Chapter 8: The Blessing of Eternal Life (Part 3)

When the sun finally broke free from the earth's constraints and leaped above the horizon, Zhao Cheng and his companions finally caught up with the group. Upon seeing Zhao Cheng and his companions arrive safely, the herdsmen erupted in enthusiastic cheers

The leader of the hundred households declared before everyone as he led his sons to follow the Khan in attacking the Tang Wutiren: "I will oversee all matters, big and small, in the pasture. I will allocate the most abundant water and grasslands. If there are disputes among the herdsmen, I will adjudicate them, so that my Mongolian sons can fight without any worries. Now, if you do not obey my orders, when the leader of the hundred households returns, I will certainly report the truth. At that time, I will make you experience the severity of the whip!"

I said it was a close call, didn't I? Didn't Erhan return completely intact as well?" someone shouted loudly

Zhao Cheng surveyed the group composed of elderly individuals, women, and children; they did not appear to be fleeing for their lives. The people were herding cattle and sheep, symbols of their wealth, and not a single spring lamb was left behind. All the felt tents were loaded onto the carts, and not a single pot, bowl, or utensil was missing. The valuable gold and silver items were all carried by the women—Zhao Cheng believed that most of this gold and silver was plundered by their men from the Tang Wutai and the Jin Dynasty. The people were chatting and laughing, making it seem more like a collective hunt.

"Not at all, I believe these people were deceived by you last night, and they certainly will not be willing to accept it. " Hudu smiled and said, "Now that it is already bright, they will definitely follow the footprints of the cattle and sheep to pursue you! If it were me, if I couldn't kill you, I would never be willing to die!"

"Hudu Dage, my husband said that I must take good care of the cattle and sheep at home; I certainly do not want to lose them." A woman immediately expressed her opposition

Indeed, the fame of our Genghis Khan and the Mongolian army is well-known to all. Moreover, we have traveled all night; how could the bandits easily find us? What is there to be afraid of

Note 3: The legend of the "Gray Wolf" is prevalent among the northern nomadic peoples, including the Xiongnu, and is recorded in the "Secret History of the Mongols" and various other legends. The "Secret History of the Mongols" does not trace its lineage back to ancient times but begins with the Mongu Shiwai during the Tang Dynasty. The author posits that the ancestors of the Mongols are Borjigin and Ho'ema Langer, whose names can be translated into Chinese characters as "Gray Wolf" and "Pale Deer". Therefore, the old translation of the "Secret History of the Mongols" states: "The origin of Genghis Khan (Khan) is: born under the divine mandate, the Gray Wolf, and his consort is the Pale Deer. They crossed the Tenggis Sea together and set up their camp at the source of the Onon River, in front of Mount Burkan, where they gave birth to Batir Khan." This is what the "Secret History of the Mongols" refers to as the ancestor of Genghis Khan, who is twenty-two generations removed from him.

Note 1: The "common people in the forest" in the Mongolian Plateau and surrounding areas primarily engage in nomadic economic activities, while a portion of them participates in hunting economies in remote forested regions, living in simple houses constructed from trees. Their strength is relatively weak, and their economic and cultural development is more backward. In 1207, Temüjin commanded the conquest of these people, bringing them under Mongolian jurisdiction, and they rebelled again in 1217

The bandits are about to arrive, everyone put down your belongings and hasten to Mount Alatan, do not look back

"Not at all, what should we do next?" Hutu Le asked. He suddenly found it somewhat amusing that at the age of sixty, considered quite old among the Mongols, he had to ask a thirteen-year-old boy what to do.

The elderly, women, and children were all urging the horses forward, heading towards the mouth of the Yima River. Hutu inspected the remaining personnel and horses, leaving only twenty individuals who could barely draw a bow and shoot arrows, including Zhao Cheng and the brothers Qu Lü. He was quite pleased that his two grandsons had chosen to stay. As for Zhao Cheng, last night's events had given him a renewed understanding, further enhancing the mysterious aura surrounding him.

"You won't deceive us, will you?" someone expressed doubt

Hudu was extremely anxious, riding up to the herdsmen and speaking loudly:

Old man Hutu Le looked quite surprised, yet he nodded in agreement

Then let us adopt a strategy of waiting at ease for the enemy to tire out! Zhao Cheng said with a smile, yet he felt a bit worried and anxious in his heart

If the enemy retreats to where they came from, then everything will be fine. What we fear is that they have already discovered our whereabouts, abandoning us to pursue others, which would be a serious problem. Zhao Cheng said, "Therefore, we need to take the initiative to contact them and lead them over here."

He glared fiercely at the herdsmen, switching his bow and arrows, as if anyone who disobeyed him would be shot without hesitation. His snow-white beard fluttered energetically in the morning breeze, instilling great fear in the people

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The crowd began to unload the vehicles, select fine horses, and prepare provisions. Zhao Cheng approached Hutu Le, leaning in to whisper a few words in his ear

Hudu, we Mongolians are the descendants of the gray wolf 3, what is there to fear from robbers? If one comes, I will kill one; if two come, I will kill a pair! There are also those who are not worried at all

Why is that? Everyone was quite astonished.

"Bu Erhan is a Bileg with a Han face, and I am the first to agree!" Hudu's wife, who is also the mother of the Qu Lü brothers, Ale Chizhen, was the first to step forward, taking out her limited gold and silver possessions, the most precious of which was a gold cup with a high-footed embossed floral pattern, believed to be made in the Golden Country.

It is said that more than ten years ago, he once attempted to assassinate Genghis Khan single-handedly, but unfortunately, he failed and was captured instead. At that time, Temujin had just unified Mongolia, yet he admired this man's bravery and pardoned him. Thus, he held an extraordinary position among this group of people, and the local leaders greatly respected him, often entrusting him with important matters. However, he stubbornly claimed in private that he was not of Mongolian descent.

Most people looked at Zhao Cheng's youthful face with great confusion. However, the mysterious legends surrounding him and the various signs of his extraordinary nature led them to believe, and perhaps the reverence for the divine prevailed. Additionally, it may have been because someone had set an example, prompting many to offer their most valuable possessions.

In the dawn light, Zhao Cheng and others desperately urged their horses towards the direction of Mount Alatan. In the distant east, the white clouds drifting between heaven and earth had already been tinged with golden yellow, indicating that the sun was still struggling to rise above the horizon, eager to burst forth.

In the vast expanse of the earth and sky, a large nomadic group is slowly moving towards Mount Alatan. The term "large" does not refer to the number of people, but rather to the cumbersome nature of the thousands of cattle and sheep that make up the herd. This group originally belonged to a branch of the Linzhong people, known as the Tuma Ti, who resided in the forested areas of the southeastern region of Qianqian Prefecture. After Temüjin was proclaimed Khan, his eldest son Jebe was tasked with conquering these people engaged in hunting within the forests, and they were organized according to the system of thousands. Subsequently, some of them were relocated to this lush land with abundant water and grass. Nowadays, people no longer refer to tribal affiliations; they are all called Mongols. They no longer fight among themselves but unite against external foes, growing wealthier day by day through plunder. Each individual takes pride in being a Mongol, which is perhaps the most significant reason for the respect that Genghis Khan receives from the herders.

Longsheng Tian blesses! A woman is bowing on the ground with books, praying devoutly.

Note 2: "Qianqian Prefecture" refers to Qian Prefecture in the "History of the Yuan Dynasty". It is located in the upper reaches of the Yenisei River, extending northward to the Angara River and southeast to the Selenga River. The "Journey to the West of the True Man of Changchun" refers to it as "Jianjian Prefecture", indicating that it "produces good iron and has many blue mice"

Furthermore, everyone is to leave behind all valuable possessions on their person!" Huttler commanded the elderly, the weak, women, and children.

Dear Uncle Hutu, you said we should do as you say, and we will do so without question, everyone said in unison

"Very well, those who are able to fight will stay behind to draw the enemy away with me. The others should leave the cattle and carts, take three days' worth of dry rations, prepare two of the best horses each, and head towards Mount Alatan at the fastest speed. Do not return without orders!" commanded Hutu.

Everyone, let's set off; do not look back!" commanded the old man Hutu Le upon seeing that everyone had mounted their horses

"The robbers are all greedy for wealth. If we leave behind the gold and silver treasures, the enemy will surely dismount to seize the treasures, and then we will be safe!" Zhao Cheng said, "Last night, the Eternal Heaven revealed to me that our enemies are all greedy individuals. In the name of the Eternal Heaven, I assure you that I will compensate you doubly!"

The old man Hutu Le's face turned ashen; he raised his riding whip and struck the man fiercely, cursing at him:

Old Hutu Le commanded ten men to spread out twenty miles behind him, monitoring the possible directions from which the enemy might approach, while he gathered the cattle and sheep abandoned by the herdsmen together.