Ch.29Kagan (2)

The changing atmosphere of the battlefield.

Yesugei, recognizing this, raised his hand to focus the commanders’ attention.

All the khans turned to look at Yesugei.

“The enemy’s atmosphere has changed. It seems there’s been some change in their camp.”

The khans nodded at his words.

Toghrul Khan, Yesugei’s anda, approached his side.

“What would you like to do, Yesugei?”

Toghrul asked Yesugei for his opinion.

He was essentially treating Yesugei as the commander-in-chief.

“When the enemy is confused, we must strike like lightning and tear them apart, intensifying their confusion like smoke pumped into a rabbit hole.”

It was an expression only steppe people would understand.

Unlike the Central Plains people, it was common for them to express commands in such metaphorical ways.

From a Central Plains perspective, such expressions might seem puzzling, but Mongols frequently communicated this way, so they immediately understood what Yesugei meant.

“I understand. We’ll take charge of the rear.”

“Thank you.”

Yesugei turned and signaled to the khans with his hand.

The Khongirad Khan and Oirat Khan nodded and immediately followed Toghrul.

Now only the Khamag Mongol forces remained.

Yesugei began assigning duties to the Khamag Mongol khans who had followed him.

“Bulqa Khan will take the left wing, and Chalukhab and Hulitu will take the right wing.”

All that remained was the central army.

Yesugei looked at each of his sons in turn.

His sons, receiving their father’s gaze, nodded as if ready.

“Temujin will take the central rear, Bekhter the front, Belgutei the left wing, and Khasar the right wing.”

Yesugei divided the central army into separate units.

It was more efficient to organize from the hundred-man units called jauts down to the ten-man units called arbans.

There was also an additional purpose:

To give his sons battle experience.

On the Mongolian steppe, combat experience was essential not just for war but for survival.

Above all, since opportunities for such systematic battle experience were rare, he hoped his sons would gain more combat experience on this occasion.

For these reasons, Ulaanbaatar divided his soldiers among his sons.

“Elunka will follow me.”

“I receive your command, Khan.”

Elunka had essentially become Yesugei’s advisor.

Yesugei planned to command the entire central army with him by his side.

Just as all battle preparations were completed,

The enemy suddenly began to charge out.

“It seems Toghrul has stirred up enough smoke.”

At Yesugei’s words,

His sons all drew their swords.

“Bring me Tagar’s head.”

At those words, Yesugei’s sons rushed forward.

As they charged ahead, the khans commanding the left and right wings followed, not wanting to be outdone.

* * *

“Block the right flank immediately!”

Tagar, who had beheaded Chiledu and seized military authority.

With the support of the Merkit tribal khans and the help of his officers, he had managed to take control of all military command.

However, gaining command didn’t immediately solve the problems at hand.

“The… the left is collapsing!”

“Enemy forces at the rear too!”

Hearing the urgent cries of his soldiers, Tagar calmly issued orders.

“Don’t panic. Respond calmly!”

Though he said this, he had no effective solution for the situation.

The disparity in forces between the Merkit army and the Khamag-Kereite alliance had grown too large.

Originally, the Merkit-Naiman alliance had outnumbered the Khamag-Kereite alliance.

They had 1,500 more soldiers than the enemy, but when the Naiman forces led by Tayang Khan were annihilated, this advantage disappeared.

To make matters worse, the Khongirad, Oirat, and Buryat tribes had joined the Khamag-Kereite alliance.

As a result, the Merkit army, now standing alone, had to face an alliance twice their size.

“Aaaaargh!”

“I… I don’t want to die!”

Screams echoed from all directions.

As those screams drew closer, Tagar Khan sensed his own end approaching.

“Is this how we finally fall!”

Tagar had killed Chiledu in an attempt to reverse the Merkit’s defensive position.

But perhaps because he had made this decision too late, he failed to turn the tide of battle.

He tried to hold out using his personal abilities, but the limitations were clear.

There was no one in Mongolia capable of employing strategies and tactics to overcome such numerical disadvantages.

“There’s Tagar Khan!”

“The enemy of Kereite!”

“Capture the traitor!”

Kereite soldiers spotted Tagar.

Behind them stood Toghrul, glaring at Tagar with an enraged expression.

“Toghrul…!”

“Finally we meet again, traitor to the tribe.”

“Ha! To call me a traitor! How absurd. Your position originally belonged to my father and should have been mine.”

“You still haven’t awakened from your delusions!”

Toghrul drew his sword, as if unwilling to listen any further.

In response, Tagar gripped swords in both hands and glared back at Toghrul.

“I have no intention of dying in vain. I’ll take you with me as my companion!”

With those words, Tagar charged at Toghrul.

Caught by the sudden attack, Toghrul hastily pulled his horse’s reins to avoid Tagar’s all-out strike.

“Let’s see if you can dodge this too!”

Tagar twisted his body for an upward slash.

Toghrul brought his sword down in response, cutting through Tagar’s shoulder.

Thud.

Tagar’s arm fell to the ground.

As his arm dropped, Tagar let out an agonized scream.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Next I’ll take your head!”

Saying this, Toghrul raised his sword again to behead Tagar.

At that moment, Tagar’s eyes flashed as he swung his remaining left arm at Toghrul’s neck.

“Hnngh!”

Slash!

With a terrible sound, a helmet rolled on the ground.

As the helmet fell, Tagar looked up at the sky with a despairing expression.

“Heavens! Why do you prevent me from even taking the head of Toghrul who stole what was mine!”

As Tagar cried out, the sword piercing his heart drove deeper.

“Kuhk.”

With the sword penetrating deeper, Tagar finally dropped the sword in his remaining left hand.

“Phew… troublesome to the end.”

Temujin remarked.

He pushed Tagar’s body with his foot to pull out the sword embedded in his heart.

Then he bowed to pick up the helmet of Toghrul, his father’s anda.

“You’ll need new helmet straps, Ong Khan.”

“I will follow the advice of my life’s savior.”

Toghrul bowed to Temujin in gratitude for saving his life.

Then, putting the helmet Temujin handed him back on his head, he shouted in a loud voice.

“The traitor Tagar is dead! Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender!”

At Toghrul’s shout,

The enemy soldiers stopped fighting and put down their weapons.

“Hurrah!”

“Long live Khamag Mongol!”

“Long live Kereite!”

The soldiers cheered.

Behind those soldiers stood a man wearing a red cloak.

* * *

“Finally…”

With the defeat of the Merkit, one of the five tribes of the Mongolian steppe, all conflicts on the steppe had come to an end.

Though the Western Naiman led by Buiruq still remained, the Eastern Naiman led by Tayang Khan had essentially been annihilated, so it could be said that all steppe conflicts had ended.

The ultimate victors in this conflict were the Khamag Mongol and Kereite.

Of course, the Oirat, Khongirad, and Buryat had belatedly joined the alliance and sided with the winners, but the two tribes could be considered the real victors.

From now on, the order of the steppe would be led by the Khamag Mongol and Kereite, the survivors among the five tribes of the steppe.

“Finally the steppe is united again, my anda.”

At Toghrul’s words,

I nodded.

“It fills me with emotion that the great steppe, which had been divided into many parts, has become one again in our generation.”

Toghrul nodded at my words.

After pondering something for a moment, he carefully spoke to me.

“But this peace won’t last long.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because the Jin Dynasty will surely try to drive a wedge between you and me.”

“…”

The Jin Dynasty, employing divide-and-conquer tactics.

This was precisely why we couldn’t let our guard down even though they weren’t currently intervening in the steppe conflicts.

“Of course, I don’t think this will create a rift in our friendship. But that’s just between you and me; when it comes to tribe versus tribe, things could be different.”

At Toghrul’s clear analysis, I could only nod in response.

Both Toghrul and I were khans leading tribes, not just individuals.

“What are your thoughts?”

“…Do you trust me?”

“I trust you. Thanks to your help, I became the khan of Khamag Mongol and was able to unite the steppe like this.”

“I feel the same. Thanks to you, I was able to protect my rightful claim from my uncle Gurkhan, and thanks to your son, I was able to save my life from Tagar’s surprise attack.”

Toghrul took a moment to catch his breath.

Then, looking to my side, he casually spoke.

“Come out, Temujin. I won’t scold you for eavesdropping on our conversation.”

At Toghrul’s words, Temujin, who had been hiding behind a rock, came forward hesitantly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was just…”

“No need to make excuses. I have no intention of reproaching someone who saved my life.”

Temujin bowed in gratitude at Toghrul’s words.

Then he looked at me with an apologetic expression.

“Since Toghrul seems to have something to say, we’ll discuss your mistake separately later.”

At my words, Temujin nodded.

Then he turned to look at Toghrul.

“As you overheard, your father and I are concerned about the future of the steppe.”

“Are you worried that the Jin Dynasty will try to drive a wedge between you two?”

“Yes. I have a good idea, but it requires permission from you and your father.”

“My permission…?”

“I have two sons and one daughter. My sons can’t even ride horses with me, let alone properly wield a sword against an enemy.”

“…”

“My sons are dullards who would struggle just to lead the Kereite tribe, but you, who saved my life, seem different.”

“You mean…”

“Marry my daughter. Then I and the Kereite tribe will acknowledge Khamag Mongol as the legitimate Great Khan of the steppe.”

At Toghrul’s words,

Temujin and I could only stare at him in surprise.