prosperous age

Over the next two days, Wei Guangde worked diligently in the cabinet and also reviewed the list of memorials that the cabinet had processed in the previous period, which were sent by Lu Bu.

Having been away for several months, Wei Guangde lacked relevant historical knowledge and could only read more, hoping to recall some records he had seen before.

He still has memories of both his past and present lives, but his memories of his previous life are buried deep in his mind. Without any new information to stimulate him, he really wouldn't be able to recall them.

After sorting through the memorials from the previous period and finding that they contained nothing of significance, Wei Guangde put them aside and continued to process the memorials distributed today.

Just then, his keen hearing allowed him to hear footsteps coming from outside.

No one spoke, but the footsteps were coming this way.

A moment later, Lu Bu appeared at the doorway.

Wei Guangde looked over, and Lu Bu quickly walked to the table and said, "Master, Commander Liu has arrived."

The only person who was able to get into this place was Liu Shouyou, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Let him in."

The day after he returned to the capital, Liu Shouyou secretly visited his residence and sent him a copy of the briefings that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had sent to the palace during this period, summarizing the key points.

When Wei Guangde came again today, he felt it was time to deliver the briefing again.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards relayed reports to the palace. Major events were reported immediately, while minor or insignificant matters were reported every three to five days, with varying content.

Soon, Liu Shouyou entered the duty room and bowed to Wei Guangde in front of the desk.

Military generals in the Ming Dynasty ultimately only received this kind of treatment.

If he were a civil official, Wei Guangde would have already gotten up and walked towards the door, at least making a gesture of going out to greet him.

However, if you're facing a military general, then you don't need to put on any act.

Liu Shouyou was a scholar, but he was a military officer in the court, so he was used to this.

Later generations all thought the Embroidered Uniform Guard was very powerful, but that was in the early Ming Dynasty. After the mid-Ming Dynasty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's power had already diminished.

Of course, when the imperial decree ordered the confiscation of property, it was quite ruthless; old grievances and new ones were settled together.

"Grand Secretary Wei, this is the intelligence we just received from the grasslands."

Sure enough, Liu Shouyou's arrival at the palace meant something big was about to happen.

Just two days ago, Wei Guangde spoke about the grasslands, and today there is further news.

"But is it because of Anda Khan?"

Li Donglin reached out and took the folded document from Liu Shouyou, quickly opening it to read.

"Guihua City suddenly closed its gates three days ago, and the news has not been able to get out."

Liu Shouyou said quickly.

"Oh?"

Wei Guangde was taken aback, and then a guess came to his mind: the Khan Anda, who had once made the Jiajing Emperor hate him to the core, was probably only a couple of days away.

"anything else?"

Wei Guangde had no interest in reading the contents of the memorial; instead, he stared at Liu Shouyou and asked a question.

"There are rumors that Princess Zhongjin led her guards out of Guihua City and went to the Butashili tribe."

Previously, some people had seen a large cavalry force leaving Guihua City and heading northwest, which seemed to be the princess's guards.

"Now, Hannaji is in charge of Guihua City, and Huang Taiji has already led his men there."

Liu Shouyou immediately said.

"According to the Mongol succession order, the Khanate should have been inherited by Huang Taiji, right?"

Wei Guangde wasn't entirely sure, because there was still a public election process involved, and he needed to find out whether the old Khan had the right to designate a successor.

Sure enough, Liu Shouyou immediately said, "If Anda Khan designates an heir, then naturally one can inherit."

Wei Guangde quickly sketched out the three forces surrounding Guihua City in his mind. One was naturally the Queen Consort Zhong Jin, while the other two were Ba Han Na Ji and Huang Tai Ji.

All three factions could potentially vie for the Khanate. Don't think that Lady Zhongjin, being just a woman, could never become the Great Khan.

She may not be able to succeed, but she has a son who, although still young, has his own tribe at a young age because of Lady Zhongjin's favor.

Of course, the tribe was given to him by Anda Khan from his own strength.

Because of its small size, the tribe lived near Guihua City.

Now that Madam Zhong Jin has gone there, if she wanted to, she could really pull off a regency.

After all, she had long managed the Mongol tribes, especially in recent years, when Altan Khan's health was deteriorating. Most of the major and minor affairs of the Mongol tribes were handled by Lady Zhongjin, and it was unknown whether she had done anything underhanded.

As for Bahannaji, he seems to be the most loyal to the Ming Dynasty on the grasslands at present. Moreover, according to the custom of the stove guardian, Bahannaji will inherit the strength left by Altan Khan. However, with Guihua City in his hands, it is hard to guarantee that he will not have other thoughts.

As for Huang Taiji, he was Altan Khan's eldest son and the one with the strongest claim to the throne. Whether according to the customs of the Ming Dynasty or the customs of the grasslands, it was only natural for Huang Taiji to inherit the Khan's throne.

Judging from the possibility of Lady Zhongjin's sudden departure, Wei Guangde guessed that Anda Khan had probably left a will, most likely in which Huang Taiji would inherit his title.

Thus, according to Mongolian custom, Lady Zhongjin would have to remarry Huang Taiji to ensure that the new Khan had enough power to suppress other tribes in the surrounding area.

At the same time, Lady Zhongjin was familiar with the situation of various Mongolian tribes, which could help Huang Taiji quickly understand the situation in Mongolia and consolidate his rule.

How old is Mrs. Zhong Jin?

She's only in her thirties.

And what about Huang Taiji?
I'm almost sixty.

Would she be willing to remarry an old man?

Lady Zhongjin's marriage to Altan Khan can be said to have been out of necessity due to power, leaving her no choice but to obey the marriage.

And now?

"The Princess Consort of Shunyi should have left Guihua City."

Wei Guangde finally spoke.

Since Liu Shouyou's intelligence system reported "possibly," it could only mean that the probability was high. However, since no spies had seen the person with their own eyes, they could not be absolutely certain.

However, after some speculation, Wei Guangde concluded that the probability was indeed very high.

"That's certainly possible."

Liu Shouyou echoed this sentiment.

"Dong dong dong."

Wei Guangde pondered in his mind that, according to history, this Third Sister should have married Huang Taiji, because Wei Guangde remembered that there was such a saying, which was said to be the result of the Ming Dynasty sending an envoy to persuade her.

The purpose, of course, is to ensure the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia.

"Have you received any messages from Bahanaji to Xuanda University?"

Wei Guangde suddenly asked.

"No, no messengers from Guihua City have been found heading south."

Liu Shouyi was taken aback, but quickly came to a conclusion after thinking it over.

If so, the intelligence relayed back would certainly mention it.

"So, it seems that Bahanaji has no intention of relying on our Great Ming to seize the Khanate."

Through this, Wei Guangde quickly deduced Hannaji's attitude.

Anyone with ambition will inevitably seek allies at this time.

He was indeed Altan Khan's guardian of the hearth, and could legally inherit Altan Khan's power, but he could not refuse Huang Taiji's succession to the Khanate.

Even if he were to assassinate Huang Taiji, this "traitor" would be besieged and killed by other tribes on the grassland, especially Huang Taiji's brothers and uncles, and the tribe would likely be torn apart as a result.

In just two or three years, Wei Guangde didn't believe he had won over all of Anda Khan's main forces.

Therefore, he could only realize his ideas by relying on the Ming Dynasty.

The fact that he didn't ask the Ming Dynasty for help means he had no intention of doing anything.

"Huang Taiji went to Guihua City to inherit the Khan's throne."

Wei Guangde leaned back, resting directly on his official hat chair. What were the Ming Dynasty's interests in Mongolia?
To annex the grasslands?
But can the Ming Dynasty manage to keep up?
The nomadic peoples of the grasslands are fierce and it is difficult to subdue them without a strong military.

As for the Ming army's greatest reliance in field battles—firearms—the technology was still not mature enough, making it impossible for them to overwhelm the steppe cavalry.

It's best to maintain the status quo; at least in name, Mongolia is under the rule of the Shunyi Prince, who was appointed by the imperial court.

It could be said that it had been incorporated into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, but in reality, it was not; the Ming Dynasty did not actually occupy this area.

Huang Taiji succeeded to the Khanate, but will this lead to a split in Mongolia?

Wei Guangde now understands why the Ming Dynasty advised Lady Zhongjin to remarry Huang Taiji; the ten thousand households under her control could greatly enhance Huang Taiji's power.

At the very least, this would allow him to hold his own against Bahanagi in terms of strength.

But is this really good for the Ming Dynasty?
Although a unified Mongol Empire may seem to pose the greatest threat to the Ming Dynasty, if the Mongol leadership can be won over, a long-term peace between the Ming and Mongol empires can be achieved.

The fragmented Mongol Empire, on the contrary, made the Ming Dynasty's borders vulnerable at every turn.

Those tribes, big and small, might just get carried away and lead their troops to attack the Ming Dynasty.

Wei Guangde felt a headache coming on. He stood up and said to Liu Shouyou, "Let's go see the Grand Secretary. This matter is a bit complicated."

"Yes."

Liu Shouyou simply bowed and obeyed the order; he said nothing more.

In fact, although Liu Shouyou strictly obeyed Wei Guangde's orders, he mostly followed the imperial decrees.

After all, the order for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to obey the cabinet was an early decree from the palace, and all that was needed was to inform the palace of everything exactly as it was written.

This can be considered a filing.

If Liu Shouyou truly submitted to Wei Guangde, his official position would be over, and he would have no idea how many people from the Eastern Depot had been planted around him to monitor him.

The weaker the ruler and the stronger the ministers, the more sensitive the nerves in the palace become.

As the head of the Ming Dynasty's largest secret service, Liu Shouyou was well aware of the sensitivity of the situation on the grasslands at this time, which could affect the peace of the Ming Dynasty's northern border for decades to come. Therefore, he was very concerned about this and worried that something might go wrong on his side.

He couldn't bear such a heavy responsibility, so he followed the cabinet's orders: if he succeeded, he would be credited; if he failed, a tall person would take the blame.

Following Wei Guangde, they soon arrived at the Grand Secretary's office. Wei Guangde asked the clerk at the door, "Is the Grand Secretary here?"

"Grand Secretary Wei, the Grand Secretary is in his room. I will go and inform him immediately."

The clerk hurriedly bowed and answered, but Wei Guangde waved his hand and slowed his pace.

Soon, the clerk came out of the room, and he had already walked outside the door.

The clerk bowed and invited Wei Guangde in, and he led Liu Shouyou into the duty room.

“Shan Dai, Si Yun is here too.”

Zhang Juzheng thought it was Wei Guangde who was looking for him, but seeing Liu Shouyou, he could only mean that something big was going on.

"Come in, have a seat."

Zhang Juzheng then invited the two men to sit down.

After the clerk brought the tea and left, he asked, "Is there something important?"

"Brother Uncle, take a look first. I estimate that Anda Khan will be here in the next couple of days."

Wei Guangde handed the urgent report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to Zhang Juzheng without saying a word, letting him read the contents first.

"hehe."

Zhang Juzheng chuckled lightly twice and immediately opened the memorial to read it.

Soon, Zhang Juzheng's thick eyebrows twitched.

Perhaps, to ordinary people, the death of Anda Khan is a great thing for the Ming Dynasty.

It should be noted that more than 30 years ago, this man almost stormed into Beijing; he had quite a grudge against them.

Although he has now submitted to the Ming Dynasty, no one thinks he is truly honest.

Now that our greatest enemy is about to die, shouldn't we be celebrating and no longer have to worry about the threat from the grasslands?

However, the cabinet ministers knew that the accounts were not calculated that way.

"Shan Dai, how do you think the situation on the grasslands will develop?"

Zhang Juzheng was also uncertain, but in fact, his concern for the grasslands was no less than that for Wei Guangde.

Although he seemed to be focused on domestic reforms and left military affairs to Wei Guangde, the threat posed by the Mongols to the Ming Dynasty was too great, and Zhang Juzheng absolutely dared not take it lightly.

Wei Guangde laid out his judgment here without any concealment.

"The problem is this: should we incite Hannaji and Huangtaiji to fight each other and divide the Mongols?"

However, this would leave the Mongol tribes scattered and disorganized, potentially increasing the pressure on the northern border towns and negating the situation that had existed since the Longqing Peace Treaty.

But if Huang Taiji successfully ascends to the throne, to be honest, I'm not sure what he will do.

Huang Taiji has always been a rather troublesome figure.

In his early years, he opposed the peace treaty between Altan Khan and the Ming Dynasty, and even secretly supported the Mongol tribes in provoking each other on the border on several occasions.

Admittedly, he was terrified of being killed by government troops in his early years, but the character of a Mongolian man made him unwilling to admit defeat.

If he successfully comes to power, he might very well tear up the Longqing Peace Treaty.

“Supporting Hannaji is not advisable, as it would truly make the Mongol tribes hostile to our Great Ming.”

Zhang Juzheng shook his head and immediately made a statement, stroking his white beard, and continued: "In this matter, we would rather Huang Taiji break his promise than let our Great Ming incite unrest on the grasslands."

Otherwise, the imperial court will have no further opportunity to subdue the grasslands.

"If that's the case, then we can only rely on Madam Zhongjin."

Although Wei Guangde thought that development was the right thing to do, he felt that the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols was being maintained by a woman, which made him, as a cabinet minister, feel somewhat embarrassed.

Zhang Juzheng looked up at the door and muttered to himself, "Madam Zhong Jin is very fond of my Han culture, which has both advantages and disadvantages."

If it were a traditional Mongolian custom of levirate marriage, she would definitely be resistant.

"Mongols are mostly rude, barbaric and uncivilized. Although the court has arranged for eminent monks to go to the grasslands to influence them, it is ultimately too slow."

Wei Guangde suddenly spoke up at this moment.

"Good Loan, you have a solution."

Zhang Juzheng turned his gaze back and asked further.

"She has a son."

Wei Guangde stated frankly.

"Ok?"

Zhang Juzheng was somewhat surprised and asked, "Do you want the court to bestow the title of Prince Shunyi upon her son?"

“Call him Butashiri.”

Liu Shouyou whispered the child's name.

"Now is not the time."

Wei Guangde began, “We previously planned to weaken the Mongols by building temples, but we were helpless against the warlike Mongol princes and nobles.”

Mrs. Zhong Jin loved Han Chinese culture, and naturally she would educate her children in the same way.

But now is not the time.

"Then what do you mean?"

Zhang Juzheng asked the question.

"Wait, Huang Taiji will definitely try to marry Lady Zhong Jin in order to smoothly succeed to the throne."

If she is unwilling, our Ming Dynasty can send someone to persuade her, thus gaining the favor of both sides.

Wei Guangde didn't explain why he wanted Huang Taiji's gratitude, but continued, "The court can promise to support Butashiri as the ruler of the grasslands when he comes of age and Huang Taiji passes away." (End of Chapter)