Many, like the Khazars, were always welcome and not limited at all. We knew who they were and what they stand for. The Kazakhs, Buryats, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Tadjik, Turkmen, Bashkirs, Tuvans, Mordvins, Kalmyks, and the others were trusted but not all the time and not completely. They could be with you for years, intermarried, related and betray you at a moment’s notice or without one. One day they stay with you, bleed with you, die with you, and the next day, they stick a knife under your ribs. Yet, they were a part of the horde, and I respect that. We would give them the odd jobs to do like minding the animal herds, fixing, and mending things. They did an excellent job because they were paid for it and respected. A good worker is like a good soldier; both were valuable and well respected. Also, we keep these people responsible for protecting the trains with our loot and the supplies. The honor would not allow them to steal but, if they did, the punishment was severe, and the family would not be reimbursed for the lost one. They know it, they think about it and rarely break the rules. Only a foolish one would take that chance. A cut off a limb is much worse than a death sentence, and that’s the punishment. You would be slowly dying for a very long time, cast off from your clan and everyone knows what you’ve done. Your honor is in question, and that is a shame for the whole family, the entire tribe.
Thus, for tending the trains, we would dispatch a skeleton crew of a few soldiers, and the rest of it would be the Tatars or the others. It’s a good deal all around. I do not spread too many trained soldiers around, and the others have a paying job. They can earn the keep and be proud of it. Also, the trains are well manned and are rarely attacked by the wild tribes. For the people on the train, it is much safer than, let’s say, in the regular Tumen. There is some danger but not much. Thus, they serve as the soldiers with the pay almost of the soldier, but the risk is somewhat less. Sometimes we allow their families to stay with the train but not the prominent families. That could be too much. If the family has some children that could help, I am all for it. I always assign a herd of animals to the train so, the children can take care of it and then, they have plenty to eat. The supply trains were self-efficient almost all the time, but there were only a few of them. I could not put everything on one supply train. That could be too chancy even for us. Who said that the brigands could not raise a few hundred horsemen and attack the train. It was possible. The attraction was too high. If it were attractive and large enough, they would, and they even tried it once or twice already. Then, I would need five hundred men or so to escort and protect it. That would be too much. No, the smaller trains that could move faster and defend themselves adequately were the best solution. It worked out fine. My soldiers had a family to go to, good food, women and our herds of animals were taken care of. I rarely had problems with the supply trains or the loot trains. I just kept rotating people there, just in case. I did not want anyone to get too comfortable, too lazy. But, I supported it all, and they paid me back in kind. I know I am feared, and I hope I am fair. Loved… I doubt that. That was not too important to me.
Ogedei Khan and some of my other close relatives wanted to participate in the division of the spoils from Europe so, they invested whatever they could. There was money, people, supplies, weapons, and whatever else we may need. They tried to cover every aspect of the prolonged war, the multitude of people involved, the distances, customs, languages, supplies, weapons, fortifications, and most of all, the advice. They were close and available to me when I needed the help. Ogedei Khan sent me one thousand Chinese soldiers from his own army. Also, I received from him a herd of two thousand heads of cattle and five thousand lambs. A few thousand goats and the grain came a few months later. There were another two thousand Chinese soldiers and five hundred Koreans. In addition to that, Ogedei sent me one hundred doctors, one hundred blacksmiths and one hundred tailors with a wagon train of silk, leather and the rough cotton material used for the padding to wear under the leather battle dress and under the saddles for the horses. We also had wagons and wagons of raw iron for the weapons and the armor repair. Weapons and armor came separately. That was huge, the King gift. It also demonstrated the level of his trust and support.
All of that was a valued gift and not just from the cost point of view. It was political as well. Still, many people had to be employed to produce so much of it. And, the raw materials… It was not cheap. No, Ogedei did not spare the expenses, and he was genuine. That was an open demonstration of the care, and I needed that. He really wanted to help. Everyone wanted to help and be counted. I know, I know, they see a lot of profit from my expedition, but that is only if we succeed. We could fail. It is unlikely, but it could take much longer, and we may need much more resources. Supplies could become a problem. People could become a problem. Our columns would stretch for hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. I could pay the bills but in the middle of the war this stuff, anything, was not easy to obtain. Ogedei gave it to me from his personal domains, and that was very friendly of him.
I liked Ogedei always, and I think he was my best and the most powerful relative. Just a few months ago, I heard that one of my cousins was planning a coup while Ogedei was visiting his horde for the wedding ceremony of the cousin’s daughter. I did not think it was right, and I did not think it was honorable. Subutai and I were present there, and without even saying anything to Ogedei, I ordered the arrest of the entire family of the cousin. Then, it was reported to Ogedei, and he held the court. The cousin was found guilty and executed, but his family (only the women) were spared and ordered to live with the family of a new groom. That was a wedding, after all, and goodwill should prevail. I think Ogedei was overly lenient, leaving so many conspirators alive, but that was his judgment, and I accepted it. Women were not guilty. Children were not guilty. Slaves were not guilty.
Life is quite complicated in the steppes. It is like sailing in the uncharted waters; the underwater dangers were just waiting for you anywhere you turn. There you have to combine the knowledge that you acquire and the sense of survival that you inherit. The spies will bring you the information. Thus, education and you have to trust your feelings. The first feeling is usually the right one. Maybe it happens that way because it comes from the gods. Don’t override your feelings with overthinking. You may lose at that. Subutai was good with trusting the emotions, and so is I. Between two of us, we win most of the time. Well, we win all the time. In our state and in our business, if you lose even once, you lose your life. You have to win all the time just to survive. I guess, we were destined to rule and that is why we do it so well. Just don’t be soft or lazy. That’s a losing proposition, and I do not want it. I try not to make any spontaneous decisions. I listen to my brain, the logic, the feelings. The heart is good but only as of the first response, the immediate reaction. I always step back and think the situation over. Often, my decision after that is entirely different. Lives usually were spared or not. That’s how it swings to extremities, and you cannot go to more extreme than that. Lives in and lives out — that’s it, that’s the extent of it. I do not think about it, and I do. How can you really not to think about lives? What is more important?”