I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 389 Xu Wei Suggests a Marriage
They walked around Nanhai and Zhonghai, with Zhu Yijun in front and Xu Wei behind, and headed towards Qinzheng Hall.

"Mr. Wenchang, what's going on with Fox Dong?"

"In reply to your Highness, after Dong Huli surrendered to Tumen Khan, he was initially trusted and provided us with a lot of intelligence. He also cooperated with our military strategy step by step to lead the Chahar tribe into the Liaohe River.

However, later on, several of Tumen Khan's younger brothers coveted Dong Huli's people, wife and daughters, and spoke ill of him in front of Tumen Khan, so he was gradually alienated.

Tumen Khan led the main force of the Chahar tribe to Liaodong, and handed over the tribes of Duoyan, Taining, Kalaqin to Heishitan. Heishitan had the deepest hatred for Dong Huli, so he took advantage of the meeting to find an excuse to arrest Dong Huli, seize all his tribes, and occupy his wife and daughter.

When we broke into the Chahar king's tent, we found Dong Huli in a cowshed, tortured to death.

The news spread that the left-wing Mongolian tribes that had surrendered to the Chahar tribe, such as Duoyan, Taining, Kharchin, Sunite, Hoqit, Ujumchin, and Khorchin, were all disheartened and surrendered to the Ming Dynasty. This time, I went to Beijing to report on my work, and brought Dong Huli and six other left-wing tribe leaders with me, hoping to meet the prince and see his face. "

"Okay, you can discuss with the Imperial Household Department and arrange a time. I will meet them in the Great Bright Palace. But what are your plans for the follow-up detention measures?"

Xu Wei quickly replied: "It all depends on the prince's wise judgment!"

"I have never even set foot outside the Great Wall. I have no idea what is happening on the left wing of Mongolia. What can I do?
The unity of knowledge and action, I think the most important thing is to connect theory with practice. The knowledge learned from books and taught by teachers is all theoretical knowledge. The standard of learning is to apply it in practice. If you make achievements, you have learned it, or the knowledge is useful.

Practice is the only criterion for testing truth.

Although I really want to leave Beijing and visit the grasslands of the south of the desert, it’s a pity that I can’t move now. The truth is not clear, and all the theoretical knowledge I have cannot be tested in practice. I don’t know whether it is right or wrong, and whether it is a clear judgment? That’s not a clear judgment, it’s like a blind man touching an elephant, and it’s just a mess.”

Xu Wei listened to Zhu Yijun's words and understood what the prince was thinking.

The prince was only fifteen years old, at the age of youth, full of vigor and vitality, active and playful. He must have liked to be free, play everywhere, ride hunting and gallop through the mountains and forests. However, he was trapped in the Western Garden, busy with military and national affairs.

Why doesn’t the prince dare to leave Beijing easily?

Because he is still the crown prince, and there is the emperor above him.

Once the prince leaves the capital, dormant ambitious people will come out and use the emperor to control the world, which will lead to a great disaster.

Even if the prince can be easily pacified, the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, and between his sons, can never be restored, and there will be endless troubles.

Zhu Yijun continued, "Mr. Wenchang, you have been in the southern desert for a long time and are familiar with the situation there. Tell me, what method should be used to control the left wing of the Mongolians in the southern desert?"

Xu Wei raised his head and glanced at Zhu Yijun's back, then said cautiously, "Your Highness, I think the system of enfeoffment and marriage is feasible."

"The system of enfeoffment and marriage? Tell me about it."

“Your Highness, the tribes on the left wing of the southern desert are willing to submit. First of all, the Ming Dynasty is strong and has defeated the Chahar tribe. The army has swept across the southern desert, and the tribes dare not refuse to surrender.

Secondly, the leaders of the tribes on the right wing received many benefits because of the border trade, and the news spread to the tribes on the left wing by word of mouth, so that the tribal leaders here knew that if they followed the Ming Dynasty, they would have silk to wear and tea and sugar to drink.

Finally, Tumen Khan turned the tables and exploited the left-wing tribes to the utmost, only wanting to seize their pastures. Dong Huli was a typical example.

I have had a deep conversation with Dong Huli. Previously, I could see some hesitation in Dong Huli's words and expressions. After this disaster, Dong Huli also knew that the only person he could rely on in this world was perhaps the Ming Dynasty. "

"Yes, Mr. Wenchang is right. We must let these people know that as long as they sincerely follow the Ming Dynasty and are willing to work hard, there will be countless rewards and benefits.

I, the Great Ming, keep my word and will do what I say!"

Xu Wei immediately replied: "The prince is wise."

Then go on.

"Now that the left wing of Mongolia in the south of the desert has surrendered to the Ming Dynasty due to the above three situations, the Ming Dynasty must use both kindness and force. First, we will build castles along the rivers and roads in the grasslands in the south and north of the desert, and continue to work hard. With these castles that control the key roads, and the strategies set by Your Highness, the Ming Dynasty can pacify the grasslands in the south and north of the desert militarily, economically, and culturally. Then we will control them politically and enfeoff the leaders of these tribes step by step according to the size of their tribes.

My initial idea is to combine Doyan Taining into one wing, and Kharchin, Sunite, Ujumchin, Hochit and Khorchin into one wing each. Half of the Chahar people captured by our army will be rewarded to them, and the remaining Chahar people will be organized into the Chahar wing.

Under the wings, there are thousand households, hundred households and small flags. Each wing leader is granted a title by grace, and the hundred households and thousand households must be appointed by the court. They are assigned to each small flag and a certain number of armored cavalry and light cavalry, all of which are led by small flags, deputy hundred households and deputy thousand households. The registration, training and deployment of soldiers are all controlled by the court. "

"How to master it?"

"I suggest that the military registers of the various tribes in the south and north of the desert be compiled and kept in the Ministry of War, and then the Front Army Governor's Office will directly manage these troops. Organize each wing of cavalry into guards, and command each cavalry regiment. They will conduct drills and training on weekdays, and be issued to go into battle in times of war."

Hearing this, Zhu Yijun stopped, stood in the pavilion by the lake, stared at the lake and thought silently for a while.

"What Mr. Wenchang said makes sense. I will help you change it. Set up a Xuanhui Court to manage the various tribes in the south and north of the desert. It will be responsible for the enthronement and imperial appointment of the wing leaders, thousand households, and hundred households, the roster of the troops and horses of the various tribes, and the disputes among the tribes.

The troops of the various tribes in the south and north of the desert, as you said, are commanded and dispatched by the Front Army Governor's Office. "

At this point, Zhu Yijun turned to Qi Yan who was standing outside the pavilion and said, "Go and invite a few assistants from the Supervisory Office to come and wait in the Qinzheng Hall."

"Yes."

Zhu Yijun turned to Xu Wei and explained, "I have been thinking about how to reform the Five Military Commandery. Your suggestion just now gave me inspiration. Let's just invite Duke Ying and Duke Dongcun (Cao Bangfu) to come and discuss this matter.

We continue.

Mr. Wenchang is talking about the system of enfeoffment and marriage. We have almost finished talking about enfeoffment, but what does marriage mean?"

The Ming Dynasty had never made peace with the northern barbarians for 200 years. This was an iron rule set by our ancestors. Xu Wei was nervous when he rashly brought this up, but when he saw that Zhu Yijun did not look angry, he felt relieved and continued speaking boldly.

"I feel that our dynasty has been too obsessed with defending against the barbarians. We don't know how to integrate these tribes in the south and north of the desert into the people of the Ming Dynasty if we don't open our arms to them."

Xu Wei weighed his words and spoke carefully.

"During the Second Ancestor's reign, the Ming Dynasty was full of military virtues. They drove the people of the grasslands to the north and won the surrender of countless tribes. They established their prestige, but failed to show their kindness. The officials in the court insisted on separating the Central Plains from the south of the desert in the name of the Xia and Yi people, and they were contemptuous of them.

As time went by, the prestige he had won through bloody battles faded, and his virtue also disappeared. How could the northern barbarians fear his prestige and virtue and not obey him?

Your Highness, I suggest that you take advantage of this opportunity to establish the Ming Dynasty's new prestige in the south of the desert and make a decisive move to spread virtue and educate the people. Only by combining prestige and virtue can we achieve long-term success."

Zhu Yijun put his hands in his sleeves, looked at the lake view outside the pavilion, nodded and said: "Mr. Wenchang said it implicitly, but I understand it clearly.

Now the Ming Dynasty has swept across the southern desert and used the castle and iron chain technique to control the tribes in the southern and northern deserts with military, economic and cultural means to establish its prestige. Then Bud needs to keep up.

The key to the tribes in the grasslands of Mo Nan is the wing leaders and the thousand households. They are the leaders. Wherever they go, the tribesmen follow them like sheep. Showing kindness to them can pacify Mo Nan, and marriage is one of the means.

Is that what you mean, Mr. Wenchang?"

"The prince is wise!"

"Then tell me, how do you make peace with the bride?"

"Your Highness, what I mean is that the royal families of the various vassal states of the Ming Dynasty can marry the wing leaders and thousand households of the various tribes in the south of the desert."

"The various vassal states and royal families?" Zhu Yijun turned his head, his eyes like swords, staring straight at Xu Wei.

(End of this chapter)