Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 172 True Mountain Farmer
Ministry of Agriculture

Borjigin sat in the large tent with more than twenty warriors from his tribe.

Inside the large tent, everyone was eating around a fire burning cow dung, with a bowl of strong liquor and two lamb legs in front of each person.

While everyone was drinking and eating, a short-haired young man ran in from outside.

"Father, the Governor of Shannong Province has arrived, bringing many people with him!"

Borjigin was immediately startled and quickly stood up, saying, "Why are you here at this time? Please come in! Let's go out to greet you!"

Many of the people in the tent were grassland people who had been recruited in recent years, and no one understood how much Borjigin valued the mountain farmers.

The one who still had a long braid sat there, her wrists resting on her knees, sitting peacefully without moving.

"Khan, according to our rules, you are the Khan of our tribe, and there is no reason for you to go and greet you."

"According to the rules of the Shan Nong people, you are also a king appointed by the Shan Nong emperor, so there is no reason for you to go out and greet a governor."

This man was brave in battle and skilled in leading troops; Borjigin admired his bravery.

"No, the people of the mountain farms are not only our friends, but also our honored guests. They protect our wives and children when we go out to fight."

"This year, the grass on the grassland has died from the cold, and the cattle and sheep are starving to death. This is the case for both your tribe and my tribe. We cannot survive without the help of the mountain farmers."

"The wine we drink, the meat we eat, and the grain we consume are all gifts from the mountain farmers."

Without even looking up, he smiled and continued to sit there, arguing, "This is a gift from heaven. Khan, you have 50,000 cavalry and have subdued many tribes in the northern desert. You can have wherever you want!"

Without even raising a hand to his chest, he bowed his head and said, "As long as you give the order, I am willing to occupy the most fertile pastures for you!"

Borjigin sighed, “You only saw the easy-going side of the mountain farmers, but you haven’t seen the scene of the mountain farmers’ emperor going into battle to fight the enemy.”

"If you saw it, you wouldn't think that 50,000 men could stand against the Mountain Farmers. The Mountain Farmers' emperor likes to cultivate the land and hoard food, but anyone who tries to rob them will only become fertilizer in the land."

The two were speaking in Mongolian when a man wearing a fur coat walked in.

Wang Qing didn't understand Mongolian, so Adaihai, who followed him in, was responsible for introducing him.

"Great Han, this Lord Wang Qing is the governor appointed by King Wu, in charge of the affairs of the entire Shan Nong Province."

Borjigin said politely in Chinese, "Lord Wang, please come in. May I ask what brings you here?"

Wang Qing said apologetically, "I have come here to apologize on the orders of King Wu. King Wu has instructed me to come and convey his apology."

Many people in the tribe speak the mountain language and are looking at this side with curiosity.

Borjigin was also puzzled and afraid that the mountain farmers would cut off trade at this time, so he hurriedly invited Wang Qing to sit down and talk.

"Please sit down, sir. I've been getting along well with the mountain farmers, but I don't know where things have gone wrong?"

Under the watchful eyes of some newly joined generals, Borjigin invited a Han official to sit next to the Khan's throne, showing him the utmost courtesy.

Wang Qing was unaware of the local rules; he was merely an administrative official, not a political one.

If someone offers you their seat, you actually sit down.

After sitting down, Wang Qing said apologetically, "This year, King Wu summoned the governors of the five provinces to Luoyang to report on their work, mainly to count the total population of Shan Nong Kingdom and find out how many newborns there are."

"Everything was fine until I reported on my work. King Wu couldn't understand why a million newborns were born in the Mountain Agriculture Province this year."

“I carefully told the truth. King Wu was furious when he learned that the assimilated mountain farmers had made Mongolian women give birth to their children and did not recognize them as wives, separating the mothers and children.”

Wang Qing apologized to Borjigin, saying, "His Majesty ordered me to come here personally to apologize on behalf of the Shan Nong tribe to the Gui Nong and Gui Hua tribes."

"His Majesty has offered 100,000 taels of silver, 100,000 strings of copper coins, 10 tons of tea, 500,000 bolts of silk, and 200,000 head of cattle and sheep, hoping you can forgive those ignorant Han Chinese mountain farmers and also provide 10,000 mountain farmers to take care of women who have given birth." "His Majesty has said that from now on, anyone who wants to marry a woman from the grasslands must do so legitimately, and he has also banned the sale of children, making such a crime punishable by death."

Borjigin and Adaihai were moved by the kindness and righteousness of the mountain farmers when they heard this.

What was a perfectly normal thing in the eyes of others, a matter of mutual benefit, became an intolerable crime in the eyes of the rule-abiding mountain farmers.

Borjigin lamented, “Everyone says that the Han people know shame, but all I’ve met are people who are afraid of death and don’t know shame.”

"Han people often scold people from the mountains and fields for not knowing the rules, but I saw true benevolence and rules in the mountain farmers, and I saw a square and round canopy that can regulate the four directions."

"Lord Wang, could you please inform His Majesty that I am willing to lead the Guihua tribe to submit to the Shan Nong Kingdom and await King Wu's command?"

The modern moral standards of the Arctic warriors are far greater than those of the ancients, and also far greater than the average level of this chaotic period.

Wang Qing smiled and said, "That's no problem. I'll have someone inform the King as soon as I get back."

Borjigin nodded and then said, "This year, much of the pasture in the north has died. Our tribe has to retreat to the Hetao region to survive. Many people from the northern deserts have come to join us. We need more food and pasture."

"Could we allow some of our people to work in the Mountain Farmers' Country, or give us a pasture? We will pay taxes according to the Mountain Farmers' rules."

The problem for the Mongols was that they didn't have enough food to eat and couldn't keep their cattle and sheep alive.

It's winter now, and no matter how many cattle and sheep we give them, they won't survive.

Wang Qing dared not agree, for as a Han Chinese, he certainly had to be wary of the Mongols.

"I need to report this matter to His Majesty before a decision can be made."

Borjigin nodded and said, "Okay."

Adaihai said from the side, "This matter is very important to us. I want to go to Luoyang to explain this matter to King Wu in person and also to present gifts and express my gratitude."

Borjigin felt that this was the proper way; since King Wu had sent gifts, it was customary to return the favor according to the rules of the grasslands.

Wang Qing did not refuse, as the submission of foreign tribes was a serious matter and required King Wu's permission.

It would be terrible if these people rebelled after they entered; Wang Qing and the others could not bear that responsibility.

King Wu granted him authority over many matters, but when it came to crucial issues, it was still necessary to consult King Wu.

After Adaihai went down, Borjigin and Wang Qing talked for a while to learn what Beijiwu had done in the past few years.

Knowing that Arctic Wu was busy farming, stockpiling food, counting the population, and establishing various rules, he felt that the Mountain Farming Kingdom would definitely become stronger.

Not long after, Adaihai came in with two women, bringing out a tiger skin and a bowl of golden sand.

Borjigin smiled and said, "This is a gift for you."

Wang Qing immediately waved his hand, "I came here on behalf of King Wu to apologize and make amends. How can I accept gifts? Please take them back; I cannot accept them."

Borjigin said, "You brought so many gifts, we should return the favor according to custom, that's our custom here."

Wang Qing refused to accept these gifts, saying, "I am here to apologize, not to offer gifts. If I accept these gifts, I will have to report to King Wu. King Wu has already given me a very generous salary. How can I accept money and gifts while serving King Wu? That would break the rules, and my subordinates would follow suit. All the envoys who come after me will also take this as the rule."

"If I don't take it, my subordinates won't take it either. We eat the grain given to us by King Wu and spend the legitimate wages he gives us."

"Please stop talking. According to the rules of the mountain farmers, once you say no, you mean no."

Borjigin stared at Wang Qing in shock, immediately mistaking this man who looked like a Han Chinese for a real mountain farmer.

Only true mountain farmers possess such noble moral qualities, unlike many Han Chinese who impersonate mountain farmers, whose eyes are full of calculation and whose mouths are always full of benefits.

(End of this chapter)