I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

March 1st.

North of Liaodong, the weather is warming up and the ice and snow are gradually melting.

News of the assassination of the chief of the Mongolian Nuantu tribe and two elders quickly spread to the surrounding tribes.

All three were fatally wounded in their sleep, their throats slit.

Each of them had a note with eight characters written on it: "Those who jump around like clowns will be punished no matter how far away they are."

This was clearly the work of the Ming Dynasty's Liaodong Army.

However, the Nuantu tribe dared not seek revenge, nor did they dare to utter a single word of reproach against Da Ming. They immediately abandoned their camp and retreated further north.

They were so afraid of the Ming Dynasty.

It was because they provoked first; plundering the Hada tribe, which had been granted titles by the Ming Dynasty, was tantamount to plundering the Ming Dynasty.

If they are not convinced, given the current domineering nature of the Liaodong army, it is highly likely that they will wipe out their entire tribe.

After this news spread, many tribes that relied on plunder for a living became anxious.

I never expected the Liaodong army to have this trick up their sleeve!
In the past, they would rob and run away. The border region was mountainous and forested, and it was too costly for the Ming Dynasty's Liaodong army to chase them, so they would not pursue them relentlessly.

Nowadays, tribal leaders who have offended the Ming Dynasty are all living in fear, and before they plunder, they need to consider whether they can survive afterward.

……

March 9th, early morning.

Under the protection of three hundred Imperial Guards and five hundred Liaodong soldiers, Shen Nian headed towards Kaiyuan City.

Five days later, Shen Nian arrived at the North Gate of Kaiyuan City and met Shen Maoxue, the Liaodong Trade Commissioner.

"Minister, I am incompetent, please punish me severely!" Shen Maoxue knelt on the ground as soon as he saw Shen Nian.

He knew what Winter City and Eastern Port meant to the entire Jiliao region, to the entire Ming Dynasty, and how important they were to Shen Nian's series of trade activities!
Unexpectedly, the problem arose from the choice of location.

Shen Nian quickly helped Shen Maoxue up and said with a smile, "There are no smooth sailing things in this world. Encountering obstacles for a time is not a failure. Besides, there are some things that only I can discuss. We will resolve this matter completely when we see Nurhaci tomorrow!"

"Mhm!" Shen Maoxue nodded. He had felt guilty about this for a long time, and seeing Shen Nian arrive, he suddenly felt reassured.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Nurhaci, the commander of the Jianzhou Left Guard, led a group of his personal guards to the north gate of Kaiyuan City.

In his visiting card, he stated that he would host a banquet for Shen Nian.

Therefore, he took the chef and ingredients directly to the best restaurant in Beiguan and asked them to prepare them.

At the same time, Nurhaci's personal guards once again delivered a visiting card to Shen Nian, inviting him to a banquet at noon.

……

Near noon.

Shen Nian and Shen Maoxue arrived at the restaurant in Beiguanxi in a carriage, escorted by Qi Hu and a group of Imperial Guards.

As soon as Shen Nian stepped out of the carriage, she saw a man with a dark complexion, a strong build, and wearing a robe made of mink fur.

This person was none other than Nurhaci.

Nurhaci was 26 years old at the time, a full nine years younger than Shen Nian, but he looked much older than Shen Nian.

"Nurhaci, Commander of the Jianzhou Left Guard, pays his respects to Minister Shen!" Nurhaci knelt on the ground and proclaimed loudly.

"Nurhaci, I have heard the Earl of Ningyuan mention you before. Seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed a young talent. Please rise!" Shen Nian stepped down from the carriage.

"Minister Shen, you flatter me. I was once just a servant of the Earl of Ningyuan. Without the support of the imperial court, I would hardly be where I am today!"

After Nurhaci finished speaking, he slowly stood up and then bowed to Shen Nian, gesturing for him to enter.

At present, he was just the leader of a small tribe with only two thousand people under his command. He was very clear about Shen Nian's status in the Ming Dynasty court, and he knew that it would be as easy for Shen Nian to destroy him as to crush an ant. Therefore, he acted extremely humble.

Shen Nian strode into the restaurant, followed by Shen Maoxue, Qi Hu, and the others.

Nurhaci then quickly went inside.

……

The restaurant lobby currently only has one large table.

A large mahogany chair was placed at the head of the table, which was Shen Nian's seat. There was another chair to the left, which was Shen Maoxue's seat.

On the lower side, there was a small chair, which was the seat Nurhaci had arranged for himself. Not far away, several beautiful Jurchen girls stood, serving Shen Nian.

It must be said that Nurhaci mastered the etiquette of hospitality in the Ming Dynasty officialdom.

After Shen Nian settled into the large mahogany chair at the dining table, Nurhaci smiled and spoke. "Minister Shen, I know you are from Jiangnan, so I specially invited a chef from Jiangnan..."

Swish!
Shen Nian waved his hand and said, "Let's not eat first. Let's talk about the situation of the Kurka tribe of the Donghai Jurchen. I heard that you're the one causing trouble."

"Pfft!"

Nurhaci knelt on the ground.

"Minister Shen, I am innocent! After learning that Merchant Shen wanted to buy land from the Kurka tribe and knowing the terms offered, I felt that the Kurka tribe had made a huge profit. Their entire tribe could not earn 50,000 taels of silver in their entire lives, let alone live on that land!"

"This humble general naturally wanted to facilitate this deal. However, the elders of the Kurka tribe somehow got wind of your intention to build a seaport along the coast of Jiliao and develop trade. They have their eyes on the Kurka tribe's coastal location, and believe that without that location, trade in Jiliao would be hindered. So, after discussing it, they made exorbitant demands. This humble general persuaded them for a long time before they lowered their standards and presented the conditions that I had informed the trade envoy Shen of."

"As for my request for 10,000 taels of silver from Merchant Shen as a reward for the successful completion of the task, it was entirely for the benefit of the Kurka people. Otherwise, they would have worried that I was helping Merchant Shen to cheat them. After Merchant Shen handed over the 10,000 taels of silver to me openly, I secretly returned it immediately. How could I mention money when I was working for the court!"

"This humble general has endured humiliation and hardship in order to help the Minister accomplish this matter. Now, the conditions they have put forward are their bottom line. They have also said that if we send troops to forcibly seize it, they will definitely unite with the Jurchen people of the East Sea to fight against us. This humble general has no other choice!"

……

Nurhaci's eyes reddened, conveying a feeling of having done many things but being very aggrieved.

Shen Nian looked at him, knowing that he wasn't telling the truth and was trying to use these words to find out just how important the Kurka region was to her.

"I chose to buy the land instead of seizing it because I followed the rules and wanted to save trouble. I gave them so many benefits, yet they were still not satisfied and still wanted to take advantage of me. So I will no longer be polite and will have no choice but to drive them away!"

"Isn't the rule of you Jurchens that whoever seizes the land owns it?" Shen Nian retorted.

Nurhaci's eyes darted around, and he cupped his hands and said, "Minister Shen, if you really want to seize by force, I am willing to be the vanguard. Although I do not have many soldiers, as long as the court provides sufficient food and weapons, I can drive them out!"

Nurhaci was very clever; he anticipated that Shen Nian would propose the idea of ​​forcibly taking things from him.

However, it would be too difficult and costly for the Liaodong army to venture deep into the Jurchen territory to raid, so they volunteered for the mission.

Nurhaci's plan was to work with the Kurka tribe to first trick the Ming Dynasty out of its grain and weapons, then negotiate peace, and finally sell the land at a high price.

"No need!" Shen Nian shook her head.

“Sending the Liaodong army to seize territory would be too costly. Your strength is insufficient, and you cannot afford to squander the resources you have painstakingly accumulated. I have already made up my mind. I will order the court to expel them by sea with the newly formed 20,000-strong navy in Quanzhou. All I want is a port. Since the Kurka people are so ungrateful, we have no choice but to expel them. If the Jurchens of the East Sea dare to resist, then we will let them try out the new firearms recently developed by the Ministry of War!”

Upon hearing this, Nurhaci panicked.

He had planned everything meticulously, but he never expected Shen Nian to dispatch the navy.

The Kurkha region is sparsely populated and its territory is vast. If the navy were to be deployed and occupy the coastal areas, the Kurkha people would be powerless to resist.

As for the entire Jurchen people of the East China Sea, it was simply impossible for them to unite and deal with the powerful Ming Dynasty.

He thought he could easily subdue the Ming Dynasty, and confidently assured the Kurka tribe that the Ming Dynasty would definitely agree to his conditions.

If this matter falls through, the Kurka people will definitely come after him to the death; the former hadn't dared to ask for so much in the first place.

In fact, Nurhaci was happy for the Ming Dynasty to build a port on the coast of the Kurka region.

Where there is a port, there is trade; where there is trade, more Jurchen people can have enough to eat and wear.

At this moment, Nurhaci had no intention of rebelling, nor did he dare to. He only thought about expanding his power and ensuring that his tribe would no longer be bullied.

"Minister Shen, isn't sending the navy a bit of a waste of their talents? Why don't you raise the conditions a bit more, and I'll go and negotiate with them again!"

Shen Nian shook his head and said very firmly, "No need. I am not a fool and I do not like taking advantage of others in distress!"

"Minister Shen, please give this humble general another chance. This humble general will definitely be able to..."

"Serve the food!" Shen Nian's tone became firm, clearly indicating that she didn't want to discuss the matter any further.

Nurhaci was devastated; he never expected that such a good deal would be ruined by him!
At that moment, both Shen Nian and Shen Maoxue could see that Nurhaci was panicking.

Shen Nian glanced at Shen Maoxue, who immediately understood and said, "Minister, how about giving the Kurka tribe another chance? Using the navy is quite expensive!"

“Yes! Yes!” Nurhaci quickly echoed.

Shen Nian paused for a moment and said, "How about this? Didn't we promise to give the Kurka tribe 55,500 taels of silver? The conditions remain the same, with a half-month limit. After half a month, the amount will be reduced by 1,000 taels for each day later. If it's half a month later, then there will be no possibility of buying the land!"

“Yes, yes! After I finish this meal, I will immediately go and urge them!” Nurhaci said.

At this moment, he especially wanted to learn from Shen Maoxue and kowtow once.

Soon after, the dishes were served, and Shen Nian began to savor them slowly.

Before coming here, Shen Nian had murderous intent toward Nurhaci, but now Shen Nian has come up with another plan.

Nurhaci's current strategies are more than sufficient to deal with his own people.

Shen Nian wouldn't stop him from growing stronger, but once his forces exceeded eight thousand, Shen Nian would set a hurdle for him, causing him heavy losses.

If this continues, Nurhaci will be rendered useless, and the Jurchen people will never be able to gain any real power.

Once Winter City's commerce has developed, Shen Nian will provide a stable life for those who love peace; as for those who burn, kill, and plunder, Shen Nian will either exterminate them or drive them to the cold Siberia. (End of Chapter)