Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 102 Taking Control of the Mongol Tribes
Huang Degong's analysis does indeed align with the normal reaction that the Qing army would have to take.

But Zhu Youjian didn't think so.

Would someone who clearly holds an absolute advantage but insists on penetrating into the heart of the Central Plains to scheme for more territory really be so willing to retreat to the area beyond the Great Wall?
Zheng Chenggong posed a significant threat, but that was from a political perspective; he wanted to use his base in Liaodong to force the Qing army to retreat.

But it won't have any devastating consequences.

At the very least, after the Bordered Blue Banner returned, Zheng Chenggong had no chance of capturing Shengjing.

Dorgon and Dodo commanded the elite troops of the Eight Banners, totaling nearly 90,000 men.

If Zhu Youjian's prediction is correct, Dorgon would likely try to gain as much benefit as possible before leaving to compensate for the loss of two banners in the Eight Banners due to his decision.

So now we not only need to figure out how to stop Dorgon, but also how to prevent him from resorting to desperate measures.

He told Huang Degong what was on his mind.

The latter was greatly shocked upon hearing this and quickly clasped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and mighty, far beyond my reach!"

"In fact, I have also discussed this briefly with the Duke of England and the General, and we also feel that the old scoundrel Dorgon may take the initiative to attack."

"Therefore, I believe that we can transfer General Wang to lead the Five Armies Battalion of Jizhou to garrison Gubeikou, General Qi to lead the Qi Family Army to guard Zhangjiakou, and the Earl of Xiangcheng to lead the Shenji Battalion to set up artillery positions in Miyunwei to defend against attacks on Shanhaiguan."

Huang Degong hesitated for a moment, then took out a sheepskin map from his bosom and spread it out in front of Zhu Youjian. "According to the report, Dorgon's vanguard is too close to the capital, only a three or four-day journey."

"If we don't open up Shanhaiguan, I'm afraid that old traitor Dorgon will launch a major attack on the capital."

Even after a great victory, Huang Degong's mindset had not changed. He still thought that it was enough to force the Jurchens out of the pass, and that they should not confront them head-on.

Zhu Youjian shook his head, "Now that Zheng Chenggong has taken Lushun, the Jurchens will inevitably return via Shanhaiguan, regardless of whether we release them or not."

Then he asked in confusion, "What about Zhang Shize's cavalry and Li Guo's troops?"

"Your Majesty, I propose to send Chief Jin with 3,000 battalions and 10,000 cavalry to garrison Zunhua. This place is a hundred li from Shanhaiguan, and can be used for both offense and defense."

Huang Degong pointed to the location of Zunhua with his finger, "I propose that the Duke of Yingguo lead the remaining iron cavalry and 20,000 light cavalry from Chahar to garrison Yutian, and Li Guo's 30,000 troops be deployed along the Luan River, awaiting the main force of the Jurchens to pass through Yongping Prefecture."

"Such petty behavior!" Zhu Youjian suddenly reprimanded.

Huang Degong looked dejected and said weakly, "Your Majesty, Li Guo is ultimately a rebel, and we must be wary of him..."

"What are you guarding against!?" Zhu Youjian's eyes turned cold. "Without Li Guo, you, Huang Degong, would have been dead at Feihu Ridge long ago!"

"Everyone has their own needs. We should judge by actions, not intentions, because no one is perfect!"

"I once heard a wise man say that we should unite all forces that can be united."

"Even though Li Zicheng was a rebel, he never made a mistake when it came to the greater good of the nation and its people. Was he no better than the likes of Liu Liangzuo?!"

Huang Degong was stunned, his pupils dilated, and he kept muttering, "Unity...all forces that can be united...all...forces..."

In this era that was still a feudal society, such remarks were too damaging and too difficult to understand.

If an ordinary person said this, there would be no problem; Huang Degong would have just killed him. But these words were spoken by Zhu Youjian.

Huang Degong could only bite the bullet and try to guess the meaning behind Zhu Youjian's words in an attempt to figure out what he really meant.

The latter shook his head again, "When you understand this sentence, then I can entrust the entire army to you with peace of mind."

After saying this, Zhu Youjian stood up, walked straight to the map, tapped the Yongping Prefecture mark with his finger, and steered the conversation back to the main topic.

"According to Ni Yuanlu's secret report, the Tianjin granaries have been completely emptied, and Dorgon must have run out of food. He now only has two options: either fight quickly or leave quickly."

"The same applies to the Dorgon tribe. When people are starving, they will do anything. The Eight Banners soldiers are also human, and they should not be pushed too hard."

"Just do as Hushan said, let Shanhaiguan pass!"

"Issue an imperial edict for the Zhou King to immediately block the canal transport from Baoding to Hejian, order Shi Kefa to open the Yellow River, allowing Dodo to head north, and then send Shandong troops to follow Dodo north from Dezhou. Wang Erhu's troops will return to Jizhou, Zhang Shize's troops will exit from Xifengkou, detour through Kalaqin, and advance to Guangning Qianwei by day and night. Li Guo's troops will garrison Yutian, and the remaining troops will follow Hushan's plan."

"I have no grass for the Jurchen warhorses to eat, no grain for the soldiers to cook, and no cities to attack. I have no choice but to retreat from Shanhaiguan to the outside of the pass!"

A glint of light flashed in Huang Degong's eyes. "Does His Majesty intend to force the Jurchens to retreat quickly, and then encircle them outside Shanhaiguan?! But our newly victorious army has not yet had time to rest. What if the Jurchens receive reinforcements?"

"Precisely because of the recent victory, morale is high."

As Zhu Youjian turned around, his cloak billowed, startling the candlelight on the table into a flickering motion.

"Issue the order to all generals: The main force of the Five Armies Camp shall be moved to Sanhe County. The Xuanjia Cavalry shall be divided into ten teams to harass the enemy in shifts. Half of the Shenji Camp's firearms shall be transferred to Fengrun. Li Guozhen shall personally supervise the construction of trenches. All the Mongol light cavalry under the Duke of Ying shall be transferred to the Three Thousand Camp and shall set out from Xifengkou tonight."

"Once Dorgon crosses Shanhaiguan, I want to see an army of 100,000 surrounding him."

"I will make the arrangements immediately!" Huang Degong rose and took his leave.

After Huang Degong left to receive his orders, Zhu Youjian sat alone in the central hall, closing his eyes to rest.

It was dusk.

The golden armor of the eight hundred Imperial Guards illuminated the General's Mansion under the candlelight.

A nine-zhang-long yellow silk curtain has been erected in the front courtyard.

Eighty-one palace lanterns were arranged in a row along the blue brick path.

The head of the Imperial Kitchen personally led three hundred cooks back and forth, the fat from the roasted whole lamb dripping onto the pine charcoal sizzling, mingling with the sour aroma of mare's milk wine, spreading in the night breeze.

"The Tumed tribe presents a pair of gyrfalcons..."

"The Aohan tribe presents three tiger skins from Liaodong..."

As the high-pitched voice of the Directorate of Ceremonial announced the names of the leaders, more than forty Mongol chieftains filed in, stepping onto scarlet felt carpets.

Abunai walked at the front, his gold-trimmed fur cloak sweeping across the blue bricks. The gilded dagger at his waist was a gift from Zhang Shize, and the words "Loyalty" on the scabbard were particularly dazzling under the lamplight.

Zhu Youjian sat high on the dragon throne, his golden armor making him appear exceptionally powerful.

"This humble prince from the foreign lands pays his respects to His Majesty the Great Emperor of the Ming Dynasty! Long live the Emperor!"

Zhu Youjian nodded expressionlessly and gestured for everyone to take their seats.

Watching the kings seated on either side according to the strength of their tribes, I noticed that Tumed Taiji on the left was stealing glances at the gilded silver tableware, while the young chieftain of Kharachin on the right was staring at the roasted lamb and swallowing hard. Only Abunai sat upright on the lower left of the imperial table, with a jade plate piled high with imperial gifts of milk crisps in front of him.

Seeing that things were almost done, Zhu Youjian finally spoke.

"Do you gentlemen know what historical ties Xifengkou has with our Great Ming Dynasty and the various Mongol tribes?"

This question left everyone, who were on edge, completely bewildered.

They were all leaders of Mongol tribes and were indeed literate, but the custom of studying Chinese classics had disappeared a hundred years ago.

They knew nothing about the origins or sources of the stories.

Zhu Youjian was not surprised and said, "Then I will explain it to you all."

“Since the Hongwu era, my ancestors established the Kaiping Five Guards here, and Nahachu's 200,000 followers surrendered.”

“Tracing back to our predecessors, during the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Duke Li Jing of Wei led troops from here to sweep away the Turks and established the Anbei Protectorate and the Hanhai Protectorate.”

“Tracing back to the Han Dynasty, there was a Protector of the Wuhuan, and even in the ancient Zhou Dynasty, the states of Yan and Zhao still cultivated the land here.”

“The southern part of the desert has been an inseparable part of the Central Plains since ancient times.”

At this point, Zhu Youjian's tone suddenly turned stern, "Now I must ask you all, when did the Central Plains become your pastureland, where you graze wherever you please?!"

The Taiji of Aohan trembled like a leaf, and wine dripped down his white beard onto his embroidered robe.

Abunai suddenly rose from his seat and knelt down, “Your Majesty is wise! Since Dayan Khan divided the land into 60,000 households, there has been no common ruler on the steppe. The Jurchens are using profits to lure us, taking advantage of the dispersal of our Mongol tribes to usurp our territory!”

As he spoke, he pulled out half a broken arrow from his pocket. "This is the tax deed that Daishan forced my tribe to pay. Every hundred households must contribute five able-bodied men and twenty warhorses, or else he will unleash his troops to slaughter women and children!"

"If it weren't for the protection of the royal army, our Chahar tribe would have been in grave danger!" Whispers spread throughout the banquet.

Tumed Taiji stared at the Manchu inscriptions on the broken arrow, cold sweat beading on his forehead. This was his own plan.

"Oh?" Zhu Youjian took the broken arrow and played with it, then suddenly threw it at the Naiman chieftain kneeling at the end of the table. "I heard that last month the Naiman tribe sent Daishan their only five hundred warhorses, and Daishan wants to return the favor with a city of our Great Ming?"

Before the man could explain, the Imperial Guards had already carried in ten wooden crates.

The moment the box was opened, its jewels shone brightly, filling the courtyard with a dazzling display of treasures—all the seals of the Eight Banners generals and officers that had been captured.

"The copper seal of Harsong, the chief of the Red Banner." Zhu Youjian casually used the tip of his sword to pick up a blood-stained seal.

"On April 13th, this man led his troops to slaughter three hundred-man squads of the Tumed, simply because they did not provide enough female relatives?"

The sword suddenly turned, pointing at the ashen-faced Tumed Taiji, "The heads of your people are still not rotten!"

"Your Majesty!" Tumed Taiji fell to the ground, his jeweled sable hat rolling off beside the candlestick. "I was forced."

"Being forced to give your daughter to Yue Tuo as a concubine?" Zhu Youjian sneered, shocking everyone present.

Before he finished speaking, the Imperial Guards had already dragged the limp Tumed Taiji out of the courtyard, and the faint sound of steel swords being drawn could be heard in the night wind.

The series of actions terrified everyone in the courtroom.

This is a clear case of holding them accountable!
Of the more than forty tribes, all but the Chahar tribe had either surrendered or been captured. Even the Tumed tribe had been killed. How could they possibly survive?

One by one, they rushed out and knelt on the ground, begging for their lives.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Youjian waved his hand to stop the commotion, saying, "I know that some of you are doing this voluntarily, some are forced into it, and some even want to tear a piece of flesh from my Great Ming."

"No matter what, I have no intention of pursuing the matter further. After all, when you were suffering from the disaster, my Great Ming Dynasty did not provide any assistance."

"Therefore, apart from the Tumed tribe whose crimes are serious and cannot be lightly forgiven, the other tribes will be pardoned for their past transgressions."

"I also hope that all tribes will remember that the Central Plains are your roots, while the Jurchens are just barbarians from beyond the borders. When Genghis Khan swept across the world, they were still living in the harsh lands, eating raw meat and drinking blood! Your ancestors were all Mongol nobles, how can you submit to a barbarian tribe!"

The sudden change left the many tribal leaders kneeling on the ground stunned. They stared blankly at Zhu Youjian, not knowing what to do.

Zhu Youjian waved to someone behind him.

A palace attendant immediately took out an imperial edict inlaid with dragon patterns from his sleeve.

"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, decrees this."

“The living conditions of the various Mongol tribes are harsh, disasters are frequent, and resources are scarce. As the Son of Heaven, I am heartbroken to see the people of the grasslands living in such a difficult situation. Therefore, I have made this decision.”

"From this day forward, the old system of Pingwei will be reinstated, and Chahar Road will be established. The area from Daningwei to Fengzhou Beach will be designated as autonomous territory, and each tribe will be allocated grassland according to the number of people."

The eunuch paused deliberately, and Zhu Youjian, seeing the sudden brightness in the eyes of the tribal leaders, couldn't help but smile slightly.

"The grassland is at least a hundred miles long."

"Although the Kharachin tribe has only eight hundred tents, it can still obtain a pasture of about a hundred miles in radius."

Suppressed gasps filled the room.

Most people were filled with surprise and excitement.

Only a handful of tribal leaders gripped their silver knives tightly; with this system of land redistribution, they could no longer arbitrarily annex weaker tribes.

"Chahar Circuit is equivalent to the two capitals and thirteen circuits of the Ming Dynasty. It belongs to the territory of the Ming Dynasty. There are no restrictions on trade and other matters. If there is an enemy invasion, the royal army will protect it. If there is a disaster, the court will also provide disaster relief. Chahar Circuit is also an autonomous region of Mongolia. From the Provincial Administration Commissioner down, all personnel appointments and removals are elected by the various Mongolian tribes. Based on the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the various Mongolian tribes, together with the Ministry of Justice, jointly discuss the laws that belong exclusively to the Mongolian people."

“Those who wish to cultivate the land may move to the area within the pass and be exempt from taxes; those who graze their livestock may use their animals to offset taxes.”

"The Chahar Khan Abunai has rendered meritorious service and is hereby granted the title of King of Chahar of the Great Ming Dynasty, with the title of Abunai Khan, which shall be hereditary and without change, and shall be granted the authority to establish his own government and command."

"The remaining tribes, regardless of size, were all granted the title of Earl, a hereditary title that would never be revoked."

"No garrisons will be set up in Chahar Province. The Mongol tribes will be allowed to govern themselves as much as possible. They will simply form Chahar-Hebei Camps according to the size of the tribes, with a strength of 40,000. The expenses for soldiers, armor, food and military pay will be funded by the court and managed by the Ministry of War. The camps will be stationed in Chahar Province on weekdays to prevent the Jurchens from seeking revenge."

"After defeating the Jurchens, I will offer sacrifices to Heaven in the capital, bestow titles upon my ministers, and establish a covenant with them."

"So be it!"

As the imperial edict closed, everyone was so excited that they forgot to breathe.

They thought they would be badly injured, if not killed, because they had chosen the wrong side. Now that the Ming Dynasty is rising again, they will definitely be the first to suffer.

But to my surprise, instead of being retaliated against, I gained tremendous benefits.

Never doubt the allure of the Central Plains dynasties to nomadic peoples during this era.

Just staying at home, admiring flowers, playing with dogs, and visiting brothels for drinks is enough to make these tribal leaders give up everything.

Not to mention that Zhu Youjian preserved their tribe, allowing them to enjoy their lives in peace while maintaining their core base.

The hall was deathly silent. The eunuch wanted to reprimand everyone, because he was carrying the imperial edict and was the emperor's envoy, so he had the right to reprimand everyone.

However, Zhu Youjian stopped him, saying, "From this day forward, the trade tax between Han and Mongol officials in Chahar Province shall be reduced by half."

"All citizens of Chahar can enter the pass to work based on their household registration. Their children can enter the Imperial Academy for elementary education. Regardless of whether they are Han or Mongol, they can become officials. The imperial examination will be conducted in a separate volume, specifically for Mongols. From then on, the imperial examination will be divided into three volumes: Southern, Northern, and Mongol."

All of the above was just a prelude; this was Zhu Youjian's real killing move.

Why have nomadic peoples continued to thrive in border regions?
It was entirely because the north was bitterly cold and unsuitable for survival. Even if they were conquered, they could not occupy it for long. The nomadic people could only continue to live in the same place. As a result, after the first generation died, the later generations had no sense of identity with the Central Plains.

Unable to cultivate the land and thus unable to promote intermarriage between Mongols and Han Chinese, the two sides have been entangled for thousands of years.

The Qing Dynasty was able to control Mongolia because the Manchu and Mongol peoples had similar lifestyles and could integrate with each other.

But Zhu Youjian could not do it, nor did he intend to.

The Han Chinese are known as the most inclusive ethnic group, not because of their genes, but because of their culture!

Once Han Chinese culture takes root in Mongolia, it's only a matter of time before the Mongols are assimilated.

To spread Han Chinese culture quickly, a large number of scholars are needed.

Zhu Youjian then recalled a policy from his previous life: the bonus points system for ethnic minorities!
In past lives, countless people went to great lengths to gain extra points, such as settling in the Northwest or registering as members of ethnic minorities.

Within the Ming Dynasty, there were countless scholars, yet the imperial examinations only admitted a few hundred people at a time, making the competition incredibly fierce.

Just like when Zhu Yuanzhang introduced the Northern Examination Papers, a Mongolian Examination Papers suddenly appeared. Any student taking the imperial examinations in Chahar Province could take the Mongolian Examination Papers, which reduced the intense competition and introduced more lenient admission standards.

Zhu Youjian had already envisioned the grand scene of a large number of students from Jiangnan flocking to Chahar Province.

Moreover, with a large number of scholars going there, related industries would inevitably follow.

Bookstores, taverns, teahouses, brothels—everything related to clothing, food, housing, and transportation will be brought in. Does Mongolia even have a basic industry? You could let the Mongols rebel and they wouldn't even be punished.

More than a hundred years later, Mongolia truly became a sacred and inseparable part of China since ancient times.

Abunai was the first to react, and immediately touched his forehead to the ground, shouting, "Your Majesty is wise! The Eternal Heaven protects the Emperor of the Great Ming!"

The other leaders seemed to awaken from a dream, amidst cheers in Mongolian.

This move can be described as a win-win situation.

However, in practice, it's hard to imagine how much resistance there will be.

As the banquet drew to a close, twelve resounding clappers echoed through the courtyard.

Zhu Youjian stood up, and the Mongol princes all performed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows.

The Mongol tribes of southern Mongolia have submitted!
(End of this chapter)