Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 472 The Ming Dynasty Envoy: Sugar Coating or Blade? A Life-or-Death Choice!

"Haha, it seems that the Great Khan's earlier dispatch of envoys to the Ming Dynasty to pay homage to its emperor was indeed a farsighted move!"

Below the main hall, a minister dressed in brocade robes spoke first, offering flattery and obsequious words.

"Although the Ming army swept across the grasslands and was awe-inspiring throughout the world, it never raised its arms against my Beshbalik. Instead, it sent such generous gifts."

"The Khan's previous act of paying tribute was an absolute windfall!"

“That’s right!” another minister quickly echoed, stroking his long beard: “The Great Ming prides itself on being a land of propriety and has always considered itself a superior celestial empire.”

"They have always been generous in reciprocating the pilgrimages of foreign nations, referring to them as 'gifts' from the Celestial Empire to foreign barbarians."

"Hmph, what does it matter how prestigious the title is? As long as I, Bishibali, gain real benefits and fill the national treasury, who cares about empty fame!"

"An eagle soaring through the sky only needs to lock onto its prey and tear it apart; why should it care whose cry is louder?" a minister laughed loudly, his voice revealing the pride of a man from the grasslands: "The men of Beshbali do not care about those empty praises; they only seek to fill their granaries with gold and silver and to grow stronger!"

"I've heard that the treasures brought by the Ming Dynasty delegation are priceless, including many rare and exotic items that I've never seen before in Beshbaliq." An elderly minister, his eyes shining with excitement, bowed to the black-haired man sitting high in the main seat and said, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask you for a reward."

"Once the gifts presented by the delegation are stored in the treasury, I humbly request Your Majesty to bestow upon me one or two treasures to satisfy my admiring heart!"

The hall erupted in laughter, filled with mockery and a sense of ease.

The Black-haired Khan sat upright on the high platform, his burly body as steady as a mountain, his posture with golden sword and riding a horse exuding kingly majesty. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but laugh heartily, his voice as loud as a bell: "This Khan has always been generous, who in the world does not know this?"

"Why would I hesitate to bestow treasures upon you, my loyal and trusted ministers?"

"Rest assured, once the gifts from the Ming Dynasty delegation are presented, everyone present today will be generously rewarded!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall showed joy, and their laughter grew even louder.

Some people loudly praised the Great Khan's benevolence, while others bowed in gratitude. The atmosphere was jubilant, as if even the cold wind outside the palace had been dispelled by this warmth, and the air was filled with a joyful mood.

However, amidst the laughter and merriment, a somewhat abrupt voice suddenly rang out: "Great Khan, I have something to say, and I dare to offer my advice."

"The Ming delegation is large in scale and numerous in number. If elite Ming soldiers are mixed in among them, disguised as members of the delegation, and enter Beshbali under the guise of presenting gifts, waiting for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack, how should Beshbali respond?"

"In my opinion, this matter must be guarded against!"

The hall fell into a deathly silence in an instant, the jubilant atmosphere extinguished as if by a sudden gust of cold wind.

All eyes turned to the old man who had broken the harmony with his words.

His figure was slightly hunched, but his wrinkled face revealed an indomitable tenacity.

However, many people already showed obvious displeasure in their eyes.

"Stop spreading rumors and misleading the public!" A general clad in animal hide armor broke the silence first.

"Even though the Ming Dynasty's delegation was not small, it only numbered a few hundred."

"My Beshbali has tens of thousands of brave and skilled archers. A mere thousand-strong tribe can be crushed to dust by sending out a single iron cavalry!"

"Could it be that everyone in the Ming delegation is made of copper and iron, invulnerable to swords and spears?" Another minister sneered, his eyes full of arrogance: "With this small force, you dare to dream of shaking Beshbaliq? That's just wishful thinking!"

"I think you're just old and senile, talking nonsense!" someone else chimed in loudly, their tone full of merciless sarcasm, which drew a low chuckle from the hall.

The old man's face darkened abruptly after being rebuked, and a flash of anger appeared in his eyes.

He retorted in a deep, aged voice: "Don't forget, when the Ming Dynasty launched its expedition against the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Neng and Zhang Fu led only a few thousand elite troops, yet they routed the Yuan army of tens of thousands and ravaged the grasslands!"

"As the Ming Dynasty said: 'Learn from past mistakes to guide future actions.'"

"If we do not learn from this, we may repeat the mistakes of the Yuan Dynasty!"

No sooner had the old man finished speaking than a burly military general slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his voice booming like thunder: "How can an eagle share a nest with a sparrow? How can a tiger walk with a jackal?"

“The warriors of Beshbali are all eagles at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains and tigers and leopards in the desert. How can they be compared with those incompetent pigs and dogs of the Yuan Dynasty?”

A civil official chimed in, saying, "The Yuan court and the Ming dynasty have a long-standing feud, and the enmity is difficult to resolve, hence the armed conflict."

“But Beshbalik has long since made peace with the Ming Dynasty, exchanging envoys and gifts of treasures.”

"Since the Ming Dynasty has generously sent envoys to present gifts, what reason is there for them to raise troops and rebel?"

"Your words are alarmist and clearly have ulterior motives!" An official pointed at the old man, his eyes blazing with anger, and said sternly, "I think you are deliberately slandering the Ming delegation, trying to sow discord between Beshbaliq and the Ming Dynasty, and wanting to incite war between the two countries and wreak havoc in the desert?"

"Your heart is more treacherous than a scorpion deep in the oasis. You should be dragged out, torn to pieces, and fed to the wolves!"

Another tribal chief stood up and said loudly, "It is said that the reason why the Ming Dynasty was able to sweep away tens of thousands of Yuan troops was because of its earth-shaking and mighty cannons."

"However, those giant cannons were as heavy as mountains and required horses to pull huge wagons to move them, so they could not be concealed during marches."

"Although the Ming Dynasty delegation carried countless treasures and herds of camels and horses, not a single giant cannon was seen."

"They came empty-handed, what makes them think they can contend with my iron cavalry of Beshbaliq?"

Despite the crowd's repeated rebuttals, the old man refused to step down: "Do you all know that the Ming Dynasty has ordered the grassland tribes that have submitted to them to gather their troops and flex their muscles on our border, with banners obscuring the sun and shouts of battle shaking the heavens?"

"Furthermore, elite troops of the Ming Dynasty have ventured deep into the heart of the desert to conduct combat drills. The roar of cannons resounds to the heavens, day and night, chilling all who hear of it!"

"Such actions are clearly intended to intimidate Beshbali!"

"Given the Ming Dynasty's actions, how can we naively assume that the Ming delegation's long journey was merely to present gifts with goodwill?"

This time, before the other ministers and tribal leaders could refute him, the Black Fireman, who sat upright on the high platform like a mountain, raised his hand and immediately admitted it.

"The reason I have gathered you all here today is to discuss this matter."

"The Ming Dynasty has deployed troops on the border, and the war drums are deafening."

"What exactly are they up to by sending an envoy with lavish gifts?"

The hall fell silent instantly, as if the previous clamor and debate had been suppressed by an invisible force.

Everyone was secretly alarmed.

The Black Fireman deliberately avoided mentioning the military actions on the Ming border, clearly testing the loyalty and insight of His Highness's ministers.

This seemingly bold and rugged Khan is far more cunning than he appears; he is actually quite shrewd.

Since the founding of Beshbaliq, the struggle for the Khanate in each generation has been exceptionally brutal.

He was no ordinary man to have emerged victorious from the fierce competition for the throne and reunified the fragmented kingdom.

In the silence, a deep and authoritative voice broke the stillness. Hu Daida, the high-ranking minister who had once wholeheartedly assisted Hei De'er Huozhe in ascending the throne, slowly rose: "The Ming Dynasty's move is a strategy that combines both kindness and power."

"With one hand, he tosses out tempting treasures, as tempting as carrots; with the other, he raises a thunderous warhammer, forcing Beshbaliq to kneel and submit!"

Huda held a prestigious position in the Beshbalik court, ranking first among the officials, second only to the Great Khan Heir.

No one dared to question his words easily.

One minister asked in bewilderment, “Several years ago, the Great Khan sent an envoy to the Ming Dynasty to clearly express our intention to respect the Ming Dynasty.”

"The Ming Dynasty court readily agreed at the time."

Why are they still adopting such an aggressive stance?

Another minister said, "It is said that the Ming Dynasty is currently busy suppressing rebellions in the southwest."

"The chieftains of Dorgon and Ü-Tsang openly challenged the majesty of the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty shall eliminate them all."

“South of Beshbali, right next to Dogan and U-Tsang.”

"Could it be that the Ming Dynasty suspects that our Beshbaliq is secretly colluding with these rebels, and therefore sends an envoy to test the waters?"

A murmur rippled through the hall. Several tribal chiefs and courtiers nodded in agreement, a look of realization crossing their eyes, as if they found the statement quite reasonable.

“Very likely!” a minister said. “However, the Ming Dynasty is at its zenith. The chieftains of Dogan and Ü-Tsang are nothing but clowns. How could they possibly shake the Ming Dynasty in the slightest?”

"I, Beshbali, will never associate with this rabble!"

“That’s right!” another tribal chief said. “The power of the Ming Dynasty is more than ten times greater than that of the Dogan and Tibet.”

"A true hero of the desert should befriend eagles and tigers, not rabbits."

“If the Ming Dynasty delegation has indeed come for this purpose, we only need to frankly state our intentions and clear up the misunderstanding,” another tribal chief clapped his hands.

His tone was more relaxed, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden from his heart.

In recent years, the Ming Dynasty has pacified the Northern Yuan and subdued the three Jurchen tribes, and its fame has resounded like thunder across the grasslands and deserts.

The courtiers and leaders in the palace had heard of the Ming army's illustrious achievements and knew the legendary deeds of the Ming emperor, who was revered as a god by the nomadic people of the grasslands.

Although they were proud of their bloodline and bravery, they were absolutely unwilling to be enemies of such a powerful empire.

This reverence is, to a large extent, a result of the silent permeation of Ming Dynasty culture.

The publicity efforts of the Da Ming Daily were indispensable.

Despite being thousands of miles away, this official gazette, which carried the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, still managed to reach the imperial court in Beshbali.

The princes and nobles had more or less read some of the "Da Ming Daily".

Even if they couldn't study it every day, the magnificent picture of the Ming Dynasty and the might of the Ming army depicted between the lines had quietly planted seeds of respect in their hearts.

Gradually, they began to recognize that the Ming Dynasty was unparalleled in its national strength and was no match for it.

A few years ago, the situation was quite different.

The courtiers of Beshbali at that time, while acknowledging the strength of the Ming Dynasty, were confident that their reach was too limited to launch a distant expedition.

Today, this arrogance has been crushed by the mighty prestige of the Ming Dynasty, transformed into a deep fear of the strong.

It should be noted that in Beshbali today, the Ming Dynasty's official paper money is already circulating among the common people.

The princes and nobles in the imperial court regarded possessing Ming Dynasty banknotes as a symbol of status, and they would beam with pride when talking about their large holdings of Ming Dynasty banknotes.

Before this, a wide variety of currencies circulated in the Western Regions.

The acceptance of various currencies varied greatly among tribes and merchants, leading to chaotic transactions.

Some merchants even refused to accept any currency and only agreed to barter.

However, in the past year or two, the Ming Dynasty's paper money, with its unshakeable credibility, has rapidly swept across the Western Regions, becoming a hard currency in many city-states and markets.

“This matter may not be so simple!” The old man who had previously clashed with everyone spoke up again: “Under the diligent rule of the new emperor, the Ming Dynasty is as prosperous as the rising sun, and its military might is awe-inspiring in all directions.”

"Even the vast grasslands were trampled flat by their iron hooves."

"Those distant and unruly Jurchen tribes also bowed down and submitted to the Ming Dynasty!"

The old man slowly surveyed the crowd in the hall, his tone growing increasingly heavy: "That new emperor was ambitious. He personally issued an edict declaring that the Great Ming Dynasty bore the divine mandate to rule all nations and lead the world, and that wherever the sun and moon shone and rivers flowed, all would belong to the Great Ming Dynasty!"

"Previously, Tibet and Dokham had already submitted to the Ming Dynasty, paying tribute and paying homage."

"However, the Ming Dynasty was still not satisfied and insisted on sending officials to directly govern the area, no longer allowing the Tusi to govern on their own."

"That is why the chieftains of Ü-Tsang and Döghan could no longer tolerate it and rose up in rebellion against the Ming Dynasty!"

"Now, the Ming Dynasty is also pressing the various tribes of the grasslands step by step, sending officials to jointly manage affairs with the tribal chiefs."

"Those tribal chiefs who once dominated the grasslands have now lost absolute control over their tribes!"

"I fear that the Ming Dynasty's true intention in sending a large military force to press on our borders while simultaneously dispatching an envoy with lavish gifts is to bring Beshbaliq under its control, making it like a nomadic tribe on the grasslands, and completely subservient to the Ming Dynasty!"

The old man suddenly raised his voice, speaking with indignation: "They may even harbor a deeper ambition, which is to depose the Great Khan from his supreme position, make my Beshbaliq a province of the Ming Dynasty, and erase the glory of my people from now on!"

His words once again silenced the hall.

Everyone silently looked at the old man, their expressions varied.

If it were another country, they would surely rise up in protest, declaring their determination to never yield and be willing to fight to the death.

But surprisingly, none of the officials in the hall were in a hurry to express their opinions when facing the Ming Dynasty.

Instead, they all fell into deep thought.

If that's really the case, then how will they all conduct themselves?
Should we submit to the Ming Dynasty, or fight to the death?
Everyone's thoughts raced, and people exchanged glances, but no one spoke.

Hei De'er Huo Zhe quietly observed the expressions of the ministers and some important tribal leaders, taking in all their changes in demeanor. He smiled and said, "We'll have to wait until the Ming delegation arrives to find out what their purpose is."

"Shami Chagan!" he instructed his son, who was sitting below, "Take a group of men and go to meet the Ming Dynasty delegation. Try to find out their purpose."

……

(End of this chapter)