txolops Chapter 29 Offers Advice to Chagatai
Chapter 29 Offers Advice to Chagatai
"You call this good wine?" Chagatai looked at Guo Liqing with a look of disdain that said, "You've never seen anything like this before."
Guo Liqing smiled and said, "Second Brother, you don't like this wine?"
Chagatai said with a look of disgust, "Someone, pour wine for the prince consort, let him see what good wine really is!"
A servant came over and poured wine for Guo Liqing. Guo Liqing picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp. Then he said, "Second Brother, the wine here is indeed good. It's like the wolves on the grasslands, fierce enough! However, wolves are still not as good as eagles. Eagles fly in the sky and have a panoramic view of the world. But wolves can only see this patch of grassland in front of them."
Guo Liqing's words were so direct, how could Chagatai not understand?
"What do you mean?"
"It's just what it sounds like!" Guo Liqing glanced at the generals below, then said to Chagatai, "Second Brother, you know I'm not here just to deliver wine! Let them leave! We need to talk privately!"
At this moment, a general in the audience stood up and said, "Prince, Guo Jing is a skilled martial artist, we can't..."
Chagatai reached out to stop him from continuing. Could it be that he, a dignified Mongol prince, would be afraid of a mere Guo Jing?
Chagatai suddenly said, "You may all leave!"
Although the generals below did not understand, they still dared not disobey Chagatai.
After the group left, Chagatai looked at Guo Liqing and asked, "What did you want to say?"
Guo Liqing glanced at the roasted mutton on the table, and while cutting the meat, said, "Second Brother, I am leading the army to attack Western Xia on the orders of the Great Khan. Now your soldiers are disobeying my orders! We are brothers, and I won't use the Great Khan to pressure you. I only want to make a deal with you: you help me this time, and I'll help you this time!"
Chagatai laughed and said, "You'll help me? How will you help me?"
Guo Liqing laughed and said, "I have 25,000 cavalrymen under my command, which isn't a lot, but it's not a small number either! If you ever need my help in the future, I can send troops! Secondly, I myself know some martial arts; if you want me to deal with someone for you on my own, I can do that. Also, I have some knowledge of strategy; if you want me to devise plans for you, that's fine too!"
Chagatai smiled. Guo Liqing now had 20,000 Mongol cavalry, which was indeed a force to be reckoned with, but it was not enough to tempt him.
Guo Liqing is currently riding high, and confronting him head-on would be detrimental to Chagatai.
Since Guo Liqing had spoken up, Chagatai didn't want to make things difficult for him over such trivial matters.
Chagatai laughed and said, "Alright, what do you want me to do for you?"
"All you need to do, Second Brother, is control your men and make them obey my orders!"
"good!"
Guo Liqing was surprised that things went so smoothly, but when he looked at Chagatai, he noticed a hint of mockery in the other man's eyes.
"Does my second brother need my help right now?"
"Yes!" Chagatai said with a smile, "I want you to help me ascend to the throne of the Great Khan!"
Upon hearing this, Guo Liqing knew that Chagatai had some ill intentions, but he really had the nerve to say it out loud!
Guo Liqing wanted to laugh, but didn't.
He said solemnly, "This is an internal matter of the Borjigin family. Even if I am the prince consort, I am an outsider and it is not appropriate for me to interfere. Second brother, if you ask me to send troops to deal with our own people, or to help you kill our own people, I cannot do it. However..."
Chagatai only wanted to tease Guo Liqing. He knew that no matter how powerful Guo Liqing was, he could not have any say in the position of Khan.
"But what?"
"I can offer you a plan!"
Chagatai was taken aback. Did he really have a method?
"The Great Khan has not yet designated an heir. Everyone knows that Jochi is not the Great Khan's biological son, so he has no chance of becoming Khan. Although the Mongols have a tradition of the youngest son guarding the hearth, the Great Khan has also said that the heir should be chosen from among the virtuous."
Torre is young, and his power and foundation are far inferior to yours, Second Brother!
Second brother, your only rival is Ögedei!
Ögedei was a smooth and shrewd man who was on good terms with many ministers in the royal court.
Many in the royal court had already tacitly accepted that Ögedei was the successor to the Khanate!
Historically, Ögedei Khan succeeded Genghis Khan.
"Hmph!" Chagatai slammed his hand on the table, quite indignant!
Guo Liqing continued, "Now the Great Khan aspires to rule the world and will surely unify the territories of the Jin and Song dynasties. But how will such a vast territory be governed?"
Chagatai said in bewilderment, "I asked you to help me ascend to the throne, but you talk about governance?"
Guo Liqing laughed and said, "Do you know that the Han people follow the primogeniture system? Just imagine, according to the Han system, your second brother would be the eldest son, the natural heir!"
"Primogeniture!"
Chagatai's heart skipped a beat; he dreamed of inheriting the Khan's throne!
"Your Han Chinese rules are your Han Chinese rules. How could I, a Mongol, possibly follow Han Chinese rules?"
While eating roasted mutton and drinking wine, Guo Liqing said, "Today, your Borjigin family only rules the Mongols, so you use the Mongol rules. Tomorrow, when the Borjigin family rules the Han people, why can't you use the Han rules?"
You know that the Great Khan has his sights set on conquering the world, and that one day he will surely march south to destroy the Jin and Song dynasties.
To rule them, we cannot use only the rules of the Mongols; we must also use the rules of the Han people!
Conquering the world is easy; governing it is difficult.
After conquering the Southern Song Dynasty, the first issue the Great Khan had to consider was how to govern.
If you, Second Brother, propose governing the Han people using Han methods… to put it bluntly, it means introducing Confucianism to govern the world… as the eldest son, you'll have great Confucian scholars to debate with you then!
"What do you mean?"
"Still don't understand? As long as you follow Han Chinese customs, Second Brother, your chance has come!"
Chagatai's heart skipped a beat.
Chagatai actually preferred the "Xuanwu Gate succession system." Unfortunately for him, his father was Genghis Khan; if he dared to even consider it, he would be wiped out in a heartbeat!
So while his father Genghis Khan was still alive, he had to use some tactful methods. Unfortunately, in terms of tact, Chagatai was far inferior to Ögedei!
Chagatai looked at Guo Liqing, the Han Chinese man he had always disliked.
Currently, Chagatai is also forced to re-examine Guo Liqing's existence.
"Brother-in-law, you're joking. I was just saying."
Chagatai would only call Genghis Khan "brother-in-law" when he was in Genghis Khan's presence.
Now, he has come to accept Guo Liqing's identity.
"Second Brother, I've presented my plan. You must also keep your promise and properly discipline your subordinates. If you don't believe what I've said, you can gather some Han Chinese scholars and hear if they agree!"
Chagatai looked at Guo Liqing, "I will properly discipline my subordinates and make them obey your orders. However, please do not spread today's events!"
"I understand!"
Guo Liqing cut off a piece of mutton and said, "I've already eaten most of this roast lamb, it won't taste good if I leave it for others, so I'll take it with me!"
"Do as you please!"
Guo Liqing smiled and took a whole roasted lamb with him when he left.
Guo Liqing carried a large plate out of the tent and saw that Chagatai's trusted generals were still waiting outside.
He took a bite of lamb leg, then muttered, "We're done talking, you guys continue!"
After saying that, he left without looking back.