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

Chapter 69 Li Chengzhen: These Mongols are so disgusting!
After resting in Wulahai City for half a month, the Mongolian army continued to advance and reached Keyi Gate five days later.

Keyi Gate was the gateway to Zhongxing Prefecture, flanked by two mountains, their cliffs as sharp as knives, piercing the sky and impassable. A narrow passage snaked up through the middle, leading directly to a towering city wall. It was a fortress where one man could hold the fort against ten thousand.

There, Li Chengzhen was leading the remnants of the defeated troops from the battle of Wulahai City, as well as the last 50,000 captured soldiers of Western Xia and tens of thousands of garrison troops, all ready for battle.

When the Mongols saw this scene, they felt a pang of disgust.

Inside the Golden Tent, the generals argued one after another.

"We can't fight the Baru Camp head-on," Subutai said. "It's a shame to waste such elite soldiers at Keyi Gate."

Subuchitai slammed the table and stood up, saying, "Then what do you say we should do? If we don't fight the Baru camp head-on, what about the grassland warriors?"

Borchu retorted sharply, "The problem is, even if we fill the entire Baru camp with them, it won't help!"

"Fill it in first, that's what they do!" Tuo Luan said disapprovingly.

"It's not a question of whether or not to do it." Zhebie shook his head. "Good steel should be used on the blade. This is true for the grassland warriors, and it's also true for the Baru Camp."

"If no one is willing to do this, then we should just withdraw our troops! And watch the Xixia people show off their might!" someone said unhappily.

"Aren't you just being argumentative?"

"Am I the one arguing, or are you? Someone has to do this dangerous job! Either the Baru Battalion or one of us!"

……

A fierce quarrel broke out among the Mongolian nobles.

There was no other way. After the battle of Oluhai City, many Mongolian nobles were fully aware of the powerful fighting force of the Baru Battalion. They treasured the soldiers of the Baru Battalion very much and were unwilling to let them make unnecessary sacrifices.

But at the same time, Keyi Gate was so easy to defend and so difficult to attack that someone had to risk their lives and storm it. Who else could they send if not the Baru Battalion?

When the generals' voices gradually faded, Temujin said, "The Baru Camp was established at your suggestion, Ashu. What are your thoughts on this issue?"

Zhao Shuo didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled calmly and asked, "Actually, I've been thinking about this question: Why are we so anxious?"

He paused, then continued, "If an army from another country, faced with a prolonged siege of a fortified city, might worry about being cut off from supplies, or about enemy reinforcements gathering and being surrounded. But for us, these concerns are completely nonexistent."

Our warriors can survive a day of fighting on a small piece of dried meat or cheese. When necessary, they can even forgo all food and simply stab their horses to drink their blood. Our war horses are incredibly hardy, surviving even in winter, not to mention autumn, by eating the thatch found on civilian roofs.

Why should we worry about logistics?

As for the enemy reinforcements gathering, it gives us the opportunity to annihilate them in one fell swoop. Isn't that even more to our advantage?

Therefore, we just need to guard against the Xixia people's sneak attacks and avoid any setbacks. We can fight slowly."

"Good! Ah Shuo said it well!"

As an outstanding military strategist, Temujin understood instantly and said, "In fact, we don't need to rush to break through the Keyi Gate immediately. We can take our time. If ten days don't work, try half a month. If half a month doesn't work, try a month, two months, or even half a year! We have plenty of time!"

Hu Nan suddenly realized something and said, "The warriors in the Baru Camp are few and far between. Why don't we find a way to increase their numbers? We can definitely send them east and west, attacking other Western Xia cities! If they can't take Keyi Gate, how can they take those smaller cities?" Although the Mongol army, after conquering Olohai City, headed south directly towards Keyi Gate, and further south was the Western Xia capital, Zhongxing Prefecture, the vast Western Xia was far more than just a few cities.

There were many cities in Western Xia, but they were not on the route that the Mongols had to take to attack Zhongxing Prefecture, so the Mongols did not attack them. When the Mongols first attacked Western Xia, they attacked Lijisi City and Qilingu Gusa City, which were similar cities.

Hu Nan's words seemed to open the door to a new world for the Mongolian nobles.

"That's right! Let the Baru Camp attack other cities!"

"Turn the defenders of other cities into warriors of our Baru Camp, and then go and fight the Xixia people at Poyi Gate!"

"The Baru Camp can be divided into different levels. The elite warriors must be used sparingly!"

"The battles to capture those small cities aren't bloody, but the rewards can be generous. Give them 30% each time you capture a city!"

"As long as they chop off a head at Keyimen, they will be allowed to rest for five days. They will have plenty of wine, meat, and women. There's no need to worry about them not fighting to the death!"

"This way, we won't be short of supplies!"

"With a constant supply of Xixia people to replenish us, we won't feel bad no matter how many die! Haha!"

……

The generals discussed with each other and decided on various incentive measures and a general strategy for breaking through the Keyi Gate.

In the next two months, many border cities of Western Xia were in trouble.

The clatter of horses' hooves was like thunder, thick smoke billowed, flames soared, and the cries of men and women shook the heavens and earth. City after city was quickly conquered by the Baru camp. Women were taken abducted, property became spoils of war, and able-bodied men were enlisted in the Baru camp.

What they have is to attack the next city.

Some were sent to the front line and put into the meat grinder of Keyimen.

In just two months, nearly 80,000 Xixia men died fighting at Keyi Gate. The path in front of Keyi Gate was stained red with blood, and the air was thick with the smell of blood. Crows circled low in the sky, cawing harshly, as if singing a dirge for the brutal massacre.

At the same time, after two months of elimination and streamlining, the Baru Camp has returned to its original strength of 10,000 people.

They were fierce and bloodthirsty, and their killing methods were ruthless, turning them into war machines that knew only to kill. Even Temujin greatly admired the Baru Battalion, and several times happily told his generals that the greatest gain from this expedition to Western Xia was not the numerous spoils of war, but the invincible elite troops like the Baru Battalion.

At the same time, the Western Xia army at Keyi Gate was in a gloomy mood.

What is this?

The battle was brutal, and the Xixia's precious capture troops suffered heavy casualties. Not a single one of the real enemy, the Mongols, was killed, and all the dead were Xixia people!
The Mongols were in the rear, eating Xixia's food and watching the show with Xixia women in their arms.

Over time, even if the Keyi Gate still exists, the Western Xia will be destroyed!
"I have made up my mind!"

In the conference hall, Li Chengzhen slowly looked at the generals and said, "We can't continue fighting like this. Tonight, I will lead 20,000 elite troops to launch a surprise attack on the Mongol camp! The rise and fall of the Xia Kingdom depends on this!"

(End of this chapter)