Genghis:Yes. OK. It would help if I had some more details about your situation, but I will do what I can for you. My nephew explains to me that with the internet people want anonymity. So you sign your name 'W'. This I don't understand. My nephew says it would be like a field officer sending a messenger, and the messenger refusing to tell me who sent him. I said, "Jimmy, I would know who sent him." And Jimmy-Krak says, "Uncle, it's not like that anymore, you can't just torture people." I say, "I would not need to torture him, I could tell from his smell where he was from, and then I would know who sent him." So he starts on this, "What if he took a bath," and so on, and we argue for an hour, but he's a good nephew and he knows how this internet works so I say, "OK, I think I understand."
Now that my generals are finally demonstrating military progress in an ongoing conflict, my domestic political opponents have changed tactics. They are attempting to topple the provincial government I've supported in the conflict area, so that they can use the so-called "lack of political progress" as an excuse to force a withdrawal of our military troops, thus ending the conflict -- in my country's defeat. For some reason, they believe that this would represent a domestic political victory for their faction.
How should I react?
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W
Good then. You have generals and you've conquered some land, very good. So you are a Khan, then.
W-Khan, here is how to become a great Khan. Know that you cannot conquer many lands while you still have political opponents at home. But also know that your political opponents will lose their power if you conquer other lands. This has always been true. The timing is not easy, and you must be diligent. Early successes must be used to destroy political opponents, otherwise you will not continue to have successes.
Perhaps you know that I had a very difficult time with my sworn blood-brother, Jamuqa. He would rather tear apart the Monguls than allow me full leadership, and this had to be dealt with. It is not easy to break the back of a blood-brother, but it is better than allowing a great people to destroy themselves with internal conflict. So do what you must do, finish them. But if you wait, you have lost the advantage.
None of that is to say that your opponents are wrong, just that they must be dealt with if you want to be a great Khan. What is this nonsense about supporting a provincial government? Assure me that you are not assisting the lands you have conquered. Who has conquered whom, in that case? Have them pay you tribute, and let them worry about the details of governing. Only supervise enough to make sure they are not reforming significant armies, and if they fail to bring you tribute, take it from whatever resources they have, whether gold, yaks, or fertile wombs. OK? Simple enough.
