Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 154 An ally driven by self-interest is far more valuable than a believer swayed by empty fame.
Ten miles outside Xuanfu City, an unprecedentedly huge golden tent rose from the grassland under the twilight, like a golden sun.

This was the temporary accommodation specially set up for the meeting between the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the Khan of the Chahar tribe.

The interior of the tent was filled with ingenious and breathtaking design.

Divided by the central axis, one half is decorated with carved beams and painted rafters. Behind the rosewood dragon table is a bright yellow silk brocade cushion, and a painting of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains hangs on the wall. In the corner, fine styrax incense is rising with wisps of smoke, creating a magnificent and solemn atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty palace.

The other half is adorned with eagle totems symbolizing wolves and white deer, the ground is covered with thick furs with gorgeous patterns, and silver wine vessels and gold bowls inlaid with turquoise are placed on a low table. The air is filled with the mixed aroma of milk tea and leather, highlighting the grandeur and ruggedness of the grassland tent.

Two completely different, even opposing, styles collided fiercely within the same tent, yet strangely merged together.

Lin Danhan took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and stepped into the golden tent with his head held high.

Today he wore a golden battle robe adorned with rubies and sapphires, with a golden sword inherited from the era of Genghis Khan hanging at his waist, and every step he took was steady and powerful.

Ligdan Khan tried his best to portray himself as a majestic lion patrolling his territory, wanting to show the young southern emperor the arrogance and majesty of the Mongol Great Khan.

However, when his gaze passed through the incense smoke and landed on the sandalwood dragon table, where he saw the emperor who was much younger than he had imagined, a fleeting worry, carefully concealed deep within his pupils, still flashed uncontrollably.

That young face was too calm, as calm as a bottomless abyss!

What made him even more uneasy was that on his way here, he had personally witnessed the Mongol-Han mixed cavalry training outside Xuanfu City.

The Han infantry marched as one, their spears like a forest; while the Mongol cavalry who had surrendered wore the uniform armor issued by the Ming Dynasty, and carried sharp sabers and crossbows. Their military prowess and high morale far surpassed any of the tribes under his command.

That army was like an invisible poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in his heart, making all his arrogance seem somewhat unfounded.

According to etiquette, he performed a chest-touching salute to Zhu Youjian, a customary gesture for equal interaction among Mongol princes.

Zhu Youjian didn't care, he just looked at him calmly, his gaze deep, as if he could see through all his pretenses.

After the ceremony, Lin Danhan did not immediately take his seat. He knew that from this moment on, it would be a battle of wills and minds, and he had to seize the initiative.

Lin Danhan calmly clapped his hands.

A magnificent curtain painted with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix was slowly drawn aside on the side of the golden tent, and a fragrant breeze wafted out.

Dozens of beautiful women dressed in colorful Mongolian costumes filed in like a herd of startled and curious deer.

Their headdresses were adorned with agate and coral, and their faces glowed with a healthy radiance under the lamplight. More importantly, they all possessed an innate nobility in their eyes—the unique bloodline mark of the Golden Family, descendants of Genghis Khan.

Lin Danhan's voice rang out from inside the tent, loud and steady, with just the right amount of pride:

"Your Majesty, I bring you the most beautiful flowers of the grasslands, the noblest bloodline of Genghis Khan. They represent the Chahar tribe's hope for lasting peace."

This is the first card he prepared.

It was both an extremely lavish gesture of goodwill and a subtle test.

He wanted to see whether this young emperor was a mediocre man who indulged in pleasure and could be bought off by beautiful women, or a true ruler worth risking everything for.

In an instant, everyone's eyes in the tent were focused on what was behind the dragon table.

However, Zhu Youjian's reaction made Lin Danhan's heart sink.

The emperor's gaze swept lightly over the group of stunning women, a genuine hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes, as if he were admiring a masterpiece or a fine piece of porcelain.

But that's all; there was no indulgence, no greed whatsoever.

He didn't even lean forward; he simply picked up the celadon teacup on the table, elegantly and calmly removed the lid, and gently blew on the swirling tea steam.

A subtle movement, yet it carried a sense of composure and oppression, as if one were looking down upon all living beings and controlling everything.

"I have seen the Khan's sincerity."

Zhu Youjian spoke calmly, his voice carrying with exceptional clarity to every corner of the golden tent, suppressing the faint fragrance of the woman's body.

"But even the most beautiful flowers on the grasslands need peaceful soil to bloom. I believe that the strength of an alliance does not depend on a woman's beauty, but on the sharpness of each other's swords and the fullness of their purses."

He raised his eyelids, his gaze sharp as a sword, piercing straight into Lin Danhan's heart.

"Sit down, Khan. Let's talk about... the soil that will allow these flowers to bloom safely."

Lin Danhan felt a buzzing in his head.

His meticulously prepared opening remarks, his proud tribute of the golden bloodline, were shattered by this casual remark.

Instead of responding, the other party deftly deflected all his probing attacks, seizing the initiative and forcing him into the topic she had already set.

This young man... is not easy to deal with!
Lin Danhan suppressed the turmoil in his heart, sat down on the low stool covered with tiger skin, and forced himself to remain calm. He thought to himself that he could only wait and see what kind of soil this emperor wanted to talk about.

Zhu Youjian gave him no chance to organize his thoughts or adjust his emotions.

"I have heard that Huang Taiji's scouts have appeared within a hundred miles of the Great Khan's western pastures."

The first sentence struck Lin Danhan like a heavy hammer blow to his heart.

He looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

This was top-secret military intelligence he had just received a few days ago!
How could the Ming emperor, who was thousands of miles away, know?!

Before he could speak, Zhu Youjian's second sentence followed, spoken calmly, yet every word was piercing:
"The Kharachin and Aohan tribes have completely sided with the Later Jin, and their leaders have even accepted women from the Aisin Gioro family. The Great Khan's eastern gateway is now merely a facade. Am I right?"

"You..." Lin Dan Khan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. If the previous sentence was accurate intelligence, this sentence was the most merciless mockery of his authority as the ruler of the Mongols!
"The Great Khan claims to command tens of millions of people in the southern desert, so why has the Chaohua tribe rebelled, and why is the Naiman tribe leader so vacillating?" Zhu Youjian's eyes sharpened, as if he could see through the magnificent golden battle robe on his body and look directly into his rapidly beating heart.

"Even... even the Great Khan's uncle has been secretly sending people to contact the Later Jin envoys, wanting to exchange your head for the title of Prince. Does the Great Khan know about this?"

Lin Danhan's mind completely exploded.

The first two things were external failures, which, though shameful, could still be acknowledged.

But this last matter was the most crucial and secretive internal strife within his Chahar tribe! It was something his uncle had done behind his back, and he only vaguely discovered it through his most loyal confidant. Just as he was preparing to take action to eliminate it, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty knew everything about it!
At this moment, Lin Dan felt that he had no secrets in front of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He was like a person who had been stripped naked and thrown into the snow, and every inch of his skin felt the biting cold!
The color drained from his face quickly; his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Zhu Youjian took in his reaction.

He slowly put down his teacup, the celadon and sandalwood table making a crisp yet muffled sound.

The emperor's voice also turned cold, carrying an unquestionable resolve:
"I have established a branch of the Royal General Chamber of Commerce in Zhangjiakou."

His sudden change of tone was even more damaging than any of his previous remarks.

"My trading company allows all tribes that have submitted to the Ming Dynasty to exchange two sheep for a jar of salt or a brick of tea that they used to need ten sheep to buy. I can also allow them to buy the finest iron pots, cloth, and even exquisite porcelain at the fairest prices."

"Of course..." Zhu Youjian's smile was somewhat cold, "I can also make the markets of Zhangjiakou refuse to give a single cup of tea or a single piece of iron to certain disobedient people!"

He stared at Ligdan Khan and said, word by word, "Great Khan, this winter will be very cold. Do your people want to follow their leader around a warm stove, drinking the hot milk tea I bestow upon them, or do they want to follow you, a descendant of the Golden Family, gnawing on frozen cowhide in the cold wind, waiting for Huang Taiji's butcher's knife to fall?"

Three strikes. Surrounded by powerful enemies, abandoned by all, a desperate measure to cut off their lifeline.

Each strike was more ruthless and deadly than the last.

This is not negotiation; it is a blatant, overt conspiracy.

Zhu Youjian laid all the cards on the table, each one pointing to Lin Danhan's Achilles' heel.

Lin Danhan's body was trembling slightly.

His prized golden battle robe now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, making it hard for him to breathe.

All his pride and dignity were shattered by those three blows.

He finally realized that from the moment he stepped into that tent, he had lost, lost completely.

He raised his head, the last vestiges of pride in his eyes turning into deep despair and resentment. His voice hoarse, he uttered the question that had troubled all the steppe rulers for centuries, and was also the last question in his heart—

"Good! Good! Good! Well said!" he roared almost furiously. "Even if we join forces! Even if we defeat Huang Taiji! Then what? After the Ming Dynasty becomes powerful, won't it, like your Taizu and Chengzu emperors, launch another northern expedition and exterminate us? Wouldn't I, Lindan, become a sinner who invited wolves into the house and ruined the entire Mongol Empire for all eternity?!"

This was his last struggle, and his most powerless questioning of fate.

Faced with his roar, Zhu Youjian did not get angry, but instead slowly stood up.

He walked up to the huge map, the lights inside the tent casting a long, long shadow of him, as if it covered the entire world.

"A sinner for all time?" Zhu Youjian laughed, a smile that carried a hint of pity and a grand vision that transcended his time. "Great Khan, your vision is still stuck in the past. What I want to show you is a completely new world."

He stretched out his finger and drew a huge circle on the map, a circle that not only included the Mongolian steppe, but also extended to the vast lands further west and north.

"Why did Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu launch the Northern Expeditions? Because at that time, the grasslands had nothing but barren land and warlike cavalry! To the Central Plains, they were only a threat, not of any value! Therefore, the best way was to conquer, drive away, and weaken them!"

“But I am different.” Zhu Youjian’s voice suddenly became high-pitched and full of passion. “I ask you, what is on the grasslands?”

Lin Danhan subconsciously wanted to answer "cattle, sheep, and warriors," but the words wouldn't come out.

Zhu Youjian asked and answered himself, his voice firm and resonant:
"We have cattle and sheep, which can be made into jerky, cheese, felt, and leather! Do our 400 million soldiers and civilians of the Great Ming need these things? We have warhorses, which our Great Ming can build into a million-strong iron cavalry. Do we need them? We have vast pastures, which can guard the northern border for me, freeing me to conquer the seas, explore the South Seas, and hold all the wealth in the world in my hands. Do we need them?!"

He turned around abruptly, his gaze sharp, staring directly at the completely shocked Lin Danhan.

"What I want is not a barren, turbulent grassland that I have to send troops to burn, kill, and plunder every year! What I want is a rich, stable, and prosperous grassland! A grassland that can continuously provide the Ming Dynasty with warhorses, cattle, sheep, and furs, and that relies on and enjoys the goods of the Ming Dynasty!"

"I hereby appoint you as the Governor-General of the Ming Dynasty in the North! The grasslands are now under your command!"

"Your people are my subjects! I will not only not weaken them, but I will also make them richer than my Han Chinese subjects! I will let them live in warm brick houses, wear silk from Jiangnan, and use porcelain from Jingdezhen! Because your wealth is the wealth of the Ming Dynasty! Your strength is the shield of the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Youjian's voice echoed in the golden tent. His words were like a blinding lightning bolt, tearing apart Lindan Khan's belief that the Central Plains dynasty was not of his kind and that its heart must be different!

To make him richer than the Han Chinese people?

Should the power of the Mongols serve as a shield for the Ming Dynasty?
How absurd! How arrogant!
Lin Danhan's first reaction was not excitement, but deep vigilance and suspicion.

He stared intently at Zhu Youjian, trying to find a trace of hypocrisy or mockery in that excessively young face.

However, all he saw was a calm confidence like the deep sea and an indifference that looked down upon the world's chessboard.

This young emperor... is serious.

He wasn't just making empty promises; he was stating a national policy he was about to implement!
Lin Danhan's breathing suddenly became heavy, and his mind raced with calculations.

He had never heard any emperor of the Central Plains say such a thing, which completely overturned his understanding of the relationship between the Mongols and the Han people over the past few centuries.

This is neither conquest nor annihilation.

It is a transaction.

A shocking deal he had never heard of before, a deal that staked the future of the entire grassland!

Past emperors desired the submission and poverty of the grasslands to facilitate control. But this emperor desires a wealthy and prosperous grassland, one that is economically completely dependent on the Ming Dynasty!
Lin Danhan was so excited that his whole body was trembling slightly, but this was not fanatical worship, but the excitement and trembling of a gambler when he saw an amazing hand!

He looked at the young emperor before him and did not see him as a god, but as an extremely terrifying opponent and ally who could give him the greatest benefits!
Lin Danhan took a deep breath. What he was facing now might not be a humiliating surrender, but an opportunity that could save him from Huang Taiji's slaughter!

As for how much of the emperor's promise he can keep, and whether he will renege on it when the Ming Dynasty becomes powerful... those are questions for later!

Right now, he must seize this lifeline and lock in the benefits of this deal!
His arrogance had not disappeared; it was merely temporarily suppressed by the greater benefits he desired.

Lin Danhan slowly stood up. At this moment, the heavy golden battle robe seemed to lose its weight. He straightened his clothes and then made a move that shocked everyone.

He stepped back and bowed deeply to Zhu Youjian with the most sublime gesture of touching his chest on the grassland.

He performed the action with exceptional solemnity, even with a sense of ritualistic resolve.

It was not a humble surrender, but the most rational and also the most reckless gamble made by a shrewd and ambitious leader after weighing all the pros and cons!
For the first time, his once proud head bowed so devoutly for the sake of practical benefits.

"Your Majesty's ambition surpasses that of all previous emperors."

Lin Danhan's voice was no longer hoarse, but unusually steady, and every word was resounding. He did not call himself the Heavenly Khan, a title that represented spiritual submission, but at this moment, he only talked about interests.

“Verbal alliances are like sandstorms on the grasslands, easily blown away by the wind. I, Lindan, am willing to lead the Chahar tribe to become His Majesty’s northern sword. But to ensure that this sword will forever serve His Majesty, and to make our alliance stronger than steel, I request that the bloodline of our Golden Family be used to imprint this alliance with an indelible mark!”

Lin Dan slowly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a shrewd and sharp light:

"Your Majesty, please choose one of Genghis Khan's daughters to be your woman! Let her become the unbreakable golden bond between our two great tribes!"

At this moment, the meaning of the marriage alliance underwent a subtle yet profound change.

It is no longer a humble offering, nor a fanatical act of loyalty.

It became a betting agreement, a blood pact.

Lindan Khan used the lifelong happiness of the flowers of the golden bloodline to bind the promise of the Ming emperor.

From then on, Zhu Youjian was not only the leader of the alliance, but also possibly his son-in-law; attacking the Chahar tribe was tantamount to attacking his own in-laws.

This is an ingenious shackle, a magnificent chain of trust that Ligdan Khan voluntarily placed on both sides.

A genuine smile finally appeared on Zhu Youjian's face.

He saw through all of Lindan Khan's schemes.

But he doesn't care.

An ally driven by self-interest is far more reliable than a believer swayed by empty fame!

(End of this chapter)