Chapter 561: Wukeshan Accepts His Fate

Three reports of victory arrived in a single day—no one had expected that. Neither Zhu Youxiao, nor Sun Chengzong, nor anyone else within Shanhai Pass had seen it coming.

Once this news came out, everyone reacted differently.

The common people and officials of the Great Ming naturally needed no elaboration—they were overjoyed. The entire Shanhai Pass was plunged into a fervent atmosphere of celebration, with alcohol being consumed at a frantic pace.

Many merchants who had transported wine up from the south found themselves in their element once they arrived, directly selling their liquor at a discount—small profits, quick returns.

Besides, with this much joy to go around, once such occasions became more frequent, the merchant guilds would make plenty of money here anyway. In their elation, they sold wine as if it cost nothing, figuring they'd earn it all back later—and building a reputation in the meantime was a fine idea.

Now that the Imperial Household Department held jurisdiction, the merchants of the Great Ming were in generally good shape overall. Once word of mouth was established, many things became far easier to handle.

Ever since the matter of Imperial Suppliers had come into being, merchants had all come to realize the importance of reputation—a time-honored brand was a golden signboard.

In recent years, many merchants had begun seeking out lineages for themselves; tracing back three hundred years was considered the bare minimum, while some went straight back to the Han and Tang dynasties, trumpeting so-called "Han-Tang craftsmanship" and "a millennium of accumulated heritage."

Some believed it, some didn't. But if such claims were repeated often enough, people naturally started to believe—especially abroad, where it worked splendidly. In Joseon, for instance, it worked extraordinarily well.

Besides the common people and officials of the Great Ming, there were others within Shanhai Pass.

King Yi Jong of Joseon was exceedingly pleased. Though he wished to meet the Great Ming Emperor at once, he had ultimately been a step too late.

Zhu Youxiao, having received so many reports of victory, naturally had his hands full, so he let Yi Jong go cool his heels on the sidelines.

Though someone was entertaining him, he still hadn't managed to see Zhu Youxiao, which left Yi Jong somewhat disappointed.

But soon enough, that feeling vanished. The Great Ming was advancing so smoothly that the destruction of the Jurchens was merely a matter of time. Under such circumstances, his own throne grew ever more secure.

As long as he clung tightly to the leg of his daddy the Great Ming, wouldn't he soar straight to the heavens?

Yi Jong was in excellent spirits as well, paying visits all over these past few days, sending out a mountain of gifts, and seeking out people left and right to drink with.

Those with rather more complicated feelings were the Mongols—Wukeshan included. Though they were enemies of Hong Taiji, his annihilation this time brought them no small measure of benefit as well.

But having swapped that for a neighbor as powerful as the Great Ming didn't make Wukeshan nearly so happy. The Great Ming being this strong now gave them a profound sense of crisis.

If this war had turned into a stalemate, that would have been the thing they were happiest about. Unfortunately, their hopes came to nothing—the Great Ming had won this war with an unstoppable momentum. Everyone could see that within a month, the war would be over.

Though the Mongols and the Great Ming were allies, when the two sides' positions were unequal, one could hardly speak of an alliance.

Bumbutai watched her somewhat dejected brother Wukeshan, poured a cup of tea, and set it before him.

Sitting down directly across from her brother, Bumbutai said softly: "Brother, this is actually a good thing too."

Lifting his head to look at his sister, a bitter smile spread across Wukeshan's face.

At this point, perhaps the only option was to console himself? But in his heart, he still couldn't accept it.

Wukeshan looked at his sister and asked: "Do you still remember that time we were in Zhangjiakou?"

Bumbutai nodded.

How could something like that be forgotten? She would never forget it for the rest of her life.

That was the first time she had set foot on the soil of the Great Ming—and she had come to purchase goods in preparation for marrying Hong Taiji. But who could have imagined that she would be seized by the Great Ming Emperor?

If not for that incident, perhaps she would already be married to Hong Taiji by now.

Seeing his sister nod, the bitterness on Wukeshan's face deepened. He said: "Back then, the Great Ming Emperor laid out quite a few conditions for us, and over these past few years he has indeed fulfilled a good number of them. Danei City alone has made us a tidy profit. I had even thought that once we grew strong and prosperous, we might accomplish some great undertaking."

Though Wukeshan didn't say what his great undertaking was, Bumbutai could still guess at some of it.

Her brother and father had always harbored ambitions—it was simply that their own strength had never been sufficient to match such ambitions.

For instance, annexing the five tribes of Inner Khalkha, or better yet, if they could take Liaodong.

Destroy Hong Taiji, annex the five tribes of Inner Khalkha, and the Khorchin would have its chance to rise. They could strike westward, taking out Ligdan Khan and pushing all the way to Qinghai. By that time, the entire steppe would be theirs.

They could even send troops against Outer Khalkha and truly unify the Mongols in the fullest sense.

In Wukeshan's view, if the position he currently occupied were augmented with Liaodong, he would have a powerful logistical base—he could even extend his reach into Joseon, gaining the strength for expansion.

At that point, he would unite the entire Mongol nation and become a figure like Genghis Khan.

If the Great Ming were weak, he might well have been able to fight his way back. But everything before his eyes now left Wukeshan somewhat despairing.

Originally unable to defeat Nurhaci, he could only ally with the Great Ming, surviving in the narrow cracks between Ligdan Khan and Nurhaci.

Ever since the Khorchin tribe had swallowed up the Doyan Three Guards, the tribe's strength had grown enormously, and they no longer needed to fear Hong Taiji or Ligdan Khan. With the Great Ming as a partner, plus Inner Khalkha, self-preservation was more than sufficient—all that remained was how to grow stronger.

If this time the Great Ming and Hong Taiji had crippled each other, that would have been his opportunity.

But the Great Ming's overwhelming power filled Wukeshan with dread—he knew he had no chance now.

Danei City, his own tribe, and the territory of Inner Khalkha were all far too close to the Great Ming. With the Great Ming's current strength, they could send troops beyond the frontier at will. When that time came, there would be nowhere left to run.

This reminded Wukeshan of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming, Zhu Di—that renowned sovereign who had swept the steppe several times, even pushing all the way to the Greater Khingan Range. In those days, there wasn't a single Mongol left on these grasslands—everyone had fled. It was only after the Ming had weakened in recent years that the Mongols had the chance to migrate back. The Mongol tribes in the west were the same.

But now the Great Ming had turned things around.

This current Great Ming Emperor was still every bit as formidable—there was no chance left. If they didn't submit, they would likely be finished.

From now on, he could only grovel beneath the iron hooves of the Great Ming—how could Wukeshan possibly be reconciled to that?

"It is the times, it is fortune, it is fate." Bumbutai said slowly: "The Great Ming Emperor is not someone easy to deal with. Brother, you must not do anything foolish."

Bumbutai was genuinely afraid her brother might do something now. If anger and desire clouded his judgment, he would bring catastrophe upon the tribe—and even the people of the steppe might not survive.

She was truly frightened by this prospect, watching Wukeshan with worry.

Seeing the anxious look his sister fixed on him, Wukeshan directly shook his head and said with a smile on his face: "Enough, I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, there's no problem—your brother won't do anything foolish."

"Things are what they are now—what else can be done? The tribe may have to rely on you from now on. Once you're married into the Great Ming, get along well with this Great Ming Emperor. If you can win this Emperor's favor, it will be very good for both you and the tribe."

Bumbutai listened to her brother's instructions, but there was no joy whatsoever in her heart.

She knew that her brother, in his helplessness, had resigned himself to fate.

She knew that ever since she and the Great Ming Emperor had entered into a marriage agreement, for all this time her brother had never once spoken such words. Bumbutai also knew that this was the rhythm of someone ready to turn hostile at any moment.

But now that her brother had spoken this way, it proved he no longer had any intention of turning hostile.

Preserving the tribe was a very good thing. But seeing her brother like this now, she still couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for him.

"It's fine, I'm fine." Wukeshan patted his sister's hand and said: "The one who should be racking his brains now is Ligdan Khan."

"Indeed—the one who should be racking his brains is Ligdan Khan." Bumbutai echoed in agreement.

Faced with such a powerful Great Ming, no one could help but tremble. But whether the Great Ming would come after you—that was another matter entirely.

Of all the Mongol tribes, the one the Great Ming most wanted to destroy was Ligdan Khan. This orthodox Great Khan of the Mongols had long been a thorn in the Great Ming's side, a splinter under its flesh.

Later, after Hong Taiji rose to power, Ligdan Khan was forced to cooperate with the Great Ming. Now the foundation for that cooperation was long gone—from the moment the Great Ming began supporting his own tribes, the two sides had broken with each other.

It was just that Ligdan Khan had never been sincere either; he was still gathering tribes in the west. A war between the Great Ming and Ligdan Khan was inevitable sooner or later—it was only a question of when it would begin.

Just at that moment, footsteps suddenly sounded from outside, and then someone came in to report, "Chen Hong, the personal eunuch of the Great Ming Emperor, has arrived."

Wukeshan dared not be negligent and hurried out to receive him.

This man at the Great Ming Emperor's side could be said to be the Emperor's confidant. At a time like this, he could not afford to offend him; if he could befriend him well, the benefits would be many—and after his sister arrived in the capital, her days would be a bit easier too.

At this moment, Chen Hong was standing outside with a face full of joy.

Seeing Wukeshan walk out, Chen Hong said directly with a smile, "Greetings to Lord Wu. This servant has come to deliver you some good news."

"Please speak, Eunuch Chen." Wukeshan also wore a brilliant smile on his face.

The two of them both seemed very pleased.

"His Majesty has already decided to summon you the day after tomorrow to discuss the situation in Liaodong. This servant will not go around delivering the notice to everyone one by one—please, Lord Wu, inform them and tell them not to be late."

"As for the Inner Khalkha side, this servant will make a trip there myself—no trouble for you, my lord." Chen Hong said.

From this, one could see the Great Ming's attitude. The Mongol tribes the Great Ming Emperor cared about numbered only two: one was the Khorchin, and the other was the Inner Khalkha. All the rest were merely small side dishes.

Wukeshan felt somewhat helpless, but at the same time somewhat pleased.