prosperous age

Outside Bansheng City, the conversation between Chebu and Qiataiji quickly turned tense.

"Children"

Suddenly, Qiataiji raised his right arm and shouted loudly.

"Come with me into the city."

“哬”

Then came a deafening roar.

His soldiers, who had followed him for years, were naturally very familiar with Chataiji's habits.

Don't underestimate these two casual words; many soldiers behind him already had eager expressions on their faces, raising their swords and bows and cheering loudly.

The reaction from the other side caused both Chebu and Tuguchi to change their expressions slightly.

Because they knew that this fight was inevitable.

Moreover, a brawl involving thousands of people, with its indiscriminate use of weapons, could very well result in death.

By then, things will have gotten really serious.

However, they were still Lady Zhongshun's subordinates. When the Great Khan handed them over to Third Sister, he told them to obey the Lady's orders and to protect her.

Seeing the crowd on the other side begin to surge forward under Chataiji's leadership, Chebu had no choice but to raise his hand.

No words were needed; instantly, the sound of clashing weapons rang out behind them.

The troops led by Chebu and Tuguchi were all elite Mongolians, many of whom had even reached the level of the royal guard.

Otherwise, they would not have been able to become commanders of ten thousand men by the Khan's side and travel with him.

Of course, the troops of Chataiji on the other side were also the absolute elite of the Mongol army, just like them.

"Stop them."

With a loud shout, Chebu led his men straight into the enemy.

Soon, a jumble of shouts echoed across the grassland.

A group of people, hurling insults at each other, charged at each other on horseback. Finally, one of them, driven to desperation, swung his knife at the other side. Although it was the back of the blade, the other side immediately swung their knife to block.

At first, everyone was relatively restrained, after all, they were all soldiers under the Khan's command, but once the chaos began, they became uncontrollable.

Some people, fearing that swords and spears could not be trusted, decisively threw away their weapons, leaped from their horses, pounced on each other, and fell off their horses together, then began to fight on the ground.

Many people began to follow suit, after all, although the skills were all on horseback, their footwork was not bad either.

Fighting on horseback can be restrictive, but when dismounted, there seem to be fewer limitations.

Didn't they see that someone had already been pinned to the ground by their opponent, who was straddling them and beating them at will?

More and more people began to follow suit, and soon, on this vast grassland, horses were leisurely grazing on one side, while behind the horses, countless people were rolling around on the ground.

Meanwhile, Chataiji was also in a bad mood. He had been dragged off his horse by Chebu and, with the help of Tuguchi, was mounted on Chebu's back and started punching him repeatedly.

These were all high-ranking officers, and ordinary soldiers really didn't dare to approach them, which is why Qiataiji suffered a great loss.

Gradually, one-on-one duels on the "battlefield" became so intense that it was hard to tell whether it was a war or a brawl.

As more and more one-on-one matches come to a close, it seems this farce should come to an end.

But just then, someone suddenly cried out, "How could you kill someone?"

"boom"

Upon hearing that someone had been killed, the scene, which had been gradually calming down, began to stir again.

Chebu had already gotten off Chataiji and was rushing over to check the situation and calm things down as soon as possible.

If things continue to develop like this, who knows what kind of trouble it will cause.

Conflicts may occur between different tribes on the grasslands due to competition for pasture, but these conflicts are generally small in scale.

Within the same tribe, such brawls, although some people are injured, usually result in only bruises and swelling, and rarely involve accidental killing.

Just now, someone clearly made a mistake.

Just as Chebu rushed over, Qiataiji also got up from the ground.

He had just suffered a great loss at the hands of the cloth-pulling and the earth-bone-stained spear, and he was filled with resentment.

He was Anda Khan's godson, a top figure in the Tumed, and definitely not a general like Chebu.

He had long harbored resentment at being rubbed on the ground with a cloth pulled from his body, and when he was being beaten, he felt like killing someone.

He was also suppressing his anger as he stumbled to his feet and followed Chebu towards the scene of the incident to see what was going on.

Soon, they arrived at the scene. A soldier stood there in a somewhat panicked manner, and a person lay motionless on the ground.

The surrounding soldiers, following the direction they had come from, began to line up spontaneously, facing each other from north to south.

Chebu had already knelt down and reached out to touch the neck of the person on the ground, feeling a sudden chill.

dead.

Judging from their attire, the people on the ground were not his subordinates, but the people standing beside him were.

"How about it?"

Tuguchi also rushed over and asked.

"died."

He said something.

Upon hearing that one of his men had been killed by the enemy, regardless of whether it was an accident, Chataiji could no longer contain himself.

Clang.

Chataiji drew his scimitar and, without hesitation, slashed at the bewildered soldier.

"what"

A scream rang out as the soldier was slashed in the chest. The wound reopened, and blood gushed out. It was clear he was going to die.

The commotion startled Chebu and Tuguchi, who both took a few steps back and drew their curved swords.

"crash"

Almost instantly, the soldiers on both sides drew their weapons, while those behind scattered, making various whistling sounds.

The horses, which had been grazing leisurely around, seemed to hear their owner's call, and they all looked up and galloped off in the direction they were looking.

In just a short while, the two sides changed into a formation with infantry facing each other in the middle and cavalry on both flanks.

This is already a standard battle formation. Although the Mongols were accustomed to cavalry tactics, it doesn't mean they couldn't fight on foot.

As guards by the Khan's side, they demonstrated their formidable military skills to the fullest at this moment.

“Chataiji, if you continue like this, you will all be punished by the Great Khan.”

"We are acting on Lady Feng's orders. Did you receive orders from the Great Khan?"

Chebu roared at Qiataiji with a hostile expression.

If someone is accidentally killed, there are rules on the grasslands: the killer must pay the victim a generous compensation.

But now, with Chataiji killing someone in a fit of rage, it's not something that can be easily resolved.

The previous mishap was an accident, but now they need Chataiji to give an explanation, otherwise they will not be able to explain themselves to their subordinates.

Chataiji only lost control of his emotions for a moment, and has now gradually calmed down.

But when he heard that Chebu was using Lady Zhongshun to pressure him, Qiataiji's temper flared up, and he shouted, "I'm going to Bansheng City, who can stop me?"

"Damn it, I'm going to teach you a lesson today."

Chebu had already charged forward with his knife, aiming a blow at Qiataiji's neck.

Chataiji immediately swung his knife to parry, and the two then began to fight.

Before Tuguchi could even shout, soldiers from both sides rushed forward, and the situation quickly descended into chaos once more.

Unlike before, when everyone was just fighting, this time they used weapons and slashed at each other. The cavalry on both flanks also started to move, pulling outwards in an arc to increase their sprint distance and hoping to increase their speed and create a stronger impact.

The two sides were too close together; at this moment, riding on horseback, one could not utilize the advantages of cavalry. "Stop! Stop!"

Tuguchi shouted loudly, but it seemed to have no effect.

He could only grit his teeth and pounce on Chataiji, preparing to capture the leader of the thief.

Only by capturing him can the current chaos be quelled.

If they were from different tribes, then fighting and killing would be acceptable.

They were all under the Great Khan's command, and the casualties were heavy. We wouldn't be able to explain ourselves when we got back.

Other tribes on the grasslands, such as the Chahar, Dolon, Ordos, Khalkha, and Yongxie tribes, would only laugh at the Tumed tribe.

The Tumet were the most powerful tribe on the grasslands, but the grasslands did not belong to them alone; many other tribes also existed.

These tribes are all descendants of the Borjigin family, and from Dayan Khan onwards, the leaders of these tribes have been his children.

Anda Khan was the son of Barsbolot, the third son of Dayan Khan. According to Dayan Khan's original plan, he was given the territory of the Merde and Ordos tribes.

This is also why Anda Khan was able to intimidate the grasslands and become the Great Khan.

Ordos was Dayan Khan's main territory, and Barsbolot was Dayan Khan's guardian of the hearth, inheriting the Ordos tribe and the position of Great Khan.

The fighting had already begun, and Chataiji was already on guard against being surrounded by Chebu and Tuguchi again, so he decisively retreated when he saw Tuguchi attacking.

Having created some distance, Tuguchi, seeing that he couldn't subdue Qiataiji in a short time, immediately shouted, "Qiataiji, do you really want things to turn out like this? Look at the state of our men, how are we going to explain this when we get back?"

Tuguchi's words finally jolted Chataiji out of his anger.

Looking at the chaotic battlefield around him, he knew that if he continued, the casualties would be even more devastating.

"Each of you must keep your men in check; we'll deal with the rest later."

This time, Qiataiji listened to the advice and decisively turned around to signal his men to retreat.

Meanwhile, Chebu and Tuguchi also began to retreat in formation, widening the distance between the two sides.

However, after this brief battle, several more people on both sides died tragically.

The two armies set up camp several miles apart, but remained on guard, and the seeds of hatred had already been sown in the hearts of both sides.

Although several people died on both sides, their relatives and friends are still in the military, so the impact may be dozens or even hundreds of people.

While sending people to scout the surroundings to prevent anyone from taking the opportunity to enter Bansheng City, Chebu also reported the situation here to Lady Chungshun.

Human lives are at stake; they couldn't possibly hide such a serious matter. Sooner or later, it would reach the ears of the Khan and his wife.

Meanwhile, the messenger sent by Lady Zhongshun had arrived outside Chaigou Fort. Thanks to Lady Zhongshun's security measures, the Ming soldiers guarding the fort allowed him to enter the city.

The general guarding the pass received the letter from the messenger. Having already checked the customs seals, he dared not be negligent.

Although she was a barbarian, she was still a first-rank lady appointed by the imperial court. This letter was also for the governor-general, and someone was immediately arranged to deliver it directly to Xuanfu.

Zheng Luo looked grave after receiving the letter from Lady Zhongshun. He could tell that this matter was not simple and might cause a major upheaval.

Wei Guangde had already given instructions that his presence here was a great achievement, as stabilizing the grasslands would be a major accomplishment.

Zheng Luo immediately reported the matter to the capital, and also sent Lady Zhongshun's letter along with the memorial.

However, half a day after the memorial was sent out, a messenger from the Ministry of War in the capital delivered a top-secret document to him.

Along with the messenger arrived a letter written in Wei Guangde's own handwriting.

In the governor's residence, Zheng Luo did not immediately open the Ministry of War's documents, but instead read Wei Guangde's letter first.

Zheng Luo already knew about the news from the capital.

Of course, that referred to news about Zhang Juzheng's health; he had also arranged for people in the capital to gather information.

After all, information about the Grand Secretary's serious illness would never appear in the official gazette.

With Vice Minister Wei Guangde on the verge of being promoted to the position, the government naturally had to rely entirely on him at this time.

If you don't position yourself well, you might receive a dismissal notice at any moment.

Sure enough, the capital city already knew about the news from the grasslands.

Zheng Luo was not surprised by this.

Do you really think the Embroidered Uniform Guard is just a bunch of useless people? They have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves, and no official would underestimate their abilities.

In fact, after reading Wei Guangde's letter, there was no need to read the Ministry of War's top-secret documents anymore.

Wei Guangde's analysis was very clear: it was essential to maintain Lady Zhongshun's influence in Mongolia, because she was the only one who could uphold the relationship between the Ming and Mongolia.

Once her influence is shaken, it will only be a matter of time before a conflict breaks out between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols.

Zheng Luo agreed with this.

Xuanda also had its own spies on the grasslands, whose main purpose was, of course, to gather military intelligence.

After all, Xuanda was a military town on the border, and the main threat came from Mongolia.

By paying attention to Mongolia's military movements, one can anticipate the enemy's moves and avoid being caught off guard in battle.

Therefore, paying attention to the reports of various tribal leaders on the grasslands regarding the Ming Dynasty was an important basis for the spies to analyze the degree of threat.

When faced with a belligerent leader, his subordinates will try every means to provoke a war, and vice versa.

However, Zheng Luo still opened the Ministry of War documents and read them carefully.

Like Wei Gelao's letter, it was a similar order.

Just as Zheng Luo was about to put away the letters and documents, a servant outside reported that someone claiming to be a deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was requesting an audience.

The secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in local areas, especially in border towns, are not like the Embroidered Uniform Guard's thousand-household and hundred-household units established in the interior, which are all openly known.

Actually, the real threat comes from secret agents who are unknown to the locals.

Hearing that there was an official like the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard lurking in Xuanfu, Zheng Luo was slightly surprised, but quickly calmed down.

After all, Zhangjiakou was an important passage for grassland trade, so it was not unreasonable for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to send a deputy commander to oversee it.

"Let him in."

Zheng Luo spoke calmly.

So, in the study, Zheng Luo soon met this ordinary-looking so-called deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Mu Tianyu, a humble official, pays homage to your lord."

Mu Tianyu bowed to Zheng Luo and presented his identification badge for verification.

Upon receiving it, Zheng Luo knew it couldn't be wrong; an ivory waist tag is actually quite rare in China.

"No need for formalities, Lord Mu. Have you come here on assignment from the garrison?"

Zheng Luo told him to get up and asked.

"Your subordinate has received orders to promptly report the latest intelligence from the grasslands to Your Excellency."

As he spoke, Mu Tianyu took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and presented it with both hands.

What's the situation on the grassland?

Zheng Luo asked casually.

"The situation is extremely critical; fierce fighting has broken out outside Bansheng City."

Mu Tianyu replied.

"what?"

Zheng Luo nearly lost his grip on the intelligence; he was too surprised. How long had it been since then, and internal strife had already broken out within Mongolia.

"Who's hitting?"

Zheng Luo quickly opened the intelligence report and asked aloud.

"Lady Chungshun attempted to blockade Bansheng City, but was met with a fierce battle by Chataiji's troops."

Mu Tianyu answered immediately. (End of Chapter)