Way of Overlord

In times of peace, the minister embezzle money and people suffer. In times of war, the poor dies for the honour of the ministers

Aeryon however did not hate kings and emperors so much.

Does the emperor and kings have no fault?

They do.

But sometimes if you peer behind the curtains sometimes, those minister held more power than the kings and sometimes they are the true power behind the throne.

When an mampoer hold true absolute power, then it is fair to attribute fault to them.

But most of the time power is shared.

Aeryon himself understood this. And he also uses this tactics. Is he hypocritical?

He is.

But he too are human.

And he wanted to survive.

Even if he taught all of this knowledge, the people of the Steppe would not want to learn it. Not that they could not learn, the circumstances and the environment does not allow it.

If he wanted to educate the people....then circumstances and the environment must allow it.

Aeryon knows that sometimes circumstances and environment held more sway than people thought

Those who do not live through it would not understand. All they could see probably is laziness when what is called laziness is knowing the general trend.

In the ceremony Aeryon also gave Chayun the title of a Great Bannerlord. It is an ancient title. It is a position of honour and military power during the time of the old empire

Aeryon uses it as a military aristocratic title.

Great Bannerlord Chayun

This is also because he classify Chayun as the leader of a major tribal confederation.

Going forward, he probably would meet this kind of chief more often and he needed to quickly win their allegiance instead of fighting them, weakening his men and hindering his true goals which is to stop the encroachment of the Princes of Yan from slaughtering his people

Conquering the world is the method but not the goal. Does he want to imitate Genghis Khan and create immortal achievement?

Yes, he never deny it.

But he also knows which one is the further goal and which one in the immediate goals.

The pitiful thing is that he could talk about the far away goals but he could not talk about the immediate goals.

How could he said that he knew that the Yan princes would one day ride north and slaughter their people?

Could he said he got the divine providence and the gods favour him and tell the future? But the thing is many things had already changed and he doesn’t know if it has changed.

And it is not something that needed to be said.

Aeryon knew that while he could not spoke about the future events, he could talk about wanting to conquer the Steppe.

And people would believe him. Even though to many people this seems as absurd as the other

The reason is simple

To them ambition is always something absurd.

Aeryon compromise with reality because reality did not hinder him from achieving his ambition.

That ceremony of the Khan did not elevate the Brolgadhr alone instead, they elevated the surrendered chief

This might be the last time that the Khan would give and do such ceremony.

The great Bannerlord seems to be a title that could be given to chief that led a confederation.

Maybe someday when Aeryon march north to attack the Central Great Steppe, he could give this title to the chief that led tribal confederation

Other than this title Aeryon also give him the title the Prince of Chagai, another example of recognizing his status and also confirm hereditary authority and set him up as a place among the highest nobles in Aeryon new tent

As for the other chiefs like the chief of Ultar and Nergui they are given the title of Noyan and some powerful warriors and nobles of the three tribes are given the title of Darkhan

They have special privileges. Some tax exemption, legal privileges and direct access to the ruler

The Darkhan is a title that Aeryon would give for extraordinary service.

One might argue why the other tribes is given such title but when you look at the fact that Aeryon conquered the three tribes with low casualty and pacified them with a single ceremony, one might understood the brilliance of his move

The enemy of the Khan would want him to entangled and be mired in a problem in the west.

And Aeryon adhering to the art of war knows that what the enemy wants you to do, you should do your hardest not to do what they want you to do

And that is the path to victory

A few of the three tribe’s warriors are also given the title of Baghatur. The champion of the tribe. This is a title given to those warriors who either died fighting the Brolgadhr and those who shows considerable power and courage during the attack of the Brolgadhr.

This is Aeryon way of winning the hearts of the warriors. Because of the martial culture of the Steppe, even enemies respect their heroes

Feud between tribes are frequent and there is even cases of an enemy tribe would eat the heart of their slain enemies because of this hatred

But a great hero is respected even by enemy tribes.

In the story of Hansraj, it is said that once of his enemies once offer a thousand sheep and a hundred Tayak for his head.

Countless warriors all over the Steppe then set for his head. Hansraj was in a feast when he heard this new told by some of his companions.

And when the tent heard it, they all wore a worried expression. But Hansraj pour an Ayrag into his goblet and laugh

He said "How highly they respected me!"

The fact that someone would give such a price to his head shows jhow much people respect his prowess as a warrior

Aeryon deeds if it were done in Yan or Roma could be considered elevating the enemies and disregarding one own allies.

But that is not the case in the Steppe. Different culture have different ways and different values.

Even enemies have respect to their enemies and sometimes even with enemies, they feel closer to them than their own people

especially if the enemies did not yet share such a bloody feud.

The warriors in Brolgadhr and the warriors in the three tribes understood that the war they fight is not because the rulers of these tribes have feud against each other

This is a war fight because of interest.

The interest of the Brolgadhr to conquer and unify the Southern Great Steppe and the interest of these three western tribes to remain independent and maybe carve their own regime on the west

So, there is no objection.

If Aeryon could not distinguish this, he of course have the responsibility of chilling the heart of his own soldiers.

But because he knew the sentiment, he could hold such ceremony rewarding these tribes.

The west was not without fangs.

Aeryon discover this the moment he tries to take it down and with Chayun giving him the pros and cons, he decided to accept thing as they are given some autonomy that should be given and won himself some ally on the west so that he could focus on the east

After all, like the Jianghu, to conquer the world and govern it, one should not talk about killing all day. It is also about connection and relationship

Aeryon did not just give rewards to the men of the three tribes. If he did that, his men would probably rebel against him if he kept doing it

Everyone that should be rewarded be reward. The soldier get meat, resources, clothes and many other spoils.

Some of it come from Aeryon own pocket , some of it comes from the treasury from the city of Brolgadhr, some of it comes from the places they raided

Aeryon lavish his men with gold, and salt he got from the raids of the mercenary bands that attack the south.

Gold is precious in this time but the thing that is more precious is food and clothes.

Paper money is not yet invented

Most people use copper coins and bartering is still a method used by many of the herders. Aeryon did not change this not because he did not want to change it but because the circumstances is not yet enough

Not only they did not have paper technology they did not yet have any capital base.

But Aeryon have a lot of resources.

Sometimes it reach the point that is about to overflow. And clothes are not only useful and beneficial it is also a symbol of status.

Aeryon gifted his men with all of this and give them horses, food, armours and weapons.

This is weapon and armor bestowed by the Khan and they are sharp and sturdy unlike their own makeshift weapons or their personal weapons.

Other than noble and powerful families who have their own way of acquiring highly sharp weapons and sturdy armours most of the warriors that joined could only make do with what they have

This is different or the Khan personal guards whose armours, weapon and livelihoods is sponsored by the Khan own resources.

Then the titles were given, many were promoted and only a few were demoted and only a few were punished

Of course, the biggest appointment was the appointment of Noyan and Tumen, two of the highest title in Aeryon current army structure

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