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

Chapter 336 Super Warhorse, New National Name!
Five days later, Zhao Shuo's carriage entered the Hulunbuir Grassland.

It was winter, but herders still braved the cold to come and pay homage to the Khan's carriage and present him with gifts.

In a sense, this is also a Mongolian custom.

This custom did not originate with Genghis Khan, but with Ögedei Khan. After ascending the throne, Ögedei Khan deliberately cultivated an image of generosity and benevolence in order to win people's hearts. Anyone he encountered on his travels who offered him gifts would be richly rewarded.

One day, in the city of Khorchin, there lived a poor man with little wealth. He had made a large cup out of an antelope horn and waited at a place along the route that Ögedei Khan would inevitably take. Ögedei Khan accepted the cup and ordered his men to reward the poor man with one hundred taels of silver. His men thought, "Isn't this foolish?" So they asked him again if he really wanted to reward him with one hundred taels of silver.

Ögedei said, "Don't be stingy with my wealth to the poor. But I'm going to do the opposite of what you're doing today, so I'll reward him with two hundred taels of silver!"

Someone else presented Ögedei with dozens of pomegranates, which Ögedei ordered his men to divide up and pay two taels of silver per pomegranate.

Of course, some people profit from this.

A merchant presented Ögedei with a seven-colored gemstone. Ögedei was overjoyed and generously reciprocated with gold, silver, silk, and camels, worth several times the gemstone's value.

The following year, the merchant returned. He tearfully recounted to Ögedei that on his way there, his entire caravan had been attacked by bandits, and all their possessions, including the treasures bestowed upon them by the Great Khan, had been looted.

Ögedei Khan ordered that he be given the same generous gifts and sent troops to escort him back.

However, not long after, a follower revealed to Ögedei that the merchant was actually lying; his caravan was safe and sound, and he was just trying to swindle more rewards.

Those around Ögedei were indignant and begged the Great Khan to reclaim the reward and severely punish the unscrupulous merchant. Ögedei shook his head and said, "Should we close the door to generosity because of one person's despicable character? I gave him the reward based on my benevolence as Great Khan, not on his conduct."

Of course, this was all just a show. When Ögedei heard that a tribe under Temuge was marrying off their daughters because of rumors that he was going to "take women from the tribe," he revealed his true nature and ordered his men to defile all the women in the tribe.

The situation with Tadyu is similar.

Although he began his western expeditions shortly after ascending the throne, he generously rewarded those who presented gifts on his rare journeys. Many say that Güyük's generosity surpassed that of his father.

But then again, Zhao Shuo didn't intend to put on this kind of show.

True benevolence from a ruler is bestowed upon those in need. What is the point of granting favors only to a lucky few and gaining a cheap reputation for generosity?

Therefore, since ascending to the throne of the Heavenly Khan, he has refused all valuable gifts offered by merchants. As for gifts offered by ordinary people, he only gives them as rewards of equal market value.

On the grasslands in the dead of winter, this is not worthwhile.

However, people still came in droves to present gifts, and this trend intensified after Zhao Shuo arrived at the Hulunbuir Grassland.

Some people offered rare fine horses, some offered freshly tanned fox furs, some offered meticulously crafted daggers, and some offered mare's milk wine, which is very difficult to brew in the dead of winter... Some of these things were valuable, and some were not, but they all represented their heartfelt sentiments.

There's no way around it; happiness is relative.

The grasslands were ravaged by fighting for a year, then by fighting and drought for another year, and then by drought again on its own.

After a bloody massacre on the grasslands, the Hulunbuir Grassland has returned to calm and peace.

The grasslands were suffering from a severe drought. The Hulunbuir Grassland had already dug many wells beforehand, and since they didn't have to pay taxes and each male received a subsidy of one or two taels of silver per month, coupled with their savings over the years, their lives were basically unaffected.

The groups of ragged people selling their children and fleeing into the Hulunbuir grasslands formed a stark contrast to them. Although their living standards had not improved, their sense of happiness had greatly increased.

Furthermore, Zhao Shuo has ruled the Hulunbuir Grassland for over forty years.

People under fifty years old on the grasslands have known since they can remember that they are Zhao Shuo's subjects. As they grow up and their lives improve day by day, they all feel grateful for Zhao Shuo's kindness.

Now that Zhao Shuo is the Heavenly Khan, ruling over five branches of the Mongol Empire, nearly half the world, these people truly feel honored.

They offered gifts to express their love and congratulations to Zhao Shuo.

Zhao Shuo instructed his men to reciprocate with gifts at market value. The caravan traveled slowly, and it wasn't until ten days later that they arrived in the city of Harkha.

Zhenhai, who was stationed in the city of Harkagui, led dozens of officials, including workshop manager Sun Wei and horse breeding farm manager Zhang Yong, as well as tens of thousands of people to welcome him.

After resting for three days in Harka Guicheng, Zhao Shuo summoned Zhenhai and others to discuss matters.

Sun Wei first reported on the latest progress in the workshop: pure zinc had finally been extracted. After all, during the Northern Song Dynasty, people smelted zinc ore and copper together to make copper coins with a better color. With zinc, they could create primitive batteries with higher voltage. However, the current telegraph cable only covered a distance of a dozen meters, far from being practical.

Zhao Shuo had no good solution to this either. He had already taught Guo Xun all the scientific principles he knew, and could only instruct the workshop not to rush and to continue making improvements.

The development of steam engines also encountered great difficulties; they were still bulky and crude, only suitable for pumping water in coal mines. Increasing the pressure further would result in unacceptable safety issues.

Zhao Shuo knew the solution, but the conditions for doing so were not available in this era.

What Sun Wei and his colleagues have invented can only be called a low-pressure steam engine.

To further increase the pressure, a buffer must be added for safety, hence the use of rubber.

But rubber originated in the Americas, specifically South America, a region Zhao Shuo's influence hadn't yet penetrated. Even if he found some rubber, its strength wouldn't meet the requirements. Zhao Shuo remembered a term for rubber processing called "vulcanization," but he wasn't sure how it was done.

Zhao Shuo could only tell Sun Wei to keep up the good work.

"Heavenly Khan!"

Suddenly, Sun Wei rose, knelt down, and said, “I am old, and managing such a large workshop is truly beyond my capabilities. Guo Xun is much younger than me, and his abilities far surpass mine. You are now the Heavenly Khan, and I have rendered meritorious service in supporting you. In the future, I will surely be remembered in history. Since this is the case, why should I linger in power? I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to retire and let Guo Xun take my place.”

Zhao Shuo did not answer directly, but asked instead, "Sun Wei, how many children do you have?"

Sun Wei said, "I am grateful for the Khan's concern. I have three sons and two daughters. My two daughters are already married, and my three sons are also married with children."

"What kind of business do your three sons do?"

“My eldest son works in the workshop, but his abilities are limited; he can only manage the materials for one workshop. My second son passed the imperial examination and is now the prefect of Huanzhou. My third son is the least promising. When he was young, he wanted to join the Eight Banners Army but could never pass the examination. Four years ago, he was already thirty, so he gave up that idea. I found him a wife and bought him some shops to collect rent, which is a way of making arrangements for him.”

"I see."

Zhao Shuo nodded slightly and said, "Sun Wei, you are one of my old subordinates. Now that you are getting old, it is only natural for you to want to enjoy your retirement. I will not stop you. But as your subject and I have a relationship, I must give you an explanation."

“How about this, didn’t you previously hold the title of Vice Minister of Works? Back then, I hadn’t started bestowing titles yet, so this was the only way I could do it. Now, I’ll bestow upon you the title of Duke and select a piece of land in Australia with a circumference of 800 li for you. Your third son, who failed the Eight Banners Army exam, shouldn’t stay idle at home either; go to Australia to develop it. This is the real legacy you’ll leave for your descendants.”

"Heavenly Khan, I..." Sun Wei wanted to say, "I come from a humble background as a craftsman, what merit do I have to be a duke of the state?" But he swallowed the words. He was an honest man, and he felt that since Zhao Shuo had already bestowed the title, wouldn't it seem too pretentious to say such things?
Boom boom boom!
Sun Wei kowtowed three times, choking back tears, and said, "Your subject thanks the Heavenly Khan for his generous gift! My life, following the Heavenly Khan, has truly been... worthwhile!"

"Get up and sit down. This is what you deserve."

Then, Zhao Shuo looked at Zhenhai and said, "Zhenhai, we are old friends. We drank the muddy waters of the Banzhuni River Alliance together and swore an oath to share wealth and honor. However, you have not made any contributions to the Zhao Shuo Khanate, so I cannot make an exception and grant you a title."

Zhenhai stood up and bowed slightly, saying, "This is only right and proper."

Zhao Shuo said, "However, there are still opportunities to make contributions. He'er, as the Great Khan of the Mongols, established the Golden Horde at the source of the Onon River, managing the central grasslands and coordinating the five Mongol lineages. I have allowed Yalaowachi to continue serving as the Prime Minister of the Great Mongol Empire. So, Zhenhai, are you interested in becoming Prime Minister again?"

"You will be the Left Chancellor, and Ya Laowachi will be the Right Chancellor. On one hand, you will assist He'er in handling military and political affairs. On the other hand, you will rebuild Helin City."

Zhenhai quickly kowtowed and said, "I couldn't ask for more!"

Although Zhenhai is eighty-one years old this year, he is still very vigorous. Historical records indicate that two years later, Zhenhai was executed by Möngke Khan for participating in the rebellion of the princes.
Zhenhai has been loyal to Zhao Shuo for over ten years now, but his original status was too high, making it difficult for Zhao Shuo to arrange for him. He simply had him stationed in the northern capital, Harka Guicheng.

Now that Zhao Shuo has become the Heavenly Khan, Zhenhai can finally be reinstated to his original position.

After arranging things in Zhenhai, Zhao Shuo looked at Zhang Yong and said, "You don't want to end up like Sun Wei and retire, do you?"

"will not!"

Zhang Yong quickly expressed his opinion, saying, "I love raising and breeding horses, and I'm willing to work for the Khan until I die!"

Actually, Zhang Yong was a few years older than Sun Wei. However, Sun Wei felt that Guo Xun was far more suitable to be the workshop manager than himself, and he couldn't linger in his position, thus delaying Zhao Shuo's affairs.

Zhang Yong, however, has a natural love for raising and breeding horses and refuses to admit he's getting old; he's full of energy.

Zhao Shuo said, "That's good. Since Sun Wei has been granted a title today, let's grant you one too. However, since your contributions are not as great as Sun Wei's, I'll just give you the title of Marquis."

Zhao Shuo didn't bother to think about what title to bestow or where to bestow it.

Yang Weizhong, who was serving nearby, naturally took notes and arranged for the Secretariat to implement them.

"Your subject thanks the Khan for his generous gift!"

Zhang Yong quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude.

Zhao Shuo waved for him to sit down again and then asked, "By the way, how is the expansion of the mountain-bearing horses and the east-wind horses going?"

The so-called "Mountain-Bearing Horse" and "East Wind Horse" were the main horse types that Zhao Shuo had determined thirteen years ago for his Khanate.

The Fushan horse is a draft horse, a crossbreed of Mongolian Baicha Ironhoof Horse, Liaodong Qing Horse, Ross Forest Horse, Kipchak Horse, and Hungarian Horse. It has an average height of 4 feet 7 inches and an average weight of 1,400 jin.

The Dongfeng horse is also a hybrid of these breeds, but the hybridization was done in the direction of warhorses rather than draft horses. This super warhorse has an average height of 5 feet 2 inches and an average weight of around 1,000 pounds.

When this topic came up, Zhang Yong's face lit up with excitement. He said, "Reporting to the Heavenly Khan, although the grasslands have suffered from drought, the disaster in the three prefectures of Fu, Chang, and Huan is minor, and our horse farms have not been affected. Currently, we have 275,600 Fushan horses and 284,800 Dongfeng horses."

"We still need to work hard to expand our herd. My agreement with the four Mongol factions is to attack Europe in five years. How many of our Mountain Horses and East Wind Horses will we have by then?"

"If everything goes smoothly, I dare not say more, but we can reach 500,000 horses of each kind. Of course, our existing horse farms are not enough, and the Heavenly Khan will designate new horse farms."

Zhao Shuo looked at Yang Weizhong and said, "Make a note of this. Let He'er handle this matter and tell him to treat it as a top priority."

"Yes."

Zhao He's real authority now lies in the central Mongolian grasslands. The matter of establishing a new horse ranch naturally falls to Zhao He.

Of course, it's impossible to use all 500,000 horses.

Horses under three years old are unusable. Warhorses over fifteen years old should also be retired from service. In addition, a sufficient number of mares must be kept to continue breeding.

Zhao Shuo estimated that there were about 150,000 Dongfeng warhorses available for the battlefield.

However, 150,000 warhorses are enough.

Given the technological limitations of the time, maintaining the logistics of a 300,000-strong field army was already at its limit. Zhao Shuo only planned to have the Zhao Shuo Khanate deploy an army of 100,000 to 150,000.

In this way, each soldier would have a super warhorse as their main warhorse.

It's not easy!

Zhao Shuo's horse farm was established forty years ago, and five years later, it will be forty-five years.

After forty-five years of honing his skills, Zhao Shuo's Super Warhorse Sweeping Europe Project is finally coming to an end!
Seeing that Zhao Shuo seemed lost in thought, Zhenhai stood up and said, "If Your Majesty has no further instructions, I shall take my leave!"

Sun Wei and Zhang Yong also stood up and said, "Your Majesty, we take our leave."

"You wait."

Zhao Shuo gestured for them to sit down again and said, "There's one more thing. My kingdom has always been called the Zhao Shuo Khanate. However, according to Chinese tradition, it should have a formal name."

"After discussing it, Yelü Chucai and Yuan Haowen gave me four options."

"My first choice is the State of Zhao. My surname is Zhao, and I come from the Zhao clan of the Spring and Autumn Period. I named my state after my surname."

"My second option is to rise up in the north and adopt Yan or Wei as the name of my new state."

"The third and fourth options are to abandon my origins and the name of the ancient kingdom."

"The third option is to take the meaning of 'Great is the Qian Yuan, from which all things originate, and which governs the heavens' from the Book of Changes, and name it Yuan. This symbolizes that this dynasty is completely different from previous dynasties, and a brand new China begins with this dynasty."

"The fourth option is to name the country Ming. Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever rivers flow, all belong to the Great Ming. All nations under heaven will be subjects of the Great Ming."

After a pause, Zhao Shuo looked at the three men and said, "I'm also undecided for the moment. Which name do you think would be suitable for the country?"

(End of this chapter)