The winter sun had just risen and the morning frost had not yet melted. It had just snowed last night and Liao Qiao was feeling cold. The faint sunlight shone on people's bodies but there was no warmth at all. It was still bone-chilling cold.
Outside of Victory Pass was a stretch of mountain ranges. A hundred awe-inspiring knights passed through the mountains and ridges, slowly moving in a meandering manner. Liu Biao, Jing Fo 'er, Wu Hanchao and Liu Da Chui were disguised as his personal bodyguards. Xu Tai was the leader of the bodyguards. The group followed behind Yang Ling's horse.
There was an open field in front of them. It was just below a mound of forest. The first ray of sunlight shone on this place. Three lonely tents stood in a triangular formation on the snow.
A few Mongolian men came back from their horses and jumped down from their horses' backs. They led the horses to the front of the tent. Some of them fastened the saddles to the horses' backs, while others cleaned their weapons. Their expressions were arrogant, as if they did not care about these several hundred Great Ming's officers and men who were lined up in a neat formation.
Yang Ling's gaze swept past the faces of the few lazy Mongolians. He slightly raised his hand, and a hundred riders immediately pulled the reins of their horses. The riders stopped an arrow's distance away, and they did not make a single sound.
Zhengde, Hu Zan and Yang Yiqing were worried that Yang Ling would only bring one hundred guards. They had originally planned to send two thousand soldiers to escort him. But Yang Ling said, "Hua Dang has traveled thousands of miles and led five thousand soldiers through Tartar territory. They did not come to kill me, an imperial envoy." So they refused.
The negotiation was about momentum. The Duoyan Guards had sent a total of five thousand soldiers. The Special Envoy only had three tents and about fifty people. If they sent a large army, it would raise the other side's prestige and make them look down on them.
However, the Duoyan Guards were Ming Destiny's vassals. The highest leader of the guards was given the position of commander of Ming Destiny and was a third-rank officer. Although it was only in name, the Duoyan Guards had not publicly declared that they had betrayed Ming Destiny.
Yang Ling was the leader of the Imperial Bodyguards and a third-rank general. He was also an imperial envoy. Even if he was facing Hua Dang, his status would not be lower, let alone a few of Hua Dang's envoys. When Yang Ling came out of seclusion, he had already sent his guards to inform them in advance. These special envoys obviously already knew the news but they did not dare to get up. A few of his personal guards were also arrogant and unruly. It was obvious that they did not respect the Ming court.
Xu Tai was instantly infuriated. He leaped toward Yang Ling and said, "Sir, the Duo Yan Guards are so daring. They know that the Imperial Envoy is here, but they still dare to be so rude. Why don't we return? How can we ruin the reputation of the Ming Dynasty!"
Jing Fuer licked his thin lips and said with a bloodthirsty look on his face, "Daren, disrespecting the envoy of the Celestial Empire is an unpardonable crime. Daren, give the order for me to cut up this group of bastards and ask Hua Dang to send someone else who is more sensible."
Yang Ling smiled and said, "The Duoyan Guards are just testing the sincerity of the alliance. After all, they have been tricked too many times. There is no need to argue with these barbarians. Let me tell you, negotiation is like doing business. The one who laughs first may not be the final winner. Today, I bowed my head to him three times. Next time, he will have to kowtow to me thirty times. Go, ask the Duoyan Guards to come out and welcome him! "
Jing Fu 'er looked at Yang Ling in confusion. He whipped his horse and galloped to the front of the tent. He loudly announced that Ming Destiny's special envoy had arrived and ordered Hua Dang's envoy to come out and welcome them. In a short while, three large tents came out in a line. Dozens of Mongolian envoys wearing slanted robes with large sleeves came out to welcome them.
Liu Da Bang Chui asked curiously, "Sir, how do you know that their envoys are already ready?"
Yang Ling shook his head and said, "They are brave but not astute! Look at the ground in front of the tent! "
The guards beside him heard this and looked at the ground for a long time. They were still at a loss and did not know what to do. Only Xu Tai and Wu Hanchao let out an 'ah' and looked at each other and smiled.
Although the snow last night was not heavy, it had already covered the ground. In front of his eyes, the surface of the snow was as smooth as a mirror; under the sunlight it glittered like snow. There were only two lines of hoof prints, which were left by the Great Ming's messenger who reported the arrival of the envoy. Although the front of the three tents looked white from afar, the reflection of light was different from the other tents. It was dim and messy. It was obvious that dozens of people had walked around and trampled on it early in the morning. It was not the effect of the four or five guards in front of the tents.
Seeing that the envoys had crowded in front of the tents, Yang Ling kicked the horse's belly and led the guards forward slowly. When they reached the tents, Liu Da Bang Chui dismounted and walked to Yang Ling's horse and knelt on one knee. Yang Ling got off the horse and lightly tapped on his back before jumping down.
The Mongolians crowded in front of Yang Ling with a smile on their faces. A burly man at the front put one hand on his chest and said in fluent Chinese, "Welcome, envoy of the Celestial Empire. I am the envoy of the Wuliangha tribe, Nomutu. This is the envoy of the Wengniute tribe, Gale Riltai, the envoy of the Wuziye tribe, Ahimai, the envoy of the Jianzhou tribe, Li Douli, the envoy of the Hai Xi tribe, Huchi …"
As he spoke, he sized up Yang Ling. He saw that the most trusted official of the Great Ming Emperor, the military general in charge of the Emperor's personal army and internal affairs, was wearing a fur robe, a mink hat on his head, and a pair of green satin boots on his feet. He was handsome, elegant, noble, but not ostentatious. If not for the fact that the robe was not tied with silk ribbons, one could vaguely see the golden Hidden Dragon Robe inside and he would look like a noble young master.
Yang Ling looked at the envoy of the Wuliangha tribe, the most powerful of the three Duoyan Guards. He had a well-built body and an imposing appearance. His steps were steady and steady. Although he looked burly and fierce, his eyes revealed intelligence and calmness. It was a stark contrast to the straightforward and simple smile on his face.
Yang Ling did not bat an eyelid and thought to himself, "It is said that the Mongolians are brave and good at fighting, strong in physique but lacking in intelligence. Just look at this envoy called Nomutu, it is very different. Although today is just a probing contact to find out the other party's bottom line of the alliance, it looks like I need to be alert and not be careless."
Yang Ling smiled and made a bow with his hands clasped in front of him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Nomutu extended his arm towards the tent and said, "Mr Yang, please, let us enter the tent to talk."
Yang Ling shook his leather robe, and without turning his head, he took the lead and entered the tent, leaving the guards outside. Hamutu, Gale Rildei, and the other envoys looked at each other when they saw that the envoy of the Heavenly Empire had entered the tent alone without any guards. The smiles on their faces instantly disappeared.
The Jianzhou Jurchen was the closest to Ming Destiny's territory. Through trading with Ming Destiny, they benefited a lot. They grazed, farmed, and had some simple crafts. They were the wealthiest of the three Jurchen tribes. According to the distance from Ming Destiny's territory, the Haixi Jurchen tribe that was slightly further away was slightly poorer. The Savage Jurchen tribe that was further away relied on hunting for a living and lived a half-savage life.
These three tribes were the weakest, so they were the most respectful to Ming Destiny. Since the Yongle era, the tributes had never stopped. Although the Ming court did not set a price for the tributes, they allowed them to bring more goods to trade in the private market.
The Jurchen tribe used horses, mink fur, green sea grass, donkey-hide, ginseng, fungus, mushrooms, pine nuts, honey, and other mountain products to exchange for Han people's iron tools, rice, salt, cloth, silk, iron pots, clothes, and other goods. They were very dependent on the Han people.
What they traded with Ming Destiny the most was ginseng, but their method of processing it was very simple. They were afraid that the ginseng would rot after digging it up, so they soaked it in water. But the ginseng soaked in water could not last long. If the Ming merchants delayed it a little, the Jurchen would be afraid that the ginseng would rot, so they could only sell it at a low price.
They also could not think of any good way to prolong the storage time of the ginseng, so they suffered a great loss in this transaction. That's why they were the most enthusiastic about forming an alliance with Ming Destiny. They only hoped that after the alliance, Ming Destiny's court would set a fair price for the goods, so that they would not be exploited by the merchants.
Yang Ling had already understood these things through his spies, since there were envoys from the three Jurchen tribes in each tribe, he guessed that there would not be any danger in the tent, so he was not afraid at all, which surprised Kemu Tu and the others.
Yang Ling strolled into the tent, and saw two long tables separated on the left and right, on them were some cheese, milk tea, and other things. He walked to the table on the right and sat down. The envoys from each tribe entered the tent, and saw Yang Ling sitting there with a smile on his face. He pointed to the opposite side and said, "Everyone, please sit."
Kemu Tu and the others saw that he had turned from guest to host, as if he was the owner of the tent, and couldn't help but look at each other with a wry smile. The six of them had no choice but to sit opposite, with Kemu Tu in the middle. Once the host and the guest were seated, the main topic officially began.
Kemu Tu was the first to speak, "The great leader of the Hua Dang Army heard that His Majesty Ming Destiny, in order to show his sincerity, had personally come to Datong, and was extremely frightened. Therefore, he led the three Duoyan Guards and the three Jurchen tribes from thousands of li away to come and see him.
Ever since the three Duoyan Guards followed Emperor Yong Le, they have always been on good terms with Ming Destiny, but Ming Destiny's officers and soldiers regarded us as barbarians, suppressing us, embezzling us, and unfair transactions. In the past, Ming Destiny's army also regarded us, the three Duoyan Guards, and the three Jurchen tribes as Tartar soldiers who came to the border to exchange goods, and killed them. Their heads were hung at the top of the city wall for more than three hundred people, causing endless grief to the three Duoyan Guards.
Daren, the three Duoyan Guards have always regarded themselves as Ming Destiny's vassals, but when Wala invaded our three Duoyan Guards, we asked for help from the Ming Dynasty, but Ming Destiny's court did not lift a finger. Instead, it was the Boyan Khan who led troops to save us. We could not rely on our leaders, and the three Duoyan Guards' common people despised us.
Besides, although the three Jurchen tribes pay tribute every year, the Liaodong Guards' strategy to pacify the people is not good, causing the common people to be alienated. Now, although the great leader of the Hua Dang Army and the chiefs of the other tribes have the intention to be on good terms with Ming Destiny, I'm afraid the people will not be convinced. I don't know what Mr Yang wants to teach me? "
The Blackwood Map started off with a clear message, belittling the Ming Court. He secretly observed Yang Ling's expression. Yang Ling was all smiles. As he listened, he even picked up his bowl of milk tea and took a sip. He grinned and put it down. He then picked up a small piece of yogurt cheese and bit into it, savoring the taste. He looked nonchalant.
Nuomutu had originally thought that if he said a few unpleasant words, this high-ranking official of the Great Ming Dynasty would definitely be enraged by him. Then, he would be able to seize the opportunity to say another set of words that he had prepared. He did not expect Yang Ling to have such an expression. Nuomutu's heart shuddered. His words had been filled with sorrow and sorrow, but in the end, they were dry and lifeless.
Yang Ling listened to him and laughed, saying: "If the three Duoyan Guards and the Ming Dynasty have never had any enmity, then our meeting today should be chatting, drinking and chatting merrily. Why bother Your Majesty and the Hua Dang Army to meet?"
Xiao Mutu opened his mouth and fiercely accused the Ming Dynasty of repeatedly breaking their promises. Yang Ling knew that this was to increase the bargaining chips for the next step of the alliance, and he believed in the sincerity of the Hua Dang Army.
He threw down the piece of yogurt cheese, clapped his hands, and calmly said: "The Ming Dynasty border army, the three Duoyan Guards, and the three Jurchen tribes have always had friction and enmity, but to say that Ming Destiny's imperial court has not treated you well is not fair."
Yang Ling stopped smiling and said seriously: "Ever since Hongwu, Ming Destiny has been very generous and kind to the Mongolians who have surrendered to the imperial court. This is a fact that can be checked. In the fifteenth year of Hongwu, Suge Temüer, Wanzhe Temüer and the others came to the imperial court. In the sixth year of Yongle, Xilewen River, Qinzhen River and the others came to the imperial court. Ming Destiny not only arranged for them to live in, but also provided them with food and clothing, cattle, money and silk. It can be said that he will satisfy all their requests.
We, the Han people, do not refuse to serve, but the native troops who settled down south (Mongolians, Koreans, Jurchen) only have one person to serve, and the rest of the brothers and nephews are exempt. The tax is unbelievably light. The three Duoyan Guards living in Liaodong do not serve, do not receive food, and do not serve. Messenger Xiao Mutu should know about this, right?
The reason why Ming Destiny set up the trade market is not because the imperial court does not have any cattle and horses, but because the goods used by the tribes outside the pass are all from Ming Destiny. The imperial court allowed them to trade, which is also a sign of benevolence. In the fifteenth year of Yongle, there was a great drought in Wulangha. Thousands of horses came to Ming Destiny, three hundred chariots, and countless people were saved. But what did you do?
The rebellion of Tumu Fort, betray the trust, and seek refuge with Wala. Whenever there is a natural or man-made disaster, you take Ming Destiny as your granary. You cause trouble at the border, slaughter the people, and are half-hearted between Ming Destiny and the Tartars, and have a foot in both boats!
When a person is about to starve to death, give him a liter of rice, and he will treat you as a benefactor. But if you give him a bucket of rice, he will think that since you can afford a bucket of rice, you can give me more. If you don't give it to me, then you are my enemy, and I will rob it myself. Isn't this how the three Duoyan Guards treat Ming Destiny? They are greedy and ungrateful! "
"Let me ask you, if there were no such things in the past, how would the greedy and greedy soldiers have an excuse? How would the imperial court stand by and watch when Wala attacked the three Duoyan Guards? " Yang Ling's words made Ba Mutu's face turn ashen. The envoys felt like they were sitting on pins and needles, their bodies twisting uncomfortably.
Yang Ling's tone softened and he said: "Of course, most of these are old things. Because of the enmity between our border guards, the common people of the three Duoyan Guards have suffered. Because of this, the two sides have become more and more distant, and we have lost trust. Because of this, His Majesty Ming Destiny personally came to Datong, and wants to personally sign an alliance with Leader Hua Dang, to protect and help each other, and to be allies forever. "
Ba Mutu took a deep breath, and said with a sly smile: "It's not just that, right? Ming Destiny wants to form an alliance with us, not only to trade, but also to make enemies with Wala, to slow down the Tartars, and to respond to each other, right? "
Yang Ling calmed himself down and said: "That's right, with the fierce tiger Tartars, Ming Destiny has suffered greatly, and the three Duoyan Guards have also been bullied by them, right? Now the 70,000 strong Tartars army has lost many soldiers and generals outside of Datong, and they have gained nothing. Once the trapped tiger and hungry wolf return to the desert, the three Duoyan Guards will bear the brunt.
Together, we will benefit, and divided, we will harm. I believe that Leader Hua Dang has great foresight, and has seen this point, so he happily agreed to form an alliance with Ming Destiny, to attack and defend, and to help each other, to deal with this scourge together, right? "
Ba Mutu smiled and shook his head. "Mr Yang, Leader Hua Dang is grateful for His Majesty Ming Destiny's sincerity, so he came to pay his respects. You also know that once we become enemies with the Tartars, the three Duoyan Guards will bear the brunt, and will bear great pressure. If the Ming court abandons us, the three Duoyan Guards will not be able to hold on alone, and will not be a match for the Tartars.
Similarly, if we stand by and watch the battle between Ming Destiny and the Tartars, even if the Tartars suffer heavy losses outside of Datong, once they return to the grasslands to recuperate, their fangs and claws will reappear in less than two years.
We and the Tartars are both descendants of the Great Yuan, and even if they have robbed us, they will not kill us all. In the end, whether it is for the riches of Ming Destiny's country, or for revenge, they will still find you, and the borders of Ming Destiny will never be peaceful.
So I am afraid that Ming Destiny's urgency to deal with the Tartars is far greater than our three Duoyan Guards, right? I wonder what condition His Majesty the Emperor will offer to gain our trust? "
Yang Ling's eyes flashed, and he said with a smile: "That's right! Don't lie in front of a real person. We are indeed determined to weaken the power of the Duoyan Guards. If this villain is not eliminated, there will be no peace in the nine borders, but weakening the Tartars is beneficial to the three Duoyan Guards. "
He picked up the milk tea, and without caring about the strange taste, took a sip, and took the opportunity to whisper: "This Blackwood Map is not an ordinary envoy, and all the envoys of the tribes follow his lead. He must be the most trustworthy person of the Hua Dang. Today, to find out the bottom line of the cooperation between the three Duoyan Guards and pave the way for the Emperor's negotiation, it seems that we have to rely on him."
Thinking of this, Yang Ling put down the milk tea, and said with a smile: "Our country is incomparably vast, and at the same time, we are not good at nomadic hunting. Ming Destiny has no ambitions beyond the Great Wall, and only hopes that his border can be stable, and the people can live and work in peace and contentment. Now that Vara is weak, if the Tartars become scattered under the joint attack of Ming Destiny and the three Duoyan Guards, then who will be the King of the Great Desert Grasslands?"
Blackwood Map's expression changed, and then he calmed down. He said with a faint smile: "Boyan is the descendant of Genghis Khan, and has unparalleled influence on the grasslands. If he cannot be the King of the Great Desert, I believe that no one can replace him."
Yang Ling pushed the table and laughed. He stood up and said: "Genghis Khan? Before Genghis Khan, who was the King of the Great Desert? After Genghis Khan, was there no other hero who ruled this land? His prestige has been extended to his descendants for hundreds of years, and it should be about time. There is an old saying in the Central Plains: Would the nobles rather have guts? Do you think Hua Dang will one day become Hua Dang Khan? "
Blackwood Map's eyes lit up with two faint flames. That pair of burning eyes stared at Yang Ling and said: "Mr Yang, what … what do you mean? The three Duoyan Guards are the three Guards of His Majesty Ming Destiny's vassals. His Majesty the Emperor wants … wants to allow us to be independent, and no longer be vassals? "
Yang Ling laughed and said: "Ming Destiny is wise and farsighted. The three Duoyan Guards, other than an empty title, are already like a country. When have they ever fulfilled the responsibility of Ming Destiny's vassals? Instead of this, why not be on good terms? His Majesty is willing to help Hua Daoda to sit on the throne of the King of the Great Desert, and for generations to come, we will be neighbors with Ming Destiny forever. "
Blackwood Map also suddenly stood up, staring at Yang Ling in disbelief, and said in a trembling voice: "Is this true?"
Yang Ling said: "Of course. Otherwise, with Hua Daoda's status as a vassal and commander of Ming Destiny's vassals, wouldn't it be a big joke if the Emperor came to see him in person?"
As he spoke, he thought in his heart: "Otherwise, with such an empty title, in fact, Ming Destiny's power in the imperial court cannot touch or control. You have such an umbrella, and the imperial court can't use troops against you. Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang's vast black land, do you want to keep it and raise Nuzhenren into a big tiger?
I might as well give you an empty title, and coax your ambition. No matter what, you can't deal with the Tartars. As long as my troops leave the Great Desert, I will have to trouble you to help guide them and familiarize them with the situation outside the Great Desert. When the Tartars fall, our troops will also be raised into fierce tigers, and then I will find an excuse to use troops against you, a guy who loses eight hundred men. Moreover, it won't be a punitive expedition against the vassals, but a complete seizure. If you don't want to be a vassal, I will stew you into a big sweet potato! "
The Wei envoys looked at each other. Obviously, the conditions set by Ming Destiny were beyond their expectations. Speaking of it, it was basically an empty promise, without any tangible benefits.
But Ming Destiny had always only cared about empty titles, not benefits. For the sake of being a vassal in name, even if he couldn't take a cent of tax from them, or implement some administrative power, Ming Destiny was willing to exchange it with real money.
In the eyes of these grassland men who fought against the heavens and fought against the earth, who struggled to survive under difficult conditions, they couldn't understand this kind of thinking. Now that they suddenly heard such an earth-shattering promise, they were stunned.
This promise was really too tempting. It was like a beggar who originally wanted to come to your door to beg for a piece of steamed bun to fill his stomach, but you gave him the house keys and said that from now on the house belonged to him. After a moment of excitement, they felt like they were dreaming, and for a moment they didn't dare to believe it.
Ba Mutu's red face became even redder. He suddenly turned around and slowly paced in the tent. His eyes flashed, as if he was struggling in his heart. Was it credible? Was Ming Destiny really willing to give such generous conditions? From a chief to a khan!
The Duoyan Guards didn't have this power, but what if they had the military and financial support of Ming Destiny? Was it still impossible? Khan! The king of the grassland! But … how sincere was Ming Destiny?
Thinking of this, Ba Mutu suddenly had an idea. He immediately turned around and said, "This matter is really too important. I have to report it to the chief before I can reply to you, milord."
His eyes flashed as he said, "If I reply like this, I'm afraid even the chief of my tribe, Hua Dang, will find it hard to believe. Because Ming Destiny's policy towards the Duoyan Guards has been changing and going back on his words, many nobles in the tribe have doubts about the alliance with Ming Destiny.
Therefore, when I came to see you, milord, the chiefs put forward two conditions. I believe that if the Duoyan Guards are allowed to be independent and help us to deal with the Tartars, these two conditions will still be put forward. I might as well put forward the conditions of cooperation first. I will go back and report to the chief, and ask milord to report our conditions to His Majesty Ming Destiny. "
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