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

Chapter 252 Destroyed by Internal Strife and Mergers

May 13th, morning.

A wide valley on the north bank of the Tuer River.

Man Gui reined in his horse and stood atop a high slope, with a forest of black-armored soldiers behind him and banners and spears as sharp as iron.

After capturing the royal court, the main force of the Ming army under his command dispersed into smaller units, like a sharp iron comb, to comb through and eliminate the remaining core resistance forces of the Khorchin.

On the distant horizon, billowing dust, like a giant, earthen-yellow dragon, was sweeping in from west to east—it was Ligdan Khan's Chahar cavalry.

They were like a tightening giant net, driving all the scattered and hiding Khorchin people toward the iron wall of the Ming army.

Lindan Khan, clad in golden armor and surrounded by his guards, rode in on horseback, his face beaming with undisguised delight.

He and Man Gui looked at each other from afar, neither of them speaking, yet they understood each other perfectly.

Their meeting signifies that a death trap covering hundreds of miles has been completely closed.

The fish caught in the net were the last living beings of the Horqin people.

There was no pity in the eyes of the soldiers on both sides, only a numb calmness.

Cao Wenzhao, the deputy general beside Man Gui, said in a deep voice: "General, all the units have reported that all organized resistance has been wiped out. What remains are just some scattered remnants, which are not worth worrying about."

Cao Wenzhao was a fierce general personally selected by the Emperor from the capital's garrison. He was known for his strict discipline and bravery in battle. He was specially sent to Man Gui's command, both as an assistant and as a supervisor. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and he carried an aura of iron-blooded ruthlessness from countless battles.

Man Gui nodded slightly, his gaze passing over Lin Danhan's imposing army and looking towards the depths of the grassland where black smoke was still billowing.

"Pass down the order," his voice remained calm and steady, "according to the imperial edict, begin the policy of exterminating all descendants."

A final, ruthless, and efficient operation was launched to eliminate the Khorchin.

The main force of the Ming army was organized into battalions and was responsible for eliminating the last strongholds.

Those Khorchin Baturu who stubbornly resisted by relying on valleys, woodlands, and remaining ovoos were reduced to ashes along with their last courage and bloodshed by the Ming army's close-range bombardment.

The captured young and strong prisoners were escorted to the Ming army's camp, where they were strictly screened. Anyone who was tall and strong was considered a potential threat. Heavy shackles bound their hands and feet, linking them into silent lines.

Man Gui's quartermaster was meticulously counting these special spoils of war.

"Reporting to the general, a total of 1,327 prisoners of war of the 'D' class were identified today, and all of them have been handcuffed."

Man Gui nodded: "Escort them back to the pass in batches and hand them over to the Ministry of War for disposal."

These eagles, who once galloped across the grasslands, will spend their last breath in the dark mines of the Ming Dynasty or on the construction site of the city walls!
……

Another special team quietly moved through the operation.

This team consisted of fewer than a hundred people, led by a commander of the Imperial Guard, and accompanied by a dozen or so Mongolian guides who had been bribed and were familiar with the customs of the various tribes of Khorchin. They did not have a battle map, but only a geomantic map marking the various sacrificial sites.

Their goal is not people, but the spiritual world of the Horqin people.

For hundreds of years, the Khorchin people have been worshipping the Eternal Heaven and their ancestors at a sacred site called Wolf God Mountain.

At the top of the mountain, a huge ovoo is made of countless stones and surrounded by five-colored prayer flags and wolf head totems. This is the embodiment of the glory and faith of the Horqin tribe.

The commander of the Imperial Guard watched all this expressionlessly and waved his hand.

The soldiers stepped forward and smashed the sacred ovoo to pieces with pickaxes and sledgehammers. The wolf head totem, a symbol of the tribe's spirit, was chopped into pieces with sabers and thrown to the ground to be trampled on.

Then, torches were thrown up, and the raging flames engulfed the prayer flags, ritual implements, and centuries of the tribe's prayers.

The same scene is playing out in every corner of the Horqin Grassland.

The shamans' altars, passed down through generations, were toppled; the scrolls recording the epics of the tribe's heroes were burned; and even the elderly who sang ancient songs on the grasslands and held the knowledge of the tribe's history were targeted for elimination.

An old shaman with white hair was dragged out of his tent. He did not resist, but stared intently at the Ming soldiers who were burning his ritual implements with his cloudy eyes, uttering mournful curses in an ancient language.

The leader of the group, a centurion of the Imperial Guard, frowned and asked the Mongolian guide beside him, "What is he shouting?"

The guide replied fearfully, "Sir, he's saying... the Eternal Heaven is watching, and the soul of the grassland... cannot be killed..."

"Noisy."

The centurion drew his sword and swiftly brought it down.

……

Once the war is over, it will be time to calculate the merits and distribute the rewards, and to take stock of the spoils.

As the woman's cries were gradually carried away by the wind, a massive division involving cattle, sheep, and horses unfolded methodically on the grassland.

The cattle, sheep and horses that roamed the hillsides were driven by experienced herdsmen to the designated plains. Their neighing and mooing formed the final lament of this blood-red pasture, yet it was also like the most pleasant symphony in the ears of the victors.

The Ming army's scribe and Ligdan Khan's accountant jointly held a thick register, comparing it with a covenant that had been sealed and signed before the expedition, and began to count and brand the roster.

The terms of the alliance clearly defined the ownership of all spoils.

"A total of 31,600 top-quality warhorses were obtained. According to the treaty, the Ming Dynasty shall take 70%, which is 22,120 horses."

"30,000 cattle. The Ming Dynasty will take 30% as military rations, totaling 9,000 cattle."

"The sheep numbered over 180,000, too many to count. According to the treaty, they all belonged to the Great Khan."

……

The division of every item of money is clear and undisputed.

Man Gui's army, which had broken through enemy lines, received the warhorses and meat they desperately needed as they penetrated deep into enemy territory, and their morale soared to unprecedented heights because of this immense wealth.

Ligdan Khan, on the other hand, amassed a fortune that would make all the tribes under his command envious.

These cattle and sheep would quickly fill the yurts of his men, allowing them to safely get through the winter. This generous reward would solidify his prestige as the "common ruler of the Mongols" like never before.

This was a division that both sides got what they wanted.

As the sun sets, the last rays of its rays dye the entire grassland a dark red, indistinguishable from fresh blood.

Man Gui stood alone on the high slope, gazing indifferently at everything before him.

Everyone knows that from this day forward, the Khorchin tribe, which was once a powerful tribe on the southern grasslands, has been completely wiped off the map!
In future historical records, only a few words may remain, recording that it perished due to internal strife and annexation.

All the meticulous planning and ruthless execution behind this will be buried under the dust of history.

(End of this chapter)