manynovel Chapter 33 Genghis Khan's Attitude
Chapter 33 Genghis Khan's Attitude
The situation has changed beyond anyone's expectations.
In the original history, the Mongols did not conquer the Jin Dynasty during their second invasion. Instead, they returned north after the Jin Dynasty paid a large amount of reparations and sent a princess from the Qi Kingdom to marry the Jin princess.
After the Mongols returned north, Wanyan Xun's relocation of the capital angered Genghis Khan, leading to the Mongols' third southward invasion and the complete capture of Zhongdu.
However, the timeline of events in the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes is completely different from that of real history.
Even Yang Kang did not expect that from Hu Shahu's murder of Wanyan Yongji, to Wanyan Honglie's contact with Zhu Hu Gaoqi, and then to escorting Wanyan Xun to escape south, everything had happened in just ten months.
When the news reached Shandong, the capital city of Zhongdu was already in chaos.
Wanyan Honglie left Crown Prince Wanyan Shouzhong and other members of the imperial clan and ministers in Zhongdu to stabilize the situation, while he himself fled to Bianliang alone with Wanyan Xun, Zhuhu Gaoqi, and only a few hundred guards.
This scene is eerily reminiscent of the Jingkang Incident, when Emperor Huizong of Song fled hastily to Sichuan and abdicated in favor of his son—a ridiculous and laughable situation.
The Jin and Song dynasties were enemies for a century, yet they were also like twin brothers, sharing a similar fate.
The emperor fled, but a powerful enemy was already close.
Genghis Khan's army marched out of Juyong Pass, day and night, and arrived at the city of Zhongdu in just one day.
While the emperor fled and the Mongol army besieged Zhongdu, the people in the city were already restless and uneasy.
Some people harbored doubts, but Wanyan Chenghui managed to appease them by claiming that Yang Kang was about to lead troops to the rescue, thus barely stabilizing the situation in Zhongdu.
But this vague hope is only enough to appease ordinary soldiers and civilians.
Anyone in Zhongdu with even a little bit of a sense of the big picture knows that Yang Kang would not send troops to support Zhongdu.
Even if troops were sent, given the current strength of Shandong's forces, there was absolutely no way they could save Zhongdu from Genghis Khan.
Even the emperor has fled, so why should they risk their lives for this country?
Those ethnic minorities who had been oppressed in the army in the past, whether Han Chinese, Khitans, or even Jurchens, secretly formed factions and created disturbances in Zhongdu City, even launching surprise attacks on the city gate guards.
Genghis Khan continued his offensive and finally captured Zhongdu on the third day.
Commander-in-Chief Wanyan Chenghui committed suicide to serve his country, and Crown Prince Wanyan Shouxu fled to Bianliang under the cover of night, following in his father's footsteps.
At this time, the hundred-man team that Yang Kang symbolically sent to support Zhongdu had not even left Shandong.
After Wanyan Gang awoke from his coma, news of the fall of Zhongdu reached Shandong.
Wanyan Gang learned the news from the maid who was taking care of him. He listened to the news in a daze, feeling utterly disheartened.
During the first Mongol-Jin War, he was the second greatest contributor to the recapture of Zhongdu under Yang Kang's command.
However, because they failed to capture Genghis Khan, they have been suffering in Zhongdu until now, passing through this most precious window of opportunity.
With the new emperor finally ascending the throne, he was able to regain his original position and was full of hope that he could ask Yang Kang to rescue Zhongdu. The two of them joined forces to recreate the heroic feat of defending Zhongdu that day.
However, within just a few days, the emperor fled south, Zhongdu fell, and Wanyan Gang's lifeline was completely lost.
After the fall of Zhongdu, while Yang Kang and other high-ranking members of the World Society were making urgent arrangements for the resettlement of refugees and dealing with the military confrontation with the Mongols, they only sent a few maids and servants to take care of Wanyan Gang.
He lived in the best room in the Shandong Tianxiahui estate, where all the care was top-notch.
With Zhongdu captured, the Jin dynasty was on its last legs.
Yang Kang thought he could keep Wanyan Gang in his army and have him assist him in pacifying the world.
But he ultimately overlooked one point: in this era, loyalty and righteousness differ between people.
At the headquarters of the World Society, Yang Kang, Yelü Chucai, and others were making urgent arrangements for the influx of refugees into Shandong after the fall of Zhongdu and for dealing with the military standoff with the Mongols when a servant suddenly came running up.
"Chief! Chief! Something terrible has happened! General Wanyan Gang... he committed suicide!"
The maid was anxious and terrified.
"What?"
Yang Kang suddenly stood up and said in shock.
He sighed and sat back down.
"He... understands. Alright, you can go now."
Yang Kang sighed.
"Wanyan Gang's choice, while somewhat difficult for me to accept, was also within my expectations."
"Monk Chen, you are the only one here with the surname Wanyan. Go and help me with his funeral arrangements."
Yang Kang looked at Wanyan Chenheshang beside him and said with a look of regret.
All the arrangements had already been made.
"Yes, my lord!"
Wanyan Chen immediately got up and left to personally handle Wanyan Gang's funeral arrangements.
"In times of great strife, some are loyal to the world, and some are loyal to their motherland, but they are all loyal ministers and righteous men."
"It is a pity that in such times, loyal ministers and righteous men have all come to such an end. It is truly regrettable."
"After parting ways in Zhongdu, there will be no more opportunities to share drinks and laughter with General Wanyan Gang."
"Who is truly lamentable?"
Yang Kang sighed.
Yelü Chucai was already impressed by what he heard, but then he felt full of energy again.
For a traditional Confucian scholar, Xin Qiji's line, "To accomplish the affairs of the emperor and the world, and to win fame before and after death," represents their lifelong pursuit.
To be able to encounter a monarch who completely trusts you and entrusts you with important responsibilities is already a great fortune.
And this monarch also has the ambition to pacify the world, save the remaining people, and govern with benevolence and virtue. What more could one ask for?
The members of the World Society were so engrossed in their work that they were like a simple yet passionate machine that started spinning rapidly.
Yelü Chucai was busy until late at night almost every day, racking his brains to arrange all the affairs, big and small, in Shandong.
Every day, countless refugees poured into this pristine land of Shandong. The prestige boost brought by the Wumu Manual completely erased the last trace of doubt that the Han people of the Central Plains had about Yang Kang, the former Jurchen prince.
Under the terrifying blade of the Mongols, they regarded the Shandong Tianxia Society as their last straw and desperately wanted to go to Shandong.
The deployment of the former Red Turban Army troops, along with Yang An'er, Li Quan, Liu Jizu, and others, had to be urgently redeployed. Yelü Chucai was in charge of the overall allocation, and these troops were to be used in various parts of Shandong.
While Yelü Chucai was racking his brains to feed and settle the millions of refugees who were pouring in, Yang Kang, Yang Miaozhen, and others were also busy.
They each led their troops to garrison the border, constantly guarding against any possible unforeseen events.
Although Yang Kang did not want to confront the Mongols directly at this time, he could not be sure whether Genghis Khan would really have the idea of nipping him in the bud.
Fortunately, their fears did not materialize as expected.
In mid-July, after enjoying the splendor of Zhongdu during the Mongol raids, Genghis Khan sat on the throne in the Zhongdu Imperial Palace and sent Shi Moming'an, a Khitan who had defected to him during the Battle of Yefuling, as an envoy to Shandong to persuade Yang Kang to surrender.
On July 20th, Shi Moming'an, with only a little over one hundred people, pulled cart after cart of gifts and made a grand procession to the Tianxiahui in Shandong.
"After parting ways at Wild Fox Ridge, I never imagined that we would meet again today under such circumstances."
In the main hall, Yang Kang looked at Shi Moming'an, who was now dressed as a Mongolian, and said expressionlessly.
Shi Moming looked around and examined the simple residence, secretly marveling at it.
Although the headquarters of the World Society was expanded from the original Qingzhou Prefecture government office, it was built primarily for various administrative needs and contained almost no element of extravagance.
Yang Kang's actions made it almost impossible for Ming An to find any trace of the arrogance he had seen in the Jurchen nobles when he was in Zhongdu.
"Before Wild Fox Ridge, I addressed you as Young Prince... no, now I should address you as Chief Yang."
"I know very little about Chief Yang, but I do know that he is the heir of the Sixth Prince of the Jin Kingdom."
"Why is life so simple after the restoration of Han surnames?"
"Although Chief Yang hasn't declared himself king, he's still a regional warlord, isn't he?"
Shi Moming looked at Yang Kang and smiled.
"There are still countless people in the world who have nowhere to find even a full meal or a roof over their heads."
"Those things are of no use to me right now."
"Enough with the small talk, General Ming'an. Let's stop with this nonsense and just tell me how Genghis Khan plans to treat me."
Yang Kang sat in the head seat, looking at Shi Moming'an with a calm and emotionless tone.
"The Great Khan ordered me to come here and bestow upon the gang leader the title of Prince of Lu, concurrently serving as the Grand Marshal of Shandong Province, and holding the prestigious position of Commander of Ten Thousand Households."
"The Khan said that although he almost lost his life at your hands in the Battle of Wild Fox Ridge, he was not angry, but instead admired you very much."
"You are a hero of the Jurchens, and also a hero of the Han people."
"In the eyes of the Mongols, you are naturally a hero."
"What the Mongols admire most is heroes, and the Great Khan has always been very generous to someone like you, Chief Yang."
As Shi Moming spoke, he waved his hand, and his attendant opened the box and took out the edict that had been prepared by someone for Genghis Khan to confer the title of Prince of Lu upon Yang Kang.
Genghis Khan's move was not empty talk, but a promise he could truly keep.
Not only is Yang Kang now being granted the title of Prince of Lu, but there is also a promise that Shandong will still belong to Yang Kang after the Jin dynasty is destroyed.
The Mongols, not being a central government, did not have the same obsession with a unified and centralized regime.
Genghis Khan had long harbored the idea of granting fiefdoms to his descendants and loyal generals.
The attempt to win over Shandong was merely a rehearsal.
Of course, this wasn't just directed at Yang Kang.
Besides Yang Kang, countless powerful figures in the Central Plains, such as Shi Tianze, who came from the Shi family of Zhending, also received titles from the Mongols.
Although the historians of Zhending allied with Yang Kang, none of them had a powerful ally like Xiang Yu.
Having been under the rule of the former Jin Dynasty and now directly governed by the Mongols, Shi Tianni accepted the Khan's offer without the slightest hesitation.
Yang Kang simply stood up and accepted the imperial edict handed to him by Shi Moming'an with one hand, without saying a word.
There were two more imperial edicts like this in his study at that moment.
Genghis Khan's promise came the latest, but it was the most generous.
As soon as Wanyan Honglie and others fled to Bianliang, they promised Yang Kang the title of King of Chu, hoping that Yang Kang would help the Jin state.
Meanwhile, the Song dynasty had already sent another imperial edict to Yidu Prefecture by sea the moment Zhongdu fell.
Of course, compared to the promises made by the Mongols and the Jin Dynasty, the Song Dynasty seemed much more stingy.
Although there were powerful official positions such as the Shandong Pacification Commissioner and honorary titles such as the Privy Councilor, in reality, they were just re-described by the Song state's official system based on what Yang Kang already had.
Although much more generous than the previous humiliating Wu Yilang, it still seemed stingy compared to the Mongols and the Jin Dynasty.
Yang Kang accepted the imperial edict of investiture, neither agreeing nor explicitly refusing.