Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1288 Hara and Karen
Tengger's purpose in sending troops this time was to suppress the various tribes in the northern desert, especially to warn those tribes with disloyal intentions, and at the same time to cooperate with Agudamu to deal with several tribes in the eastern part of the northern desert, and to eliminate the pseudo-Qing people who had fled to the northern desert.

From this perspective, Tengger did not actually intend to completely wipe out the various tribes in the northern desert, especially since he could not do so even with the help of the Ming army.

The northern desert region is vast and home to numerous tribes, making it impossible to rely on force alone. Moreover, the northern desert is not a monolithic entity; while there is cooperation among the tribes, there are also conflicts. The most appropriate option to resolve the current problem is to win one faction over another. Besides, the weather is getting colder, and with the arrival of winter, the northern desert is not suitable for continued warfare. Tengger also needs to consider subsequent plans.

After the banquet, everyone dispersed. Although Tengger had drunk quite a bit, it was nothing compared to his tolerance for alcohol.

Even at night, he remained energetic, studying the terrain and situation of the northern desert in his tent, while deep in thought.

Currently, things are progressing very smoothly on my side. Several tribes in the northwestern part of the Gobi Desert have shown a submissive attitude after my troops went out. They not only sent people to say that they knew nothing about the remnants of the pseudo-Qing dynasty fleeing to the Gobi Desert, but they were also extremely indignant about what Sichinbal had done.

These tribes all expressed their support for the Ming Dynasty and Tengger. Firstly, they had been severely beaten by Tengger before and knew the power of the Tumed. Secondly, they had participated in the previous alliance meeting in Guihua City, acknowledging the Ming Dynasty's rule over the grasslands. In the past two years, under the leadership of the Tumed, the northern grasslands had been redefined, which, although with both advantages and disadvantages, was generally more beneficial than harmful.

After the ownership of the grasslands was determined, the conflicts between the tribes decreased significantly. Even if some disputes arose, they could be resolved through negotiations between the tribal chiefs or mediation by Guihua City. Moreover, submitting to the Ming Dynasty was not without its benefits. Although the Ming Dynasty could not provide them with direct gold and silver supplies, it allowed these tribes to engage in indirect trade with the Ming Dynasty through Guihua City.

Even though Guihua City took nearly half of the profits from the trade, the remaining profits were enough to make these tribal leaders overjoyed. In addition, after the alliance ended, not only did Ming caravans venture deep into the grasslands, but they also brought some technical personnel. With the help of these Ming people, the lives of the first few tribes that submitted to Tengger improved significantly. Besides learning from the Ming people how to cultivate land (plant grass) to solve the original grazing habits of the grasslands, they also discovered some mineral resources.

These mineral resources alone can bring the tribe a lot of profit, and their lives are much better now than before when they were struggling.

Why would they choose to return to their impoverished past when they have a good life? The Mongols aren't fools! Besides, the Ming Dynasty is currently at its zenith and is simply too powerful to offend. Let alone the Ming Dynasty, even if the Tumed tribe were to mobilize, they would be in deep trouble. So, upon learning that Tengger was going to send troops to the northern desert, how could these tribes remain idle? They rushed to express their support, and some even volunteered to send troops to assist him.

Tengger would certainly not refuse the statements of these tribes, but he did not fully accept their offer of military assistance.

When you're on someone else's turf, it's always best to be careful. Having too many troops outside your own tribe is not necessarily a good thing.

Moreover, it seems that he has already achieved his initial goal. Tengger is now not far from Karakorum. After dealing with the Ulanbarri tribe, Karakorum is Tengger's next target. Once he takes Karakorum, it means that he has established a firm foothold in the northern desert. At that time, he can advance or retreat as he pleases, and firmly contain the heartland of the northern desert.

Karakorum holds a different significance in the hearts of the Mongols. It was once the core area of ​​the Mongol Empire and the location of the Great Khan's royal tent.

Genghis Khan, Ögedei Khan, Güyük Khan, and Möngke Khan all ruled their dynasties from Karakorum, which became the center of the world. However, Kublai Khan fought with his brother Ariq Böke for the throne. After Kublai Khan became emperor in the Central Plains, he led Han Chinese troops north to fight Ariq Böke and ultimately defeated him to seize the throne.

After winning the war, Kublai Khan returned to the Central Plains shortly after entering Karakorum. He then made Dadu (present-day Beijing) the capital, and Karakorum's political status plummeted. It then became the location of the Pacification Commissioner's Office in the northern desert region.

After that, Karakorum completely lost its status as a capital city, and over time became merely an important town in northern Mongolia. However, towards the end of the Yuan Dynasty, with the Yuan court fleeing north, Karakorum once again became the capital of the Northern Yuan. Unfortunately, during the Ming Dynasty's several northern expeditions, the Yuan court was no match for the Ming cavalry, and even Karakorum was captured. As time passed, Karakorum was no longer what it once was, but even so, this place remained a sacred site in the hearts of the Mongols.

Taking Karakorum was not only of great political significance, but more importantly, it was strategically located in the central part of the northern steppe, surrounded by rivers and the finest grasslands, with Lake Baikal, also known as the North Sea, to its north.

To its east lies Ulaanbaatar, the residence of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu. Their importance in northern Mongolia is self-evident. Judging by the timeline, Tengger should have no problem taking Karakorum, but he hesitated regarding Ulaanbaatar. Should he use force or appeasement? He wanted to consider this carefully. After pondering for a while, Tengger ultimately decided to postpone dealing with Ulaanbaatar for now. Firstly, due to the season; with the arrival of late autumn, the temperature on the northern grasslands was dropping rapidly. Based on Tengger's experience, he estimated that snow would fall in northern Mongolia in less than a month.

Once it snows, the war in the northern deserts must be suspended, since it is simply impossible to fight in winter. The northern deserts are vast, and warfare relies on warhorses. Moreover, the Mongols used cattle and sheep as logistical supplies during battles. A heavy snowfall would not only make it difficult to discern directions, but could also cause many warhorses, cattle, sheep, and even soldiers to freeze to death overnight. Therefore, there is no reason to fight in winter.

Secondly, the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, as the leader of the Gelug school, held an extremely prestigious position in northern Mongolia. Although the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu lineage and the religions of southern Mongolia were not of the same lineage, they both belonged to the Yellow Sect (Yellow Hat sect), which wielded considerable influence in Mongolia and could even determine the legitimacy of many Mongol tribes. The reason Ligdan Khan was deserted by his followers was because he converted to the Red Hat sect, leading to extreme dissatisfaction among the tribal leaders. Coupled with Ligdan Khan's stubbornness and capriciousness, this ultimately resulted in his downfall.

Tengger was the lord of Tumed and the Prince of Shunyi, appointed by the Ming Dynasty. But we should not forget that Tengger was able to sit in this position because of the recognition of his sect. The greatest help he received came from Guru Sangge and his disciples.

Although Guru Sangge has returned to Ganden Monastery and no longer lives in the world, his disciple has become the abbot of Silver Buddha Temple. Moreover, Silver Buddha Temple, which supported Tengger back then and stood firmly on Tengger's side when he became the leader of the Tumed, belongs to the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. In essence, the two are of the same lineage.

Given this relationship, if Tengger were to directly attack Ulaanbaatar, the consequences would be severe. Therefore, Ulaanbaatar is not like Karakorum, and it would be best to avoid using force if possible. If he could take advantage of the situation to win over Jebtsundamba Khutuktu and make this guru his ally, that would be ideal. As long as the other party is on his side, he would have full confidence in stabilizing the situation in northern Mongolia in the future, including dealing with the Uriyangkhai tribes in eastern Mongolia.

The problem is that the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu is not someone you can easily win over. Although Tengger is the lord of the Tumed and the Prince of Shunyi appointed by the Ming Dynasty, he is not the emperor or the real Great Khan of the Mongols.

Even during the reign of Ligdan Khan, this Great Khan failed to win over the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, and the fact that Ligdan Khan converted to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism further strained relations between the two sides. Therefore, his own status and prestige were simply insufficient to win over the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu to his side.

"It seems the only option is to write a memorial to the Emperor. Perhaps, given the Emperor's status, the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu will agree to this." After much thought, Tengger realized this was the only solution and could only turn to Zhu Shenzhui for help, hoping that the Ming Dynasty would intervene.

This approach offers the best chance of success, but it remains to be seen whether Zhu Shenzhui will agree. However, there's no rush. In any case, we won't be advancing eastward for the time being since the winter ceasefire. Let's occupy Karakorum first, and decide on the rest after observing the situation.

That very night, Tengger wrote a memorial to the Ming Dynasty, explaining the situation in the northern desert and his plans to soon be stationed in Karakorum. At the end of the memorial, Tengger hoped that the Ming Dynasty could formally confer the title of Buzundanba Hutuktu on the title of Buzundanba Hutuktu in order to win over the Gelugpa sect in the northern desert and lay a solid foundation for future stability in the region.

After the memorial was sent out overnight, Tengger finally relaxed a lot.

After a night's rest, his main force broke camp the next day and marched in a mighty procession toward Karakorum in the north. When he arrived near Karakorum, the Sunid tribe, which had been stationed there, abandoned Karakorum and fled north to join the Chechen Khan, Shuoli, because the southern Ulaanbaatar tribe had been annihilated.

There was no resistance from the entire city of Karakorum, and Tengger successfully entered Karakorum. After taking the city, Tengger did not continue his northward advance, nor did he send troops eastward to attack Ulaanbaatar. Instead, he rested and prepared supplies there, waiting to get through the winter before deciding on his next course of action.

When Tengger's memorial arrived in the capital, the first snow had already fallen in northern Mongolia, and winter had finally arrived on the grasslands.

At this time, Zhu Shenzhui's mind was not on the northern desert, but on the South China Sea. After the court decided to fight the Netherlands in the South China Sea, the three naval fleets of the Ming Dynasty gathered elite warships and elite soldiers and began to assemble in Guangzhou. Before long, this joint fleet would head south to officially start the war with the Netherlands.

(End of this chapter)