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

Chapter 265 The Death of Mu'a Tugan!

Meanwhile, in the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen, outside the city of Sana'a, in the Mongol army's tent.

"Come! Yesu, you've come at the right time. Try this local specialty, coffee tea. It's sweet and delicious, and it's also refreshing. You can't find this anywhere else."

Thanks to the long-distance relay station system built under the supervision of Zhao Shuo, Yesu finally arrived at the Mongolian military camp on the Arabian Peninsula after a month-long journey.

Yesu's arrival delighted Guyuk and Mu'atugan, who welcomed him into the central command tent.

After all, the Chagatai line and the Ögedei line were staunch allies. Among Chagatai's sons, Yesu and Güyük were the closest, and the two also shared a love of alcohol and cesium.

Mu'atugan had been away from the Chagatai Khanate for over a year and was very happy to see his brother again.

However, Subutai was too exhausted from fighting in the desert and fell seriously ill. He was recuperating and did not come out to greet him.

The so-called "Kaxu Tea" is the predecessor of coffee.

Unlike later coffee, which is made by extracting coffee beans and adding auxiliary ingredients such as milk and sugar, this beverage discards the coffee beans, mashes the pulp of the coffee fruit, and adds spices such as cardamom and ginger.

Because coffee berries themselves have a sweet and sour taste, this beverage is naturally also sweet and sour and very palatable. Since the pulp contains about one percent caffeine, it has a stimulating and invigorating effect.

Of course, because coffee cherries, rather than coffee beans, could not be transported long distances, coffee tea was only popular in Yemen at that time.

In any case, the dry environment and hot desert made the expedition to the Arabian Peninsula extremely difficult for Guyuk and his men, so this drink called "Kash" was one of their rare gains.

"Okay, let me try it."

Yesu quickly downed a cup of "coffee" in one gulp, tasting only its sweetness and not yet experiencing any refreshing effects, before impatiently saying, "Have everyone else leave. I have something to say to my two older brothers alone."

Guiyou waved his hand and said, "You may all leave!"

"Yes!"

Inside the central command tent, the servants and maids who had been attending to them all withdrew, leaving only the three brothers.

Yesu said impatiently, "We can't fight any longer! We must retreat immediately! What is the small Arabian Peninsula compared to the Khanate on the steppe!"

"How could we not continue fighting?"

Of course, Guyuk had already met with Naimazhen's envoy and learned of Ögedei's death and the vacancy of the Khanate.

He said, “Although my father Khan had left a will that I would be the new Great Khan of the Mongols, this position of Great Khan must be confirmed by the Kurultai. I do not have enough military merits, so how can I defeat Möngke and obtain the throne?”

According to the latest news, Zhao He has taken over all the plains of Upper Egypt, leaving only some desert and mountain tribes unconquered. He has essentially conquered all of Egypt.

But that's okay.

Even if Zhao He was granted the surname "Borjigin" by Temujin, his status as a grandson was still too far removed from the Khan's throne.

Guyuk's biggest rival in the struggle for the Khanate was still Möngke.

Möngke and Batu were waging war in the Sultanate of Rum.

Originally, they divided their forces into three routes to attack the countries of the True God religion. But that didn't mean the Sultanate of Rum would fall to Batu and Möngke, and the Arabian Peninsula to Güyük and Mu'atugan. Rather, the final decision would be based on their respective military achievements.

If, after Guyuk and Mu'atugan had taken the Arabian Peninsula, Batu and Möngke were still fighting in the Sultanate of Rum, they could have gone to help them.

Whoever has the highest battle merits will be able to obtain better territory.

It's really uncertain who will get which territory.

Therefore, after Queen Namajin's envoy arrived, Guyuk did not immediately return to his army, but continued fighting on the Arabian Peninsula.

Guyuk even hoped that Möngke would disregard the Sultanate of Rum and be the first to return with his army.

Since Naimajin controlled the Mongol court, the Kurultai could not be held unless Guyuk returned. Guyuk would return with sufficient military merit, and with Ögedei's pre-written will already in hand, what was there to fear from Möngke?
However, Möngke was not foolish and did not retreat, but continued to fight in the Sultanate of Rum.

Under these circumstances, how could Guyuk possibly leave the Arabian Peninsula and allow Möngke's military achievements to surpass his own? Besides, this also relates to the distribution of fiefdoms.

"Now is definitely not the time to return to the army."

Mu'atugan also shook his head solemnly and said, "When the five Khans' eldest sons divided their forces, the Ayyubid Dynasty was the strongest among their opponents, followed by the Sultanate of Rum, and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula were the weakest. If the war had proceeded normally, we should have taken the Arabian Peninsula first. Then, together with Batu and Möngke, we would have destroyed the Sultanate of Rum. Finally, the forces of the five Khans' eldest sons would have merged and destroyed the Ayyubid Dynasty."

"Unexpectedly, Aydila II of the Ayyubid dynasty lost his mind and abandoned Cairo, the strongest city in the world of the true gods, to fight Zhao He at the foot of the pyramids. Instead, Zhao He was the first to achieve his predetermined goal."

"What I didn't expect was that these countries on the Arabian Peninsula, despite being the weakest, have vast deserts and are very difficult to conquer. Back then, we divided our forces into three routes: Guyuk attacked the countries on the eastern coast of the Red Sea, I attacked the countries on the western coast of the Persian Gulf, and Subutai attacked the desert countries. We originally planned to combine our forces at the end to attack the most powerful Yemen."

"However, the desert of the Arabian Peninsula is too vast and too difficult to conquer. Even with Subutai's abilities, he was somewhat overwhelmed. We had to send reinforcements continuously to help Subutai conquer the various tribes in the desert."

This is true; it took Zhao He half a year to conquer the Sinai Desert.

The deserts of the Arabian Peninsula are ten times larger than those of the Sinai Peninsula.
Even considering that conquering some desert tribes would allow them to form vassal armies of desert cavalry, growing exponentially, the conquest of the Arabian Peninsula's deserts by Guyuk and his allies was no easy feat, taking far too much time.

After a pause, Mu'atugan continued, "During this time, the Yemenis have made full preparations for war. They abandoned the small capital, Zabid, and concentrated the nation's best resources in the larger and more defensible city of Sana'a. It can be said that the essence of Yemen is right here in Sana'a."

Zabid is fifty miles from the Red Sea. Establishing the capital there would allow for more effective control of the Red Sea trade routes.

However, when it comes to defense, it is far inferior to the ancient Yemeni city of Sana'a.

This city is situated in a plateau basin, with extinct volcanoes forming natural barriers on its east and west sides.

The city walls on the north and south sides are three zhang high, and are built with local bluestone, whitestone and redstone.

It was 24 miles long and had eight city gates. Not only was it five times the size of Sana'a, but it also had 106 temples of the gods, 72 salamanders, and 6,500 towers.

Sana'a even boasts a palace built during the Ayyubid dynasty for the Ayyubid Sultan, serving both residential and military functions. This palace, called Gudan Palace, is situated atop a massive rock eight zhang (approximately 33 meters) above the ground, making it extremely difficult to attack and easy to defend.

The current population of Sana'a is estimated to be around 500,000.

Most of Yemen's wealth and talent are concentrated here!
After sighing, Mu'atugan continued, "If we withdraw our troops before we can capture Sana'a, the army of the Rasul dynasty in Yemen will take the opportunity to reclaim the lost territory, and this war on the Arabian Peninsula will have been in vain."

Guyuk added, "There's something even more crucial: the Arabian Peninsula isn't exactly wealthy, and our soldiers have been fighting for a long time with little to show for it. They're counting on capturing Sana'a and making a killing. If we retreat now, without our soldiers getting what they want, what right do I have to be the Great Khan?"

If Guyuk secures his position as Khan, he need not care about the complaints of the steppe warriors.

Historical records indicate that in the later Mongol period, the steppe warriors, engaged in prolonged warfare, lacked sufficient spoils to compensate for the war's depletion. Many resorted to selling their wives and children, or even enslaving themselves. Consequently, the most exported goods from the renowned port of Quanzhou were not horses, cattle, or sheep, but Mongol slaves.

But isn't this the time when Guyuk hasn't yet ascended to the Khanate and needs the loyalty of the steppe warriors?

The steppe warriors were already unsure whether to pledge allegiance to Guyuk or Möngke, so how could Guyuk dare to disregard the morale of the steppe warriors now?

Yesu said bitterly, "Of course I know your difficulties, but this is not only my intention, but also Father Khan's. You don't know that, do you..."

The situation was urgent, and Yesu didn't care about Guyuk's feelings anymore. He recounted all the mess that Naimajin had made since taking power.

"Is...is that really the case?"

After hearing this, Guiyou was completely dumbfounded.

Although he didn't yet know that Empress Bolahjin had been murdered by Empress Naimajin, even these few untold secrets were quite alarming!
Good heavens, Genghis Khan's most beloved granddaughter was murdered by Naimajin without any attempt at concealment! What was wrong with her brain? Did she really think that sitting in the position of regent meant she could do whatever she wanted?

The two prime ministers of the Great Mongol Empire and the prime minister of the Ögedei Khanate were important cornerstones of the country, but Empress Naimajin tore them down without hesitation!
If you're going to tear it down, at least replace it with something decent, something at least similar. Instead, you replaced Empress Naima Zhen with a greedy merchant from the Western Regions.

Even a fool could imagine how utterly disgraced Empress Noma's reputation would be!
It's only been three months. What will happen in a year or two?
Ögedei Khan already had a bad reputation, and then there was Naimajin's utterly infamous one...

As their son, wouldn't people feel disgusted just hearing the name Güyük? Güyük even considered an even more terrifying possibility: his mother, blinded by power, had already committed so many wrongdoings in just three months of rule. If things continued to escalate, wouldn't she become obsessed with power and try to prevent the rise of a new Khan, continuing as regent?
They wouldn't even spare their own son?

It sounds unbelievable, but considering what Naima Makoto has done, it's actually quite possible!

He frowned and looked at Mu'a Tugan, saying, "According to Yesu, I do have to return to the grasslands immediately and can't let Mother continue her erratic behavior. But then again, now is really not the time to retreat!"

Mu'a Tugan nodded and said, "The key is that our strength is too weak. It's not enough for you to go back alone; you must bring the entire western expeditionary army back with you so that we can stand firm when it comes to the struggle for the Khanate. This matter is indeed difficult to handle, but now we have no choice but to proceed with the forced solution."

"What's the best course of action?"

"We've been besieging Sana'a for over a month now. If we continue to use conscripted troops at a normal rate, it will take another six months. We simply can't wait any longer. Let's launch a full-scale assault, regardless of casualties! We must take Sana'a within three days."

"Okay! Three days it is!"

Having no other choice, Guyuk, in a fit of rage, declared, "At all costs, slaughter the army inside within three days, eliminating any possibility of the Rasul dynasty's restoration. Use the immense wealth of Sana'a to feed our western expeditionary army. Then, march back to the steppes and vie for the Khanate!"

"That's it."

Boom boom boom!
With the roar of catapults, the Mongol army began its assault on Sana'a.

The number of troops under Guyuk and Mu'atugan's command has decreased from 60,000 at the start of the campaign to approximately 52,000.

Their auxiliary army numbered as many as 120,000.

Guyuk and Mu'atugan selected 40,000 strong men from the conscripted army, treated them to good wine and meat, and then ordered them to launch a strong attack on Sana'a.

Guyuk and Mu'atugan personally led their troops and formed a supervisory team, with those who retreated to be executed.

They would either die beneath the walls of Sana'a or be slaughtered by the Mongols!
Two days later, of the 40,000 strongest conscripts, only about 8,000 remained. At a command from Mu'a Tugan and Guiyou, their regular troops were replaced!

By noon on the third day, the northern city wall of Sana'a was already on the verge of collapse.

However, neither Guyuk nor Mu'atugan showed any sign of joy.

The progress is too slow!
The breaching of Sana'a's city walls wasn't the end of the story; there were still 6,500 towers inside! These towers ranged in height from four to nine stories, so one can only imagine how brutal the street fighting would be once inside the city.

Not to mention the majestic Ancient Dan Palace, eight zhang above the ground!

"No, at this rate, we won't be able to break through Sana'a in seven days!" Mu'a Tugan said, "I'll personally lead the army to charge and break through the north wall of Sana'a first!"

"Mu'a Tugan, I beg you! If I ascend to the throne, half of the glory and power will be yours."

Guiyou held Mu'atugan's hand tightly, making grand promises.

He does seem like he's always leading from the front, but his long-term drinking problem has caused his left hand to tremble violently, and his right hand has gradually lost its fighting strength. Now he probably can't even beat an ordinary grassland warrior.

"No need, I'll be satisfied as long as you can sit still in your sweating position."

Of Chagatai's sons, Yesu was the one who had the best relationship with Guyuk, not Mu'atugan.

But isn't this the result of being forced into this situation?

How did Ögedei Khan deal with Tolui, the loser in the power struggle, when he was in power? How long had Genghis Khan been dead at that time?
Now, Genghis Khan's legacy is dwindling. The lineages of Ögedei and Tolui are not only devoid of any kinship, but are also bitter enemies. If Möngke ascends to the throne, can Ögedei and even Chagatai's lineage expect to escape unscathed?

It's not impossible for them to be completely uprooted!

Mu'a Tugan's actions today are not only for Guyuk, but also for himself!
"Come with me!"

Wearing three layers of armor, Mu'a Tugan roared and led two pure Mongol commanders towards the city wall of Sana'a!

"Follow Mu'a Tu Gan!"

"Protect the eldest prince!"

"Charge into Sana'a!"

"The essence of Yemen lies here! Charge! Kill!"

……

The Mongol commanders behind Mu'atugan, and even the soldiers attacking from the surrounding area, were in high spirits and bravely climbed the city walls!
In less than a quarter of an hour, Mu'a Tugan killed more than a dozen people and led eight hundred men to establish a foothold on the north city wall.

However, it was precisely at this moment—

"put!"

With a loud shout, the Yemenis' catapults started up behind the city wall.

This is a trap!
The Yemenis felt that the Mongols' attacks over the past two days were illogical, disregarding casualties, and that this trap had been deliberately set!

They deliberately weakened the defenses of a section of the north city wall.

Behind the city walls, three hundred catapults were positioned. There were even elite troops already prepared for a counterattack, ready to annihilate the Mongol's most elite forces here!

Boom boom boom!
With a command, three hundred boulders hurtled towards Mu'a Tugan! Even if it meant accidentally injuring their own troops, they were willing to pay the price!

"Oh no!"

Guiyou watched helplessly as a huge rock hurtled straight towards Mu'atugan. Mu'atugan's body fell off the north city wall like a kite with a broken string!

By the time the Mongols brought Mu'atugan back, he was already on the verge of death.

"Muatugan, are you... are you alright?" Looking at Muatugan's bloody and mangled body, Guiyou realized that Muatugan was beyond saving.

Mu'a Tu Gan took a deep breath and said, "Don't...don't interrupt me. Guiyou, I don't have time, listen to me!"

"You speak, I'm listening!"

"Don't attack Sana'a anymore. It's more difficult to take than we imagined. We definitely can't capture it in a short time. Now, you immediately lead your army back to the grasslands and go fight for the Khan's throne!"

"Given the current situation, how can I possibly ascend to the throne?"

"Yes! Use the money in the treasury to reward the soldiers on the western expedition and satisfy their appetites. Go and beg Zhao Shuo Khan to help you ascend the throne! Anyway, we can't take Sana'a, so let Zhao He do it! We'll give the entire Arabian Peninsula to Zhao He, and Zhao Shuo Khan won't be unhappy!"

When a person is about to die, his words are also good.

Before his death, Mu'atugan did not think about his own life or death, but devoted himself to the Chagatai Khanate and even the line of Ögedei.

In any case, using military merit to gain the Khan's throne is no longer a viable option.

He came up with another idea: bribery!

First, use the money accumulated by Ögedei's own faction to buy off the soldiers on the western expedition and make up for their losses.

Then use the entire Arabian Peninsula to bribe Zhao Shuo!

As long as Zhao Shuo nods, even without enough military merit, does that mean Guyuk cannot ascend to the Khanate?

This was the best way for Ögedei and Chagatai to avoid bloodshed and chaos after Möngke ascended to the throne!
"Okay, I'll listen to you!" Guiyou nodded, her eyes reddening.

(End of this chapter)