Chapter 92: Before the Great Battle

"Great Khan, now all the tribes on the steppe have sent troops; our army is like the vast ocean, while the Tatar tribe is but a handful of fine sand. Moreover, we have already fought them, and their strength is nothing to fear." Looking at the gathered forces, Borqhu felt immense pride yet could not quite understand Temujin's reasoning for this.

Seeing Borqhu's attitude, Muqali shook his head repeatedly and said, "With these men, we might defeat the Tatar tribe, but we cannot destroy them."

"Impossible! Did we not crush the Tatar tribe before? Now, with the Taichigu, Naiman, and nearly every tribe on the steppe joining us, how could we fail to destroy the Tatars?" Borqhu looked utterly incredulous.

"How can five fingers fight a clenched fist? When the Great Khan asked me to spread rumors about the Tatars earlier, I took the opportunity to scout their camp. I tell you, their soldiers stand as straight as wooden posts, yet their eyes are sharp like hawks ready to take flight," Muqali said seriously.

"Is it really that mysterious? It hasn't been long since we crushed the Tatars, yet the Nuruhui tribe has become so formidable?" Borqhu asked in surprise. But this time, it was not Muqali who answered him, but Temujin.

"Borqhu, do not forget, they once subdued the Tatars with just three thousand men in a single night. Although they leveraged the might of the Jin and ourselves, is it not the duty of a general to utilize every possible advantage to secure victory?" After speaking, Temujin sighed and said:

"However, once the Jin people learn of the Tatars' situation, they will sever all contact with them and even send troops to punish them. By then, the Tatars will be trapped in a jar. Calculating the time, Chilaun should have returned by now."

As soon as Temujin finished speaking, a black dot appeared in the distance from the steppe, growing closer; someone riding a fast horse was returning, and it was indeed Chilaun.

Seeing Chilaun's return, Temujin smiled and walked out of the camp to greet him. Seeing Temujin's warmth and recalling the current situation, Chilaun looked slightly awkward, quickly stepped forward, whispered into Temujin's ear, and then waited quietly for Temujin's decision.

Upon hearing Chilaun's words, Temujin's expression changed slightly before calming down, and he walked directly into the tent.

As soon as he entered the main tent, Temujin asked impatiently, "Chilaun, are you saying the Tatars brought witnesses to the Jin court to prove that we impersonated the Tatars to plunder Jin property?"

Chilaun nodded and said, "Correct. Wanyan Xiang is furious; he not only revoked the official title you held but also stripped Wang Han of his title. They also warned the Great Khan not to stir up trouble between the Tatars and the Jin again, or else the Great Khan, your father, and your great-uncle will meet the same fate."

Temujin was so furious that his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning pale from the force.

He swore that one day, the Jin would pay the price for the words spoken today.

Now, they must deal with the Tatars properly. Unfortunately, by the time they led the allied army to the scene, the Tatars had already retreated behind the Great Wall of the Jin.

For some reason, facing this move, Temujin felt a sense of nausea, as if the enemy were using his own tactics against him.

He had spent so much time gathering people to annihilate the Tatars, yet the Tatars ran behind the Great Wall to hide and refused to fight. What was the point of gathering these people then?

In open warfare, the many bullying the few, these men might contribute something. But in a siege, even his adoptive father Wang Han would expect him to do the heavy lifting while they enjoyed the spoils.

Not to mention Jamukha, the Taichigu, and the Naiman tribe; unless the shamans forced them, they would not have come at all.

Meanwhile, seeing the entire tribe relocate behind the Jin Great Wall, Guo Jing and Nie Huaishang breathed a sigh of relief. What would undisciplined soldiers do? One need not guess: murder, robbery, and the rape of women would all occur without exception.

Therefore, to ensure the safety of the tribal people, they must be relocated behind the Jin Great Wall.

After relocating the people, Guo Jing and Nie Huaishang looked at this fortress, which in the original timeline Temujin used to defend against Jamukha, and could not help but marvel that Temujin was a natural master of military strategy; the defensive location chosen was truly excellent.

After they had set up their firing positions and constructed several defensive works at key points ahead, the allied army led by Temujin arrived as scheduled.

Hundreds of thousands of cavalry galloped across the steppe, their momentum thunderous and overwhelming. The sound of hooves rose and fell, shaking the heavens and the earth, as if the very ground trembled beneath them. They swept forward like a flood, engulfing every corner of the steppe, making one feel an endless sense of power and might.

Every time he saw this, Temujin secretly thought to himself: "If this power were commanded by him as easily as moving his own limbs, then not only the Tatars, but even the great Jin Empire, which claims to have a million soldiers, would have to submit beneath his iron hooves."

Unfortunately, now each unit of this allied army has its own leader. To command these people as easily as moving one's own limbs, one must first unify the entire steppe.

"Today, the purpose of our alliance is that the Tatars allow slaves to trample upon our nobles. Tell me, can you allow this situation to continue?" Temujin shouted loudly while mounted on his warhorse before the allied army.

"No!" The leaders of all the tribes shouted in unison.

"Good. Then I make this agreement with everyone here: in this campaign to annihilate the Tatar tribe, the Mongols will take nothing. Whatever cattle, sheep, or wealth the Tatars possess, whoever seizes it is theirs. Whoever kills the most Tatars shall receive the Tatars' grasslands."

After Temujin finished speaking, the scene erupted in uproar. Temujin's generosity truly shocked them. It was known that the Tatars, backed by the Jin and skilled in trade, possessed considerable wealth. Most importantly, the grasslands occupied by the Tatars were the most fertile and water-rich on this steppe.

This was wealth beyond imagination. The leaders of all tribes showed greed in their eyes upon hearing this, including Jamukha, who had broken with Temujin, and the Taichigu tribe, which harbored a blood feud with Temujin.

"Temujin, since you are so willing to hand over the Tatars' wealth and grasslands, I shall not refuse this gracious offer and will accept them."

Jamukha took the lead, leading the Jadaran tribe straight toward Naran Sai. The Tatars' wealth and grasslands would surely be his. The Tatars, already crushed by the Jin and Temujin, were now powerless.

The Taichigu tribe followed closely behind, along with Wang Han's Kereit tribe and the Naiman tribe. Temujin led the Mongol tribe, moving at a leisurely pace. Watching each tribe fear falling behind the others, he thought to himself: "Let you fools show me just how capable the Tatars truly are."