You have truly caused me great suffering!

Spring is already in full bloom in Jiangnan.

However, on the land of Dajing, from Liaodong to the desert, this horizontal border is still a place of thousands of miles of ice and snow.

However, a camel caravan, against the southward-flowing cold current, slowly traveled north from the heart of the Central Plains.

The camel bells jingled, shattering jade dust beneath their feet. The sound was clear and melodious, seemingly carrying the gentle moisture of Jiangnan. Even their attire was completely out of place in this harsh, cold frontier region.

The tributes they brought were furs and warhorses; what they brought back were ironware, porcelain, and jade artifacts bestowed by the Great Jing.

There is also a large musket made by Dajing.

Hurza was wearing a traditional wolfskin vest from the Kereit tribe, and he was stroking the musket in his hand; it was exquisitely crafted.

He fired one himself, and its power was astonishing.

The Emperor of Dajing specially gave it to him; it seems he was certain that he would return.

Moreover, even if he didn't go back, he didn't believe that the tribes on the grasslands could replicate and forge this weapon.

Hurzha sighed. No wonder Da Jing used this to intimidate him. Nowadays, even ordinary weapons are hard to forge on the grasslands, let alone firearms like this.

Moreover, it is cast in copper, and even if I really learn the technique, I won't have any copper material to use for forging it.

In Dajing, tens of thousands of people have already been equipped with this kind of thing.

On this trip back to southern Mongolia, I was once again amazed by how smooth the roads in Dajing were.

Even without using waterways, cavalry movements are extremely rapid on such roads.

Along the way, there were also supplies and replenishments from the government.

Looking at the fertile fields and the caravans coming and going, one can tell how wealthy they are.

We absolutely cannot win in a fight.

Upon arriving in the Northwest, he felt the intense atmosphere of preparation for battle that Jin Ling was in charge of, which made him feel even more suffocated.

The closer he got to the grassland, the more discouraged he became, and he lost all will to resist.

Upon reaching Dongsheng Prefecture, a trading town, their caravan crossed the border of Dajing under the watchful eyes of those valiant cavalrymen, finally arriving at the location of the Kereit tribe's royal camp—Ordo on the banks of the Tula River.

Nestled against the Khangai Mountains and facing the azure waters, this place boasts lush vegetation and is the very foundation upon which the Kereit tribe built its century-old legacy.

From afar, dozens of enormous domes dotted the landscape like stars in the sky, with the golden-domed white tent in the center gleaming in the sunlight—that was the Khan's tent of Hurjah.

After returning to his main tent, Hurzha did not immediately summon his men, but waited for three days.

Three days later, before he could even send anyone to inform them, the leaders of the four major tribes—Balushu of the Asut tribe, Tuhetuo'a of the Tumentulu tribe, Huduqa of the Saheyit tribe, and Timur of the Cha'adai tribe—had already led their people to the scene.

They stood either in front of their horses or sat on felt mats, all their eyes fixed on Hurzha standing outside the tent.

They admired Hurzha for going into Dajing alone for the benefit of the tribe.

Last time, Hurjah led everyone to rise up against the Khitan, and he had already accumulated enough prestige.

"Great Khan!" the four chieftains shouted in unison, kneeling on one knee, placing their right hand on their chests, performing the most honorable gesture of the grasslands.

This scene stung Hurza once again. There were too many advantages to abandoning the royal court, but only this one disadvantage.

From now on, I will no longer be a powerful figure who can command a region.

Hurzahu waved his hand, his voice low: "Get up, all of you. What I brought back is neither good news nor bad news, but a... choice."

He walked straight into the Khan's tent, where the four chieftains looked at each other in bewilderment before filing in one after another.

The tent was warm as spring, with animal hides on the floor and fine pine branches crackling in a bronze stove.

Hurzahusi took off his sable fur coat. This sable fur coat was given to him by the emperor. It was a high-quality product made by the Imperial Wardrobe using animal hides presented by Liaodong. Not only was it very comfortable to wear, but it was also incredibly warm.

Inside, however, was still a wolfskin vest, just like Hurzha's current state of mind, struggling between two identities.

One step forward leads to the boundless wealth and pleasant climate of Jiangnan. No longer will we be torn apart by the north winds of the grasslands, nor will we have to worry about sudden attacks from various enemies.

They lived inside high and thick city walls, in houses so exquisite they were almost frightening, and could buy anything they wanted from within the city.

Take a step back.
He remained silent for a long time before slowly recounting his experiences on the trip. He didn't tell everything, but he covered the main points.

He described the majestic city walls of Nanjing, towering into the clouds and seemingly indestructible; he recounted the brightly lit pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River, filled with music and song all night long; he also described in detail the military might of the Great Jing, with iron cavalry like clouds and infantry like forests, and the legendary "firearms battalion," whose firearms roared, their sound echoing for miles, capable of destroying cities and fortresses in an instant.

"You yourselves have seen the difference between our grassland cavalry and the cavalry of the Great Jing," Hurzahus said, his voice filled with helplessness. "Their emperor has been very generous to me and has also looked up to our Kereit tribe. He personally promised that if I were willing to give up this empty title of 'Gurkha' and go to Jinling, he would make me a king, grant me land and houses, and let me enjoy wealth and honor forever. My descendants can study at the Imperial Academy and serve the court, and will no longer have to fight for their lives against the wind and sand and their enemies in this bitter and cold land."

The tent was deathly silent, and the expressions on the faces of the four leaders instantly became incredibly complex.

What do you mean by that?!

Tuoheituo'a of the Tumengtulu tribe, a burly man with a full beard, said with dissatisfaction, "Are you going to exchange our 70,000 people for your wealth and status?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Before Khurja could speak, Timur from the Cha'adai tribe shouted first.

He was about thirty years old, the youngest of the four, and also the one who most yearned for the civilization of the Central Plains. Ever since the rise of the Dingnan Army, before it was called the Great Jing Dynasty, their tribe had been trading with the Dingnan Army's caravans on the border.

From then on, his followers no longer froze to death during the winter. He also hired someone to teach him, so he learned a few Chinese characters and could speak some Chinese. He had always longed for the silk, porcelain, and food of the Central Plains.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Do you want to suffer in this harsh land for the rest of your lives?" Timur's eyes gleamed with excitement. "If our descendants knew the choice we would make today, they would surely tell us to go south!"

“We, the Kereit tribe, deserve to live in this harsh land, moving from place to place, plagued by mosquitoes and flies in summer and suffering from hail in winter. Can’t our descendants learn anything other than herding and hunting?”

"If we could really move to Liaodong and get the protection of the Great Jing, and the Great Khan would make us kings, wouldn't it be great if we followed him? Do you know how different the king of the Great Jing is from our king!"

"Following the Great Khan south, our women will be able to wear fine silks and satins, and our elders will be able to enjoy their old age in peace!"

Hurzha was slightly taken aback, looking at his impassioned manner, spitting as he spoke, and then felt a great sense of relief.

Fortunately, he chose to head south; otherwise, if a real war had broken out, Timur would definitely have been the first to surrender to the Great Jing.

He would definitely sell himself without hesitation.

Moreover, his position is extremely important. If I let my guard down again, he might capture me and use me as a bargaining chip to move south.

Hurzha scratched his head, glanced at Tuohei Tuo'a who was about to object, and made the decision directly: "I have decided to go south. Who doesn't want to come with me?"

"I"

Tuohetu'agang had just started when Timur drew his sword and slashed at his neck.

Fortunately, Tuohei Tuo'a reacted quickly, dodging to the side and avoiding the blade!
"I'll fight you to the death!"

The two men drew their swords and faced each other inside the tent. Timur shouted, "What are we waiting for? Do we want this man to kill us?"

Hurza frowned and said, "If he doesn't want to, then let him get out of here." "Let him get out?" Timur looked at him like he was an idiot. "Then your title and our rewards will all be halved!"

His words were a wake-up call; only by surrendering with the entire Kereit tribe could he appear to have real power.

The rewards for the divided Kereit tribe will definitely be halved.

He couldn't help but glance at Timur again, confirming once more that this grandson had probably already considered this carefully.

When I go to Dajing in the future, I should still associate with people like him more. He looks like someone who can establish himself in Dajing.

Suddenly, Zha gave a signal, and the guards in the tent immediately came down and subdued Tuoheituo'a.

The guards of the Tu Mian Tulu tribe drew their swords as they watched their leader being captured.

At this moment, Balshu, the leader of the Asut tribe who had remained silent, also drew his sword and shook his head from side to side, looking at this and that.

Timur asked, "Whom do you want to go with?"

I, Balshu, looked around and quickly made a decision: "I'll listen to everyone."

The three families kidnapped Tuohe Tuo'a and forced him to order them to surrender their weapons and head south to surrender.
-
Just before the soldiers in the Northwest were preparing for the Northern Expedition.

The imperial court took action, first scaring away Wanyan Balisu, and then persuading the Kereit tribe to surrender.

The enemy was suddenly reduced by almost half.

The soldiers were somewhat disappointed, as their military merits had been reduced by half.
However, the imperial court was still very happy, as it could save a large amount of military expenses and also gain the herdsmen of twenty fortified villages, totaling 70,000 households and more than 300,000 people.

If these herders were to rely on recuperation and rebuilding, it would probably take more than ten years to cultivate them.

Moreover, their experience in herding may not be as extensive as theirs.

The fortified village system of the Northwest was prevalent on the grasslands, and the next step was to be taken care of by Jin Ling, an expert.

He was the first to bring the Qiang people from Hengshan down from Hengshan and build fortified villages near Yinzhou.

The fortified village system was ultimately the result of discussions between him, Chen Shao, and Wei Li.

Hurzha and his men, along with Tuoheituo'a, headed south. When they reached a secluded spot not far from the city of Dongsheng, they killed his entire family.

The reward is limited, so if one person receives less, everyone will be happy.

They had just entered Dongsheng Prefecture and rested for half a month with trepidation when the imperial edict arrived:
The emperor bestowed upon Hurzha Husi the title of Prince of Shunyi, Timur the title of Earl of Huaiyuan, and Balshu the title of Earl of Xiangqin. The three families, totaling seventy-five people, along with more than two hundred confidants, were escorted by the Dongsheng Prefecture soldiers to settle in Jinling.

Chen Shao prepared mansions, properties, and gold and silver rewards for them.

At the same time, Khabul, a Mongol leader, rejected Da Jing's offer to surrender and sent envoys to say that he was willing to submit and submit to the emperor, and was also willing to send all his sons to Jinling as hostages, but was unwilling to hand over military power and the Khanate.

The elite troops of the Hetao region officially began their Northern Expedition.
-
At this time in Jinling, Gao Shunzhen also saw the news from the Dajing newspaper that the Kereit tribe had marched south and surrendered.

The gloom in his heart grew even thicker.

Since ancient times, the Central Plains and the northern barbarians have been irreconcilable enemies, especially after the rise of the Khitan.

Unexpectedly, the Great Jing Dynasty has undergone such earth-shaking changes in just four years since its founding.

It seems that his great achievements are indeed destined by fate.

Dali cannot be saved.

Unfortunately, Gao himself never got to be the ruler of Dali for even a single day!

Even at the moment of the country's demise, the nominal ruler was still the Duan family!

Gao Shunzhen held the Great View Report in her hand and looked up at the sky helplessly.

Then he began to think about his choice.

If we delay any longer, we may end up gaining less.

The example of the Kereit tribe is right before our eyes; anyone who hesitates even slightly will lose their life, just like Tokhtoa.

The current actions of the Great Jing are a mixture of benevolent rule and domineering tyranny, filled with the flavor of 'those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish'.

Those who are obedient and surrender quickly will receive generous rewards; otherwise, they will be met with ruthless measures.

The day after Khabul refused to march south, Yue Fei and Li Xiaozhong's troops moved out.

They blocked the Yinshan White Road two years in advance, which was equivalent to blocking and attacking the mixed Hu tribes in southern Mongolia.

These matters were clearly written in the Da Jing Daily, and there was no fear of leaking them to the enemy, because they had already fallen into their trap.

"Your Majesty, Minister Zhang is outside requesting an audience."

Gao Shunzhen nodded, composed herself, straightened her clothes, and went to the flower hall.

Gao Shunzhen found Zhang Run, with his tall and slender figure, standing there and felt nothing but disgust.

It was this jerk who pushed him to the brink of disaster step by step. Even though he knew all about his own situation during negotiations, he always held back until the very end.

After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, the two took their seats as host and guest.

Zhang Run rose to prominence and gained Chen Shao's favor and promotion by scheming against Dali.

Therefore, he was eager to handle the matter thoroughly in his own hands, so as not to let others share the credit and make His Majesty forget that he was the first person to propose the idea of ​​Han and Bai origins and to prepare to force Dali to submit.

Seeing that success was within reach, he became even more attentive, spending almost every day with the Gao father and son.

After Gao Shunzhen sat down, her face was ashen, and she used the lid of her teacup to stir up the steam.

In recent years, he has been most annoyed by two groups of people. One group is the group that claims to be of the same origin as the Han and Bai people and has brought all thirty-six tribes of Wuman from Dali to Dajing.

The second group was the one that controlled the western Silk Road, occupied the pastures of the Qilian Mountains, and drained the commercial interests of Dali.

Later, he found out that it was all because of that bastard in front of him!

He is from the Zhang family of Qilian Mountain!

“Your Majesty, we have already had a frank discussion, so you don’t need to hesitate any longer.”

"If you have any other requests, please bring them up as soon as possible, and I will help you to advocate for them before His Majesty!"

Gao Shunzhen sighed, "I have no other request now, I only ask that you return Gao Siyuan to me."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Run cautiously asked, "If you can forgive Prince Gao, I can't guarantee I won't beat him to death. I will ask the prince if he is willing to meet with the king."

Gao Shunzhen stared at Zhang Run, her teeth grinding, and said, word by word, "I, guarantee, I, won't, beat, him, to, death!" (End of this chapter)