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

Chapter 335 The grasslands have been devastated! The Khan's kindness can never be repaid!

Ten days later, on the banks of the Kobdo River.

The Kobdo River originates in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia and meanders into Lake Kharusu. It is the most important and abundant river in western Mongolia. Like a generous mother, it nourishes the most fertile land and the largest oasis in its basin.

Of course, the grasslands have been suffering from a severe drought for two years now, and even the Kobdo River is unable to nourish the many people of the western Mongolian grasslands.

In the first year of the severe drought, the grasslands were ravaged by carnage. As the drought intensified, the people of the grasslands sold their children and wives, suffering unspeakable misery.

In the second year of the severe drought, the three factions temporarily made peace, and the vassal armies of the Chagatai Khanate and the Ögedei Khanate withdrew from the western steppes.

However, the livestock losses in the first year were too great, and coupled with the drought, life for the grassland people was still very difficult, and they were on the verge of starvation.

Moreover, we must preserve pastures for the winter!

Grazing is prohibited on the fertile grasslands near the Kobdo River until winter, when many grassland dwellers come to the banks of the Kobdo River to spend the harsh winter.

……

……

Arula lifted the heavy felt curtain, and a chilling draft swept into the yurt along with him.

"children!"

His voice was hoarse from the cold and excitement, "Look what I've brought back for you!"

As he spoke, he untied the leather pouch at his waist, loosened the drawstring, and a dozen or so grayish-brown, furry objects fell onto the old felt mat on the ground.

"Field mice! May the Eternal Heaven bless us, Father has caught one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight... thirteen field mice!"

"I want to eat field mice!"

"Quick, give me one, I'll skin it! I know the fastest way to do it!"

……

The family had too few livestock, and the milk they produced was no longer enough for everyone. In the dead of winter, Arula tried every possible way to find something edible for the children.

Today, by some stroke of luck, he finally managed to catch thirteen field mice.

Soon, the thirteen field mice were cleaned up.

The field mouse meat gradually turned golden brown under the licking of the flames, emitting an enticing sizzling sound, and the yurt was filled with a long-lost aroma of caramel.

The three children sat around the stove, their eyes fixed on the piece of field mouse meat, the sounds of them swallowing their saliva rising and falling.

Then, Arula distributed the meat, and each person took a small piece.

They ate extremely slowly, as if trying to fully absorb every fiber and every flavor.

The grasslands were devastated, and the field mice fared no better. Even the largest of the thirteen field mice didn't have much meat to feed the family. But they truly gave this family, struggling against the cold and hunger, a glimmer of hope to keep going.

"Dad!"

Monk, the eldest of the three children, who was nine years old this year, suddenly stopped chewing and said, "Do you think Mother can eat such delicious field mouse meat?"

"I miss my mother!"

"I want the Suji Tower!"

The other two children were touched by Monk's words, and their voices trembled with emotion.

"Yes, your mother has gone to a good family and will get to eat plenty of field mouse meat. Surita is the best at catching field mice, you all know that, how could he go hungry?"

Arula comforted the children while his heart was breaking.

He is forty-one years old this year and has had quite a few good days.

His father had participated in Genghis Khan's western expedition. Upon his return, he brought back valuables worth five hundred taels of silver and a beautiful Persian female slave.

Although the mother was furious about the arrival of the female slave, the immense wealth she had never seen before was enough to dispel her anger.

His father even arrogantly said that with so much money, he could never spend it all in a lifetime.

However, it turned out that his father was completely wrong.

With more money comes more spending!
Mare's milk wine is good, but the wine from the Hulunbuir Grassland is even stronger! Now that you have money, why not buy your wife and beautiful female slaves more clothes? More jewelry? Eating dairy products all the time makes your mouth taste bland; you should slaughter sheep and eat meat!
We should also buy some toys for the children, right?

In the cold winter, since we're just idling around anyway, why not gamble a couple of times?
The five hundred taels of silver were almost gone in less than five years. Not long after, her father passed away due to excessive drinking. The female slave was not inherited by Arula, but was sold to someone else at her mother's insistence.

Later, Arula participated in the war against Goryeo and the western expedition of his eldest son. Although he gained some benefits, they could not compare with his father's western expedition.

It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. It is hard for Alula's standard of living to decline, and the family's income and expenditure have always been in a difficult balance.

During Europa's westward expedition, Arula only brought back one hundred taels of silver, which wasn't even enough for his wife to pay off her debts!

Arula realized that things couldn't continue like this.

It is now clear that the steppe people are divided into two categories: one under Zhao Shuo Khan's command and the other not under Zhao Shuo Khan's command.

Those under Zhao Shuo Khan's command only had to fight on his orders and didn't have to worry about anything else. They didn't have to pay taxes, and each month they received one or two taels of silver in military pay. Zhao Shuo Khan was invincible, with minimal casualties and abundant spoils in every campaign. Their lives were even more comfortable than during Genghis Khan's reign.

The other group, under the command of others, had to pay taxes in addition to fighting, but received no military pay. Moreover, they suffered many casualties in battle, but their spoils were far less than during Genghis Khan's time.

Unfortunately, he belongs to "the other group".

Maintaining the current standard of living is unsustainable; we must become more frugal.

However, man proposes, God disposes, and frugality is useless!

Internal strife broke out in Mongolia, resulting in massive bloodshed and heavy taxes being levied.

Arula's eldest son died in battle, and his wife and second son, Surita, were sold by Arula, which is how they managed to survive until now.

Arula couldn't even imagine what kind of life his wife and second son were living now.

Of course, what he is most worried about now is the distant Kurultai.

If the Kurultai (assembly of kurultai) goes well and elects a new Great Khan of the Mongols, all will be well. But if it fails to elect a new Great Khan and internal strife breaks out again, his three remaining children will likely starve to death!

They are too young to do any work, and no one would want them even if they were sold as slaves!

"Eternal Heaven, was the time when Genghis Khan was alive just a dream? How am I supposed to live from now on?"

Arula felt distressed and thought to himself.

At this moment--

"Aru!"

Is Arula home?

……

A shout came from outside the yurt.

Arula quickly opened the yurt and said, "Enhe, come in and warm up!" Enhe was Arula's head of ten households, and he dared not neglect him in the slightest. At the same time, his heart was heavy, fearing that Enhe might bring some bad news.

Let alone another war, even if he were to take another sheep, he wouldn't be confident that a child wouldn't starve to death!
"Enhe, what exactly are your orders?" Arula asked cautiously.

"Don't worry, the Eternal Heaven is protecting you, it's a great thing."

Enhe said, "First of all, the auspicious decree of the Eternal Heaven has been brought to the Kobdo River by fast horse. Zhao Shuo Khan is the Heavenly Khan, with a status equal to Genghis Khan, ruling over the numerous khanates of the five Mongol lineages. The Heavenly Khan's son, Zhao He Khan, has officially ascended the throne as the Great Khan of the Mongols. When the Heavenly Khan returns to the embrace of the Eternal Heaven, or abdicates, he will exercise all the powers of the Great Khan of the Mongols."

"So, you're saying we're not fighting anymore?!"

"No more fighting! No more fighting at all! The Great Mongol Empire is united once again, and all will obey the Heavenly Khan's orders."

"that is really good!"

Arula was overjoyed.

He was confident that he could barely survive with his three children as long as there was no more war.

As for his wife and second son, he really couldn't care less about that.

"Where is this?"

Enhe said, "The Heavenly Khan also decreed that the Great Mongol Empire's court should pay for the redemption of the Mongols who have been enslaved in this steppe civil war. The main reason I came to see you today is for this matter. Your wife and second son were sold to the centurion of Khulelen, Zhuohu?"

Enhe was quite familiar with the situation of the ten households.

Arula nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, they were sold to Zhuohu. Only six skinny sheep were sold in total. Now that the grasslands are at peace, I wonder how much money Zhuohu will ask the court to redeem them."

Actually, what he meant was, what if Zhuo Hu asked for too high a price and the court was unwilling to pay that much money?
"He doesn't get to decide how much to pay for the ransom."

Enhe snorted and said, "The Heavenly Khan has decreed that a woman will be redeemed for twenty taels of silver, and a child for five taels of silver. The Great Mongol Empire will redeem them. Anyone who dares to disobey will be killed without mercy. What is Zhuohu? Can he be more powerful than Empress Haimishi? Wasn't Haimishi thrown into the river by the Heavenly Khan?"

"What? The Heavenly Khan threw Queen Haimishi into the river? She...she was the Queen of the Great Khan Güyük!"

"So what? Hai Shishi rebelled, and the original Khan, Köden Khan, was actually killed by this wretched woman..."

Enhe briefly recounted Hai Mishi's rebellion and Zhao Shuo's handling of Hai Mishi and her two sons.

Finally, Enhe said, "If we kill even such noble people as the Golden Family, let's see who dares to disobey the Heavenly Khan's decree?"

"Well done! Well done! The Heavenly Khan is wise!"

Arula then learned that the civil war on the grasslands was entirely caused by Queen Haimishi, and naturally he greatly approved of Zhao Shuo's handling of the situation.

Enhe continued, "Furthermore, the Heavenly Khan has decreed that disaster relief be provided to the entire grassland. Each ordinary grassland warrior will be allocated 150 catties of grain to help you get through this winter. When the weather warms up in spring and the sheep produce more milk, you will be able to support yourselves. If disaster continues next year, the court will continue to provide relief."

He paused, then looked at the stove and said, "Is this a rat? From now on, you won't have to eat rats anymore; you can eat real grain."

"Oh! There's food to eat!"

"May the Eternal Heaven protect the Heavenly Khan!"

"Long live the Heavenly Khan! Long live the Heavenly Khan!"

……

Before Arula could speak, his three children had already cheered.

If there were any other way, why would humans want to eat rat meat?

Thinking of the long-lost taste of grain, the three children practically drooled, and they were filled with even greater reverence for the "Heavenly Khan".

Arula was even more excited.
He actually felt that even with 150 jin of grain, they might still eat rats.

After all, his wife and second son had been redeemed by Zhao Shuohan in his place, adding two more mouths to feed.

But then again, with his wife and son back and food enough to keep the family from starving, what could be better?

The Heavenly Khan has already given him enough; if he is still not satisfied, the Eternal Heaven will punish him!

What he didn't expect was that there would be another surprise.

Enhe continued, "The Heavenly Khan also issued a decree that no more steppe warriors would be conscripted to fight for five years, and no more taxes would be levied. The losses of the steppe noyans will be compensated by him from the national treasury."

In fact, Zhao Shuo didn't have to pay much.

The total population of the steppe people was less than a million; he merely exempted these people from taxes. The Great Mongol Empire's court, however, took a 10% cut of the daily taxes levied on other Mongol states. Even after compensating the losses of those Mongol noyans, he still made a profit.

He did indeed lose money on the money he used to buy back the slaves.

However, don't just look at the economic benefits.

Legend has it that after Shen Wansan repaired the city wall of Nanjing, he wanted to give money to the army to reward the soldiers on behalf of Zhu Yuanzhang, but he was beheaded by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Regardless of whether the legend is true or false, the principle is true.

Is the military something that others can touch?
That is one of the most core powers of a country's monarch.

If the army takes money from others, does the army obey the monarch or others?

Taking advantage of the great disaster on the grasslands, Zhao Shuo redeemed the wives and daughters of the grassland soldiers and distributed money to the army, which was similar in principle.

He was gradually expanding his influence to the four branches of the Mongol Empire.

"The Heavenly Khan's kindness to the people of the grasslands is as high as the green mountains and as deep as the sea! Long live the Heavenly Khan!"

Upon hearing this, Arula was so moved he almost cried.

If taxes were collected normally, the taxes for the grassland people wouldn't actually be heavy. However, those Mongol noyan (princes) would still try to manipulate the system. Zhao Shuo's complete prohibition on collecting taxes for five years was the most effective way to eliminate their financial burden!

After five consecutive years without paying taxes, Arula and his wife and children can gradually recover, and their lives will get better day by day.

The Mongols were united, and when they fought each other again, they gained even more wealth under the command of the Heavenly Khan.

By the way, the Heavenly Khan has drilled many wells for the Hulunbuir Grassland.

Will wells be widely drilled on the Mongolian grasslands in the future?
It is very likely that an era on the grasslands that is no less than, or even surpasses, the reign of Genghis Khan is about to arrive!

Arula even said to the eldest child present, Mongke, "You must remember the kindness of the Heavenly Khan! He is the one who reunited the Great Mongol Empire, and he is the one who brought our whole family together!"

"It was the Heavenly Khan who told us not to eat rats, but to eat grain! I will grow up well and fight for the Heavenly Khan in the future!"

Before Arula could finish speaking, Monk spoke up.

In fact, it wasn't just Monk, or even the Arula family.
With the news of Zhao Shuo's ascension to the throne as the Heavenly Khan and the relief efforts for the grasslands, the entire banks of the Kobdo River were abuzz with excitement.

"When hunting deer, I vow to be the Khan of Heaven, to exhaust it, to force it to its death!"

"Charge into battle, risk your life, seize the people and camps, and offer them to the Heavenly Khan!"

"Attack foreign tribes, conquer people, capture beauties and warhorses, and present them to the Heavenly Khan!"

……

By evening that day, countless tents along the Kobdo River were filled with songs of loyalty to the Heavenly Khan!
(End of this chapter)