Chapter 584: Don't You Ordos Want to Be Enfeoffed as Kings?

In fact, no matter who had the final say in this matter, it would ultimately come to this.

It was perfectly natural for Sun Chengzong to have such considerations, since on the grasslands ahead, the Ming Dynasty's primary enemy would be Ligdan Khan.

The Khorchin and the Ordos were the ones the Ming Dynasty needed to win over—they could not be allowed to simply wander about the grasslands as they pleased.

You've reaped plenty of benefits from doing business with the Ming Dynasty, so when the critical moment comes, you must help. It's a simple either-or choice—being a fence-sitter is not an option.

If the Ming and Ligdan Khan went to war, then these people would have to make a choice. Just as the Khorchin and Inner Khalkha went to war, the Ordos would also have to form alliances.

Whether it was Ligdan Khan or the Ming Dynasty, both sides would have to settle these people before going to war.

Ligdan Khan could absorb them to strengthen his power; the Ming Dynasty could do the same, while also reducing pressure on the eastern defensive line. This was a good thing for the Ming Dynasty—there was no other choice.

Historically, Nurhaci did the same thing—he forced the Khorchin and other tribes to follow him in attacking Ligdan Khan. The Jalaid tribe of the Inner Khalkha was the most stubborn in refusing, and so the two sides came to blows. One tribe surrendered, two tribes were destroyed, and the other two tribes went to defect to Ligdan Khan, only to be absorbed by him.

After witnessing this, the Khorchin decisively cowered before Nurhaci. Whatever you say goes—I can't afford to offend either side.

Ever since that incident, the Mongol tribes would rather surrender to Nurhaci than defect to Ligdan Khan. The reason was simple: if I surrender to Nurhaci, he treats me well—high office, generous rewards, and even marriage alliances between our families.

You should know, this marriage alliance wasn't one-sided but mutual—Nurhaci would also marry his daughters out.

Under such circumstances, for the Mongol tribes, this was a relatively fair alliance. Though subjugated, the treatment was still good.

But if I instead went to defect to Ligdan Khan, he would kill me and swallow up my tribe.

Even if you are the Great Khan of the Mongols, the legitimate one, I'm not brain-damaged—I wouldn't do something like that.

The act of absorbing the other two Inner Khalkha tribes caused Ligdan Khan to lose the people's hearts. Not giving benefits or help is one thing, but striking so viciously? Is that what a Great Khan should do?

Now what the Ming Dynasty was doing was the same as Nurhaci, except instead of moving against the Khorchin and Inner Khalkha, they went straight after the Ordos alliance, forcing them to declare their position first.

Sun Chengzong's meaning was clear: if you agree, I'll support you; if you don't, then there's no deal.

Qasar didn't know what to say at that moment.

This matter was not his to decide. The alliance was a plan set long ago—he only needed to preside over it here. But if he were to agree to Sun Chengzong's terms, his father would need to make the final call. If he agreed, he feared he wouldn't be able to reach a consensus with his father upon returning.

There was also another matter: after he returned, he would likely come under attack from others because of this. That would be detrimental to his further succession to the position and would also displease the other tribes.

Those small tribes were not so easy to unify. If those people weren't so stubborn and hard-headed, they would have been swallowed up long ago.

Sun Chengzong, for his part, was in no hurry. He sat there calmly and composedly.

Qasar remained silent, so Sun Chengzong picked up his teacup and took a sip.

After a long while, Qasar still said nothing, so Sun Chengzong spoke: "I hear you have a niece who was raised under your care?"

Qasar hadn't expected Sun Chengzong to ask about this, though the fact that he had a niece was hardly a secret.

She was his younger brother's daughter. His brother had died early, leaving behind a daughter, and he had kept her by his side ever since. Of course, his brother's wife was also kept in his household.

Over all these years, he had treated this niece as his own flesh and blood. Such things were common on the Mongol grasslands—when a father dies, the son inherits. Even the Third Lady back then hadn't escaped it.

Qasar said: "I have only one niece. She's seventeen this year, and by all rights should have been married off long ago. It's just that over the years I couldn't bear to part with her, so I've kept her by my side, until she's grown this old."

"What does she look like?" Sun Chengzong asked again, his expression unchanged.

"Naturally, she is most beautiful." Qasar seemed to sense something and spoke with some hesitation.

In fact, Qasar had already guessed Sun Chengzong's intention.

Could it be that he wanted him to offer his niece to the Ming Emperor?

This was actually a good thing—if the marriage alliance succeeded, his own status would be greatly elevated. With the Ming Dynasty's support, this alliance would be secure. In the end, he might even be able to absorb those small tribes and become the third great power on the grasslands, directly contending with the Inner Khalkha and the Khorchin.

But there were two difficulties in this matter: one was what had just been mentioned, and the other was that he was rather reluctant to part with his niece.

Qasar had three sons but no daughters, and this niece had always been raised as his own daughter. Under such circumstances, marrying her off far away to the Ming—and into the complicated imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty at that—Qasar truly couldn't bear it.

Sun Chengzong nodded and did not continue on this topic.

A hint was enough; there was no need to fuss over the rest. Besides, he hadn't yet spoken to His Majesty about this—what if His Majesty was unwilling?

He would discuss this matter with His Majesty later. Still, Sun Chengzong believed he could persuade His Majesty. After all, this matter had only benefits and no drawbacks—it was merely a matter of sending one woman to the harem.

What kind of matter was this? How big a deal was it? The harem was vast—what did a few more women matter?

His Majesty currently had too few women. Many ministers could no longer stand to see it. This was not good.

Having too few women in the palace would not do. Take the Hongzhi Emperor of old—he had only one son, Zhengde, with one woman. If he had had more women and more sons back then, why would the throne have been passed to the Jiajing Emperor?

The current Emperor also had only one son. That simply wouldn't do. With more women, there could be more children.

It didn't matter if there were more Mongol women in the harem. Once His Majesty returned to the capital, another selection could be held, choosing some Han Chinese women to fill the harem—wouldn't that make the Han women seem more numerous?

—————

If Zhu Youxiao were here, he would certainly praise Sun Chengzong: "You're a real piece of work, aren't you!"

When the base number expanded, indeed Mongol women would no longer stand out. Among thirty thousand harem women, throwing in three hundred Mongol women—they wouldn't be conspicuous at all.

But won't you consider me for once? Can my kidneys take it?

In reality, the ministers never considered this question. For them, a womanizing emperor was never a problem—a womanizing emperor merely wanted a few more women.

So what if a few more selections were held? How many could one man use? Could he exhaust himself to death?

Dying from exhaustion was his own affair. What the ministers actually feared was the kind of emperor who was devoted to a single woman.

The Hongzhi Emperor of old was devoted to Empress Zhang and only fathered Zhengde. Look at her Zhang family—they actually managed to create a semblance of consort-clan power grabbing. What more was there to say?

Then there was the Wanli Emperor, who doted exclusively on Noble Consort Zheng, and the Xianzong Emperor, who doted on Noble Consort Wan.

An emperor doting on a single woman was precisely what the ministers feared and found most difficult to handle. His Majesty was very fond of the Empress—this was not good.

Zhu Youxiao didn't know what Sun Chengzong and the others were thinking, or he would have beaten them to death.

But Zhu Youxiao's opinions didn't hinder them from doing this at all.

Setting down his teacup, Sun Chengzong looked at Qasar and continued: "Do you know His Majesty is going to enfeoff kings to the Khorchin and the Inner Khalkha? Don't you Ordos want one too? I think this is a good opportunity."

Sun Chengzong wore a curious expression, looking at Qasar with the gaze of one regarding a fool.

The meaning was simple. You could miss such a good opportunity? Even a fool wouldn't miss it—what were you thinking? Did you really want to go on like this forever?

This gaze, concern laced with mockery, was truly unbearable.

After all, you knew his concern was fake—he was dying to watch your misfortune. But the mockery was definitely real, genuine mockery aimed right at you.

Under such circumstances, Hasal felt hot blood rush to his head, and he wished he could slam the table and stand up.

But in reality, he didn't dare!

After a long silence, Hasal smiled bitterly and said, "Lord Sun, this matter still requires me to return and discuss it with my father the Khan, and also to consult with the other tribes. For now, I'm afraid I cannot give Lord Sun an answer."

Sun Chengzong nodded, and his face turned cold as he said, "In that case, go back and discuss it then."

Having said that, Sun Chengzong stood up and walked straight out through the back, looking thoroughly angered.

Hasal still wanted to chase after him and say something—he couldn't let Sun Chengzong leave in such a huff.

Why was he so easily angered? He had only said he needed to go back and discuss it—there was no need to turn hostile!

But before he could chase after him, someone beside him stopped him and said, "Our master needs to rest now. This way, please—I'll see you out."

Hasal glanced at this fellow with his hypocritical smile, then flicked his sleeves and left.

If he stayed any longer, he would end up hitting someone!

These people were simply beyond comprehension!

After returning to the rear, the man who had just been about to see Hasal out walked over. Glancing at Sun Chengzong, he said with some concern, "Father, letting him go like this—won't there be any trouble?"

Sun Chengzong glanced at his second son, Sun Zhen, and said, "A piece of mud that can't be plastered onto a wall—no use keeping him around. Let him go on his own."

Sun Chengzong had many sons and grandsons. His eldest son had already become a County Magistrate, and his second son, Sun Zhen, had also earned the juren degree. He had always stayed by Sun Chengzong's side, attending to him and studying alongside him, while also preparing for the imperial examinations, hoping to pass with distinction.