novelSusiti Chapter 2158 - 1563: What Would Happen if Potatoes Were Introduced to Mongolia? (3)
Chapter 2158 - 1563: What Would Happen if Potatoes Were Introduced to Mongolia? (3)
"Chief Divine bears witness! Emperor Taizong made five expeditions to the Northern Desert, mostly choosing spring to dispatch troops. This was to disrupt the Mongolians’ most crucial spring herd breeding, attacking them when their horses were frailest after a long winter. Then, regardless of how the Mongolian cavalry forces fled or maneuvered without fighting... the Northern expedition Ming Army focused solely on the finest pastures, seeking out the Mongolian Tribes’ herds and slaughtering all livestock on the spot!""These slaughtered livestock serve as an important measure of merit for the court, equivalent to slaying the Mongolian Tribes’ warriors! Because, as long as the Mongolians’ herds are significantly reduced, their food sources are effectively destroyed. No matter how many of the Mongolian main forces escaped, they would eventually have to resort to internal conflict due to the absence of herds, lacking food, reducing their numbers to match the remaining herd population... And should they face a harsh winter disaster, freezing the surviving animals to death, it could even decimate entire tribes!"
If the environmental carrying capacity of the Northern Grassland symbolizes the eternal population limit of the Northern Nomadic Tribes, then the size of the herds represents the temporary population limit of the nomadic tribes, akin to the agricultural tribes’ fields. But unlike fields, herds are living and more fragile, resulting in more volatile population carrying capacities! The nomadic tribes generally lack grain reserves, so once there’s a significant short-term die-off of livestock, a terrifyingly substantial population decline is inevitable!
This drastic change in the population of nomadic tribes can result in the loss of thirty to fifty percent of the population. Its occurrence rate coincides with the once-every-decade harsh winter disaster, meaning every generation, the same devastating losses occur! All people can choose is how to die, whom to let die, and where to die! This brutal natural fluctuation, representing brutal slaughter, contrasts sharply with the experiences of the southern agricultural tribes, likened to the true beast herds!
"Chief Divine! The nomadic tribes of the North are akin to the beast herds on the grassland... They possess horses, the terrain is flat and expansive, constantly migrating, annexing, and battling! This is the path of survival for beasts, migrating thousands of miles, death being as simple as breathing... They live in pursuit of water and pastures, which is essentially the pursuit of ’something to eat!’ Only by eating can one survive."
"This beast-like survival method is decreed by Heaven, and no one can change it!... Even with Emperor Taizong’s five Northern campaigns, it only brought about a generation of peace... A generation later, the remnants of Mongolians on the grassland once again thrived like wolf packs, developing alongside their herds to their limits. Then, the cruel winter struck again, freezing large numbers of livestock to death, reducing the population to half of its limit... But this time, they had an alternative. They produced a King Jing Shun, who could unite the grassland tribes, lead them southward, Master of Wala ahead! The events that followed became a taboo the court would never discuss. The grassland outside the Nine Borders became no longer under the court’s possession..."
At this point, Ali let out a long sigh. He then gazed at Zuwaro with an unprecedented solemnity and spoke in a deep voice.
"Ancestor High Priest! Do you know what will happen if this potato that can be planted in the harsh northern territory is introduced to the Mongolian Tribes?"
"With Chief Divine’s blessing! I think... If these Mongolian tribes can allocate parts of their water-rich pastures, planting large fields of potatoes... Then they could possess sufficient food to withstand the harsh winter disasters that freeze livestock, surviving on stored potatoes!... With Chief Divine providing sustenance, the tribes would no longer face the terrifying winter disaster and death. These surviving Mongolian tribes would surely offer fervent devotion to the infinitely revered Chief Divine!"
At that moment, Zuwaro’s eyes were bright, indulging in endless possibilities for the future, like a truly pure saint. Yet in the next moment, Ali’s cold voice arrived, as chilling as a bucket of cold water over his head, leaving him speechless!
"No! Ancestor High Priest! You know nothing of the cruel order of the Northern Grassland, the beast herd law of the Mongolian Tribes!"
"Introducing potatoes to Mongolia would be just like Emperor Taizong’s five Northern expeditions, only bringing about a generation of peace!"
"Ali, what are you saying? A generation of peace?"
Zuwaro showed surprise. He hesitated for a moment before asking.
"You mean? Even if these Mongolian tribes plant potatoes, after a generation, there still wouldn’t be enough to eat?"
"Yes! Ancestor High Priest, the grassland follows the beast herd law! The food on the Northern Grassland will always be insufficient! All the nomadic tribes will grow to the population limit to protect themselves and consume others as much as possible!"
Ali pressed his lips together, his eyes blazing as he stared at Zuwaro. Around them, Mongolian Pastoralists were busy milking, young children helped, and the tribe exuded harmony and tranquility. Yet this rare harmony was a brief illusion on the grassland, a thin veil over the brutal truth. As Ali uncovered the veil, the beast herd law of mutual scrimmage on the grassland became bloodily evident before Zuwaro’s eyes, just like the distant howling wolf pack!
"Chief Divine bears witness! Unless there is an extremely powerful force, capable of dividing pastures among tribes, establishing a peaceful order on the grassland, halting tribal conflicts... thus limiting tribal populations from reaching their limits..."
"Otherwise! When potatoes are introduced to tribes, they will desperately give birth to children, desperately increasing their populations. They must not be weaker than surrounding tribes, like a wolf pack striving to be as strong as possible!"
"Thus, after a generation passes! When the population of the Mongolian Tribes suddenly doubles... They will still face food shortages like beast herds reaching their limits on the grassland! Once another winter disaster strikes, freezing their livestock and potato fields... They will have no choice but to mount horses again, surge southward like beast tides!"
"With potatoes fostering population growth, a doubled count of Mongolian Tribes, if forced to migrate south due to a harsh winter disaster, could easily muster hundreds of thousands of nomadic cavalry! And at that point, it would be a nightmare for the Southern Ming Dynasty, and even for the Northeastern Jurchen Tribes, a terrifying time for the Mongol Yuan to strike again!"