I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 501 These are all arranged by the Buddha

There was also a grand funeral taking place in the Dabansheng king's tent in the Daqing Mountains in the south of the desert.

In the huge tent, Altan Khan, who had died of old age, was lying on a makeshift wooden bed.

The sons, nephews and grandchildren held fruits and placed them on the table, then knelt down in turn, kowtowed and burned seven incense sticks.

After burning incense, an old man washed Altan Khan's hands and face, put on old clothes, covered his face with a silk Hada, and put butter, fried rice, gold, silver, jewelry and coins in his open mouth.

Then put seven copper coins into each of his left and right hands.

After finishing all this, under the command of an old man, the descendants carried Altan Khan's body and passed it out through the window.

According to Mongolian customs, the body of the deceased cannot be left on the bed, but must be moved out of the tent and placed outdoors as soon as possible.

The body of Altan Khan, wrapped in layers of brocade and silk, was carried out of the tent and buried in a large tree that was broken into two. Eight books, including some of the Buddhist scriptures that Altan Khan had read during his lifetime, were placed inside the burial.

It means that on his way to paradise, Altan Khan was guarded by eight celestial dragons to prevent him from being disturbed by demons and evil spirits.

The big tree is closed, tied tightly with six pieces of brocade ribbons, and then wrapped with layers of cotton cloth.

Finally, the body was placed in a temporary shed outside the big tent and cremated after twenty-one days.

Mongolians do not wear mourning clothes, but they still observe the ritual of keeping vigil.

The descendants, nephews, and grandchildren who had worshipped in the big tent came out early and sat around the coffin.

Relatives and friends who heard the news came one after another, bringing cheese, bread, preserved fruits and other things, placing them in front of the tree coffin as offerings, and kneeling to pay their respects. Sanniangzi held Buhe in her arms, and Bingtu Taiji, who was beside her, knelt down to return the greeting.

After the relatives and friends finished their worship, they sat on the grass in front of the coffin and distributed the offerings they brought to the children watching. The herdsmen and children watching did not mind this and even scrambled for the offerings.

Mongolian legend has it that eating these offerings can give one a long life of a hundred years.

Friends and relatives drank the hot soup and mare's milk provided by the host and sang elegy. The lyrics mourned and recalled Altan Khan's great achievements during his lifetime, his love for his people, and his kindness in raising his descendants.

The song is gentle, sad, and mournful.

Sanniangzi and Bingtu would occasionally sing back a few lines.

According to Mongolian customs, after an elder in the family passes away, descendants and relatives cannot cry, because the tears of the living will turn into a river on the way to the Yama Palace of the deceased, and the rising river water will increase the difficulty of the deceased's journey.

Two more sheds were built on both sides of the shed.

In the shed on the left, monks from Chongshan Temple are performing rituals.

The Buddhist rituals in southern Mobei are different from those in the mainland. In addition to the normal chanting, there are also the beating of drums and gongs.

The six monks puffed out their cheeks and blew long copper flutes. The sounds were grand, deep and majestic. Their main theme was "If you are not dead yet, we will blow you back to life."

In the shed on the right, six shamans are taking turns performing rituals.

They wore colorful clothes covered with feathers, wore strange headdresses and masks, held sacred drums, shook their heads, and jumped and danced.

He muttered to himself, with ups and downs, and sang shamanic tunes loudly in Mongolian.

The general meaning is: "Aji, known in the heavens and all over the world. Borjigin is his surname..."

The shamans informed the Eternal Heaven in heaven and the King of Hell on earth that a great ruler, Altan Borjigin, had passed away and was going to your Gada to report. Based on his having once been a ruler, they should treat him well and arrange a position as a god in heaven.

His relatives, descendants, and countless tribesmen in this world will surely be grateful for your kindness and offer sacrifices to you on time.

It's very noisy, with the main theme being that if you're not dead yet, it can annoy you enough to bring you back to life.

The third lady sat in the middle of the big tent and took a rest.

No, he was lying on the blanket next to him, covered with the quilt, sleeping soundly.

Monk Xuan Chi sat opposite, Tokto sat in the middle, and the three of them were talking in low voices.

In the past, Tokto and Sanniangzi had a rift, and it was Monk Xuanchi who mediated and resolved the misunderstanding. The two quickly became close and formed an alliance.

Monk Xuan Chi came straight to the point and advised: "Madam, the situation is critical now, so make a decision when necessary, otherwise you will suffer the consequences."

Sanniang was silent for a while, then turned to ask Tuoketuo, "Tuotuo, what are they doing?"

Tokto replied: "After Ketuhatun, Bosihaer and Nalin kowtowed to the Khan, they have been moving around and trying to win over the hundred and thousand households of various tribes.

Bingtu was quite obedient and stayed outside to keep vigil. From time to time, he would drink a few bowls of wine with Biji, Zaisheng and Qingshan Tabuneng and get himself drunk.

Bodidala, Yeseng, Gugeru (Golige Taiji), Darhanlab Taiji, Shaxing Taiji, and Wusili Taiji have all fled back to their respective tribes and are gathering troops with ill intentions.

Biji, Zaisheng and Qingshantabuneng were the sons-in-law of Altan Khan. They were all thousand or hundred households of the Tumed and Yongshebu tribes. However, they were loyal to Sanniangzi.

Sanniang thought for a while and asked Monk Xuanchi: “Great Monk, when the Khan was alive, he said that your wisdom is as vast as the ocean and as high as the Daqing Mountain.

The last time the Khan worshipped Buddha, he chose Chongshan Temple after careful consideration.

Now that the Khan has ascended to heaven, leaving us an orphan and a widow, we would like to ask the great monk to give us some advice to help us out of this predicament."

Monk Xuan Chi turned the rosary in his hand and said with lowered eyebrows: "Over the years, I have received the kindness of the Khan for his support and care, and I have no way to repay him.

I am a poor monk with limited knowledge, so I dare not speak rashly. I am just sharing some of my thoughts.

"Master, please speak."

"Now that the Great Khan has ascended to the Paradise, the wolves are looking around, each with their own thoughts. I feel that the most urgent task is to establish a new Khan."

The third lady frowned, "Li Xin Khan?"

"Yes, ma'am. If we establish a new Khan of the Right Wing of Mongolia, we will have the final say and everything we do will have a legitimate reason."

"But who should we choose as the new Khan? Each of the Khan's sons has his own ideas. Even Hasber, Nalin and Bodidala have their own ideas."

"Madam, that's why we need to act decisively and establish a new Khan as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more likely it is that something unexpected will happen. People's minds change, and if this person with delusional ideas gathers enough people's hearts and strength, it will be a big trouble."

The third lady remained silent.

Tokto agreed with what Monk Xuanchi had just said, and he advised Sanniangzi: "Hatun, what the monk said makes a lot of sense. While everyone is still undecided, quickly appoint a new Khan, and then ascend the throne in public in front of the Khan's spirit, so that those people will have nothing to say.

Besides, it is your duty to establish a new Khan."

That’s right, choosing a new Khan was the easiest thing for Sanniangzi. She just had to say to everyone in front of Altan Khan’s spirit, “I want to marry someone. Please make this person the new Khan.”

According to Mongolian tradition and Altan Khan's love for Sanniangzi during his lifetime, most of the Mongolian right wing would accept this statement and make the person who married Sanniangzi the new Khan.

The third lady glanced at him, then turned to the great monk Xuan Chi and said, "You have advised me to appoint a new Khan, so you must have some plan. Please tell me who is the most suitable person to be the new Khan?" The rosary in the monk's hand did not move, he raised his head and clasped his hands together, "Amitabha, Madam, I think Bingtu is the most suitable candidate for the new Khan."

The third lady's eyes lit up.

Tokto said happily: "The great monk's wisdom is higher than the mountains and deeper than the sea.

Madam, I also think Bingtu is the most suitable. His Weiwushen tribe is far away in Qinghai, and now it has been occupied by the Qiejin and Bahanaji clans. He only has two or three hundred followers around him. He must rely on your prestige and support to secure the position of Khan. "

That's right, Bingtu is now alone. Except for his second son who came to celebrate his grandfather's birthday, the rest of his wife and children are trapped in Qinghai. To push him to the throne, he can only rely on the support of Sanniangzi to sit firmly on the Khan's throne.

This person is straightforward and not too scheming, so he is easier to control. Sanniangzi can continue to secretly manage the wealthy family business left by Altan Khan, and then pass it on to him when he grows up.

In this case, Bingtu is indeed the most suitable candidate for the new Khan.

Sanniang agreed with Monk Xuanchi's recommendation, but she still had some doubts and needed Xuanchi to answer them.

“Great monk, it is well known that the Khan has seven sons.

The eldest son, Xinai, was rebellious and was beheaded by the Ming Dynasty in the early years. The second son, Buyan, led the Bayute tribe and was quite powerful. The third son, Tubo, died early, leaving only Bahannaji as his son.

Bingtu is only the fourth son of the Khan, and Buyan is older than him, so according to the order of seniority, it is not his turn."

Monk Xuan Chi said confidently: "Madam, the Khan has ascended to heaven. This is urgent and strange. We must investigate!"

After saying this, he glanced at Sanniangzi and Tokto guiltily.

The two fell into deep thought, pondering the meaning of Monk Xuan Chi's words.

Altan Khan suffered a setback outside the city of Datong. Although he suddenly aged a lot, he was still in good health.

This time, during the birthday banquet, he was rosy-cheeked and full of energy a few days ago, but suddenly he fell into a coma and died within a few days. Apart from being angry at those unfilial brothers and nephews who escaped, could there be any other reason?

As the widow of Aldan Khan, Sanniangzi raised questions; as the chief of Aldan Khan's guards, Tokto was responsible for the investigation.

If the two of them work together, it would be easy to find some clues that are unfavorable to Buyan.

As long as Buyan was charged with poisoning his father, he would not be able to inherit the throne, and Bingtu would naturally take over.

Sanniangzi and Tokto looked at each other, nodded silently, and secretly agreed to this plan.

Monk Xuan Chi saw this and was secretly delighted, but he remained calm and advised, "Madam, there is one more thing that we must be on guard against."

"Please have mercy on me and teach me, Great Monk." The third lady was convinced by Monk Xuanchi's wisdom.

"Madam, even if Bingtu is made the new Khan, those who are dissatisfied will still be dissatisfied, and may even establish themselves as Khans and launch an attack. Madam, you must make plans early."

Yes, Besihar, Nalin, Bodidala, Buyan, Yeteng, Gugeru, Darhanlab Taiji, Shaxing Taiji and Wusili Taiji all have their own tribesmen.

Those who are strong can be independent.

Those who are weak can form a group of two or three and they will ignore you, the new Khan.

If someone with ulterior motives secretly colludes and brings everyone together, they can attack the king's tent and seize the throne.

The rule on the grassland is that the strong are respected!
Altan Khan made some plans during his lifetime and left Sanniangzi and Bu Tashili a rich inheritance, as well as more than 15,000 cavalrymen, which were enough to suppress any force.

But if they join forces, their strength will far exceed that of Sanniang's side.

"Master, what should we do?"

Monk Xuan Chi looked calm and said, "Madam, you can find some help."

"Foreign aid? Who can wait for foreign aid for me?"

"Madam, the Khan is the Shunyi King of the Ming Dynasty. After his ascension, there is no longer a powerful leader in the desert grasslands to unite the tribes. Madam, you can see who will be the strongest in the desert grasslands in the future.

Madam, please make a decision as soon as possible."

Sanniangzi and Tokto were silent.

In recent years, the Ming Dynasty killed Xin Ai, pacified the Kharchin tribe, killed Tumen Khan, and destroyed the Chahar tribe.

All the tribes of the left wing of Mongolia were taken in and organized into six tribes of the left wing.

Qi Jiguang often led the left wing troops and the infantry of Luanhe, Xinghua and Fengning to show off his military power in Sanbulachuan. This showed that the offensive and defensive situations between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols had changed.

When Altan Khan was alive, his decades of accumulated power were enough to unite the right wing and confront the Ming Dynasty.

Now that Altan Khan is dead, his brothers and nephews all have their own agenda, and the Ming Dynasty has suddenly become the most powerful power south of the desert.

Sanniangzi and Tokto suddenly realized that whoever the Ming Dynasty supported would be able to secure the position of the Khan of the Right Wing of Mongolia.

Seeing the expressions on Sanniangzi and Tokto's faces, Monk Xuanchi knew that they had both attained enlightenment.

I chanted the Buddha's name silently in my heart. My step-by-step and earnest teachings have paid off. I finally made you realize the situation.

Tokto said: "Madam, you are the most friendly with the Ming Kingdom. Previously, you accompanied the Khan to entertain the officials sent by the Ming Kingdom, and you know them all.

All the wives of Ming officials in Datong City can be mentioned.

You are also most familiar with Ming merchants. It is said that those who do mutual trade in border towns are called mutual trade merchants, and the big bosses behind them are the Ming court and the royal family. These mutual trade merchants are all connected.

Madam, this is now your greatest advantage!"

The third lady's beautiful eyes sparkled.

She certainly knew this was her greatest advantage.

As long as she tells Bingtu, "I'll help you become the Khan of Mo Nan, and then help you smooth out relations with the Ming Kingdom, officially enthrone you as the King of Shunyi, and then marry you. I'll give you three gifts in a row. Are you willing?"

Rabbit C will definitely wag its tail at you like the most loyal hound.

but
Sanniang couldn't help but feel melancholy in her heart and she let out a long sigh.

"No matter how we fight, the greatest benefit goes to the Ming Kingdom. I'm afraid this is the arrangement of the Buddha, the will of heaven!"

Monk Xuanchi, who knew what was going on, heard what Sanniang said and couldn't help but think of the person behind all this, and he started muttering to himself.

"Yes, these are all arranged by the Buddha!"

(End of this chapter)