It's so cold behind the mountains that I don't know the flowers, so every family is high in the sun with peony buds. When the guests from the south arrived for the first time and were not familiar with the customs, they still asked for tea when they dismounted and entered.
Guanshan is located at the north entrance of Juyong Pass. It has deep valleys, shady green trees, and clear springs everywhere. It is an excellent summer resort. Since the Mongolian Great Khan Wokuotai came to the throne, he has come to Guanshan every year to enjoy the cool weather and enjoy the cold weather. through the hot summer.
Summer is hot, and cicadas chirp in the tall trees outside the mountains, but it is cool and quiet in the mountains. If it is night, you have to put on cotton clothes and cover yourself with a thick quilt when sleeping to keep out the cold.
A row of wooden houses on the hillside, shaded by trees, are cool and pleasant. A clear spring gurgls in front of the house, and several bushes of peony are in full bloom by the stream. The white is red, the red is powdery, and the fragrance is fragrant.
Yelu Chucai walked up from the bottom of the mountain, passing through numerous "blockades" by the guards along the way, and then went up the hillside.
The Great Khan of Mongolia, Wokuotai, stood by the stream, looking at the blooming peonies. When he heard the footsteps behind him, he said without looking back.
"Mr. Yelu, you are here."
"The Great Khan asked me to come to Guanshan. Isn't it to see peony?"
Yelu Chucai glanced at the front of the house. Several maids were making tea. Several guards brought out wine and meat and placed them on the stone table.
"Mr. Yelu, look at this peony. Not only is it beautiful to look at, it can also be used as medicine. But the flowers bloom and fall, and within ten years they will wither."
Wo Kuotai turned around and looked at Yelu Chucai with a gentle expression.
"Mr. Yelu, I know you like to drink tea, and I have asked someone to make tea with spring water. Let's drink tea and talk about what's on our mind."
Yelu Chucai went over to sit on the stone bench and asked Yelu Chucai to sit down.
"Thank you Khan!"
Yelu Chucai sat down, Wo Kuotai picked up a glass of wine and took a sip first.
"Mr. Yelu, we don't tell lies between us. If you can figure it out, can you tell me why I came to Guanshan?"
"Great Khan, it is not good for us to use our troops south, especially since we lost our troops and generals in the battle of Hanzhong during the Song Dynasty. The Great Khan must have come to Guanshan because he was upset."
Wo Kuotai looked calm, Yelu Chucai tried to figure out Wo Kuotai's thoughts and said.
The Mongolian army went south. After a big battle, the number of casualties reached 90,000, and the number of Mongolian warriors was nearly 60,000, accounting for half of the Mongolian warriors.
The coach Torre died in battle, the prince Kuoduan died in battle, Mongolia's number one general Subutai was ill in bed, and there were cries everywhere on the grassland.
This may be the reason why Wokuotai arrived at Guanshan a few days after returning to the grassland.
"A battle going south, who expected this result. Tuo Lei died, instigating Lu Huteni to make trouble every day, I asked her to marry Guyu, but she was unwilling. Kuoduan died, Huteni also It’s unbearable to make trouble and cry every day. Those tribal leaders are even more..."
In front of Yelu Chucai, Wo Kuotai did not hide anything and seemed to be extremely troubled.
Soluheteni was Tuolei's official wife. After Tuolei was killed in battle, Soluheteni took charge of the Tuolei family. Ogedai proposed that she marry her eldest son Guyu, but she refused on the grounds that her sons were not yet adults.
Wokuotai granted his son Kuoche the three thousand households belonging to Tuolei. Many nobles under Tuolei were dissatisfied and instigated Luheteni to persuade them to give up their territory to Kuochue.
As for Huteni, she was Wo Kuotai's concubine and Kuo Duan's biological mother.
"Great Khan, you are the Great Khan of Mongolia. You can make your own decisions in everything, so you don't have to pay attention to them."
Mongolia is a feudal system. Ever since Genghis Khan divided his princes into feudal states, the Mongolian Empire has been doomed to fall apart. Torre was killed in battle and all his elite men were lost. The Torre tribe was in decline, and the Wokuotai tribe would definitely benefit. This is an indisputable fact. As the Great Khan of Mongolia, Ogedai wanted to strengthen his headquarters, but he felt helpless when he thought about it.
If it were the Central Plains Dynasty, how could there be such a situation where the kings were in separate kingdoms.
"It's not that easy! Tabuji'er and Tali, they borrowed the Song Dynasty from Tuo Lei and lost the war. They instigated Luheteni and the nobles under Tuo Lei to make trouble and wanted to execute Tabuji'er and Tali. .I arrested Tabuljir's family, and his mother came to plead for mercy. I asked her husband, son, and brother to choose one of them to live. She said that she could find a husband and have another child, but she could not have another brother. I pardoned them all. Death penalty for three people.”
Wo Kuotai shook his head, his face seemed to have some compassion.
"Torre was killed in battle, and so many warriors died in battle. If all the soldiers who escaped had to be dealt with, everyone would be heartbroken, and there would be many more orphans and widows on the grassland."
After hearing Wokuotai's words, Yelu Chucai felt depressed and heavy.
"The Great Khan is kind and forgiving, and he has the power of a king. I admire him. This time he went south to fight, the vitality of our Mongolian country has been greatly damaged. We don't have a few years to recuperate. I'm afraid it will be difficult to use our troops."
Yelu Chucai estimated and said.
Although Ogedai was suspicious of Torre, it was because Torre controlled more than 80% of Mongolia's elites. For Ogedai, the position of Khan was too unreliable.
Torre led his army through the Song Dynasty. Although the Mongolian cavalry suffered numerous casualties and were the most elite warriors in Mongolia, this was not a bad thing for Ogedai.
Wokuotai was kind to ordinary soldiers and the people on the grassland. This was a fact and he admired it.
"Mr. Yelu, you are right. However, I have been thinking about one thing."
After Wokuotai finished drinking, he put down the wine bowl, and the maid on the side quickly added more.
"I was thinking, my 70,000 Mongolian cavalry were killed and wounded in the Song Dynasty. Is the Song army really that terrible?"
Wo Kuotai frowned, picked up the wine bowl again, and took a few sips.
Yelu Chucai was secretly surprised. He pointed at the wine vessel on the stone table and said seriously:
"Dahan, this wine vessel is made of iron. After the wine has been soaked for a long time, there are cracks around the mouth. The internal organs of the human body are far inferior to iron. If you drink frequently, how can it not be damaged? Dahan, it is better to drink less wine. It’s important to take care of yourself.”
He was in Yanjing, and Wo Kuotai was in the grassland. He heard that Wo Kuotai would get drunk every time he drank, and his alcohol capacity was surprisingly large. Looking at the way Wokuotai was drinking today, it was like a big bowl in a moment, and that was indeed the case.
"Okay, okay. I'll just be careful in the future."
Wokuotai put down his wine bowl and then continued to ask:
"Mr. Yelu, tell me, is the Song Army really that scary?"
Judging from his frown, he seemed worried.
"Great Khan, I heard some soldiers say that in the Battle of Hanzhong, our army had already broken through the Song army's left wing formation, but the Song army's cavalry held our army back regardless of casualties. Some of the warriors were immediately covered with armor. The thunder shook the sky, and even men and horses attacked our formation, without any thought of life or death. Our army could not break the formation, and was rushed by the reinforcements of the Song Army. Attacked from both sides, we were defeated. I feel scared even thinking about it. I am Mongolian There may be such warriors in the army, but the appearance of so many fierce soldiers makes me feel incredible. This reminds me of the battle in Lingzhou five years ago, with the power of firearms and the flying of flesh and blood, so that I often dreamed of it. Awakened with a start."
Yelu Chucai looked solemn and made no secret of his views towards Wo Kuotai.
"Great Khan, according to the generals of the first class in the south, the Song army has sharp weapons, well-trained soldiers, and is fearless in battle. These three points are the reasons for our army's disastrous defeat in the Song Dynasty. We, the Mongolian warriors, are brave. , but it has neither the advantage of firearms nor strict training and military discipline. Therefore, our army has little chance of winning against the Song army. Also, Torre was killed in battle, and our 70,000 Mongolian army was defeated miserably in Hanzhong. The Song people must have been defeated early. Premeditated."
After Yelu Chucai analyzed it, Wo Kuotai nodded repeatedly.
"Mr. Yelu, you are right. You have met Emperor Song. Can you tell me what kind of person he is?"
If it weren't for the ferocity of the Song army, how could the Tuo Lei tribe be completely wiped out?
"Great Khan, I have only met Emperor Song once. This man is far-sighted and ambitious, and I feel it is difficult to deal with him. He implemented the New Deal, prospered all industries, made firearms, established martial arts halls, and organized and trained new armies. Every step of Emperor Song's life was carried out. It is an act to enrich the country and strengthen the army. Especially for firearms, whether it is iron smelting or gunpowder, our craftsmen have no breakthrough. The Song Emperor is a true god and man!"
"Firearms, Firearms!"
Seeing Yelu Chucai's emotion, Wo Kuotai shook his head and sighed, and continued to ask:
"Mr. Yelu, so we, the Mongolian cavalry, have no way of defeating the Song army?"
This is what worries him most.
"Great Khan, according to the soldiers who fought with the Song Army, if it is a field battle, it may be 64 or 55, and our army has the upper hand. If it is a city defense battle or an offensive and defensive battle, the Song Army's firearms are fierce and the soldiers are fierce. We I’m afraid the army is no match for the Song army.”
In front of Wokuotai, Yelu Chucai didn't have any rhetoric, he told the truth.
"The Song army is good at fighting, and the Song people have a large population, tens of millions. So, Hexi can't be taken back? The Jin Kingdom can't be destroyed either?"
Wo Kuotai took a sip of wine and asked quietly.
"The Great Khan, even if the Great Khan does not lead his army south to destroy the Jin Dynasty, the Song army will have strong soldiers and strong horses, and the army will be in full swing, and the Jin Kingdom will be destroyed."
The Han army lost 30,000 men and the Mongolian cavalry suffered 60,000 casualties. Even if Mongolia wants to use troops abroad, I am afraid that it will not have the strength for the time being.
"Mr. Yelu, you may not understand it yet. Our Mongolian army suffered heavy losses during this trip south, and we do not have the strength to go south to destroy the gold for the time being. Those kings and nobles all have evil intentions and are in disarray. Without a single three to five years, our Mongolian army will I’m afraid it will be difficult for the country to use troops abroad.”
Sure enough, Wokuotai's meaning was basically the same as what Yelu Chucai thought.
He looked at Yelu Chucai, leaned forward and lowered his voice.
"The Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty are feuding. The Song Dynasty is so powerful that they will definitely march north to the Central Plains and destroy the Jin Dynasty. I, the Mongolian country, sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, which is a good time to rest and recuperate. Therefore..."
"The Great Khan is wise! The Great Khan called me here today. Do you have something important to explain?"
Yelu Chucai finally understood something. Wo Kuotai asked him to come to Guanshan. I'm afraid he had something important to handle.
Wo Kuotai hesitated for a moment and then said:
"Mr. Yelu, since we are temporarily unable to send troops south, we cannot destroy the Jin and Song Dynasties in a short time. I want to conclude an alliance with the Song Dynasty. What do you think?"
Yelu Chucai couldn't help but be stunned and felt disappointed.
The Mongolian cavalry, which is conquering the world, will one day take the initiative to seek peace?
From this point of view, the trauma suffered by the Mongolian army when it went south was so huge that Ogedei became hesitant.
Seeing Yelu Chucai's suspicious and surprised eyes, Wo Kuotai continued in a soft voice:
"Mr. Yelu, you know that when the two countries engage in war, or use troops abroad, they rely on strength, not temper. Mongolia needs two or three years to recuperate and remobilize troops from the Western Regions. It will take some time. You also know that the conclusion of the A covenant is just a piece of waste paper. In the end, what matters is strength."
When Wokuotai assessed the situation, Yelu Chucai was sweating profusely and hurriedly received the order.
"The Great Khan has a magnanimous mind, a loyal and forgiving heart, can measure the time and effort, and do nothing wrong. I am willing to be ordered to go to the Song Dynasty to find out what the people of the Song Dynasty are like."
He was also looking forward to seeing what the ambitious Emperor Song was doing.
"Mr. Yelu, you are a wise man who can govern the country and bring peace to the country. Unlike Baitaer and Shuerche, they only know how to use troops and do not know how to conquer the country or the difficulties of running the country."
Wo Kuotai looked at Yelu Chucai and solemnly told him:
"After you and Li Bangrui went to the Song Dynasty, you inquired about the Song Dynasty all the way to see what the Song Dynasty was like? Then bring Meng Ge and Kuo Chu with you, so that they can also have a long experience and see the civilization of the Central Plains."
Kuo Chu is the third son of Wo Kuotai, and Wo Kuotai thinks highly of him. Although Meng Ge is the eldest son of Torre, he was once the adopted son of Wo Kuotai and had a good relationship with Wo Kuotai. These two people are both close to Ogedei and are also leaders of the young generation in Mongolia.
It seems that as the heir to the Mongol Empire, Ogedai chose his third son, Kuochu, instead of his eldest son, Guyu. As for the successor to the Torre Department, Ogedai chose his adopted son Meng Ge.
"Mr. Yelu, when you come back, the hot weather will be over. In autumn, we can go hunting in Hulan Mountain. The autumn air is clear and crisp. You can't see the horizon at a glance. Riding horses, drinking and feasting, these are the joys of life. Those people Let Kuo Chu and Meng Ge handle the conquest."
Wokuotai's face turned red and he was drunk, while Yelu Chucai was in a trance.
Compared with the ambition of his father Genghis Khan, Ogedai, the Mongol Khan, seems to have no desires and desires.
Could it be that Wokuotai, who is nearly fifty years old, has lost interest and is tired of expansion?
This does not seem to be a good sign for the Mongol Empire, which aims to plunder and expand.
