The Legend of the Condor Heroes Chapter 37 – Part 6

That day, at the middle of the hour of Wei, Guo Jing issued a secret order. His troops were to cut up their tents and make them into round canopies, each with a stout leather cord fastened beneath, and ten thousand were to be sewn within a shichen¹ and a half. The officers and men were all baffled. If the tents were cut up, how would they last even one night in such savage cold, in this world of ice and snow? But the commander-in-chief had given his order, and they could only obey.

Guo Jing further ordered that all the cattle and sheep set aside for the army’s rations be brought to the foot of the snow peak, there to await further command. He ordered one tumen² to form the four formations of Heaven Covering, Earth Bearing, Wind Raising and Cloud Descending outside the north gate, there to wait for the sole purpose of capturing commanders and generals. A second tumen was to form the four formations of Dragon Flying, Tiger Wing, Bird Soaring and Serpent Coiling on either side of the north gate, to drive the enemy into the four formations of Heaven, Earth, Wind and Cloud. A third tumen was to stand by, lightly equipped and tightly girded, ready to be sent wherever it was needed.

That evening the army ate its fill before battle, and the two tumens moved north as ordered. At the end of the hour of Xu and the start of the hour of Hai, Guo Jing sent a guard to report to the Great Khan that the enemy city could now be taken, and to ask for a heavy force to storm it.

Genghis Khan received the message with mingled hope and doubt, and at once ordered Guo Jing to come to his tent and report in person. The guard said, “The Golden Dao Prince Consort has already led his men out to attack. He waits only for the Great Khan to support him.”

Horns sounded in Guo Jing’s ranks. Over a thousand soldiers slaughtered cattle and sheep and froze the joints of meat onto the high peak. The Beggars’ Guild³ had many men who could climb high and move fast, and passing the meat from hand to hand and hauling one another up, they built dozens of “goat ladders”.

Guo Jing gave the word and was first up. Ten thousand officers and men, each with a long rope tied at the waist, slowly climbed to the summit. Strict orders had been given long before that not the slightest sound was to be made. In the darkness all that could be seen were dozens of huge, writhing dragons snaking their way up the peak.

The summit was no broad plateau. Ten thousand men packed it so densely that latecomers could barely find footing. Guo Jing ordered his soldiers to tie the leather canopies at their waists, take up their weapons, and leap into the city to assault the south gate.

He clapped his palms together and sprang first.

Several hundred Beggars’ Guild members leapt after him at once. To jump from such a height was perilous in the extreme, but the Mongol soldiers had long been steeped in courage and daring, and that day they had seen Ouyang Feng come down from the peak. The leather canopy each man wore was far safer than Ouyang Feng’s trick of filling his trousers with air. Seeing their commander-in-chief leap before them, every man’s spirit rose. In an instant the air above the peak bloomed as though ten thousand flowers had opened at once, leather canopies spreading wide, carrying the soldiers steadily down.

Huang Rong sat atop a crag of ice at the summit. Seeing the great task accomplished, she was overjoyed, and thought, Whether Genghis Khan takes the city or not is no concern of mine. But if Jing gege will listen to me, we may seize this chance to settle one great matter.

The moment Guo Jing’s feet touched ground, he tore the leather canopy from his back, swung his dao in a wide arc, and charged into the defenders. By now a few of the defenders had woken to the danger, but at the sight of tens of thousands of enemy descending from the sky, terror overwhelmed them. Where was their will to fight? The first to land were Beggars’ Guild members, every one a skilled fighter. Within moments they had fought their way to the gate. The Mongol troops came down in waves behind them. Several hundred soldiers’ canopies tore open and they fell to their deaths. Several hundred more were struck down by arrows mid-descent. Yet of every ten, more than eight landed safely. Most were blown drifting by the wind and landed scattered throughout the city, where Khwarezmian troops surrounded and killed or captured them. But close by the gate, a thousand or two thousand men came down together. Guo Jing ordered half to hold off the enemy and half to cut through the gate-bar and fling the gates open.

Genghis Khan, seeing Guo Jing’s men fly down into the city, was astonished and delighted. He at once mustered his whole army and drove it against the walls. The south gate stood wide open, held by several hundred Mongol troops with spears. Several thousand-man units swarmed through, and with fighters attacking from both within and without, the assault pressed forward with furious vigour.

The city’s garrison, over a hundred thousand strong, panicked beyond all measure. They had no idea where these enemies had come from. The Mongol army cut down defenders as they went, dousing everything in fire-oil and setting the city ablaze. Great pillars of flame shot skyward. The Khwarezmian soldiers broke into total disarray. Before dawn, the garrison collapsed into rout.

King Muhammad⁴ of Khwarezm received word that the north gate was still clear of the enemy. He at once threw open the gate and fled north. But one of Guo Jing’s tumens had long been waiting on either side. Arrows and spears rained down, and a great slaughter ensued. Muhammad had no mind to fight. He ordered Wanyan Honglie to command the rearguard, while he himself fled ahead, ringed by his bodyguards.

Guo Jing, intent above all on capturing Wanyan Honglie, caught sight of a golden helmet flashing amid the chaos and spurred his men in hot pursuit. The Khwarezmian army was beaten, but their numbers were still vast, and a cornered beast will fight. Every man was desperate, fighting for his life. Guo Jing’s force was too small to hold them. Dispatch riders came galloping back: the enemy was about to break through.

Guo Jing recalled the words of the military classics: Do not swallow bait. Do not intercept a retreating army. When surrounding an enemy, always leave an opening. Do not pursue a desperate foe.

He at once ordered a change of formation. The signal flags unfurled, and the four formations of Heaven, Earth, Wind and Cloud opened a lane. Tens of thousands of Khwarezmian soldiers poured through at full speed. Then the flags rose again, signal cannons thundered, and the four formations closed back in. Of the enemy only the ten-thousand-odd rear guard remained, elite troops all, but spent from their rout, their fighting spirit gone, their numbers fewer than those surrounding them. Every last man was taken prisoner by Guo Jing’s soldiers.

Guo Jing searched through the captives, but Wanyan Honglie was not among them. Though the battle was a complete victory, both his great enemies had escaped, and regret lingered.

By dawn, the last resistance within the city had been swept away. Genghis Khan assembled his generals in Muhammad’s own palace.

Guo Jing was still organising his men, taking stock of casualties and tending the wounded, when he heard the Great Khan’s golden horn sounding. He hurried towards the call, running to the plaza before the palace. By the gate stood a small detachment of soldiers, and among them were Huang Rong and the three elders, Lu Youjiao and the rest.

Huang Rong clapped her hands, and two soldiers carried forward a large hemp sack. She laughed and said, “Here, guess what’s inside.”

Guo Jing laughed in turn. “This city is full of strange and marvellous things. How could I possibly guess?”

“It is a present for you,” Huang Rong said. “You are going to be very pleased.”

Guo Jing suddenly wondered whether she had found some beautiful woman in the city and was playing a joke on him. He shook his head. “I don’t want it.”

“You truly don’t want it?” Huang Rong smiled. “Then don’t change your mind once you see it.”

She gave the sack a shake, and sure enough, a man tumbled out. His hair was wild and matted, his face smeared with blood, and he wore a Khwarezmian soldier’s sheepskin coat. One look at his face, and there was no mistaking him. It was Wanyan Honglie, Prince of Zhao of the Great Jin.

Guo Jing was overjoyed. “Wonderful. Where did you catch him?”

“I saw the routed soldiers pouring out of the north gate,” Huang Rong said. “One column flew the Prince of Zhao’s standard, and a general in a golden helmet and brocade robe led them running east. I thought, that Wanyan Honglie is as sly as they come. After a defeat like this, he would never openly display the Prince of Zhao’s banner. It had to be a ‘golden cicada sheds its shell’ trick. The banner went east, so the man himself must be fleeing west. I set an ambush with Elder Lu and the others on the west side, and sure enough, we caught the wretch.”

She drew from her person the short jian that had been Guo Jing’s and held it out to him. “Congratulations, today you have your great revenge. In a moment, when you kill this villain with this jian, your father’s spirit in Heaven will be glad.”

Guo Jing took the short jian. He bowed to her deeply. “Rong-er, you have avenged my father for me. I do not know what to say.”

Huang Rong pressed her lips together and smiled. “It was luck, that is all. You have performed a great service today, and the Great Khan is sure to reward you handsomely. That is what really counts.”

“There is nothing I want,” Guo Jing said.

Huang Rong stepped aside and lowered her voice. “Come here.”

Guo Jing followed.

Huang Rong said, “Is there truly nothing you want in this world?”

Guo Jing was startled. “I want only one thing: that we should never be parted.”

Huang Rong smiled. “After the great service you have done today, even if you offend the Great Khan in some matter, I do not think he would be angry.”

Guo Jing made a noncommittal sound, not yet understanding.

Huang Rong said, “If you ask him for a title or a rank now, he is sure to grant it. But if you ask him not to grant you a title or rank, he will find it hard to refuse. The key is this. You must get him to promise first, with his own lips, that whatever you ask, he will grant it.”

“Yes, of course!” Guo Jing said.

Huang Rong heard him say “Yes, of course” and nothing more, and he only scratched his head. She said crossly, “You are quite enjoying being the Golden Dao Prince Consort, aren’t you?”

Guo Jing saw the light at last. “Ah, I understand. You want me to ask the Great Khan to release me from the marriage. Get him to agree first, so that once I say it, he will find it hard to refuse.”

Huang Rong said crossly, “That depends entirely on you. Or perhaps you would quite like to be a prince consort?”

“Rong-er, Huazheng meizi⁵ has been true to me with all her heart, but I have only ever felt for her as a brother does for a sister. At first I felt bound by my word and could not break off the engagement. But if the Great Khan would withdraw his decree, it would be perfect for all concerned.”

Huang Rong was well pleased. She cast him a sidelong smile. Guo Jing was about to say more when the golden horn sounded a second time from within the palace. He squeezed Huang Rong’s hand and said, “Rong-er, wait for good news.”

He marched Wanyan Honglie into the palace for an audience with the Great Khan.

When Genghis Khan saw Guo Jing enter, his joy was such that he rose from his throne to greet him in person, took him by the hand, and led him up into the hall. A brocade-cushioned stool was brought and placed beside his own. When Guo Jing reported the capture of Wanyan Honglie, Genghis Khan’s delight redoubled. Wanyan Honglie lay prostrate on the floor. Genghis Khan raised his right foot and planted it on the man’s head.

“When you came to Mongolia flaunting your power, did you ever imagine this day?”

Wanyan Honglie knew death was certain. He raised his head and said, “At the time, the Jin army was at the height of its strength. I only regret that we did not crush your petty Mongolia first, to spare ourselves this present trouble.”

Genghis Khan laughed aloud. He ordered his guards to drag the man out and behead him before the palace gate.

Guo Jing thought of his father’s great wrong, at last avenged. Joy and sorrow mingled in his heart. He had intended to kill Wanyan Honglie himself with the short jian Qiu Chuji had given him, but seeing the man’s face haggard with despair, the fury in his breast suddenly drained away. He felt no need to strike the blow himself.

Genghis Khan said, “I once proclaimed that whoever took the city and captured Wanyan Honglie should have all the women, jade and silk of this city as his reward. Take your men and collect them.”

Guo Jing shook his head. “My mother and I live under the Great Khan’s protection, and we have warmth and food enough. Slaves, gold and silk beyond that would be of no use to us.”

“Good,” said Genghis Khan. “That is the mark of a true hero. Then what do you want? Whatever you ask, I will grant it.”

Guo Jing rose from his seat and bowed. “I have one request, Great Khan. Pray do not be angered.”

“Speak,” Genghis Khan said, smiling.

Guo Jing was about to ask to be released from the marriage when a sound came rolling from afar, the wailing and screaming of tens of thousands of voices, shaking heaven and earth, piercing the heart. Every general in the hall leapt to his feet and drew his dao, thinking that the surrendered Khwarezmian soldiers and townspeople had suddenly risen in revolt. They made to rush out and put them down.

Genghis Khan laughed. “It is nothing, nothing. This dog of a city defied the might of Heaven and cost me men and generals, and it killed my beloved grandson besides. The whole city must be washed in blood. Come, everyone, come and watch.”

He rose and walked out. The generals followed.

They mounted outside the palace and rode hard towards the western quarter of the city. The wailing grew ever more terrible. When they passed through the gate, they saw numberless citizens fleeing, screaming, tumbling over one another in their panic, while Mongol horsemen galloped back and forth among them, dao whirling, hacking into the crowds.

The Mongol command had been that every last citizen must be driven from the city. None were to be left behind. At first the people had believed the Mongols were merely taking a census to root out spies. But first the Mongol soldiers had stripped the citizens of every weapon, then singled out all the skilled craftsmen, and then began dragging beautiful young women from the crowds, binding them with rope. Only now did the people of Samarkand understand that catastrophe had fallen upon them. Some attempted to resist and were speared or cut down on the spot.

More than a dozen Mongol thousand-man units charged into the crowd with a single roaring battle-cry, dao raised, cutting down men and women, old and young, without distinction.

The slaughter was beyond anything a human heart could comprehend. From white-haired grandfathers to infants not yet weaned from their mothers’ breasts, not one was spared. By the time Genghis Khan and his generals arrived to survey the scene, over a hundred thousand souls had already been cut down. Blood and flesh flew in every direction. The iron hooves of the Mongol horses trampled the carpet of corpses as they rode to and fro, killing.

Genghis Khan laughed aloud. “Well done, well done. Let them learn what I am capable of.”

Guo Jing watched for a short while. He could endure no more. He spurred his horse to Genghis Khan’s side and cried, “Great Khan, spare them.”

Genghis Khan waved a hand. “Kill them all. Leave not one alive.”

Guo Jing dared not speak again. Then he saw a child of seven or eight break free from the crowd and fling itself upon a woman knocked down by a warhorse. The child screamed, “Mama!” A Mongol soldier swept past at full gallop, his dao flashing, and cut mother and child into four pieces. The child’s hands still clung tightly around its mother.

Guo Jing’s blood boiled in his breast. He shouted, “Great Khan, you said the women, jade and silk of this city were mine. Why have you ordered a massacre?”

Genghis Khan was taken aback, then laughed. “You refused them yourself.”

“You said you would grant me anything I asked. Is that so?”

Genghis Khan nodded, smiling.

Guo Jing said loudly, “The Great Khan’s word stands like a mountain. I ask you to spare the lives of these hundreds of thousands of people.”

Genghis Khan was stunned. He had never imagined this request. But having given his word, how could he go back on it? Rage surged within him. His eyes seemed to spit fire. He glared at Guo Jing, his hand on the hilt of his dao.

“Little fellow, do you truly ask this of me?”

The princes and generals, seeing the Khan’s fury, were seized by cold terror. The men who stood in ranks on either side of Genghis Khan had each fought a hundred battles. They were fierce and fearless, and death held no terrors for them. But the Great Khan’s wrath was another matter. Under that fury, not one of them failed to shiver.

Footnotes

1. 时辰 — shíchén. Traditional Chinese unit of time equal to two hours; the day was divided into twelve shichen. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

2. 万人队 — wànrén duì. Literally ten-thousand-man unit. The tumen, the largest standard formation of the Mongol army. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

3. 丐帮 — Gàibāng. Literally beggars’ guild. The largest band in the jianghu, with members throughout the realm. See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

4. 摩诃末 — Móhēmò. Ala ad-Din Muhammad II, Shah of the Khwarazmian Empire (r. 1200—1220). See Wuxia Wiki. ↩

5. 妹子 — mèizi. The colloquial form of 妹妹, little sister; after a name it marks affection, not kinship. ↩