Chapter 98: A Father-Daughter Talk

After the crowd dispersed to rest, Wanyan Hong also went to his daughter Wanyan Yuzhuo's quarters, intending to give her some instructions.

Unexpectedly, what greeted him was Wanyan Yuzhuo's fierce opposition: "The Ming Emperor's daughter won't marry him — if you want someone to marry him, go marry him yourself!"

His face full of black lines, Wanyan Hong feigned anger: "Insolence! Is that how you speak to your father!"

Seeing Wanyan Hong angry, Wanyan Yuzhuo was not afraid. She first apologized to Wanyan Hong, then continued: "Father, your daughter truly does not wish to marry that little Ming Emperor.

I beg you — please don't make your daughter marry over there, alright?" Seeing that the hard approach had failed, she now began pleading with soft words, hoping to avoid being married off to the Great Ming.

Seeing his most beloved precious daughter in this state, Wanyan Hong's heart softened as well. He was just about to agree, but suddenly recalled the purpose of his visit, and so he forcefully swallowed back the word "Alright" that had already reached his lips.

Wanyan Yuzhuo saw Wanyan Hong's expression stiffen. Her mind turned, and she put on a look as if she were about to weep, choking out: "Father, Mother died early, abandoning Yuzhuo and leaving her uncared for — now do even you not care for Yuzhuo anymore?"

Wanyan Hong, however, knew his daughter very well. Seeing Wanyan Yuzhuo put on this act, he truly did not know whether to be angry or amused.

He laughed and said: "Enough, put away that ridiculous act of yours. Father won't fall for your tricks.

Father is having you marry the Ming Emperor for your own good."

Seeing that she could not fool Wanyan Hong, Wanyan Yuzhuo's little face, which had been on the verge of tearful beauty, immediately stiffened. She said rigidly: "What do you mean, for my own good?

Isn't it for the tribe? You, our great chieftain, are truly most devoted to your duties — for the tribe, you can even give your own daughter away to the Ming Emperor."

Seeing Wanyan Hong silent, Wanyan Yuzhuo continued: "I hear that the Ming people are preoccupied with those useless poems, lyrics, songs, and rhapsodies — surely their Emperor is the same? If that is so, can the Ming Emperor even ride a horse?

Can he draw a bow? If your daughter marries over there, won't she just be marrying a worthless man?"

The reason was that, although the Xibe people at this time also lived a hard life, their ancestors, the Xianbei, had once ruled the Central Plains.

Even now, the Jianzhou barbarians could thrash the Ming army, yet an equal number of Xibe warriors could thrash the Jianzhou barbarians. From this, Wanyan Yuzhuo had drawn the conclusion that all Han people were frail scholars who could not even truss a chicken.

As the leader of these frail scholars, the Chongzhen Emperor was surely also a weak, bookish man who could neither lift a hand nor carry a load on his shoulder.

And no matter which nomadic people you looked at, what they yearned for was the wealth of the Central Plains people. Talk of admiring culture and the like was merely pretty words to fool ghosts.

A nomadic people who had always revered martial strength — when had they ever truly looked up to the Han people?

Earlier, when Wanyan Hong had spoken with Cui Chengxiu about how greatly he admired Han culture, those were in truth nothing more than polite pleasantries.

Had it not been for the sake of the Wanyan clan's tribe, he likely would never have met with Cui Chengxiu at all — a weak, chicken-like bookish scholar, what was there worth taking seriously?

Even coming now to persuade Wanyan Yuzhuo was nothing more than bowing to circumstances. If they did not lean toward the Great Ming, their tribe would suffer oppression from the Jianzhou barbarians.

Although the Jianzhou barbarians claimed kinship with the Wanyan clan, who actually believed such nonsense?

If they leaned toward the Great Ming, then even if the Jianzhou barbarians raised troops to attack, he would not be afraid.

For one thing, although the Xibe were much closer to the Jianzhou barbarians than to the Great Ming, if the Jianzhou barbarians were enraged and attacked, with the many Xibe tribes divided in purpose, they would likely be unable to defeat the Jianzhou barbarians.

But do not forget — the Xibe ancestors had also once lived in splendor. They had their own blacksmiths and smelting methods.

When the time came, he and those tribes on good terms with him could fully rely on the iron goods sold over from the Ming dynasty to forge superior weapons, and with warriors in the tribe even more elite than the Jianzhou barbarians, they could properly teach the Jianzhou barbarians how to behave.

Furthermore, in attaching themselves to the Ming dynasty, since the Ming were after all far more distant than the Jianzhou barbarians, it would not be easy for them to oppress his people. And the price offered by the Ming Emperor was enticing. How to choose required no further words.

Thinking to this point, Wanyan Hong's heart hardened again. He smiled and said: "Good daughter, who told you the Ming Emperor is a frail scholar?

Truly deserving of a beating! Do you know, word has come from the Jianzhou barbarians' side that the Ming Emperor personally led troops and drove the Jianzhou barbarians out beyond the passes.

From this, you can see that this Emperor is indeed a figure of some consequence — not as useless as you imagine."

Wanyan Yuzhuo, however, said: "Even so, can he draw a strong bow? Can he shoot down a bird flying in the sky?"

Hearing such childish reasoning, Wanyan Hong burst out laughing: "Silly girl, the Ming people's mechanical arts are exceedingly formidable. Their bird guns can raise a hand and shoot down birds taking flight in the woods — what need is there for any strong bow?

And besides, a man who can draw a strong bow is a match for a hundred men, already considered formidable, is he not?

Yet the Ming Emperor can command the realm's troops to pursue and strike the Jianzhou barbarian forces personally led by Hong Taiji — that is the true match for ten thousand men."

He paused briefly, then continued: "Yuzhuo, your mother died early. Father has cherished you as the tip of his heart.

That Hong Taiji has long coveted your beauty — you are not unaware of this. Now our Xibe people are split apart, each looking only to themselves, and worse, the Maljia clan and the Ningguta clan tribes have submitted to the Jianzhou barbarians.

Although the Jianzhou barbarians say on the surface that we are brother peoples, do you know what they call the Ningguta clan? Armor-wearers!

Their status barely surpasses that of the Han and Joseon people, those Aha — they are even inferior to the banner soldiers! Yet those base wretches of the Ningguta clan take pride in this, believing they have won the Jianzhou barbarians' trust!

Those damned base wretches — the Eternal Blue Sky will surely punish them!"

Wanyan Yuzhuo, who had always been held in the palm of Wanyan Hong's hand and cherished, was hearing so many of these things for the first time. She stood frozen on the spot, scarcely able to believe what her ears were hearing.

Wanyan Hong, however, ignored Wanyan Yuzhuo's shocked expression and continued: "Yuzhuo, your father is incompetent. As yet I cannot unite all the Xibe tribes.

If Hong Taiji truly sends troops to attack, your father has no full confidence that he can protect your safety. But if you marry the Ming Emperor, it will be different.

First, if you marry the Ming Emperor, you will reside within the passes. That brat Hong Taiji has already lost face once beneath the walls of the Ming capital and will not lightly go there again — you will be far safer.

Second, with the Ming Emperor's investiture and support, your father can unite our Xibe people. On the day I succeed, I can properly teach that brat Hong Taiji a lesson.

As for the third — that Hong Taiji is now thirty-six years old, yet the Ming Emperor is just eighteen, and both skilled in letters and martial arts — he is indeed worthy of you."

Having finished this speech, Wanyan Hong sighed again and said: "Think it over carefully yourself. Father will not force you. If you are unwilling, at worst we will migrate further north — we will always find a way to survive."

(End of Chapter)