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

Chapter 93 The Young Old Fox

The summer breeze on the southern grasslands carries the scent of grass, but also stirs up unsettling dust.

Inside the royal tent of the Ordos tribe, the atmosphere was as heavy as the sky before a storm.

Serengtaiji paced back and forth restlessly, his precious agate rosary beads twirling rapidly in his hand.

His tribe was on the verge of hunger and fear.

Not long after, the Jin envoy had just left. He was a Bayara, whose attitude was as arrogant as an eagle on the grassland. He brought with him the decree of the Great Khan Huang Taiji: to conscript one thousand of the most elite warriors of the Ordos tribe and three thousand of the best warhorses for a major campaign against the Ming Dynasty in the autumn.

As for the reward, there were only a few empty promises: "If you breach the city, you will receive a share of the spoils."

"These aren't allies, they're clearly treating us like their slaves!" a young tribal chief said indignantly. "Every year they demand men and horses, but what have we received in return? Aside from the occasional looted scraps, all we get are the corpses of our people who died under Ming artillery fire!"

Seleng suddenly stopped in his tracks, clutching his agate rosary tightly; he knew this perfectly well.

Back then, his father followed Nurhaci and indeed received some glory and wealth.

However, as the Later Jin has grown stronger, their attitude towards their Mongol allies has become increasingly dismissive, demanding whatever they want and threatening to fight if they do not comply.

Life became harder for the tribes year by year. The Later Jin only recognized warhorses and warriors, but could not provide them with what they needed most—salt, iron, tea, and cloth. These necessities for survival could only be provided by the vast empire to the south.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the tent. A scout dismounted and rushed into the tent, his face showing a complex expression of shock and excitement.

"Taji! Big news!"

"What news? Why are you all so flustered?" Seleng scolded.

"A few days ago, Mao Wenlong of Dongjiang Town led his troops across the sea and launched a night attack on the Southern Four Guards of the Jin Kingdom! He burned down the granary of Zhenjiang Fort! The Jin Kingdom's rear was thrown into chaos!"

This news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up huge waves within the royal tent.

"Mao Wenlong?"

"That Ming general who was forced to hide on an island by the Jin dynasty?"

"He actually has the guts and the strength to launch a counterattack?"

Everyone was talking about it, their eyes filled with disbelief.

In their minds, the Ming army was already a weak force that trembled at the mere mention of the name of the Jin state.

A glint flashed in Seleng's eyes as he keenly grasped the deeper meaning behind the news—the newly enthroned Ming emperor seemed to employ tactics completely different from his predecessors.

He thought of the inconspicuous little tribe of Shubudi, whose life had become more and more prosperous in just half a month. He also thought of the fire that Mao Wenlong had set off in the backyard of the Later Jin.

A neighbor who can offer substantial benefits and demonstrate formidable military strength is far more worthwhile to deal with than an "ally" who only demands and threatens.

"Let's go to Xuanfu!" Seleng suddenly made up his mind, his voice resolute. "We can't wait any longer! I want to go and see for myself what kind of business the Ming Dynasty is willing to do with us now!"

The leaders inside the tent immediately understood: surrendering to a foreign power was a dangerous gamble, but doing business was a realistic choice to ensure a better life for all their people.

……

Outside Xuanfu City.

When Selen arrived at the border market with dozens of his confidants under the guise of trade, the sight before him left him speechless.

The desolate and dilapidated border market of my memory is now bustling with people and vehicles. Countless herders drive their cattle, sheep and horses, their faces beaming with smiles. The market is piled high with salt bricks, tea, cloth and ironware, which gleam in the sunlight with a light more alluring than gold.

The leaders of several small tribes were beaming with pride, addressing Ming Dynasty officials as brothers, and their followers were even dressed in silk garments bestowed upon them by the Ming Dynasty.

What alarmed Sereng even more was that the patrolling Ming soldiers were impeccably dressed and well-armored. The aura of this army was completely different from the timid and lazy Ming soldiers he had seen before.

That evening, Sereng met with Man Gui, the general of Xuanfu.

There was no warm welcome as he had imagined, nor any condescending arrogance. Man Gui simply brewed him a cup of fragrant tea from the south, and the atmosphere inside the command tent was silent and subtle.

"Seleng Taiji has come from afar. Is it for trade or for the future of the Ordos tribe?" Man Gui spoke first, his words carrying a double meaning. Seleng's heart skipped a beat, and he decided to cut to the chase, asking in a deep voice, "General Man, the Ordos tribe does not want to be involved in the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin. We only want our people to be well-fed and clothed. I just want to know, is the Ming Dynasty still willing to do business with us like this?"

Man Gui put down his teacup with a crisp sound, looked directly into Se Leng's eyes, and said slowly, "Business? Of course, we can do it. But there are two kinds of business."

He paused, his tone becoming sharp: "One way is to befriend people like the Shubu tribe. They are loyal to the Ming Dynasty and have severed ties with the Later Jin. Therefore, they can exchange a inferior horse for more supplies. Our Xuanfu army will send people to escort their caravans."

Another approach is to work with certain wavering individuals who want to gain benefits from the Ming Dynasty while simultaneously flirting with the Later Jin. For such people, the price will naturally be based on market rates, while safety will depend on their own abilities.

These words, though seemingly gentle, were actually quite firm, laying bare the choice for Selen.

Man Gui then changed the subject, his voice softening: "However, His Majesty has decreed: We welcome friends with fine wine, but we meet wolves with swords and spears. We warmly welcome any tribe that is truly friendly with our Great Ming, and our trade doors will always be open to them, with absolutely fair prices. If any foreign enemy uses our friendship with our Great Ming as a pretext for hostility, our Great Ming border troops will not stand idly by!"

A confident smile flashed across Man Gui's lips: "Just like the fire General Mao Wenlong set in Liaonan a few days ago, that was just the beginning. Our Great Ming has the ability to keep the Later Jin busy. If they want to touch our friends, they'd better think twice before looting or suffering the greater loss of burning their own backyard!"

When Mao Wenlong's victory was announced by Man Gui, it carried several times more weight. This was no longer an isolated sneak attack, but part of the Ming Dynasty's overall strategy, a meticulously planned display of strength!
Interests, security, and most importantly, dignity.

The Ming Dynasty did not force him to kneel and submit to the Ming, but instead gave him the status of a business partner that he could choose himself.

Sereng remained silent for a long time. He thought of the hungry eyes of the children in the tribe, the arrogant face of the Later Jin envoy, the satisfied smiles of the herdsmen in the trade market, and the confident gaze of the Ming soldiers.

He slowly rose and bowed deeply to Man Gui with a Mongolian gesture of respect.

"General Man, I understand. The Ordos tribe is willing to do the first kind of business with the Ming Dynasty! From now on, our tribe will never send a single soldier to help the Later Jin, and we are willing to provide the Ming Dynasty with intelligence on the Later Jin. We only ask to have peaceful trade with the Ming Dynasty so that my people can live a good life."

……

An explosive piece of news spread across the southern grasslands.

Although Sereng, the Taiji of the Right Wing of Ordos, did not publicly declare his betrayal of the Later Jin, he reached an agreement with Xuanfu of the Ming Dynasty.

The first batch of dozens of wagons, fully loaded with salt, iron, cloth, and tea, entered the Ordos grassland in a grand procession under the escort of the Ming army, and exchanged them for a large number of cattle, sheep and horses.

When the news reached Shengjing, Huang Taiji was so angry that he smashed his most beloved Jingdezhen porcelain bowl on the spot.

"Seraph! Shameless traitor!"

In his fury, he almost immediately ordered the Eight Banners warriors to raze the Ordos tribe to the ground, so that the entire grassland would see the consequences of betraying the Great Jin.

However, when he stood before the map, his raging anger was instantly cooled by a bucket of ice water being poured over his head, transforming into cold rationality and deep apprehension.

His fingers pressed heavily on the Ordos region, but his gaze was involuntarily drawn to two other places.

One was the Ningjin defense line, which was like a giant meat grinder. The Guan Ning cavalry was embedded there like nails, holding back his most elite main force and preventing him from easily transferring troops westward for a long expedition.

The other is Pi Island on the southern coast of Liaodong. Mao Wenlong is like a venomous snake hiding in the shadows, ready to pounce and bite you at any moment.

This night raid on the Southern Fourth Guard and the burning of the Zhenjiang Fort granary is the clearest warning.

If he dares to divert the garrison troops in the rear to attack Ordos, who can guarantee that Mao Wenlong won't launch an even bigger attack?

The safety of his backyard made him hesitant to act rashly.

What troubled him most was the hearts of the people on the southern grasslands, a battlefield he couldn't see.

That young Ming emperor's move was truly ruthless!
Selene did not raise the flag of rebellion; they were simply doing business.

If they were to launch a major offensive and retaliate, it would only prove one thing to all the Mongol tribes that were watching: the Later Jin was a tyrannical ruler who could not tolerate any dissenting voices, while the Ming was a reliable partner who could provide protection.

Punishing one Sereng will only push thousands of hesitant Mongols into the arms of the Ming Dynasty!
Huang Taiji stared intently at the map, his fingernails almost scraping the leather.

He felt his heart pounding uncontrollably.

That young emperor was like a ghost shrouded in mist; you never knew from which corner he would extend his deadly claws next.

Mao Wenlong's harassment was his doing, and now this insidious plan to undermine the Mongolian allies is also his doing!
This series of attacks, linked together, ruthless and precise, is not something a young emperor in the deep palace could do; it's more like the work of an old fox who has been fighting the Jin dynasty his whole life!
(End of this chapter)