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

Chapter 91 I Can Talk Too, I Can Love the Ming Dynasty

Meanwhile, at the Governor-General's Mansion of Xuanda, an even more direct confrontation is unfolding.

The Governor-General of Xuanda, Man Gui, was hosting a banquet at his residence to receive a special guest: Batur, the leader of the Shubudi tribe.

The Shubudi tribe was a medium-sized tribe in southern Mongolia, situated between the Later Jin and the Ming Dynasty, and maintained a delicate neutrality.

However, as the situation changed, this neutrality became increasingly difficult, especially after news spread that the Ming Dynasty had reopened trade with preferential prices, which made Batur's mind start to wander.

Inside the main hall of Man Gui's mansion, there was an ordinary wooden table with a few simple home-style dishes and a pot of ordinary liquor.

This simple meal secretly disappointed Batur. He had thought that the Ming Dynasty would value the Mongol tribes since it reopened trade, but he didn't expect that they wouldn't even provide a decent meal.

“Batur Taiji, you’ve come from afar, you must be tired.” Man Gui rose to greet him, but her tone was somewhat cold. “I’m sorry, supplies in the manor are currently tight, so I can only offer you a simple meal.”

"General Man, you're too kind." Batur forced a smile, but his dissatisfaction was growing. In his mind, the Ming Dynasty was a wealthy country, so how could it not even be able to afford a sumptuous banquet?
"Please have a seat, Taiji." Mangui didn't pour wine for Batur himself, but gestured to a servant to do it. "I heard you've come about the trade?"

“Indeed.” Batur picked up his wine cup, finding the wine bland and tasteless, far inferior to the mare's milk wine he usually drank, but he still forced himself to drink it. “General Man, our Shubu tribe sincerely wishes to conduct trade with the Ming Dynasty, but we don’t know…”

“Taiji, to be honest,” Mangui waved his hand, interrupting him, “the imperial court has almost exhausted its quota for trade, and there aren’t many supplies left. Taiji, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a while.”

"Wait a minute?" Batur's heart sank. "General Man, our Shubudi tribe has come with sincere intentions!"

"Sincere and earnest?" Man Gui smiled faintly. "Taiji, there are many tribes that want to trade with our Great Ming Dynasty right now, and we must proceed in order of priority."

Batur grew anxious and hurriedly said, "General Man, I've heard that the Chahar tribe and some other large tribes have already reached agreements with the Ming Dynasty. Why do they get the opportunity while we have to wait? Although our Shubudi tribe is small, we sincerely want to be friendly with the Ming Dynasty!"

Man Gui put down his wine cup, glanced at Batur, and slowly said, "Taiji, that's a good question. I'll tell you the truth, Taiji. We've reached an agreement with the other tribes, and they're all pragmatic."

"Knowing when to yield?" Batur's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "I wonder... what does the general mean by 'knowing when to yield'?"

Man Gui extended his index finger and slowly drew a line on the wine-stained table, saying in a deep voice, "Being pragmatic means seeing who really calls the shots on this grassland. Those who follow the trend prosper, and those who go against it perish. Taiji is a smart man; he should understand that."

……

That night, Batur tossed and turned in the inn in Xuanfu Town, unable to fall asleep.

His experiences during the day gave him a profound understanding of what reality is, but what truly shook him was not just Man Gui's change in attitude, but the various signs he had seen along the way.

On his journey from Shubudi to Xuanfu, he witnessed firsthand the changes on the Ming Dynasty's borders. The once dilapidated beacon towers had been renovated, and abandoned fortresses had been re-established with troops, giving the area a completely new look.

What alarmed him even more was the change in the Ming soldiers. Man Gui brought an astonishing sum of money personally allocated by the emperor, making up for the long-standing arrears in one fell swoop.

Looking around, he saw that all the soldiers in the army were well-fed, their armor was gleaming, their military bearing was impeccable, and their discipline was strict. Every soldier's eyes gleamed with a sharp light that came from being well-fed, revealing a confidence and fierceness that he had never seen before.

On his way to Xuanfu, he also encountered several merchants returning from other tribes.

These merchants told him that Ligdan Khan of the Chahar tribe had recently sent envoys to Beijing, who reportedly brought back a large quantity of silk, tea, and silver. The Ordos tribe had even dispatched a thousand elite cavalrymen to train with Man Gui's Ming army, in exchange for five thousand shi of grain and a large quantity of ironware.

What impressed Batur most was the remark of a Mongol merchant returning from the capital: "This new Ming emperor is different from the previous ones. Unlike the emperors of the past who only knew how to talk big, he is now being talked about everywhere in the capital, saying that this emperor will revive the glory of the Ming Dynasty."

These rumors have been confirmed today.

Man Gui's confidence is not feigned, but supported by real strength!

His nonchalant statement, "There are many tribes that want to trade with my Great Ming Dynasty now," shows that the Ming Dynasty indeed has the right to choose.

……

The night in Xuanfu Town was bathed in a cold, piercing light.

Outside the window of the post station, the commands of Ming soldiers patrolling at night could be heard, steady and orderly, just like the brand-new weapons they held tightly in their hands.

Batur sat alone by candlelight, the mare's milk wine in front of him long since cooled, but his thoughts were like a pot of boiling water, churning endlessly.

He regretted it, regretted why he had hesitated for so long.

He was wrong, terribly wrong, he cursed his own shortsightedness in his heart more than once.

If they had sent envoys into the pass earlier to ascertain the truth and offered a few insignificant fine horses as a sign of submission, why would Shububu be in such a predicament today?

The opportunity has been lost, and now to try and contribute will come at a hundredfold cost. However, no matter how much one regrets it, the immediate weighing of the pros and cons is something one has no choice but to do.

The first to benefit is the profit from trade.

Batur pondered repeatedly in his heart that if he could establish a tribute route with the Ming Dynasty and maintain continuous trade, the profits from the warhorses, furs, and salt of his tribe, which could be exchanged for ironware, tea, and cloth each year, would be many times greater.

It is likely that the total annual income from the past three years of tightening the belt is no more than this. With this, the people can live in peace, the warriors can have enough to eat, and his position as Khan can be secure.

On the other hand, the proposal put forward by the Ming Dynasty, though seemingly harsh, is not a dead end upon careful consideration, and may even contain hidden secrets.

To outsiders, severing ties with the Jurchens would seem like a betrayal of their alliance, but Batur knew the truth.

The Jianzhou Jurchens never considered the Shubu tribe as allies.
They are nothing but dogs and sheep under control!

They were insatiable in peacetime and in wartime they forcibly conscripted their people to serve as cannon fodder. In dealing with them, they gained only scraps and leftovers, but lost the tribe's true vitality and lifeblood.

Why regret it if it's broken?
Secondly, sending elite young men to guard the capital was a move that, while seemingly a hostage arrangement, was in fact a tremendous opportunity.

Although the warriors on the grasslands are fearless, they suffer from crude battle formations and inferior weaponry. If the young men of the tribe could be sent to the Ming army camp to learn how to use firearms and military tactics, they would become the true shield and sharp blade of the Shubu tribe when they returned.

Moreover, it is said that the Ming Dynasty's border troops now receive generous salaries that are never delayed, which is like a godsend for those young people who are terrified of poverty.

Finally, fighting alongside the Ming army was the biggest gamble.

Batur gazed toward the capital and made up his mind: a strong and stable Ming Dynasty was far more in the long-term interest of the Shubu tribe than a chaotic, fragmented, and war-torn grassland.

By attaching ourselves to the tail of a steed, we can travel a thousand miles. Today, by assisting the Ming army in battle, we are paving the way for the prosperity of our tribe tomorrow.

What finally made him decide was the timing!
On this journey to Xuanfu, we encountered a constant stream of envoys from various regions. Everyone was observing, testing, and calculating!
Those large tribes on the grasslands are taller and have more concerns, while the small tribes are more agile and can easily change course.

If one can pledge allegiance to the Ming Dynasty before them, the trust and support gained will be incomparable to those who come later.

Moreover, judging from the current situation, the general trend is already clear. This young emperor of the Ming Dynasty has only been on the throne for a few months, but he has already shown the skill and courage of a restorer of the dynasty!

With internal traitors eliminated and border defenses strengthened, the morale of the army was also greatly renewed.

Especially after this young emperor ascended the throne, in less than half a year he took swift and decisive action, uprooting the eight major Shanxi merchants who had been secretly colluding with the Jurchens, confiscating their property and exterminating their families!

Following this, they went further and executed all the border generals who had colluded with them to smuggle military supplies. Heads rolled across the border, and a chilling atmosphere swept across the grasslands!

These two events terrified the men of the grasslands far more than one or two border victories.

Batur had to admire the Ming emperor's skill. Victory and defeat are common in war, but this emperor had severed the root of the Jurchens!
Those Shanxi merchants were like wet nurses feeding the Jianzhou Jurchens. The ironware, grain, and salt they smuggled over there were all forging the Jurchens' military might and energizing their warhorses.
The new emperor made a move that was swift, accurate, and ruthless, seizing the lifeline. Such vision and courage were far beyond what the mediocre rulers of the previous dynasty could match.
The Jianzhou Jurchens were fierce, but all they relied on was their bows and horses and plunder. However, if they lost their iron tools to sharpen their arrows and their food to survive the winter, how long could their bows and horses still dominate?

The Ming Dynasty, this long-sick lion, is not only awakening, but also undergoing a process of cleansing and scraping its bones, unleashing a true killing intent!
Batur recalled Abu's dying words: "The tribes on the grasslands are like wolf packs on the wasteland, only following the strongest alpha wolf. Whoever can feed you and protect you, you should offer your teeth to. This is the way of survival!"

The Ming Dynasty is now showing the strength of a wolf, while the Jurchens are showing signs of fatigue. If they continue to waver, once the dust settles, the Jurchens will likely not even get a share of the leftovers.

Thinking of this, Batur suddenly got up and paced back and forth in the small room. The candlelight cast his shadow on the wall, making it appear to grow longer and shorter, just like his wavering heart at this moment.

Complete submission?

No, there's no need for that!

Although the Ming Dynasty showed signs of revival, it had yet to prove its dominance with a resounding victory on the grasslands.

Although the Jurchen army suffered a setback, its influence in southern Mongolia remained deeply entrenched.

To stake the fate of the entire tribe on this moment is tantamount to gambling everything. If the Ming Dynasty falters, the Shubu tribe will be the first to suffer a bloody reprisal from the Jurchens.

But doing nothing is an even greater dead end.

He had to act, but he couldn't make any definitive statements; he needed to leave himself and his tribe a way out.

After much deliberation, Batur suddenly stopped, a resolute glint in his eyes. He pushed open the door and gave a deep order to the guards waiting outside.

"Once the city gates open at dawn, you shall immediately return to your tribe and convey my Khan's decree: select two hundred of the strongest and most capable warhorses in the tribe and send them to Xuanfu!"

(End of this chapter)