Comparing himself to figures like Aeryon, Dama, Valgrun, Karnain, these great figures that rose in this contention period of the Steppe is like comparing heaven and earth
His father could not teach him the thod of discerning people hearts and divining people thoughts from their action but one thing he did learn was the responsibility of a chief towards its people
That the people are the foundation of power for a chief.
As long as the people trust you, you could always make a coback.
As long as you protect the people under your rule, you are a great ruler to them
Even if you conquer the world from earth to the heavens, if the people could not feel the benefit and do not live a good life under your rule, then you are a tyrant and they would curse you whether in their waking mont, in their sleep and even in their dreams
His father thoughts are quite different from the thoughts of other chiefs.
But his father also said, never show this side to the chiefs and others
When he asks why, his father said, whatever you care about whatever you cherish, if your enemies know about it, then it beca your weakness
You must mask this weakness. Sotis the more you love sothing, the more you must show to the world you hate it and did not even care about it
Because once people knew, then the things you love would be the thing you have to protect the most.
And in that process, you would lose both. Both the power to protect and both the things you love
Hence, his father shows the appropriate amount of love for his people enough for the people to like him, enough for the chief not to think of it as his weakness
Chayun knows that if his father dies, with his capability, he could not maintain this alliance.
Everyone said that the alliance of the Cha Ner Ul Alliance is sturdy.
Those people did not know how his father had maintained the delicate balance between the Nergui and Ultar.
Both of these tribes back down because of the promise Chadha made the, the promise of controlling the west and they believe in that promise because they truly see they could contend with the east.
There is a common enemy
Chayun himself knows, if Aeryon is defeated, then that is when the problem between the tribes would erupt.
Without an external enemy to unite against, they would turn on themselves. The rivalry between Nergui and Ultar is not so easily bridged.
Not to ntion both of those chiefs have pride.
But Chadha, his father could rein them in not only because he older and more respected, it is also because under his manoeuvring, those warriors also listen to him and the more victory the Cha Ner Ul Alliance won, the stronger his prestige
In the Steppe, prestige is like reputation in Yan. It is invisible, but its power could be seen.
That prestige made those two chiefs listen and the more the alliance wins, the more they listen. Not only because of force, but also because of benefits.
In other words, Nergui and Ultar have felt the benefit of having the three tribes banding together and they are addicted to it
Addicted to winning.
Chayun look at his father with a complicated expression. His father looks at him full of hope. But he knew he could not answer to this hope
"Father, if you pass away, the best I could do is to protect the tribe" Chadha listening to this were not disappointed
Instead, he smiles
"I know." He paused for a second and then added
"I am making a bet. If I win, even if you do not have my thod, my legacy will live on, and the prestige of our tribe would maintain this alliance. If we lose....." Chadha shakes his head and sighs
He would like it if he won but things in the world does not always follows your intention. His sigh is long and echoes loudly in the tent and he shakes his head
"In the unfortunate event that it happens, whatever you choose, I know you would choose the right thing"
Chayun look down and shakes his head
"Should the main force make a move?"
Chadha nodded
"We need to make so moves. And now it is better than ever. Go fight a few rabbles to increase the morale. It would take so ti before Aeryon forces could co. The whole main force is big. And as being small has its disadvantages, being big also its disadvantages. The supply, the expenditure of such a large army would be enormous. A five way front battle. Five fronts with tens of thousands of n on each side"
Chadha smiles a bit and laughs
"HAHAHA!" he truly laughs. Chayun had never seen his father laugh like this. There is so kind of pride in that laugh
Though Chayun did not know what his father is laughing about and why he laugh
Chadha feelings is a feeling only he could understand. It is just a pity that Aeryon did not appear in his youth. If not, they could be friends
Aeryon is a kind of hero that appreciates heroes. And it is the sa for Chadha. Their dislike of each other is purely political.
Personally, Chadha very much like the young Khan. And the young Khan seriousness in facing him shows how much the young Khan respect him.
"There has never been such a battle in the Steppe in such a long ti" Chadha smiles have never been this wide as he looks up and seeing the ceiling of his tent and then he laughed
"Unification is already here. Only the form is different. I admire Aeryon very much. He had done what none of those overlords all over the Steppe has never been able to do in hundreds of years"
Then he sighed
"As for , I am just trying to carve a path for my tribe. This old man wanted to try to gamble this. If I win, my descendant could hold the title of Khan and lives like the kings of the Zhou and Yan"
"If not, then with our strength, we could still survive. Still, whatever choice we wanted to make, we need to fight first. Because....." And Chadha look at his son Chayun eyes.
"...No one would know who would win and lose until the last mont"
And Chadha chuckles
He had lived long enough to see that sotis; real life is more bizarre than in the stories told on the campfire.
Stories have to follow so kind of logic. Sothing that the people could listen to and understand.
But Chadha knows sotis people did not act rationally and sotis even the most impossible position could be reversed
It is only after the fact that storytellers try to justify certain actions or reason out certain decision
Before fighting, the odds could look any way they want.
But it is only after fighting, one would truly know. Who wins and who loses....who knows until the last mont?
Chayun could only nod and agree with his father words.
And he could not help but look at his father and he frowned
Chayun has complicated feeling about his father
His father, old as he is now, is still as heroic and he is thinking about great things and doing grand things
He never knew how sharp his father fang is until it bares it to the world.
Before Aeryon began his conquest Chagai tribe was quite peaceful in terms of fighting.
There is fighting here and there but never a large-scale war or a battle where they would field thousands of n in each side.
When his father had the capital to fight the world, he suddenly is able to command tens of thousands of n and command the heroes of the world relying only on his prestige and charisma
Those who said that he won the three tribes’ approval and command the awe and respect of the heroes just by using his words clearly never see his father in action and never truly knows the kind of deanour his father possess that made all the heroes convinced in following him
It is the sa father he has always known. It is just a different side that he never shows him
It is not that his father hidden this side from him. It is just in the past; there is no place for his father to show this side
This heroic side could only be shown when there is a power to back it up
And with the rise of his father and the rise of his tribe, Chayun who was just rely a son of a chief of a dium tribe has now beco the son of a chief of a large tribe, able to command tens of thousands of n
He is not different from a king or duke from those empires and kingdoms. Even in those empires and kingdoms, sotis the Crown Prince would never have such authority and independence to command their army like Chayun did.
The virtue of the father transferred to the children
But at the sa he also knows the difference between his father and him
Chayun has his good points but....he is not like his father.
That heroic air, that carefree feelings of treating the world like a chessboard and everything is it pieces
..
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