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

Chapter 290 Are we Mongolians or is the Ming Dynasty Mongolians?
However, Zu Dabi was not entirely stupid.

He knew in his heart that if he were to completely destroy the Vetra Alliance, it would only allow Abuna to devour this place without restraint.

By then, Abunai's power will be even greater, which will not be a good thing for the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, Zu Dabi deliberately kept a low profile and did not completely eliminate the Weitla Alliance. Instead, he left behind a remnant force of about 70,000 to 80,000 people to continue developing on the grasslands.

In this way, they can stab Abunai in the back from time to time, preventing Abunai from having time to cause trouble for the Ming Dynasty.

The Mongol generals under Abunai naturally noticed this as well.

Although they were somewhat dissatisfied, there was nothing they could do.

They dared not argue with Zu Dabi, nor did they dare to lead troops to pursue him alone.

After all, the purpose of this expedition has been achieved. The most important thing now is to get back as soon as possible and help the tribe get through the winter.

Apart from these, nothing else matters.

Thus, both the Mongols and the Ming people began preparing to return to Xuanfu and receive their due rewards.

After all, they had accomplished a great feat in this battle and would surely receive many rewards.

The soldiers were filled with anticipation as they thought about the rewards that were about to be given.

They could almost see the mountains of gold and silver treasures, and the official positions and titles that symbolized honor.

However, while everyone else was happy, there was one person who just couldn't be happy.

This person was none other than Abunai!
As the army set off, Abunai waited anxiously in his tent deep in the grasslands for news from the Vetra Alliance.

After all, the 20,000 troops he had previously sent out represented half of his entire fortune. If anything went wrong, he would be unworthy of the title of Great Khan.

Therefore, he would send people to inquire about the news from time to time, and every time he heard that no news came, his heart would clench even tighter.

Fortunately, thanks to the protection of the Eternal Heaven, nothing unexpected happened in the end.

The army achieved an unprecedented victory and captured a great deal of spoils.

As agreed with Zhu Cilang, he was also entitled to a large share of cattle, sheep, and people this time.

When Abuna heard the news, his worries dissipated considerably, and a smile appeared on his face.

Thinking of the cattle, sheep, and people that were about to be acquired, he seemed to see a more prosperous future for the tribe.

However, before Abunai could be happy for long, he received another piece of news that shocked him.

That is, the Khoshut Khanate and the Yarkand Khanate actually sent envoys to the Ming Dynasty, wanting to submit to the Ming Dynasty, and even agreed to the Ming Dynasty's request to station troops in their territory.

When Abunai heard the news, he was so angry he almost twisted his nose.

He never expected that Zhu Cilang would pull this trick on him.

So that's why Zhu Cilang didn't help him attack Yarkand before!
Abnai's anger was justified!

Because Abunai's territory borders the Yarkand Khanate, any attempt by him to expand his territory will inevitably lead to friction with Yarkand.

This wouldn't have been a big deal in the past, since the Yarkand Khanate had previously submitted to the Jurchens, and the Ming Dynasty wouldn't have said anything if Abunai had attacked them.

But now that the Yarkand Khanate has surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, if it were to attack the Yarkand Khanate in the future, do you think the Ming Dynasty would intervene?

Even more critically, the Ming Dynasty also needed to station troops in the Yarkand Khanate.

This makes things even more complicated.

The thought of this made Abuna so angry that he couldn't even eat.

Regardless of whether he could eat or not, the matter had already been decided.

Once the negotiations were completed, the Ming Dynasty immediately began stationing troops there.

And Abunai, the Mongol Khan, could only watch helplessly.

At this point, Abu Nai can't do anything but curse Zhu Cilang in his heart.

He was like a wild beast trapped in a cage, filled with anger and resentment, yet unable to break free and forced to accept reality.

However, Abunai quickly put the little ripple in his heart to the back of his mind.

Because at this moment, he had more pressing matters to attend to and simply did not have time to waste his energy on such trivial matters.

The crucial matter was the distribution of the spoils of war, which had already been discussed and agreed upon with Zhu Cilang.

Although the team responsible for escorting the spoils of war had not yet returned in triumph, Abnai felt that it was time to set a date for the matter.

In Abuna's mind, he wasn't really interested in most of the items among those spoils of war.

Although he had many cattle, sheep, and horses, and his gold and silver treasures were dazzling and tempting, none of them were as real as tangible grain to him.

Therefore, he planned to exchange most of the spoils for food.

As for why he was in such a hurry, it was because Abunai had a vague sense of foreboding.

He always felt that it would snow on the grassland in a few days.

Once it snows, the climate on the grassland will instantly become extremely cold, and if enough food is not obtained by then, it will really be too late.

In this icy and snowy landscape, without enough food to fill their stomachs, countless people would lose their lives in this harsh winter.

Thinking of this, Abunai did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered his guards to be summoned.

Speaking of the Kheshig (imperial guard), it holds a pivotal position in the long history of Mongolia.

It is similar to the Han Chinese personal guards and civil officials, and its origins can be traced back to the personal guard system of the Mongol tribes.

During his conquests to unify the Mongol tribes, Genghis Khan continuously expanded and improved the personal guard system, eventually transforming it into a massive and formidable protective army.

This guard force is the Kheshig army!
This also made them the core force of the ruling class of the Mongol Empire, playing a crucial role in the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire.

The Kheshig army was composed of a very special group of people, mainly the sons of nobles and generals, as well as a small number of outstanding commoners.

They were carefully selected, partly because of their exceptional martial arts skills and outstanding abilities, enabling them to fight bravely on the battlefield and protect the Khan's safety.

On the other hand, they were also sent to the Kheshig army as hostages to ensure their families' absolute loyalty to the Great Khan.

Originally, after the Mongols were destroyed by the Jurchens, the Kheshig (imperial guard) also disappeared.

However, fate is always full of drama. With Abunai becoming the Great Khan of the Mongols again, he resolutely decided to rebuild the Kheshig army.

He wanted to revitalize this once mighty army and make it a powerful ally in his rule over Mongolia.

Thus, the new Kheshig army came into being and became Abunai's personal guard!
Not long after, a dozen or so Mongols arrived at Abunai's camp, looking travel-worn.

These people were all carefully selected Kheshig leaders by Abunai, and each of them was a battle-hardened and experienced warrior.

Upon seeing Abunai, they immediately knelt down respectfully and shouted in unison:

"Greetings, Great Khan!"

Abna raised his hand to signal them to stand up, then, too lazy to waste any more words, went straight to the point:
"Gentlemen, you must all already know the news of the army's great victory, so I will not say anything more."

"After careful consideration, I have decided that, apart from keeping some gold and silver treasures for rewards, all the cattle, sheep, horses, and other items will be exchanged with the Ming Dynasty for grain, cotton, salt, tea, and other supplies."

“These supplies are crucial for our tribe. Only by ensuring we have enough supplies can we get through this cold winter. What do you think?”

Although Abuna had already planned this out in his mind, he still felt he should greet these people, since they were all his capable assistants and held a certain prestige within the tribe.

Upon hearing this, none of the people present actually wanted to object.

After all, everyone knows that Mongolia was plundered too badly by the Jurchens before, and a large number of cattle and sheep were looted, which resulted in a shortage of cattle and sheep to eat this year.

Under normal circumstances, many people will surely lose their lives this year due to hunger and cold.

But now that they have this spoils to exchange for food with the Ming Dynasty, it means that their tribe has a chance to get through the winter.

Moreover, Abunai had probably done some calculations beforehand. If all the cattle, sheep, horses, gold, and silver treasures were converted into silver, this time it would amount to about three million taels of silver.

Even if he only gets 30% according to the previous agreement, he would still have at least 900,000 taels of silver.

Using these 900,000 taels of silver to exchange for grain, salt, cotton, and other supplies from the Ming Dynasty should be enough for the tribe to get through the winter, and there might even be some left over.

Everyone present probably thought of this as well, and for a moment, a relieved smile appeared on their faces.

However, just as Abunai was feeling smug, an elderly Mongolian man suddenly stood up from the crowd.

He then bowed slightly and asked respectfully:
"May I ask, Great Khan, what should be done with those captured people?"

Abnai didn't seem to care at all when he heard this. He casually waved his hand and said:
"We don't need these people anymore. Let's give them all to the Ming Dynasty. It will also bring us some money."

According to Abunai, Mongolia is not short of people at present, or rather, it does not have enough resources to support so many people.

After all, he couldn't even support his own tribe members, so how could he possibly support the people he had captured?
It would be more worthwhile to use these people to exchange for some money and grain with the Ming Dynasty!
However, upon hearing this, the old Mongolian man immediately frowned, his eyes revealing a hint of worry and anxiety.

The next second, he continued:
"Your Majesty, this old minister feels that this approach is inappropriate! This old minister is not refuting your decision, but you really cannot do this."

"Think about it, if we don't want these people, then wouldn't they all have to be given to the Ming Dynasty?" "You know, in the previous war, the Ming Dynasty has already captured a lot of Mongols and absorbed them. If we give these 70,000 people to the Ming Dynasty, won't the number of Mongols in the Ming Dynasty increase even more?"

"In addition to the Yarkand, Tumed and Khoshut Mongol tribes that surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, the number of Mongols surrendering to the Ming Dynasty will only increase."

"So at that time, will we be the Mongols, or will the Ming Dynasty be the Mongols?"

Abunai was completely stunned when he heard this.

Because he had never looked at these issues from this perspective. In his mind, he only thought those people were a burden, but he did not realize that there was such a huge hidden danger behind them.

And now that I think about it carefully, it seems that's really the case.

If more and more Mongols submit to the Ming Dynasty, then can he still be considered the Great Khan of the Mongols?
At that point, the word "Mongol" might even be applied to the Ming Dynasty, and his title of Great Khan of the Mongols would become merely a name without substance.

After realizing what had happened, Abunai was immediately struck by a headache.

He rubbed his temples and said helplessly:
“What you say makes a lot of sense, but our tribe simply can’t support that many people. What should we do?”

The old Mongolian man thought for a moment and said:

"Actually, this doesn't matter. Didn't the Ming Dynasty promise us that we could borrow their grain? In that case, let's just leave half of the population and give only half to the Ming Dynasty. We can borrow the grain from the Ming Dynasty to feed these people."

"And Great Khan, don't forget that there are many other crops to eat besides rice. For example, some grains are also edible, and these grains are less than half the price of rice. If we exchange more grains, we can feed these people."

The old man's words were full of wisdom and strategy, as if opening a new door for Abuna.

Abunai was somewhat tempted by these words.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then spoke:
"If that's the case, then let's do it this way! Tomorrow, I will send an envoy to Xuanfu to discuss matters with the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty."

His voice carried a hint of determination, as if he had already made his final decision.

However, just when everyone thought the matter was settled, someone in the crowd suddenly spoke up and asked:
"Great Khan, I have a feeling this matter is not so simple. According to my estimate, at least 200,000 shi of grain will be needed this time, right? But does the Ming Dynasty have that much grain?"

"Even if they did, shouldn't the Ming Dynasty prioritize supplying the local army and people of Xuanfu? Would they really give us that much grain?"

Upon hearing this, Abunai felt uneasy.

To be honest, he didn't know exactly how much grain the Ming Dynasty had stored in Xuanfu!
After all, this kind of thing should be considered a military secret of the Ming Dynasty, so how could it be known by a Mongol?
But this matter really needs to be investigated thoroughly. What if Xuanfu doesn't have enough food? Wouldn't they be unable to survive the winter this year?

Although Zhu Cilang had previously said that he would definitely guarantee the food supply, how could such a thing be guaranteed?
You can't see into someone's heart; who knows what Zhu Cilang is really thinking?

Moreover, for Abunai now, the Ming Dynasty has really lost all credibility.

After experiencing so much, he no longer easily believes other people's promises.

Thinking of this, Abunai said in a deep voice:
"Don't worry, I will find a way to find out the truth about this matter, and I believe that the Ming Dynasty will not deceive us this time."

"After all, we just reached an agreement, and the Ming Dynasty shouldn't turn against us so quickly."

Although his voice was steady, a hint of worry was still visible in his eyes.

Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing this, since judging from the Ming Dynasty's various actions towards the surrounding tribes, the Ming Dynasty still intended to primarily win over the Mongols.

Moreover, they were the first to surrender to the Ming Dynasty and were considered vassal states of the Ming. Therefore, the Ming should not have taken action against them, both morally and logically.

Otherwise, wouldn't that be too shameless?

After discussing the matter, Abunai then announced that everyone should leave.

The tent gradually quieted down, and Abunai sat there alone, his mind filled with many thoughts.

He knew the road ahead was long and full of unknowns and challenges, but he had no way out and could only face it bravely. For the future of the tribe, he could not back down in the slightest.

Time flies like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the morning of the next day.

On this day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Abunai got up early from his bed.

After a simple breakfast, Abunai ordered the army to break camp immediately and then slowly advance towards Xuanfu.

Since the army was not far from Taiyuan, Xuanfu was not far from the city, so the march was relatively smooth.

In just half a day, the long, winding army moved slowly within ten miles of Xuanfu, like a long, meandering dragon.

Seeing this, Abunai decisively ordered the army to set up camp again.

He stood in front of the tent, looking in the direction of Xuanfu, his eyes revealing a hint of caution and hesitation.

After much deliberation, he still dared not enter Xuanfu City rashly. After all, the situation inside the city was complicated, and if anything went wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Therefore, he made a quick decision and sent a messenger on horseback to deliver a letter, inviting Zhu Cilang out of the city for a detailed discussion, just as he had done before.

Not long after, Zhu Cilang received a letter from Abunai.

He sat at his desk, slowly opened the letter, glanced at the few words, and suddenly felt a surge of amusement.

The letter was extremely simple and straightforward; it was an invitation to discuss the distribution of the spoils of war.

Zhu Cilang's lips curled up slightly as he thought to himself, "This Abunai is in a hurry. The spoils haven't even been returned yet, and he's already eager to discuss their distribution."

However, after thinking it over, Zhu Cilang finally decided to go and see Abunai.

After all, the distribution of spoils would have to be discussed sooner or later, and since Abunai took the initiative to bring it up, we might as well go with the flow.

Immediately, Zhu Cilang ordered Qin Liangyu to mobilize troops and make full preparations.

Two hours later, Zhu Cilang, dressed in fine clothes, rode on horseback and left Xuanfu with a group of military generals. Behind him followed ten thousand well-trained cavalrymen, and they arrived on the grassland to meet Abunai.

Coincidentally, the location of this meeting was almost identical to the location of our first meeting.

However, time flies, and in just half a month, the scenery here has undergone tremendous changes.

The once lush green grassland has now turned completely withered and yellow. A gentle breeze rustles the dry grass, and the entire grassland presents a desolate scene, as if telling the story of the dramatic changes that have taken place over the past two weeks.

However, compared to the tense and volatile atmosphere of their first meeting, this time there was much less tension and the atmosphere was relatively peaceful.

After the two were seated, Zhu Cilang, with a smile on his face, spoke first:

"Why the rush? The spoils haven't been returned yet. Wouldn't it be better to take stock of them after they arrive and then discuss this further? This way, we can avoid unnecessary disputes later."

Abner frowned slightly upon hearing this, but quickly spoke up:
"There's no need for such trouble. The Ming Dynasty should have received the specific amount of the spoils. In that case, let's calculate based on that amount."

"It doesn't matter how much or how little. We only need 200,000 taels of silver and 30,000 people. The rest can be exchanged for grain, salt, cotton, tea and other supplies."

"In addition, you promised us before that we could borrow some grain and silver, so I would like to borrow another 100,000 shi of millet!"

Zhu Cilang was somewhat surprised when he heard these requests.

He hadn't expected that Abuna would actually want the people he had plundered.

In his original plan, Abuna's tribe was in dire straits, so poor that they couldn't even feed their own people, so they certainly wouldn't want these people. After all, feeding these people would require a lot of food and resources, which would undoubtedly be a heavy burden for him.

But to his surprise, Abunai's actions were completely unexpected.

Then, Zhu Cilang raised an eyebrow and asked directly:
“I can understand everything else, but what do you need these people for? You can’t even support your own tribe. Aren’t these people a burden to you?”

"Why don't you hand all these people over to the Ming Dynasty, and I'll give you some more silver?"

"In this way, you can get more silver and reduce the burden on the tribe. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

In the past, Abuna might have hesitated, or even agreed immediately.

After all, in such a difficult situation, more money and food meant a greater chance of survival for the tribe.

But now, he already understands the stakes involved. To him, these people are not just mouths to feed, but also the hope for the tribe's future development.

With these people, the tribe can increase its workforce, expand production, and enhance its strength.

More importantly, it can prevent the Ming Dynasty from becoming like the Mongols!

So how could he possibly agree to Zhu Cilang's proposal so easily?

Thinking of this, Abunai refused outright:
"No need, we've already made up our minds about this, let's leave it at that!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang found himself speechless.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that he had underestimated Abuna.

After a moment's thought, Zhu Cilang finally spoke:
"In that case, I promise you that everything you want will be prepared within three days. You can then send someone to collect it."

Then, Abner seemed to remember something and added:
"As for the division of territory that we discussed earlier, we may have to wait until next spring to do the calculations."

"After all, territorial issues are far-reaching and require careful measurement."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang simply nodded slightly, without showing the slightest surprise on his face.

He knew this was no easy task, and with snow approaching, it would have to be postponed until next spring.

But it doesn't matter, the grassland isn't going anywhere!

(End of this chapter)