Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 189 The arrow is on the string, it must be released

Chapter 189 The arrow is on the string, it must be released (I still won't ask for leave, haha)

Countless flags fluttered in the wind, stretching for more than ten miles along Jining Lake.

Compared to Ligdan Khan's camp, the allied camp of the Mongol Right Wing tribes appeared somewhat loose and chaotic.

Among these, there were two large tents belonging to the Khans, and dozens more belonging to the Taijis.

If Lindan Khan's spies were to reach this place, it would probably take them half a day to find the Khan's tent of the nominal leader of the allied forces—Bu Shitu, the Shunyi King of Tumed.

……

Inside Bu Shitu's tent, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

The Shunyi King Bushitu and Aobuyan Taiji of the Tumed tribe, and the Khan Ahai and Boyan Huang Taiji of the Haraqin tribe, were gathered together to discuss the progress of the reinforcements.

Bu Shitu rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling a splitting headache.

"What exactly is the situation in the south?!"

The first to break the silence was Khan Ahai of the Haraqin tribe, whose voice was short and anxious.

The Harachin tribe has historically been at odds with the Chahar people.

If Jining Haizi is defeated, the Tumed tribes can retreat to Qingcheng, but the Harachin will have to face Ligdan Khan's army alone.

Therefore, he was even more anxious about this battle than the local Tumed tribe.

Bu Shitu's eyelids were swollen, and he did not answer. Instead, he turned his gaze to Ao Buyan Taiji, who was sitting below him.

Aobuyan Taiji understood immediately and spoke in a deep voice.

“A few days ago, I led a thousand horses to the Deshengbao trade market and met that wise official surnamed Zhang.”

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

"When we talk about it, it's the same old story: this is not allowed, that is not allowed."

“However…” Ao Buyan changed the subject, “I met with some familiar businessmen in private, and things were indeed more relaxed than usual.”

"The merchant secretly sold us more than a dozen suits of armor and several thousand arrows, which all looked to be standard-issue and of high quality for the Ming army."

Khan Ahai of the Kharachin tribe frowned and sighed:
"A dozen or so suits? That's far too few... What's the use of a dozen or so suits of armor?"

He continued, "If they won't give you the armor, what about the iron pots? How many iron pots did they buy? Are they Cantonese or Luzhou iron pots?"

Guangguo refers to iron pots produced in Guangdong, especially those from Foshan. Ten catties of iron pot can yield five catties of wrought iron.

Lu pot is a type of pot produced in Henan. It can only yield three jin of frying and cooking flavor from ten jin of pot.

Ao Buyan shook his head wearily.

"I only managed to buy two hundred, both Guang pot and Lu pot."

“We didn’t buy that stuff much in the past, and Han merchants didn’t have much stock on hand.”

"They said they could buy from various places, but I would have to pay five times the price, plus a 30% deposit, and the goods would not be available for another month."

"Granted! Granted them all!"

Bu Shitu gritted his teeth and practically squeezed out those words.

"Have them bring them here as soon as possible! Also, buy more silk and satin, but don't buy any other cloth or other items. Silk can also be used to deflect arrows."

"Yes."

Ao Buyan nodded, got up and walked to the tent entrance, whispered a few instructions to the servants, and then quickly walked back.

Khan Ahai then asked, "What about sending troops? Are the Ming people even willing to send troops to help us?"

This is the key.

Ao Buyan sighed heavily.

"That official surnamed Zhang speaks in a cryptic and ambiguous way, and he doesn't give a clear answer for a long time."

"They only vaguely said that they had sent someone to warn Ligdan Khan."

"Does this mean you have no intention of sending troops?" Khan Ahai pressed.

Ao Buyan shook his head, looking helpless: "If I ask a few more questions, that official will just pick up his broken teacup and drink tea, and then he won't say another word."

"Utterly useless!" Bo Yan Huang Taiji, who was sitting to the side, couldn't help but curse.

"Which tribe would choose to start a war in the dead of winter! After a winter of fighting, more horses will probably die from exhaustion than from battle!"

"If Lindan Khan hadn't prepared hay and supplies in advance, how could he have come here! This guy was clearly prepared!"

"Warning! What good will a warning do!"

Inside the tent, the glimmer of hope that had just been ignited was instantly extinguished.

Bu Shitu sighed, unconsciously fidgeting with his fingers, and murmured:

"If only Wang Nayan were still here..."

One sentence stirred up everyone's sorrow, and for a moment, only sighs could be heard throughout the tent.

Wang Xiangqian served in Xuanfu and Jizhou, and dealt with various Mongol tribes for many years.

Whenever he had free time, he would summon all the ministers, big and small, and reward them with wine, water, cattle, and sheep, and have them play archery.

He was a good official who could make decisions, employing both kindness and severity, and was adept at both soft and hard approaches.

Although the Mongol tribes feared his prestige, they also appreciated his fairness.

But this official surnamed Zhang is now unwilling to even speak clearly.

After a moment of silence, Ao Buyan seemed to remember something and spoke hesitantly.

"By the way, a Han merchant I know mentioned to me that a general surnamed Ma has come from the east. He seems to be the same Ma Youji from before."

"They said they brought a large contingent of troops and stationed them near Datong."

"He watched from afar that day, and the procession on horseback took quite a while to arrive; it was quite impressive."

"From the east?" Khan Ahai frowned. "What's your name?"

Bu Shitu's cloudy eyes lit up, and he replied, "The guerrilla officer surnamed Ma... could it be Ma Shilong? He used to be around here, but I heard he was promoted and went to the east."

"Ma Shilong?!"

Khan Ahai and Boyan Huangtaiji exclaimed almost simultaneously, exchanging a glance with disbelief on their faces.

Bu Shitu and Ao Buyan looked at them with suspicion.

Boyan Huang Taiji explained, "You don't know this General Ma! When he came to our east, he first served in Jizhou, and later went to Liaodong to become the commander-in-chief and was appointed governor!"

"I later heard that he suffered a defeat in battle and was dismissed by the previous emperor. Now that he's here again, could it be that he's been reinstated?"

"Does this mean that the new emperor is going to wage war here?"

Khan Ahai suddenly stood up, paced back and forth, his eyes shining.

"If it's him, I think we have a chance! Otherwise, why would he suddenly bring a troop of soldiers here?"

Ao Buyan hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help but pour cold water on the idea:

"It's also possible that it's just a troop deployment in preparation. After all, we're gathering troops at Haizi in Jining. How would they know if we're going to fight Lindan Khan or invade the border together?"

"In the end, the Ming people were still wary of us."

"Never mind all that!" Khan Ahhai waved his hand. "Quickly send someone to contact him! Make things clear, maybe he'll send troops!"

Bu Shitu nodded, then turned to his son, Emubu, who was standing to the side, and said:
"Right now, pick the best fast horse and head to Deshengbao! Find someone to inform them and ask Commander Ma—no, I mean Governor Ma—what his plans are!"

He paused, then emphasized his words.

"As long as he's willing to send troops, we can discuss horses, furs, and gold!"

"Even if it's just heads, we'll give them all to him!"

"Yes!" Emubu responded and accepted the order.

He had only taken a few steps after turning around when Bu Shitu called him back.

"Wait! Pick another hundred fine horses from the ministry and bring them along! Say it's a gift we're giving to Governor Ma for his reinstatement!"

"understand!"

Without further hesitation, Emubu lifted the heavy tent flap, and his figure quickly disappeared into the wind.

The name Ma Shilong acted like a shot in the arm, instantly easing the tense atmosphere in the tent.

But everyone knows that this is ultimately just a possible hope.

Since gathering troops at Haizi in Jining, the Right Wing Allied Forces have only numbered around 30,000 to 40,000 cavalry.

These days, in small-scale skirmishes with Ligdan Khan's advance troops in the field, they have almost always lost.

One by one, the small tribes that depended on them were either wiped out or fled far away.

As the situation worsened day by day, they could only use every method they could think of, hoping to increase their chances of winning by even the slightest bit.

The Ming Dynasty in the south is naturally of paramount importance.

But besides the Ming Dynasty, they had other options.

After a brief moment of excitement, the smile on Bushitu's face slowly faded, and he began to inquire about the progress on the Haraqin tribe's side:
"How are things on the Jurchen side?"

Khan Ahai shook his head, his expression turning serious again.

"Don't count on it yet. Although I sent someone to deliver the message, it's thousands of miles from here to Liaodong. And there are the tribes of Chahar in between." "Even the best horse would have to run from the waning moon to the full moon. By the time we get a reply, it might be the full moon next month."

"Not to mention that winter is approaching, and they may not be willing to send troops."

"Don't count on the Jurchens. They're unlikely to send troops this year, and even if they do, it will have to wait until next year."

Bu Shitu stared at Khan Ahai and continued to press, "What about the Yongshao tribe? Are they willing to send troops?"

"Hmph," Khan Ahhai sneered, "They said there was a disaster this autumn, and the horses weren't fattened up, so they plan to help us next year. I think they want to wait until we fight Lindan Khan first, and then see how things go."

He then asked in return, "What about Erlinchen Jinong in Ordos?"

Bu Shitu chuckled and shook his head, his smile full of bitterness: "The reason is similar to yours."

Inside the tent, a deathly silence fell once again.

Hope comes quickly and goes quickly.

The weight of reality, like a mountain, has once again pressed down on everyone's hearts.

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose outside the tent.

The heavy tent flap was suddenly kicked open from the outside, and a tribal chief covered in blood rushed in and fell to the ground at Bu Shitu's feet.

"Great Khan! My Great Khan Bushitu!"

The leader wailed desperately.

“My tribe…my tribe was overrun by Ligdan Khan’s vanguard! More than three hundred tents, wiped out overnight!”

The expressions of everyone inside the tent changed drastically.

Before Bu Shitu could react, a gust of cold wind swept in sand and soil.

Sunang Taiji strode in with a cold smile on his face.

Behind him followed a dozen or so leaders of small and medium-sized tribes, each with a mixture of fear and anger on their faces.

They blocked the tent entrance completely, their gazes like knives slashing at Bu Shitu.

"Bu Shi Tu".

Sunang Taiji didn't look at the leader on the ground, but stared at Busitu, whose face was pale.

"You saw it all? This is the result of your order to 'wait'."

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the expressionless faces of Khan Ahai and Boyan Huangtaiji before finally settling on Bushitu.

"Today it's him, but who will it be tomorrow? Me? Or him?"

Sunang Taiji casually pointed to a leader in the crowd.

"Or is it that you, the high and mighty King of Shunyi, intend to wait until the blood of us small tribes has been shed before you go to negotiate peace with Ligdan Khan?"

"Sunang! Don't you dare stir up trouble here!"

Aobuyan Taiji suddenly stood up and shouted sternly.

"The Great Khan has his own plans! Now that our weapons are not sharpened and our horses are not fattened, sending them into battle recklessly will only play right into Lindan Khan's hands! Do you want everyone to die in vain?"

"Hahahaha!"

Sunang Taiji seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world, and he laughed loudly.

"You think I don't know? You're clearly waiting for news from the Ming people!"

His laughter ceased, and his eyes became incredibly sharp.

"Ao Buyan, I ask you, without the order of the Southern Emperor, how dare the Ming soldiers come out?!"

"We can't rely on the Ming people! We, the Tumed tribe, can only rely on ourselves!"

He stepped forward, staring intently at Ao Buyan, and even more intently at Bu Shitu behind him.

"Bu Shitu, you're old, your blood has grown cold! And all your teeth have fallen out!"

"You're only fit to hide in your tent, drinking milk tea and warming yourself by the fire! The Tumed tribe has no future following you!"

"You!" Bu Shitu trembled with rage.

Sunang Taiji didn't give him a chance to speak. He suddenly turned around, faced the group of leaders behind him, and raised his arms, shouting:

“Those who are willing to entrust their cattle, sheep, women, and even their heads to the Ming people for protection, then continue to follow him and wait!”

"Anyone willing to use their scimitars to reclaim our own pastures and glory, come with me, Sunang!"

"We, the descendants of the Golden Family, would rather fall in the charge than kneel in our tents and wait to die!"

Before the words were even finished, the crowd erupted in chaos.

The whispers turned into increasingly loud discussions, and the questioning and wavering gazes made Bu Shitu feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

He could feel his authority as the leader of the alliance slipping through his fingers like sand.

The faces of Khan Ahai and Boyan Huang Taiji were filled with anxiety and bitterness.

They know better than anyone that the right-wing factions are now all in the same boat, and none of them can escape.

Internal strife is a more formidable enemy than Ligdan Khan.

Seeing that Su Nang's words were about to completely shatter people's hearts, Khan Ahai finally couldn't sit still any longer.

He stood up and shouted, "Su Nang! That's enough!"

"With a formidable enemy at hand, are you trying to incite unrest here so that Lin Dan Khan's knife can cut our throats even faster?"

Boyan Huang Taiji also stood up and shouted at the restless leaders, "Quiet down! Let the Prince of Shunyi finish speaking! Anyone who wants to go and pledge allegiance to Lindan Khan right now, get out of here!"

Although their words were forceful, they carried a deep sense of powerlessness.

They were upholding Bu Shitu's authority, and desperately trying to gather the scattered sand back together.

Looking at his allies, Bu Shitu felt somewhat relieved, but when he saw the leaders outside the tent who were being stirred up by Su Nang, his heart sank again.

The dozen or so Taijis who came today were all tribal chiefs who had helped him ascend to the throne.

However, some losses were enough to make them turn to Su Nang.

What happens next? Twenty? Thirty?

After this battle, who will ultimately be in charge of the Tumed tribe?

If he doesn't do something soon, his authority as the Prince of Shunyi will be completely shattered, and he will become a complete joke!

"enough!"

A roar like that of a trapped beast burst from Bu Shitu's throat.

He abruptly pushed Ao Buyan aside and stood up.

"Sunang, you don't need to spread your lies here! I am the leader of the right-wing tribes!"

He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Five days! I'll only wait five more days!"

His voice echoed throughout the entire tent.

"If the Ming Dynasty sends no further confirmation within five days, I will personally lead the troops to fight Ligdan Khan to the death! What do you say?"

Everyone fell silent, watching Bu Shitu roar in anger.

A smug, cruel smirk slowly crept onto Sunang Taiji's face.

"Okay, five days. You said it yourself."

He withdrew his imposing demeanor and turned back to the leaders behind him.

"Everyone heard that. If he doesn't fight in five days, I will!"

He paused and said word by word:

"Remember, the position of Wolf King will always belong to the bravest Baturu!"

After saying that, he strode out of the tent without looking back.

Behind him, the dozen or so tribal leaders hesitated for a moment, glanced at Bu Shitu, and finally withdrew from the tent one by one.

The huge tent was instantly emptied by more than half.

Bu Shitu seemed to have all his strength drained away, slumping into his seat and panting heavily.

Han Ahai walked over to Bushitu, patted him on the shoulder, and couldn't help but sigh.