pertwk Chapter 42 Journey West, Reunion with Genghis Khan
Chapter 42 Journey West, Reunion with Genghis Khan
On the banks of the Amu Darya River lies Urgench, once the most prosperous capital of Khwarazm.
More than two months after their departure, Qiu Chuji, Yang Kang, and a group of Mongol envoys arrived at this place.
Envoy Liu Zhonglu looked at Yang Kang and Qiu Chuji ahead with a somewhat numb expression.
It took him nearly half a year to deliver the imperial edict back to the Central Plains, but he returned in less than three months.
Yang Kang was renowned throughout the land for his martial prowess, so it would have been easy for him to undertake such a long journey.
Liu Zhonglu couldn't understand why Qiu Chuji, an old man, was so relaxed.
He even occasionally saw Yang Kang and Qiu Chuji, master and disciple, running past their horses on foot.
"Could this Changchun Zhenren really be a deity?"
Liu Zhonglu rubbed his buttocks.
The men hurried to the post station left by the Mongols to replenish their water and food, while Qiu Chuji and Yang Kang rode their horses to the city wall of Yulongjiechi.
Bianjing, the capital of Khwarezm, was once the capital of Khwarezm and one of the largest cities in the world.
In this old civilization era, which was still dominated by agriculture and nomadic life, this city had existed since the time of Alexander the Great, according to legend.
Before the war, Urgench had a permanent population of one million. Although Sultan Muhammad moved the capital to Samarkand, Urgench remained the heart of the empire.
Half of Khwarezm's wealth, civilization, and wisdom were once concentrated in this city.
But when Yang Kang and his party arrived, all that remained was a desolate, ruined city with no end in sight.
Last year, the Mongols besieged the city for five months.
After the city fell, Mongol soldiers drove the residents to the open fields outside the city and slaughtered them from morning till night.
Blood flooded the land outside the city, and the decaying flesh and blood became nutrients for the growth of vegetation.
Along every roadside where vegetation grows lushly, exposed bones can be seen everywhere.
The Mongols breached the dikes of the Amu Darya River and flooded the city. After the waters receded, those who had taken refuge in the city either drowned or were shot on the rooftops.
The floodwaters had long since receded, and the Mongol army had long since left.
The city still stands there, the city walls have not fallen, the streets are still there, and the dome of the mosque is still hanging intact in the air.
But there was no trace of human life in the city; it was as quiet as a corpse.
Qiu Chuji stood at the city gate, speechless for a long time.
Throughout his long life, he traveled to countless towns and witnessed numerous wars, famines, and plagues.
But he had never seen a city like this before, where even the smell of the dead had dissipated.
Apart from the chilling sounds of various snakes and insects, there was no trace of human presence in the air.
Yang Kang sat atop the Golden Crow, gazing indifferently at the city.
The escorting Mongol envoy, Liu Zhonglu, rode forward, wanting to say a few words in defense of his master.
He knew all too well what Han people like Qiu Chuji and Yang Kang, whose average moral standards were too high, would think in this situation.
Yang Kang raised his hand to stop Liu Zhonglu.
"Let's keep going!"
"I think my master is eager to see Genghis Khan right now."
Yang Kang said indifferently.
Sure enough, after sizing up Yu Longjiechi for a while, Qiu Chuji immediately turned around and signaled everyone to hurry on their way.
In July, Yang Kang and Qiu Chuji arrived in Ghazni, where Genghis Khan was resting.
Upon hearing the news, Guo Jing and Tuolei rode out thirty li to meet him.
"Yang Kang'an..."
Upon seeing Yang Kang in the distance, Torre excitedly raised his hand and shouted loudly.
Yang Kang also spurred his horse forward, and the three of them, riding blue, red and black horses, raised three plumes of dust, which converged and circled halfway.
"Brother Torei, and Brother Guo Jing."
"It's been four years, how have you all been?"
Yang Kang asked with a smile.
"If we were good, you wouldn't know, but our father Khan led us to conquer a vast and prosperous land."
"That Sultan of Khwarazm, before we set off I heard he was some kind of conqueror of the world, and I was a little skeptical."
"I'm afraid it will be like fighting the Jin Dynasty again, with tough opponents everywhere, and we might even encounter another general like you."
Upon seeing Yang Kang, Torre immediately spoke with great interest.
"Who would have thought that Khwarezm would be so useless?"
"Their army is like sheep; they know nothing but how to run away."
"Even their capital, Samarkand, was captured by us without any effort."
"By the way, it was Guo Jing who conquered Samarkand and won the first victory in our western expedition."
"He is now the commander of the left wing of my father's army, the commander of the left flank army."
"In my father Khan's tent, his current seat is the second chair on the left, on equal footing with his master Jebe."
"That kid's really arrogant now, he usually ignores me."
As Torre spoke, he looked at Guo Jing with a hint of anger.
Yang Kang raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this; Guo Jing's status was simply abnormally high.
Guo Jing fell silent for a long time without uttering a word.
The three of them rode back to Qiu Chuji.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Qiu Chuji curiously looked at Guo Jing, whom he hadn't seen for several years.
At this moment, Guo Jing's face no longer showed the naivety of a young man; his eyes were filled with deep weariness. Yang Kang guessed something, but did not ask.
"Jing'er, have you encountered something troubling you lately?"
Upon seeing this, Qiu Chuji asked with concern.
"Master Qiu, I'm alright."
"only..."
Before Guo Jing could explain anything further, Torre interrupted again.
"He was reprimanded by my father, Khan."
"My father once said that if we conquer Samarkand, he would grant me one request. This brat actually asked my father not to massacre the city and not to let the army plunder it."
"Then what are we Mongols doing here?"
"Father Khan angrily gave him two lashes, and the boy has been worrying about this for the past two days."
Torre said dismissively.
"Heaven cherishes life, Jing'er, you did the right thing."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Chuji nodded in approval to Guo Jing.
Looking at Guo Jing's expression, Yang Kang felt that it wasn't entirely because of this matter.
As evening fell, the group finally arrived at Genghis Khan's camp.
Genghis Khan ordered a palace to be prepared for Qiu Chuji, but did not summon him immediately. Instead, he wanted to see Yang Kang first in his central military tent.
Outside the main tent, two middle-aged men stood facing each other angrily.
"Brother Zhuchi, you're back too."
Seeing the two men on the verge of exchanging blows, Torre quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
The two men were none other than Genghis Khan's eldest son, Jochi, and second son, Chagatai.
Upon seeing Torre arrive with Yang Kang, the three men each snorted coldly and entered the main tent first.
Yang Kang watched with amusement, and followed them into the main tent.
The tent was much larger than I had imagined, capable of holding hundreds of people. The dome was covered with three layers of white felt, and the walls were hung with silk banners and captured Khwarazmian gold artifacts. In the center was a long tiger-skin carpet, where Genghis Khan sat.
Jochi and Chagatai stood on the left and right, respectively, each with a cold expression and remaining silent, while Ögedei sat at the end of the table, drinking with his head down.
Several veteran generals, including Jebe and Borju, were still standing in the tent, all looking at Yang Kang with great interest as he entered.
After Tolui and Guo Jing entered the tent, they returned to their respective seats. As Tolui had said, Guo Jing's seat was almost right next to Genghis Khan.
"Yang Kang has met Genghis Khan."
Yang Kang calmly bowed to Genghis Khan using Mongolian etiquette and language.
Upon closer inspection, the man before him, who had brought countless fears to the world, no longer seemed to be the ambitious and brilliant emperor he had been during the Battle of Wild Fox Ridge. Yang Kang saw in his white beard and deep-set eyes the inevitable signs of aging that no mortal could resist.
"The last time I saw you, you were still called Wanyan Kang."
"That day, you almost killed me."
"Half of my girls in this big tent have been bedridden for months because of your beatings."
"My most loyal bodyguard, General Naya, was shattered into pieces by you."
"Yang Kang, do you know your crime?"
When Genghis Khan saw Yang Kang, he deliberately put down his wine cup and pretended to be angry.
"If what I did during a battle between two armies is considered a crime."
"My greatest sin is that I did not cut off the Khan's head."
Yang Kang looked at Genghis Khan and said calmly.
"How dare you!!!"
Seeing Yang Kang's unruly attitude, the generals in the tent were immediately enraged, and some even drew their swords.
But those were all generals who had risen to prominence in recent years. Those who had seen Yang Kang at the Battle of Yehuling, such as Borju and Jebe, did not react much, but instead took it for granted.
"Hahaha!"
"I knew it! How could Yang Kang possibly be scared?"
"Back then at Yefuling, he wasn't afraid of hundreds of thousands of troops in front of him."
"Even if all of us sat together today, we probably wouldn't be enough for him to kill with one hand."
Genghis Khan sat down and looked around, then laughed heartily.
He then stood up, took his wine glass, walked to Yang Kang, and, with a slightly surprised look in Yang Kang's eyes, pulled him to his seat.
Right next to Guo Jing's seat was a seat that had been reserved for him.
Genghis Khan gestured for Yang Kang to sit down and then personally poured him a full cup of wine.
"I once told my men that the greatest pleasure in life is to hunt down your enemies, invade their lands, plunder their wealth, and then listen to the cries of their wives and children."
"But today, I want to add one more thing to all the happiness."
"That is to acquire every bravest and most skilled warrior in the world, and make them your Nako'er, to accompany you in conquering every piece of land in the world."
Genghis Khan raised his cup and looked around. Under everyone's gaze, he turned his attention back to Yang Kang.
"General Yang Kang was such a hero."
"Throughout my life, I have nearly died at the hands of the enemy countless times."
"But General Yang Kang is the only one who almost killed me when I had 100,000 troops and countless brave warriors surrounding me."
"To gain the loyalty of such a hero is worth more than an army of 100,000."
Genghis Khan addressed the crowd loudly.
"I have traveled a great distance to invite Master Qiu Chuji and you to this place."
"Firstly, I hope to learn some principles of longevity from the immortal Qiu Chuji."
"Secondly, I want to meet General Yang Kang and invite you to join my ranks so that we can conquer every piece of land under the heavens together."
Genghis Khan made no secret of his high regard and sincerity towards Yang Kang.
Faced with such a warm invitation from a prodigy, even Yang Kang felt that he should at least show some politeness if he refused.
"Genghis Khan was a great hero and the most perfect leader in the hearts of countless warriors."
"If the Great Khan were twenty years younger, I would naturally be willing to become a general under the Great Khan's command."
"What a pity, Your Majesty, you are already fifty-five years old this year."
"Do you still have the strength to lead me to conquer the world?"
Yang Kang stood up, raised his cup, drank it all in one gulp, and then said half-jokingly.
He did not explicitly refuse or refute, but only lamented Genghis Khan's age.
Looking at the warrior before him, who was even younger than his own son Tolui, Temujin couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
Time is like dew on the prairie; it vanishes in the blink of an eye.
"But besides me, is there not a single one of my sons in this great tent who would meet your approval?"
"Does he deserve your loyalty?"
Genghis Khan sensed the regret and respect in Yang Kang's tone, but at the same time, suspicion arose within him.
"Great Khan, which one are you asking about?"
Yang Kang glanced around the tent and said with a hint of amusement.
"Let's start with Zhu Chi for each one."
Tell me your opinion of my sons.
Genghis Khan suddenly changed the subject, pointed at Jochi, and asked Yang Kang with a smile.
"Father Khan, why ask Zhu Chi first?"
"He is nothing but a bastard child of the Merkits, and this Yang Kang is nothing but a bastard child raised by the Jurchens."
"What right does he have to judge members of my Golden Family?"
No sooner had Genghis Khan finished speaking than Chagatai stood up abruptly and shouted angrily.
The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly turned icy.