Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 20 A Difficult Situation, The Mongol Empire Re-established!

At dusk, as the sun began to set in the west, in the backyard of the Ningguo Mansion.

"Master."

The Twelve Imperial Guards, along with three women representing the solar terms of Awakening of Insects, Grain in Ear, and White Dew, stepped forward to greet them.

"Has any news arrived from Xuanzhen Temple?"

Jia Yan asked directly.

"Replying to your question, sir."

Jingzhe hurriedly reported: "A letter has indeed been sent from Xuanzhen Temple."

She then took out the letter and presented it to Jia Yan with both hands.

"Tear!"

Upon receiving the letter, Jia Yan tore it open and his gaze sharpened. It was a message from the Jia family's Black Cloud Capital, sent from Ping'an Prefecture. After the Khalkha Mongol tribes captured Guihua City, they held a sacrificial ceremony to Heaven at Daqingshan.

The ceremony was presided over by the leaders and respected elders of the Chechen Khanate, Tushetu Khanate, Zasagtu Khanate, Chahar Khanate, Khorchin Khanate, Ordos Khanate, Bairin Khanate, and Jarud Khanate, who personally proclaimed Borjigin Nari as the Great Khan of the Mongols, also known as Nari Khan.

Borjigin Nari announced that Guihua City would be the capital, and the Great Mongol State would be re-established. The Great Yasa would be the legal code, judges would be appointed, and the writing of important documents in Mongolian would be restored. At the same time, a system of chiliarchies combining military and political power would be implemented, with 250 chiliarchies set up in each of the Khalkha Mongol tribes.

Among them, the Chechen Khanate, the Tushetu Khanate, and the Zasagtu Khanate each had 60 chiliarchies; the Khorchin Khanate and the Bairin Khanate each had 60 chiliarchies under their jurisdiction; the Ordos Khanate and the Jarud Khanate each had 60 chiliarchies under their jurisdiction; and the Khanate directly controlled 70 chiliarchies.

The Great Mongol Empire established eight tammaqi armies, totaling 240,000 men, with each leader commanding one army. In addition, there were 50,000 Kheshig soldiers serving as the Khan's personal guards.

"Master."

"But has something new happened in the north?"

Dong Yong, the head of the guards, was the first to ask a question. Everyone else noticed the change in Jia Yan's expression and stared at him as well.

"Ah."

Nodding slightly, Jia Yan said in a heavy tone, "The Borjigin established the Great Mongol State in Guihua City that day and declared himself the Great Khan of the Mongols."

'My God!'

Everyone's pupils contracted sharply, all shocked by the news.

From the time when the last emperor of the Northern Yuan, Borjigin Kun Temur, was usurped by Guilichi in 1402 AD, to now, more than 300 years have passed. The once loosely organized grassland tribes have been integrated into a new regime, which is truly astonishing.

The Daqian dynasty didn't care much about the Khalkha Mongols alone. Compared to the threats posed by the Dzungar Khanate and the Later Jin, the various Mongol tribes were more like a pack of vicious dogs that would leave once they were full. They would pick one up and beat it up, which was the best way for the Central Plains dynasties to deal with nomadic peoples.

But the Great Mongol Empire was different. It was as if the various Mongol tribes were fighting against the Great Qian as a whole. They wanted not only food, women, salt, iron, and tea, but also land and people. It was a battle between two countries that could only end when one side was completely destroyed.

"It's difficult."

Jia Yan plopped down in the armchair, gently rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, lost in thought.

The Great Mongol Empire almost completely replicated the achievements of Genghis Khan, especially the system of combining soldiers and civilians into a thousand-household system, which established ten-thousand-household chiefs, thousand-household chiefs, hundred-household chiefs, and ten-household chiefs. This not only achieved financial unification but also ensured the cohesion of the army.

In this respect, the Later Jin was very similar to the Mongol Empire. In the early years of the Daqian reign, the Qing army suffered a defeat at Shanhaiguan and had to retreat to the outside of the pass. Dorgon used an iron fist to integrate the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River region. Whether it was the Arukorqin tribe living on the Songnen Plain or the Jurchen (Eastern Sea Jurchen) living in the colder regions, they all became part of the Later Jin's rule, and the Manchu, Mongol, and Han Eight Banners were re-established. During the Shunzhi and Kangxi reigns, the fourth Khan of the Later Jin, Xuan Ye, led 300,000 Qing troops under the command of Ao Bai to invade Shanhaiguan and suffered a major defeat. The Daqian reign recovered the Liaoxi Corridor, and the power of the Later Jin gradually declined. Goryeo, which had always been subservient, sent envoys by sea to pay homage to the Daqian reign.

The current Khan of the Later Jin, Yinzhen, reformed the Eight Banners system, with the Manchu and Mongol Eight Banners respectively guarding Shengjing and stationed in various places. Two hundred thousand Green Standard Army soldiers were moved to the Liaoxi border and the Goryeo border, thus giving the Later Jin a new spring.

It must be said that the Later Jin posed the greatest threat to the Great Qian Dynasty. If the Great Mongol Empire were allowed to develop unchecked, it would become the second Later Jin.

"Master."

Li Qing, who came from the Li clan of Longxi, said: "This battle must completely eliminate the Mongols, at least until they are scattered again, otherwise, there will be endless troubles in the future."

"That's the truth."

Dong Yong and his personal guards were among the best of the twelve clans of Longxi, and naturally possessed strategic vision, all of whom recognized the threat posed by the Great Mongol Empire.

"Bring the map."

With a wave of his hand, Jia Yan gave the order.

"Yes."

At Jingzhe's signal, the guards on the left and right laid out a huge map on the ground, clearly marking the locations of the various Khalkha Mongol tribes, especially the three Outer Khalkha tribes.

As early as the late Ming Dynasty, Moro Bema, the 18th generation descendant of Yuan Taizu, was a nomad in the Kerulen River area. His son Shulei declared himself Khan, calling himself "Chechen Khan". He was known as one of the three great Khans of Khalkha Mongols, along with Tushetu Khan Gunbu and Zasagtu Khan Subadi. His territory extended east to the Irtysh River, south to Chahar Khanate, west to Dzungar, north to Buryat, and even had contact with the Eros.

Although the population of the three Outer Khalkha tribes was less than that of the five tribes in southern Mongolia, their strength was by no means weak. The court of the Zasagtu Khan was located at the foot of Yanran Mountain, the court of the Tushetu Khan was located at the foot of Langjuxu Mountain, and the court of the Chechen Khan was located at the confluence of the Onon River and the Shilka River, which shows that the three tribes had a superior status.

With the emergence of the Great Mongol Empire, the five tribes in southern Mongolia also showed a clear division. The Chahar tribe migrated to the Tumochuan Plain (formerly the Tao), which was directly under the Khan's control. The Ordos and Jarud tribes were located to the west of the Khan's control, occupying Juyan Lake and the Tao Plain respectively. The Bairin and Khorchin tribes were located to the east of the Khan's control, controlling the Bashang Plateau and the area west of the Greater Khingan Mountains respectively.

"Come and see, everyone."

Pointing to the location on the map, Jia Yan said solemnly, "There are 250,000 scouts and 50,000 Kheshig troops on the front of Datong, ready for battle."

"Nearly 300,000 Mongol cavalrymen were an almost invincible force in the defenseless northern frontier."

"Let alone the current dynasty, even the Later Jin and the Dzungar Khanate would be powerless to deal with the current Great Mongol Empire."

"Therefore, the imperial army could only defend the city, which is why Datong could not be captured for so long."

"In addition to the 50,000 troops from Datong Town, there are another 50,000 troops from Shanxi Town and Xuanfu Town, making a total of 100,000 soldiers who have been holding out for a month."

"In the capital, the combined forces of the capital garrison and nobles have recruited 200,000 soldiers to rush to Datong, which is expected to take at least ten days."

"Ping'an Prefecture is the only one of the four border prefectures that still trades with the grasslands, and it has stockpiled a large amount of grain, fodder and weapons."

"If Borjigin Nari can firmly control Ping'an Prefecture, the attack on Datong can last for at least several months."

"Our eight hundred men are nothing compared to the effort required to fight on the Datong battlefield."

"Master."

The twelve guards exchanged glances, roughly understanding Jia Yan's intentions: he didn't plan to rejoin the main force.

(End of this chapter)