Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 156 The Khuriltai Assembly, the Giant Penguin and the Polar Bear

The first batch of immigrants totaled 50,000, of whom 25,000 were from Hebei and 25,000 from Shandong.

Before the Mongols conquered the Jin Dynasty, the total population of the Jin Dynasty was around 60 million. Of these, more than 3 million lived in the Northeast, while the remaining 56 million were concentrated in Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and parts of northern Anhui and northern Jiangsu.

The total population of Hebei Province is actually less than that of Shandong Province.

However, Shandong suffered a large loss of population due to the prolonged chaos caused by the Red Turban Rebellion, resulting in the population of the two regions being roughly the same, around eight million.

When the Mongols first invaded the Jin Dynasty, they employed Zhao Shuo's strategy, resulting in relatively few population losses in these two regions. During the second Mongol invasion, Zhao Shuo personally led the campaign against the two provinces, leading to even fewer casualties.

After five years of recuperation, the total population of these two regions has recovered to around eight million.

Over the past five years, with Yelü Chucai stationed in Zhongdu to manage domestic affairs, the government has established a good reputation. The experiences and gains of the soldiers on the western expedition have greatly broadened the horizons of these people from Shandong and Hebei, and inspired their fighting spirit.

Zhao Shuo's "Immigration Order" was issued, and within just one month, more than 400,000 people had signed up.

The government was not impatient for quick results. The first batch of immigrants totaled 50,000, selected from over 400,000 applicants. After all, such a large-scale immigration would inevitably encounter various unforeseen difficulties and problems. Once the first batch of immigrants was settled, lessons learned would be summarized before proceeding with a larger-scale immigration program.

All applicants were divided into five categories.

The first category consists of young adults with many brothers in the family, who have someone to support their parents, but who are willing to immigrate and want to build a career in a foreign land.

The second category consisted of young adults who, despite having parents, were too poor to marry. If these men remained in Shandong and Hebei and didn't join the official system, they would be a significant destabilizing factor. However, if they migrated, they became a vital force, daring and determined to help the Han people prosper and flourish.

The third category consists of families with many underage boys. Zhao Shuo couldn't wait for the immigrants to settle down and raise their children into qualified soldiers. However, these underage boys, once grown up in a few years, could use their swords, spears, and bows to expand the living space for the Han people.

The fourth class consisted of families of military personnel. These were the first immigrants who most needed armed protection. The military personnel had received some military training and could serve as the backbone of the immigrant force.

The fifth class is the ordinary family.

In fact, the first batch of 50,000 immigrants consisted of the first four classes, and the fifth class could only be accommodated in later batches.

The entire immigration team was led by Zhang Rong, the former commander of the Bordered Black Banner of the Han Army.

Zhang Rong was also one of the most powerful figures among the hereditary rulers of the Han Dynasty, as recorded in historical records.

During the Yuan Dynasty, people evaluated the hereditary lords of the Han army and referred to the Zhang family of Jinan (Zhang Rong), the Shi family of Zhengding (Shi Tianni), the Yan family of Dongping (Yan Shi), and the Zhang family of Shuntian (Zhang Rou) as the "Four Great Lords".

In the historical account without Zhao Shuo's time travel, Zhang Rong persisted in fighting the Mongol army until 1226, when he could no longer hold out alone and finally surrendered to the Mongols. When Temujin learned of this, he personally summoned Zhang Rong and asked him why he had surrendered so late.

In response, Zhang Rong replied, "Shandong is a vast and populous land, and it all belongs to you. I cannot support myself alone, and if I still have someone to rely on, I will not submit."

Genghis Khan admired men with courage, and he patted one of them on the back, saying, "Truly brave, Batel."

That means you're even braver than "Bartel".

As expected, after Zhang Rong surrendered to the Mongols, he became a brave and valiant warrior, repeatedly achieving military merits and becoming one of the most prominent Han Chinese hereditary rulers.

Moreover, this person was not only skilled in warfare, but also in land reclamation.

At that time, refugees from Henan migrated north to Jinan. Zhang Rong ordered that houses and land be allocated to the refugees to live in, and that they raise livestock and cultivate the land. He also assessed their harvests, turning the former uninhabited wilderness into a paradise on earth.

When the Secretariat conducted performance evaluations, Zhang Rong was rated as the best in the country.

Zhang Rong served as an official under the Mongols until the age of sixty, when he requested to retire, but the court refused. It wasn't until he was eighty years old, when he was truly unable to continue, that he retired with the official title of "Wanhu of Jinan Road, Duke of Jinan".

Such a talented and upright person, skilled in both literature and martial arts, was simply the first choice for Zhao Shuo, the immigration officer.

Zhao Shuo changed history. Shandong was quickly pacified by Zhao Shuo, and Zhang Rong became a commander of a thousand men in the Han army's Bordered Black Banner.

Now that Zhao Shuo is going to emigrate to foreign lands, it is a good opportunity to transfer Zhang Rong's chiliarch position from the Bordered Black Banner and appoint Zhang Rong as "Ambassador for Colonial Affairs in Khorasan, Tokharistan and South India" to be in charge of emigration within his own fiefdom.

Zhang Rong was both literate and skilled in martial arts, and he certainly knew how valuable the title of "Ambassador for Colonization in Khorasan, Tochariah, and South India" was.

Don't be fooled by the fact that there are only 50,000 people now; in the future, the number will likely be far more than 500,000. This position is even more impressive than that of a Han Chinese Eight Banners commander.

Moreover, he is only forty years old this year, which is the perfect time for a young man to make his mark.

Therefore, Zhang Rong did his best to do this job well.

He divided these 50,000 men into ten teams of 5,000 each, each team guarded by a Han army centurion under his command. Among the 5,000 men, there were also soldiers from the local garrison, skilled in martial arts, or people of local prestige, who were appointed as tenth, hundredth, and thousandth commanders.

In other words, although the entire force was mainly composed of civilians, it was governed by military law.

They set off from Hebei, traversed the Mongolian grasslands and the former Western Liao region, and finally arrived in the Khorasan region, covering a distance of over nine thousand li (approximately 4,000 kilometers). This nearly ten-thousand-li migration was also a process of tempering the organization, discipline, and even willpower of these people.

Because of the presence of many elderly people and children, even though Zhao Shuo provided a large number of mules and horses, the entire team did not travel very fast, only about 30 li a day, and it would take about a year to arrive.

After a year of rigorous training, by the time they reached the Khorasan region, the entire immigrant group was almost fully prepared.

With the establishment of Han Chinese settlements, Zhao Shuo's fiefdom will become increasingly stable.

Of course, that's all a long time from now.

Three months after the first group of immigrants set off, Zhao Shuo, Hua Zheng, and Zhao He, escorted by five hundred personal guards, went to Karakorum to attend the Kuriltai.

Temujin convened this Kurultai primarily for three purposes.

Firstly, after Temujin's army returned, the Jin, Dongzhen, Western Xia, Goryeo, and even the Sakya sect of Tibet sent many gifts, including seven princesses from Western Xia. Temujin decided to distribute these gifts among the Mongol nobles.

Secondly, although most of the Mongol nobles participated in this western expedition, some did not, and they should also share in the spoils.

Thirdly, Jochi and Chagatai wanted to reclaim their fiefdoms.

Ögedei was Temujin's provisional successor, and Tolui's youngest son, who was in charge of guarding the hearth, would definitely stay by Temujin's side.

However, it would be inappropriate for Jochi and Chagatai to remain in Karakorum.

Besides, things aren't peaceful in their own country either, so they need to go back and take charge.

Such a long distance meant that seeing each other again would be difficult. Therefore, Temujin summoned the Mongol nobles to see them off. Of course, there was another reason Temujin didn't say: he was getting old, already sixty this year, and who knew how many more years he had left to live? He wanted his old brothers to see each other as much as possible, and to get together as much as possible.

When Zhao Shuo arrived in Karakorum this time, Temujin certainly wouldn't personally come out to greet him.

However, more than twenty Mongol nobles who were close to Zhao Shuo, including Jochi, Tolui, Jebe, Subutai, and Jochitai, still greeted him at the city gate.

Zhao Shuo even spotted a familiar yet unfamiliar figure in the crowd.

Horchi!
Because of Khorchi's recklessness, the Tumat tribe rebelled, and Borchu, one of the Four Heroes of the Mongols, was killed in battle.

At Zhao Shuo's suggestion, Temujin sent Khorchi to the Arctic to find penguins.

In modern society, there are of course no penguins in the Arctic. But in this era, there is indeed a species in the Arctic that is similar to penguins, called the "great penguin" or "great auk".

Unexpectedly, he also returned to attend the Kurultai.

Now over sixty years old, Horchi's hair is gray. More than ten years of hard work have not only made him much thinner than before, but also added many wrinkles to his face. However, his spirit is still quite vigorous.

"Ah Shuo! Come quickly and check on those penguins! They only like the snow and ice and can't stand the heat. Even though it's winter now, more than a dozen have already died. It's hard to say how long the remaining ones will live."

After exchanging pleasantries, Huoerchi tugged at Zhao Shuo's sleeve to boast of his achievements.

Zhao Shuo's eyes lit up, and he said, "So, you actually found the penguin?"

“Of course,” Horchi said with considerable pride. “Besides the penguins, I also brought back a white bear. This bear is much larger than the black bears we usually see. It took me a lot of effort to set up traps and capture two of them alive.”

"When I first arrived in Karakorum, Genghis Khan was receiving the Taoist Master Qiu Chuji. I showed the penguin and the white bear to Genghis Khan and Qiu Chuji. Even Qiu Chuji, with his great learning, did not know the origin of the penguin and the white bear."

"That's not all. Fourteen years ago, you knew that in the far north there is only one day a year, half day and half night. You also knew that there are penguins in the far north. When Qiu Chuji found out, he was absolutely astonished. He insisted on meeting you."

"Genghis Khan was very pleased, saying that my journey north to the far north was a great achievement for Mongolia. He not only gave me a house in Karakorum on the spot, but also rewarded me with 30,000 taels of gold. 30,000 taels of gold! I have never seen so much money in my life. It is all thanks to you, Asho."

These are Horchi's true feelings.

When he was entrusted by Temujin to set off for the far north, he did so only with the intention of atonement.

However, as he subdued more and more barbarian tribes and expanded the Mongol territory northward, his mindset gradually changed.

Qorchi initially only wanted thirty beautiful women to enjoy wealth and luxury because he knew he was a good-for-nothing, and that becoming a Mongol commander of ten thousand households was already beyond his capabilities.

But what good man doesn't want to make a name for himself?
Horchi also wanted to achieve great things, but he simply lacked the ability.

Zhao Shuo really found him a suitable position this time. Those savages didn't even have iron arrowheads, so they were very easy to conquer.

During this process, Horchi underwent various trials and tribulations, and discovered that he was not so useless after all.

After successfully capturing penguins and polar bears, he felt incredibly proud and excited, thinking that life had been wonderful and that he hadn't lived in vain.

Thank you, Prince Consort!

Jochi joked, "It's not all good. Horchi, don't you still have thirty beautiful wives? You haven't had a chance to use them all these years, have you? Those beauties are probably all getting old."

"No delay! No delay!" Horchi waved his hand and said, "I'll head north with my thirty beautiful wives, who have borne me seven sons and eight daughters!"

Seeing Huoerchi's appearance, Zhao Shuo also smiled.

He sent Khorchi to the Arctic simply to give him something to do, lest Khorchi become idle and cause trouble, like the Tumat tribe's rebellion.

Unexpectedly, by making use of waste, Horchi actually made it to the Arctic and captured penguins and polar bears.

Then future generations could claim that the Arctic has existed "since ancient times".

Zhao Shuo asked, "Where did you go the farthest? Did you erect a monument or anything?"

Huo Erchi scratched his head and said, "I can't say for sure how far it has gone. That place is all ice and snow, and there are no clear landmarks."

"However, I did erect the monument. It is written in Mongolian that 'Khorchi, the commander of ten thousand households of the Great Mongol Empire, erected this monument to record his deeds in the far north.' I was afraid that future generations would not be able to find it, so I erected a total of nine monuments within a radius of a hundred miles. Ashu, there is a saying among the Han people, 'to leave one's name in history.' Do I count as leaving my name in history by erecting these monuments?"

"Of course it counts." Zhao Shuo said solemnly, "In the future, when people talk about the first person to set foot on the far north, they will say it was the Mongol commander Qorchi!"

"That's great! Come on, let's all go to my house to see the penguins and polar bears. It's my treat today, everyone drink until we drop!"

So Zhao Shuo and the twenty-odd Mongol nobles went together to the house where Temujin had rewarded Khorchi.

Hua Zheng, Zhao He, and the others don't need to go. Temujin has already bestowed a residence upon Zhao Shuo in Karakorum. They can simply return to their own homes.

Among the welcoming party for Zhao Shuo was Batu, the son of Jochi.

He and Zhao He had been friends since childhood, and the two had even become sworn brothers. Batu was overjoyed to see Zhao He, and the two brothers seemed to have endless things to talk about. They then went back with Zhao He.

Jochi and the others had already seen polar bears and penguins, so they were no longer surprised.

Zhao Shuo wasn't really surprised, but seeing polar bears and penguins on the Mongolian grasslands in this era was a rare experience, and he praised Horchi a few more times.

Then, Horchi ordered a banquet to be prepared to entertain Zhao Shuo, Jochi, and others.

During the banquet, Horchi mentioned the magnificent aurora borealis in the Arctic, the Arctic foxes and hares on land, and the walruses and sea lions in the sea, which aroused the longing of Jochi and others.

Zhao Shuo, Jochi, and others also mentioned some interesting stories from the westward expedition, such as the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, the thriving oases in the desert, and the giant melons that could grow as big as two heads outside Samarkand, which greatly interested Horchi.

Suddenly, Zhao Shuo had an idea and said, "Speaking of expeditions, I have another great gain. Jochi, you are about to return to the Kipchak Steppe, so I will give you this great gain as a parting gift."

"What big find?"

Jochi, Horchi, Subutai, and the others all turned to look at Zhao Shuo.

(End of this chapter)