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

Chapter 277 Privateering Certificate, The Bloodbath of the South Seas!
"God! Have you truly abandoned your devout people?"

"Could it be that the time of Judgment has come?"

Poor Europa!

……

Immediately afterwards, the nobles in the hall burst into tears again.

In fact, throughout the long history of the Church, many popes have died shortly after ascending the throne. For example, Swand II, six hundred years ago, died of a stroke just three days after being elected pope. Another example is Bonifacio VI, five hundred years ago, who reigned for only half a month before also passing away. The reigns of these two were shorter than those of Celestine IV.

Moreover, Celestine IV is already 87 years old this year. At such an advanced age, he could be summoned by God at any time.

However, the timing was extremely unfortunate.

When the Mongols attacked, two popes died in Europe within a year. The latest one died immediately after hearing about the war.

It was hard for Europeans not to see this as a very ominous sign.

Some European nobles even recalled the Roman Catholic prophecies about the Last Judgment.

Is the end of the world really coming?

"Quiet down! Quiet down! Everyone, listen to me!"

Just now, as the European nobles were wailing in despair, Frederick II had intended to speak. He figured a pope's words to boost morale would be far more effective than his own. Little did he expect that Celestine IV would be so weak-willed, unable to withstand the shock and passing away.

Frederick II declared loudly: "The fact that the Pope has been called by the Lord does not mean that God has abandoned us! At most, it is just that God is testing our piety. The Mongol army's victories only demonstrate their strength, not their invincibility."

"Subutai was indeed a great general in the East, as evidenced by his detour through Lithuania and his performance in the Polish campaign. However, how many outstanding generals could the Mongols have? The eight thousand men he led must have been the elite of the Mongols, so the total number couldn't have been too large."

"Therefore, we still have hope of victory! Europe, we still have hope of victory! God's devout people, we have even greater hope of victory!"

Someone asked, "So, what exactly should we do?"

Frederick II said, "Besides rescuing Poland as originally planned, I think there are four other things to do."

"First, a new pope must be elected as soon as possible. We can no longer continue as before, where when an old pope dies, a new pope cannot be appointed for months. We will lock all those who are eligible to elect a pope in an empty room, without providing them with any food or water, until they elect a new pope."

"agree!"

"we agree!"

……

The church leaders present all nodded in agreement.

Celestine IV died at a terrible time. If word gets out, it could be that the pope was frightened to death by the Mongols. Where would that leave the Vatican's reputation? It's best to quickly elect a new pope and put this matter behind us.

Furthermore, at this crucial moment that will determine the fate of Europe, Europe does indeed need to quickly elect a pope to stabilize public sentiment.

Frederick II said, "Secondly, we must expand the power of the commander-in-chief and the power of the various kings. They should have the right to execute nobles who perform poorly in battle!"

In Europe today, the power of the kings is very limited. The saying "The vassal of a vassal is not my vassal" is a true reflection of this era.

The Holy Roman Empire comprised more than seventy independent entities of varying sizes. Each of these entities had its own vassals.

In order to gain the support of these nobles for his son's succession as Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II signed a series of laws that delegated a series of core powers belonging to the king, such as the right to mint coins, the right to cast castles, and customs duties, to the nobles.

The Frankish situation was also precarious. Had history unfolded as it should have, King Louis IX would have consolidated his position through a series of domestic wars, making France the most powerful monarch in Europe. Now, however, the Mongol threat was too great, preventing the French king from waging wars to strengthen his authority, leaving his position rather precarious.

England, needless to say, was in a similar situation. The current monarch, Henry III, not only failed to control the nobles domestically but was also a sycophant of the Papacy, donating large sums of money from the national treasury to the papacy every year. If history had unfolded normally, in another decade or so, England would have witnessed the Magna Carta movement, the establishment of Parliament, and further restrictions on the monarch's power.

Other European countries are similar.

Frederick II's words were immediately welcomed by the various kings.

Although the nobles were not happy about it, they eventually reluctantly agreed because of the great threat posed by the Mongols.

Frederick II continued, "Thirdly, the new pope, with the participation of the heads of state of each country, shall determine the obligations of each country to contribute troops and provisions. In accordance with the needs of the war, provisions and soldiers shall be conscripted, and we shall fight the Mongols at all costs."

The spirit of this third point is consistent with that of the second point, and people have expressed their agreement.

Frederick II said, "Fourth, thoroughly investigate spies. Anyone who informs the Mongols must be severely punished! In these critical times, for the sake of peace in Europe, it is better to kill the innocent than to let any possible spy go free!"

"As it should be!"

"Agreed! We agree!"

"This should have been done a long time ago!"

"Using the wealth of spies to support a large army to defend Europe is truly killing two birds with one stone!"

……

Wow~~
As soon as Frederick II finished speaking, the scene erupted into a frenzy, like a pot boiling over!
It was much more enthusiastic than Pope Lesteen IV's previous impassioned speech.

It's a very simple truth. Frederick doesn't need to explain it clearly; everyone knows who the Mongol spy is: the Jews.

In Europe, Christians are prohibited from lending money at exorbitant interest rates due to the Roman Catholic faith.

Jews do not adhere to Roman Catholicism, yet they are permitted by various countries to engage in usury, causing countless Europeans to be torn apart, their families destroyed, and their lives ruined.

In that case, wouldn't the reputation of the Jews be ruined by the wind for miles around?
Europeans associate almost anything bad with "evil Jews".

The monarchs of various countries were happy to do this, levying heavy taxes on Jews in normal times. In the event of a crisis, they would simply confiscate Jewish property, expel Jews, and gain the favor of their people.

Now that the Mongols are coming on strong, what's the point of keeping the Jews around?
They are spies!

They were the ones who tipped off the Mongols, allowing the Mongol army to advance unimpeded into Poland!
Kill them and plunder their property!
This move can both appease public grievances in various countries and obtain massive military funding, making it a win-win situation!
In fact, according to historical records, after the Mongol army conquered Poland, rumors immediately arose in Europe that Jews were accused of colluding with the Mongols and instigating the invasion, leading to large-scale retaliatory actions against the Jews.

Frederick II is simply taking advantage of the situation.

Regardless, the thought of the immense wealth of the Jews truly stirred the blood of the European nobility!

The plan has been decided; let's get started immediately.

The next day, a new pope was elected, none other than the former deputy commander, Sinibaldo Fisti.

After becoming pope, Sinibaldo Fistchi changed his name to Innocent IV, following the custom of the Roman Catholic Church.

Given this, it would be inappropriate for him to remain as deputy commander.

The commander-in-chief of the European coalition became Pope Innocent IV, with Frederick II as his deputy, leading an army of 200,000 to rescue Poland.

However, plans can't keep up with changes. By the time the European coalition arrived near Poland more than two months later, Guyuk had already led the main force of the Mongol army into Poland.

Except for the city of Fraucław, the entire country of Poland was occupied by the Mongols. Fraucław itself probably wouldn't hold out for much longer.

After discussing the matter, Frederick II and Innocent IV decisively abandoned the original plan.

Frederick II assigned 50,000 troops to Innocent IV, bringing the total to 100,000, to be stationed on the border between Poland and Hungary. Together with the Hungarian army, they relied on fortresses such as Trenčín to prevent further Mongol invasions of Europe.

Frederick II, along with King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia, led an army of 100,000 to garrison troops in the Sudetenland Mountains on the border between Poland and Bohemia, and to build a defensive line.

Thus, both the Hungarian and Bohemian defenses had more than 150,000 troops.

At this point, the Mongol army had two choices.

Firstly, since they had already conquered wealthy Poland and plundered enough riches to satisfy their soldiers, they decided to withdraw their troops.

But if this happens, over 300,000 European troops will be watching the border with predatory intent. If Guyuk withdraws his troops, Poland could be lost again in the blink of an eye.

Where does this leave him, the newly appointed Khan, to save face?

Secondly, they defeated the main force of the European coalition and further expanded their gains.

At the very least, they should force European countries to sign an agreement recognizing Mongol rule over Poland.

The problem with this choice is that the Mongols have to win!

Perhaps it was Subutai's military prowess that made the Europeans so wary. They didn't engage the Mongol army in open battle as Guyuk had hoped. Instead, they didn't even enter Poland, and immediately began constructing defensive lines.

The losses from a strong offensive will definitely be substantial.

Subutai actually preferred the first option. Europa must be acquired eventually, but not now.

Today, these are only half of the Mongol steppe warriors, and they are somewhat powerless against the allied forces of Europe.

It would be better if Guyuk issued an edict ordering the soldiers remaining on the grasslands to continue their journey, and the Chagatai Khanate to also send some troops. Ideally, they should also persuade the Zhao Shuo faction and the Jochi faction to join forces.

With the combined power of the entire Mongolian nation, we will utterly suppress Europe!
Guyuk, however, favored the second option. Combining the strength of the Mongols would indeed make the war much easier. But the question was, how would this demonstrate Guyuk's abilities?

Even if we conquer Europe, whose credit will it be?
Besides, if Subutai's plan is followed, how long will it take to defeat the European coalition? It's uncertain whether Guyuk will even live that long.

Therefore, Guyuk decided to recruit a large number of auxiliary troops from Poland and launch an attack on the Sudetenland mountain defense line on the border between Bohemia and Poland.

The reason why Hungary was not chosen as the breakthrough point was, of course, because Zhao Shuo had married a Hungarian princess and probably already considered Hungary as his own possession.

Moreover, Guyuk did not believe that he could not break through the Sudetenland defense line.

Didn't Temujin break through the Jin Dynasty's Yefuling defense line back then?

Now, is it possible that Guju cannot break through the Sudetenland defense line of the European coalition?

Once the Sudetenland defenses are breached, we can advance directly into the Kingdom of Bohemia, and even march into the Holy Roman Empire, without worrying that the Europeans will not submit.

However, he forgot that the steppe warriors of today were no longer the steppe warriors of Genghis Khan's time. Those steppe warriors who had emerged from the Dark Ages were all over fifty years old, and even those who hadn't retired were far less capable in combat. The newly recruited steppe warriors were far inferior to their fathers' generation.

The Germanic warriors of the Holy Roman Empire on the other side were no pushovers either. Bohemia, too, was a rising and vibrant power, with its army being a veritable elite force.

Two months later, King Louis IX of France and King Henry III of England each led 50,000 troops of their own country to come to the aid.

The European coalition forces in the mountainous region of Sutai numbered over 250,000.

Because they plundered the Jews in the country, they not only obtained sufficient military funds, but also increased the support of the citizens and had enough resilience!
Although the Mongol army was powerful and had the advantage of the Xiangyang cannon and gunpowder weapons, it was still unable to break through the Sudetenland defense line.

This bloody battle has no end in sight.

Just as the Mongol army and the European coalition were locked in a stalemate along the Sudetenland Mountains, Zhao Shuo issued a bloody decree from the Eastern capital, Zhongdu.

The Edict on Privateering in the South Seas!
When Zhao Bixie went to the Ryukyu Islands to persuade the Shuntian Dynasty to submit, the operation went very smoothly.

The navy's ability to capture whales and transport guano in the open sea has already demonstrated its strength.

Now, the entire navy, under the blue flag, has arrived.

Even a blind man could see that if they disagreed, the navy's Blue Flag would be on the island and slaughtering people.

Therefore, Zhao Bixie persuaded the Shuntian Dynasty to submit without much effort.

Zhao Shuo was overjoyed and bestowed upon the former King of Ryukyu the title of Marquis of Ryukyu of the Zhao Shuo Khanate, a hereditary title that would last forever, sharing the fate of the kingdom. Zhao Bixie also removed the title of "temporary" for his two sons and became a mid-level official in the Zhao Shuo Khanate, holding the position of Assistant Minister of Rites.

Then, Zhao Shuo turned his attention to the Strait of Malacca.

The most powerful country here is Srivijaya. Besides Srivijaya, there are also smaller countries such as Langkawi, Kedah, and Sinkha Salli.

Zhao Bixie persisted, persuading the kingdoms of Langyaxiu and Jida to submit.

Only the Srivijaya, confident in their strength, resolutely refused to surrender. Not only that, they even cut off one of Zhao Bixie's ears.

Zhao Shuo was furious and dispatched 20,000 men from the Blue and Yellow Banners of the navy to attack Srivijaya.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was too great. In less than a month, the navy captured the capital of Srivijaya, and its king died in the chaos of battle.

However, Srivijaya still has many other forces that, relying on vast tracts of primeval forest and the local hot and humid climate, have formed their own independent groups and refuse to submit.

In this situation, it would be too uneconomical to send regular troops to suppress bandits in the primeval forest.

In fact, while the rulers of those small Southeast Asian countries had submitted, many local powers within their territories still maintained their independence. In their view, no matter how powerful Zhao Shuo was, what could he do to them in the primeval forest? Even if he defeated them, he wouldn't be able to seize any wealth; it wasn't worth it.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo directly issued the "Edict on Private Looting in the South Seas".

All fleets going to sea, as long as they report to the imperial court, can purchase some iron armor and crossbows according to the size of their fleet, and also purchase a "Southern Seas Privateering Certificate" which specifies the number of slaves they are allowed to capture in the South Seas.

Do you want to get rich?
Let's go to Southeast Asia and capture slaves!
The government recognized their status as slaves.

Now, there are many sparsely populated areas in Zhao Shuo Khanate, and these slaves are the best wealth!

This is the best reward for your efforts in expanding China's territory!

Of course, for Southeast Asia, this meant a massacre that lasted for decades or even centuries.

In Zhao Shuo's view, who had traveled from the future, this was all deserved by the monkeys of Southeast Asia!

(End of this chapter)