Chapter Seven: Journey through the Desert

"Then let Mr. Su follow along!" decided Wanyan Honglie.

Guo Jing, are you ready

When Yang Kang first saw such a large number of soldiers, it was completely different from the scenes depicted in the television series. These elite troops of the Jin Kingdom were all clad in brocade robes and iron armor, with the left flank wielding long spears and the right flank holding wolf-toothed clubs, mounted on tall steeds. The clanging sound of their armor could be heard from a great distance.

This time, there are 20,000 troops deployed, with each of the two princes leading 10,000 men. They can act freely in the northern desert.

As a prince who harbored no aspirations for the throne, Wanyan Hongxi paid little attention to his words and actions, often speaking disrespectfully, and became quite notorious in the upper echelons of the Jin dynasty society

This is the attitude that members of the royal family should possess

Next comes the task of persuading Wanyan Honglie, as this is an operation with military objectives, and bringing a child along seems rather frivolous

When Yang Kang discussed with him, Ye Liu Chu Cai felt that this was an opportunity, so he agreed to speak on his behalf. Over the past one or two years, their master-disciple relationship had been quite good.

Yang Kang and Guo Jing are quite similar; as Han people, they both lived in foreign lands and were raised by people of different ethnicities. However, they later chose different paths.

At this moment, Yang Kang had no interest in chatting; he sat in the carriage, stroking the dagger in his arms.

Prince Wang Wanyan Hongxi indeed had a fondness for Yang Kang, which should not pose any issues; however, Wanyan Honglie...

This is the army of the era of cold weapons

He gazed at the flag flapping loudly in the sky, contemplating the people he was about to encounter in the desert, feeling somewhat unsettled.

He actually thought about going to the northern desert to take a look. As an ambitious young man, witnessing the situation in the northern desert firsthand would greatly benefit his future policy recommendations. Merely reviewing intelligence reports cannot convey that atmosphere.

He holds a very complex attitude towards Guo Jing

The protagonist's halo is not merely a saying; it is protected by the entire dimension. Moreover, there can only be one protagonist in a story, as dual protagonists make it difficult to captivate readers

At this time, Yelü Chucai had already passed the test of Wanyan Honglie and officially became a member of the advisory group. In the presence of Wanyan Honglie, he expressed his thoughts.

Mongolia, I have arrived

For this person who has a particularly close relationship with him, the time traveler Yang Kang harbors a unique concern; Guo Jing's extraordinary luck may very well cause him significant trouble in the future

Divide and conquer refers to the strategy of breaking apart the powerful tribes of the northern desert and inciting conflict among them, causing them to turn against one another.

The reduction of the population was aimed at maintaining the overall number of inhabitants in the northern desert. The Jin dynasty directly dispatched troops to carry out massacres and plunder, in order to prevent any particular tribe from growing stronger

When the army was about to set out, Yang Kang and Yelü Chucai arrived at the military camp in a horse-drawn carriage

It is good for the young prince to gain some experience; these matters must always be encountered. Yelü Chucai said calmly

As a time traveler, he greatly admires Guo Jing's spirit of serving the country and the people. In order to defend the Southern Song Dynasty, he resolutely left Mongolia, which even led to the death of his mother

This matter has been settled as such. Afterward, Bao Xiruo attempted to obstruct it, but Yang Kang assured her that it was merely for leisure and posed no danger, which ultimately calmed her down

Wanyan Honglie regularly checks Yang Kang's academic progress. He is well-versed in Sinology, and the subject assignments of a five-year-old pose no difficulty for him. He is quite satisfied with the strategy essay written by Yang Kang; although the viewpoints are somewhat naive, they are considered from the perspective of a ruler.

Yelü Chucai understood that he was taking the blame for the young prince, but this minor blame was not a concern; it could even enhance the bond between master and disciple. Most importantly, he indeed wanted to take a look at the northern desert.

It is certainly not feasible to plead with Bao Xiruo. If she were to learn that Yang Kang is going to the desert, she would be the first to oppose it. As the saying goes, a mother worries when her child travels a thousand miles, especially since this time there is likely to be danger

He was placed in the carriage of Prince Rong, Wanyan Hongxi. This Prince Rong was different from Wanyan Honglie; he enjoyed indulgence, was rough in demeanor, had a volatile temper, treated his own people very well, but was extremely ruthless towards his enemies

Father, the master said that reading thousands of books is not as valuable as traveling thousands of miles. When I read about the beautiful scenery described as 'the solitary smoke rising straight in the vast desert, the setting sun round over the long river,' I thought of going there to see it for myself. Yang Kang boldly said during a homework check, 'This time, Father and Uncle San Wang are going to the desert, and I also want to go along to broaden my horizons'

This fondness extended to Yang Kang, as Wanyan Hongxi took meticulous care of this nephew, even giving him his beloved tiger skin blanket, and continuously engaging him in conversation to alleviate boredom. Naturally, the main topic was to boast about his bravery in battle, how many enemies he had killed, and so forth.

Wanyan Honglie believed that this was the idea of Yelü Chucai, and he expressed it through Yang Kang. Although he felt somewhat displeased, he acknowledged that Yelü Chucai was indeed talented, and he still had the capacity to be magnanimous in this regard

His personality is exactly the opposite of Wanyan Honglie; Wanyan Honglie is reserved and harbors great ambitions. No one expected that among the six brothers, their relationship would be the best.

In order to prevent the expansion of Mongolia, the Jin Dynasty adopted the strategies of "divide and rule" and "reducing the number of soldiers".

One reason Yang Kang went to Mongolia was to see the future Genghis Khan, as this person would be the most significant enemy in his life according to his life plan. Another reason, of course, was Guo Jing

Due to Bao Xiruo's influence, Wanyan Hongxi rarely had the opportunity to be alone with Yang Kang. This time, he seized the chance to leave a grand impression of himself in his nephew's mind

This dagger was given to him for self-defense by Bao Xiruo before his departure. This was Yang Kang's first time seeing the dagger, which bore the inscription "Guo Jing." This was indeed the dagger that Qiu Chuji had gifted to the Guo and Yang families back in the day. The other dagger, inscribed with the name "Yang Kang," was with another child.

He wants to go to Mongolia to see Guo Jing and observe his life there; as for what he intends to do, he has not yet decided.

Currently, the attitude of the Jin state is primarily one of appeasement, which is the overall tone among both the government and the populace. No one is willing to engage in a war with the Mongols

Wanyan Honglie did not use a carriage, but instead traveled alongside his soldiers, which was looked down upon by Wanyan Hongxi

At this time, Mongolia was still in a fragmented state, with the grasslands in the north and south of the desert each governed by their own leaders, independent of one another, while the powerful rulers of the Jin dynasty dominated the entire northern grassland

Upon hearing Yang Kang's request, Wanyan Honglie turned to look at Yelv Chucai, wanting to seek his opinion, or rather, to ascertain whether this truly reflected Yang Kang's genuine thoughts or if Yelv Chucai was subtly influencing him from behind.

This policy was implemented during the prosperous period of the Jin Dynasty, leading to a fragmented situation in the northern desert, with various factions attacking one another. Later, due to internal and external troubles within the Jin state, it was unable to launch expeditions into the northern desert, allowing Temüjin to seize the opportunity to unify Mongolia

Only by truly observing the living conditions and mental states of those individuals can one understand their genuine thoughts

At this moment, we are at a time point where Temüjin is about to rise.

If a member of the royal family constantly speaks of benevolence, righteousness, and morality, emphasizes the well-being of the people, and seeks benefits for the common folk, it can be said that they have become foolish from excessive study, or it may be argued that such matters are the responsibilities of the ministers.

Yang Kang maintained a low profile; he did not rush to suggest to Wanyan Honglie to eliminate Temujin. This would be too strange for a five-year-old child, and it cannot be dismissed with words like a celestial being's dream.

Then we can only turn to Yelü Chucai, as a teacher, he has a certain degree of advisory authority

After Yang Kang received this news, he began to ponder whether he should make a trip to Mongolia