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

Chapter 212 Horse breeding on Jeju Island, aiming at Japan and India!

After the celebration, arrangements should be made for the withdrawal of troops.

According to the agreement between Zhao Shuo and Ögedei Khan, the area north of the Han River belonged to Ögedei Khan, while the area south of the Han River belonged to Zhao Shuo.

Now, Goryeo has only about 300,000 men left, of which only about 130,000 are from south of the Han River.

There was no other way; the area north of the Han River was close to the Northeast, and even the most ignorant people there had a much broader perspective than those in the South, resulting in a higher number of people surrendering to the Mongols.

The South was arrogant and conceited, utterly ignorant of its own limitations. In later generations, they even believed that the universe belonged to them. Zhao Shuo erected countless mounds of corpses, leaving only these few male descendants.

I still have to immigrate.

Zhao Shuo plans to relocate 200,000 people south of the Han River within five years, including 100,000 single young men.

Because the Goryeo men south of the Han River were almost wiped out. Five or six hundred thousand young Goryeo women were without men and desperately needed a male replacement.

These immigrants no longer needed to leave from Shandong and Hebei, but instead came from the northern regions of Jiangsu and Anhui.

Historically, the northern regions of Jiangsu and Anhui were meat grinders for Li Quan's Red Turban Army, the Jin Army, and the Song Army, leaving them devastated and with little population to migrate to.

But Zhao Shuo changed history, pacifying Shandong early on and subjugating Li Quan, thus maintaining stability in northern Anhui and northern Jiangsu. Later, through an agreement with the Jin Dynasty, Zhao Shuo peacefully took over these regions, and the population did not decrease, which was then used for immigration.

In fact, just as the capital city of Kaesong fell, the navy's Zheng Hongqi had already transported the first batch of 10,000 young men to the Jianghan Plain south of the Han River.

These immigrants are lucky.

The houses and farmland were readily available, and even the horses used for plowing were either retired warhorses that the Han army was too lazy to take with them, or local livestock sold at extremely low prices.

Women are not the problem either.

Zhao Shuo has issued an edict that while the original Koreans adhered to a strict monogamous system, the new immigrants could marry up to four women.

In the southern part of the Han River, the Fubing system was implemented, and each male member of the original Goryeo family was allocated 20 mu of land. However, each male member of the Han immigrant family was allocated 100 mu of land.

Furthermore, ten years later, the native Korean language will be banned, and only Chinese or Mongolian will be spoken. There are hardly any Mongolians south of the Han River, so what language should they speak?
As for who those Goryeo women will belong to, is that even a question?

Most of the young and middle-aged men who immigrated to Korea were poor men from the local areas who had little or no land and struggled to find wives. Now, upon arriving in Korea, they had houses, land, livestock, and even three or four wives right before their eyes—they could laugh in their dreams!
The Eight Banner troops stationed in the southern part of the Han River have also been determined. Their unit number is the 20,000th Household of the Plain Yellow Banner of the Semu people, and they will be appointed by Shi Tianze, a 1,000-household commander transferred from the Plain Yellow Banner of the Han Army.

This commandery was not fully staffed. In addition to the thousand Han soldiers under Shi Tianze's command, there were also six thousand former Jin soldiers from Balu's camp who had either lost two heads or participated in two bloody battles, making a total of seven thousand men.

The remaining 3,000 people will be gradually relocated from Han areas or supplemented by local residents.

However, Zhao Shuo was not most concerned about these things, but rather about Tamna Island, the southernmost island in Goryeo.

Tamna Island, which is the later Jeju Island.

This island is 146 li long from east to west and 62 li wide from north to south. It is surrounded by other affiliated islands such as Ushio Island, Feiyang Island, Gapo Island, and Mara Island.

Not only is it quite large in area, but its geographical location is also extremely important. It is 180 miles from the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula, 400 miles from Tsushima Island in Japan, and 500 miles from the Shandong Peninsula in China. It controls the Korean Strait and can be called the strategic choke point of China, Korea, and Japan.

Five days after the celebration, Zhao Shuo summoned Duerboduoheishen, the chief of the grasslands, and Zhang Shijie, the chief of the first thousand of the navy's Zhenghong Banner, into his central command tent.

After the greetings were completed, Zhao Shuo instructed the two men to sit down.

Then, looking at Dorberdoheishen, he asked, "How have I treated your Dorber border tribes?"

"A debt of gratitude as high as heaven and as deep as earth!"

Dorbodoheshen knelt down again, saying, "His Majesty not only did not demand tribute from our Dorbodo tribe, but also dug wells for us, making it easier for the herders to graze their livestock. Our post-war rewards are far greater than those of ordinary grassland tribes. All the people of Dorbodo are willing to die for His Majesty!"

This is true.

Not afraid of not knowing the goods, but afraid of comparing goods.

Ordinary grassland herders not only required the men to answer the Great Khan's call and fight for him, but also their wives and children who remained in their hometowns had to pay taxes to the Mongol court.

However, those under Zhao Shuo's command did not have to pay any taxes.

Originally, after Ögedei Khan ascended the throne, he planned to dig wells on the grasslands to expand the living space of the grassland people. Zhao Shuo changed history; after Ögedei Khan came to power, he quickly launched eastern expeditions against the Eastern Jin and Goryeo kingdoms, so the well-digging project was no longer implemented.

What a stark contrast!
Most importantly, Zhao Shuo was always invincible, and the spoils his grassland warriors received were far greater than those of ordinary grassland warriors.

As a result, the lives of the grassland people under Zhao Shuo's command far exceeded those of ordinary grassland people.

Genghis Khan was relatively well-off, as his high prestige earned him the loyalty of the steppe people. However, Ögedei Khan was far less so; the steppe warriors under Zhao Shuo's command are now much more loyal to him than Ögedei Khan was.

Duo'er Bianbu was originally just Zhao Shuo's subordinate, not a hereditary commander under Zhao Shuo, and they used to have to pay taxes.

Since learning that they had been designated as Zhao Shuo's hereditary commanders of a thousand households, countless people have cheered with joy.

Zhao Shuo said, "This is nothing. I treat all the grassland warriors under my command equally. What other tribes have, your Duoerbian tribe will also have. In this attack on Goryeo, your Duoerbian tribe achieved the greatest military merit among all the grassland tribes. Therefore, I would like to give you another favor."

After a pause, Zhao Shuo stood up, pointed to the map behind him, and said, "There is a large island to the south of Goryeo, called Tamna Island. I permit your son, Dorchidai, to lead five hundred herders to relocate to the island. Dorchidai will be the Darughachi of this island. What do you think?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Nomadic peoples are different from the peoples of the Central Plains. They do not have the concept of being attached to their homeland. Wherever the water and grass are lush, that is the best home in their minds.

Take the Jelek Valley for example. Back then, Zhao Shuo selected some grassland warriors who were about to retire or were already disabled, and moved their whole families to this place, which made many grassland people envious and jealous.

Moreover, the pastures for each thousand households on the grassland are fixed. Although they are sufficient now, they will certainly become insufficient as the population grows.

Now that Zhao Shuo has allowed half of the people of the Duoerbian tribe to relocate to Tamluo Island and spread their influence, the significance of this to the Duoerbian tribe cannot be overstated.

Dorberdoheishen is now extremely happy.

Zhao Shuo waved his hand and said, "Don't rush to express your gratitude. Whether Tamna Island is as lush with water and grass as I said, you can take a naval ship with the red flag to see for yourself these days. Also, these herders have another task."

"Your Majesty, please speak. The border troops of Dorje will brave fire and water, and die ten thousand times without hesitation."

"You people from the border region of Dorjee will raise livestock on Tamna Island. Not only will I not collect any taxes from you, but I will also give you a subsidy of three taels of silver per month. In return, you will manage some horses for me. I will requisition 20,000 Mongolian horses and transport them to Tamna Island. These warhorses are adapted to the climate of Tamna Island and will become the main force in the future campaign against Japan."

This was Zhao Shuo's true purpose in recruiting Duoerboduoheishen to the central command tent.

Tamna Island has a subtropical maritime climate with abundant rainfall, which is suitable for pasture growth.

Moreover, most of the land here is covered with basalt, quartz, and volcanic ash formed by lava weathering, resulting in fertile soil that forms 80,000 hectares of natural pasture. The area around Hallasan Mountain on the island has abundant water resources, providing an ideal living environment for horses.

Furthermore, the isolation of the island reduces the risk of disease transmission, making it one of the best horse-breeding grounds in the world.

In historical records, after forcing Goryeo to submit, the Yuan Dynasty directly ceded Tamna Island to Goryeo, making it a directly administered territory of the Yuan Dynasty for horse breeding. Goryeo was also reluctant to give up Tamna Island, and repeatedly clashed with the Yuan court over this matter.

Therefore, Tamna Island sometimes belonged to the Yuan Dynasty and sometimes to Goryeo.

When the Red Turban Rebellion broke out at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Shun of Yuan's first choice for moving the capital was not the grasslands, but Tamna Island. This shows the importance of this island.

Most importantly, the climate on Tamna Island is much more humid than on the grasslands. Both Arabian warhorses and Mongolian horses live in arid regions and cannot tolerate high humidity.

Zhao Shuo needed warhorses adapted to humid climates to wage war against the Southern Song, Japan, and even Annam and India.

Once these warhorses have adapted to the local climate, they can then be used to conquer those humid regions.

Moreover, it can be used for hybridization!

The Jeju horse, which later became famous for its tolerance to high humidity, was a cross between Mongolian horses and local indigenous horses.

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! The Dorbian tribe will certainly graze the livestock for Your Majesty on Tamna Island, making this place a base for Your Majesty's conquest of Fusang!" Dorberheishen declared.

Three taels of silver a month, that's thirty-six taels a year, quite a lot. Don't be fooled by the fact that grassland warriors can earn over sixty taels of silver just by following Zhao Shuo to conquer the capital.

However, for the production activities of pure herders, thirty taels of silver is already a considerable amount of wealth.

In addition, herding on islands means there are no wild animals to damage the livestock, and there is no need to worry about the livestock running away. It requires very little manpower and is much easier than herding on grasslands.

Zhao Shuo then looked at Zhang Shijie and said, "Now you know why I called you here today, right?"

Zhang Shijie said, "Firstly, it's for the sake of the Duerbian tribe. Escorting Duerboduo Heishen, the commander of the Duerbian tribe, to Tamna Island, transporting those 20,000 horses, and the 500 households of people from the Duerbian tribe are all tasks assigned to our navy's Plain Red Banner. Secondly, it's for Fusang. Does Your Majesty intend to build another naval base on Tamna Island?"

Zhao Shuo nodded and said, "That's right, exactly. Tamna Island is about the same distance from the mainland and Japan. Your navy can build a base on Tamna Island. There's no need to build ships here, but it should become a permanent training ground for the navy. When conquering Japan, the warhorses don't need to be boarded from the mainland, but can be boarded directly at Busan Port in southern Korea or Tamna Island."

"Yes!"

"Good job!"

Zhao Shuo stood up, patted Zhang Shijie on the shoulder, and said, "After we destroy Japan, we will establish another Navy Plain Blue Banner. If nothing unexpected happens, you will be the commander of the Navy Plain Blue Banner."

"Thank you, Your Majesty! I am willing to die for you!"

At this moment, Zhang Shijie was extremely excited.

As Zhang Rou's cousin, he had a bright future ahead of him, but due to youthful impetuosity, he joined the Xiangyang Navy of the Song Dynasty.

It wasn't until Zhao Shuo's western expedition ended that Zhang Shijie realized his mistake and rejoined the Han Chinese Eight Banners. By then, his status was far inferior to that of his cousins ​​of similar age; he was merely an ordinary Han Chinese Eight Banners soldier.

By the grace of Heaven, Zhao Shuo established a navy, and Zhang Shijie once again had a place to fight bravely. He became the first commander of the Plain Red Banner Navy and had become one of the best among his clansmen.

Over the years, Zhao Shuo had attached great importance to the Zhenghongqi Navy, providing it with both funds and supplies. With the addition of Han officers and soldiers from the Jin Dynasty's navy, the Zhenghongqi Navy had reached its full strength of 10,000 men. A new type of seagoing vessel, commissioned by Zhao Shuo, was also attempted to be built.

During Zhao Shuo's attack on Goryeo, the navy's Zheng Hongqi defeated the Goryeo navy's interception and successfully transported Zhao Shuo's troops across the Han River, making a great contribution.

Zhang Shijie, as the commander of this battle, also felt triumphant.

Now, Zhao Shuo has been promised a future as a naval commander of ten thousand men!

Having spent so many years in the navy, Zhang Shijie's standards have become increasingly high.

He understood that Zhao Shuo's territory was so vast, and would only grow larger in the future, making land-based communication increasingly inconvenient.

The status of the Eight Banners commanders in the navy was probably even higher than that of ordinary Eight Banners commanders in the Han army.

He, Zhang Shijie, may very well surpass his uncle Zhang Rou and become the number one in the Zhang family!
For the proud and ambitious Zhang Shijie, nothing could be more appealing than this.

At this moment--

Deng Deng Deng~~
With a hurried sound of footsteps, Tarhun rushed into the tent, bowed slightly, and said, "Your Majesty, Suren has arrived. He is in a hurry, as if something serious has happened."

Big news? Goryeo has been pacified now, what big news could possibly happen?
Could it be that Ögedei is about to cause some trouble?
Thinking of the various historical records, Zhao Shuo had an idea and said, "Let him in."

"Yes!"

Before long, Suren entered the central command tent, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the Great Khan is critically ill. Please come to him."

"Critically ill? Really?"

"Uh... I can't say for sure either."

Surun was Suna's brother. When Temujin established the Kheshig army, he promised Zhao Shuo a hereditary position as a commander of a thousand Kheshig troops.

Zhao Shuo had no sons or nephews, so he sent Su Lun instead.

Later, Zhao Shuo's sons grew up, but Temujin had already passed away. Zhao Shuo would likely send his sons to serve Ögedei, while Surun remained the hereditary commander of the Kheshig army.

Between Ögedei Khan and Zhao Shuo, Suren naturally sided with Zhao Shuo without hesitation.

He said, "The Khan's injuries have not healed well. It's all Liu Zhonglu's fault for being incompetent and sending him back to the grasslands, replacing him with Tongtian Wu. However, Tongtian Wu's medical skills are not as good as Liu Zhonglu's. I heard that the Khan has been unconscious for three days and three nights, and I'm afraid he won't live much longer."

"Just something I've heard?"

“Yes, I only heard about it; I didn’t see it myself,” Suren said seriously.

"So, whose idea was it to recruit me this time?"

"The meaning of the two princes, Kuoduan and Kuochu."

"Who else did you recruit besides me?"

"All those with a thousand or more households on the steppe, including Tolui Khan, were summoned. And then there is you."

"That's it..."

Zhao Shuo thought for a moment and said, "Someone come here!"

"exist!"

"Beat the drums to gather the generals!"

(End of this chapter)