My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 275 The Ming Dynasty hasn't even attacked you yet, and you're already scared?

However, the "big brothers" around Tumet were also intelligent. They knew that although Tumet was not strong, its geographical location was very important.

It can serve as a buffer zone for surrounding tribes and also prevent other tribes from uniting and becoming too powerful.

If they were to take action against Tumet, the existing balance would be instantly shattered.

A much bigger conflict will definitely break out then!
Therefore, neither the Ming Dynasty nor other Mongol tribes or the Jurchens ever took action against the Tumet; at most, they would only plunder them.

It is precisely because of this that Tumet has been able to exist safely in such a complex and dangerous environment.

But everyone knows that this peace is only temporary. As soon as any of the "big brothers" around want to cause trouble, Tumote will immediately suffer!

In recent months, Tumote has been living a life of misery and constant anxiety.

The root cause was that the Jurchens, whom they once regarded as their "elder brother," were actually defeated by the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong.

Then the Jurchens' sphere of influence shrank rapidly like the receding tide, eventually retreating directly from the Mongolian steppe and rolling back into the depths of Liaodong.

After this resounding victory, the Ming Dynasty suddenly regained its top position and transformed into the new "big brother" of the region.

This sudden change in the situation put the Tumet tribe in an extremely awkward position.

Logically speaking, since the original "big brother" Jurchens were defeated by the Ming Dynasty, shouldn't the Tumed tribe obediently recognize the Ming Dynasty as the new "big brother"?

From a moral and situational perspective, this seems to be the logical course of action.

After all, the Ming Dynasty has now demonstrated its formidable strength, and if the Tumet are not aware of the times, they will likely suffer the consequences.

However, the Tumet tribe always harbored deep concerns.

They always had a vague feeling that although the Jurchens had suffered a great loss this time, they might not necessarily be completely defeated.

Perhaps in the near future, the Jurchens will awaken like a sleeping beast and return to wreak havoc on this land once again.

If they were to submit to the Ming Dynasty now, they would surely be purged by the Jurchens at that time!

It was precisely because of these concerns that the Tumed tribe hesitated and did not take the initiative to submit to the Ming Dynasty.

They were like a small boat adrift in a storm, fearing both the wrath of the Ming Dynasty and the possibility of a Jurchen retaliation, constantly wavering between the two.

But fate always seems to play tricks on people. Just when the Tumet tribe was still hesitating and observing, an unexpected accident suddenly occurred without warning.

The Ming Dynasty suddenly made a surprising move: it mobilized 50,000 cavalry and planned to join forces with Abunai to burn the wasteland and destroy the strongholds of the Oirat Alliance!
The two cavalry units joined forces, instantly forming an army of up to 70,000.

This army of 70,000 was like an incomparably sharp sword; wherever its edge pointed, no one could stop it.

Logically speaking, this matter originally had no direct connection with the Tumet tribe.

After all, this army was targeting the Oirat Union, not their Tumed.

However, the Tumet tribe members could not feel at ease; instead, they were filled with deep fear.

Keep in mind, that's 70,000 cavalry!

Seventy thousand warhorses galloped up, raising dust that could blot out the sky; their momentum was enough to change the very fabric of heaven and earth.

Then look at their Tumed tribe. After they surrendered to the Jurchens, the Jurchens forcibly incorporated their young and strong men into the Manchu Eight Banners, and most of them died in the Battle of Songjin.

This has led to a sharp decline in the population of their tribe. The total population is now less than 50,000, and there are fewer than 5,000 able-bodied young men who can fight. Most of them are just teenagers.

It is no exaggeration to say that if these 70,000 cavalry were to sweep through their territory, it would be a catastrophic disaster for the Tumed tribe!
Faced with the mighty military power of the Ming Dynasty, the Tumed tribe was as insignificant as ants and utterly vulnerable.

Although the Ming Dynasty has not explicitly stated that it will attack them, who can guarantee that after defeating the Oirat Alliance, the Ming Dynasty will not turn its attention to them next?

After all, Tumet is right next to the Ming Dynasty!
Considering all these reasons, do you think they wouldn't panic?
Therefore, recently, the Tumed merchants in Xuanfu City have been living in constant fear and have not been able to sleep soundly at night.

They feared that one morning they would wake up to the devastating news that the Tumed tribe had been wiped out by the Ming Dynasty, and that they would become wanderers without a tribe, drifting aimlessly, homeless.

Under such immense pressure and fear, the Tumed tribe quickly responded.

Several days earlier, they had sent a delegation of envoys to pay homage to the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty and express their submission.

As for whether the Jurchens will fight back or settle scores with them, let's wait and see.
So, in the afternoon, a special cavalry unit appeared outside Xuanfu City.

Although this cavalry unit was not large, consisting of only a few dozen men, each of them wore a solemn and tense expression, as if they were shouldering an extremely important mission.

Of course, they didn't come empty-handed; their horses carried several chests of gold and silver treasures, as well as rare Mongolian herbs, as a gift for the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

After all, there's a saying among the Han people: "One doesn't hit a smiling face."

Even if they couldn't reach an agreement, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty wouldn't kill them if they brought gifts to pay their respects.

At this moment, the soldiers at the gate of Xuanfu City saw the group from afar and assumed they were ordinary merchants coming to trade, so they didn't pay much attention to them.

As usual, they casually stepped forward and began their inspection.

It should be noted that the Ming Dynasty always maintained strict control over border residents and merchants entering and leaving Xuanfu.

They not only had to collect customs duties, but also strictly investigate smuggling activities to prevent any contraband from entering Xuanfu and threatening the safety of the city.

In addition, they would issue merchants documents similar to trade licenses, which were called 'Kanghe'.

Only merchants holding these certificates can legally conduct trade activities within Xuanfu City.

However, when the soldiers stepped forward to inspect, the leader suddenly spoke up:
"Gentlemen, please inform us that we are special envoys from Tumo, here in Xuanfu to pay our respects to His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers were stunned, their faces showing surprise.

Clearly, none of them expected that Tumed would send an envoy to Xuanfu at this time, saying that he wanted to pay his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince.

Such matters, which involve major issues between the two countries, are clearly not something that these lowly officers and soldiers can decide.

So they quickly put away their previous casualness, spoke kindly to the Tumed envoys, told them to calm down, and then promptly informed Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa of the matter.

Immediately afterwards, Qin Liangyu and Shi Kefa did not dare to delay and quickly reported the matter to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang was somewhat surprised when he learned of this news.

Because he hadn't expected that the Tumed envoy would arrive in Xuanfu at this time.

It should be noted that his original plan was to wait until after defeating the Oirat Alliance before taking action against the Tumed tribe, and then further consolidate the Ming Dynasty's rule over the grasslands.

He hadn't expected that Tumote would send people at this time, which completely disrupted his plans.

However, Zhu Cilang's original plan was not to destroy the Tumed tribe, but to subdue them and then station troops there to gradually gain control.

After all, he knew that the Tumed tribe's geographical location was very special. It was like a natural buffer zone, lying between the Ming Dynasty and the four surrounding Mongol tribes.

If it were destroyed, the Ming Dynasty would have to directly confront the four surrounding Mongol tribes, and the border situation would inevitably become more complex and tense.

Therefore, keeping the Tumed tribe and stationing troops there to serve as a buffer between the Ming Dynasty and the surrounding Mongol tribes seems to be a better option.

However, it now seems that this matter can be brought forward.
Just then, Shi Kefa suddenly spoke up:
"Your Highness, the Tumed envoys are still waiting outside the city gate. I wonder what Your Highness intends to do with them."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang smiled slightly and then calmly said:
"Guests are always welcome. Since they have come from afar, let's meet them."

"Perhaps their visit will bring us some unexpected gains. Go and arrange for them to be brought directly to me."

Upon hearing this, Shi Kefa quickly and respectfully replied:
"The minister obeys the order."

Then I went down to make the arrangements.

After Shi Kefa left, Zhu Cilang looked at Qin Liangyu who was standing to the side and said:

"General Qin, what do you think is the purpose of this group of Tumed envoys coming to Xuanfu?"

After thinking for a moment, Qin Liangyu said:
"I suspect they are aware of the Ming Dynasty's actions against the Oirat Alliance, and are therefore feeling fear."

"Fearing that after the Ming Dynasty finished defeating the Oirat Alliance, they would be the next target, they hurriedly came to Xuanfu to see His Highness, hoping to re-establish diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty."

"In this way, the Ming Dynasty will not be able to take action against them."

It must be said that Qin Liangyu's words made a lot of sense, because Zhu Cilang thought the same thing.

Cilang then nodded and said:

“That’s right, that’s what I think too.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Liangyu immediately asked:
"So, does Your Highness intend to agree to their request?"

Zhu Cilang nodded and said:
"Of course we agreed. After all, the border must be stable at this time. As long as the Tumed tribe is truly willing to submit to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty will naturally accept it."

"However, the Ming Dynasty's previous strategies for dealing with these Mongol tribes are no longer effective."

"In the past, they would simply come over, kowtow, and say that they submitted to the Ming Dynasty and wanted to live in harmony with it. Was that all there was to it as submission to the Ming Dynasty?"

"But is this really submission? This kind of submission is better off not being accepted!"

"If the Tumet are truly going to submit to the Ming Dynasty this time, then they must show sufficient sincerity."

"Otherwise, there's no point in discussing anything."

Qin Liangyu's expression changed slightly, and she looked at the Crown Prince in front of her with new respect once again.

Then, with some doubt, she asked:
"Your Highness, please clarify, what exactly do you mean by sincerity?"

Zhu Cilang slowly explained:

"It's very simple. Tumed must agree to allow the Ming Dynasty to station troops in Tumed, and they must also agree to allow some Ming officials to enter Tumed and manage it."

"Similarly, the Ming Dynasty will also select some officials from Tumet to serve in Xuanfu and the Ming Dynasty, so that they can be better integrated into the Ming Dynasty's system."

"Of course, the Ming Dynasty will not strip the Tumet chiefs of their status; they still retain a certain amount of power and prestige within the tribe."

Qin Liangyu instantly understood Zhu Cilang's meaning; he simply wanted to assimilate the Tumet Mongol tribe through this method. Some might think that because of the frequent conflicts between the Mongol tribes and the Ming Dynasty, the Mongol soldiers in the Ming army lacked loyalty to the Ming.

But actually, it's quite the opposite.

During the nearly three hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, a number of admirable Mongol generals emerged.

For example, Huozhen and Badu Temur, leaders of the Doyan Guard during the Yongle era.

Hala Kuchu and Jiao Li during the Chenghua era.

And Man Gui, Hei Yunlong, and others from the early years of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.

They were all loyal and brave men who fought to the death for the Ming Dynasty.

They wrote a magnificent chapter of "Han and Mongol as one family" with their lives and blood, and their loyalty and bravery were even unmatched by many Han generals.

As Emperor Chongzhen said when he paid tribute to Man Gui: "Foreign ministers who die for their country are especially loyal."

The unwavering loyalty of these Mongol generals serves as the most vivid historical testament to ethnic integration during the Ming Dynasty.

Ultimately, all of this stems from the influence of Han Chinese culture.

After understanding Zhu Cilang's meaning, Qin Liangyu quickly cupped her hands and said:

"Your Highness is wise and insightful; this old minister is in awe!"

"In this way, in the eyes of other Mongol tribes, the Tumed are still the Tumed, but in reality, the Tumed have long been under the control of the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Cilang smiled faintly. Indeed, it was easy to talk to smart people.

Not long after, the group was taken to the entrance of the Xuanfu government office where Zhu Cilang was located.

These people were none other than the Tumed envoys.

Although the soldiers at the city gate had searched them before they entered the city to ensure they were not carrying anything that could harm Zhu Cilang.

However, when they arrived at the government office, the Imperial Guards responsible for protecting Zhu Cilang at the entrance still dared not relax their vigilance in the slightest and conducted an even more thorough body search on them.

They carefully inspected each person, leaving no corner unchecked, until they were certain that no one was carrying any dangerous items, before finally taking them into the government office.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang was sitting upright in the main hall of the government office, his expression dignified and solemn, exuding an innate kingly aura.

Soon, the group of Tumed envoys arrived as scheduled.

When the leader of the Tumed people saw Zhu Cilang sitting on the high throne from afar, he was startled and quickly bowed respectfully, saying loudly:

"The Tumed envoy pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty."

Following suit, the other Tumed envoys also did the same.

"The Tumed envoy pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty."

Their voices echoed in the empty hall, tinged with awe and unease.

Zhu Cilang lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze sharp as he looked down at the group of Tumed envoys. A faint smile suddenly appeared on his lips, and then he slowly spoke:
"Gentlemen, what brings you from so far away?"

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, yet it seemed to carry an invisible pressure, causing the envoys present to tremble slightly involuntarily.

Upon hearing this, the leading Tumed envoy quickly stepped forward and respectfully said:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, we have come here with immense gratitude to express our thanks to the Great Ming."

"It was because the Ming Dynasty defeated the Jurchens that our Tumed tribe was saved and we were completely freed from Jurchen rule."

"We hope that Your Highness will accept our sincere gratitude."

"In addition, we have carefully selected some gifts from the tribe. They are not expensive, but they are a token of our goodwill, and we hope you will accept them."

The Tumed envoy spoke, his eyes filled with anticipation and trepidation.

At the same time, several Imperial Guards carried in several boxes, which were the items that the Tumed envoy had brought earlier.

However, Zhu Cilang didn't even glance at those things, only smiled calmly, but there was a hint of coldness in that smile.

The next second, Zhu Cilang said:
"Oh? If I remember correctly, this happened three months ago."

"Why didn't you send envoys to the Ming Dynasty to express your gratitude earlier, instead of waiting until now?"

"Could it be that Tumote is poorly informed and only received news from three months ago three months later?"

Upon hearing this, the Tumed envoy was momentarily at a loss for words.

After all, could he tell Zhu Cilang that they had been waiting for the Jurchens to return?

If they were to say those words, they would probably be killed on the spot!

Just as the Tumed envoy was at a loss for words, Zhu Cilang's voice suddenly rang out again.

"Go back, Tumed envoys, return to where you came from, and take your gifts with you!"

"The Ming Dynasty will not accept your thanks or your gifts. In my opinion, you are not friends of the Ming Dynasty, but only friends of the Jurchens."

"Therefore, the Ming Dynasty has nothing to talk about with you."

As he spoke, Zhu Cilang casually waved his wide sleeves, a seemingly elegant gesture that exuded an undeniable air of authority.

Immediately afterwards, the Imperial Guards who had been waiting for a long time stepped forward to take the group of people away.

Upon witnessing this scene, the Tumed envoys were instantly thrown into a panic. Their faces turned deathly pale, and their eyes were filled with terror and helplessness.

Although they had anticipated being snubbed during their visit to Xuanfu, they never expected the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty to react so strongly.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that there is no room for negotiation on this matter.
The leading Tumed envoy was extremely anxious, knowing that if he missed this opportunity, Tumed might really be doomed!

The next second, before the Imperial Guards could approach, he hurriedly knelt down with a thud, pressing his forehead tightly to the ground, and said in a tearful voice:

"Your Highness, please calm down. We have our own difficulties in this matter! After all, the Jurchens are fierce and brutal, and we are really worried that they will make a comeback. When that happens, they will definitely retaliate against us, and we really have no other choice!"

The messenger spoke with tears streaming down his face, as if he wanted to pour out all his grievances.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang slightly raised his hand, and the Imperial Guards who were about to step forward retreated again.

The hall fell silent, save for the weeping of the Tumed envoy.

But Zhu Cilang showed no reaction whatsoever, only coldly saying:

"Alright, stop crying! Enough with the unnecessary nonsense, just tell me, what brings you here to see me?"

Upon hearing this, the Tumed envoy stopped crying. After organizing his thoughts briefly, he mustered his courage and said:

"I have heard that the Ming Dynasty has assembled an army of 50,000, plus 20,000 troops from the Chahar tribe, for a total of 70,000, in preparation for dealing with the Oirat Alliance."

"Of course, we in Tumote have no objection to this matter, nor would we dare to have any objection."

"We just hope that the Ming Dynasty won't attack us when the time comes."

"Therefore, the Tumed are willing to surrender to the Ming Dynasty and follow its lead in the future, serving the Ming Dynasty with utmost loyalty and loyalty."

As the messenger spoke, he bowed respectfully to Zhu Cilang once more, his posture extremely humble.

really
It was almost exactly as I had imagined.

Zhu Cilang understood in his heart, but on the surface he remained completely calm.

He then said in a still cold tone:

"Tumet envoy, do you think the Ming Dynasty is stupid? Or do you think I am a fool?"

"When you are weak, in order to avoid being attacked by the Ming Dynasty, you send people over to kowtow and say some nice things in order to get so-called peace."

"But once you become powerful, you will once again invade the borders of the Ming Dynasty. This has been the case for over two hundred years!"

"Such back-and-forth will only bring endless trouble to the Ming Dynasty."

"Therefore, in my opinion, the best solution is to wipe out your tribe directly, so that we can solve the problem once and for all."

"Don't you think so?"

Upon hearing this, the Tumed envoys instantly broke out in a cold sweat, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, their hearts filled with extreme fear.

Because their worst fears came true.

As expected, the Ming Dynasty was about to take action against them!
And they were completely helpless about it.

Not to mention the 70,000 cavalry, there are still 10,000 cavalry and more than 30,000 infantry stationed in Xuanfu. These people could easily wipe out the Tumet tribe.

For a moment, they seemed to see the devastation of their tribe being destroyed, and their hearts were filled with despair. They didn't know how to deal with this sudden crisis.

But suddenly, Zhu Cilang's voice rang out again.

"However, I can also see that you are sincere, so there is actually another solution to this matter."

His voice remained calm and unhurried, yet it ignited a glimmer of hope in the hearts of the messengers.

Upon hearing this, the leading Tumed envoy, as if grasping at a straw, hurriedly said:
"Please give instructions, Your Highness. We will do our utmost to accomplish anything within our capabilities."

The other Tumed envoys quickly echoed this sentiment.

In short, they were unwilling to give up as long as there was even the slightest hope!

(End of this chapter)