“If he had learned anything from his father’s fate, it was to win, no matter how you did it. It was not important if someone else was hurt, or killed. If you won, you would be forgiven anything. You could be taken from a stinking ger and forced through the ranks until a thousand men followed your orders as if they came from the khan himself. Blood and talent. The nation was built on both.”

“My word is iron," Kublai said to the guards, as Meng Guang was led away. "Your people will come to know this, in time.”

“We are all fools with our sons. We wipe them and suckle them and all we expect is for them to be grateful to the end of their days.”

“You have a powerful army, Kublai, but the best force is one you do not have to use.”

“Sung Win smiled to himself, enjoying the tension across his shoulders and the way his pulse beat in his veins. All life involved risk.”

“It's all you can say, when the end comes: 'I did not waste my time.' I think that matters. I think it may be all that matters.”

“Predators did not need mercy.”

“I am the rightful khan of the nation. I am the gur-khan. My word is iron and my word is law.”

“Kublai went on as if he had not spoken.“Before you all, in the lands of my enemies, I declare myself great khan of the nation, of the khanates under my brothers, Hulegu and Arik-Boke, of the Chagatai khanate and all others. I declare myself great khan of the Chin lands and the Sung. I have spoken and my word is iron!”

“I am not you and all my choices have already been made, good and bad.”

“No worthy goal should come easily, he told himself. Suffering created value.”