My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 283 Sheep Eat People

Even after leaving the palace, Su Ze was still somewhat uneasy.

In the original timeline, after Huang Taiji ascended the throne, he continued Altan Khan's policies and accepted the investiture of the Ming Dynasty's Shunyi King.

Third Sister also married Huang Taiji and continued to assist him in implementing the policy of trade with the Ming Dynasty.

However, this space-time has been altered beyond recognition by myself.

Historically, Altan Khan died even later, and before his death, he completed the policy of introducing Tibetan Buddhism to the grasslands.

This is actually one of the reasons why the grasslands remained peaceful for a century afterward.

The Yellow Sect, or Tibetan Buddhism, has played an extraordinary role in the control of the ignorant masses.

However, Altan Khan died before he could welcome the Yellow Sect into Mongolia. It was probably because the Battle of Dongshengwei had a great impact on him, and coupled with his poor health, he died prematurely.

After thinking it over, Su Ze decided to try submitting a memorial to the emperor as a precaution.

Legally speaking, the grasslands had already accepted the investiture from the Ming Dynasty, which meant that the grasslands were part of the Ming Dynasty.

Would one's own "portable Ming Dynasty court" then be able to influence the grasslands?

With a try-it-out mentality, Su Ze drafted a memorial to the throne.

[Please re-enact the memorial of the Prince of Shunyi]

Su Ze's memorial was very simple: he requested the court to continue to confer the title of Prince Shunyi upon Huang Taiji, the son of Altan Khan, and to continue the policy of granting tribute to the grasslands.

The key point is not to get the imperial court to agree, but rather for Su Ze to see if he can use the system to force the grasslands to accept the investiture!

Even if it doesn't work, the system can simulate the outcome of this investiture and prepare a response in advance.

After Su Ze finished writing the memorial, he immediately put it into the "Portable Ming Dynasty Court" app.

——[Simulation Start]——

The memorial requesting the re-appointment of the Prince of Shunyi was itself the result of a joint discussion between the Emperor and the Cabinet. The Emperor quickly approved it, agreeing to send an envoy to continue the investiture of Huang Taiji.

Ten days later, the delegation arrived in Bansheng City, but only the Third Lady greeted them as the Princess of Shunyi; Huang Taiji did not appear.

The mission only completed the mourning for the old Anda Khan, but did not complete the task of bestowing the title of Huang Taiji.

——[Simulation End]——

[Remaining Prestige: 2240.]

[To fully approve your memorial, you need to pay 1000 prestige points. Do you wish to pay?]

Su Ze quickly asked:

"System, if I pay 1000 prestige points, will Huang Taiji accept the Ming Dynasty's investiture according to the memorial?"

Yes, the system applies to the Ming Dynasty and the regimes within its tributary system.

As expected, it worked, and Su Ze naturally chose "yes" without hesitation.

[Prestige points have been deducted, remaining prestige points: 1240.]

After Su Ze submitted his memorial, the emperor indeed issued an edict.

Wang Shizhen, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, was appointed as the envoy to offer condolences to the Shunyi King on the grasslands and to bestow the title of Huang Taiji at the funeral.

Shen Yiguan naturally served as the deputy envoy and immediately set off from the capital with Wang Shizhen.

Before leaving, Su Ze reminded Shen Yiguan to contact him promptly via [Flying Pigeon Messenger] if anything came up.

Su Ze then took out another brocade pouch and handed it to Shen Yiguan, saying:
“If Huang Taiji is willing to pay tribute, he can produce this agreement and have him explain it to the grasslands.”
-
Following the previous route, the mission first went to Shanxi, then crossed the Great Wall from Datong, passed through Dongshengwei, and continued north to the grasslands.

Because of the urgency of the situation, even scholars like Wang Shizhen gave up riding in a carriage and sped along the post road from the capital, only stopping to rest for half a day in Xuanfu.

Governor-General Wang Chonggu of Xuanda came to the post station in person and explained the situation of the grasslands to Wang Shizhen.

When Wang Chonggu first entered officialdom, he and Wang Shizhen worked together in the Ministry of Justice, and the two were old acquaintances.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, we got straight to the point.

Wang Chonggu said worriedly, "Brother Yuanmei (Wang Shizhen's courtesy name), the situation is not good."

"Since Anda Khan fell seriously ill, there have been frequent disturbances on the border. Merchants from Shanxi have also reported that bandits often rob caravans. These bandits are all equipped with powerful bows and do not seem to be ordinary bandits. They may be the elite of the tribe."

"Now Shanxi businessmen dare not venture deep into the grasslands to do business."

"What's worse is that ten days ago, Huang Taiji shut down a horse market under the pretext of smuggling breeding horses and confiscated the property of many merchants. Now, the merchants in Shanxi are complaining and some are even going to petition the court to punish the grasslands."

Hearing this, Wang Shizhen and Shen Yiguan also felt a headache coming on.

Shen Yiguan asked:
"Didn't the newspapers say that after the opening of the border trade, trade between the Ming Dynasty and the grasslands became more frequent and the relationship became more harmonious? If Huang Taiji does this, do these tribal chiefs all follow him?"

Wang Chonggu sighed:
"What the newspaper said is both right and wrong."

"Please enlighten me, Governor Wang."

Wang Chonggu said:
"When the trade first started, Ming merchants sold necessities such as salt, iron, and tea that were scarce on the grasslands, along with some valuables like silk. The grasslands exchanged these goods for horses, cattle, and sheep. At that time, the relationship between the two sides was indeed very harmonious."

"The grassland herders got the necessities, the grassland chieftains got the treasures of the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming merchants got the livestock to bring back and sell, which also made them a fortune."

"But things gradually changed."

Wang Chonggu said:
"Although salt, iron, and tea are profitable, the profits have decreased as more merchants have emerged. The same goes for the Ming Dynasty's precious goods; few tribes can afford them, and the demand is limited, but the Ming Dynasty's demand for the grasslands is increasing."

"Livestock such as horses, cattle, and sheep are one aspect, wool and wood ash have also become major expenses, and the demand for soda ash has also surged recently."

"Merchants of the Ming Dynasty could no longer maintain a trade balance with their original goods, so they started selling sugarcane wine."

Wang Shizhen thought of sugarcane wine, a sweet wine that was quite popular in the capital, but because it was sold among the common people, it was not considered a refined beverage.

Moreover, apart from its sweetness, sugarcane wine lacks the aroma of grains found in other types of liquor. Therefore, the people who drank sugarcane wine the most in the Ming Dynasty were the porters who worked on the canal. After unloading cargo in the early morning, they would drink and eat at taverns near the docks before going home to sleep.

Wang Shizhen asked, "Isn't sugarcane wine good?"

Wang Chonggu said:
"Okay, it's just a little too good."

Wang Chonggu sighed:

"Sugarcane wine is not expensive and ordinary herders can afford it. Life on the grassland is harsh and boring, so many people drink alcohol to relieve their fatigue."

"Over time, many herders have become inseparable from sugarcane wine, and the sales of sugarcane wine are increasing day by day."

"But the herders could only offer so much. After they sold all their wool and livestock, they started burning the pastures and selling the ashes to Ming merchants."

Wang Shizhen frowned and said:

"Isn't this killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?"

Wang Chonggu nodded and said:
"That's right. Some herders have discovered that wool can be sold for a high price, so they no longer raise warhorses and cattle."

"At that time, sheep will not even leave the grass roots behind. Pastures that have been used for sheep farming will not grow grass in the next season. But the herders don't care about that. They only know how to expand their flocks and then use the wool to trade for alcohol."

"Raising sheep requires more pasture, and conflicts between tribes over pasture have increased. These days, many defeated Mongols have come to the Great Wall outside Xuanfu to request submission to the Ming Dynasty."

"On the grasslands, it's called 'sheep eating people'."

Wang Shizhen and Shen Yiguan were stunned. They hadn't expected such a cruel truth to exist beneath the thriving grassland trade. Wang Chonggu said:
"Therefore, Huang Taiji, now advocating against the tribute system, has called for the closure of the horse market and has gained the support of many nobility from the grasslands."

"They believed that Ming Dynasty goods had corrupted people's hearts and that only by driving Ming Dynasty goods out of the grasslands could the glory of the grasslands be restored."

Wang Shizhen said:
"Ridiculous! How can you blame the products for the corruption of people's hearts?"

Wang Chonggu shook his head and said:
"But this statement still carries a lot of weight on the grasslands. Many herders have lost their homes and families because of sugarcane wine. Some tribes have also banned herders from drinking sugarcane wine. Priests on the grasslands are also spreading divine pronouncements, saying that those who are addicted to sugarcane wine cannot return to the embrace of the Eternal Heaven."

Shen Yiguan asked timidly:
"is that useful?"

Wang Chonggu shook his head and said:
"Of course it's useless. Those noble chieftains drink sugarcane wine themselves, how can they make the herdsmen abstain from alcohol? Besides, the sugarcane wine trade is so prosperous now, even if the horse market is closed, there will probably still be many people transporting sugarcane wine."

"With the resources of the grasslands, can they control these smugglers?"

Wang Shizhen and Shen Yiguan both shook their heads.

In the past, even the Ming Dynasty couldn't control smugglers, let alone those on the grasslands.

Shen Yiguan recalled the enormous demand for wood ash and wool in the Ming Dynasty.

Alkali is needed to make glass, soap, iron smelting and casting, and salt production.

Such enormous demand has already exhausted all the wood ash near the capital.

After burning all the wood ash in the capital, merchants began searching far and wide for sources of alkali.

Then came the trade in importing wood ash from the grasslands.

Then natural soda ash was discovered on the grasslands, which alleviated some of the industry's demand. However, it is said that the glass factories that keep popping up around Gyeonggi have kept soda ash in short supply.

The factory needs a long-term, stable supply, which drives merchants to travel back and forth to the grasslands day and night to buy various alkalis at high prices.

I heard that the owners of these glass factories are the most anxious after the recent tensions with the grasslands.

Glass cannot be produced without alkali, and it is currently sold at a high price. However, with technological advancements and the opening of more glass factories, the price of glass will definitely decrease rapidly.

Therefore, the earlier glass is produced, the more money can be made.

Besides glass, the saponification industry also has a demand for alkali.

Essential oil soaps and cottonseed soaps are generally only used by ordinary people because the former is difficult to remove its fishy smell and the latter is because cottonseed can cause infertility.

However, as Su Ze's "micro-insect disease theory" was promoted in newspapers, the concept of "hygiene" began to enter people's lives.

The pathogens are invisible microbes, and soap can wash away these microbes from your hands and body.

Some literate people began to require their children to wash their hands before meals, and some even insisted on using whale oil soap.

As a result, the probability of getting sick decreased significantly.

In this era, disease treated the poor and the rich equally, so wealthy families in the capital also began to use whale oil soap.

However, the fishy smell of essential oil soaps was still unacceptable to many people, so pig pancreas soap appeared in the capital.

It's called pig pancreas soap, but there's not actually that much pig pancreas. It's just lard soap made by saponifying lard and alkali.

Lard soap has a mild scent, and with the addition of some fragrances, it can be sold at a high price, quickly becoming popular among the upper echelons of the capital.

All of these factors have contributed to the demand for alkali.

And the demand for wool is even greater.

The effectiveness of wool in keeping warm was proven last winter.

Moreover, with the continuous upgrading of wool textile technology, the price of wool has gradually decreased.

To make the same garment, wool yarn costs slightly more than cotton but less than silk.

Even ordinary women nowadays will try to learn how to knit to make a scarf or hat for their husbands.

Just before Shen Yiguan set off, he heard from his wife, Du, that she had participated in a sweater-knitting activity organized by Zhao Lingxian, the wife of Su Ze, to knit sweaters for the soldiers of Dongshengwei to keep warm.

The event received support from many noblewomen in the capital, and the wives of officials of all ranks pledged to donate a set of woolen winter clothes before winter.

This only covers the needs of one city, the capital.

Can such enormous trade demand be stopped?

The relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the grasslands has been completely changed.

The Ming Dynasty needs the grasslands, and the grasslands need the Ming Dynasty even more.

Shen Yiguan had a belief that even if Huang Taiji wanted to turn back the clock of history and refuse to pay tribute, his regime would not last long.

However, that would harm both the Ming Dynasty and the grasslands.

Did Su Ze, who had always thought of the "instigator" behind everything, foresee this outcome?
But thinking about it carefully, this really is Su Ze's style.

After resting in Xuanfu, the delegation continued its journey. This time, Wang Shizhen did not enter the post station before Datong, but headed directly towards the grasslands.

The delegation then passed through the Dongshengwei Fortress and met Qi Jiguang, who was stationed there.

Shen Yiguan felt fear every time he saw the bastion.

On this building with its strong geometric aesthetics, it can be said that every inch of the walls is stained with blood.

This terrifying fortress is the culmination of military engineering achievements worldwide.

Shen Yiguan tried to imagine that if he were on the offensive, he probably wouldn't be able to conquer this terrifying fortress even if he used more lives.

Qi Jiguang was very pleased with the arrival of the delegation, and he once again dispatched his elite troops to escort the delegation north.

However, Qi Jiguang was much more optimistic about the situation. He believed that even if Huang Taiji did not accept the investiture, the existing Dongshengwei Bastion could be defended with the current strength of the Nine Garrisons.

If the Mongols were to truly be disrespectful and launch a full-scale attack, Qi Jiguang would not hesitate to inflict another crushing defeat upon them.

Qi Jiguang's confidence also gave Wang Shizhen confidence.

In any case, diplomacy is a game of power backed by national strength.

Qi Jiguang had confidence in the military strength of the Ming Dynasty, which gave him much more room to maneuver in diplomacy.

Ten days after departing from the capital, Wang Shizhen arrived at the outskirts of Bansheng City, weary from his journey.

When Wang Shizhen saw the Princess Consort of Shunyi, who was there to greet him, his heart skipped a beat.

The worst-case scenario did indeed occur; Huang Taiji did not come to greet the delegation, which demonstrated his attitude.

When I saw Third Sister again, this strong woman who had once assisted Altan Khan in completing the tribute mission looked much more haggard.

However, she still greeted the Ming Dynasty delegation with the highest level of etiquette possible.

After the routine visit, Wang Shizhen feigned surprise and asked:

Where is Crown Prince Huang Taiji of Shunyi?

Third Sister hesitated for a moment, and Wang Shizhen lowered his voice and said:
"Third Lady, if Huang Taiji does not accept the Ming Dynasty's investiture, the grasslands will face a great calamity!"

(End of this chapter)