As evening fell, a storm arose in the north. When night fell again, a scout from Liangshan rode at full speed to report: "A large number of unidentified armed forces have suddenly appeared more than 20 miles to the north, numbering around 300,000."
Wu Yong judged the direction and said with certainty, "They are Mongols."
I laughed and said, "Didn't Jin Wuzhu look down on us for being farmers? Well, now the herdsmen have come too."
Chapter 155 A Feast for a Million People
The arrival of an army from the due north was a serious matter that Jin Wuzhu could not ignore. The Jin dynasty's stronghold was in the north, and although he knew the Jin had no troops to spare, Jin Wuzhu still hoped they were reinforcements coming to his aid. To his disappointment, however, they were just a group of raggedly dressed herdsmen.
After roughly confirming that these were Genghis Khan's troops, I led a few men on horseback to greet them. Standing on high ground, I could immediately see Genghis Khan's great banner. A general was directing the army to advance slowly. In this unfamiliar territory, everything had to be done with caution. Scouts had already informed him that a large army was confronting them ahead, and he needed to distinguish friend from foe first.
I shouted on the hillside, "Old Wood!"
Muqali looked up and saw it was me. He was immediately relieved and rode up the hillside alone, laughing, "Xiao Qiang, we Mongols haven't broken our promise, have we?"
I laughed and said, "Not only did you not break your promise, you've arrived several days early. Didn't we agree to send troops in six days?"
Muqali said, "The Khan was afraid of missing any good shows, so he made us set off early."
I suddenly thought of a question and asked with a worried look, "Did you only bring three days' worth of rations?"
Mu Huali nodded and said, "Yes, if we're careful, it can last for six days."
I quickly said, "Don't make the soldiers suffer. I'll find a way to provide them with food."
Muqali glanced at the Jin army camp and smiled, "No need, our enemies will figure something out for us."
I chuckled and said, "You shouldn't go and raid their camp without permission. Our goal isn't to annihilate them." The Mongol army was historically the most adept at using war to sustain itself. To them, raiding the enemy's supplies was as natural as retrieving something entrusted to their own warehouse.
Muqali said solemnly, "Since you put it that way, I have no choice but to obey. Before setting off, the Khan instructed me to obey only your orders."
I looked around and saw a mere 300,000 Mongols (is that an exaggeration?) who had stomped through the entire northern sky, filling it with dust and smoke, obscuring the view for miles around. Even Liangshan, with its 250,000 men, was nowhere near this imposing sight. Upon closer inspection, I gradually discovered the secret: each Mongol was accompanied by at least several empty horses; 300,000 men had over a million horses—no wonder their momentum was so astonishing.
I laughed and said, "Old brother knew I was going to bluff, so you still brought so many empty horses."
Muqali said, “That’s not how it works. When we Mongols go to war, each warrior has more than one horse. Some have six or seven, and some have three. This way, we can keep our horses strong. During long raids, we eat and sleep on our horses. When we charge, we switch to the fastest horse. Once we attack, there is no obstacle in the world that can stop us, not even an impregnable wall of bronze and iron—except for the Great Khan’s orders.”
Looking at those warriors, were it not for their ancient scimitars and spears, they would have looked like a group of horse herders. Few wore iron armor; most wore thick leather armor, stitched together with rough needles and thick thread. Some simply had large pieces of cowhide draped across their chests with ropes threaded through their shoulders. Large bows and long arrows were casually slung over their backs, their faces bearing the marks of countless hardships and gentle smiles. Half the earth had been conquered by this very group of people…
Mu Huali said, "Just tell me what your mission is."
I said, “You’ve come at the right time. Have our men spread out their camp, all the way to the Tang army. In a few days, when we’ve gathered enough men, we can surround that damned Jin Wuzhu.”
Mu Huali said, "Won't this cause any misunderstandings? We saw several groups of scouts on the road, but we didn't make a move because we didn't know whether they were friend or foe."
It's normal for any army to be wary when it sees armed forces approaching. The Tang army didn't know where the Mongol soldiers came from, so Muqali's concerns were valid. I took out my phone and said, "I'll call Qin Qiong right now."
Instructing Qin Qiong to prepare for the work of bordering the Mongol army, Mu Huali looked at the phone in my hand in surprise and said, "Is there a devil in this little box?" Well, this is an upgraded version of a fool.
I took out a phone and handed it to him, saying, "Take one too. I'll teach you how to make calls when I have time. For now, you just need to know how to answer. Just press this..."
To my surprise, Muqali put his hands behind his back as if he had seen a ghost, and said in terror, "I don't want it, this thing will suck away a person's soul." It seems that Mongolians have both a simple and honest side, as well as a superstitious side. I talked to him for a long time, but Muqali still refused to take it. I turned around helplessly and saw Hua Rong from Yucai School behind me. I said, "Hua Rong, then you can stay and answer the phone."
Hua Rong smiled and said, "Great! It's a good opportunity to exchange archery skills with the Mongolian brothers."
Xiuxiu, riding a gentle mare, raised her hand and said, "I'll go too."
I said sternly, "What are you going to do? There's not much food to begin with."
Xiuxiu pulled out a shoebox full of snacks from a small bag no bigger than the palm of her hand and started munching on them, saying, "I'm not eating your dry rations." I don't know how she managed to pack them all in there.
Having settled the Mongol army, we have now completed the encirclement of Jin Wuzhu on three sides. The east, north, and west are occupied by Liangshan, the Mongols, and the Tang Dynasty, respectively, while the northeast and northwest borders are lined with camps. This time, we can pass through the Mongol army to reach the Tang army camp.
The frustrated Jin Wuzhu never expected that the newly arrived troops would also be his enemies. He only received a letter of challenge written entirely in simplified Chinese and English by Xiuxiu at dusk.
During dinner, I inspected the Tang army troops from the Mongol camp. Although they were commanded by Qin Qiong, I was officially appointed commander-in-chief by Li Shimin. This was a large, professional army, disciplined and strictly enforced, and under the leadership of Qin Qiong and others who were extremely familiar with its operations, they exuded a powerful and fierce aura.
Accompanying the review were Qin Shubao, deputy commander of the army group, as well as Cheng Yaojin and Luo Cheng, among others. According to Qin Qiong, tonight's password was "annihilate them before breakfast," meaning to eliminate the enemy before eating.
I rode on my horse and chatted with a few soldiers in a friendly manner for a while. Looking at the sky, I said to the Tang army's logistics minister, "Let's not think about breakfast yet. What are we having for dinner tonight?"
The logistics minister bowed and said, "Pancakes and pickled vegetables."
I nodded and said, "Yes, we need to make sure the soldiers get plenty of fresh vegetables and water..."
As they were talking, they suddenly saw smoke rising from the north, followed by the aroma of meat. Cheng Yaojin straightened up on his horse and looked over, muttering, "The Mongols are having dinner. The food is so good, it's all roasted mutton."
Seeing that many Tang soldiers were swallowing hard, I turned my horse toward the Mongol camp and said with a smile, "Alright, enough with the fresh vegetables, I'll get you some meat right now."
When I arrived at the Mongolian camp, I saw 300,000 people eating roasted mutton—a truly spectacular sight. I found Muqali and said, "You all eat this? Aren't you tired of it?"
Mu Huali said, "What can we do? We don't grow grain, so we can only eat meat and cheese."
I pointed to the Tang army camp to the west and said, "Can I get some food for them and trade it with you for some meat?"
Mu Huali laughed and said, "They're all friends, why bother changing them? Just tell them to come and eat as much as they want."
Just then, the Liangshan army also started their meal. The big bandit directed his lesser bandits to bring out large and small jars of "Three Bowls Before Crossing the Ridge" (a type of traditional Chinese liquor), and they began to drink heartily, shouting and laughing. The Mongols were astonished: "They can drink during a battle?"
Hua Rong laughed and said, "My brothers are only more courageous when they drink."
Muqali swallowed hard and said, "Aren't we Mongols the same way? Xiaoqiang, can we make a deal with you? How about we trade meat for their wine?"
I laughed loudly: "We're all friends, why bother changing? Tell your people to go and drink as much as they want."
Thus, the first contact between the three armies was completed during a meal. With sufficient guards in place, the soldiers of the three armies began to visit each other's camps. At first, everyone was a little hesitant and embarrassed; the Tang soldiers carried flatbreads, the Mongol soldiers carried whole sheep on their shoulders, and the bandits carried wine jars. After a moment of bewilderment, the picnic began. Although these people spoke various accents and had different lifestyles, they were all forthright and generous, and they had come for the same purpose. The word "comrade-in-arms" is usually the easiest way to eliminate barriers.
Before long, countless bonfires were lit in the three camps. The soldiers ate flatbread with mutton and drank liquor, their laughter and chatter filling the air. The feast was accompanied by singing, dancing, wrestling, and equestrian performances. This was a gathering of over a million people, absolutely unprecedented in history. The flames spread from nearby to as far as the eye could see, like a torrent of fire falling from the heavens…