Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 579: Rebellion (Part )

The so-called old place is actually the salt warehouse that Amin asked Wuergu to manage.

There wasn't much to manage in a salt warehouse. The flow of materials, especially salt, grain, and tea, into and out of the warehouse was fixed. As long as one personally monitored the flow of materials in and out, and conducted regular inspections to prevent theft, there wouldn't be any problems. Salt warehouses, in particular, didn't even require significant fire prevention. Even if a fire broke out, the damage wouldn't be significant.

For those with little ambition, managing the treasury was a pleasant and leisurely job, where one would not go hungry, nor would one have to go to the front lines and smell the blood and fire. But for those with ambition, managing the treasury was tantamount to exclusion or even exile.

Wuergudai had assumed that Amin would eventually hand over some of his former subordinates to him, but after following Amin to Kuandian, Wuergudai hadn't performed any serious duties. Furthermore, Amin never revealed his plans to Wuergudai. If he hadn't reached a certain understanding and agreement with Amin beforehand, Wuergudai would have suspected that Amin was actually following Nurhaci's instructions and taking him out to isolate him from the majority of the Hada tribe.

Wuergudai came to the salt warehouse in the south of the city in the last twilight. He did not put on any disguise and even greeted some acquaintances on the way.

In any case, there is one good thing about being in charge of the warehouse: it is convenient for secret meetings. Even if they are discovered by outsiders, they can just say it is a normal warehouse inspection or a temporary entry and exit. What's more, a batch of things really came into the warehouse today.

As soon as Wuergudai appeared at the entrance of the fence, Mangku, who had stopped him halfway, came to meet him.

"Your servant pays homage to Beile Wuergudai." Mangku actually stopped calling Wuergudai "Efu". More precisely, Mangku, who was born in the old Hada army, was unwilling to call Wuergudai "Efu".

"Alright," Wuergudai reached out to support Mangku, who was about to kneel, and asked softly, "Has the Second Prince come over?"

"I'm here," Mangku stood up and waved his hand towards the closed door. "Just go straight in. I'll be guarding here the whole time."

"Thank you for your help." Wuergudai patted Mangku's shoulder.

"As long as the great cause can be accomplished, I am not afraid of death." Mangku shook his head.

Wuergudai smiled and nodded, but didn't say anything else. He walked all the way to the warehouse and found a ray of light coming through the crack of the door. Just as he was about to knock on the door, Amin's voice came from inside: "The door is not locked, just come in."

"Yes." Wu Ergudai loosened his clenched knuckles and pushed the door open with his palm.

There was only one torch in the salt warehouse. Amin sat on a pile of salt bags, his shadow swaying in the wind.

The wind died down and the shadows were still. Amin spoke again: "Just close the door, no need to bolt it."

"Yes." Wuergudai walked straight to Amin and said, "Wuergudai pays homage to the Second Prince."

Wu Ergudai's voice came out, but he didn't kneel down.

"Please sit down." Amin put one hand on Wuergudai's shoulder and patted the salt bag beside him with the other hand.

"Yes." Wu Ergudai sat down with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees.

"Did you receive the item?" Amin asked.

"The Second Prince's reward," Wuergudai said respectfully, "I have received the tea, cloth, sugar, and gems."

"Like it?"

"The princess and the two children like it very much." Wu Ergudai did not say any polite words like "the things are expensive, I feel very nervous."

"I'm glad you like it." Amin nodded with a smile, "I heard something very interesting today."

"What's the matter?" Wu Ergudai asked.

"A marriage."

Wu Ergudai's heart tightened, instinctively assuming Amin was referring to the marriage proposal from Huang Taiji. "We've already rejected that marriage."

"Refuse? How are you going to refuse?" Amin was stunned at first, but he quickly realized that what he and Wu Ergudai were thinking were completely different. "What are you talking about?"

Wuergudai was also startled. He realized that he had spoken out of turn, but since the words had already been spoken, he could only bite the bullet and explain: "Aren't you talking about the Fourth Prince wanting Haoge to marry Tessina?"

"Oh! No, this is the first time I've heard of it." Amin raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly. "When did this happen?"

"Before coming to Kuandian, the princess visited the Fourth Prince's wife for the last time. That's when she brought up this matter. But the princess declined, citing Haoge's young age." Wu Ergudai defended herself, "I didn't tell you specifically because I didn't take it to heart."

To say he didn't take it to heart would be a lie. If Wuergudai hadn't conspired with Amin to restore the monarchy, he would have been willing to marry his daughter to Hauge. After all, Hauge was Huang Taiji's eldest son, and after Daishan's decline, Huang Taiji became a strong contender for the Khanate. The reason he didn't tell Amin was because Amin's eldest son, Hongketai, was also of marriageable age, just like Tesina.

"Haha, you still have to take it to heart." Amin didn't believe a word of Wuergudai's defense, but he nodded gently. "Mangguji's excuse won't last long. That kid is almost old."

"But our family is small and powerless, so we can't refuse openly. We can only make excuses." Wu Ergudai said.

"It's just that we are weak and powerless now. If the great thing is accomplished, what will Huang Taiji be?" Amin patted Wu Ergudai's shoulder.

"Second Prince, why don't you let Hong Ketai marry Tessina. The two children are of the right age." Wuergudai's nerves tensed up, and he suggested as if to show his loyalty.

"I'm glad you made this suggestion. But it's absolutely not possible now." Amin smiled and shook his head.

Wu Ergudai breathed a sigh of relief, but still asked knowingly, "Why?"

"If we marry now, even the Khan would be afraid and suspicious," Amin said, his smile growing wider. "But if you marry Huang Taiji, the only one who'll be unable to sleep will be Daishan. Of course, the same is true in reverse, but Daishan doesn't have a suitable son."

Daishan currently had six sons: Yuetuo, Shuotuo, Sahalin, Wakda, Balama, and Mazhan. Yuetuo and Shuotuo had already reached adulthood and married. Sahalin, Wakda, and Balama, who were of similar age to Tesina, quickly married into the Yehe Nara clan after the fall of the Yehe tribe. Mazhan, the youngest son, was only nine years old and a member of the Hada Nara clan, or the son of Wuergudai's half-sister.

"If it's not possible now, then let's do it later. Let's arrange the marriage first. After the big thing is done, let the two children get married." Wuergudai had originally prepared these words to fool Amin, but now he actually had some sincerity in his words.

"We'll talk about the future later," Amin seemed to nod, "Let's talk about the present first."

"Okay." Wu Ergudai nodded. "What are you going to do next? How can I help you?"

"No rush." ​​Amin smiled. "The other marriage hasn't been discussed yet." "Ah!" Wuergudai was stunned. At this moment, he had completely forgotten the marriage that Amin mentioned. "What marriage? Who is getting married to whom?"

"The imperial court is trying to match Lindan Batur and Kebaku," Amin said calmly. "As for who will get married, I don't know."

Wu Ergudai was stunned at first, then shocked. "What! When did you hear about this?"

"The vendor who brought us the goods said so today." Amin raised a finger to his lips.

Wu Ergudai was in a state of panic, but he lowered his voice. "The vendor said that? It can't be a rumor, right?"

"The merchant only said he heard it," Amin speculated, "but I think this is probably true. It's even possible that the deal has already been concluded, and the news was deliberately released by the court."

"This..." Wu Ergudai was stunned. He was silent and thought about it for a long time. Finally, he could only spit out: "Why?"

"Needless to say, it's 'ally with Wu to attack Wei'." Amin once bought a beautifully printed new edition of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" at the tribute market. He had read it many times and had a very deep memory of many classic plots in it.

"'Ally with Wu and attack Wei'?" Wu Er repeated these syllables in ancient Chinese.

"'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'. Haven't you read it?" Amin was ready to show off.

"I've read it," Wuergudai said, his expression somewhat forlorn. "But why did they allow Lindan Batur and Kebaku to marry?"

Amin regretfully dropped his pretentiousness. "An alliance requires some credibility. Kebaku is both the son of Hada Beile and a Ming guerrilla general. There's no better choice. If the Ming army can win a few more battles in the west, or if they can find a chance to encircle the old Hada faction, Kebaku, with the court's support, could raise a banner using his dual identities as Hada Beile and son-in-law of the Mongol Khan to split the old Hada faction."

"Heh." Wu Ergudai's pupils trembled, but his mind gradually became clear. "This way, I'm actually safer."

Wuergudai judged that the more powerful Kebaku became, the less likely Nurhaci would dare to kill him, because the second son of a previous beile was always inferior to him, the legitimate last beile. Killing him would be equivalent to handing over the entire orthodoxy of the Hada tribe to the Ming Dynasty.

"You're quite clever," Amin said, his smile darkening under the torchlight. "So you can imagine that it might be difficult for Esendri to return to your side. You must be prepared for this. If that day ever comes, you must not hesitate."

"Hesitation? Will the Second Prince let me hesitate?" Wu Ergudai stepped forward and looked into Amin's eyes.

"Smart!" Amin smiled even more happily. "I like talking to smart people like you." Recently, Amin's impression of Wuergudai has undergone a drastic change.

"Second Prince, please tell me what you have planned," Wuergudai clenched his fists. "I will do as you say."

"Write a letter first," Amin held up two fingers. "I want you to write two letters."

"Another letter," Wu Ergudai said, his legs spread wide and his posture relaxed. "You haven't sent the last one yet, have you?"

"I told you I have burned the letter. Do you believe it?" Amin didn't take it as an offense.

"Of course I believe what Second Prince says." Wuergudai nodded with a smile. "So, should I write to Kebaku?"

"No, no, no, Guangning is too far away to send it there, and there's no need for that." Amin shook his head and said, "I need you to prepare a letter expressing your loyalty to the Khan first."

"Show loyalty to the Khan?" Wu Ergudai was stunned.

"Yes, we still have to pretend," Amin said. "I know about this, and the Khan will definitely know about it, sooner or later. If the Khan knows, he will definitely send someone to contact me and Manguji and ask us to keep a close eye on you. As for Manguji, you two can go back to bed by yourselves. Anyway, I will scold you severely in front of everyone, and maybe even kick you a few times. You should also cry in public, and then send the letter of loyalty to the Khan." Amin paused and added, "It's best to complain again, saying that I abused you. You want to return to serve the Khan."

"What if the Khan really lets me go back?" Wuergudai asked.

"No," Amin said frankly, "because I would write another letter to express my concern that you would run away with Esendri after returning."

Wu Ergudai took a deep breath, "What else? Who is the other letter written to?"

Amin didn't respond immediately. Instead, he remained expressionless for a long time before slowly uttering three Chinese syllables: "Gao Bangzuo."

Wu Ergudai's pupils shrank. "That civil servant from the Ming Dynasty?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Amin's hesitation completely vanished, and that creepy smile appeared on his face again. "Writing a letter to Zhenjiang is much closer than Guangning, isn't it?"

"Haha, indeed." Wu Ergudai laughed dryly. "What should I write? A statement of loyalty?"

"There's no point in writing that dry, rubbish," Amin said, shaking his hand. "I want you to just write about what we discussed this afternoon."

"Are you serious!?" Wu Ergudai was shocked.

"Do you think I'm joking?" Amin asked back indifferently.

"Why?" Wu Ergudai asked.

Amin did not answer directly, but said: "Wu Ergudai. I think you should have vaguely felt that you are not that important to the Ming Kingdom."

Wuergudai's expression froze, and he slowly lowered his head. "I know. The Ming Dynasty promoted Kebaku just to replace me. Ha," Wuergudai gave a wry smile, "who told me I'm such a hopeless case. I can even lose my country twice."

"So I want you to be important," Amin leaned forward and took Wuergudai's hand, "so that you can become Hada Beile again after the war."

"Why?" Wu Ergudai instinctively shrank his hand, but he didn't take it back.

"Is there any benefit for me to be the Hada Beile?" Amin asked again.

"You really think far ahead." Wu Ergudai couldn't help but sigh.

"If I didn't think about the future, how could I have lived to this day?" Amin stared into Wuergudai's eyes.

(End of this chapter)