The Successors of Genghis Khan - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian ...

BEGINNING OF THE HISTORY OF QUBILAI Q
Damascus, and his sons, Abu Bakr, Ibrahim, and Muhammad, and his
dependants had constructed seven large mangonels and set out to
capture the town. Gau Finjan sent a spy to the commanders of the
army to say: "I have committed no crime, but there was enmity between
me and the Emir Ahmad, and we used to attack each other, and
now I have fled hither in fear. But if the Qa'an will spare my life I
shall deliver the town into your hands, and the foundation of the
kingdom of Manzi is laid upon this town, and when it is taken, the
whole of the country will be conquered." They sent Gau Finjan's
messenger to the Qa'an to report this message to him. The Qa'an
received him with favor and sent a letter of safe-conduct and a sword
for Gau Finjan. He was encouraged by this. The army now trained
the mangonels on the castle and destroyed the towers; and Gau
Finjan made a hole from the inside and came out. And when the ruler
of Manzi learnt of the destruction of the towers and Gau Finjan's
treachery he abandoned the castle and departed with a large following
to the far side of the river. And when Bayan had captured the castle
on this side and massacred and looted, he fled with his forces from the
far side also and was unable to make a stand in any place and face the
army of the Qa'an; and so the whole of Manzi was subdued and conquered.
As for Gau Finjan, he joined the Qa'an's army, and when he
arrived in Court was distinguished with all manner of favors, being
reinstated nsfinjan and becoming the associate of the Emir Ahmad.
The Emir Ahmad held the vizierate with honor for nearly 25 years,
and Gau Finjan was associated with him for 9 years more with his
customary rancor and envy; and after another 9 years he made another
attempt on his life. It happened as follows. A certain Khitayan laid
claim to properties of holiness and chastity and had made himself
known in the ordos for his asceticism and piety. One day he pretended
to be ill and sent some of his disciples to the emirs to say: "I shall die
and come to life again after 40 days." They went and said this, and
some people were sent to investigate. He was lying in his house in the
manner of the dead and his children were mourning and lamenting
over him. They thought that he was really dead, but after 40 days
he came out and put about the story that he had come to life again.
The Khitayans rallied around him and his affairs prospered greatly.
Gau Finjan and the people of Daidu now went to him and consulted
291