Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 194 Self-interest is always the sole starting point for choices.

This drink was utterly tasteless.

At the banquet, both sides harbored ulterior motives.

Cao Wenzhao was a man of few words; he drank two cups by himself and then stopped drinking.

His eyes, bloodshot from battle, swept over him with a single, indifferent glance, and no one at the table dared to urge him to drink anymore.

Wang Shide truly accepted everything offered. After downing cup after cup of mare's milk wine, his face flushed, but his eyes remained clear and bright, showing no sign of drunkenness.

The Mongol nobles wanted to probe the Ming Dynasty's true strength and next move from him, while Wang Shide was also using his still somewhat immature political skills to test the attitudes within the Mongol Empire.

Unfortunately, both sides were novices, pecking at each other but getting nowhere.

The only reliable information the Mongol princes received was from the "Thousand-Mile Lightning Station," which allowed military orders to be transmitted between the capital and Datong in an instant.

However, this was also information that the emperor had instructed Wang Shide to reveal to them long ago.

In terms of overall military strength, even with its border defenses in decline, the Ming Dynasty still far surpassed the Mongol tribes.

However, when dealing with the invasion of the Nine Border Regions, they were still in a passive position in various ways.

The various tribes beyond the Great Wall, when gathered together, number in the thousands or even tens of thousands.

The Ming Dynasty was like a giant with polio, fortified everywhere yet vulnerable in every way.

Now that we have the long-distance telegraph network, the nine border regions and many towns can coordinate and advance together within a single day. Tell me, are you scared or not?!

Of course, Wang Shide didn't say it explicitly; it was just a subtle form of intimidation.

The Mongols were skeptical, but still planned to end the banquet and ask the White Lotus sect members.

After all, even when the White Lotus Sect uses secret techniques, they can only travel a few hundred miles a day.

The Ming Dynasty's rapid rise to a speed of a thousand miles a day is truly an exaggeration.

Is this just something they're throwing out to fool people?
……

In short, after a great feast, Wang Shide was not drunk, but the taste of mare's milk made his stomach churn, and he could no longer drink.

Seeing that they couldn't get any information out of them, the Mongols lost interest and had no choice but to respectfully send Wang Shide and Cao Wenzhao's party out of the city.

Once the Ming army disappeared into the night, the Mongol princes and nobles immediately gathered again in the "palace".

Before discussing matters, they settled scores with their enemies. Shunyi King Bushitu broke the silence first, his gaze sharp as a knife, aimed directly at Sunang Taiji opposite him.

“Back then, Sunang Taiji said that it was a foolish thing to wait for the Ming army. What about now?”

"I'm asking you, now?"

Sunang Taiji's face instantly turned bright red, but he could only force himself to suppress it.

The Prince of Shunyi, having gained power, was relentless and continued his furious rant:

"If you had listened to me and waited two more days at Jining Lake, how could we have suffered this defeat!"

“Sunang Taiji, a great ruler of the grasslands cannot only have courage; that is recklessness. He must also possess profound wisdom like that of Haizi!”

"Bu Shitu!" Sunang Taiji roared in fury, slamming his fist on the table. "Did you think you could have won if you had just waited?!"

He glared at the Prince of Shunyi, spitting as he spoke: "I think if we hadn't suffered a defeat first, the Ming army might not have actually joined the battle! This is clearly a classic Han Chinese trick of reaping the benefits!"

Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Sunang Taiji was even more pleased with himself.

He spat forcefully, his face full of disdain: "You talk about wisdom like Hai Zi, but I think your wisdom is like the Black River in winter, long since dried up and parched, unable to even raise a fish!"

"You!" Busitu roared in fury, pointing at Sunang Taiji's nose and cursing, "You reckless fool! It is because of your recklessness that so many warriors have been lost from all the tribes!"

"It's better than you, you cowardly rat!"

The two men's insults escalated, and they ended up charging at each other and wrestling.

His fist slammed into the fur coat, making a dull "thump, thump" sound.

"enough!"

With a furious shout, Boyan Huang Taiji charged forward and, like a raging bull, smashed the two who were locked in combat apart.

He glared at the two men, who were still panting heavily, and said in a deep voice, "We're not here today to listen to your arguments! If you want to argue, get out and shut the door and argue to your hearts' content!"

The two men glared at each other angrily, their chests heaving, but ultimately they did not make a move.

Inside the large tent, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

After a long while, Khan Ahai of the Haraqin tribe finally let out a long sigh and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“We’ve seen the tiger off, but now the wolves are coming…” As soon as he said this, everyone in the tent felt their hearts sink.

"Where did these six thousand elite cavalry come from?" Khan Ahai's eyes were filled with confusion and unease. "These are definitely not local troops from Datong, or even from Liaodong. It's impossible for Liaodong to mobilize six thousand such elite cavalry at once. This is very strange."

Boyan Huang Taiji chimed in, his voice equally grave: "What's even more strange is that their arrival was too coincidental."

"How long has that new emperor been on the throne? How come Commander Ma has been reinstated so quickly? And even specially transferred to Datong? This reaction... is too fast!" He paused, voicing the question on everyone's mind, "Was this arranged by the emperor himself, or by those Han Chinese civil officials?"

Shunyi King Bushitu glared hatefully at Sunang Taiji before speaking, "I don't know about this matter either. We can ask Guo Luan and the others to go through the pass and inquire about the Han people's connections. They know better than we do."

He sneered: "Anyway, they'll only be more worried than we are about another powerful emperor emerging from the Han side."

"This is not a good thing..." Han Ahai sighed again.

Everyone fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling sound of the burning charcoal in the brazier filling the tent.

The Mongol tribes had fought, traded, and paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty for many years, and they had a basic understanding of the Ming Dynasty's internal workings, if not an exact knowledge of them.

Normally, when the late emperor dies and the new emperor ascends the throne, the entire court and the country will inevitably be in chaos.

The nine border regions are leaderless, and control over the areas beyond the Great Wall should be reduced to the minimum.

Such a major event as mobilizing six thousand elite cavalrymen to cross the border at once was not something that could be decided by the general or governor of a border town alone; it would definitely require the approval of the Ming emperor and the cabinet civil officials.

This was also the fundamental reason why Sunang Taiji had previously strongly opposed waiting for the Ming army.

Logically speaking, the Ming army shouldn't have arrived so quickly and decisively.

But the Ming army did come!

And on the first occasion, it was a whopping six thousand elite troops, as fierce as wolves and tigers!

The underlying trend was far more terrifying to these grassland princes than the six thousand elite cavalrymen themselves.

If the Ming Dynasty were to truly regain its strength, would this trade still exist? Or would it revert to the ways of a century ago, with frequent raids beyond the Great Wall to burn wastelands and plunder territory?
No one wants to go through those tough times again.

Why fight and kill when you can make money while lying down?
Even if there was fighting and killing, the Ming army shouldn't have been chasing after them and fighting and killing each other.

Finally, it was Prince Shunyi who broke the silence: "Don't think too much about it. Even if Guo Luan and the others can't find out the news, they will naturally know when we send people to the capital to pay tribute."

He glanced at the bright sky outside the room: "In any case, winter is approaching, and neither the Ming army nor the Chahar can afford to fight again. If there is to be a fight, that will have to wait until next year."

He then changed the subject and raised another question that had been left unresolved earlier.

"But given the current situation, what about the Jurchens...?"

"We've sent the letter. How will Huang Taiji react? What if he starts making baseless accusations and gives the Ming people a reason to attack us? Should we... send someone to retrieve the letter?"

Khan Ahai and Boyan Huangtaiji said almost in unison, "Don't chase after them."

The two exchanged a glance, and it was Khan Ah Hai who spoke up: "It's good to build a bridge first. The attitude of the emperor in the south is still unclear. It's always good to leave ourselves a way out."

Boyan Huang Taiji nodded in agreement: "Today it's the Chahar tribe attacking, who knows if it will be the Ming Dynasty attacking tomorrow? I've heard that the Jurchens treat the tribes that come to them fairly well, unlike Ligdan Khan, they basically don't annex them. More contact won't hurt..."

"As for the reasons why the Ming people took action..."

Boyan Huang Taiji shook his head and said, "If he wanted to take action, he could find any excuse. He wouldn't be short of a mere letter."

“Alright.” The Prince of Shunyi nodded. “That’s good. I’ll ask Guo Luan about it later. I’ve heard they seem to have some connections with the Jurchens.”

Everyone nodded, thus setting the tone.

Surrender to the Jurchens? That's impossible.

It couldn't be more comfortable to do business with the Ming Dynasty. What else could the Jurchens offer besides ginseng?

But surrendering to the Ming Dynasty is not a good idea either.

Let's observe and wait a bit longer before making a decision.

Although wolves on the grasslands may lack political maneuvering, they are quite adept at observing from the sidelines and taking advantage of others.

Afterwards, the group discussed how the two thousand warhorses and ten thousand cattle and sheep that had been promised as compensation to the Ming army should be distributed among the various units.

As expected, when it came to specific benefits, Shunyi King and Sunang Taiji almost got into a fight over the amount each tribe should share.

Khan Ahai and Boyan Huang Taiji tried to persuade him, but seeing that it was no use, they gave up on dealing with the mess.

Before everyone dispersed, Khan Ahai gave them a special reminder.

"Remember to send someone to ask those sorcerers of the White Lotus Sect whether the 'Thousand-Mile Lightning Platform' is real or fake!"

……

(End of this chapter)