Ch.50Winter (1)

As expected, the promised tribute from Khara-Khoto did not arrive.

So I sent people to Khara-Khoto to find out why they hadn’t sent the tribute.

About a week after giving that order.

What lay before me was the salt-preserved head of my envoy.

“Those Western Xia bastards break promises as easily as eating meals!”

“This cannot be ignored! Great Khagan!”

The khans gathered at the Kurultai were expressing their anger more vehemently than I was.

And rightfully so, as this was clearly an act that insulted our ulus.

Our ulus had sent surrender terms to Khara-Khoto twice.

The first time, Khara-Khoto expressed their refusal by beheading our envoy.

Later, when Khara-Khoto was about to fall, we offered surrender terms again, and that time they accepted with gratitude.

But how much time has passed since then, and they’ve failed to send the promised tribute.

Moreover, they’ve beheaded our envoy sent to Khara-Khoto and returned the head—even a saint would curse at such an act.

The atmosphere filling the ger was one that demanded war.

With the mood escalated, all that remained was for me, as Khagan, to make the decision.

Bang!

“The Western Xia people take us lightly. This is something neither the merciful God, Tengri, nor our ancestors would tolerate. Warriors of the steppe, take up your weapons!”

At my words, the khans drew their weapons as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Looking at them, I shouted loudly.

“Prepare for war.”

* * *

Unlike the previous battle at Khara-Khoto, many people were now bustling about.

This was because this battle wasn’t a local skirmish but a full-scale war.

Since we were planning to wage war against the entire Western Xia, we had to prepare to move with our entire gers.

“The entire tribe desires this war, my Khagan.”

I nodded in response to the words of Hulitu, the commander of a thousand.

“The previous battle at Khara-Khoto must have had a significant impact. It made the Mongol warriors realize that Western Xia is a worthy opponent.”

For settled peoples, nomads were objects of fear.

But this was strictly limited to ordinary villages without walls.

That’s why nomads had to retreat when settled people went behind their walls,

and the settled people would shoot arrows at the retreating nomads, causing considerable damage to the nomads as well.

As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, walls were like massive mountains to nomads.

That’s why the nations of the Central Plains built the Great Wall to separate nomads from settled peoples,

and countries like Goryeo and Western Xia also built walls to define their living areas.

“The fact that the Khamag Mongol attacked Khara-Khoto and forced its surrender has instilled confidence that we too can overcome walls.”

The battle with Khara-Khoto.

Thanks to this battle, the notion that nomads could never break down walls began to crumble within our ulus.

“Your foresight, my lord, makes all warriors of the steppe tremble with awe.”

I shook my head and waved my hand at Khan Hulitu’s words.

“I merely unleashed the great horse called Mongolia, which had been bound by the yoke of settled peoples.”

In truth, I hadn’t done much.

Creating weapons and reforming the military system were things my son would have accomplished over time anyway.

And honestly, I wasn’t certain if the weapons I created would function properly on the battlefield.

After all, what I called grenades lacked explosives inside, so they were unlikely to work effectively.

Yet the reason for taking such a challenge was simple.

Unlike the battle at Khara-Khoto, this time we needed to employ every possible method without discrimination.

Just as a wolf risks its life when hunting another predator.

In a life-or-death battle, one must use everything available to defeat the enemy.

“It is you, my lord, who rides that great horse.”

“No. The entire ulus rides that great horse. If that were not the case, I would make everyone ride it.”

More nomadic states than expected have disappeared from the steppe without leaving even their names behind.

Most such states shared the characteristic of beginning with a single outstanding leader guiding everyone.

These states would collapse when their leader died from illness or other causes.

To prevent this, most states adopted the method of producing many heirs.

But this often became an obstacle to state succession, resulting only in the division of the hard-established nation.

That’s why I intended to revitalize all of Mongolia.

I planned to revitalize all of Mongolia to create a powerful nation that could function on its own even without a leader.

“All preparations are complete, my lord.”

“My lord, the entire tribe is ready to attack.”

“We await your orders.”

Belgutei, Bekhter, and Khasar stood before me, showing proper respect.

I nodded as I looked at my grown sons.

Everything I have is for future generations.

Everything I have is for the future.

It must be so.

So that the children of the steppe can run without stopping from the undulating steppe to where the Milky Way falls.

* * *

“Did you really have to make such a decision?”

Li Deyun nodded at his advisor’s words.

Then, as if blaming the advisor, he began to criticize him.

“It was you who brought such unreasonable surrender terms in the first place.”

“If we hadn’t surrendered, all of Khara-Khoto would have been trampled under Mongol hooves. Was there any other choice?”

“No matter what, demanding such excessive tribute doesn’t make sense. Yet you approved those surrender terms, didn’t you?”

“General! You clearly said that as long as a peace treaty was concluded, all conditions could be accepted!”

At the advisor’s words, Li Deyun shrugged and looked at him.

Then, with an expression suggesting he had never said such a thing, he reprimanded the advisor.

“I never said that. To be precise, I said to bring back surrender terms that could be accepted at a reasonable level.”

“Ha! If that’s the case, why didn’t you raise objections immediately after the peace treaty was concluded?”

“I don’t want war. Surely you don’t want war, do you?”

The advisor found it difficult to maintain his composure due to such nonsensical quibbling.

So he bowed to Li Deyun and tried to leave.

“I didn’t say you could leave. Why are you trying to leave?”

“Since you neither accept my advice nor listen, but rather treat me as a criminal, I thought there was no need for me to remain here.”

“I see.”

At the advisor’s words, Li Deyun nodded and stared at him for a moment.

Soon, an unpleasant smile began to form on his face.

“It seems unavoidable that the Mongols will invade. Isn’t that right?”

At the general’s sudden question, the advisor looked bewildered.

But since Li Deyun was clearly his superior, he had no choice but to nod in response.

“Yes. But it’s not too late. If we gather soldiers and strengthen our defenses…”

“Of course we’ll do that. However, we can’t let the Mongols’ anger fall upon our people again, can we?”

“Surely you’re not planning to bring them inside the walls again?”

Khara-Khoto had once suffered greatly from the Mongols due to such a decision.

Seeing the general hint at making the same decision again, the advisor couldn’t help but look at Li Deyun with concern.

Contrary to the advisor’s worry, Li Deyun shook his head as if such a thing would never happen.

“Haha! How could I do that? There’s an easier way right in front of us.”

“By easier way, you mean…”

“Let me borrow your neck.”

With those words, Li Deyun drew his sword.

Many people inside looked at Li Deyun with surprised expressions.

But Li Deyun’s actions were faster than these people’s reactions.

“Kuk…”

With that sound, blood spurted from the advisor’s neck.

Seeing this, Li Deyun clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“I’ve grown rusty. To think I couldn’t cut off his head with a single stroke.”

The general casually brushed off the blood that had splattered on him.

Then he gave orders to the attendant standing right beside him.

“This man deceived us about the Mongols’ surrender terms, causing us great harm. He is the main culprit who beheaded the Mongol envoy on his own. Cut off his head and send it to the Mongols, telling them we will send tribute again from next year.”

“Y-yes. I will follow the general’s orders.”

The attendant bowed with a trembling voice at Li Deyun’s command.

Then he began to drag away the advisor’s corpse.

After the corpse was removed, Li Deyun sat down again as if nothing had happened.

Those nearby could only keep their mouths shut at his nonchalant demeanor.

They instinctively knew that if they didn’t, they would be next.

* * *

“Quickly pack all the luggage.”

A man wearing silk clothes with fragrant oil in his hair gave orders in an urgent voice.

It was strange to see someone who clearly looked like a nobleman behaving this way.

“W-why so suddenly, my lord?”

The servant looked at his master with a surprised expression at the man’s command.

The master, as if even explaining was a waste of time, urged the servant.

“There’s no time to explain. Pack only the important items and prepare to leave this place.”

“Y-yes, my lord.”

At those words, the servant began to move hurriedly to gather the belongings.

Surprised by his actions, a woman approached him.

“What’s happening, husband?”

“There’s no time to explain. We must leave Khara-Khoto right now.”

“Is it because the Mongols are invading? Even if they do, your relative, General Li Deyun…”

“Ha! You trust my cousin? Do you know what he did today and still say such things?”

The identity of the man with reddened eyes and an angry tone was none other than Li Byeongsang, Li Deyun’s cousin.

As Li Deyun’s adjutant and the manager of carriages in Khara-Khoto, he could be considered one of Li Deyun’s closest confidants.

Seeing such a person severely criticizing Li Deyun, his wife couldn’t help but be considerably shocked.

“W-what happened that…”

“I’m sorry. It’s difficult to explain in detail. If we don’t escape now, we’ll be trapped here before the Mongols arrive.”

“I-I understand. I’ll prepare quickly.”

After his wife disappeared, Li Byeongsang sighed.

The reason for his behavior was due to the advisor’s death that had occurred today.

“Thinking he can deceive the enemy with the advisor’s head… ha… trying to cover the sky with his palm.”

His cousin, Li Deyun, was under the delusion that he could deceive the Mongols with words after pinning the blame on the advisor.

It would be natural for an ordinary person not to even think this would work.

But seeing Li Deyun actually doing this, Li Byeongsang couldn’t help but feel that Li Deyun had gone mad.

He concluded that staying here any longer would only lead to death.

That’s why he was planning to flee in the night before the Mongols surrounded Khara-Khoto.

With the belief that everything could be resolved if he reached Xingqing.

Li Byeongsang was under the illusion that he could leave Khara-Khoto and reach Xingqing without much trouble.

He was completely unaware that the Tamma, the Mongol reconnaissance unit, was already around Khara-Khoto.