Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 490 The Power of Money in the Ming Dynasty: Desert Ambush!
Thanks to the friendly and generous hospitality of the nomadic tribes on the grasslands, their journey was smooth and unimpeded.

Old Zhu turned back and gazed at the distant, rolling grasslands. The wind blew, creating layers of green waves, and the figures of herdsmen driving cattle and sheep could be vaguely seen.

He thought to himself that if he told them the truth and showed that they were elite military troops of the Ming Dynasty, not ordinary merchants, these simple tribes might not only not be on guard, but would also welcome them with even greater enthusiasm.

However, for the sake of caution and for the sake of secrecy and security, he would never take such a risk.

Half a month later, they finally arrived at the border of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate.

The area is a vast expanse of yellow sand, with endless desert where the wind whips up dust that blots out the sun, a stark contrast to the vibrant life of the grasslands.

Sha Qiyang stood at the front of the troops, his gaze sharp as he swept over the solemn faces of each soldier, and said in a deep voice, "Soldiers, once we cross this line, we will be in the territory of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate."

"The local customs there are not as simple and hospitable as those of the grassland tribes."

"You must all be on high alert and not let your guard down for even a moment!"

This desert is deserted, so there's no need to worry about my identity being exposed.

His tone shifted, becoming much more relaxed, and he said, "However, there's no need for everyone to worry too much."

"As long as the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money paves the way, the people of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate can also transform from barbaric and unruly savages into warm and hospitable friends."

His words immediately drew laughter from the soldiers, and their tense expressions eased slightly.

Along the way, the hospitality shown to them by the grassland tribes was made even more sincere by the fact that the herders had resolved their old grudges against the Ming people, but more importantly, it was due to the magic of the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money.

The food and water needed along the way were all purchased from the herders using banknotes.

As generous "big customers," they naturally received the utmost hospitality from the tribal people, who greeted them with smiles and provided them with the best service.

Old Zhu narrowed his eyes slightly, a look of curiosity appearing on his face, and asked, "Does the Eastern Chagatai Khanate also recognize our Great Ming Treasure Notes?"

Sha Qiyang quickly bowed and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case! The people of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate are also eager for the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money."

He continued, "It is said that even in more distant foreign lands, there are many who appreciate the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money."

As the general guarding Jiayuguan Pass, Sha Qiyang was very knowledgeable about border trade.

At the market in Jiayuguan, merchants from the Eastern Chagatai Khanate came in an endless stream, all carrying paper money to trade, which shows the wide influence of the Ming Dynasty's paper money.

Old Zhu's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to speak, but then he swallowed his words.

His eyes revealed a complex expression, as if he had a thousand words stuck in his throat.

Looking back, he devoted himself to promoting the Ming Dynasty's paper money, exhausting countless efforts and even resorting to bloodshed, resulting in countless deaths and exiles.

However, even in Nanjing, the capital city, the people still scoffed at the paper money and refused to use it.

Who would have thought that the new version of the paper money promoted by his grandson would spread like wildfire, quickly gaining popularity and acceptance throughout the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, even nomadic tribes on the vast grasslands, the Eastern Chagatai Khanate which had not yet been incorporated into the Ming Dynasty, and even more distant foreign lands began to circulate this thin paper money, regarding it as a treasure.

For a moment, Old Zhu's emotions surged, a mixture of joy and sorrow, bitterness and pride mingling in his chest, indescribable.

The borders of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate were heavily guarded, with garrison troops scrutinizing merchants and travelers with eyes as sharp as hawks.

Old Zhu's team had a large number of firearms and ammunition hidden in their carriages, which naturally could not be exposed to the public.

Fortunately, Sha Qiyang was worldly-wise and presented a whole box of Ming Dynasty banknotes in denominations of 100 cash, which he placed heavily in front of the garrison commander.

The garrison commander, who had been stern-faced, claimed to uphold justice and never show favoritism.

Upon opening the box and glancing at the banknotes inside, his attitude immediately changed. He beamed and warmly greeted the guests as "distinguished guests from the Ming Dynasty who have traveled from afar," without mentioning the inspection at all.

Old Zhu and his group were able to pass through smoothly.

The garrison commander even personally led a team to escort him. When they parted, he was reluctant to leave and held Sha Qiyang's hand, urging him, "Next time you must pass through my pass again. Brother, I will definitely make things easy for my best friend in this life. Don't take any other route!"

After passing through the border, Lao Zhu's team did not rush forward, but instead set up camp in the desert dozens of miles away, building simple tents and waiting for other detachments to pass through the border one after another.

Sha Qiyang met with another warlord and the commanders of each detachment one by one, solemnly explaining the pre-battle matters. As before, they would split up and act secretly.

The general guarding the Eastern Chagatai Khanate allowed groups of Ming soldiers disguised as merchants to pass through the checkpoint, and accepted stacks of Ming Dynasty banknotes. He smiled so much that wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes, and he grinned all day long.

He figured that if he took a small portion of it and gave it to the powerful and influential people in Beshbali, he would be able to get a promotion order and advance his career.

But then he thought about it again. The position of a border general was so lucrative and lucrative. He could never earn such an income by honestly collecting his salary for several lifetimes. If he were to take another official position, even if he were to be promoted three ranks, it would probably not be as profitable as this one.

He shook his head, a smile playing on his lips, deciding to stay and guard this precious land, continuing to serve as a border general.

……

Beshibali.

"Bastards! Bastards! Damn bastards! They all deserve to die!"

Mahama, the son of the steppe Khan, was furious in his magnificent mansion, his roar echoing like thunder throughout the hall.

His father, the Khan, actually believed the slander of that despicable and shameless Khudaida and sent his elder brother, Shamichagan, to welcome the Ming Dynasty delegation.

This order was like a sharp thorn, deeply piercing Mahama's heart, making him furious and unable to control himself.

For days, he has been immersed in feasts and revelry.

Gilded goblets were filled with rich mare's milk wine, and dancers draped in light gauze danced gracefully to the sound of string and bamboo instruments, their skirts billowing like flowing clouds.

However, these pleasures that would normally delight him could not quell the resentment surging in his heart at this moment.

He would sometimes raise his glass and drink heartily, and sometimes smash the glass on the ground, shards flying everywhere. This frightened the surrounding servants into silence, each with their heads bowed, holding their breath, afraid that they might become the target of this furious Taiji's rage if they were not careful.

“Taiji, why are you so furious?” A close attendant mustered his courage and spoke cautiously, his voice as low as a whisper: “In my humble opinion, escorting the Ming delegation is by no means an easy task.”

"The desert road is extremely dangerous, and bandits roam freely. Those desperate criminals love to rob passing caravans of their belongings."

"The Ming Dynasty delegation carried countless treasures, and their ostentatious display in the city was bound to attract the covetous eyes of greedy people."

"If any bandits are audacious enough to rob and plunder along the way, or even harm the lives of the delegation, how can Shamichagan, who is responsible for welcoming and protecting them, escape responsibility?"

"At that time, even if the Great Khan intends to protect him, he will probably be powerless to save him in the face of the Ming Dynasty's wrath."

Upon hearing this, Mahama glared at the attendant and said sternly, "Nonsense! Those bandits may be fierce, but they are not stupid."

"These people are very shrewd."

"They dare to rob ordinary merchant caravans, but they would never dare to rob a Ming Dynasty delegation."

"Besides, the Ming Dynasty delegation is large and well-protected; how could ordinary bandits easily provoke them?"

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly paused, a sly glint in his eyes.

He slapped his thigh hard, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "That's right! Well said. The desert is never short of desperate outlaws. There are always a few who are not afraid of death and dare to provoke the Ming Dynasty."

"If the Ming delegation really makes a mistake, Shamichagan will be unable to defend himself and will not be able to escape punishment!" He laughed loudly, his laughter mixed with smugness and ruthlessness, echoing in the spacious hall, sending chills down everyone's spine.

Immediately, his smile vanished, his gaze sharpened, and he commanded in a deep voice, "Pass on my order! I, Taiji, will lead my troops out of the city to hunt in the desert!"

……

Ming Dynasty Mission
The carriage moved slowly along the ancient road where yellow sand swirled. Inside the carriage, Chen Cheng, Huo Liancheng, and Li Boyue sat together, intently gazing at a map of Beshbaliq spread out on the table.

This map is exquisitely drawn, showing the crisscrossing streets and the distribution of passes in minute detail. The level of detail is so high that even the official map of Beshibali would probably be difficult to match.

The edges of the map faintly smell of ink, as if silently telling the story of the Ming Dynasty's intelligence agency's profound planning and foresight.

“We have rehearsed this countless times, and the deployment is almost perfect.” Chen Cheng said in a deep voice, shifting his gaze from the map to the other two people in the car, his tone revealing a hint of seriousness: “But the key to success or failure still lies in using a large amount of Ming Dynasty banknotes to pave the way and bribe more officials in Beshbali.”

Li Boyue smiled coldly and said, "In my humble opinion, the officials of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate are far more greedy than the officials of our Great Ming Dynasty."

"They have absolutely no sense of propriety, shame, or professional ethics."

A hint of contempt flashed in his eyes: "If you throw out enough money, they would probably do it without hesitation, even if you asked them to take a knife and kill their own parents."

Then, his voice became more wistful: "No wonder our Ming Dynasty's intelligence bureau and military intelligence department were able to infiltrate Beshbali so deeply."

"The officials here are like a stagnant pool of filth; you can find countless incriminating evidence with just a casual glance."

Li Boyue came from a humble background. Before he entered officialdom, he often gritted his teeth at the corruption and injustice in the officialdom, wishing he could tear off that dirty curtain with his own hands.

However, once he entered officialdom, he discovered that things were far from being black and white.

The officials of the Ming Dynasty were not as unscrupulous as popular rumors suggested.

Many people can still adhere to their bottom line when faced with temptation and dare not easily reach out.

The imperial court's punishment of corruption was swift and severe, with strict laws and constant surveillance.

During the reign of the Supreme Emperor, officials received meager salaries and lived in poverty. In addition, lax supervision left many loopholes for them to exploit.

Thus, even with the mass killings of officials, corrupt officials continued to flock to the cause like moths to a flame.

Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, official salaries have been greatly increased, ensuring a comfortable life. Supervision has been tightened to the point of being almost airtight, and corruption has been significantly curbed.

While it cannot be said that the officialdom was as clean as a mirror, free from any corruption or bribery, the governance of the Ming Dynasty was undoubtedly a hundred or a thousand times better than that of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate.

In the past, he thought that corruption and bribery were common problems in officialdom, and that all crows were black.

But now, having witnessed firsthand the disgraceful behavior of the officials of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate, he truly understood what it meant to be afraid of not knowing the value of goods, but to be afraid of comparing them.

The greed of these officials of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate far exceeded his imagination; it seemed that only the desire for money remained in the depths of their souls, and they had even thrown away the most basic sense of shame.

However, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

This made it easier for them to bribe officials in Beshbali.

"Judging from the current situation, we are at least 80% confident of success on this trip." Huo Liancheng's tone was filled with undisguised excitement, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He came from humble beginnings and grew up amidst the clash of swords, fighting on the battlefield for many years with unwavering passion.

Unfortunately, I was born at the wrong time.

They missed the glorious years when Emperor Taizu was expanding the territory.

Today, it is virtually impossible to climb to a high position based on military achievements.

After all, he was not one of the founding members or key contributors when Zhu started his business.

Fortunately, Huo Liancheng was indeed quite capable.

With his superb martial arts skills and indomitable fighting spirit, he managed to carve out a path to survival amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, earning the favor of Duke Lan Yu of Liang.

Lan Yu not only adopted him as his godson, but also recommended him to the emperor, making him the deputy envoy on this mission to Beshbali.

If he can pacify Beshbaliq in one fell swoop and expand the territory of the Ming Dynasty by thousands of miles, such a great achievement would be enough to make him a marquis and prime minister, and to make him famous in history.

Thinking of this, Huo Liancheng felt his blood boil and he was extremely excited.

Just as he was immersed in his dreams for the future, the tranquility inside the carriage was suddenly shattered by the urgent shouts of soldiers outside: "Oh no! A large group of bandits is attacking!"

"Thieves?" Huo Liancheng was taken aback at first, then a blazing fire ignited in his eyes. Far from being afraid, he was filled with heroic spirit.

He abruptly lifted the carriage curtain, leaped nimbly out of the carriage, and shouted, "Where are the bandits?"

The journey was filled with sandstorms and monotonous boredom, which had long since made the fierce tiger, accustomed to fighting freely on the battlefield, restless.

Upon hearing of the thieves' attack, he felt no fear whatsoever, but rather a long-lost fighting spirit surged within him.

Every soldier in the Ming Dynasty delegation was an elite member of the new army; what were petty thieves to them?

"Over there!" a soldier hurriedly pointed into the distance.

Huo Liancheng looked in the direction the soldier pointed, and on the top of the distant sand dunes, dust was flying, and a large group of people could be vaguely seen.

They roared loudly, their voices like the howls of wolves, urging their horses forward, kicking up clouds of yellow sand as they galloped wildly toward the delegation.

According to merchants who travel in the desert year-round, the attire of this group is that of the 'Tianshan Bandits' who are feared throughout the Western Regions.

The soldier reported quickly, "They are numerous, about four or five hundred people, and are extremely vicious."

“Once a caravan encounters such an event, nine times out of ten it will be doomed.”

"It's not enough to just hand over the valuables; these bandits often kill for fun, and their methods are extremely cruel."

Huo Liancheng narrowed his eyes, staring at the approaching cloud of dust in the distance.

As a seasoned and valiant general, he could estimate the size of the enemy with just a glance.

The bandits before us are not just four or five hundred people, but probably nearly two thousand!

That aura was far beyond that of ordinary bandits; they were truly exceptionally fierce and brave.

However, this only intensified Huo Liancheng's fighting spirit.

"Unfortunately, they have run into the elite of the Ming Dynasty today."

He murmured to himself, his tone filled with boundless confidence and murderous intent.

Immediately, Huo Liancheng turned his head, his voice booming like a bell, and decisively ordered: "Pass on my command! Order the soldiers to be alert, grab their weapons, and prepare for battle!"

……

(End of this chapter)