Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 352 A Pillar of Wisdom! Lan Yu was stunned!

Mengge Timur frowned, lost in deep thought.

Inside the room, the flickering candlelight illuminated his cold, stern face, as if it too were peering into the struggles within him.

Suddenly, his eyes shone like cold stars as he stared intently at the kneeling butler, and he demanded in a booming voice, "How did you find out all this?"

Large beads of sweat rolled down the steward's forehead. He kowtowed heavily, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. As if he had finally made up his mind, he said, "To be honest, several months ago, a secret envoy sent by the Ming Dynasty found me."

"What I just said was all told to me by them, and even this rare glass was a gift from them."

"Not only that, they also sent many treasures, all of which were exquisitely crafted by the Jinling workshops and were priceless."

The butler slightly raised his trembling hand and gestured, his eyes filled with a complex expression of greed and fear.

"They made a solemn promise that as long as Manzhu was willing to surrender to the Ming Dynasty, he would be treated with great courtesy and enjoy endless wealth and honor."

The butler's voice trembled slightly, his heart filled with trepidation, like a frightened bird.

Driven by greed for money, he accepted a bribe from the Ming Dynasty intelligence agency a few months ago, becoming one of its external informants.

Persuading Mengge Timur to surrender was the tricky task assigned to him by the intelligence agency.

Previously, the time was never ripe, and he had been searching for a good opportunity to offer his advice, not daring to act rashly.

Now, seeing the Ming army marching in with great force, and with the intelligence bureau putting increasing pressure on him, he has no time to worry about anything else.

Seeing that Manzhu seemed hesitant, he decided to steel himself and tell her everything.

"You...you actually dared to secretly collude with the Ming Dynasty?"

Mengge Timur's face instantly turned ashen, like the gloom before a storm.

The steward hurriedly kowtowed and said urgently, "I deserve to die! But I did all this for Manzhu and for the Woduoli tribe!"

"The Ming Dynasty is now strong and well-equipped, with countless firearms and cannons. The Ming New Army is unparalleled in combat power and is beyond our ability to resist. If we insist on fighting head-on, we will undoubtedly be courting death."

Menggetemur's expression shifted between light and shadow, his gaze wandering before finally settling back on the exquisitely crafted glass that shimmered under the candlelight.

He held it in his hand, turning it over and over to examine it closely, his expression a mixture of joy and unease. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "What you just said, is it true?"

Seeing this, the steward was secretly delighted and hurriedly replied, "This is a personal promise from Yao Guangxiao, the head of the Ming Dynasty's intelligence bureau!"

"As a pillar of the Ming Dynasty and a confidant of the emperor, Yao Guangxiao said that this is the decree of the Ming emperor, so Manzhu can rest assured."

“Ahachubu has already surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and is now enjoying wealth and honor. What worries does Manzhu have?”

The steward pressed his advantage, speaking earnestly.

Mengge Timur remained frowning, weighing the pros and cons in his mind, unable to make a decision.

Outside the tent, the cold wind howled like ghosts wailing and wolves howling, making the windows of the room rattle.

The steward, not daring to stop, continued to advise, "Right now, rumors are flying around the tribe, and the children are all singing the ballad 'When the Ming army comes, I'll lead the way.'"

“Every day, large numbers of slaves escaped in the chaos, and people were filled with fear.”

“Manzhu, if we wait until our clansmen are all scattered, or the Ming army is pressing in and everyone surrenders, what will become of you, Manzhu?”

"On that day, Manzhu will probably become a prisoner and be used as a sacrifice by the Ming army!"

The butler's voice trembled, his eyes filled with panic, as if the scene he described was right before his eyes.

“The sooner the rain falls, the greater the benefits.”

“Manzhu, do not hesitate any longer! This great merit of guiding the Ming army should be done by you, Manzhu. How can those lowly slaves steal the limelight?”

The steward's words grew increasingly impassioned, attempting to sway Mengge Timur.

Upon hearing this, Mengge Timur's eyes narrowed sharply, a resolute glint flashing in them: "Well said! If anyone should be leading the way, it should be me, Mengge Timur, leading the Ming army, not those lowly slaves!"

"You can contact the Ming army? Go and tell them that my Woduoli tribe is willing to surrender!"

Mengge Timur waved his hand, settling the fate of the world.

"Manzhu is wise!"

The butler wept with joy.

Persuading the Odoli tribe to surrender would be an absolute great achievement.

The Ming Dynasty's intelligence agency has never failed to reward those who have made contributions.

At this moment, he was already secretly calculating the generous rewards from the Ming Dynasty's intelligence agency, as if he could already see mountains of gold and silver beckoning to him.

"I will go and contact the people of the Ming Dynasty immediately."

After saying this, the butler hurriedly withdrew, his figure quickly disappearing into the cold wind outside.

……

The same scenes played out one after another in many Jurchen tribes.

The Ming Dynasty's intelligence agency, like an invisible giant hand, had already silently infiltrated the Jurchen people, gathering a large number of spies within its ranks.

Some of these people were bribed with gold and silver.

Money can move people's hearts, and under the lure of profit, they easily sided with the Ming Dynasty.

More often, it was the powerful propaganda campaign supported by the Ming Dynasty's strong national power, as well as the dazzling cultural appeal, that led people to sincerely believe that the Ming Dynasty was like an unshakable mountain, and to hold it in the highest esteem from the bottom of their hearts.

They firmly believed that the Jurchens could only find a glimmer of hope for the future by submitting to the Ming Dynasty.

He was willing to serve the Ming Dynasty's intelligence agency, regarding it as the greatest honor.

Deep down, he firmly believed that he was not betraying his blood-related Jurchen compatriots.

Instead, they sought a better future for their people in a different way.

Therefore, they spontaneously took on the responsibility of acting as inside agents, handing over the Jurchens' confidential information.

They spared no effort to persuade tribal leaders to surrender, and some even incited the Jurchen people to rise up and overthrow the rule of stubborn tribal leaders who refused to surrender.

……

The night was as thick as ink, and all was silent except for the howling wind.

Inside an old-fashioned courtyard, candlelight flickered as the leader of a Jurchen tribe sat upright, summoning his trusted subordinates for an urgent meeting.

“Manzhu, now many tribes around us have submitted to the Ming Dynasty.”

"Among them are many long-standing enemies with whom our unit has a long history of grudges and endless struggles."

"If we continue to resist stubbornly and refuse to surrender to the Ming army, I'm afraid they will take advantage of the Ming army's power and attack us like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey!"

The speaker had a sorrowful face and his eyes were full of worry.

The term "Three Jurchen Tribes" is, in essence, just a broad general term.

In fact, on this vast land, the three Jurchen tribes were further subdivided into countless tribes, like scattered stars.

Take the Jianzhou Jurchens for example, the Huligai and Wodoli tribes were very famous.

As for the Wild Jurchen and Haixi Jurchen, their tribes were even more numerous and countless.

These tribes do not live in harmony as they appear on the surface.

On the contrary, they are like wolf packs on the grasslands, constantly fighting and waging war for pastures and livestock.

Therefore, when the surrounding tribes chose to surrender to the Ming Dynasty, the remaining tribes were inevitably worried, fearing that the Ming army, like a fierce tiger, would come to tear them apart.

"Then what do you think we should do? Do you have any brilliant ideas?"

Above, the tribal chief frowned, his anxiety evident, pacing back and forth, urgently asking the others questions.

"Manzhu, in my opinion, we should also go with the tide and surrender to the Ming Dynasty."

In the corner, someone mustered up their courage and broke the suffocating silence in the room, offering a soft suggestion.

Upon hearing this, the room fell into a deathly silence, as if chilled to the bone. Everyone stared in astonishment at the person who had made the suggestion, their eyes filled with disbelief.

After all, although everyone had secretly considered surrendering, no one dared to be the first to break the silence in front of the leader.

"This..." Upon hearing this, the tribal chief visibly trembled, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes, but his brows remained furrowed, clearly indicating that he had not yet made up his mind.

"The Ming envoy has arrived!"

Seeing that the leader did not sternly refuse, the man decided to go all the way and lay his cards on the table directly, speaking urgently.

"If Manzhu surrenders to the Ming army now, he will not only gain enormous wealth, but also enjoy a life of luxury and peace of mind for the rest of his life."

"If we continue to hesitate and waver, we will truly meet a miserable end with no place to bury our bodies when the Ming army's iron hooves trample us down!"

Ming army envoy?
These four words were like a thunderclap, exploding loudly in everyone's ears.

The Ming army envoys actually arrived secretly?

Everyone was stunned once again.

“If Manzhu is unwilling to surrender, then there is only one way to go: kill the Ming envoy. In this way, all escape routes will be cut off.”

That person was a master of negotiation, using retreat as a tactic to advance, pressing forward step by step.

"No...don't!" Upon hearing this, the tribal chief hurriedly waved his hand to stop him, a resolute look flashing across his face.

“In war, envoys are not to be killed. The Ming envoy has traveled a long way to come and is our honored guest. We should treat him with courtesy and hospitality.”

Having said that, he seemed to have unloaded a heavy burden from his shoulders, let out a long sigh, and then looked around at everyone with a firm gaze, saying loudly, "What you said just now is not without reason. Now it seems that surrendering to the Ming army is indeed our only way out. In that case, let us surrender!"

"Manzhu is wise!" The generals were stunned at first, then cheers and shouts filled the room. Everyone was all smiles, and the gloom on their faces was swept away.

Seeing this, the leader sighed inwardly. It seemed that the people's desire for change and surrender had already grown wildly in their hearts like weeds, and was difficult to suppress!
Fortunately, he chose to surrender; otherwise, his subordinates would have betrayed him sooner or later!

……

Another tribe, nestled deep in the mountains and valleys.

The night was deep and dark, like a giant beast opening its blood-red maw to devour everything.

A man dressed in coarse linen stood high up like a night owl, raising his arms and shouting: "Brothers, the Ming army is now unstoppable and has already besieged the city."

"But our Khan has lost his mind and insists on resisting to the end. He's dragging us to our deaths with the Ming army!"

His voice was hoarse, yet filled with grief and indignation, echoing through the valley.

"Brothers, a storm is brewing and the situation is extremely precarious. If we continue to foolishly oppose the Ming army, we will be courting death and have no chance of survival whatsoever."

"As everyone should know, the people of other tribes have learned their lesson and surrendered early, thus saving their lives."

He waved his arms as he spoke, trying to wake everyone up.

"If we want to survive, the only way right now is to stand tall, unite as one, kill our stubborn Khan, and present him to the Ming army."

"Although the Khan has some methods that make people fear him, as long as we work together, why should we worry about not being able to defeat him?"

There was a fanatical glint in his eyes.

"Moreover, the Ming army has already promised to support us."

"Those tribes that have submitted to the Ming Dynasty will also send troops to help."

"But if we continue down this path and become enemies with the Ming army, then we will truly only face certain death and utter ruin!"

He was screaming hoarsely, almost insane.

"If we fight back and surrender to the Ming army again, there is still a glimmer of hope for survival."

"If we resist to the very end, there will be no chance of survival!"

"Brothers, you should weigh the options yourselves!"

Having said that, he cast a piercing glance at the crowd below.

"We've rebelled!"

After a moment of deathly silence, someone in the crowd below shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Inverted!"

This shout, like a spark, instantly ignited the anger and will to survive in everyone's hearts.

"Inverted!"

Shouts rose and fell, echoing through the valley.

"Surrender to the Ming Dynasty, and you'll have no chance of survival!"

"Kill the Khan and surrender to the Ming Dynasty!"

The shouts of the crowd were like thunder, shaking the mountains and forests.

Under this surging tide, the slaves in the tribe, like awakened angry lions, rose up in rebellion.

……

From the moment Ahachhu led the Huligai tribe to surrender to the Ming Dynasty, it was as if the first domino had been toppled.

After that, the trend of surrendering to the Ming Dynasty swept through all the Jurchen tribes like a raging storm.

Many tribal leaders, assessing the situation, led their people to surrender, transforming themselves into "guides" for the Ming army.

Those stubborn tribes that refused to surrender were caught in a desperate situation, beset by internal and external troubles.

They were either rejected by their followers and overthrown.

They might be taken advantage of by neighboring rival tribes and attacked and annihilated.

In a short time, more and more Jurchen tribes, like migrating ants, flocked to the Ming army's garrison and joined the road-building team.

……

The Ming army camp, like a giant beast forged from steel, lay dormant in this unfamiliar and unpredictable land.

The camps stretched out in a continuous line, and the military flags fluttered in the cold wind, seemingly proclaiming the majesty of the Ming Dynasty.

At first, Lan Yu was still full of doubts about Zhu Yunwen's strategic policy.

The idea that the fierce Jurchen tribes could be completely subjugated by the Ming Dynasty through overwhelming propaganda and the instigation of a few intelligence agents in the shadows sounds like a fantasy, too absurd and bizarre to be believed.

However, the situation developed like a raging torrent, so rapidly that it caught everyone off guard.

The Huligai tribe was the first to surrender, followed by the Woduoli tribe, which also submitted its surrender document, triggering a chain reaction.

Then, groups of two or three Jurchen slaves, dressed in rags, hurriedly came to seek refuge.

After that, one tribe after another, like rivers flowing into the sea, brought their people and families, and surged toward the Ming army camp.

People came to surrender like a tide, wave after wave, and the number grew day by day.

For a time, the area outside the camp was bustling with noise, a cacophony of shouts and footsteps.

The harassment and raids that the Jurchen tribes used to launch from time to time seemed to have been completely blown away by a strong wind overnight, disappearing without a trace, as if they had never happened.

The Ming army camp today has completely lost its former tense and murderous atmosphere.

The soldiers were busy every day, but no longer cleaning guns and cannons or standing ready for battle. Instead, they were busy welcoming the endless stream of Jurchen tribes who came to surrender.

These newly surrendered people were incorporated into the army and placed in the road-building teams, paving a road of hope for the future of this land.

As for Lan Yu, he was already completely numb.

……

(End of this chapter)