Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 345 World Map: Even the Barbarians of the Great Yuan Dynasty Open Their Eyes to the World!

Without delay, Gao Taixiang immediately dispatched seven envoy teams to Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom, Abo Kingdom, Boli Kingdom, Baiman Kingdom, Ziqi Kingdom, Luoshi Ghost Kingdom, and Luodian Kingdom.

The nature of Luodian Kingdom is different from that of the other six countries.

The other six kingdoms all belonged to the Dali lineage, while the Luodian Kingdom, the predecessor of the Shuixi Tusi, maintained good relations with China.

The ancestor of the Luo Dian Kingdom was Ji Huo of the Hei Lu Lu tribe. He served under Zhuge Liang during the Southern Expedition of the Shu Han Dynasty in the third year of Jianxing (220 AD) and was enfeoffed as King of Luo Dian for his meritorious service. In the first year of Kaicheng (220 AD) of the Tang Dynasty, the Luo Dian Ghost Lord A Qiang submitted to the Song court and was again enfeoffed as King of Luo Dian, a hereditary title. During the Song Dynasty, the king, Pu Gui, also received investiture from the Song. After Zhao Shuo conquered the Song Dynasty, the Luo Dian Kingdom naturally submitted to him.

However, even if there's no guarantee of success, Gao Taixiang still sent a delegation of envoys to Luodian Kingdom.

Of course, the most important of these seven envoy teams were the two teams heading to Ziqi Kingdom and Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom.

Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom was the most powerful of the four kingdoms in southern Dali.

Ziqi Kingdom was the most powerful of the three kingdoms in eastern Dali.

The person Gao Taixiang sent to Ziqi was his cousin, Gao Mingsheng.

Gao Mingsheng set off from Dali City, traveling day and night, and ten days later he had already left Dali territory. After traveling for another three days, he was brought to the camp of the Ziqi Kingdom.

In other words, the State of Qi has already sent troops without hesitation!
"The Kingdom of Qi was founded by some tribes of the thirty-seven tribes of the Eastern Cuan. Although it has now become an independent kingdom, it is still the descendants of Cangshan and Erhai. As the saying goes, even if brothers quarrel, they unite against external aggression. Now that the Yuan army is pressing on our borders, the king is not helping Dali, but instead aiding the wicked and helping outsiders. I believe the king is unwise!"

"If you can change course and help Dali, our country will surely repay you handsomely in the future."

Gao Mingsheng quickly revealed the words he had prepared beforehand.

King Heju of Qi countered, "A generous reward? How can I repay you? How about giving me the good deed?"

Of course not.

Shanshan is the later Kunming, the second most prosperous city in the Dali Kingdom, and the "Eastern Capital" of Dali.

Gao Mingsheng said, "Shan Chan is definitely out of the question, but Shi Cheng is more negotiable!"

Heju shook his head and said, "Alright, no need to waste your energy. Let me tell you clearly, even if you give me Shicheng, or even Shanchan, I will not withdraw my troops."

"why?"

"Because we know all too well what kind of people you Dali people are. Back then, your Dali founding emperor, Duan Siping, swore an oath with our thirty-seven tribes of the Eastern Cuan, rose up together, destroyed the Dayining Kingdom, and established the Dali Kingdom. But after he became emperor, he levied exorbitant taxes on our thirty-seven tribes. Otherwise, how could our thirty-seven tribes have repeatedly rebelled against Dali, and how could my Ziqi Kingdom have established an independent state?"

After a pause, Xi Ju snorted coldly and said, "We've been fooled once, that's enough. If you think we can help you fight the enemy again, you're just dreaming."

Gao Mingsheng said, "But you won't benefit from helping Zhao Shuo! Your biggest profit in Ziqi is selling Dali horses to the Central Plains, which can bring in more than 200,000 taels of silver a year. If Zhao Shuo destroys Dali, all the Dali horses will be his. Will you still have that income of more than 200,000 taels of silver?"

Two hundred thousand taels of silver was the total price of these Dali horses.

The Qi Kingdom itself did not produce horses; in reality, they acted as middlemen between the Dali Kingdom and the Central Plains. Their net profit was considered good if they could earn sixty or seventy thousand taels of silver.

But it was this annual profit of 60,000 to 70,000 taels of silver that enabled Ziqi Kingdom to develop into the most powerful of the three barbarian kingdoms in eastern Dali.

In other words, these southwestern barbarians were so poor that their annual income of 60,000 to 70,000 taels of silver became the foundation of the Ziqi Kingdom.

He Ju said, "So, according to your logic, if we help you deal with Zhao Shuo, we can continue selling horses to the Central Plains?"

"Uh……"

Gao Mingsheng was speechless for a moment.

If Zhao Shuo fails in his conquest of Dali and becomes enraged, why should he allow the Ziqi Kingdom to profit from it? Zhao Shuo controls almost all the grasslands in the world; surely he doesn't lack horses?

He Ju said, "Do you understand now? Whether we help the Yuan Dynasty or not, we can no longer sell Dali horses to the Central Plains. We'll definitely lose that income. So, we need to take advantage of this opportunity to rob Dali and accumulate some capital for our future."

"Moreover, the Yuan envoy has already told us that after the Yuan takes Dali, they will set up cities and purchase goods from our mountains. They will also move some Han people here to teach us how to farm in the mountains. In the long run, the ordinary tax revenue alone will be no less than that from selling Dali horses."

Gao Mingsheng said, "Your Majesty is foolish! Zhao Shuo is gradually encroaching on your territory! He is building cities and sending Han people to migrate there. In time, this Ziqi Kingdom will become his! Your descendants will not be able to inherit the Ziqi Kingdom!"

Heju shook his head and said, "Even if what you say is true, and the Yuan Dynasty slowly erodes Ziqi, then the destruction of Ziqi will be many lifetimes in the future, which I cannot control. But if I do not send troops to Dali now, the Yuan army can destroy Ziqi immediately."

"Besides, if all else fails, my descendants can voluntarily donate their land. If they can't be dukes or marquises, they can certainly be earls, right? Let them go to Zhongdu to enjoy their lives!"

When Zhao Shuo issued the edict of conferring titles, he had already stipulated the conferring of titles and privileges to the ruler who voluntarily came to submit.

Even for an earl, that's a net income of two thousand taels of silver per year.

Before the Kingdom of Qi, the main source of income was from being a middleman selling Dali horses, earning only 60,000 to 70,000 taels a year.

The entire income of sixty to seventy thousand taels belonged to the State of Qi, not to Heju personally. He didn't even use two thousand taels of silver for his own enjoyment!
"This……"

Seeing that He Ju had considered the pros and cons so clearly, Gao Mingsheng had no choice but to say, "Since the king has made up his mind, I will not try to persuade him any further. I will return to Dali and inform the prime minister."

"No need to go back!"

He shouted loudly, "Guards!"

"exist!"

“Cut off Gao Mingsheng’s ears and nose, then chop off his head and pickle it with lime. When we join forces with the Yuan army, this head will be a great achievement for us, and we might be able to exchange it for some silver.”

"Yes!"

Soldiers naturally stepped forward, dragged Gao Mingsheng away, and took him with them.

Gao Mingsheng shouted anxiously, "No! You can't do that! Even in war between two countries, envoys are not killed. Our two countries haven't even started fighting yet!"

"It was not I, the prime minister, who insulted and killed Zhao Shuo's envoy! Your treatment of me is hardly a great achievement!"

"Are you absolutely certain that Dali won't survive this ordeal, and don't you want to leave yourself a way out?"

……

Seeing that He Ju was ignoring him, Gao Mingshou panicked completely and said, "Your Majesty, listen to me! A living person is more useful than a dead one! Even if you want to curry favor with Zhao Shuo, keep me locked up now. After you join forces, hand me over to the Yuan army and let them decide what to do with me. Wouldn't that be a greater achievement?"

However, Xi Ju was already impatient and said, "Take him away quickly, or he'll give me a headache!"

"Yes."

The soldiers quickened their pace and dragged Gao Mingsheng outside the tent. Before long, a head, missing its ears and nose, was presented to Xi Ju.

Xi Ju then looked at Gao Mingsheng's head, snorted, and said, "Do you think I'm stupid? If I handed you over to the Yuan army alive, they would think I was observing the situation before. Now that I've cut off your head, it proves that I've always stood on the side of the Great Yuan."

……

……

Two days later, in Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom, the capital Jinglong.

Jinglong is the same as Jinghong in the Xishuangbanna region in later times.

Of course, the present-day Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom not only included the Xishuangbanna region, but also the northwestern Laos, northern Thailand, and northeastern regions in later generations.

The envoy Gao Taixiang sent to this place was another cousin of his, named Gao Fuzheng. There was no other way; the Gao family of Dali was now dominant, and most officials in the country shared the surname Gao. Gao Taixiang didn't trust someone outside the Gao family with such an important mission.

Gao Fuzheng and Gao Mingsheng's arguments were largely the same, essentially stating that Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom and Dali Kingdom were of the same lineage, and that brothers fighting amongst themselves would unite against external threats. From a self-interest perspective, they argued that if Dali fell, Zhao Shuo would certainly target Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom.

The King of Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom, Daolong Jianzai, directly refused, saying, "Don't waste your energy. My Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom will not send troops."

Gao Fuzheng asked, "Why?"

Dao Longjianzai said, "The reasoning is very simple. Even if Dali wins this battle, you will likely suffer significant losses domestically. You can't do anything to Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom now, so you will be even less able to retaliate against us after the war."

"On the contrary, if the Yuan army wins, will the Yuan emperor let the Jinglong Golden Palace, which sent troops to help you, off the hook?"

Gao Fuzheng said, "Your Majesty is wise. What if Dali has the hope of defeating the Yuan Dynasty, but loses because of the lack of the Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom's army? If you help us defeat the Yuan army, we, Dali, will reward you handsomely, not only by giving priority to the spoils of war."

Dao Longjianzai replied without hesitation, "If Dali loses this war without our tens of thousands of soldiers, then Dali is doomed!"

Gao Fuzheng asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Dao Longjianzai said, "Do you Dali people know the power of the Great Yuan? Do you know how vast this world is?"

Having finished speaking, he clapped his hands lightly and said, "Please come in, Your Excellency!"

"Yes."

Footsteps echoed as a barbarian with golden teeth entered the hall. He bowed slightly to Gao Fuzheng and said, "Meng Han, summoned by the Black Ice Platform of the Great Yuan, greets the envoy from Dali."

Gao Fuzheng's expression changed drastically, and he said, "You...you are an envoy from the Great Yuan?"

Zhao Menghan said, "Actually, I can't really be considered an envoy. I was just ordered by my master to convey a few words to the Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom."

Dao Longjianzai said, "An envoy from the Black Ice Platform is also an envoy. Your Excellency, please quickly take out your map so that the people of Dali can take a look."

"Alright."

Zhao Menghan took out a map from his robes and hung it in the main hall of the Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom. It was a world map, showing the power of Asia, Europe, North and South America, and even the major countries of the world.

On this map, if the Yuan Dynasty is a tiger, then Dali and even the Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom can only be considered an egg and a pigeon egg.

Dao Longjianzai said, "Now you understand, right? Even if the Great Yuan can't destroy your Dali this time, it can still send a second army, a third army... I don't know how many times it can send an army. But as long as it wins once, your Dali will perish. Is that a gap that my Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom's tens of thousands of troops can make up for?"

Gao Fuzheng certainly knew that the Yuan Dynasty was very powerful, but he only had a vague impression of it.

Now that I've seen this map, I realize just how much of an enemy his clansman Gao Taixiang has brought upon the family.

In an instant, he was so frightened that cold sweat poured down his forehead.

But now, all he could do was desperately plead, saying, "This...this map might not be real! Perhaps Zhao Shuo's envoy is just using threats! Your Majesty is wise, please don't be intimidated by him!"

Dao Longjianzai said, "I believe this map is genuine. First of all, this envoy, Zhao Menghan, was from the Jinchi tribe in Annam and was later absorbed into the Black Ice Platform. After all, we are both from the Jinchi tribe, so he shouldn't lie to me about such a big matter."

Gao Fuzheng said anxiously, "It is precisely because this is such a big matter that we cannot simply believe the one-sided story of our own clansmen!"

Dao Longjianzai, however, said confidently, "Let me ask you, isn't Dali bigger than our Jinglong Shengdian Kingdom?"

"That's natural."

"Wasn't the Song Dynasty much larger than Dali?"

"Yes."

"Then there's no problem, right? Although the Song Dynasty was large, it was suffocated by the Jin Dynasty. The Yuan Dynasty rose from a country called Mongolia, and not only destroyed the Jin Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, but also expanded its territory to the west. Doesn't that match the map perfectly? How much could this map be wrong?"

Indeed, even the Golden-Toothed Barbarians of Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom didn't know if the map was accurate. But they were barbarians, not fools; they already knew how powerful the Song Kingdom was.

Jinglong Jindian Kingdom was not a single-ethnic state. In addition to the Jinchi Man, there were many other barbarian tribes, which the Dali people called the Jinchi Baiyi.

Even with their overwhelming strength, the Golden Tooth Barbarians couldn't truly suppress these tribes.

Therefore, just as they were preparing to establish their state, they elected "Zhaolongfa" as the common leader of all tribes, rebelled against Dali, and established an independent state.

The term "Zhaolongfa" is a transliteration of a Dai word, referring to the Heavenly Emperor, namely the emperor of the Song Dynasty at that time.

This shows the status of the Song Dynasty in the eyes of these barbarians.

If the Song Dynasty was easily destroyed by Zhao Shuo, wouldn't Zhao Shuo become an even more powerful "Zhaolongfa"?
Therefore, as soon as Zhao Menghan took out this world map, Daolong Jianzai believed it.

Gao Fuzheng actually believed it too, and said tremblingly, "Even if...this map is real, isn't the king afraid that after Zhao Shuo destroys Dali, he will then destroy your Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom?"

Zhao Menghan interjected, saying, "Don't worry, our Jinchi tribe is much more useful to the Yuan Dynasty than you Dali people."

"What do you mean?"

"Take a look at this map. To the south of Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom lies a vast territory waiting for the Great Yuan to conquer. Neither the Han nor the Mongols are adept at fighting in the humid and hot mountains and forests. This is the perfect opportunity for our Golden Teeth Tribe to show its might!"

Dao Longjian's eyes also gleamed with excitement as he said, "If the Great Yuan wants to destroy the Jinglong Golden Palace Kingdom, how can I possibly stop it? I might as well take the initiative to submit to the Dragon Law and get a share of the spoils during the Great Yuan's conquest of the world."

"Our brave warriors, with the Yuan Dynasty's superior weaponry and ample logistical support, have conquered countless lands and plundered immense wealth and women. Perhaps, in the future, the Golden Teeth Tribe will not only not decline, but will become stronger than ever before, and I too can become a nobleman of the Yuan Dynasty!"

(End of this chapter)