Chapter 92

“Great Khan, all the tribes of the steppe have sent their troops; our forces are like the sea, while the Tatara tribe is but a handful of sand—besides, we’ve fought them before and know their strength is negligible.” Borokh looked at the assembled armies, filled with grandeur, yet failed to understand Temujin’s reasoning.

Seeing Borokh’s expression, Muqali shook his head repeatedly: “With these men alone, we may defeat the Tatara, but we cannot destroy them.”

“Impossible! Didn’t we crush the Tatara just before? Now, with the Tayichiud, Naiman, and nearly every tribe on the steppe joining us, how can we fail to wipe them out?” Borokh looked incredulous.

“Can five fingers fight a clenched fist? When His Khan ordered me to spread rumors about the Tatara, I took the chance to spy on them. I tell you—their soldiers stand as straight as logs, yet their eyes gleam like hawks ready to soar.”

“Is it really that extraordinary? It’s only been a short while since we crushed them—how could the Nouruq tribe have grown so strong?” Borokh asked in surprise, but this time it was Temujin who answered him.

“Borokh, don’t forget—they once used three thousand men to subdue the Tatara in a single night. Yes, they leveraged the might of the Jin and us, but isn’t a general’s duty to use every available advantage to win?” Temujin sighed.

“But once the Jin learn of the Tatara’s actions, they’ll sever all ties with them—even send troops to punish them. Then the Tatara will be fish in a barrel. By now, Chilaun should have returned.”

No sooner had Temujin finished than a dark dot appeared in the distance, racing across the steppe—it was Chilaun, galloping back on horseback.

Seeing Chilaun return, Temujin stepped out of the camp with a smile to greet him. Chilaun, remembering the circumstances, looked embarrassed, hurried forward, and whispered into Temujin’s ear, then stood silently awaiting his decision.

Temujin’s expression changed slightly upon hearing Chilaun’s words, then calmed as he walked straight into the tent.

Once inside, Temujin demanded at once: “Chilaun, you mean the Tatara brought witnesses to the Jin to prove we impersonated them to plunder Jin wealth?”

Chilaun nodded: “Correct. Wanyan Xiang was furious—he revoked your command post and stripped Wang Han of his title. They also warned you: stop provoking the Tatara-Jin conflict, or you, your father, and your uncle-grandfather will share the same fate.”

Temujin’s fury burned hot; his fists clenched tight, knuckles whitening with strain.

He swore that one day, the Jin would pay for today’s words.

Now they must still deal with the Tatara—but by the time the allied forces arrived, the Tatara had already retreated behind the Jin Great Wall.

For some reason, Temujin felt a pang of disgust at this move—as if the enemy had turned his own tactics against him.

He had spent months gathering troops to annihilate the Tatara, yet now they hid behind the Great Wall, refusing to fight—what was the point of gathering all these men?

In open battle, numbers would matter, and these allies might lend some strength; but in siege warfare, even his adoptive father Wang Han expected Temujin to bear the burden while he reaped the rewards.

Not to mention Jamukha, the Tayichiud, and the Naiman—without the shaman’s coercion, they wouldn’t have come at all.

Meanwhile, Guo Jing and Nie Huaishang breathed easier when they saw the entire tribe relocated behind the Jin Great Wall. What would undisciplined soldiers do? No need to guess—murder, looting, rape—none would be spared.

To ensure the safety of the tribal people, they must be moved behind the Jin Great Wall.

After relocating the tribes, Guo Jing and Nie Huaishang gazed at the fortress Temujin had once used to defend against Jamukha, and marveled at his innate genius for warfare—this defensive position was perfectly chosen.

After they had positioned their firepoints and constructed several defensive works ahead, the allied forces led by Temujin arrived as scheduled.

Tens of thousands of cavalry thundered across the steppe, their roar like a storm of thunder, vast and overwhelming. Hooves pounded ceaselessly, shaking the earth as if the land itself trembled. They surged forward like a flood, sweeping over every corner of the steppe, radiating boundless power and might.

Each time he saw this, Temujin silently thought: “If I could command this force as easily as my own limbs, not even the Jin Empire, with its so-called million soldiers, could resist my iron hooves.”

But alas, these allied forces each answered to their own leaders—only by unifying the entire steppe could he truly command them as one.

“Today, our united purpose is to punish the Tatara for letting their slaves trample upon our nobles. Tell me—will you allow this to continue?” Temujin cried out from horseback before the allied army.

“No!” The chieftains of every tribe shouted in unison.

“Good. Then I make this pact with you all: in this campaign to destroy the Tatara, the Mongols take not a single coin. All cattle, sheep, and wealth—whomever seizes it, it is his. The more Tatara you kill, the more of their grasslands you claim.”

At Temujin’s words, the crowd erupted in uproar—his generosity stunned them. The Tatara, backed by the Jin and skilled in trade, already possessed great wealth; worse still, their grasslands were the richest in the steppe.

This was unimaginable wealth. The chieftains’ eyes gleamed with greed—even Jamukha, who had broken with Temujin, and the Tayichiud, who bore blood-deep enmity toward him, could not hide their desire.

“Temujin, you’re so willing to hand over the Tatara’s wealth and grasslands? Then I shall not refuse your generous offer.”

Jamukha led the Jadarang tribe straight toward Lan Sai, determined to claim the Tatara’s wealth and grasslands for himself—the Tatara, crushed first by the Jin and now by Temujin, were utterly defenseless.

The Tayichiud followed close behind, then Wang Han’s Kerait, then the Naiman. Temujin led the Mongol forces at a measured pace, watching the other tribes scramble ahead, thinking to himself: “Let these fools see just how strong the Tatara truly are.”