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

Chapter 230 The Tigris River is stained with ink, Baghdad is stained with blood!

Meanwhile, Batu stood on the south city wall, holding a telescope and closely monitoring the battle situation.

"The elite of the True God Alliance has been wiped out by Brother Zhao He's bombardment! It seems that after this great battle, I will also need to organize a special force to throw the Thunderclap Bombs."

Batu put down his binoculars, a smile playing on his lips.

He and Zhao He had been friends since childhood, and as they grew up, the Jochi and Zhao Shuo factions became natural allies. Now that Zhao He was so powerful, Batu felt deeply honored.

Of course, at the same time, he also realized that the time to capture Baghdad was approaching.

For the first six days, Möngke attacked the southern garrison of Baghdad. However, due to the fact that some of his troops were diverted to build dams, he only managed to breach two camps in the first line of defense.

Two days after taking over, Batu had completely breached the first southern camp and today officially launched an attack on the second camp.

He noticed that the fighting strength of the Sultanate of Rum was significantly weaker than before. Considering the current situation facing the True God Alliance, it was easy to think of sending the Sultanate of Rum's elite infantry to support the Ayyubid dynasty.

As a result, Zhao He decisively dispatched a special force to hurl thunderbolts, which not only killed many elite troops of the True God Cult alliance, but also took the opportunity to break through the third major eastern camp of the Ayyubid Dynasty.

Baghdad could very well fall today!

Of course, there are still some uncertainties. After all, the Mongol army on the other three sides, including the one led by Guyuk who is making the most progress, has only managed to bring the second line of camp to the brink of collapse, but has not yet breached it.

Even if the True God Alliance is determined, it can still provide support from other sources.

Immediately, Batu's expression turned solemn, and he said, "Hulestah!"

"exist!"

Hulesida is the grandson of the veteran general Kunan. Now that Kunan has passed away and his son is old, Hulesida has become the first commander of a thousand households under Jochi and is going on the expedition with Batu this time.

Batu said, "Send messengers to Guyuk and Mu'atugan, telling them not to be stingy with their thunderclaps. Launch a full-scale attack immediately and use all the thunderclaps. Also, inform Möngke not to build any more dams, and send him to support Mu'atugan. We'll take Baghdad today!"

"Yes!"

Batu Khan's decision was perfectly fair; Mu'atugan was the weakest. If the allied powers were to desperately attempt a breakout, they would undoubtedly choose his side. Therefore, sending Möngke Khan to support Mu'atugan was entirely justified.

However, Mu'atugan was truly displeased after hearing Batu's messenger's words: I know I am the weakest, but I shouldn't be a burden to you, right? Why did Möngke have to support me?
After the envoy left, Mu'a Tugan said to Wei Jier beside him, "When Möngke arrives, have him take three thousand men as a reserve force to prevent the True God Alliance from breaking through. The rest of you will attack the enemy camp with me."

"You want to fight yourself?"

"Of course!"

Then, Mu'atugan not only unleashed the thunderous bombs, but also donned his full armor, pointed his spear forward, and declared, "Guards, follow me! Today I will personally lead the charge, and all soldiers will advance without retreat, displaying the might of our Chagatai Khanate!"

"Yes!"

Boom~~
More than 30,000 troops of the Chagatai Khanate, led by Mu'atugan, launched a fierce attack on the western garrison of the True God Alliance!

Behind them was Möngke's army.

The Mongol army in the west has transformed from the weakest to the strongest!
At this time, the army of Guyuk in the north, following Batu's advice, launched a full-scale attack on the True God Alliance.

The logic is quite simple: although there are conflicts among the various factions within Mongolia, unity remains the primary objective. Once the main force of the True God Cult is defeated in Baghdad, the lands and wealth of countless True God kingdoms will belong to them; the enormous profits are enough to overshadow the internal discord within Mongolia.

More importantly, Guyuk aspires to be the Great Khan of the Mongols and must demonstrate a magnanimous and inclusive spirit. If he fails to exert himself to contain the enemy forces in order to prevent Zhao He from capturing Baghdad today, he will become a laughingstock among the other four factions, and his dream of becoming Great Khan will be shattered.

Furthermore, to become the Great Khan, one must demonstrate sufficient ability, right? Even if one cannot come in first place in this siege, one should at least come in second, right?
Zhao He's forces in the east are currently making the fastest progress, while the Mongol army in the west is the strongest.

If Guyuk falls to third or fourth place, where will he put his face?

In fact, it's not just Gyuyu who's shameful; Subutai wouldn't be able to bear the humiliation either.

"Eagles of the grasslands, follow me!"

Subutai personally led the army, with Guyuk leading 3,000 troops to reinforce the rear. More than 30,000 Mongol troops charged towards the True God Alliance camp opposite.

Boom boom boom!
The thunderbolt exploded within the True God Alliance.

Although the steppe warriors did not have specific training in the tactics of throwing thunderclaps, throwing "bulu" was something they practiced from childhood and it remains one of the main weapons of the steppe (bow and arrow, swords and spears, lassos, bulu).

Kill kill kill!

Subutai was known for his ruthlessness in fighting his soldiers, and Guyuk was far less benevolent than his father Ögedei. At this moment, which of the steppe warriors dared not fight to the death?
In an instant, explosions rang out, screams filled the air, and blood flowed like rivers.

"God! Have the Mongols gone mad today?"

"Baghdad is likely to fall today!"

"Hurry and send down a miracle! We can't hold on any longer!"

"Retreat! Retreat quickly! They're attacking with the devil's weapons!"

……

The allied forces of the true gods were forced to retreat step by step, and by noon that day, Guyuk's army had advanced to the front of the third camp in the north.

Although Batu Khan, Mu'atugan, and Möngke's armies still hadn't broken through the second line of defenses, the immense pressure prevented the True God Alliance from diverting any more troops to support the East.

Zhao He's Han army has already breached three camps.

Only two Ayyubid dynasty camps remained ahead of them. Once they breached these two camps, they could storm the palace and win the bet.

At this point, there's no need to consider whether to launch attacks in batches.

Zhao He left only Su Fei with a Mongol commander as his bodyguard, and Shi Tianze with a Han Chinese commander and a Semu commander as reserves. He ordered the thirteen Semu commanders to attack one camp, while the thirteen Han Chinese commanders attacked another.

Be fast!

Behind these two camps lies the Tigris River; only after crossing the Tigris River can we advance towards the palace.

The Tigris River was about fifty feet wide, and there were originally two large bridges with stone piers and wooden beams. Later, Baghdad was captured twice, and the wooden bridges were burned down by the defending army.

Today, the two banks of the Tigris River are connected by two pontoon bridges constructed by dozens of wooden boats arranged horizontally.

Ideally, these two camps should be destroyed with overwhelming force, preventing the True God Alliance from withdrawing or burning the pontoon bridge. Otherwise, the Han army will have to have its engineering battalion build a temporary pontoon bridge using iron chains and planks, which will take at least one or two hours to complete.

Not to mention, the enemy might retreat to the west bank of the Tigris River to block the Han army from crossing.

Zhao He was initially puzzled as to why the third fortress of the True God Alliance in the east was not located west of the Tigris River, which would have made it even easier to defend and harder to attack.
Later, considering that the nobles of the True God Cult might break through at the last moment, everything became clear.

There are no natural barriers like the Tigris River to the west, north, and south of Baghdad. If the Mongol army in the east is the weakest, and the True God Alliance sets up its third camp west of the Tigris River, then after the Mongol army in the east seizes the second camp, they can simply set up some troops behind the bridge, and the True God Alliance will have no chance to break out from the east.

However, by setting up the third camp east of the Tigris River, they retained the possibility of breaking out from the east.

It seems that Kamil of the Ayyubid dynasty considered the possibility of a breakout at the last moment when he built the camp.

In any case, the Tigris River could indeed cause Zhao He some trouble, which was one of the reasons why Gui You initially thought Zhao He wouldn't agree to the bet.

Boom boom boom!
With the deafening explosions of thunderclaps, Zhao He's troops began their attack on the last two camps.

Of course, by this time, the True God Cult allied forces in the last two camps had also learned their lesson. They no longer densely deployed their elite warriors behind the low walls, but instead placed some daredevils behind the walls in loose formations to meet the enemy, greatly reducing the effectiveness of the Han army's grenadiers.

Then let's have a real fight!
"Charge! Kill!"

"The day will come when Baghdad is breached!"

"Be a pioneer in Baghdad, and bring glory to your ancestors!"

……

The twenty-six thousand-household Eight Banner soldiers shouted and charged into the True God Alliance camp with overwhelming force.

"die!"

Guo Kan charged at the forefront of the commander's ranks, his long sword flashing, and beheaded a soldier from the True God Cult's allied forces.

The midday sun was at its hottest, but Guo Kan's heart burned even hotter than the sun in the sky.

Whichever commander first storms the Baghdad Royal Palace will become the vanguard of Baghdad. That commander will earn the title of "Tiger of Baghdad," achieving fame and glory for his ancestors. Not to mention, there's also a position as a commander of ten thousand men waiting for him!

Guo Baoyu was the head of the first ten thousand households of the Han Army's Plain Red Banner, and Guo Dehai was the head of the second ten thousand households of the Semu Plain Blue Banner. If Guo Kan were to be promoted to head of ten thousand households, the family would have three ten thousand households. What an honor that would be!

Not to mention, it proves that the King and the Crown Prince did not misjudge the person.

The king had instructed the father and son to prepare for the second western expedition ten years ago.

The crown prince even felt that the Semu army's fighting strength was probably inferior to that of the Han army, and that they could not be the first to enter the palace, thus giving Guo Kan an opportunity to make a contribution and capture the king.

Guo Kan refused, insisting on earning merit through his own abilities.

He still has a high chance of success today.

By morning, the Han army's commanders had already captured three camps. Meanwhile, the Semu commanders had been resting and conserving their strength. This leveled the playing field, eliminating the original disparity in combat power between the two sides.

"kill!"

Guo Kan sidestepped the spiked hammer of an Ayyubid soldier who lunged at him, then swung his sword downwards. With a muffled thud, the sharp Damascus blade of Guo Kan's long, thick-backed broadsword pierced through the armor and slashed into the soldier's abdomen under Guo Kan's immense strength.

With a scream, bright red blood, green intestines, and grayish-white internal organs flowed out of the wound.

Guo Kan didn't even glance at him, and strode forward.

A short, stocky soldier from the Sultanate of Rum charged from the side, brandishing a long spear and thrusting it at Guo Kan. Guo Kan neither dodged nor evaded, but stepped forward, letting the spear graz his ribs, and clamped it tightly with his arm.

Then, with a swift stroke, he slashed at the armored soldier's helmet. First, he shattered the helmet, then the head, splitting the soldier's entire face from forehead to nose to chin, leaving his skull resembling a sliced ​​watermelon.

"Kill him! Kill him!"

Seeing how fierce Guo Kan was, an officer repeatedly shouted for his comrades nearby to gather together and deal with him.

Whoosh!
Guo Kan transferred the long sword to his left hand and, with his right hand, gripped the spear he had just seized and threw it forcefully.

puff!
One shot pinned the officer-looking man to the ground!

The four or five True God Cult soldiers who had already gathered looked horrified, unsure whether to continue fighting Guo Kan or turn and flee.

At this moment, Guo Kan was followed by a dozen or so fierce soldiers who were originally commanders.

"Kill!"

With a roar, they charged forward, thrusting with spears, brandishing longswords, smashing with maces, and cleaving down with heavy axes!
In the blink of an eye, he killed the four or five enemy soldiers.

"Brothers, follow me!"

Guo Kan roared and continued to charge forward.

In front of him and to his left and right were both scattered enemies and his own men fighting fiercely. The battle had become extremely intense, with everyone intertwined.

After all, these were the last two camps of the Ayyubid dynasty.

The elite infantry of the True God Cult's allied forces and the best infantry of the Ayyubid Dynasty were all gathered here. After the city fell, they would all die, and in terms of fighting spirit, they were by no means inferior to Zhao He's army!
It all comes down to the true abilities of both sides.

Furthermore, because the camp of the True God Alliance had been specially dug with numerous trenches and scattered with caltrops, not only were warhorses unable to gallop, but large groups of people also found it difficult to assemble, resulting in chaotic battles, one-on-one fights, or battles between groups of ten or more.

Kill kill kill!

A complete head-on collision, with no room for any clever tricks or schemes!
It's either the West Wind prevailing over the East Wind, or the East Wind prevailing over the West Wind!
Although this was Guo Kan's first time participating in such a fierce battle, he was a born general, and the more the fighting went on, the more his blood boiled. An endless fighting spirit surged within him, seemingly giving him boundless strength, making him fight with ever-increasing courage!
Finally, Guo Kan's view opened up, and he could see the rushing Tigris River and a pontoon bridge about thirty or forty feet away.

"Set sail! Set sail now!"

"The camp has fallen!"

"We must not let the Mongol army cross the river!"

……

Terrified screams rang out from the pontoon bridge.

Before this, the Ayubs certainly dared not remove the pontoon bridge. Otherwise, the defending troops would have mutinied on the spot.

But now that enemy troops have broken through the camp, they are less cautious. Some are wielding knives and slashing at the ropes at the bridgehead, while others are trying to untie the chains and prepare to remove the pontoon bridge.

"How dare you! Bring me a bow and arrows!"

"Yes!"

Carrying a bow and arrow during battle is too inconvenient, so Guo Kan's bow and arrow were carried by one of his personal guards.

As they were speaking, the guard handed Guo Kan his precious bow and three eagle feathers to him.

Whoosh!
Guo Kan held his breath and fired an arrow, which struck the boatman who was cutting the rope in the head.

Boom!
The boatman fell straight to the ground, and it was unclear whether he was dead or alive.

Another boatman followed, wielding a knife, and continued to chop at the rope.

Guo Kan strode forward and fired another arrow!
Another arrow!
Another arrow!
……

Guo Kan strode forward, his guards passing him arrows. He shot seven arrows in quick succession, killing seven boatmen, and then reached the bridge, leaping onto the boat.

"kill!"

In this urgent situation, Guo Kan had no chance to say anything threatening. He simply brandished his knife and continued running forward.

Some of the Ayubs on the pontoon bridge wielded knives and guns to intercept him, while others attacked him from the flanks.

Relying on his triple-layered iron armor, Guo Kan went all out, his blood boiling with excitement. He ignored the swords and spears on his left and right sides, hacking and slashing wildly as he broke through the blockade in front of him.

The fifty-zhang distance was covered in an instant, and Guo Kan had already jumped onto the land on the other side!
Behind him, a large number of soldiers from the local thousand-household followed closely, and even further behind were other soldiers from the Semu tribes! On the other side, another camp was also breached by the Han army, but unfortunately, it was only a moment too late; the pontoon bridge behind that camp had already collapsed.

A large contingent of Han troops is heading towards Guo Kan's pontoon bridge.

Guo Kan had already suffered many wounds from swords and spears during the bridge-grabbing process, and warm blood flowed out from the gaps in his armor.

His breathing was also very rapid, and he was panting heavily.

However, under the strong stimulation of adrenaline, he felt neither pain nor fatigue.

"Brothers, follow me! Baghdad Vanguard is ours!"

Guo Kan roared and led his army of a thousand households toward the Baghdad royal palace.

"Hey! Just a little bit more!!"

Guyuk was on the north city wall, holding a telescope, anxiously watching the battle.

To the north is a coalition of numerous small nations belonging to the True God religion. Not only is it the weakest in terms of strength, but it has also performed exceptionally poorly today.

Subutai led a Mongol army of over 30,000 in a fierce attack, having already breached three camps, and was preparing to capture the last two.

This rekindled hope in Kiyu, who had thought he was doomed to lose.

Unexpectedly, despite the gathering of the True God's elite forces, Zhao He's army, with overwhelming force, broke through the last two camps in a short period of time and seized the pontoon bridge.

There's still a chance!
There should still be a chance!
Guiyou kept reassuring himself: The True God Alliance must have deployed heavy troops in the palace, right? Can Zhao He's army take it down in a short time?
If Guyuk's army can capture the last two camps as soon as possible, they may be able to break into the palace first!
Immediately, Guyuk shouted, "Shuban, lead two commanders to charge up and support Subutai. Quickly break through those two northern camps!"

“However, if I take two commanders with me, you will only have one commander left,” Shuban, the grand-nephew of Zhelemie, one of the Four Mastiffs, reminded him.

Guyuk waved his hand dismissively and said, "What's the big deal? Baghdad is about to fall, surely a commander of a thousand can protect me?"

"Then I went?"

"Hurry up! We still have a chance to win this bet!"

"Yes!"

Two thousand Mongol soldiers, who had been resting and recuperating, led by Shuban, marched towards the last two camps in the north.

Seeing his troops making increasingly rapid progress, Guiyou slowly smiled.

"Quickly! Form ranks! Quickly form ranks! Order the entire army to immediately withdraw from the camp and form ranks at once!"

Subutai's expression changed drastically at this moment, and he was covered in cold sweat. He issued the order to form an array immediately.

When Guyuk sent two Mongol commanders to support him, Subutai already sensed something was amiss.

However, Guyuk was the commander-in-chief, and the city was about to fall. Guyuk's direction was not the weakest point of the Mongol army... After considering all factors, Subutai did not send the two commanders back.

However, after Subutai stormed the last two camps to the north, he was shocked to find that the original ditches inside the camps had been filled in, and there was no sign of barbed wire. In the blink of an eye, he was filled with regret: the True God Alliance was indeed going to break out from this direction!
The True God Cult's allied forces originally planned to break through to the weakest point of Mu'atugan's defenses. But didn't Batu Khan order Möngke to reinforce Mu'atugan?

Next, the True God Alliance only had two targets left to break through: the Batu Line or the Guyuk Line.

Logically, Batu's strength was weaker than Guyuk's, so he should have broken through Batu's defenses.

However, Kekubad I defied the advice of his followers and insisted on breaking out towards Guyuk. The reasoning was simple: the sudden reinforcements along Mu'atugan's route indicated that the Mongols were prepared for their breakout attempt.

Since that's the case, we should take them by surprise and not choose the weakest direction of the Mongol army to break out.

Although Subutai was unaware of the cause and effect, he made the correct judgment upon seeing the unusual situation in the camp.

It's extremely dangerous right now!
The camp of the True God Alliance was filled with many ditches and covered with caltrops, forcing the Mongol army to dismount and fight on foot.

Although the Mongol infantry were not afraid of the True God Cult's cavalry, the True God Cult's cavalry were determined to escape, and how could the infantry possibly stop them?
Unfortunately, Subutai's successor, Guyuk, now only has a thousand cavalrymen left!
However, by then it was too late to understand.

Boom~~
The north gate of the palace was flung open, and a five-thousand-strong coalition of true gods cavalry burst out and charged northward.

Whoosh whoosh!
The Mongol infantrymen are firing heavy arrows!

Puff puff!
The Mongol infantrymen thrust their spears, slashed with their broadswords, and brandished their maces!
The soldiers of the True God Cult's allied forces continued to scream in agony!
Soldiers of the True God Cult's allied forces continued to fall from their horses!
Soldiers of the True God Cult's allied forces continued to die tragically on the spot!
However, these True God Alliance forces disregarded everything and tried their best to avoid the Mongol infantry formations, charging straight forward.

By the time they reached the second and first camps, they were already equipped with caltrops. They continued their charge, undeterred by casualties, without slowing their pace.

"Stop them! Stop them now!"

Guyuk's eyes turned red. If he had three thousand Mongol soldiers with him now, let alone two thousand or even five thousand True God Alliance cavalry, Guyuk was confident he could keep them here.

After all, he had already ordered the north gate to be closed, and the pursuing Mongol army would soon catch up.

However, he only has a thousand cavalrymen at his disposal!
Now, after the True God Cult's allied forces broke through the Mongol infantry's blockade, they still have more than two thousand cavalry!
Needless to say, those who ultimately broke through were undoubtedly many nobles from the various countries of the True God Cult.

If these influential people run away, where will Guyuk's face be? How much prestige will he have left? How will he compete for the position of Great Khan of the Mongols in the future?

You should know that it was his eagerness for quick success and instant benefits that led to such a shameful outcome!

"Kill them! Make sure none of them escape!"

Guyuk himself, wielding a long spear, led the last thousand Mongol soldiers to intercept the True God Cult cavalry.

"kill!"

King Kekubad I of the Sultanate of Rum, wielding a mace, charged straight at him!

"What a strength!"

As the weapons clashed, Guiyou felt a tremendous force coming from him, and his expression changed slightly.

It must be noted that although Kekubad I was the ruler of the Sultanate of Rum, he was not a native of Rum, but a Seljuk.

The Seljuks were one of the four major tribes of the Oghuz tribal confederation (Oghuz Yabghu State).

In fact, since the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate, not only did the Turkic military aristocracy rise within the Abbasid dynasty, but similar events occurred in other theocratic states. The once-powerful Seljuk dynasty even nearly destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate.

Even the Kangli people who ruled Khwarezm were a branch of the Turkic peoples.

Kekubad I was a true military nobleman, not a scholar-king.

In terms of strength, he was evenly matched with Kimi!
The remaining two thousand-plus cavalrymen were the last elite force of the True God Cult's nations, and their combat strength was considerable.

With no will to fight, they were willing to endure heavy casualties, opened the city gates, and rushed forward.

Guyuk led his army in hot pursuit, chasing them for over thirty miles. Only with a little over two hundred horsemen by his side did he return to Baghdad after his guards desperately pleaded with him.

At this point, only six or seven hundred cavalrymen remained of these deserters. Almost everyone was wounded, and both men and horses were panting heavily, yet they still dared not rest.

They ran for another twenty miles or so, and when they saw a dense forest ahead, Kekubad I reined in the horses.

"Hahaha! The leaders of the Mongols are indeed a bunch of children! Although they have an invincible army, killing us won't be so easy!"

Kekubad I made these remarks partly because he was genuinely elated by his narrow escape from death, and partly because he intended to boost morale.

Now all that remains is himself, Sultan Kamil of the Ayyubid dynasty, Emir Nofidal of Basra, about thirty True God nobles, and about six hundred cavalry.

We still have thousands of miles to go in our escape, how can we not boost morale?
"Thank God for His protection!"

"We still have vast territory and millions of people, and we still have hope of victory!"

"The Mongol army is powerful, but its leaders are incompetent. Victory will ultimately belong to us!"

……

The nobles of the True God Church, of course, understood Kekub I's thoughts and all spoke up in agreement.

Anyway, we've finally gotten through this hurdle, and everyone's face is beaming with smiles.

However, at this moment—

Boom~~
Countless cavalrymen charged out of the dense forest, splitting into left and right flanks, and swarmed towards the more than six hundred defeated soldiers.

The leader was a tall and burly man, clad in black helmet and armor, resembling a black iron tower, with a gleam of wild joy in his eyes.

"I am Shi Moxiande, the Khitan commander of a thousand households, before the Crown Prince Zhao He! You are all here to stay!"

Shi Moxian had always led his own thousand-household unit, serving as a reserve force under Zhao Shuo. Although the pay was very good, he had no opportunity to earn merit, and he was really itching to do so.

This time, Zhao Shuo finally let him go out to serve Zhao He, but he was assigned to intercept people north of Baghdad.

Leaving aside whether the nobles of the True God Sect can break through, even if they do, they would have to break through to the west where Mu'a Tugan is located!
Shi Moxian didn't realize how unlucky he was, having come all this way for nothing.

He never dreamed that the nobles of the True God Cult would actually come here!
"kill!"

Kekubad I no longer felt the shame of being humiliated, nor did he want to escape. He directly swung his mace and charged at Shi Moxiandebu!
What's there to be ashamed of? We're all going to die anyway!
How could they escape? The warhorses had been galloping at top speed for sixty miles, their strength almost completely exhausted. How could they possibly outrun the well-rested cavalry?

"Hey!"

Instead of fighting, Camille sighed, dismounted, closed his eyes slightly, and awaited capture.

Although falling into the hands of the Mongols would certainly mean death, resisting now would mean immediate death, so it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death, isn't it?

However, Kamil and Kekubad I met the same fate.

when!
when!
when!
Shi Moxian was, after all, one of the five generals Zhao Shuo led when he stormed the palace that day. His combat strength was quite formidable. In less than ten moves, he knocked the hammer out of Camille's hand.

Then, with a swing of his iron spear, he knocked Kekubad I off his horse.

"Tied!"

"Yes!"

Soldiers stepped forward, knocked out Kekubad I's teeth, and bound him tightly, making it impossible for him to even commit suicide.

Of course, some of the remaining True God Cult nobles and soldiers resisted and were killed, while others surrendered without resistance.

Shi Mo Xiande led more than 400 prisoners toward Baghdad.

"What? Zhao Shuo's commander, Shi Mo, has captured those escaped True God Cult nobles again?"

When Guyuk heard about this, he was even more upset than when he heard that the nobles of the True God Cult had escaped unharmed.

Well, his greed for merit and recklessness allowed the True God Cult's nobles to escape the encirclement. Zhao He, on the other hand, had a flawless plan and captured those True God Cult nobles again.

What a stark contrast!
Gyu was so upset that he couldn't sleep well all night. The next day, when he was on a meeting at the Baghdad Royal Palace, he appeared to be the same as usual, but his heart was bleeding.

Batu said, "Now that the True God Cult's allied forces have been annihilated, the next step is to discuss post-war matters. Do you have anything to say?"

Guyuk said, "What's there to discuss? Just follow the example set by Father Khan when he conquered Guizhou: flatten the cartwheels and execute everyone, regardless of age or gender."

Zhao He nodded and said, "Okay. In addition, I suggest that we throw all the books in the Palace of Wisdom into the Tigris River and raze the entire Palace of Wisdom to the ground."

He planned to have Yelü Xuan select some essential books to transport to Zhongdu to enrich the national library. The rest of the books, however, were unnecessary to keep. The Wisdom Palace, as one of the spiritual beliefs of the True God Cult, was even less necessary to retain.

Mongke's heart stirred, and he said, "Brother Zhao He's idea is to follow the example of Goryeo, destroy the knowledge and history of the True God Cult, and make them obediently become our slaves."
"You can say that."

“In that case, I suggest that after we conquer the other regions of the True God Cult, we kill all their nobles and scholars as well. Uncle Zhao Shuo did this in Goryeo, so let’s follow suit.”

"can!"

Guyuk, Mu'atugan, Orda, Möngke, and Batu all expressed their agreement.

Since Zhao He's Han army was the most capable, Zhao Shuo's series of decisions must have made a lot of sense, and they were willing to learn from them.

Batu continued, "In that case, there's no need to keep those kings alive. Let's just follow the old custom and trample them to death."

"To trample them to death is too lenient!"

Guyuk, having lost such a huge embarrassment, hated these kings with a vengeance that made his teeth itch. He said, "They resisted stubbornly and killed so many of our warriors. How can we let them off so easily? Let them be skinned alive!"

"also."

Mu'a Tugan, Orda, Möngke, and Batu saw right through Guyuk's thoughts. They wanted to laugh but couldn't laugh out loud, so they nodded in agreement.

Zhao He added, "Don't waste the skin after peeling it. Just peel the daylily and show it to the cities where the True God Cult will stubbornly resist in the future, to intimidate them into surrendering."

What is peeled daylily?

"It involves peeling off the skin completely, shaping it into a bag, stuffing it with straw, and then hanging it up for public display," Zhao He explained carefully.

Zhao He had heard Zhao Shuo tell a story about an emperor on a mysterious continent who used the torture of skinning officials and stuffing them with straw to deter them from corruption and bribery. However, because the officials were too poor, this cruel punishment could not be stopped.

He was now very curious about what the followers of the True God Cult would think when they saw their former revered king being skinned alive.

"Okay! Let's do it this way!"

Guyuk gritted his teeth slightly and said, "Skin all these kings alive, so that the world will know the consequences of offending the Mongols!"

Actually, there's something else he didn't say: This is the consequence of offending me, Gyuyu!

In any case, three days later, millions of parchment scrolls were thrown into the Tigris River, turning the water black. Hundreds of thousands of heads fell, and the land of Baghdad was stained red.

Thirteen rulers, including Sultan Kamil of the Ayyubid dynasty, Sultan Kekubad I of the Sultanate of Rum, and Emir Nofidal of Basra, were skinned alive.

The Mongols proved to the world with their actions that, ten years later, they had not only not declined, but were even stronger and more ferocious than when they first launched their westward expedition!
Tremble, nations of the world!

(End of this chapter)