Daming: I really don’t want to be an emperor!

The leader of the Haixi Jurchens said solemnly, "After a careful investigation, we have a total of 7,000 soldiers in the Haixi tribe. This is all we have, and we can no longer add more troops."

There was a hint of helplessness and anxiety in his voice.

The leader of the Jianzhou Jurchens then said, "I have also counted, and our Jianzhou tribe can mobilize 9,000 soldiers. Although the number is slightly larger than yours, this is our limit."

His eyes were firm and resolute, as if he was ready to fight to the death.

The leader of the Donghai Jurchen tribe took a deep breath and said slowly, "Our Donghai tribe can provide 6,831 warriors."

His tone was calm, but there was a firm gleam in his eyes, as if he was confident in his own strength. He even calculated the number of people to the single digit, showing his rigorous attitude and the importance he attached to the war.

The leader of the Jianzhou Jurchen tribe frowned and thought to himself, "This time, we only have less than 30,000 troops, but the imperial court has sent out an army of 100,000. What should we do?"

He said worriedly.

"Yes, the last time we tried our best to attack the Ming Dynasty, we lost a lot of men and horses. Who could have thought that the Ming Dynasty would mobilize such a large force just for such a small matter?" The leader of the Donghai Jurchen tribe sighed helplessly.

I really think that Ming Dynasty is making a big deal out of nothing.

The leader of the Haixi Jurchen tribe had a determined look in his eyes. He turned around and asked, "So, how many fires have you left in your tribe?"

The leader of the Jianzhou Jurchen tribe pondered for a moment and slowly replied, "Not many. There are less than 2,000 adult men. These people originally made a living by herding sheep and had never experienced a battlefield. Who knew that the Ming Dynasty would actually send 100,000 people? Sigh."

The leader of the Donghai Jurchen tribe nodded slightly in agreement, and then said, "Yes, I thought that the Ming Dynasty would send at most 30,000 to 50,000 troops. With a so-called 100,000-strong army, we could fight them 50-50 at all costs. Who would have thought that the Ming Dynasty was truly sincere? However, our situation is slightly better, with about 2,000 people."

Hearing this, the three of them fell silent. The atmosphere was heavy. Facing the upcoming war, they knew that the pressure of survival was enormous.

Even if we risk annihilating the entire clan, we can't gather half of the enemy's military strength.

"Or... please surrender? Join the Ming Dynasty and accept its rule. With only 100,000 people, we really have no chance of winning." After a long time, the leader of the Haixi Jurchen tribe spoke with difficulty.

He knew that this decision would mean the loss of their independence, but facing the powerful Ming, it seemed to be the only option.

The leader of the Jianzhou Jurchen tribe shook his head and said firmly, "The other side will not accept it. They have mobilized a large army, how can they go back so easily?"

"The world is bustling with people all for the sake of profit. It's all for the sake of profit. As long as we pay enough for the benefit, we may be able to quell this war."

The leader of the Haixi Jurchen tribe replied with a firm gaze, saying that he believed that as long as the right balance was found, both sides could reach a compromise.

The leader of the Donghai Jurchen tribe asked curiously, "Do you have any good ideas? Tell me, it's not impossible to consider temporarily surrendering. After all, there is an old saying in the Central Plains, which is that when the water is full, it will overflow, and when the moon is full, it will wane. The Ming Dynasty cannot be so powerful forever. We can endure humiliation and wait for the opportunity. When the Ming Dynasty is weak, we can take revenge! As the saying goes, it is not a shame to be born in a humble family. Only those who can bend and stretch can be true men!"

There was a glimmer of hope and determination in his words.

"First, we should announce that the entire Jurchens will be incorporated into the Ming Dynasty and let the Ming Dynasty set up a bureaucracy to manage us. What do you think?" asked the leader of the Haixi Jurchen tribe.

The leader of the Jianzhou Jurchen tribe nodded and said, "If we declare surrender, this is unavoidable."

The leader of the Donghai Jurchen tribe agreed, "Yes, this one is fine."

"Second, pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty with ginseng, cattle, sheep, horses, beautiful women, etc." The leader of the Haixi Jurchen tribe continued.

"If you want to surrender, you have to show some sincerity. This is acceptable." The leader of the Donghai Jurchen tribe nodded.

"Good." The leader of the Jianzhou Jurchen tribe also thought it was no problem.

"Thirdly, we have to pay some price. We have to return some of the things we got from the Central Plains several hundred years ago, select beautiful women from our tribe and send them to the palace to serve the Emperor of Ming Dynasty. Then we have to hand over the list of people we have interacted with, including the list of people in Xuanfu Army. This is all we can give. If that doesn't work, we have to fight." said the leader of the Haixi Jurchen tribe.

Hearing this, the other two nodded, and they could only spend money to avoid disaster.

Even if the imperial court destroyed the Jurchens, this would be all they could get, just a little more. However, if they left the Jurchens behind, there would still be tens of thousands of Jurchens available for the Ming Dynasty to fight in the battlefield, which would still be of some use.

"Then send someone to Xuanfu to ask for surrender. If the other party disagrees, immediately arrange for our people to continue migrating northwards. When they are able to make a comeback in the future, our people will come back again!"

The leader of the Jianzhou Jurchen tribe made the final decision.

"That's great." The other two had no objection.

Although I know that the possibility of successful surrender is very low, the worst outcome is just a fight.

At this time, Li Jinglong also convened a meeting of all the generals, preparing to finish the battle early and return early.

"Everyone, please speak up and discuss tactics. However, there is one basic condition: a war is a fight to the death. There is no option of surrender! So this battle will directly exterminate the Jurchens! Even the earthworms in the Jurchen area will be dug out and beheaded!"