Chapter - 477 The Great Army Heads West (12) (1/2)

One particular day the weather was clear and the air was fresh, the sky stretched out for tens of thousands miles, blue like it was fresh from the laundry. The one hundred and fifty thousand Mongolian cavalry were arranged in row after row on the prairie. Genghis Khan offered a sacrifice to the heaven and earth, making a vow before going into battle. Toward all his generals he said, ”Stone has no skin, but there is a limit to human's life. My hair and beard have all turned white. This time I go to war, don't know if I am going back home alive. My concubine has reminded me last night, and I think she was right. I have to assign one of my sons today to lift high my banner after I am gone.”

The generals had fought hundreds of battle, following Genghis Khan's attacks to the east and expeditions to the west. His white hair had been gray. Suddenly hearing the Great Khan was going to appoint his successor, they were all surprised and delighted at the same time. All eyes gazed toward his face, waiting for him to say his successor's name.

Genghis Khan said, ”Jochi, you are my eldest son, tell me, whom should I appoint?” Jochi's heart skipped a beat. He was very capable, had rendered the most service, besides, he was the eldest son. He had always thought that when his father king died, naturally the position would fall into his lap. Now that the Great Khan suddenly asked, he did not know how to reply.

Genghis Khan's second son, Chagatai, was like a raging fire. He did not live harmoniously with his eldest brother. Hearing his father king asking his brother, he opened his mouth, ”He wants Jochi to speak, what order will he receive? How can we let this Mergid bastard rule over us?”

Actually when Genghis Khan was young, his army was weak; as a result his wife was captured by their enemy, the Mergids. After several years in captivity, his wife was taken back, but by that time she had already given birth to Jochi. Genghis Khan accepted this fact with an open mind; he regarded Jochi as his own son.

Listening to his own brother's insult Jochi could not hold his patience any longer, he charged forward, grabbing Chagatai's chest, shouted, ”Father King had never regarded me as an outsider, how dare you insulted me? What skill do you have that I don't? You are nothing more than an irritable hot-tempered arrogant man. Let's go out and have a duel; if I lost to you in archery, I will rip my own thumb. If I lost to you in martial arts, I will throw myself on the ground and never get up!” Turning his head toward Genghis Khan he said, ”Father King, please give your order.” Two brothers grabbed each other's chest, ready to have a duel right then and there.

The rest of the generals stepped forward to separate them; Bourchu pulled Jochi's hand, while Mukhali held Chagatai's hand.

Genghis Khan was silent; he remembered his own disgrace in his youth that he was not even able to defend his wife's honor, which had caused today's dispute. The generals all blamed Chagatai for bringing up past events and hurt their parents' hearts.

”Both of you, drop it!” finally Genghis Khan said, ”Jochi is my eldest son; I will always love him no matter what. I forbid anyone to speak bad about him.”

Chagatai let Jochi go, he said, ”Jochi is very capable, everybody knows that. But in term of generosity and benevolence, he is inferior to the third brother, Ogedei. I vote for Ogedei.”

”Jochi, what do you say?” Genghis Khan asked.

Jochi could see the unfavorable situation; he knew his hope to be the Great Khan was shattered. He had always had good relationship with his third brother; he knew the third brother was kindhearted, certainly would not do him any harm in the future, therefore, he said, ”Very well, I also support Ogedei.”