Best kept his composure as he watched the gathered nobles of the Golden Tent Khanate.
His purpose in being dispatched to Beishan was to escalate the relationship between this nomadic empire and the Great Yu Empire.
Just as in Europe, they were implementing a balance of power here between nations, so that they, the British, could become regional coordinators and obtain the greatest benefits.
Although Bodo’s death was unexpected, it now seemed to have produced an unforeseen effect. From the expressions of these Golden Tent Khanate nobles, one could see how angry they were.
After the mournful cries of grief, Bodo’s corpse was carried away. Beishan then walked from the crowd towards Best.
“You almost got me killed!” Beishan’s deep voice was filled with anger.
The moment his father looked at him, he could feel the rage, and he thought that Dolgor must have been blaming him for advocating this plan at that moment.
Best gently shook his head, “This was a perfect plan. Your father knows that in his heart. It’s just that he chose the wrong person to execute it, which made you waste an important opportunity. If there was a mistake, it was his mistake.”
“Shut up!”
Beishan looked around in alarm. Finding no one paying attention to their conversation, he breathed a sigh of relief.
In the Golden Tent Khanate, the Great Khan’s status was supreme. He warned, “Never question the Great Khan in front of anyone.”
Best spread his hands helplessly. He glanced at the departing Golden Tent Khanate nobles and said, “With all due respect, does the Prince not wish to become the next Great Khan? Based on my observation, no one in your country possesses a more far-sighted vision than the Prince. If this continues, you will not be a match for the Great Yu Empire.”
At the mention of this, Beishan’s eyes suddenly darkened. The reason he led troops south from Jizhou and then to Goryeo was to prove himself in front of his Father Khan.
However, each time he thought victory would be easily achieved, he was always defeated by the Great Yu Empire, which also caused his father to grow disappointed in him.
In contrast, the Elder Prince Wuzhugu had always remained on the sidelines. He had no achievements but also committed no mistakes, which actually garnered him more support.
Moreover, he understood that his father dispatching Bodo instead of him this time was also due to his gradual fall from favor.
“The position of Great Khan requires military merit and tribal support, not foresight,” Beishan did not want to speak too much with Best.
While using the British, he had always been wary of them. A country so distant coming here to stir up trouble must surely bear ill will.
If not for their shared interests, he would have long since thrown them into the valley to feed the wolves.
Best wisely shut his mouth. He slipped into his tent with his translator, complaining, “I hate this primitive place.”
On the other side, Dolgor, in his sorrow, gave instructions for Bodo to be given a sky burial.
Six tens of thousands of cavalry and eighty thousand slave soldiers had marched out. They brought no abundant supplies, but instead, they lost their lives in the Great Yu Empire.
For him, this was a humiliation. Since he ascended the position of Khan, the Golden Tent Khanate had never suffered such heavy losses.
Wuzhugu followed Dolgor into the Golden Tent. He said, “Father Khan, the merchants say that our captured generals were all killed with weapons dipped in crow’s blood!”
“What!” Dolgor suddenly turned around, staring fiercely at Wuzhugu like an enraged beast.
Wuzhugu’s heart trembled. He cautiously said, “This is what Lei Ming, the commander of Shanhai Pass, had the merchants convey.”
Dolgor’s chest heaved violently. He almost gritted his teeth as he said, “They actually dared to humiliate me like this!”
“Father Khan, the Great Yu Empire’s action is a provocation against our Golden Tent Khanate. Furthermore, I have received news that the Great Yu Empire is currently building Juehua Island and seems prepared to station troops there,” Wuzhugu said in a deep voice.
Dolgor’s eyes narrowed. He said, “It seems this Emperor of the Great Yu Empire has no small ambition. He is preparing to destroy our Golden Tent Khanate.”
“I feel the same way. The current Emperor of the Great Yu Empire, Xiao Ming, is rumored to be a very ambitious monarch. The loss of Haigucheng and Bisa Castle in Goryeo alone is enough to show his ambition for land.”
“So, it seems there will inevitably be a war of national destiny between the Golden Tent Khanate and the Great Yu Empire. If we win, the Golden Tent Khanate will henceforth rule the Central Plains. If we lose, we can only retreat to the vast desert.” Dolgor clenched his fists and slammed them hard on the table.
Wuzhugu nodded. He said, “Therefore, I hope Father Khan spares the lives of those two British men. At least they still have some use.”
Dolgor smiled wryly. His eldest son understood him best. With Bodo’s death in the Great Yu Empire, he had long harbored resentment towards the British.
“You have a point. In that case, spare their wretched lives. If they can’t help us win, it won’t be too late to kill them later,” Dolgor snorted.
After a pause, his gaze suddenly sharpened. He asked, “Do you think Father Khan can still use Beishan?”
Although Wuzhugu had always disliked his second brother, now that it concerned the fate of the Golden Tent Khanate, he had to set aside his personal prejudices.
So he said, “Beishan was too eager to prove himself before Father Khan, which led to two consecutive defeats at the hands of the Great Yu Empire. However, judging from Bodo’s situation, Beishan’s loss was not due to his incompetence, but because the Great Yu Empire’s firearms were indeed unexpected. I believe that Beishan, having suffered from firearms, will understand the Great Yu Empire’s way of fighting.”
Dolgor looked at Wuzhugu with satisfaction. He had always favored this son because Wuzhugu could set aside personal grudges when faced with major issues, which was an excellent quality for a Great Khan ruling a tribe.
“Beishan has a narrow mind, but he does possess some capability and a long-term vision. Now that the Great Yu Empire is pressing closer step by step, you must unite to deal with the Great Yu Empire.”
“Yes, Father Khan,” Wuzhugu said.
Nodding, Dolgor asked, “Then what is your plan now?”
Wuzhugu mused for a moment. He said, “The most important thing now is to forge more cannons. The Great Yu Empire wins with firearms, so we will emulate them. At the same time, we must strengthen the defenses of the six cities like Pingzhou, to prevent a surprise attack from the Great Yu Empire!”
Dolgor sighed. If it had been before, the Golden Tent Khanate would not have needed to meticulously defend the cities within the passes. But now, the balance of power had clearly shifted between offense and defense, and they had to make full preparations.
Stepping out of the large tent, looking at the boundless grasslands and the sky as blue as a gemstone, he said, “Be bold and act! Destroy the Great Yu Empire at all costs!”
“Your son will do his utmost!” Wuzhugu placed one hand on his chest and bowed to Dolgor.
His father’s meaning was very clear, from now on, he would be in charge of the war against the Great Yu Empire.
The novel has already been fully translated up to the final chapter. You can access it on my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/caleredhair