Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 219: Unexpected Announcement of Abdication...Divide!
The wolf lives in Xu Mountain.

It was originally just an ordinary mountain on the grassland.

Until the Han Dynasty's Marquis of Guanjun and General Huo Qubing, he offered sacrifices to heaven and earth here and engraved a stone to record his achievements.

From then on, "sealing the Wolf's Lair and engraving the stone at Yanran" was regarded as the highest military achievement of the Central Plains dynasty and the highest honor for a soldier.

For generation after generation of generals in the Central Plains, their lifelong dream was to drive out the Tartars and conquer the country.

Zhu Yunhuan specifically ordered Zhang Fu and Zhu Neng to choose this place as the location for the alliance, which naturally also helped them realize their dreams.

On the day of the alliance, one grassland tribe after another gathered at the foot of Langjuxu Mountain.

Because of the complicated relationships among the grassland tribes, although Enke was the Great Khan, he did not have the prestige of Genghis Khan and could not get everyone to respond to his call.

Therefore, after he issued the order to hold a meeting at Langjuxu Mountain, he was still worried that some tribes would turn a blind eye and not come to participate.

If Zhu Neng and Zhang Fu had not forced him, Enke would never have issued such an order to ask all the tribes on the grassland to come to the alliance.

If many tribes refuse, his prestige as the Khan will plummet to the bottom.

However, Enke still underestimated the terrifying prestige of the Ming New Army on the grassland.

After Zhang Fu and Zhu Neng issued a stern warning that any tribe that did not come to participate in the alliance would be regarded as an enemy of the Ming Dynasty and that the Ming Dynasty would vow to destroy them, all the tribes, big and small, on the grassland wisely chose to come to participate in the alliance.

The fate of the Ugezihashaha tribe is clear, and no one would want their tribe to end up like that.

The tribes that came to the alliance brought their own elite cavalry.

Because Zhang Fu and Zhu Neng have already made it clear that this alliance will help the grassland tribes solve the long-standing problem of fighting and slaughtering each other.

They want to establish a new order for the grassland.

For a long time, the grassland tribes have always held the view that whoever has the bigger fist can make the order. Naturally, this time they have mobilized their best troops and demonstrated their strength in an attempt to gain greater say in establishing a new order.

Although the final result will definitely be decided by the Ming Dynasty.

But everyone knows that the Ming Dynasty will also give different benefits to tribes of different strengths based on their strength.

This is true no matter who rules the grassland.

Around Langjuxu Mountain, hundreds of thousands of elite cavalry suddenly gathered.

In contrast, the 6,000 new troops led by Zhang Fu and Zhu Neng were almost completely surrounded by the Northern Yuan troops, which were dozens of times their number.

Despite this, the Ming New Army still occupied the most core and best position.

The surrounding tribes all maintained the highest respect for the new Ming army.

Today, the Ming New Army has become a terrifying legend on the grassland.

Zhu Neng and Zhang Fu were said to be the two great killing gods under the command of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

And the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty who was far away in Nanjing City was even more like the reincarnation of a god.

The people of the grassland tribes no longer had any hostility towards him, only deep fear and admiration.

Woohoo~
Woo woo woo
Woohoo~
In the early morning, the loud horn sounded.

Led by Enke, a group of tribal leaders filed into the Ming army's tent and saluted Zhang Fu and Zhu Neng who were sitting above.

Around the big tent stood rows of Ming army soldiers, all wearing devil masks. The solemn atmosphere was filled with a hint of murderous intent.

"First of all, I have something important to announce." Zhu Neng waved his hand, motioning Enke to come forward.

Enke walked to the front, slowly glanced at the people below, took a deep breath, and said: "I, Borjigin Enke, hereby formally announce my abdication. From now on, I will no longer be the Khan of the grassland."

When these words were spoken, the leaders below were so shocked that their jaws dropped to the ground.

When the new Ming army arrived at the royal court, Enke wisely chose to surrender to the Ming.

As a result, he gained the friendship of the Ming Dynasty.

During this period of time, Enke had a close and harmonious relationship with the Ming generals, which was noticed by many people.

Everyone thought that with the support of the Ming Dynasty, Enke's position as Khan would be secure from now on.

Many people who had not had a good relationship with Enke before have been trying to curry favor with him.

No one expected that such an unexpected turn of events would happen suddenly.

Enke is going to abdicate?
Why is that?
Who will become the new king of the grassland?

What exactly does the Ming Dynasty court want to do?
While the tribal leaders were puzzled, Zhang Fu spoke.

"For a long time, there have been endless wars on the grasslands, and the tribes have been killing each other."

“I don’t know how many lives were lost, and how many cattle, sheep and horses were lost.”

"One of the most crucial reasons is to fight for the position of Khan."

"Many tribal leaders want to become the supreme masters of the grassland."

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty believes that in order to end the chaos on the grassland and keep it peaceful forever, we must not start a war or dispute over this matter."

"The Golden Family is the supreme family on the grassland. Anyone from the Golden Family is qualified to be the Lord of the Grassland."

“But who should I choose?”

"A few years ago, Enke's father Yesudiel killed Toghon Temur, took the seal, and ascended the throne."

"After his death, the Khanate was passed to Enke."

"But, among you all, are you really convinced by the Khan Enke?"

Zhang Fu sneered and said, "If that were the case, Ugeqihashaha would not have been in power before."

"Since he is unwilling to accept the result, his position as the Khan will not be stable."

"Even if the Ming Dynasty suppresses it by force, it is only a temporary measure and it is difficult to achieve long-term stability."

"So I talked to Enke, and he volunteered to give up the position of Great Khan in exchange for peace and stability in the steppe."

When Zhang Fu said this, the corner of Enke's mouth twitched unconsciously.

To be honest, who is really willing to give up the throne?

It’s just that the situation is stronger than people!
Zhu Neng and Zhang Fu appealed to his feelings and reason.

Helped Enke carefully analyze the situation on the grassland.

With the help of the Ming army, Enke could indeed continue to be the Khan of the grassland.

But the tribes were actually still unwilling to submit; they were just afraid of the might of the Ming Dynasty.

Given the opportunity, they would seek to break away from Enke's rule or replace him.

If overthrown, Enke's family and his tribe would pay a very heavy price.

If things go wrong, they will end up like the Ugeqihashaha tribe, which will be wiped out from the grassland forever.

In this case, it would be better to abdicate now and reap the greatest benefits in the subsequent division.

After a discussion of the pros and cons, Enke finally agreed with Zhu Neng and Zhang Fu's suggestions.

"After Enke abdicates, who does the Ming Dynasty plan to make the Khan?" asked a tribal leader below.

Zhang Fu shook his head, his voice as strong as iron: "No one will stand!"

He looked around and said slowly: "You are all leaders of the major tribes on the grassland. I think no matter who is appointed as the new Khan, some of you will not accept it."

"Genghis Khan Borjigin Temujin has left you forever."

"There will never be another Genghis Khan on the grassland."

"The Golden Family is merely the descendants of Genghis Khan, and cannot become the new Genghis Khan."

"Besides, now that the tribes on the grassland have submitted to the Ming Dynasty, you should obey the Ming Dynasty court as your master. How can you establish a Khan again?"

"I summoned you all here today to announce this matter."

"From now on, there will be no more Great Khans on the grassland."

As the voice fell, the big tent suddenly became extremely quiet.

None of the tribal leaders spoke, and even their breathing became much quieter and almost inaudible at this moment.

There will be no more Khan on the grassland from now on?
To be honest, many tribal leaders below really do not want to have a Khan over their heads.

But it is incredible that there is no more Khan on the grassland.

Just as the people in the Central Plains believe, there must be an emperor in the world.

The herdsmen on the grassland also believed that they must have a Khan.

No sweat?

For a moment, the tribal leaders felt very confused.

If there is no Khan on the grassland, someone will stand up and compete for the position of Khan.

The Ming Dynasty kept saying that it wanted to maintain peace and stability on the grassland, but it deliberately did not establish the position of Khan. Was it trying to provoke fighting between the grassland tribes?
Without the Khan, who would judge right and wrong when disputes arose between tribes?

Wouldn't it be an even more irreconcilable fight?

Many people think so.

However, no one dared to say it in front of the two generals of the Ming Dynasty.

After all, everyone knows that these two are the deadly kings of hell.

Anyone who dares to openly oppose them will be killed and his entire tribe will be wiped out.

But there is no Khan on the grassland. Can the Ming Dynasty court, thousands of miles away, rule the grassland tribes?

While thinking, Zhang Fu smiled and said, "Without the Great Khan on the grassland, there is no need for everyone to fight for the position of Great Khan."

"You are all tribes on the grassland, and you are all people of Changshengtian. You should live in peace."

"I, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, pity you and have decided to help you achieve eternal reconciliation."

While speaking, he clapped his hands.

Immediately, soldiers came in from outside, carrying a huge map.

All the tribal leaders looked over in unison, not understanding what he meant.

"This is a map of the grassland. I have discussed this with Enke." "Although you are all nomadic tribes, each tribe actually has a certain range for grazing."

“If people from other tribes cross the border, it would be easy to start a war.”

“Most of the disputes on the grasslands are caused by this.”

"But where exactly the boundary is, there has never been a clear demarcation on the grassland."

"Each tribe believes it has its own truth, and no one wants to admit they are wrong."

"The reason why we gathered everyone here today is to have everyone come together to discuss and decide the scope of each tribe."

"Let's clarify the boundaries of each tribe, and make a vow together under the witness of Changshengtian."

"From now on, no one is allowed to cross the border and infringe on other people's territory."

"If there is any violation, all the tribes on the grassland will punish them together, and our Ming Dynasty will also send troops to enforce justice."

"With clear boundaries, everyone will guard their own pastures in the future, and there will be no need for a Khan to judge disputes."

"With this rule, the tribes on the grassland will keep to themselves from now on, and there will be no more wars."

"What do you think?"

This is how Zhu Yunhuan governed the grassland.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, he wanted to build a city on the grassland, settle people and reclaim the wasteland in order to enrich the frontier.

I hope to transform all grassland tribes into settled farming people.

In that case, the imperial court would be able to rule the grasslands as it rules the Central Plains.

This idea continued for many years.

Even after Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty, he continued to order frontier garrisons to reclaim wasteland and cultivate land on the grasslands.

But Zhu Yuntong knew very well that this approach would not work at all.

The soil and climate on the grassland are not suitable for large-scale farming.

Even if the land is forcibly reclaimed, it will become desertification within a few years.

Will have to be abandoned and allowed to grow grass again.

Not only was it useless, it also seriously damaged the ecology of the grassland and even caused sandstorms, affecting the living environment of the people in the Central Plains.

As for relocating people from the grassland tribes to the Central Plains, that is an extremely ignorant idea.

Not to mention the extremely high cost of migration.

If there is a real large-scale migration, it will only lead to countless conflicts.

Besides, the land of the grassland is still here. After the current tribal population migrates, people from more distant tribes will migrate here and occupy this land.

Migrating the population is equivalent to handing over the vast grassland to other countries.

The problem of foreign invasion of the Central Plains still cannot be solved.

Because the tribes that occupied the grassland later would move south again to attack the Central Plains.

Marriage and the like are equally unreliable.

How can the struggle for national interests really change because of a marriage?
Even if it can be maintained for a while, it is definitely not a long-term solution.

What's more, Zhu Yunhuan didn't want to use himself for any political marriage.

None of these ideas work.

But there is one correct idea.

That is to manage the grassland and allow the nomadic people to settle down.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for the Central Plains dynasty to effectively rule the grassland.

However, the living environment of nomadic people determines that they will not settle down.

After analysis, Zhu Yunhuan found that, in fact, each tribe had a certain territory when grazing on the grassland.

It seems that they have been nomadic, running from east to west and from south to north.

But in fact, most of the time, they only operate within their own territory.

However, for a long time, the scope of this territory was not fixed, but more like a customary practice.

There would also be tribes that would constantly break their old customs, leading to disputes and wars.

Zhu Yunhuan's method was to designate fixed territories for each tribe on the grassland.

From then on, there was no more crossing of boundaries, and there were no more disputes as before.

More importantly, once the territorial scope was determined, each tribe would govern itself independently, and it would be impossible for a unified regime to emerge on the grassland.

As long as the grassland is not unified but split into a dozen or even dozens of tribal forces, none of them can pose a threat to the Central Plains regime.

One of the most important reasons why Genghis Khan Temujin's cavalry was able to sweep across Eurasia and his grandson was able to conquer the Central Plains and eventually destroy the Southern Song Dynasty was that the grassland was unified!
This is unprecedented.

The unified grassland thus burst out with terrifying and astonishing power.

Wherever the grassland cavalry passed, the world trembled.

Today, Zhang Fu and Zhu Neng will "divide" the grassland according to the "divide and rule" method formulated by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Not divided into two parts, or three parts, but into dozens of pieces.

Once divided, as time goes by, the concept of territory will gradually penetrate into the hearts of the herdsmen of each tribe.

From then on, the grassland could no longer be unified.

The Central Plains Dynasty can truly rest easy.

All you need to do is send envoys to form alliances among the tribes, and you can make those unruly tribes suffer.

It is also very easy to send troops to expedition against tribes that have rebelled against the court.

Because at that time, what needed to be conquered was not the entire grassland, but only a few tenths of it.

There was even help from other surrounding tribes.

This is absolutely very important for the expeditionary army.

The previous annihilation of Ugezihashaha's tribe was a good example of this.

Without the guidance and cooperation of Enke and the tribal leaders, it would have been easy for the new army led by Zhang Fu and Zhu Neng to defeat Ugeqihashaha's tribe.

But it is very difficult to wipe them out completely.

If the other party gets the news, they will disperse in advance.

In the vast grassland, it would even become an impossible task to annihilate them all.

But with the cooperation of other grassland tribes, things immediately became very simple.

The new Ming army was completely wiped out in one battle.

Divide and rule the grassland, which was actually the method used by the Qing Dynasty in later history.

During the Qing Dynasty, the grassland tribes were divided into many banners. Each banner had a fixed territory, and alliances were set up to manage the banners.

From then on, the conquered grassland tribes became the most loyal running dogs of the Qing Dynasty.

Not only did they not betray the Qing Dynasty again, many of them even helped the Qing Dynasty in its wars and made great military achievements for the Qing Dynasty.

After the grassland was divided, the Central Plains dynasty only needed to prevent any ambitious individuals from launching a new war of unification. When such individuals appeared, they would immediately send troops to strangle them, and they would no longer have to worry about the threat from the grassland.

After hearing Zhang Fu's words, all the tribal leaders looked at each other in bewilderment.

For a moment, no one responded.

Zhang Fu's eyes fell on a tribal leader in the back and asked, "Is your tribe willing?"

The tribal leader Huodi stood up, looked around, and said loudly: "We are willing! Each tribe should define its territory and borders to prevent the big tribe from bullying the small tribe."

With him taking the lead, other tribal leaders also began to speak out: "We are willing too."

"We would like that too."

"We would like that too."

……

This is a conspiracy.

The generals of each tribe could see the Ming Dynasty's intentions.

The Ming Dynasty wanted to divide the grassland to eliminate their threat.

But for many tribes, this is a rare opportunity.

It has always been difficult for their tribe to survive on the grassland.

Because on the grassland, whoever has the bigger fist has the final say.

The big tribes are powerful and naturally do not take the small tribes seriously.

If territorial boundaries could be defined, the survival situation of small, weaker tribes would immediately change dramatically.

Of course the small tribes would love it.

The leader of the big tribe must be unwilling to do this.

They all have the ability to compete for supremacy on the grasslands, and even, at a certain opportunity, to establish themselves as Khans.

Without setting territorial boundaries, one's own tribe can obtain the greatest benefits.

This is also why, for a long time, although the grassland tribes had spheres of influence formed by traditional customs, they never had clear territorial demarcations.

Because that is not in the interests of powerful large tribes.

However, seeing that other tribes had expressed their agreement one after another and there were two Ming Dynasty killing gods above them, they could only "know the current affairs of the times and be wise" and agree to draw the territorial boundaries.

"Good!" Zhang Fu clapped his hands and said, "Since everyone agrees to draw the border, let's discuss how to draw it."

……

(End of this chapter)