Q2 OR#8

In the next installment of my chosen outside reading book, "Genghis: Lords of the Bow" by Conn Iggulden, the main character, Genghis Khan, Lord of the united Mongol tribes, continues with the siege of the Chinese capitol, Yenking. In my last post, I reflected on the task at hand for the Mongol nation/war horde. They had tried to take down the walls with siege equipment, but to no avail, and have decided to starve the city out. Now the Horde has been stationed outside the walls of Yenking for some time. The Horde has a system to ensure the quick conquering of all cities they come across. the first day they come to a town, they raise a white tent in front of the main city gates, and spend the night. The next day, a red tent is put in its place. The third day, and the last of waiting, a black tent is raised. If the city has not surrendered by the time of the rising of the black tent, it will be sacked the next day, with none left alive. If the town surrenders on the second day, the day of the red tent, the city will be sacked and all the men killed. If the town surrenders on the day of the Horde's arrival and the white tent, the city will be pillaged and whatever the Horde wants to take from the city will be taken, but all lives will be spared. The theory behind this system is that though the first town to be sacked will not understand the method, a few survivors from the sacking after the day of the black tent will flee the ruined city and tell other cities of what happened. Slowly, by word of mouth, this system will be spread. Sure enough, Genghis was moving quickly, conquering cities a day each as they learned the fear of the red and black tents. This idea was proposed to him by his seers, his younger brother Temuge and Temuge's sensei Kokchu.