Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 402 The Fate of the Grassland
Mongolia, steppe.

Spring is here, everything comes back to life, and the grassland is full of vitality.

The Tengger tribe is the second largest tribe in the Tumed Grassland after Bushitu. In the past few years under Zhu Shenzui's rule, the Tengger tribe has expanded rapidly. Not only has it obtained a large amount of supplies from the Ming Dynasty, but it has also won over many other tribes through bilateral trade opportunities. More importantly, the prosperity of the Tengger tribe formed a huge contrast with the other tribes that were having a hard time. For three consecutive years, many small tribes took the initiative to join the Tengger tribe because they could not make ends meet, which greatly increased the population of the tribe.

In addition, the Tenger tribe also annexed several tribes through war and other means, further increasing the size of the tribe. Compared with the previous time when Ashe Temur controlled the tribe, the Tenger tribe, which had experienced civil strife, not only did not weaken in strength, but became stronger than before.

Riding a horse and galloping on the grassland, Zhu Shenzhui felt extremely refreshed by the strong wind. He didn't know how long he had been running before he slowed down and the horse gradually stopped.

Sitting on the horse's back, gazing at the endless grassland and the dots of green that had already appeared on the grassland, Zhu Shenzhui dismounted, took the water naan on the horse's back and drank some water.

"Master, it's time to go back." Not far behind him, Wang Hai was following Zhu Shenzhui closely. Seeing him stop, he dismounted and followed him, and reminded him softly.

A hundred steps behind them, there were a dozen Mongolian knights standing guard. These were the tribe's best riders and the most capable warriors. They were Zhu Shencui's personal guards in Mongolia. Wang Hai was their leader. As long as Zhu Shencui was in Mongolia, they would guard him.

"What a beautiful view!" Zhu Shenzhui did not answer Wang Hai's words. He looked into the distance and could not help but recite a poem: "The sky is vast and the wilderness is boundless. The wind blows the grass low and you can see cattle and sheep!"

The vastness of the grassland is like the ocean. Those who have not been there in person cannot feel it. Only by being there in person can one understand the meaning of this poem.

Wang Hai smiled slightly. It was just the beginning of spring, the weather was still a little cold, and the grass on the grassland had just sprouted green buds. After a winter, the grass hadn't grown yet, so where would the sight of cattle and sheep be seen when the wind blew the grass low? As for the vastness of the sky and the boundlessness of the wilderness, it was somewhat appropriate. However, Wang Hai, who grew up on the grassland, had long been accustomed to these things and was no longer surprised.

"What? You don't think so?" Zhu Shenzhui asked, looking back at Wang Hai who looked disapproving.

Wang Hai quickly shook his head and said, "Master, you are right, but I think that after a few months, when the grass really grows taller, we may see the scenery that you are impressed by."

"Hahaha!" Zhu Shenzhui burst into laughter and patted Wang Hai on the shoulder. "You don't understand the poet's perception. When a poet writes poetry, it's not only about realism, but more importantly, it's about imagination. You can't do that, and neither can I. At best, you're just repeating what others have said."

Wang Hai scratched his head embarrassedly, as if he felt that he shouldn't have said that just now, but Zhu Shenzhui's next words aroused his interest.

"Wang Hai, do you remember the first time we met?"

"Of course I remember. If the master hadn't taken me in, I would have been dead long ago..."

Waving his hand, Zhu Shenzhui smiled and said, "There's no need to talk about these, but I remember when I asked you what your name was, you told me your name was Dali. I asked you what Dali meant. Do you remember how you answered?"

"My lord, I gave myself this name because I have no father or mother and have lived near the Beggar Lake since I was a child. Dari means the sea in Mongolian, so I gave myself this name." Wang Hai recalled with gratitude on his face. Just as he said just now, if Zhu Shenzhui had not taken him in and brought him back to the Ming Dynasty, perhaps Wang Hai would have been killed like the other slaves.

The grassland is cruel, especially for slaves like Wang Hai, whose lives are short and can be taken away by a small accident or emergency.

Wang Hai was very clear about this. In the past, he had never thought that he would have the identity he has today, let alone the status he has now. Although he has always regarded himself as a slave and called Zhu Shenzhui his master, everyone in the Tenger tribe knew that Wang Hai actually held more power than Burigude. When Zhu Shenzhui returned to the Ming Dynasty, the military power of the tribe was held by Wang Hai. Even the tribe's Taiji Tenger had to call Wang Hai uncle when he saw him.

All this came from Zhu Shenzhui. It was because of Zhu Shenzhui that Wang Hai's life underwent a major change and he now has everything that he could never have imagined before.

"I still remember you told me that your biggest wish was to see the sea."

Wang Hai nodded silently, with a look of longing in his eyes: "Yes, Master, I have never seen the sea. Although my name is Dali, and you have given me a Chinese name, Wang Hai, I have only seen lakes on the grasslands since I was a child. I have always heard that the real sea is as boundless as the vast grasslands, and you can't see the end at a glance. It is not comparable to a small lake at all."

"Do you still have this idea now?"

"Of course, if there is a chance." Wang Haihan nodded with a smile.

"Don't worry, I will take you to see the sea one day." Zhu Shenzhu pointed to the east, "Three thousand miles from here is the sea. When you see the vastness and magnificence of the sea with your own eyes, perhaps you will understand my feelings just now." After a pause, Zhu Shenzhu pointed to the west again, "Ten thousand miles to the west is also the sea. The Mongolian hero Batu went there during his western expedition. After we have seen the sea in the east, let's go to the west together to compare whether the seas on both sides are the same and what the differences are. How do you think?"

Although Zhu Shenzhui's words were plain, Wang Hai was very excited. He nodded without hesitation and said, "I will obey the master in everything. I will go wherever the master tells me to go. Whether it is the east or the west, as long as the master gives the order, I will be the pioneer for the master!"

"Okay!" Zhu Shenzhu nodded with satisfaction. Wang Hai's answer was full of heroism and strengthened his belief.

He looked into the distance again, as if he was looking at something. After a moment, Zhu Shenzhui said nothing, got on his horse, turned his horse's head and said to Wang Hai, "Go back, it's getting late."

With a sound of "hoo", Wang Hai squeezed the horse's belly and the horse began to speed up. Wang Hai followed behind on horseback just like he did before. The group galloped towards the camp...

"Have you really decided?" Tana asked Zhu Shenzhui softly in the big tent of the camp.

After Zhu Shenzhui came back, he found Tana and told her his decision. After hearing it, Tana couldn't help but ask more questions.

Nodding slowly but firmly, Zhu Shenzhui said, "We don't have many choices in this matter, and we can't escape the final war if we sit back and do nothing. In this case, why not seize the initiative firmly in our own hands? Since we have to fight, we will fight sooner or later, so why let others lead us by the nose?"

Tana nodded silently but said nothing. Zhu Shenzhui glanced at her and asked, "Why? Don't you want to say anything?"

"What?" Tana smiled and said, "You and I are one as husband and wife. Your decision is naturally my decision. You are right. We cannot avoid war. We will have to fight sooner or later. Blindly giving in will only put the tribe in danger of being annexed. In this case, why not take the initiative? Maybe there is still a chance."

Holding Tana's hand, Zhu Shenzhui patted her palm with relief, with a smile and loving expression on his face.

Tana is a very smart woman, especially after experiencing the previous civil strife in the tribe, Tana has grown up very quickly in the past few years. As Zhu Shencui's wife and Tenger's mother, Tana is the real Aliyah of the tribe. Her prestige in the tribe is no less than Zhu Shencui, and because of her status, she is more respected than Tenger, who is not yet an adult.

This time, Zhu Shenzui returned to the grassland from Ming Dynasty with something on his mind, and Tana, his partner, saw it at a glance.

After asking, Tana realized that the changes in the external situation were unexpected, especially after Nurhaci's death, the Later Jin Dynasty was changed to the Qing Dynasty, and Huang Taiji, who called himself the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, was a man of great talent and strategy, and was far more difficult to deal with than the old slave back then.

After Huang Taiji ascended the throne, he quickly stabilized the internal situation. Through a series of means, he killed the Queen Consort who posed the greatest threat to him, and then deprived several brothers of their military power. Then, with his enticement, Huang Taiji completely consolidated his position and the power in his hands. After dealing with internal affairs, Huang Taiji set his sights on external affairs.

In the case that he could not use military force to break through the Ming army's several strong cities in Liaodong, Huang Taiji adopted the strategy of peace talks with the Ming Dynasty. But in fact, Huang Taiji's peace talks were fake, and the real purpose was to paralyze the Ming Dynasty. He also planned to ease the relationship with the Ming Dynasty through peace talks, and even get the materials he urgently needed from the Ming Dynasty.

After stabilizing the Ming Dynasty, Huang Taiji began to launch foreign wars. This time the target of the war was not the Ming Dynasty, but the Mongols.

During the reign of Nurhaci, the Later Jin Dynasty had won over the support of the Khorchin and other tribes through marriage. Now Huang Taiji had set his sights on Ligdan Khan, intending to unite the Mongolian tribes to invade the Chahar grassland and eliminate Ligdan Khan's headquarters, which posed a great threat to the Qing Dynasty.

In the recent Battle of Aomulun, Huang Taiji defeated the Dorlot tribe with a sweeping force. Now the Dorlot tribe is basically crippled, and the tribe has been almost completely wiped out by Huang Taiji. This battle also shook the entire grassland. The other Mongolian tribes that had been waiting and watching saw the great military achievements of the Qing Dynasty in the outcome of this battle, and also made everyone realize the weakness of Lin Danhan.

As the leader of the Mongols, Lindan Khan could not even stop the Qing Dynasty from invading his own grasslands, and he even let Huang Taiji defeat the Dorlot tribe in one battle. The disastrous defeat of the Dorlot tribe also caused Lindan Khan's prestige among the Mongolian tribes to plummet. In addition, this battle caused heavy losses to the Chahar tribe, and Lindan Khan's prestige as the Khan was completely destroyed.

After hitting the target, Huang Taiji did not continue to attack the Chahar headquarters, but led his troops to withdraw. His actions seemed to others to be an attempt to avoid the edge of Lin Danhan, and I am afraid that Lin Danhan himself also thought so.

But Zhu Shenzhui, as a bystander, saw it clearly. He knew clearly that Huang Taiji's action was just a tactical retreat and did not mean that he would let Lin Danhan go.

The first goal of the Battle of Aomulun had been achieved. Huang Taiji's appropriate retreat was only a tactical requirement. In addition, he also worked hard to contact other Mongolian tribes and prepare to launch the next battle, which would determine the fate of the entire Chahar.

(End of this chapter)