Chapter 854: Asking About Love in Rongqing Hall

The 16th year of Jia Zhao, the 6th day of the first lunar month, Qiu Xuanfu Town.

The clouds at the edge of the sky were like blood, and seeing the sun setting behind the mountain, the heavy smell of blood in the air made Noyan Noyan Taiji very uneasy.

He glanced at Guo Guo Zhigui and said, "This is near the Nancheng Gate. You are wandering here, surely not wanting to take the opportunity to escape from Qiu Xuanfu Town.

Outside the Nancheng Gate, there are thousands of Mongol elite cavalry guarding it. No one can fly away. Even if you can steal out of the city gate, it is a dead end."

He looked at both sides of the street. The houses and shops were in a mess, and corpses could be seen everywhere—men, women, old, and young, all died from knife wounds.

Some women's clothes were torn, their chests and bodies exposed, and their state of death was unbearable and tragic to look at.

Noyan's face was pale, and he asked, "Why are there so many corpses? Is the military discipline of the Tumut tribe so corrupt!"

Guo Guo Zhigui said coldly, "The common people near the Nancheng Gate have all been killed. Their military discipline is not just corrupt; they are simply worse than beasts.

After the Zhou army in the North Camp was surrounded and slaughtered, they began to slaughter the city. I don't know how many common people have been killed!"

Noyan's eyes were angry, and he muttered to himself, "Slaughter the city..."

Last night, the spies of the Tumut tribe opened the Nancheng Gate, and the army captured Qiu Xuanfu Town in one fell swoop. After Noyan received the news, he did not feel any joy.

If it weren't for the fact that the Ordos tribe also had troops entering the city, he wouldn't even want to step into Qiu Xuanfu Town. He didn't expect that just after entering the Nancheng Gate, he would see corpses everywhere.

His mood was exceptionally heavy. Da Zhou had always considered itself the Upper Kingdom. Border harassment and looting were minor troubles that had not become major disasters, and there was still room for peace talks between the two states.

One of the nine garrison towns of Da Zhou had been captured, so Da Zhou would definitely fight to the end. The two states were in a situation of life and death, and it would be difficult to turn back.

The Ordos tribe was also deeply involved, and it was unknown how many lives would be lost...

Noyan Noyan Taiji asked coldly, "Have the troops already entered the city?"

Shu Hu Ergan beside him said, "I received news that he entered the city to take charge at dawn today."

Noyan Noyan Taiji said to Hu Hu Ergan, "Pass the order to the Ordos tribe soldiers in the city: anyone who dares to slaughter the innocent, military law is ruthless and will be severely punished without mercy!"

Hu Hu Ergan took the order and galloped towards the city, conveying the military order to the troops entering the city.

Although he was a rough man, he was clear about Noyan's origin and understood the weight of the meaning.

Noyan Noyan Taiji said, "Enter the city immediately, find Batu, I have something to say!"

……

The horse team ran through the south city, and the road was dead silent. Only a few screams were heard sporadically, and then it returned to dead silence.

Guo Guo Zhigui and Hou Liang were clear about the reason for this situation, and Noyan Noyan Taiji naturally thought of it soon.

The Tumut tribe was the first to occupy the Nancheng Gate. Once the Zhou army in the city was surrounded and annihilated, the slaughter of the city also began from the Nancheng Gate.

In just over an hour, the population near the Nancheng Gate was killed!

The closer the horse team was to the center of the city, the more the original silence was broken, and the scenes of horror and fear constantly appeared before their eyes.

Countless Mongol soldiers shuttled through the alleys, chasing the unarmed common people in the city. The light of knives and shadows of blood, screams one after another, heart-rending, like hell.

There was no questioning, no scolding, no driving away. The sharp scimitars had no scruples and slashed at all living things.

Noyan Noyan Taiji saw a young woman running out of a shop. She had a beautiful face, disheveled hair, and was barely clothed, crying and rushing to the street.

Behind her, a Mongol soldier with disheveled clothes and a lewd smile chased out of the shop, his scimitar about to slash at the woman's back.

Noyan Noyan Taiji's eyes were about to crack. He gave a muffled drink, drew his bow and arrow like lightning, fast as a shooting star, pierced the Mongol soldier's throat with an arrow, and nailed him to the ground.

The disheveled woman was completely unaware of everything, stumbled to the well platform across the street, and jumped down!

Noyan witnessed this scene, his eyes turned red, and his whole body trembled slightly.

……

At this time, the roar of horse hooves came from the street corner, and a team of Mongol elite cavalry swarmed over.

At the head was a young Mongol general, with a strong posture, a straight nose and wide mouth, eagle-like eyes, and a fierce momentum.

He was wearing a Zhisun robe, a fine soft armor, an outer black bear fur long robe, a fox fur deep-brimmed Hu hat, and a scimitar inlaid with jewels at his waist.

He saw Noyan and his expression was slightly shaken, but seeing him shoot a Mongol soldier to death with an arrow, his face was a bit ugly, and he led the team to meet him.

Pointing his horse whip at the corpses on the ground, he frowned and asked, "Noyan, why shoot and kill soldiers for no reason?"

Noyan Noyan Taiji said coldly, "The military regulations of the Ordos tribe: rape of women is punishable by death! Prince Batu, do you think he shouldn't die!"

Batu's face stiffened slightly, avoiding Noyan's sharp gaze, and said, "I only ordered the slaughter of the city. The soldiers were a bit presumptuous. Why do you have to make a fuss?

Whipping and caning can be done by you, why take his life easily."

Noyan Noyan Taiji said angrily, "The woman just now, unwilling to be humiliated, jumped into the well and committed suicide. Shouldn't he die?

The two countries are at war, each serving their own master. Slaughtering commoners is inhumane and will surely invite heaven's condemnation!"

Prince Batu smiled disdainfully, his expression arrogant, and said, "Noyan, you have read too many Han books. Don't forget you are a Mongol."

……

Noyan heard the screams one after another around him, suppressed the anger in his heart, and said, "Batu, Qiu Xuanfu Town is a big city in the north, and now it is occupied by the Mongols.

We need the Han people in the city to farm, weave, trade, and do labor for us. They are not cattle or horses; everyone has a use.

You want to slaughter the city and kill them all. We spent the lives of Mongol soldiers to get an empty city. What is the use?

Since it is a coalition of three tribes, planning the overall situation of going south together, our Ordos tribe wants to speak. Please stop the slaughter order immediately!"

Prince Batu frowned and said, "Noyan Noyan Taiji, don't forget that you have the blood of the Golden Family. Why help these Han dogs speak?

We attacked the city for three days. How many Mongol warriors died under the city? Their blood cannot be shed in vain. These commoners once helped the Zhou army defend the city. They all deserve to die!

Use their lives to sacrifice to the souls of the warriors, and let the Han people know that daring to obstruct the Mongols from going south is a dead end!"

Noyan said in a deep voice, "In those years, our ancestors' cavalry swept the world and entered the Central Plains. How many times did they slaughter the city? But after a hundred years, they retreated to the north of the desert.

Don't think that killing can establish prestige. The Han people are a hundred times or a thousand times more than us. Can you kill them all?

Slaughtering the city not only turns Qiu Xuanfu Town into ruins and makes our Mongols gain nothing, but also completely enrages Da Zhou, which will definitely fight back with the strength of the whole country.

By then, Khan Anda Khan's great cause of going south will definitely be even more difficult. I advise you not to be impulsive."

Behind Noyan, on a military horse, Guo Guo Zhigui and Hou Liang were tied with their hands, each seeing the scene before them.

Hou Liang whispered, "Commander, this Mongol is a bit strange. He is speaking for us Han people."

Guo Guo Zhigui said, "If he weren't strange, the two of us would have died under random arrows long ago. He must be related to the Third Master. I hope he can save the common people of the city."

……

Noyan Noyan Taiji's words seemed to have touched Prince Batu, who said, "You want me to stop the slaughter of the city. It's not that there is no way.

As long as you agree to the matter proposed by Father Khan, and the Tumut tribe and the Ordos tribe are close as one family, I will let go of the common people of the city."

Noyan heard this, reached out and gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, his eyes bright as autumn pools, sharp and glowing, flashing with anger and murderous intent.

Prince Batu saw his expression, not caring at all, his attitude arrogant, as if he had eaten the other party.

Noyan Noyan Taiji said, "It is too early to talk about this. Wait until the overall situation of going south is settled, then it will not be too late to discuss."

If you still want to go your own way, I am worried that the matter of going south will be difficult to achieve. I will return to the camp to persuade Father Khan to have the Ordos tribe withdraw from the coalition of the three tribes.

To avoid letting the Ordos tribe fall into the quagmire, wasting lives and gaining nothing. If the Tumut tribe uses the alliance as a reason, then our two tribes will fight!"

……

Prince Batu heard his words were decisive, a desperate gamble, and his heart was slightly shaken. He didn't expect Noyan to care so much about the slaughter of the city.

He knew that Noyan was the only bloodline of Khan Jirang Khan and the future master of the Ordos tribe. Although he was young, his knowledge and talent were not bad.

In these few years, Noyan had high prestige among the younger generation of the tribe, and his influence in the Ordos tribe was second only to Khan Jirang Khan.

If he was really angered and insisted on persuading Khan Jirang Khan to withdraw from the coalition of the three tribes, even if the matter was not necessarily successful, it would cause more rifts in the coalition.

By then, frustrating the combined efforts of the three Mongol tribes to go south would ruin Father Khan's great cause. For these useless common people, it seemed very uneconomical.

Batu softened his expression and said, "Since you want to discuss the matter proposed by Father Khan later, then we will discuss it later.

Why hurt the harmony between our two tribes for these useless Han people?

Man Dujiang, pass my military order: except for those who resist stubbornly, kill without mercy. Stop the slaughter of the city, select three thousand young and strong men, and send them to the north of the desert as slaves."

The latter immediately arranged for several messenger cavalry to gallop to various places in the city to pass the order.

The sound of cavalry horse hooves rang out, shouting loudly along the way, repeatedly conveying the order to stop killing.

Noyan heard the screams one after another, soon retreated like a tide, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

The palm gripping the hilt of the knife loosened slightly, suppressing the surging blood in his heart, his right hand stroked his shoulder, and he bowed slightly to Batu, and Batu also nodded to him.

Noyan turned his horse's head and whispered, "Return to camp." As he said, he rushed out first.

The accompanying elite cavalry swarmed to follow, and the horses of Guo Guo Zhigui and Hou Liang were also led by other knights, following closely behind.

The two rushed out of the Nancheng Gate with the horse team, feeling a sense of unreality. They had struggled hard and exhausted their efforts, trying to escape from life and death.

They thought they would have to go through life-and-death fighting, mostly nine deaths and one life, but they didn't expect to leave Qiu Xuanfu Town easily in this strange way.

Thinking of Noyan's tit-for-tat just now, saving the common people of Qiu Xuanfu Town, no matter for what reason, made him very admirable.

……

Prince Batu watched Noyan go away, his posture heroic and outstanding, his eyes revealing a strange expression.

Man Dujiang beside him said, "Prince Batu, Noyan was just bluffing just now. Even if he goes back to make trouble, Khan Jirang Khan will not agree.

If they violate the alliance of the three tribes, the Tumut tribe will send troops to crusade, which is justified. The Ordos tribe's strength is far inferior, and they will definitely be defeated.

Khan Jirang Khan is resourceful, and he will definitely not dare to take this risk."

Prince Batu smiled gloomily and said, "Although what you said is correct, if the two tribes go to war, the Tumut tribe will definitely win.

But the Han people have a saying: kill a thousand enemies and lose eight hundred. Even if we destroy the Ordos tribe, the Tumut tribe will also be seriously injured.

The coalition of the three tribes will fall apart, and Father Khan's great cause of going south will be ruined."

Man Dujiang heard this, and his heart was strange. Batu's brain was also broken, confused by that Noyan, and he kept saying Han words.

Prince Batu continued: "I am Father Khan's son, and I will inherit Father Khan's great cause in the future.

Noyan has a pivotal position in the Ordos tribe. For such a person, only conquest is enough. I want him to be willing to be used by me..." ===== CHAPTER 855 =====