Chapter - 82 Decoy Deployment On the Cliff (12)

Dukhsh, relieved at not being killed, accepted all that was offered. He noticed that when Temujin spoke, he kept his right hand on his chest under his tunic, and coughed nonstop. He wondered, "Could it be that he's wounded?"

"This day," the Khan said, "I was hit by an arrow. It will take three months to recuperate before I'm healthy again; if this hadn't happened, I would accompany you back myself. He withdrew his hand from under his tunic; it was covered with blood! "There's no need to wait for my wound to heal before you get married. Otherwise…otherwise you'll have to wait too long."

All the officers present were amazed and outraged to see their Khan afraid and apprehensive about Ong Khan, and much too eager to marry Hua Zheng to Dukhsh. The son of the division commander that was part of Temujin's escort had been killed defending the hill. The commander, insane with anger, unsheathed his saber and wanted to kill Dukhsh. The Khan had him seized and beaten in front of Dukhsh, until he fainted, covered with blood.

"He will be imprisoned," Temujin ordered, "and he will be beheaded with all of his family in three days time!" The following day, Dukhsh returned home, taking along two carts filled with gold and furs, a thousand fat sheep, one hundred war horses, and escorted by fifty soldiers. Temujin also sent an emissary known for his eloquence, to plead his cause with Ong Khan and Senggum. At the time of the departure, Temujin, who seemed not to have the strength to ride a horse, arrived on a stretcher and bade him farewell, still coughing.

Eight days later, Temujin brought his officers together. "Gather your soldiers," he ordered, "we will attack Ong Khan!" All the officers looked aghast. He continued, "Ong Khan has a very large army, whereas we are few. If you can't win a frontal battle, a ruse is needed. I let Dukhsh go, heaping him with gifts, while I pretended to be wounded by an arrow and near death. I did all that to take him off guard!"

The officers expressed their admiration. At this moment, Temujin freed the commander he had beaten and gave him a large reward. Learning that the army was going to attack Ong Khan, the commander felt joy. He knelt down to express his thanks and asked for the honor of commanding the vanguard, which Temujin granted him. The army of the Khan was divided into three columns, which marched during the night using little used trails and bivouacked during the day. When they met shepherds, they took them captive and brought them along, to avoid any indiscriminate talk.

In the beginning, Ong Khan and Senggum, fearing that Temujin would come to seek revenge, kept their guard up. But the triumphal return of Dukhsh, the gifts he brought back, the servile remarks of the emissary and the news of the serious wound to the Khan reassured them completely. They even withdrew their forward sentinels and spent their time feasting with Wanyan Honglie and Jamuka. One night, the three columns of Temujin's army fell on them like lightning! The many soldiers of Ong Khan and Jamuka, panic stricken, lost much of their combativeness and the battle turned into a rout. Ong Khan and Senggum fled towards the west where they were killed shortly after by the Naïman and Liao. In the confusion, Dukhsh was trampled by horses.

Wanyan Honglie, for his part, escaped in the middle of the night, in the protection of the 'Four Demons of the Yellow River' and headed back to the Jin capital. Abandoned by his soldiers, Jamuka took refuge at Tangnu Mountain with his five bodyguards. They betrayed him and brought him to Temujin. Temujin was furious, "Bodyguards who betray their master!" he cried. "How can I let such people live?" He ordered them decapitated in front of Jamuka. Then he turned to Jamuka, "Shall we become friends again?"

"Even if you spare my life," answered Jamuka with tears in his eyes, "I haven't the honor left to live in this world. I only beg that you let me die without bloodshed, so that my soul will not leave my body."

[According to the beliefs of the shamans, the soul resides in the blood. Princes that are to be killed but still honored were put to death by strangulation.]

Temujin remained sadly silent for a long time. "Well," he finally said, "I agree to such a death and I will bury you at the place where we played as children. Jamuka knelt before him, then rose and left the ger. A few days later, Temujin united the tribes on the banks of the Onon River in a kuriltai (general assembly). The river's fame stretched beyond the steppe, and the tribes, warriors and all the shepherds fear and revere it. Ong Khan and Jamuka's men had been integrated into Temujin's army. During the kuriltai, Temujin was acclaimed Grand Khan of all Mongolia; he carried, from that time on, the title of 'Genghis Khan', which meant 'Supreme Chief'.

Genghis Khan rewarded the most deserving soldiers: the Four Aces, Muqali, Borchu, Boroqul, Tchila'un, while the officers, Jebe, Jelme and Subotai were made generals. During the battle, Guo Jing had rendered exceptional service and he was made a general as well! A young man, who had not yet reached twenty years of age, was regarded as an equal to officers of great reputation! During the banquet, Genghis Khan accepted homage from his faithful ones and drank without restraint. Slightly drunk, he said to Guo Jing, "My good boy, I will give you the most valuable thing I have." Guo Jing knelt down to thank him. "I give Hua Zheng to you," Genghis Khan said. "From tomorrow onwards, you will be the Golden Saber Prince. [Jin Dao Fu Ma]"

All the warriors let out cries of joy and congratulated the young man, "Son-in-law, wearing the large golden knife! Well done, hurrah!"

The happiest with all this was, without any doubt, Tolui, who embraced his sworn brother. But the person at the center of interest remained dazzled. He had always regarded Hua Zheng as his sister and he did not feel any other kind of love. He had devoted all his time to martial arts; when had he time to think of other things? The words of Genghis Khan distressed him and he didn't know what to do. Seeing him speechless, everyone burst out laughing.

After the banquet, Guo Jing went to inform his mother. Li Ping remained thoughtful for a long time, and then asked him to invite the Six Freaks from Jiangnan to their ger. They were delighted to see their beloved disciple covered with honors and they congratulated his mother. But she did not say a word. Then she fell suddenly to her knees in front of the Six.

"Please rise," they protested. "If you have something to say to us, do so, why such ceremony?"

Han Xiaoying helped her up. "Thanks to the teachings of the six Shifus," Li Ping said, "my child finally became a man. I can never express my gratitude to all of you. But now, I face a difficulty and I need your enlightened counsel." She then told about the marriage which had been arranged by her late husband and his sworn brother, Yang Tiexin. "That the Khan wants my son to be his son-in-law," she began again, "is of course a great honor. But if Brother Yang had a girl and I do not keep my husband's promise, how could I, in the underworld, face my husband and Brother Yang?"

"You don't have to worry," Zhu Cong said laughing. "The honorable Yang actually has a descendant, but it is not a girl…it's a boy!"

Li Ping was astonished and delighted at the same time. "How do you know, Zhu Shifu?"

"A friend, who remained in the Central Plains, wrote to inform us. By the way, he wishes that we take Jing'er to Jiangnan to meet the son of Yang, and to compare their kung fu."