Usurping the Mongols: My Father-in-Law is Genghis Khan

After listening to Shigiqutuhu's reply, Temujin frowned slightly.

"Alas, it's too far away. Having news is almost the same as having none."

Temujin suddenly regretted giving Zhao Shuo the death order to kill Tuoheituo'a and his sons.

This wasn't a battlefield where enemies were killed. If Tuoheituo'a's three sons kept trying to escape, and if their luck wasn't good, it might take forever to find them. If their luck was even worse, and the three died inexplicably at the hands of bandits, buried somewhere randomly, wouldn't Zhao Shuo never be able to complete his mission?

"A-Shuo has been hunting them for almost a year. If he really can't catch them, then forget it. Send someone to convey my decree and let A-Shuo return to the army. Tell him that even if he can't catch Tuoheituo'a's three sons, I will still reward him with Khulan!"

"Yes."

Shigiqutuhu accepted the order and left.

Of course, overall, Temujin was quite excited and full of confidence after truly becoming the master of the grasslands.

On the way leading the main force back to the eastern grasslands, they sometimes hunted wild animals, sometimes strolled leisurely, and sometimes stopped to fish. It didn't seem like marching, but rather a long journey.

One day, Temujin climbed high and looked into the distance, asking, "Is that city to the south part of the Xia Kingdom?"

"Yes," Shigiqutuhu, who was accompanying him, reported. "That is Liji Si, a small border city of the Western Xia."

"How many defenders are there in the city?"

"Not very clear, but there are always two or three thousand people, right?"

"Two or three thousand people…" Temujin thought for a moment and said, "I heard that Taiyang Khan's son, Quchulu, ran to the Xia Kingdom?"

Shigiqutuhu said, "There is such a rumor. However, according to information from various channels, Quchulu is most likely in the Western Liao, and there is only a slight possibility that he is in the Western Xia."

Temujin raised his eyebrows slightly, and said with a smile, "A slight possibility is still a possibility, right? Bo'ershu!"

"Here!"

"The Xia Kingdom actually harbors Taiyang Khan's son, Quchulu, an unforgivable crime. First, take Liji Si City and give them a small lesson."

"As you command!"

Of course, Bo'ershu understood that Temujin was getting a little carried away, looking for trouble, wanting to use Liji Si City as a practice run, trying to attack a city.

But then again, so what if he was carried away?

It was just a small earthen city with two or three thousand defenders, it shouldn't be impossible to take down, right?

Uh… well, it really couldn't be taken down.

The army attacked for half a month, and apart from some casualties, they gained nothing.

The fact proved that the grassland people's ability to attack fortifications was indeed too weak.

Temujin also felt a little embarrassed and said, "We have been attacking Liji Si City for so long, the Western Xia people should have sent reinforcements, right? We are not good at attacking cities, but we are not afraid of anyone in field battles. Bo'ershu, you lead half of the troops and march south, looking for opportunities to eliminate the Western Xia reinforcements. I will continue to attack Liji Si City here."

"As you command."

Bo'ershu accepted the order and left.

However, the development of the matter once again exceeded Temujin and Bo'ershu's expectations.

No reinforcements!

This city was about twice the size of Liji Si City, with four or five thousand defenders inside.

These defenders had no intention of fighting at all, just holding the city.

What to do?

Bo'ershu didn't have any good ideas. After sending an envoy to ask Temujin for instructions, he attacked Qilin Gugusa City again.

In the blink of an eye, another half a month passed.

Although the Mongolian army didn't suffer any major losses, and even gained something by looting the Western Xia countryside, they still felt a little ashamed that they couldn't take down even two small cities.

This was especially true for Temujin, who had just unified the grasslands.

That earthen city wall, less than three zhang high, seemed to be mocking him—you are just a bumpkin khan from the grasslands, you are still hundreds of thousands of miles away from the great monarchs of the world!

"It's been more than a month, and we still can't break the city. Should we grit our teeth and continue, or should we retreat? Alas, if A-Shuo was here, it would be great. Didn't he talk eloquently about siege warfare back then?"

Now, Temujin missed Zhao Shuo even more.

Just then, suddenly Shigiqutuhu brought a message: Zhao Shuo had lived up to his mission and had already beheaded Tuoheituo'a's three sons, leading his troops back to the army. He is now less than five hundred miles away from the main Mongolian force.

"Good! That's great!"

Temujin was of course very happy to have uprooted Tuoheituo'a's family.

But what made him even happier was that Zhao Shuo should be able to solve his urgent need, and said, "Quickly let A-Shuo abandon his troops, whip his horse, and come to see me!"

"As you command!"

After receiving Temujin's decree, Zhao Shuo abandoned the main force, only taking fifty guards, whipped his horse, and came to Liji Si City.

"Great Khan, these are the heads of Tuoheituo'a, Hudu, Chilaowen, and Mazha'er."

The heads of Hudu, Chilaowen, and Mazha'er were pickled with lime and could still be clearly identified. But there was no way to recognize Tuoheituo'a, as he had been dead for almost a year. Although he hadn't turned into white bones, it was impossible to see his original appearance.

Of course, Temujin would never suspect that Zhao Shuo would randomly find a rotten head to deceive him.

"So, my Merkit enemies are all dead and clean?" Temujin learned that his great revenge had been avenged, and his heart was as happy as drinking ice in summer!

Zhao Shuo said decisively: "Yes, not one left! The Merkit people now have no enemies of my father khan, only obedient subjects."

"Good! A-Shuo, your contribution is indispensable! By the way, A-Shuo, your current headquarters is less than five thousand households, right?" Temujin said happily.

It depends on how you look at it.

If only counting the number of households, Zhao Shuo's five thousand households were fully qualified.

However, if there are no men in the family, can that still be considered a household?

In the Battle of ZheZhe Yundu, Zhao Shuo's losses were definitely not small. Chasing down Tuoheituo'a and his sons, Zhao Shuo also had certain losses.

Now, the men under his command are definitely less than five thousand.

Of course, Zhao Shuo would not be polite to Genghis Khan, and said: "Father Khan is wise, now I have about four thousand five hundred households under my command."

"A-Shuo, you have worked really hard to hunt down Tuoheituo'a and his sons. I will now allocate five hundred households to you to make up five thousand households. In addition, I have also sent someone to send you the Khulan you sent before. This number one beauty of the Merkit tribe is worthy of your enjoyment."

"Thank you, Father Khan!"

After finishing the matter of rewards, Zhao Shuo remembered the matter of Temujin asking him to come to see him in advance, so he asked: "Great Khan, I heard that our attack on Western Xia this time is not going very smoothly?"

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(Everyone mainly wants to see the destruction of the Jin and the suppression of the Song, or wants to see the Western Expedition? I will modify the focus of the subsequent plot according to everyone's opinions)