wider walls on the north and south sides.

Therefore, the Ayyubid dynasty's army, the most powerful force in the True God Alliance, was responsible for guarding the east and west city walls.

The army of the Sultanate of Rum was responsible for the southern city wall.

The armies of other countries joined together to defend the northern city wall.

The commander-in-chief of the garrison at the eastern city wall was none other than Saleh, the second prince of the Ayyubid dynasty.

"Quiet! Don't make a sound! Kill them all as soon as those heretics come in!"

The second prince of the Ayyubid dynasty, Saleh, stood behind the city wall, giving his final instructions to the Mamluk soldiers lying in ambush.

The garrison on the east city wall has been suffering terribly from the bombings lately.

Although they already knew that the East possessed gunpowder weapons, they weren't panicked. However, they still couldn't withstand the sheer power of the Heavenly Thunder and Heavenly Detonator.

Although the other three walls of Baghdad were also hit by thunderbolts, they were not hit by any thunderbolts, and there were far fewer of them.

Judging from the banners, it was Zhao He's army attacking the eastern city wall. Remembering the rumors of the "Calamity of God," the morale on the eastern city wall plummeted.

Fortunately, Saleh was a man of character who declared that Zhao Shuo was not a calamity from God, but a devil sent by the true God to test his people, thus stabilizing morale to a certain extent.

Now, he has come up with a plan to target Zhao He's army.

Trying to have armored soldiers block the breach was futile. The Han army had too many terrifying gunpowder weapons, and the armored soldiers densely blocking the breach would simply be sitting ducks.

Therefore, he only placed a small number of armored soldiers at the breach, creating a false impression for the Han army. Then, he ambushed a large number of elite Mamluks on both sides of the breach behind the city wall.

Although the gap wasn't small, allowing seven or eight people to walk side by side, that was all there was to it. The Han army could only muster a limited number of troops to flood into the city in a short period of time.

As soon as the Han army entered, the armored soldiers on both sides used their numerical advantage, wielding long spears, broadswords, and maces, to swarm forward. Not a single Han soldier who broke into the city would survive! The casualties of the Han army were probably much greater than those in the battle to scale the city walls!

"Do you think that having a few breaches in the city wall is a huge advantage? In fact, thanks to God, I came up with such a brilliant plan. These breaches will become traps to strangle you! What God's calamity? I, Saleh, am the God's calamity aimed at the Han army!"

Saleh thought to himself, waiting for the moment when the Han army would break in.

However, the facts were destined to disappoint him.

The Han army sent this time consisted of the elite of the elite, many of whom were commanders of a thousand and were being used as commanders of a hundred. Even those commanders of ten thousand who sent their eldest sons were assisted by seasoned veterans of the battlefield.

Saleh's supposedly brilliant plan was nothing more than standard practice for these seasoned veterans. For them, failing to set a trap behind the passage to lure and kill the enemy was tantamount to dereliction of duty and punishable by military law.

"Hmph, such a trivial skill, not worth mentioning."

At a breach, Shi Gui, the commander of the Han army with the black-bordered banner, saw the Mamluk soldiers guarding the breach flee without a fight and let out a cold laugh.

Yang An'er had children only after his first western expedition. He also had a nephew named Yang You, who was of very mediocre ability, so he didn't send him to embarrass himself. Instead, he sent his most valiant general, Shi Gui.

Shi Gui came from the Red Turban Army, but he was not originally under Yang An'er's command; instead, he formed his own faction. When Zhao Shuo's army entered Shandong, the Shandong Red Turban Army elected Yang An'er as their leader, and Shi Gui and Yang An'er surrendered to Zhao Shuo together.

Shi Gui was born with extraordinary physical strength and was a brave and fierce warrior, a true hero of his time.

Historical records indicate that Song general Jia She lured and killed Ji Xian, the commander of the Lianshui Loyal Army. The Lianshui Loyal Army was extremely angry and refused to recognize the general sent by the Song state. Instead, they welcomed Shi Gui, who was then occupying Xuyi, as their leader and called him Grand Commandant.

Shi Gui also did not want to pledge allegiance to the Song Dynasty, and took the initiative to send an envoy to surrender to Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan was on a western expedition at the time, and considering that he would need to use the Song route to fight against the Jin Dynasty in the future, he issued an edict saying: "If the peace treaty with the Song Dynasty fails, I will form an eternal alliance with you, and I will surely bring you glory."

Genghis Khan's promise, "I will surely bring you glory," led Shi Gui to pledge his complete loyalty to the Mongols.

Later, the Song and Mongol states turned against each other, and Shi Gui led his troops across the Huai River to seek refuge with the Mongols in the north. The Song army pursued them relentlessly and captured Shi Gui's wife and eldest son. The Song general said to Shi Gui: "Grand Commandant, return and protect your wife."

Shi Gui surrendered to the Mongols without hesitation, and his wife and eldest son were drowned in the Huai River.

Upon learning of this, Genghis Khan immediately issued an edict: "Shi Gui has abandoned his wife and children, led his troops to surrender, and is hereby granted the titles of Grand Master of the Palace, Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Ping Army, and Grand Marshal of the Shandong Circuit. All other titles remain unchanged."

Later, Shi Gui was defeated and captured by the Jin Dynasty due to the lack of reinforcements. Emperor Xuanzong of Jin personally tried to persuade him to surrender. Shi Gui said, "I have served the great dynasty and held the official position of Guanglu. How could I be granted a fief in another country? Give me one more day, and I will bind you and present you to the emperor."

Emperor Xuanzong of Jin was furious and ordered Shi Gui to be steamed to death in the marketplace.

Shi Gui died calmly, his expression unchanged.

He was willing to risk his life and abandon his wife, all for Genghis Khan's promise: "I will bring you glory!"

Now, the opportunity for glory is right in front of us!
"Jinshan, Tianlu".

Shi Gui beckoned to his two sons and whispered, "You two light the thunderbolts and lead the elite troops to rush in amidst the chaos! It's hard to say whether we'll be the first to storm the Baghdad palace, but at the very least, we must be the first to breach the city walls of Baghdad!"

"Yes!"

zizizi~~
The remaining thirty-six thunderbolts of Shi Gui's troops were all ignited.

Then, Shi Jinshan and Shi Tianlu led their 150 most valiant armored soldiers, all wearing three layers of iron armor, to the breach and threw down thunderbolts.

Boom boom boom!
A deafening sound rang out, smoke filled the air, and visibility was reduced!

Shi Jinshan and Shi Tianlu seized the opportunity to rush into Baghdad!
Shi Gui led more than 800 soldiers of the Bordered Black Banner and followed closely behind them, along with a Han army commander of the Plain Black Banner.

"what!"

The moment the thunderclap was thrown, the Mamluks lying in ambush behind the city wall realized that the Han army had probably discovered their plan.

But what can we do now?
"Kill! Kill the evil heretics!"

"Han army, die!"

"May God protect you!"

"Die!"

……

The Mamluks roared, brandishing their spears, Damascus swords, and maces, as they charged fiercely towards the enemy forces shrouded in smoke.

However, the thick smoke prevented them from delivering a devastating blow to the Han army immediately.

They won't have many more opportunities in the future.

The 150 soldiers at the forefront of the Han army wore three layers of iron armor, making it difficult for them to lose their fighting ability under normal attacks.

Warriors who can wear such heavy armor must be exceptionally brave and fierce.

Two or three minutes later, the thick smoke dissipated, and although more than 20 of the first 150 armored soldiers had fallen, they had still moved forward more than 30 steps.

The Han Chinese Eight Banners troops that entered Baghdad numbered as many as five hundred.

"Block it! Block it!"

Saleh was personally directing operations at this breach. Seeing the situation, he was so anxious that veins bulged on his forehead, and he shouted hoarsely, "Mamluks, God is watching us! Give it your all and crush these damned infidels! Don't let them advance even half a step. Whoever retreats will have their head chopped off!"

"Stop them! Stop them!"

The more than two thousand Mamluks were well aware of the gravity of the situation and charged forward, risking their lives.

The war quickly escalated to a fever pitch. The ear-piercing sound of weapons slicing through armor, the cracking of bones as heavy weapons struck bodies, the cries of the wounded, and the screams of the dying all blended together.

Thousands of people were completely engulfed in a frenzied battle, shouting and fighting fiercely, with blood flowing everywhere, staining the ground of Baghdad red. The bodies lying on the ground were scattered haphazardly, and those behind them had no regard for whether the fallen bodies were dead or alive, trampling over them and continuing to kill.

"My lads, follow me!"

Veteran Shi Gui knew that the crucial moment had arrived, so he charged straight to the front.

He possessed extraordinary strength, wielding a twelve-pound iron mace. Clang!
The iron caltrops clashed with a Damascus steel blade, and the immense force sent a Mamluk's Damascus steel blade flying.

Shi Gui strode forward, about to strike again and finish off the Mamluk. A spear suddenly thrust towards him from the side. Shi Gui sidestepped, then took a step forward and slammed the spear in the direction it came from. His wrist jerked, and hot blood splattered onto his face.

Shi Gui glanced to the side and saw a Mamluk scream as he fell to the ground, his face smashed to pieces.

"Father, be careful!" came Shi Jinshan's loud shout from behind.

Shi Gui instinctively swung his iron mace to the right to meet the attack, blocking another hammer that came crashing down. The iron mace and the hammer collided with a loud bang!
The Mamluk wielding the hammer was terrified and instinctively took several steps back.

But Shi Jinshan, who had rushed forward, stabbed him in the abdomen with his spear, and he let out a shrill scream!

"Haha! Good son!"

Shi Gui was overjoyed and shouted again, "My lads, follow me! Follow me!"

"kill!"

The Han army followed closely behind, launching a fierce attack forward, forcing the Mamluks to retreat step by step.

After all, how could the Mamluks compare to the well-armored and well-equipped Han army?

How could the Mamluks, a group of brainwashed slaves, compare to the Eight Banners soldiers who had been selected through layers of trials and tribulations and had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood?
The Han army is not fully paid; a fully paid army is invincible!
at last!

Boom~~
Like a flood breaching a dam, or a gale tearing through dark clouds, the Mamluks could no longer hold on. The entire army collapsed and fled frantically towards their rear camp!

Upon seeing this, the soldiers guarding the east city wall quickly abandoned the east city wall and retreated back to their camp.

The Han army finally gained full control of the eastern city wall.

Of course, the city had not yet fallen at this point.

Standing on the eastern city wall and looking down with binoculars, one can see that the entire city of Baghdad has been transformed into dozens of large military camps by the Allied Forces of the True God.

Each barracks had a low wall built, and a trench was dug not far from the wall.

Overall, these military camps can be divided into three layers, surrounding the imperial palace and the Palace of Wisdom in the center.

It must be said that the True God Cult has been around for nearly six hundred years, and there are still outstanding figures within the cult. The entire city of Baghdad is well-defended and cannot be conquered in a short period of time.

Mu'atugan climbed the eastern city wall and, after observing the situation, immediately decided to stop digging the tunnels. The reasoning was simple: Baghdad was defended so well that even if tunnels were dug, they could only seize two or three camps in the chaos; they would have no chance of breaching the city—the cost-effectiveness was too low.

Mongke, however, felt that his idea of ​​building a dam to flood Baghdad was very likely to succeed.

Although the Han army captured the eastern city wall so quickly, Guyuk wasn't particularly upset. This was because the Han army was skilled in siege warfare, which he had anticipated. The real challenge now was breaching the True God Alliance's camp. Moreover, he estimated that the section of the wall he was responsible for would be captured by tomorrow, and he could catch up with the progress sooner or later.

Zhao He and Ba didn't have any particular ideas; they had always felt that Baghdad wouldn't be easy to conquer.

Next, let's proceed step by step.

The next day, Zhao He dispatched seven outstanding commanders to attack the first camp.

After two days of continuous attacks, they still could not break through.

That night, Zhang Xilai (Qasim) invited the other six commanders into his central command tent.

"We've been attacking the first fortress in the east for two days. We've only captured four camps; three remain. Do you think we can take the entire first fortress tomorrow?" Zhang Xilai asked.

"I think so."

"To be honest, that's not necessarily true."

“It’s not that the brothers aren’t willing to fight, but the True God Cult’s allied forces are no pushovers either. Besides, if Baghdad falls, they’ll all die.”

"Brothers, give it your all, we should be able to take it down tomorrow."

……

The six thousand households discussed the matter extensively, none of them entirely certain.

Zhang Xilai gritted his teeth slightly and said, "But, are you willing to accept failing to break through these six camps? The day after tomorrow, seven more Han army commanders will attack. Not only will they reap our rewards, but what if we delay the Crown Prince's important affairs? That concerns the Ayyubid Dynasty, a vast and powerful nation!"

Ge Tianliang said with a wry smile, "We're unwilling, but what can we do? It really is very difficult to do!"

"How about we launch a surprise attack tonight?"

Zhang Xilai looked intently at the six commanders and said, "Indeed, we have been fighting for two days and are extremely exhausted. However, the True God Alliance is probably even more exhausted. Our night raid tonight will catch them completely off guard!"

The seven camps of the first line of the Ayyubid dynasty were a unified entity, and of course they would not stand idly by and watch their comrades be attacked. The garrison of the other three camps had already participated in the battle.

Moreover, the Han army possessed telescopes, allowing them to observe enemy troop movements from the Baghdad city walls. Zhang Xilai was certain that these three camps had not received reinforcements from the second layer of the city.

Therefore, both sides are indeed very exhausted after fighting for so long.

At this moment, a surprise attack could indeed be twice as effective.

“Alright! Let’s take this gamble!” Ge Tianliang nodded in agreement.

“I’ve heard that the Jurchens of the Jin Dynasty once said, ‘If you can’t fight a hundred rounds, what kind of cavalry are you?’ Today, let’s say the same thing: ‘If you can’t fight day and night, what kind of Eight Banners army are you?’” A Persian commander spoke in fluent Chinese.

"I'll go back and prepare right away!"

"Let's break through tonight!"

……

After a moment's thought, the six thousand households nodded in agreement.

To be frank, they weren't afraid of the three enemy camps; they were simply exhausted. But with a chance to achieve great merit before them, couldn't they overcome this fatigue?

They probably won't be the ones to fight the Tigers of Baghdad.

However, the merit of remaining neutral in the Battle of Baghdad is related to the fate of the Ayyubid dynasty, so it will certainly be rewarded handsomely.

Besides, this is the first major battle commanded by the Crown Prince!

Who wouldn't want to make a good impression on the Crown Prince?
As night fell, in the third watch of the night, the north wind howled.

Thirteen scouts of mixed ethnicities under Zhang Xilai's command lay prone at the edge of the trench, keeping a close watch on the sentry upstairs.

They were the Qas people, who later became known as the Gurkhas.

Wu Xian led two commanders of the Semu Plain Red Banner, stationed in North India. More than ten years passed, and soldiers eventually retired and new recruits were needed to replenish the ranks.

The decisions of the Han army and officers of the rank of 100 or above were naturally made by Zhongdu; Wuxian only had the right to make suggestions.

However, Wu Xian would have to find a way to replenish the ordinary Semu soldiers himself. North India was not a place that could produce elite troops, and Khorasan was too far away. Even if Wu Xian wanted to recruit, he would only recruit what others had rejected.

Wu Xian was proud and unwilling to suffer a loss. Hearing that the Kas people in Nepal made a living by herding and hunting and were very good at fighting, he set his sights on them and sent people to recruit them.

Although the Kas were brave and skilled in battle, their level of civilization was very low. At that time, they were being ruled by the Malla dynasty from India, and many people were dissatisfied with them.

Wu Xian successfully recruited some brave and valiant men.

These thirteen were the best among them, not only were they exceptionally skilled and adept at concealing their tracks, but they were also highly skilled archers.

It's now!

Whoosh whoosh!
Thirteen arrows were fired almost simultaneously, bringing down the four sentries on the watchtower.

Although it's impossible to remain completely silent, no one will know in the short term.

That's enough!

Immediately afterward, under the cover of darkness, they attacked a patrol of soldiers...

Behind them, two hundred elite Semu commanders followed closely. Behind these two hundred elite Semu soldiers was the main force of seven Semu commanders.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

A piercing scream shattered the night sky.

However, it was too late by then; five hundred Semu soldiers had already entered the camp.

"kill!"

Holding a heavy axe, Zhang Xilai let out a roar and led his main force into the camp.

At night, it was difficult to discern the enemy's situation, and the enemy troops in the other two camps simply guarded their camps and dared not provide support.

In less than half an hour, the Semu commanders had gained the upper hand.

Instead of annihilating the enemy troops in this camp, they drove them to attack the second camp, and then the third.

By daybreak, the first camp on the east side had completely fallen into the hands of the seven commanders of the Semu people.

It must be said that although the Semu Eight Banners were a diverse group of ethnic groups with numerous beliefs, their elite status and ferocity were not much inferior to those of the Mongols and Han Chinese. In fact, because they were even more eager to prove their loyalty to Zhao Shuo and had a fervent zeal for Han Chinese converts, they were even more fearless in the face of death.

To put it bluntly, all races are Homo sapiens, so how much difference is there between the elites? It is only the environment, social environment, education and nutrition that make these elites different.

For example, those living in harsh environments are more courageous and fierce in battle.

For example, those living in affluent areas are more civilized and vibrant.

Zhao Shuo established a multi-ethnic and fierce army—the Semu Eight Banners—by binding them with the Eight Banners system, instilling them with Han culture, entangled them with fame and fortune, and nurturing them with ample training and nutrition.

"Are the seven Semu commanders under Zhao He really that strong?"

When Guyuk heard the news, he could hardly believe his ears.

It should be noted that although he has breached the city walls, he has only attacked the first camp in front of him for a day, and success is still a long way off.

According to Subutai's estimate, it will take another two days.

Although the army facing Guyuk was larger in number, it was just a coalition of small countries. Who would believe that they were stronger than the Ayyubid army that Zhao He was facing?

Subutai explained carefully, "Actually, that's not quite right. These seven Semu commanders benefited from the surprise attack, and this tactic can only be used once in a short period of time. Their combat strength is probably inferior to that of our steppe warriors."

Even if it's not as good, it's not that much worse, is it?

Guyuk frowned and asked, "What about the Han Eight Banners? How do you think they compare to our steppe warriors?"

"It should be a close contest," Subutai said somewhat uncertainly.

Meanwhile, inside the Baghdad Royal Palace.

"It's one thing that you lost the city wall first. After all, Zhao He's army is renowned for its siege prowess. How could you lose even the first fortress? How am I supposed to explain this to the other rulers?"

Kamil looked at his second son, Saleh, with a displeased expression.

Saleh said bitterly, "Indeed, the raid on three camps last night was my mistake due to oversight. But even without the raid, they could have breached those three camps during the day. The key issue is that Zhao He's troops are too strong!"

"Nonsense! How could that be? Zhao He's troops are mainly Han Chinese, with some other ethnic groups, and very few true Mongols. If his army is so strong, wouldn't all the other people's troops with so many true Mongols be invincible? How come their camps in the north and south are still safe and sound?"

“I don’t want to believe it either, but it’s true! Do you think it’s possible that although Zhao He has very few true Mongols under his command, they are even more difficult to deal with than true Mongols?”

"Nonsense! I think you've been scared out of your wits by some divine calamity!"

After a pause, Camille softened his tone and said, "How about this, you take charge of the western camp, and I'll take charge of the eastern camp. I want to see just how capable Zhao He's troops really are."

"Yes."

Saleh didn't think his judgment was wrong and was happy to pass this hot potato to Kamil.

Camille, full of confidence, personally went to the second camp on the east side to take charge of the overall situation.

It should be noted that he commanded the Ayyubid dynasty's army, defeated the Fifth Crusade, and personally led troops to quell the rebellion in Syria. He considered himself to have considerable military talent.

Even if we can't defeat Zhao He's army, we should be able to hold them off for a few more days, right?
However, it turned out that his idea was completely wrong!

Boom!
dong dong!

Boom boom boom!
The drums of the Han army sounded rhythmically.

Seven Han army commanders launched an attack on the second camp to the east.

There were no ingenious schemes or plans, and of course, no night raids.

They didn't bring out any mysterious weapons that Camille had never seen before; even the Thunderclap Bomb was not used because it was too scarce.

These seven Han army commanders were engaged in a regular siege warfare.

They filled in the trenches when they needed to, destroyed the low walls when they needed to, charged in when they needed to, and fought when they needed to. There wasn't even any dramatic scene of people bravely sacrificing themselves for victory.

At first, Camille was somewhat pleased. He had a certain level of military expertise and was well-versed in how to deal with this kind of methodical attack.

However, it was soon discovered that something was wrong.

He did respond perfectly, but he just couldn't stop the attack of the seven thousand-household Han army!
They were like a cold and ruthless machine of violence, methodically crushing their enemies with overwhelming strength.

Even if Camille adopted the most correct tactics, he could only head towards a crushing defeat, utterly powerless to fight back!
In just two and a half days, the second camp on the east side was lost.

"What's wrong with this world? The Mongols are a formidable enemy that we can hardly handle, yet the Han army is even more powerful than them? This is not only a tragedy for our True God religion, but also a tragedy for all non-Han and non-Mongol races! True God above, can you tell me whether this war is a test for me, or whether you are actually on the side of the Han people?"

After escaping back to the third camp, Camille prayed in despair.

It took Guyuk three days to capture the first camp, and he has only just begun his attack on the second camp.

Hearing that the Han army had captured the second camp in just two and a half days, he asked Subutai the same question again: "Is the fighting strength of the Han army under Uncle Zhao Shuo truly superior to that of the steppe warriors? Although I am reluctant to believe it, the results are so remarkable that I have no choice but to believe it!"

“That’s not the case, actually.”

Subutai explained carefully: "The average combat strength of the Han army and the Mongol army should be about the same. It's just that the Han army is better at infantry combat, while the Mongol army is better at mounted combat. Moreover, ordinary Han soldiers now retire at the age of fifty, while our steppe warriors under the age of sixty all join the army, so they are younger and stronger. And more importantly, there are too many Han soldiers. What King Zhao Shuo gave to Crown Prince Zhao He was the elite of the Han army. Our troops are just ordinary steppe warriors."

Guiyou sighed and said, "What's the use of giving so many reasons? In short, Zhao He's army is indeed more capable than mine right now, isn't it?"

Subutai felt a mix of emotions, and nodded slightly, saying, "If we don't count those non-Muslim commanders, yes."

He was on good terms with Zhao Shuo, and was naturally pleased that Zhao Shuo had such a formidable army. However, as a Mongol, he felt a pang of resentment that the Han army's elite troops surpassed those of the steppe warriors.

"The rise of the Han people is unstoppable. Fortunately, both Zhao Shuo and his heir Zhao He are of both Mongol and Han blood. It is hoped that the Five Khans and their descendants will always remain united. May peace always be maintained between the Mongols and the Han people, and may war never break out!"

Subutai thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)