stubborn thief

Chapter 329
Hudun Rabbit Khan led the iron-hoofed horse on the desolate Gobi Desert, and the yellow sand stretched as far as the eye could see, desolation and despair everywhere.

In fact, not only Liu Chengzong on the other side of Qilian Mountain scolded Chuoketu in his heart, but also Huduntu on the north side of Qilian Mountain. Chuoketu's letter came at an inappropriate time.

Since launching the Eastern Expedition last winter and attacking Horqin, which has already surrendered gold, Chahar and Houjin have been at war with each other, and only one big battle is waiting.

But Huduntu knew well that even if he swept [-] households on the right wing, he still couldn't beat Huang Taiji.

Because Huang Taiji has the nomadic cavalry he has; Huang Taiji also has the regular infantry artillery that he does not have... Even if it is also nomadic cavalry, his Mongolian army is weaker than Hou Jin's Mongolian army.

Nomadism is not focused on traveling, but on herding. In fact, if there is a choice, the Mongolians are happy to stay in one place for a long time to farm.

Whether it is the Huns, Xianbei or Mongols, they all cultivate land in Mobei, Monan, and Moxi.

It’s just that the world is so big that all the good land has been snatched up by neighbors in the south. They live on land that is not suitable for arable land, so they choose to nomadic. arable land.

But the harvest is really not on the table. The most important mode of production for nomads can only be nomads. Agriculture, like trade, plunder, and hunting, can only take a backseat as a supplement to production.

In fact, each tribe is like a huge mobile town, traveling along a fixed route and camping at a fixed location every few years.

The travel route explored by the ancestors of the tribes for generations does not interfere with the water of the river. In summer, they camp in summer pastures that are not easy to be flooded and have few mosquitoes, and in winter they camp in places that are leeward for warmth.

Merchants know where to sell, craftsmen know where to work, and nobles know when and where tribes appear.

These travel routes merged into the entire grassland, like countless connection problems, the Han people could not match each grassland with each Mongolian tribe one by one, just like the Mongolians did not know who the donkey cart on the Gaoliang River belonged to.

But the tribe corresponding to the pasture belongs to the common sense of herdsmen.

Huduntu’s westward migration of Chahar destroyed Tumed’s old production route; Huang Taiji’s westward expedition also destroyed the foundation of Chahar’s existence.

Nomads who leave their fixed pastures, even if they stand on new pastures, are just like the rogues who left their hometowns in the Han area, they are rootless weeds.

Because in a strange pasture, people don't know where is good grass and where is bad ground, where there is cold wind, and where to escape from the cold.

As for the front set within the range of Tumed Guihua City, the more serious problem is that it is no longer suitable for farming. However, Fanbushitu has half of Altan Khan's military strength, and Chahar can't even dream of conquering [-] right-wing households.

The nobles loyal to Chahar Khan were busy exploring the pastures in Guihua City, when they suddenly heard that Hou Jinhuang Taiji was instigating all the tribes, and wanted to raise troops to fight westward, and people panicked for a while.

Huduntu thought that he, Chahar Khan, was able to make decisions, but in fact he couldn't.

Under internal and external troubles, Chuoke Tutaiji wrote a letter, saying that he robbed the Han Marshal's Mansion in Qinghai to start a family business, and invited the Great Khan to recuperate on the plateau to restore the glory of the Mongolian Great Khan.

On the one hand, there is a powerful enemy that is difficult to defeat, and on the other hand, the lone loyalist in the southwest of the Great Mongol Empire, how to choose?move west.

In fact, Huduntu wants to move westward, not to occupy Qinghai, but to use Qinghai as a springboard to leap into Wusi Tibet. In short...the farther away from Huangtaiji, the better.

It's just that now, the entire Mongolian Khan court is stationed on the edge of the oasis outside Liangzhou, Gansu, but Huduntu Khan's heart is particularly depressed.

He traveled long distances and finally arrived at the place closest to Qinghai, but was told that Chuoke Rabbit was dead, at the hands of a man named Liu Chengzong.

Huduntu always thought that he was able to be decisive, but he kept breaking, and found that he was about to kill himself.

At this time, the way we came here has been unable to go back, and we braved the wind and snow to move eastward, and it is very likely that some tribes will be frozen to death, and the Mongolian Khan Court under the command has also become a bulk alliance with the westward move, and we may not listen to him when we go back to the east of.

Even if you listen, Guihua City may be taken by Huang Taiji.

There is a big desert in the north, and there is no way to go on that road. The only options left are west and south.

You can’t go to the west. Over there is Oirat, an old friend of Tatar’s bulk alliance. Decades ago, he often served as a mercenary for the Ming court.

Those people in the forest are also the mortal enemies of Chahar Khan, and it is impossible to offer him food.

To the south is the Gansu Frontier Army, and Liu Chengzong is waiting for him behind the Gansu Frontier Army.

On the Gobi Desert, Huduntu looked around in a daze...Houjin, Oirat, Gansu Frontier Army, Marshal's Mansion, he is not sure of winning against anyone!

The tribal form of Mongolia determines that the grassland is the life of the Mongols, and leaving the grassland means losing their lives, so not everyone is willing to move westward with him.

Even at the beginning, the people were willing, until Huduntu led them to the next pasture, and the large force marched westward, many of them fell further and further behind, and finally stayed in other people's pastures to recuperate.

So much so that when he arrived at the border of Liangzhou to count the population and livestock, there were only more than 4 people left under his command. What's worse is that only 4 men, women and children can ride horses and shoot arrows, but there are only more than [-] horses left. More than [-] livestock.

This situation made Huduntu hesitant. The long and narrow Gansu was very easy to break through. In the past, Tumot entered Qinghai, crossed Ningxia and Gansu many times, and sometimes even crossed the northwest of Shaanxi instead of Gansu. The population of the Ming Dynasty in the northwest was very large. Few, in the face of sudden crossing, it is difficult to organize defense.

But after crossing Gansu, he had to cross Qilian Mountains again. If he was beaten halfway through by Liu Chengzong, Huduntu would be finished.

So he decided to write a letter to Liu Chengzong, looking for an opportunity to avoid war, and sent his younger brother Ji Tutaiji to Qinghai first.

After receiving this mission, Ji Tutaiji said goodbye to his family with his elder brother's mission and the courage of a warrior of the Mongolian Empire. On the same day, his wife went to scold Da Khan. Might have to get started.

In the years when Huduntu Khan ruled the country, nearly 20 people in Monan Mongolia have died in battle because of the guiding ideology of "first deal with the inside, then deal with the outside", and even the headquarters of Huduntu lost [-]. .

Huduntu has never fought against Hou Jinhuang Taiji in person, and has been busy beating his own people.

However, in the environment of resentment from west to east and hatred from east to east, the death rate of Huduntu's emissary may be the highest among his counterparts from all countries in the world.

At first, Huduntu sent letters to Nurhachi, and the two sides detained and killed the messengers. Later, when Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne and abolished the rewards, Huduntu asked his brother-in-law and Wanhu Guiying Chataiji, the central army of the Chahar headquarters, to ask the Ming Dynasty for a reward. The younger sister became a widow.

Ji Tutaiji accepted the mission with the belief that he must die, but his wife did not want to become a widow like the princess.

Ji Tutaiji pretended to be a pilgrim and was cautious all the way. The Gansu frontier army did not stop these people too much. Entering Tibet in the name of worshiping Buddha is an old method inherited from the Altan Khan period. It has always been a must for the defenders on the Ming border. Works great.

At the beginning, it was because Alta paid tribute, and the officials above took care of the [-] right-wing Mongolian households, but later it became a habit at the grassroots level.

For a long time, the Northwest Frontier Army has eaten the least amount of food and suffered the worst beatings. Their mission is not to make this line of defense impenetrable, as long as it is not occupied by the enemy.

What's more, we can't prevent it. The oases in Gansu have largely degraded into deserts. Now the lower reaches of the Hexi Corridor have been completely abandoned. Only Zhangye and the northern Qilian Mountains are still struggling to survive due to the melting of snow.

For these pilgrims, the line of defense is almost useless. As long as they hand over some money, the frontier army doesn't care whether the few Mongols crossing the border are for incense or graves.

This made Pitutaiji feel a little relaxed, but just after crossing Qilian Mountain, Pitutaiji was caught because of a sheep.

There is no clear boundary between Haibei County and Gansu Town in the Marshal's Mansion. The Fanbu living in Qilian Mountains are the Nama Fan of the Ming Dynasty on one side, and the registered residents of Haibei County on the other. Even Xiao Lazun ran into Wusi this autumn. Tibet, and the leader of the Fan tribe came out of the mountains to drive Timba to pay for Xiao Lazun.

There was almost no movement of the local population, and a few aristocratic Mongolians suddenly appeared and said they wanted to buy sheep, and they also said that they were pilgrims who had entered Tibet.

But the chiefs of the Fan tribe in the Qilian Mountains were very happy. It has been so many years. The statue of Wencheng in the Marshal’s Mansion has been repaired to the top of Riyue Mountain, and Tumote is gone.
Ji Tutaiji was dragged all the way into Chen Qindai's Haixi county office.

Fortunately, Chen Qindai was of Mongolian descent. Hearing that he was delivering a letter to the Mongolian Great Khan, he took people to escort him to Juerwan. Only then did Tutaiji step on the tail of Chongzhen's fifth year and enter the Marshal's Mansion.

The Marshal's Mansion in Xincheng on New Year's Eve is the busiest time of the year.

In addition to the generals and county magistrates stationed in the frontier defense, many generals from the Shuaifu gathered together, and many chieftains from Xining were also invited to come here with their families.

The thirteen chieftain families in Xining all came regardless of their relationship, but some brought their families and some did not, but people's mentality was different.

Li Tianyu's expression was disturbed, he always wanted to find a chance to be alone with Liu Chengzong, but Liu Shishi didn't give him this chance.

Qi Guoping looked more like he came here to inquire about information. He looked very comfortable on the surface, but he was so nervous that his eyes wandered over the faces of the generals attending the party.

As for the other little chieftains, they seem to be jealous that Chen Shiwen got the power of Qianhu in Bajiao City, and he also wants to ask for an official position for himself when he comes here, or he just wants to hear the Grand Marshal's plan for Juerwan next year, and see how he can make money from it. Some money.

At this moment, the guards outside the hall came to report, and Chen Qindai came with Ji Tutaiji.

Liu Chengzong first called Chen Qindai in, asked who Ji Tutaiji was, and then asked the guards to bring Ji Tutaiji up.

Jitu didn't expect to see Liu Chengzong in such a state where everyone was watching, but his mental quality was not bad, he bowed and saluted and stammered, saying: "I am the emissary of the Great Khan, and I have a letter from the Great Khan, and I will submit it to Liu Chengzong General."

General?

The expressions of the people in the hall were a bit strange, and Chen Qindai reprimanded with wide eyes: "I told you earlier that this is the Grand Marshal's Mansion, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Liu Chengzong stopped holding the wine glass for a moment, put down the wine glass and raised his hand to signal Chen Qindai not to say: "Let him read the letter, and you will translate it."

Chen Qindai responded immediately, standing aside and urging Ji Tutai to read the letter.

In fact, Ji Tutaiji was also very worried. He didn't intend to take this air, but at any rate, the Mongolian Khan was targeting the Ming Emperor, and he had no way to bow down to Liu Chengzong.

Seeing that Liu Chengzong was not angry, Ji Tutaiji swallowed his saliva, took out the letter and took a few deep breaths.

Liu Chengzong and the others were puzzled, so they heard him read a series of words: "Lin Dan Hutuktu Shengwu Genghis Daming Xue Chan is invincible and incomparably great Chakravaldi Taizong The Jade Emperor of the Heaven and the Universe Turning the Golden Wheel Dharma King, To General Liu, Lord of Qinghai Lake."

After all, Yan Tutaiji, who was about to burst out his thick eyes with a blushing neck, finally took a breath like a fish on the verge of death, looking more tired than slaughtering a horse, and looked at Chen Qindai.

Chen Qindai was dumbfounded, read a few words vaguely, muttered in a low voice, 'This is too fucking hard to be human', shook his head and said to Ji Tutaiji: "You, say it again."

Ji Tutaiji stared anxiously: "Aren't you embarrassing me?"

"Okay Chindai, I almost understand."

Liu Shizi found that the Mongolian language of his county magistrate in Haibei was not very good, so he shook his head and said angrily: "Huduntu, Genghis Khan, Chechen Khan, Batu, Daiqing, etc., who the hell are they scaring? They want to talk to me. Declare war?"

Chen Qindai said in his heart that your level of Mongolian language is not good enough, Marshal, he waved his hands and shook his head anxiously: "It's not Marshal, just the Mongolian Khan, all of them are titles."

As soon as these words came out, the originally tense atmosphere in the hall disappeared in an instant, and the chieftains who were holding back their laughter all laughed without knowing who started it first.

Liu Chengzong also didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Seeing the crowd laughing and the embarrassed Ji Tutaiji in the hall, he waved his hands and said, "Forget it, give the letter to Qin Dai first, and let him read it to me. You belong to Huduntu." younger brother?"

After Chen Qindai finished translating, Ji Tutaiji was still complaining about his elder brother's title. Seeing that the airs he had ventured out were all taken away by this title, he simply handed over the letter, nodded and said, "Yes."

"Don't stand in the middle, you are a guest when you come, find a place to sit, you should eat and drink." After finishing speaking, Liu Chengzong said to Chen Qindai: "Come and read the letter to me."

In fact, the title of this letter is relatively convoluted, and the content is relatively simple. It probably means that Huduntu, the lord of 40 string-controlling Mongolia, entered Qinghai at the invitation of Chuoketu Taiji, but Chuoketu was killed by Liu Chengzong.

Although he and Liu Chengzong had no enmity in the past, but his own people were killed by Liu Chengzong, if he didn't express it, no one would listen to his reputation in the future, so Liu Chengzong had to apologize and give up a pasture.

The standard for an apology is at least 4 sheep or [-] taels of silver. If so, he is willing to canonize General Liu as Marshal of Qinghai.

Otherwise, this is a problem between the two of them, and God will decide who is the Lord of Qinghai.

After hearing Chen Qindai finish reading the letter, Liu Chengzong looked around at the people in the hall, regardless of whether they were chieftains or generals, they had complicated expressions on their faces.

There was no anger or fear in everyone, only looking at each other in blank dismay, puzzled and funny.

Because any fool can tell that Hudun Rabbit wants sheep. The price of sheep is about six or seven renminbi a head in more expensive places, and three to four renminbi a head in Xining.

The most outrageous thing is Jitu Taiji, Liu Chengzong listened to Chen Qindai read the letter for a while, and he couldn't find anyone.

Taking a closer look, this guy squeezed next to Xie Erhu and started cooking on the table full of dishes. The most happiest person in the audience was this outsider among the outsiders, and his cooking ability was at least eight old toasts.

Ji Tutaiji didn't want to find a place to sit down at first, but when he glanced at other people's tables, it was full of meat, and there was no food at all... He just sat down with a sudden ass.

"I, I'm not greedy." Although Chahar has already seen cannibalism, Ji Tutaiji still stuffed his mouth full of meat and explained to Xie Erhu: "I am willing to swear by half my brother's title, I am really not greedy, your food , you can see if you can fight."

Suddenly, he heard Chen Qindai calling him, swallowed quickly and wiped his greasy mouth from Dongpo meat, took two sips of water before saying to Xie Erhu: "It's pretty good, it's pretty good at fighting."

　good evening!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)