Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

Expanding territories and bestowing titles upon meritorious officials greatly satisfied the ambitious and zealous Great Khan of Lotus. The feeling of ruling over all nations was wonderful! He ordered the Ministry of Rites to hold a grand victory celebration ceremony, to worship Heaven and Earth and ancestors, and to proclaim his newly acquired military achievements to the world.

At the victory banquet, the man drank several bowls of wine and, beaming with pride, asked his officials, "Everyone says that during Genghis Khan's time, our Mongol territory was vast. But in the east, his army only reached the lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River, failing even to conquer Sakhalin Island. My army, however, marched east to Kamchatka, taking not only the Heilongjiang River and Sakhalin Island, but the entire coastline of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. In the south, he failed to cross the Yangtze River to conquer the Southern Song Dynasty, while my army has conquered the entire Jiangnan region, including Hubei, Hunan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong and Guangxi, extending our territory to..." Qiongzhou (Hainan Island); in the west, he sent Jebe and Subutai to invade the Kalka River (within Ukraine), much like me; but in the north, his army only reached the Yenisei River and the North Sea (Lake Baikal), failing to conquer even the forest tribes east of the North Sea, while my army not only conquered the entire Yenisei River and North Sea region, but also occupied all the lands in the Lena, Kolyma, and Ob River basins. David's northern frontier stretches from Chukchi to Mangazeya—how magnificent! Tell me, how does my achievement compare to Genghis Khan's?

These words, seemingly a question, had actually set the tone: My achievements surpass those of Genghis Khan, making me the undisputed first Khan of the Mongols! The ministers were all shrewd individuals; how could they dare not follow the Emperor's lead?
"Genghis Khan's achievements are as majestic as mountains, but compared to the Great Khan, he still falls short," said Erke, the Prince of Longxi, who was the first to speak. He was a veteran minister who had followed the Great Khan Lianhua in battle for many years, and his words were half flattery and half a genuine expression of his feelings.

"Indeed, the territory of Great Khan now stretches for thousands of miles in all directions, surpassing even the reign of Genghis Khan. The Great Khan is truly the first Khan of the Mongols!" Grand Secretary and First-Class Duke of Tang, Batu Hotan, reacted and immediately began to sing praises.

With the two senior ministers leading the way, a host of civil and military officials followed suit, showering the Khan with flattery and praise until he was so overwhelmed that he felt dizzy and disoriented.

"Not only Genghis Khan, but no emperor throughout history has achieved such accomplishments as the Great Khan. You are the reincarnation of Padmasambhava, blessed by the Eternal Heaven, and your achievements are naturally beyond those of ordinary emperors." As soon as the Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, Bo Bei, spoke, he elevated the Supreme Being to the same level as the celestial being, which made him smile like a flower.

"Genghis Khan started his army with only nine horses. I wonder how many soldiers Your Majesty had when you started your army?" Suddenly, an tactless remark came from Hu Lianqi, the Minister of Revenue, who saw that the emperor was getting a little carried away and spoke up to remind him.

“When I first raised my army, I did have several thousand soldiers, more than Genghis Khan, but so what? The territory I conquered far exceeds his. If I were to travel back in time to where he started his rebellion, I am confident that I could do even better!” Seeing this man’s lack of tact, Sultan’s face darkened, and he unconsciously began to stroke his beard.

Ministers well-versed in the emperor's nature knew that the emperor's most terrifying moment was when he stroked his beard; if he were to suddenly pull down on it, it was likely a sign of impending death. Hu Lianqi, however, remained unfazed, his neck stiff as he declared, "Since ancient times, rulers have governed with the aim of long-term stability and peace, not merely by territorial expansion. The Sui dynasty's territory was no less than that of the Tang, yet Emperor Yang, ambitious and fond of conquest, perished after only fourteen years. Emperor Taizong, on the other hand, allowed the people to rest and recuperate, bringing blessings to posterity for over two hundred years. During Genghis Khan's reign, the treasury was overflowing, and all the wealth of the land was concentrated in Dadu (Beijing), but now the treasury is empty, even owing the people over three million taels. How can you claim your achievements surpass those of Genghis Khan?"

"You dare to compare me to Emperor Yang of Sui!" When a person is feeling triumphant, he is most intolerant of others pouring cold water on him. Upon hearing this, the emperor was furious and was about to yank his beard.

"Thump!" Xue Zongzhou, a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, who was on good terms with Hu Lianqi, hurriedly knelt down to plead for mercy when he saw the emperor's anger. "Minister Hu is simple-minded and straightforward by nature. He did not mean any disrespect. Please, Your Majesty, forgive him for his loyalty!"

Hu Lianqi, after all, was a veteran official who had served the emperor for many years and still had some like-minded friends in the court. With Grand Secretary Xue leading the way, more than ten other ministers immediately knelt down to plead for mercy. However, Suletan remained silent, his hand still stroking his beard, his face ashen. The atmosphere in the hall was icy cold; some timid ministers had their backs soaked with cold sweat.

"Hahaha, what are you all doing?" Grand Secretary Liu Haogu of Jianji Hall suddenly laughed loudly. "'A ruler with honest ministers will not perish; a father with honest sons will not perish.' Does Your Majesty not know this principle? How could you blame Minister Hu?" After speaking, he bowed to the Emperor and said, "In the past, Wei Zheng spoke frankly and directly, and Emperor Taizong tolerated him, thus achieving great order! Therefore, only with a wise ruler can there be honest ministers. This old minister congratulates Your Majesty!"

Hearing this, Sultan's expression finally softened. Upon careful consideration, it seemed to make sense. Hu Lianqi's words, though seemingly disrespectful, were, upon closer examination, entirely for the good of the nation! The Sui Dynasty, since Emperor Wen's ascension, had been diligently governed, and its national strength was originally very strong. However, Emperor Yang's ambition and love of conquest, with his three campaigns against Goguryeo, exhausted the nation's resources, sparking widespread resentment. In just fourteen years, the Sui Dynasty collapsed. He himself claimed to have established the nation through military might, and since his ascension, he had waged war year after year. Although he had achieved remarkable military exploits, this had also severely depleted the nation's resources. Several major wars had emptied the treasury to the point of being practically empty. To support the war against Russia, the Ministry of Revenue had even mortgaged mineral resources to owe private merchants over three million taels of silver. If they were not vigilant and continued their reckless military expansion, they might truly suffer the same fate as Emperor Yang. As his power and influence grew, his ministers only spoke what pleased them, and it was rare to hear dissenting opinions. Killing Hu Lian is easy, but if I make a mistake in the future, no one will dare to remind me! More importantly, if I kill a minister for speaking frankly, what will the history books say? My good reputation as a "sage ruler" will be ruined!

Thinking of this, the man burst into laughter and said to his ministers, “Minister Hu’s words are sincere, and I am not senile yet. How could I not know this! Don’t be fooled by our recent great victory; it has been a drain on the people and resources! The men are away on campaign, leaving only women and children to farm and herd livestock. The national treasury is not only empty but also burdened with huge debts. How can this continue? Issue my decree to reduce the army, cut spending, encourage agriculture and commerce, and allow the people to rest. At least for the next year or two, I will not wage war again!”

"The Great Khan is wise!" "Your Majesty is wise!"... All the civil and military officials praised his wisdom. This time, even Hu Lianqi, who usually disliked flattery, praised him with tears in his eyes.

Seeing that Hu Lianqi also praised him as "wise," Sultan was overjoyed and unconsciously straightened his back. However, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease; he wanted to cease hostilities and allow the people to rest, but some people refused. A memorial from Alatan Cang, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, arrived. (End of Chapter)