novelSusiti Chapter 97 The Tianqi Emperor is also in a dilemma
Chapter 97 The Tianqi Emperor is also in a dilemma
Chapter 98 The Tianqi Emperor is also in a dilemma
Chapter 097 The Twin City Guard Council Hall, the bonfire was burning brightly, and the aroma of roasted whole lamb filled the air.
The hall was filled with people. Chen Ying naturally sat in the main seat, flanked by generals of the Shahe Guard. On either side were the leaders of various Haixi Jurchen tribes, as well as chiefs of more than a dozen tribes, including the Wild Jurchen Woji tribe, the Hurha tribe, and the Hezhe tribe of the Dog-Eating tribe. Bomubogor led the leaders of the Solon main tribe, the Solon sub-tribe, the Reindeer-Eating tribe, and the clan chiefs of dozens of clans.
The Solon tribe had its own hierarchical system. Unlike the Jurchens, whose each Niru consisted of 300 people, the smallest unit of the Solon tribe was called Anag, which could also be called a hunting group. These groups were often formed by several hunters voluntarily forming temporary or long-term teams for hunting in peacetime and going on expeditions in wartime.
This unit can be understood as a small flag or general flag in the Ming Dynasty, because the number of people was not fixed, usually consisting of a dozen or more people, equivalent to the squad leader level.
A Mokun is composed of several Anags. A Mokun is similar to a Niru of the Jurchens. A Hala is a clan, which is also the most basic bloodline unit. This organizational structure is quite disparate.
For example, Baldachi of the Jingyaqili clan was divided into twenty-six Mokun, with a number of warriors between five and six thousand. The Dular clan, led by Bomubogor, had as many as forty-two Mokun under his command. Before being ambushed by the Jurchens, their numbers exceeded twelve thousand, and they occupied an absolute dominant position among the various Hara clans of the Solon tribe.
Each clan of the Solon tribe had a different number of people, roughly equivalent to a Jala of the Jurchens. However, large clans had more than one Jala, or even several Jala, while small clans had less than one Jala. There were forty or fifty clans in the three Solon tribes.
Bomubogor, along with the clans of the three Solon tribes, knelt on the floor before Chen Ying.
Chen Ying asked in a deep voice, "Solon chieftain Bomubogor, are you convinced?"
Bomubogor touched his forehead to the ground, his attitude extremely respectful: "Sinner—I submit."
Chen Ying really didn't understand why someone would kill five or six thousand of his men and refuse to surrender. He would fight to the bitter end, until death.
However, the problem is that the Solon tribe believes in strength. Now that Chen Ying has shown great strength, a strength that they dare not resist, they have become very docile. In this respect, they are very similar to the Jurchens. The Jurchens are also very similar in their way of life, not only in the grammatical structure of their language, but also in their national characteristics.
As is well known, the Japanese army killed approximately 1.35 million Japanese soldiers during World War II, while the Allied forces annihilated 2.2 million Japanese soldiers. The LeMay BBQ alone caused the deaths of more than 500,000 Japanese soldiers, injured more than 300,000, and displaced more than 8 million. Yet, the Japanese called the Japanese "father" and acted as the Japanese army's pawns.
The same applies to the slave trade. When Li Chengliang was alive, Nurhaci was Li Chengliang's grandson and behaved himself. Even when Li Chengliang killed Nurhaci's father, he dared not rebel. However, after defeating the Ming army in the Battle of Sarhu and occupying Liaodong in the first year of the Tianqi reign, he massacred more than three million Liaodong people in just over a year.
As the saying goes, two kinds of people can't sleep in the same bed; the Jurchens and the Japanese were simply birds of a feather.
Similarly, Chen used two thousand men to kill five or six thousand Solon people, which led to a consensus among more than forty Solon clans in a short period of time: to pledge allegiance to Chen Boying.
Chen Ying continued, "Are you willing to submit to the Great Ming and become a vassal state forever?"
"This servant is willing!"
Chen Ying asked Bomubogor, "Are you willing to abide by my rules?"
"This servant is willing!"
"Are you willing to obey my orders?"
"This servant is willing!"
Chen Ying was not naive enough to believe Bomubogor's promises. The promises of these tribal leaders were mostly meaningless; they could only add to what was already good, but never provide help in times of need.
Chen Ying had not considered how to change the Soren tribe. The current Twin Cities Trade Alliance only had three requirements: fair trade, no attacks between members of the alliance within a radius of 100 miles of Twin Cities, and mediation from Chen Ying if there were any problems, and no robbing of caravans.
Everything else remains the same. So far, the problem with the various tribes within Nurgan is, frankly speaking, poverty. But the problem is, Chen Ying can't actually solve this problem.
Chen Ying slowly walked down the steps, personally helped Bomubogor to his feet, and said softly, "Get up. Let bygones be bygones. From now on, you Solon people are subjects of the Ming Dynasty. As long as you work hard, you will have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a way to survive. But remember, follow the rules, and you will live. Break the rules, and you will die. Understand?"
Bomubogor knelt down again, his forehead pounding heavily on the ground: "The Solon tribe will remember your kindness for generations to come!"
Chen Ying picked up his wine bowl and stood up: "Gentlemen, today is a good day. Our Great Ming Dynasty, together with the Solon tribe..."
"From this day forward, all tribes of Haixi, we are one family. Let me make this clear: as one family, we must abide by our rules. Those who attack each other will be expelled from the alliance and never allowed to rejoin; those who plunder merchants will be executed; those who colluded with the Jurchens will have their entire clan exterminated immediately. If you can do this, you may stay. If not, leave now, and I will not stop you."
Hamutai was the first to stand up, raising his wine bowl: "The Xibe tribe is willing to abide by the rules!"
Meng Gun followed closely behind: "The Gualcha tribe is willing to defend it!"
The leader of the Woji tribe stood up: "The Woji tribe is willing to defend!"
One after another, tribal leaders, including those from the Hurha tribe and the Hezhe tribe of the Dog-Handling tribe, stood up to express their opinions.
Finally, Bomubogor slowly stood up, raised his wine bowl, and said firmly, "The Solon tribe is willing to abide by the rules."
From that time onward, the Solon people pledged their allegiance to Lord Chen for generations.
Hamutai was slightly taken aback. He clearly felt threatened. He was very clear that there was a fundamental difference between pledging allegiance to the Ming Dynasty and pledging allegiance to Chen Boying.
"Our Xibe tribe has been loyal to Lord Chen for generations!"
"Our Gualecha tribe has been loyal to Lord Chen for generations!"
Meng Gun also realized that since the four Hulun tribes of the Haixi Jurchen were destroyed, the Xibe tribe and the Gualecha tribe had become the largest tribes among the Haixi Jurchen tribes.
With Chen Boying's support, Hamutai's strength has grown stronger and stronger. We absolutely cannot let Hamutai surpass us. After Meng Gun finished speaking, the other leaders also realized that pledging allegiance to the Ming Dynasty was not the same as pledging allegiance to Chen Ying.
They swore allegiance to Chen Ying again in front of him. Chen Ying knew very well that these tribal leaders' oaths of allegiance were just for show, unless he could provide these tribesmen with enough to eat.
The problem is, how easy is it to get these people to have enough to eat?
However, at this moment, Chen Ying suddenly realized that it was not impossible. Now that we were in the Age of Exploration, the main factor restricting the development of Nurgan Commandery was the cold weather.
The snow and ice don't start melting until April, and the land can only be plowed at the end of April. But then, a cold wave suddenly comes in July or August, and all the hard work of the year is wasted.
The problem is that potatoes and sweet potatoes can be grown, especially potatoes, which are a very cold-resistant crop that only stops growing when the temperature drops to minus one degree Celsius. No matter how abnormal the weather is, potatoes will only have a reduced yield, but will not have a complete crop failure, which is significantly different from wheat and soybeans.
Just as Chen Ying was thinking about how to use potatoes and sweet potatoes to bring a better life to the various tribes within the Nurgan Commandery, Bomubogor slowly stood up, raised his wine bowl, and said, "Lord Chen, if I may be so bold as to ask, does our previous agreement still stand?"
Chen Ying was slightly taken aback: "What agreement?"
Bomubogor smiled slightly: "My lord, have you forgotten? This servant made an agreement with you that if the Solon tribe were defeated by you, and the Solon tribe pledged allegiance to you, this servant would give my three daughters to you as concubines—"
The council chamber fell silent instantly, and all eyes turned to Chen Ying.
When Chen Ying saw Bomubogor bring up the old matter again, he naturally remembered that Bomubogor's move, on the surface, was to fulfill the agreement, but in reality, he was putting him in a very difficult position.
If he agreed, Chen Ying would become the son-in-law of the Solon tribe, thus binding himself to the Solon tribe.
If they don't agree, it would be breaking their word in public, and the alliance that Chen Ying had just established would be fractured.
What's more troublesome is what other tribes will think once these words are spoken.
As expected, Hamutai reacted the fastest. He stood up abruptly, raised his wine bowl, and shouted, "Lord Chen! Although the Xibe tribe is small, it has a few daughters of respectable appearance! This servant is willing to offer my daughters to you, my lord, to serve you in bed!"
Meng Gun followed closely behind: "The Gualecha tribe also wishes to offer a daughter! My second daughter is sixteen years old and quite pretty!"
The leader of the Woji tribe retorted defiantly, "Even a slave has a daughter!"
"Hurhaha has it too!"
"We have that too—"
The hall erupted in excitement. Chen Boying was now the god of wealth for their tribes, who relied entirely on the supplies he brought.
If they could marry into Chen Boying's family, Chen Boying would treat them badly. The tribal leaders were all eager to stand up and offer their daughters to Chen Boying. Some even started arguing on the spot, refusing to give in, and almost came to blows.
Chen Ying was completely baffled.
With over a hundred tribes, even if each tribe only offers one woman, that's still hundreds of women. Even if his kidneys were made of iron, he couldn't handle that.
Moreover, once these women enter the mansion, each representing a tribe, they will compete for his favor, power, and profit. Eventually, his backyard will become a battlefield for the various tribes to fight for power, and there will never be peace again.
What's even more frightening is, what would the tribe behind the child think if a daughter from one of the tribes gave birth to a son? Would they have any inappropriate thoughts about him?
Will they try to help this child rise to power?
Chen Ying's head ached more and more as he thought about it, and he could barely maintain his smile.
Pishude quietly leaned close to Chen Ying's ear and whispered, "My lord, this is the rule of tribal alliances. Marriage is the most direct way to solidify the alliance. If you refuse, they will think you look down on them and don't want to truly become one family with them."
"I know."
Chen Ying gritted his teeth and whispered, "But this is too much!"
Pishude suppressed a laugh: "Sir, you can agree first and then figure out a way. It's better than turning against me on the spot."
Chen Ying took a deep breath and slowly stood up.
The hall fell silent instantly, everyone staring at him expectantly.
Chen Ying looked around and forced a smile: "I appreciate the kindness of all the leaders, but I have something to say beforehand. You have entrusted your daughters to me because you trust me and wish to become one family with the Ming Dynasty. Now that I have accepted them, I will treat them well and regard them as family. But there is one condition: once they enter my residence, they must abide by the rules of my residence."
The leaders cheered, "Of course we must follow the adults' rules!"
The banquet ended late at night. Chen Ying looked at the empty hall and let out a long sigh.
Su Mei couldn't help but laugh, "Congratulations, sir, you're destined to enjoy the blessings of having two wives!"
Chen Ying rolled his eyes: "You're still laughing? I'm almost driven crazy with worry. Over a hundred women, how am I supposed to settle them all?"
"Sir, you worry too much. The mistress of the house will naturally handle matters in the backyard!"
Su Mei put away her smile and said seriously, "My lord, in my opinion, this may not be a bad thing."
"Oh?"
"My lord, think about it. These daughters of tribal leaders grew up on the grasslands or in the forests and have always believed in the supremacy of force. I have heard that you, Madam, are exceptionally skilled in martial arts. If these women enter the manor, you can simply raise your fists and subdue them!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Ying instantly understood that Song Yanniang was no delicate woman. Her fighting skills were superior to most men. Even if these women were good at fighting, they might not be able to defeat Song Yanniang.
Women should handle their own affairs. Song Yanniang is the real Mrs. Chen, and Chen Ying's concern is somewhat unnecessary.
Chen Ying's mood instantly improved; he no longer needed to worry about the iron rod becoming a real thing. He looked at Su Mei and asked, "Are we currently cooperating with the Spanish?"
"What does Your Excellency wish to do?"
"I need to buy something from a Spaniard!"
Chen Ying already knew that the Spanish had started planting sweet potatoes on Luzon Island, and that they had also begun planting them in Fujian Province of the Ming Dynasty, but he needed these seeds.
Su Mei shook her head and said, "We have no cooperation with the Spanish, but we do have cooperation with the Portuguese!"
Chen Ying nodded and said, "Instruct your men to find some seeds from the West, such as tomatoes and peppers."
Corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and flax!
Chen Yingtai missed the taste of chili peppers. Without chili peppers, he felt that nothing was quite right, no matter what he ate.
"Yes, sir!"
With Chen Ying's agreement to take a concubine, the leaders of the Haixi Jurchen tribes, the Solon tribe, and the Wild Jurchen tribes all sent their daughters to the east city of Shuangchengwei. The Haixi Jurchen tribes, in particular, had never left Shuangchengwei and thus had the advantage of being close to the source.
The once empty backyard was instantly filled with people. More importantly, according to Chen Ying's aesthetic sense, there were very few beauties among these daughters of various leaders. At least, he didn't see a single beauty like those in period dramas.
Faced with these strong women, Chen Ying felt like dying.
Of course, Emperor Tianqi, who was in the capital, felt the same way as Chen Ying at this moment; he was also very distressed.
Hundreds of officials gathered outside the Meridian Gate, kneeling in a dense mass. Leading them were the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy; behind them were fifty or sixty other officials from the capital; and further back were the principal officials and assistant secretaries of various ministries.
There were as many as seven or eight hundred Imperial Secretarys.
"We implore Your Majesty to rescind your decree!"
"Your Majesty, please consider the well-being of the nation!"
"Your Majesty, we beseech you to execute the eunuch faction and purge the court of corrupt officials!"
The shouts were deafening, and could even be heard in the Qianqing Palace.
The Tianqi Emperor's face was ashen, and he said angrily, "They—they're trying to force me to abdicate?"
Wei Zhongxian, standing to the side, also looked extremely grim; he hadn't expected things to escalate to this point.
"Your Majesty, this servant—this servant has miscalculated."
The Tianqi Emperor murmured, "Six or seven hundred people—I can't possibly kill them all, can I?"
Wei Zhongxian remained silent.
If we kill them, the court will come to a standstill. If we don't kill them, how can we swallow this insult?
Inside the Qianqing Palace, there was a deathly silence.
The Tianqi Emperor was unaware that if he were truly ruthless, he could kill not only all of them, but only a few dozen, and these civil officials would back down, for people are, after all, afraid of death.
The problem is, this door cannot be opened either. Once it is, all avenues for the Ming Dynasty to avoid punishment for speaking out will be blocked, and probably no one will dare to speak the truth in the future.
Of course, the Tianqi Emperor was also dissatisfied with Wei Zhongxian. "Where's your guts? Just kill them! What are you afraid of? I'll back you up. Go ahead and kill them!"
Unfortunately, Wei Zhongxian dared not do so either. The emperor and his minister looked at each other in silence, both of them looking very depressed.