Chapter 7: The Blessing of Eternal Life (Part 2)

Zhao Cheng briefly recounted the situation from yesterday evening until now

Hearing his cries, several horses galloped towards him with great effort. An elderly figure embraced him tightly, weeping uncontrollably

Tonight, everyone can see that Genghis Khan is in a very bad mood, his expression as cold as iron, sending chills down people's spines. It is said that during dinner this evening, the Khan accidentally broke three exquisite pieces of porcelain, which had been plundered from the Tang Uighurs, despite the thick wool carpet spread on the floor

Note 1: "Qiexuedai" refers to the guards of the Mongolian khan, with the plural form being "Qiexuedan." The guard army composed of Qiexuedai is called the Qiexue army, which at this time consisted of approximately 10,000 men, directly controlled by the Mongolian khan. The social and political status of these soldiers was extremely high

Just at the moment when Genghis Khan was extremely agitated, Zhao Cheng fell into the river

To say familiar is because he had such feelings three times in the past; to say unfamiliar is because ever since he made a promise to the Eternal Sky at the summit of Mount Buerhan, it has not occurred again. Now this feeling has returned, and it leaves him with a sense of confusion and innocence

Walking along the river should be safer. Those desperate criminals are likely to head straight for their Mongolian settlement, right? Zhao Cheng thought to himself, They should find nothing there at this time.

The rhythm and the great embarrassment of Morigen

Our Buerhan is blessed by the divine, and your actions last night deserve the title of 'A Tuer 3'!" Grandfather Hutule laughed heartily

The two brothers, Qu and Lü, jumped off their horses, tightly embraced Zhao Cheng, weeping bitterly and lamenting. Zhao Cheng, in turn, comforted these two brothers who were older than himself

"What is the latest military intelligence from Mukhali 2?" Genghis Khan asked with a grim expression

Note 2: Muqali, an early general who followed Genghis Khan, was one of the "Four Heroes." In the autumn of 1217, Genghis Khan appointed Muqali as Grand Minister and King, granting him a pledge certificate and a golden seal, to oversee the Central Plains, and he was greatly valued by Genghis Khan.

Zhao Cheng plunged headfirst into the riverbed. If any Mongolian were to challenge him to a swimming contest, he would undoubtedly emerge victorious with ease. During the hottest times on the grasslands, he would even immerse himself completely in the river. The river roared as it surged northwestward, and by the time he surfaced, he was already three hundred paces away. Torches lit up on the shore, and Guhuhan loudly scolded his subordinates, while the horses neighed restlessly.

"This is all my fault for not thinking negatively. In hindsight, what Erhan said was indeed correct. At sixty years old, I am still not as thoughtful as Erhan!" Hutu Le stomped his foot fiercely, "If it gets light, the bandits will definitely follow the footprints and come after us. We must catch up with our people immediately, make them abandon the cattle and sheep, and hurry into the Alatan Mountains. We still have time!"

However, if Genghis Khan were to truly become enraged, then the only fate awaiting the wrongdoer would be execution Liu Zhonglu was filled with trepidation, fearing that he might provoke disaster upon himself

"Bu Er Han, Bu Er Han, where are you?" A somewhat immature voice was calling out. Zhao Cheng recognized it; it was the voice of Mo Rigen.

"What is Wutu Sahali doing?" Genghis Khan asked. Liu Zhonglu noticed that Genghis Khan's expression softened considerably when he mentioned this Lord Wutu Sahali.

"Grandpa Hutu, am I not doing well? The God of Longevity stands by my side!" Zhao Cheng said with a smile

Indeed, I also think so. However, the Yan 4 are leading the young and strong men to fight outside, and they do not pay much attention to what I say; they regard property as more important than anything else

"Not rare, not rare!" A rough voice rose and fell, imbued with a tremor that indicated the speaker's great anxiety. This was the voice of Hudu, the father of Qu Lyu and the Mo Rigen brothers.

Has everyone moved? Zhao Cheng then asked

At that moment, four horses came galloping from the direction they had come, and Zhao Cheng quickly turned and hid under the willow tree

Yesterday, Qu Lyu returned to inform me of what he had seen. I immediately ordered everyone to mount their horses and drive the cattle and sheep to relocate to Alatan Mountain. Uncle Hudu said, "Qu Lyu and Mo Rigen, those two brats, have abandoned you, truly a disgrace to both me and his grandfather"

The towering Altan Mountain stretches endlessly, and the snow accumulated over a long winter has already begun to melt, flowing through countless small streams that converge into larger rivers. The numerous rivers of the north merge into the Yima'er River, which flows northward, nourishing countless deserts, oases, grasslands, and forests. The river into which Zhao Cheng fell is at its peak flow for the year, a condition that will persist until the arrival of the dry season in summer. In spring, these usually narrow rivers and streams become wildly turbulent, like untamed steeds. The river into which Zhao Cheng fell is at its peak flow for the year, a condition that will persist until the arrival of the dry season in summer. In spring, these usually narrow rivers and streams become wildly turbulent, like untamed steeds. The icy, bone-chilling water of the river on that spring night made him shiver all over, but his heart was ablaze, for he knew he was at least safe.

"Do not be so reckless next time; it was truly dangerous this time. We originally intended to rescue you, but we never had the opportunity. We were just watching from the side, and at night we noticed that this group of bandits was in disarray, shooting arrows randomly into the river. We guessed that you must have jumped into the river. Therefore, we waited for the bandits to leave before searching for you along the riverbank!" Uncle Hudu said, his concern evident, yet still feeling apprehensive. Therefore, we waited for the bandits to leave before searching for you along the riverbank!" Uncle Hudu said, his concern evident, yet still feeling apprehensive.

Everyone fell silent. Zhao Cheng jumped onto Mo Rigen's horse, and the two shared a single horse as they pursued towards the southwest.

***

"Wrong! If cattle and sheep are lost, they can be raised again; if gold and silver treasures are lost, they can be earned back. However, if life is lost, one can never enjoy cattle, sheep, or gold and silver treasures again!" Zhao Cheng said loudly, his smooth brows furrowing into a shape resembling the character '川'.

Lord Wutu Sahali is reading in his yurt! Liu Zhonglu quickly added, "Lord Wutu Sahali reads whenever he has the time; he truly deserves to be called a learned person! Now he is also serving me, it seems that my unification of Mongolia is in accordance with the will of the people!"

The night is deep and still, and the dry, cold air carries the scent of fresh grass. This is the smell most familiar to Genghis Khan; whenever he catches a whiff of it, it signifies that he has left the Gobi and the desert behind, drawing closer to home.

As dawn broke in the east, he finally reached the shore, carefully observing his surroundings. He tightly embraced his frozen, stiffened arms and walked deeper into the grassland

Great Changsheng Tian bless, may my beloved child be safe and sound

As the most loyal guards of Genghis Khan, the Keshik soldiers on night duty surrounded the royal tent tightly, fulfilling their responsibilities: after nightfall, no one was allowed to move around the area of the royal tent. Anyone who violated this would be immediately captured by the Keshik guards, and the next day they would be interrogated. Those who entered without permission would be executed without hesitation by the Keshik guards

The military intelligence sent by Grand Master Mu Huali is, as before, the latest report every seven days, and everything is normal. The Grand Master adheres to the Great Khan's strategy of "gathering heroes and surveying the unoccupied cities," establishing provinces in Yun and Yan to plan for the Central Plains, and settling the people as a long-term strategy. The father and son duo of Shi Bingzhi and Shi Tianni, as well as Liu Bolin and Liu Heima, are all following my Mongolian army, and the unification of the world is imminent

Genghis Khan paced back and forth in his tent, which was drawn by thirty horses. The complex emotions within him were a feeling both familiar and unfamiliar.

"Uncle Hudu, it's not their fault. The situation at that time did not allow them to stay. If they had turned back, everything would have been over!" Zhao Cheng explained, but then he asked in surprise, "Uncle Hudu, did you just say that everyone was rushing to move the cattle and sheep? How could they run so fast?"

Note 4: "Nayan" refers to "chief" or "official" and is derived from the noble class formed under slavery. Other classes include subjects and dependents.

... ...

"Let him come over and tell me my fortune," commanded Genghis Khan. Just as Liu Zhonghe and Tushulu were about to bow in response, Genghis Khan added, "Forget it, it's late at night. Have him come to see me tomorrow instead"

Enduring the bone-chilling cold of the river water, Zhao Cheng vigorously swung his arms, carefully avoiding being swept into the willow trees along the riverbank by the swift current. He was not yet ready to come ashore; he hoped the current would carry him further away.

He is a Han person, originally an official of the Jin dynasty, and now he has allied himself with the Mongols. The reason he could become a close attendant of Genghis Khan as a Han person is undoubtedly due to his exceptional ability to read the room, in addition to his remarkable skill in crafting arrows. Today, Genghis Khan is in a very bad mood; even the sight of Qie Xuedai moving about in front of him is irritating. Genghis Khan is not the type to punish his subordinates lightly; as long as they do not violate the laws he has enacted, he will not casually scold anyone.

Zhao Cheng jumped out from under the tree and shouted loudly at the several horses, "Uncle Hudu, I am here!"

The reason it is said that he "fell" into the river is that it was unexpected for him; he originally intended to jump in. However, the vast darkness of the night limited his vision, causing him to miss his footing. The desire to escape also left him momentarily flustered, and he ran desperately towards the riverbank, which is why he "fell" into the river. This "fall" ultimately saved his life, as an arrow from the watcher behind him whizzed past his neck, leaving him with a sharp, burning pain, followed by the cold river water enveloping him.

Note 3: "Ba Tuer" refers to "Bate'er," meaning warrior. Genghis Khan's father, Yesugei, also held the title of "Ba Tuer," but was not referred to as Khan