r18novel Chapter 57 The Poor Wanyan Honglie
Chapter 57 The Poor Wanyan Honglie
Genghis Khan is dead!
Despite his repeated insistence before his death that Ögedei and Tolui should unite and not fight amongst themselves, thus avoiding becoming a laughingstock to the world.
But death is like the extinguishing of a lamp; with his death, the open and covert struggle between Tolui and Ögedei immediately erupted.
Although Genghis Khan designated Ögedei as his successor, Mongolia did not have a succession system like that of the emperors in the Central Plains. The Great Khan of all Mongolians needed to be jointly elected by the Kurultai.
Despite Genghis Khan's decree, Ögedei was not necessarily going to ascend to the throne, but Tolui delayed the Kurultai for nearly two years with various excuses.
In two years, the World Society had completely absorbed the territories it had conquered, and its army size had unknowingly doubled.
The original Red Turban Army, consisting of many rabble, was completely eliminated and replaced by Yang Miaozhen's 200,000-strong elite force.
Yang Kang's 100,000 elite troops had been trained to the absolute core, with him and 150 other members of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill (averaging the seventh level) and the Nine Yang Divine Skill (averaging a minor mastery) as well, each possessing the strength of a thousand jin.
A terrifying army consisting of three thousand elite guards from the Fengyun Hall, Feiyun Hall, Shenfeng Hall, and Tianwei Hall, and surrounded by one hundred thousand outer soldiers.
At this time, a small corner of Shandong already had nearly 300,000 soldiers.
Over the course of two years, Yang Miaozhen consulted with Yang Kang seven times about launching a military campaign to conquer the world, but Yang Kang refused each time.
During the final discussion, Yang Miaozhen, in a fit of anger, pointed her spear directly at Yang Kang.
"I truly regret letting you marry Nianci and Princess Huazheng!"
"You've been blinded by their tenderness and affection, forgetting your former grand pronouncements and lofty ambitions!"
"With the Mongols in internal strife, the Jin dynasty weakened, and the Southern Song dynasty even more feeble and incompetent, if we don't send troops to sweep across the land now, when will we ever get the chance?"
"What are you waiting for?"
Yang Miaozhen was furious and pointed her spear at Yang Kang, shouting angrily.
Yang Kang smiled slightly, then instantly appeared in front of Yang Miaozhen, grabbed her hand, and pulled her tightly into his arms.
"The most essential quality for those who achieve great things is patience. You are too impatient, my wife."
"The saying goes, 'Brothers may quarrel within the walls but unite to defend against external humiliation.' Tolui and Ögedei fought openly and covertly, but ultimately they did not break off their relationship."
"Although they were not as great as Genghis Khan, Ögedei was a great ruler of his time, and Tolui was a military genius."
"If we were to launch a military campaign to sweep across the land at this time, the two of them would immediately unite and fight against me together."
"At that time, our ambitions will be subject to countless changes."
Yang Kang patiently explained in Yang Miaozhen's ear.
"With your current martial arts skills, even if they have a million soldiers, you can easily take the life of their leader."
After struggling in Yang Kang's arms for a moment, Yang Miaozhen said in a fit of exasperation.
"Killing can only gain land, but it cannot conquer people's hearts."
"We defied the world by taking Princess Huazheng, the former fiancée of our own brother Guo Jing, into our harem. Wasn't it all for the sake of our future claim to the grasslands?"
Yang Kang stroked his wife's hair as he spoke with a smile.
"But we've already waited two years! Ögedei has already ascended to the throne."
"The internal strife in Mongolia has subsided. When exactly will the opportunity you spoke of come?"
Yang Miaozhen broke free from Yang Kang's embrace and continued to speak indignantly.
Yang Kang sighed softly and loosened his grip on her.
Yang Miaozhen broke free from Yang Kang's embrace and sat down dejectedly to the side, without saying a word.
As they were talking, Shi Tianze rushed in from outside the door and respectfully knelt on one knee in front of Yang Miaozhen and Yang Kang.
"My lord, my lady!"
"At the Kurultai assembly, Ögedei succeeded to the throne as the Great Khan of the Mongols and publicly announced the strategic route for the southward campaign, with Tolui as the commander-in-chief, to conquer the Jin dynasty."
"Tolui sent a special envoy to deliver a message to the lord, requesting passage through Hebei, entering Guanzhong from Hedong, and heading south to attack Jin."
Shi Tianze said respectfully.
"Announce it in public?"
"The number of participants in the Kuriltai was more than ten thousand; even we sent people to participate."
"He actually announced such a major event as the strategy to destroy the Jin dynasty in public."
"Look, here it is!"
Yang Kang couldn't help but laugh out loud, and said to Yang Miaozhen, who was still sulking.
As Shi Tianze spoke, Yelü Chucai and Wanyan Chenheshang, who had received the news immediately, also quickly entered Yang Kang's study.
"It seems that the Mongols have indeed come to regard their lord as one of their own, and they even informed us of such a major event as marching south to destroy the Jin."
Yelü Chucai asked with a smile.
"Genghis Khan also bestowed upon me a golden knife, and I am now known as the Golden Knife Prince Consort. I am now considered half a member of the Golden Family."
"My lord personally wrote to ask me for passage, of course I must grant it."
Yang Kang said.
Yelü Chucai and Yang Kang exchanged a glance, both of them unable to suppress their smiles.
"He wants to borrow the route to destroy the Jin Kingdom, not the route to destroy me."
Yang Kang laughed loudly.
"My lord, after the Mongols destroy the Jin dynasty, will they turn their swords against us?"
"Furthermore, Wanyan Honglie is, after all, the Lord's adoptive father. Wouldn't our actions damage the Lord's reputation?"
Wanyan Chenheshang looked hesitant.
"I have already said that I repaid the debt of gratitude I owed to the Jin Kingdom back in Yehuling."
"As for the eighteen years of nurturing my father, after the fall of the Jin Dynasty, I will personally go to him to save his life."
Yang Kang sighed silently.
Upon hearing this, Wanyan Chenheshang also sighed deeply, but said nothing more.
From the day he followed Yang Kang to Shandong, he already knew that the Jin dynasty would one day perish.
It makes no difference whether one is destroyed by the Mongols or by their own hand.
Yang Kang's reply quickly reached the Mongol camp, and Tolui immediately led his troops down from the northern desert.
Ögedei led the central army along the Hedong Corridor straight to Hezhong Prefecture, while Tolui led 40,000 elite cavalry of the western army to bypass the former territory of Western Xia and outflank it from the west of Guanzhong.
When Wanyan Honglie of Bianjing learned of this news, he immediately smashed the teacup in his hand on the ground.
Since Yang Kang last replied to his letter, he had not exchanged a single word with him for several years.
He sent envoys several times to invite Yang Kang to Bianjing to ascend the throne as the Jin emperor.
On more than one occasion, when Yang Kang personally went to Shandong to invite him to Bianjing to ascend the throne, he was blocked by Yang Kang's troops. He had already had a vague suspicion about this.
After Genghis Khan's death, Yang Kang's marriage to Princess Huazheng and Mu Nianci plunged Wanyan Honglie into despair.
He knew that his son's ambitions could not truly be subjugated by the Mongols, but he also knew that Yang Kang had completely abandoned him and the Jin Dynasty.
"Kang'er, why? Why won't you believe me?"
Why do you all treat me like this, why do you all leave me? I've given you everything, what more do you want?
Wanyan Honglie suddenly stood up, swept everything off the table, and said in a distorted expression, breaking his composure.
"Your Highness, that land originally belonged to our country and did not belong to Yang Kang. Yang Kang simply did not stop the Mongols."
Yilapua, standing nearby, corrected him with a solemn expression.
As a newly promoted general personally appointed by Wanyan Honglie, he had not held power for long, but he could naturally see the thorny situation of the Jin state at a glance.
But as the saying goes, "If the ruler treats me as a national hero, I will repay the ruler as a national hero." Wanyan Honglie's preferential treatment of him was enough for him to give up his life.
Originally from the Jurchen people, he now only had the will to fight to the death in his heart.
"Issue the order to transfer Wanyan Heda to lead his elite troops eastward from Tongguan, and to have Yila Pu'a garrison Hezhong Prefecture to defend the Yellow River crossing. Wanyan Ting will lead his cavalry southward to provide support."
"I will personally lead the central army to garrison Shanzhou and fight a decisive battle against the Mongols at Hangu Pass."
The hall was deathly silent. Wanyan Honglie took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure.
"Your Highness, in this way, all our troops will be concentrated in the Guanzhong area, and the defense line east of Bianjing will be rendered ineffective."
"What about Yang Kang's side of the World Alliance...?"
Yilapu'a looked worried.
"He won't."
Wanyan Honglie coldly interrupted.
"If he wants the Jin Kingdom, wants everything I have, wants my life, he only needs to say one word and I will give it to him."
"My son knows this better than anyone else."
"Unfortunately, he always discarded all of this as if it were worthless."
"They wouldn't have asked for it before, but now that I'm risking my life, do you think they'll come and take it?"
Seeing this, Yilapua said no more.