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

Chapter 328 Pickled Mustard Greens and White Porridge, Donning the Yellow Robe?
"Yes! Zhao Shuo Khan is the Khan favored by the Eternal Heaven! I'll kill Arslan tonight, and we'll all go and surrender to Zhao Shuo Khan!"

Batu gritted his teeth and made a decision.

Of course he knew why, out of so many men in this grassland centurion's household, he was specifically chosen to carry out the killing. It was because his wife had been sold to Arslan, and he couldn't swallow his anger after returning home, so killing Arslan was perfectly reasonable.

Then, it was perfectly reasonable for the entire Baihu (a local administrative unit) to flee to the Hulunbuir Grassland to seek refuge with Zhao Shuo because of Ateslan's death and fear of Kuochu's retaliation.

If this centurion is intercepted by Kuo Chu's troops during his escape, the entire centurion can use Batu as an excuse to escape punishment.

Although the authorities may not believe it, and they may not actually be exonerated, it is still a glimmer of hope.

Dry!
Why not?
Batu was willing to be used by the centurion!

On one hand, he hated Arslan for having taken advantage of his wife. On the other hand, even if he paid his taxes this time, what about the future? The disaster showed no signs of abating; how could he possibly survive afterward?

In addition, he was indeed persuaded by Buhe.

The capital of the Great Mongol Empire built by Genghis Khan, Karakorum, was burned down by the Golden Family. The struggle among the three branches of the Mongol Empire caused the Eternal Heaven to send down a great calamity. Isn't this clear evidence that the Eternal Heaven despises the Golden Family?

Perhaps, surrendering to Zhao Shuohan is his only way to survive!
Night fell in the blink of an eye.

Night fell, but it brought little coolness; mosquitoes buzzed in the hot, dry air, making people even more irritable.

Snapped!
Suddenly, a loud slap echoed inside Arslan's tent.

"You slut! Do you even know who you are now? How dare you make demands of me? You are my slave. You should only serve me well and not think about anything else!"

Arslan looked angrily at the beautiful Saihan, his face full of contempt.

Although Saihan is thirty years old this year, he is really good-looking and quite famous among the entire Baihu.

Arslan was in a great mood after winning Saihan today and enjoyed himself to the fullest.

But this foolish woman, just as he was about to enjoy her again that night, asked Arslan for a bowl of fresh goat's milk for her three-year-old daughter.

The grasslands have recently suffered a disaster, with seven or eight out of ten livestock dying. Grassland herders have long been short of daily food and dairy products.

The people of the grasslands are resilient and adaptable to harsh environments. They shoot crows and birds in the sky, catch mice in the grasslands, dig up plant roots, and fish for small fish in the river... barely managing to survive.

However, while adults can barely tolerate it, young children cannot!

Saihan was worried about his children at home and wanted to ask Arslan for a bowl of fresh goat's milk for his daughter.

This touched Arslan's sore spot.

This foolish woman thinks she's something just because Arslan played her once?

She is merely Arslan's private property; what right does she have to make demands of Arslan?
"Hmph, they can't even afford a bowl of goat's milk! Are those bastards from the Western Liao really just good-for-nothings who flaunt their wealth?"

Saihan had just humbled herself for two reasons: firstly, her husband Batu had indeed sold her to Arslan; and secondly, to beg for food for her daughter. Now that Arslan refused to give her daughter any food, why should she continue to humble herself?
"What did you say?"

Snapped!
Arslan grew even angrier and slapped Saihan across the face again, saying, "You wretch, do you still think the Great Mongol Empire is invincible now, and the Han and Mongol people are number one? That's no longer the case! With just four skinny sheep, your husband sold you to me! So I can play with you as I please!"

This is true.

The civil war among the three Mongol factions significantly elevated the status of the Western Liao people!
Especially military supervisors like Arslan, who were far superior to ordinary Mongols!

As the famine on the grasslands progresses, the value of grassland women will inevitably decrease. What good is Saihan's beauty, even if she's already a married woman at thirty? In the future, Arslan will have many more Mongolian women, even beautiful young girls as lovely as the moon, as delicate as flowers, and as pure as spring water!

What the Mongols did to the women of the Western Liao Dynasty is now being returned to them in some strange way!
In Arslan's eyes, this stupid and foolish woman in front of him was completely unaware of her place!

Now, he was going to punish Saihan severely and let her know the true power of the men of the Western Liao!
Sizzle~~
The sound of tearing cloth echoed again inside the tent.

Immediately following was the sound of objects being knocked over, and Arslan's heavy breathing.

Of course, there was also Saihan's cold and mocking voice: "The wolf cubs of Western Liao can only show off their power when it comes to women."

"Slap!" Another loud slap rang out in Arslan's tent.

However, it was precisely at this moment—

"you wanna die!"

With a low growl, Batu's eyes turned bloodshot, and he burst through the tent entrance!

Arslan looked up in astonishment: "You?!"

"I kill you!"

Batu, like a wolf pouncing on its prey, slammed him hard to the ground.

With her left hand tightly covering his mouth and nose, she plunged the short blade in her right hand, filled with all her pent-up resentment, into the side of his neck!

“Ugh…” Arslan convulsed violently, his eyes bulging out, filled with terror.

He couldn't understand how Batu dared to do that.
Does he want his life?

He was the military supervisor sent by Kuoch. If we kill him, how can Batu's family survive? Does Batu not value his own life, his parents' lives, or his children's lives?
Unless the entire centurion is willing to betray Ögedei's faction, otherwise, if even the slightest hint of their involvement is leaked during their escape, none of the others will survive!
Moreover, even if he were killed and surrendered to Möngke, the oppression there wouldn't be any less severe than here. What would this centurion be after?

The entire centurion is unanimously pledging allegiance to Zhao Shuo? Has the prestige of the Golden Family on the grasslands truly declined to such an extent?
Of course, what Arslan thinks now is irrelevant.

Batu pressed him down tightly, feeling life draining from his body, sweat mingling with the enemy's blood as it dripped down.

Saihan struggled to her feet, her lips cracked, but her eyes were like cold stars in the night sky of the grassland. She grabbed the stone that was pressing down on the felt corner and smashed it into Arslan's temple without hesitation!
puff!
Batu looked at her.

Saihan, panting heavily, threw away the stone, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and met her husband's gaze, both filled with the same ruthlessness and pleasure.

“His life has stained my hands,” she said hoarsely.

"Good! Good Saihan! You are still my wife, let's go together to serve Zhao Shuo Khan!"

Then Batu shouted, "Arslan is dead! I killed Arslan! Arslan is dead!"

Arslan is dead!

"Arslan was killed by Batu!"

……

A loud shout rang out from the camp of the centurion.

Soon, torches blazed brightly inside the camp gate, and the roar of Centurion Gegen pierced the summer night: "The supervising officer Arslan has been killed by Batu! We've been implicated! Those who don't want to die, come with me and join Zhao Shuo Khan!"

"Khorchin has been burned down, a great disaster has struck the grasslands, and the Eternal Heaven has already abandoned the Golden Family! They have come to seek refuge with Zhao Shuo Khan! Zhao Shuo Khan is the new Khan of the grasslands recognized by the Eternal Heaven!"

Gegen had already informed more than twenty of his confidants of his arrangements.

As soon as he finished speaking, his twenty-odd trusted men immediately responded.

Gegen's prediction was correct; the people of the entire Baihu grassland had long been exploited to the point of no return. They all believed Gegen's words that the Eternal Heaven had already abandoned the Golden Family and was willing to follow him to join Zhao Shuo.

The escape began.

Most of their belongings couldn't be taken with them in time.

The elderly, women, and children all mounted their horses. Some adults carried young children, while others carried elderly people who were unable to ride. Some hastily picked up a ewe and, under the cover of darkness, fled towards the Hulunbuir Grassland.

This hundred households are lucky.

They weren't too far from the Hulunbuir Grassland, moved quickly enough, and abandoned their supplies decisively, avoiding any interception by pursuers along the way. "Don't go any further! The Hulunbuir Grassland is just ahead, Zhao Shuohan's territory!"

In the Great Battle of the Grasslands, Zhao Shuo dispatched two Han Chinese military commanders to the Hulunbuir Grasslands to strengthen patrols.

Batu, a household with seven or eight hundred men, had just reached the edge of the Hulunbuir Grassland when they were stopped by a patrol squad of twenty Han soldiers.

“My name is Gegen, and I am a centurion under Commander Nale’e. Our commandery originally belonged to the Tolui lineage, but later surrendered to the Ögedei lineage. Commander Nale’e’s three sons were sent to Husihan’s ears as hostages.”

"However, the internal strife within the Golden Family has brought divine punishment, causing a severe drought on the grasslands. The oppression from the Kuoch clan has been too cruel; we simply cannot survive. We have no choice but to flee and submit to Zhao Shuo Khan! We beg Zhao Shuo Khan to have mercy and take in us poor souls!"

As they spoke, Gegen dismounted and gestured to Batu.

Batu stepped forward and placed the head, wrapped in rags and emitting a strong odor under the summer heat, on the ground.

He pointed to the head wrapped in tattered cloth and said, “This is the head of Arslan, the Western Liao man who was sent by Kuoch to supervise our centurion. He insulted my wife, and I killed him with my own hands. We have come to seek refuge with Khan Zhao Shuo, not for anything else, but for a bite to eat and a way to survive! Please, Khan Zhao Shuo, have mercy and take us in!”

"Oh? So you weren't defeated soldiers, but rather you came to surrender willingly?"

Zhao Shuo had already decreed that the defeated army could seek refuge in the Hulunbuir Grassland, but they were not allowed to leave the Hulunbuir Grassland and rejoin the war after seeking refuge.

Gegen, the centurion, was the first steppe tribe to surrender not because they were defeated, but because they took the initiative to do so.

The leading Han soldier said, "However, you're lucky. The Tenth Prince has only recently arrived in the Hulunbuir Grassland and has brought the King's latest decree. Any Mongol who enters the Hulunbuir Grassland will be granted protection."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Thank you, Zhao Shuo Khan!"

……

The people of Gegen, the hundred-household household, finally breathed a sigh of relief and knelt down to express their gratitude.

They were then led for thirty miles and stopped on a gentle slope near a well, where a campsite had been prepared.

There were no brand-new yurts in the camp, only some old tents.

The air was filled with neither the aroma of milk nor the aroma of meat.

The Hulunbuir Grassland is also suffering from disaster; many livestock have died, and dairy products are in short supply. Meat products are even more scarce; for ordinary people on the grassland, even without a disaster, eating meat is a luxury.

But it's okay, we have food!

Zhao Shuo knew that historical records showed a massive drought on the grasslands after Hai Mishi came to power, and he had already prepared enough food in the Hulunbuir Grassland.

A long-lost aroma of grains, which made the stomachs of all the fugitives churn, filled the air.

Several large iron pots on earthen stoves were bubbling with thick, golden millet porridge. Next to them were several large baskets of flatbread, enough to fill one's stomach.

"Don't fight over it! There's plenty of porridge, and one flatbread for each person. Eat your fill first! We also have pickled vegetables from the south, called 'zha cai' (榨菜). Eat them with the flatbread to replenish your salt intake," the Han army officer announced.

According to legend, pickled mustard tubers existed as early as the Han Dynasty, but they were not made into pickled vegetables until modern times.

However, Zhao Shuo changed history, and China's economy prospered like never before, with pickled mustard tubers appearing on the historical stage ahead of schedule.

In addition to ordinary flatbread and millet porridge, Zhao Shuo also ordered people to send pickled mustard greens, which could be preserved for a long time, to provide both salt and vitamins that were rare on the grasslands.

After the officer finished his announcement, the steppe people made no noise, only the sound of swallowing and suppressed, almost tearful gasps.

They took some sheep with them when they fled, but they didn't know if Zhao Shuo would take them in or what kind of treatment they would receive from him, so they barely ate any.

Almost everyone was starving at that moment.

Coupled with their long-term hunger in the past, they were all swallowing their saliva as soon as the food was in front of them.

In addition, people living on the grasslands also eat grains.

Transporting grain from farmland to the grasslands was too costly and expensive. Accustomed to dairy products, they weren't unwilling to eat grain, but rather stored it up for use during difficult famines. Some even preferred grain out of curiosity.

Batu accepted a bowl of piping hot millet porridge, a heavy flatbread, and a small handful of pickled vegetables exuding a strange, salty aroma; his hands trembled slightly. He glanced at Saihan, who was also holding a bowl, her gaze fixed on the rare dark brown color with surprise.

When Batu took a bite of the flatbread, mixed with the salty, crisp, and slightly spicy pickled vegetables, a complex and intense flavor exploded in his mouth. It not only dispelled the blandness that had filled his mouth with dust for days, but also seemed to inject a solid force into his exhausted body.

The weather was just as hot and dry as it had been a few days before, but Batu felt a sense of peace and reassurance he had never felt before.

After a while, he looked at Saihan, who was carefully wrapping the half-eaten bread in a cloth and hiding it in her bosom. Perhaps she was not completely at ease and did not know what awaited them next.

However, Saihan quickly felt relieved.

After they finished their meal and their morale was somewhat restored, the Han army officer summoned them together again.

The officer said, "Now that the grasslands are suffering from a major disaster, there aren't many good grazing areas left on the Hulunbuir Grassland. So we won't be allocating you any new pastures. From now on, this will be your camp."

"Do not leave the vicinity of thirty li until this great disaster is over. The imperial court will send people to deliver food to you. Not only will there be plenty of millet, cakes, and pickled vegetables. Children under six years old will have goat milk to drink every day!"

Is there still goat milk to drink?
Saihan looked at the child in his arms and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

Back then, she endured humiliation and hardship to serve Arslan, wasn't it all just so that the child could have a bowl of goat's milk?

Unexpectedly, Zhao Shuohan is willing to let children under six years old drink goat milk every day!

Since Zhao Shuohan even considered providing goat milk for the children, how could he not have enough flatbread? And there's also the novelty of pickled vegetables!
Saihan even felt that his previous act of secretly hiding the bread was somewhat ridiculous.

The officer continued, “Furthermore, His Majesty knows that some of you have sold your children and wives in order to pay your taxes. Some sold them to your own households, and some to other households. It doesn’t matter. Give us your names, and His Majesty is willing to pay to negotiate with the three Mongol lineages to redeem you and reunite your families.”

Wow~~
The moment the officer finished speaking, the entire room erupted in cheers.

"Your Majesty!"

"I am willing to die for the king!"

"I am willing to die for Zhao Shuo Khan!"

"Zhao Shuo Khan should be called the Great Khan of the Steppes!"

……

Cheers from the people of the grassland rose and fell.

To fulfill their tax obligations, Batu wasn't the only one selling his relatives. It's just that nowadays, Mongolians are generally poor, and Arslan simply offered the highest price.

Now that Zhao Shuo is willing to redeem their loved ones, how could they not be extremely excited?
Countless people thought that Gegen Baihu was right! The Golden Family had lost its mandate of heaven, and Zhao Shuo Khan should be the new Khan of the steppe! Only with him as the new Khan can the people of the steppe have a good life!
Gradually, some people even started singing.

"When hunting wild beasts, bring the fiercest animals to Zhao Shuo Khan for him to shoot! When hunting wild bears, drive the bears to Zhao Shuo Khan for him to shoot!"

"When hunting deer, I vow to exhaust them for Zhao Shuohan, and to force them to their death!"

"Charge into battle, risk your life, seize the people and camps, and present them to Zhao Shuo Khan!"

"Attack foreign tribes, conquer people, capture beauties and warhorses, and present them to Zhao Shuo Khan!"

……

This is a folk song that the people of the grasslands sang to Genghis Khan.

However, nowadays, "Genghis Khan" has been replaced by Zhao Shuo Khan.

They were willing to be as loyal to Zhao Shuo as they were to Genghis Khan!
(End of this chapter)