Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 209 The Northern Expedition Begins, Expanding the Frontier!
Amid national jubilation.

The Khan of the grassland sent his eldest grandson Tumen to secretly come to Beijing and formally submit a letter of surrender to the Ming Dynasty.

In Yuxi Palace.

Zhu Houcong personally met with Tumen and accepted the Tatars' letter of surrender in the presence of Zhang Juzheng's cabinet.

No matter what, Sun is still the common leader of the grassland. Although the right wing of the grassland does not recognize it, it doesn't matter whether Altan recognizes it or not at this time.

As long as the Ming Dynasty agrees, it will be fine.

The Tatar letter clearly stated that the grassland has been an inseparable part of the Chinese territory since the Tang Dynasty. It has been so since ancient times. If anyone among the Tatars opposes this, it will be regarded as a betrayal of the Central Plains and the grassland, and heaven and earth will bear witness to it and kill him.

Tumen, along with Hulahaci's five sons Wubasai, Subahai, Chaohua, Wuban, Dabu and all the Eastern Tartar envoys knelt in the main hall.

It was not until this moment that Zhang Juzheng, Gao Gong, Hu Zongxian and Li Chunfang had a new concept of the power of the Ming Dynasty.

From today on, the people of the Ming Dynasty have stood up.

As the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Houcong was inevitably excited. His achievements in civil and military affairs would be renewed at this time. He said steadily, "Starting from your father, your father and you should become the frontier officials of the Ming Dynasty. I will not shake the people and horses of the left wing of the grassland."

At the beginning of surrender.

It would shake the status of the father and son of Da Lai Sun and take away his territory, which would inevitably make people feel disheartened and easily cause trouble.

The moment the Tatar letter was received, the system's understanding of the territory of the Ming Dynasty and the location of the grassland changed from gray to bright.

In other words, outside the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, the grassland has become the territory recognized by the system, and the thirty-six magical powers of the system can be used to perform miracles on the grassland.

From the left wing of the grassland to the right wing of the grassland, the vast ocean has become bright land.

Zhu Houcong was not afraid that Sun father and son would surrender and then rebel. With his supernatural powers, that would be the way to Sun father and son's death.

Therefore, in order to demonstrate trust and generosity, Zhu Houcong promised that Sun father and son would still be the masters of the grassland. Even if the Ming Dynasty pacified the right wing of the grassland and unified the grassland as a Ming people, and established a provincial government in the grassland, Sun father and son would still be the governors and provincial governors of the current and next generation.

"I, your humble servant, thank you, His Majesty the Emperor!"

Tumen kowtowed heavily on behalf of his father, expressing his deep gratitude for the trust of the Ming court, but he also said: "I am a sinner and I am rude. Please, Your Majesty, if possible, allow us grassland herdsmen to migrate to the Central Plains."

Throughout the ages, poems and lyrics from the Central Plains have often praised the scenery beyond the Great Wall, but only those who have lived there know how hard life is there.

"Live by the water and grass" sounds like a beautiful phrase, but it reflects the blood and tears of the grassland herdsmen.

There are times when grass does not grow and days when water dries up. Countless members of the nomadic grassland herdsmen have died in their pursuit of grass and water.

Especially after the arrival of the Little Ice Age, water would turn into ice before October, leaving people with nothing to eat and nothing to wear. They also had to take care of the cattle and sheep to prevent them from being attacked by the wild beasts on the grassland. The prairie wolves were so hungry that they would even eat humans.

After every snowstorm, countless "zombies" will appear on the grassland, including humans, cows, sheep, horses, and some grassland animals.

Without the need for the high priest to remind them, Tumen and many other tribesmen could feel that the grassland was getting colder every year, and no grassland tribe member would want to fall asleep and never wake up again.

There are ferocious beasts and poisonous insects in spring and summer, and snow and ice in autumn and winter.

Living is difficult for all grassland people.

Therefore, before coming, Dalaisun, Hulahaci and the leaders of the left-wing tribes of the grassland expressed their idea of ​​abandoning the grassland and migrating to the Central Plains to settle down.

Otherwise, if they had to live a precarious life before surrendering to the Ming Dynasty, and if they had to live a precarious life after surrendering to the Ming Dynasty, wouldn't the surrender of the grassland left wing be in vain?
The grassland is different from the Central Plains. There is no traditional ethical concept of power. The interest in the so-called grassland master, the future governor or prefect of the Ming Dynasty, is far less than their own life.

Moreover, what made Tumen completely lose the idea of ​​power was after they set foot on the land of the Ming Dynasty, specifically, after they entered the defense range of the Great Wall.

From Xuanfu Town to the capital, the climate was mild throughout the journey. Occasionally snowflakes fell, but that was just to cheer people up. The winter wind blew past, but it didn't feel at all bone-chilling.

What shocked the Tumen and grassland left wing envoys the most was that in these coldest days of winter, they actually saw a cluster of flowers blooming in the capital.

You know, they had heard the high priest say before that the grassland is cold, and the Central Plains is also cold, the grassland is only slightly colder than the Central Plains; the grassland people are hungry, and the Central Plains people are also hungry, the grassland people are only slightly hungrier than the Central Plains people.

But after they entered the Ming Dynasty and experienced firsthand the mild weather of the Ming Dynasty and learned about the bumper harvest in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, they realized that the high priest had woven a huge scam for the grassland people.

On the way, Tumen and his tribesmen cursed the high priest as a liar while writing down the "documentary" of important tribal leaders on the left wing of the grassland, such as Dalaisun and Hulahachi.

The sky of the Ming Dynasty was a warm sky, the 'air' of the Ming Dynasty was a sweet 'air', and the Ming Dynasty was what Changshengtian called the 'land of immortality'.

After receiving his son's "Great Confucian Debate", Da Laisun and Hulahachi were immediately interested. If it were not for the sake of the tribe and the defense against the right wing of the grassland, they would have personally entered the Ming Dynasty to experience it.

Out of trust in their sons, Dalaisun, Hulahaci and other grassland tribal leaders sent letters to Tumen, asking him to allow the people on the left wing of the grassland to move into the Great Wall and integrate into the Central Plains family when submitting the letter of surrender.

I can't stay in this rotten grassland for even a day!
Upon hearing Tumen's request, the four ministers Zhang, Gao, Hu and Li smiled knowingly.

In the past years of the Ming Dynasty, the temperature was getting colder and colder. The capital, as the capital city, would freeze to death many people every year. All the changes originated from the changes made by the emperor.

The Tumen and many other grassland tribal leaders had never been to the Central Plains, or they did not pay much attention to this aspect when they went south to forage for food. They felt that the Central Plains was warmer than the grasslands, which led to this wonderful misunderstanding.

Of course, the ministers of the Ming Dynasty were happy to see such misunderstandings. The grassland people who were willing to actively integrate into the Central Plains were definitely better grassland people than those who stubbornly resisted the Central Plains.

"Now, we are one country, but also two ethnic groups. Hundreds of years of hatred cannot be resolved in a short time. Migration cannot be rushed."

Zhu Houcong nodded, then shook his head and said, "The integration of the two tribes will be done slowly. I can allow children from the grasslands who are ten years old or younger to be integrated into the Ming Dynasty first, and dispersed among the provinces, prefectures, and counties. As the children of the Central Plains grow up, we can look forward to the future. How do you think?"

There are more than two million people on the left and right wings of the grassland, and the left wing of the grassland alone has almost one million people. If we rashly accept all the grassland herdsmen, the two ethnic groups will inevitably breed many incidents under the influence of hatred. We should eat one bite at a time and do things little by little. We should first accept those young and ignorant grassland children, let them grow up with the Central Plains children, give them Central Plains education, and change these children imperceptibly. When these children grow up, the hatred between the two ethnic groups will be alleviated, and they will have a sense of identity with the Ming Dynasty, and then they can slowly integrate.

Having achieved part of their goal, Tumen and other tribal envoys were very satisfied and kowtowed again, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Houcong motioned for him to stand up, and said meaningfully: "Maybe the grassland won't be so cold in the future?"

As soon as these words came out.

The envoys from Tumen and the right-wing tribes of the grassland, and even Zhang Juzheng's cabinet, all raised their heads suddenly, comprehending the deep meaning of it, and their imaginations became uncontrollably grand.

Especially the grassland people who firmly believed in the Eternal Heaven, looked up at Zhu Houcong and seemed to see the "divine light".

Could it be that His Majesty the Great Emperor is the incarnation of Changshengtian...

Zhu Houcong neither admitted nor denied it, but felt that the opportunity to conquer the grassland had come. Under the eager gaze of everyone, he said: "I have felt the desire of the left wing of the grassland to restore our Chinese clothes, but there are still disloyal people in the grassland.

The Central Plains and the grasslands are both part of China. That is why I provided affordable food, fodder, and cotton to my people, who share the same fate but different destiny, during the crisis on the left wing of the grasslands, so that they could survive the winter.

However, on the right wing of the grassland, the descendants of Altan, the Shunyi King of our Ming Dynasty, were evil and treacherous. They stole food and fodder in the west and allied with the Jurchens in the east to steal cotton. They wanted to force to death the people who shared the same fate with them. This was truly a great evil.

I want to send troops to the west of the grassland, capture the Shunyi King and bring him to the capital to report on his work, and punish the treacherous people of the Western tribe. What do you think? "

March north! March north!
With the surrender of the left wing of the grassland, the opportunity to pacify the entire grassland has matured. It is just the right time to take advantage of the cold winter and kill him while he is sick!
Tumen was the first to react, and with tears in his eyes he said, "The cavalry of the left wing of the grassland is willing to serve as the vanguard battalion and vanguard of His Majesty the Great Emperor!"

The leaders of the left-wing tribes of the grassland, such as Wu Basai, did the same thing, shouting: "We are willing to die for the great emperor!"

Everyone in the hall knew that the Emperor's words of seeking justice for the left wing of the grassland were an excuse to send troops to the right wing of the grassland, but the left wing of the grassland accepted such an excuse!

Over the years, Altan and the right-wingers of the grassland have been attacking the left-wingers of the grassland in various ways. They simply don't treat the left-wingers of the grassland as human beings and bully them in various ways.

Even clay figures can have some temper, let alone living people. The hot-tempered men on the grassland all gnashed their teeth at Altan.

I wish I could eat their flesh, drink their blood, and sleep on their skin, but the hateful thing is that I can't do it with my own ability.

Before entering the Ming Dynasty, the father of the five Wubasai brothers, Hulahaci, had expressed his request for the Ming army to send troops to the western part of the grassland, but was rejected by the cowardly and thoughtful Dalaisun, so this part was not included in the letter of surrender.

Now that His Majesty the Great Emperor has mentioned it first, Tumen, Wubasai and others are naturally happy to hear it.

In addition, the left wing of the grassland surrendered smoothly without any embarrassment or humiliation from the Great Emperor and the Ming court. Although there are few etiquettes on the grassland, the basic etiquette of "reciprocity" does exist.

I also know that to surrender, one must have an attitude of surrender. I know that the left wing of the grassland must have a letter of surrender to prove the loyalty of the surrender.

The right wing of the Great Steppe became the best way for the left wing of the steppe to show its loyalty.

In a one-on-one situation, the left wing of the grassland is indeed no match for the right wing of the grassland, but with the help of the Ming army, what is there to be afraid of?
Just do it!

The opportunity to avenge the humiliation of the past years has come, and there seems to be a raging fire in the eyes of Tumen, Wubasai and others.

Zhang Juzheng, Gao Gong, Hu Zongxian and Li Chunfang looked at each other in bewilderment. The performances of Tumen, Wubasai and others seemed that only the left and right wings of the grassland had irreconcilable hatred, while the Ming Dynasty, which was often looted, was not ranked first in hatred at this moment.

However, the northern expedition was related to the fate of the country. Zhang Juzheng hesitated for a moment and stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the previous plan was to send troops to the north after the beginning of spring next year, while the grasslands have not recovered from the winter. An expedition in the cold winter may be a bit risky."

As the only minister in the dynasty who was awarded the title of nobility for his military merit, Hu Zongxian also stepped forward and echoed, "Your Majesty, the new year is about to begin. Why not wait a little longer?"

Throughout history, every dynasty has achieved great military success in the northern expeditions to the grasslands, and most of them were launched in the spring. The reason is very simple: the right time, place and people.

Spring is a season with relatively mild climate on the grassland, which is conducive to the army's marching and fighting.

The grassland climate is extremely cold in winter, which is not conducive to large-scale military operations.

In summer, the army may face mosquito bites and high temperatures on the grassland, which also affects the combat efficiency of the army. The spring climate is suitable, which is convenient for the mobilization of troops and the transportation of supplies.

In addition, spring is the season when herders on the grassland begin grazing, and the livestock begin to reproduce and grow after resting in the winter.

The army marching north could replenish its rations and supplies by plundering livestock on the grasslands, thus alleviating the pressure on logistical supplies.

Spring is also the time when cattle and sheep on the grassland mate and give birth. If an attack is launched at this time, it can disrupt the production rhythm of the nomadic people, destroy their economic foundation, and thus weaken their military strength.

At the same time, in order to smoothly deliver calves and lambs, the tribes on the grassland were relatively scattered, which also made it easier for the army to divide, encircle and defeat them one by one.

In general, the northern expedition in spring can take advantage of the conflicts and divisions within the grassland tribes and reduce the resistance.

Reducing the pressure of marching and logistics will cause heavy losses to the grassland regardless of success or failure.

Tumen, Wubasai and others were startled when they heard this. It turned out that the Ming court had already formulated a plan to march north to the grassland. Fortunately, they surrendered quickly, otherwise, in the spring of next year, the Ming army would have taken over the left wing of the grassland as well.

Good shot! Good shot!
Zhu Houcong shook his head. With the surrender of the Eastern Tartars, the system determined that the entire grassland was the territory of the Ming Dynasty. In his mind, all the livestock on the grassland, including cattle, sheep, and horses, had become the wealth of the Ming Dynasty.

The spring northern expedition could achieve the greatest results with the least losses, but without grasslands for cattle, sheep and horses, it would be meaningless to the Ming Dynasty.

The purpose of war is to seize resources, not to kill people meaninglessly. No matter how many people are killed, it will be a loss for the Ming Dynasty.

With the Left Wing of the grassland as the vanguard and the guide, with supernatural powers and countless logistical supplies, the time to maximize the results of the Northern Expedition is now!

Zhu Houcong slowly stood up from the throne and said, "I have made up my mind. I will march north today!"

(End of this chapter)