Chapter 220: The Uriankhai Regional Commanding General

"Congratulations, Chief Urmai. Once you pass through the pass, you shall become the Emperor's father-in-law. As father-in-law of our Great Ming court, has any of the Uriankhai tribes ever had such an honor before?"

Feng Quan was actually rather proud of himself—after all, he was now carrying out the Emperor's decree and setting a precedent.

Since the founding of the Great Ming in the Hongwu era, there had truly never been a consort of foreign blood. Last year, our Emperor donned armor and personally led a campaign; now taking a foreign woman as consort seemed more like he had grown weary of the delicate beauties within the palace—could it be he wished to taste the thrill of conquering a woman from beyond the frontier?

Hearing these words, Urmai truly could not tell whether this was a blessing or a curse.

"Father-in-law—how big an office is this?"

Hearing his question, Feng Quan burst into laughter, raising his hand to an exaggerated height, and said: "The father-in-law of our august Great Ming Emperor—how many such men exist under heaven? Even greater than that false emperor of the Jianzhou barbarians. Tell me, how big should this office be?"

Urmai had now lost all his earlier shrewdness and sharpness; his eyes flickered with bewilderment. Feng Quan found it rather amusing and stoked the fire further, saying:

"Our Great Ming has stood for nearly three hundred years, and never once has a foreign woman been enfeoffed as an imperial consort. This matter has already stirred controversy at court. As for the ancestral injunctions of our imperial forebears, even the present Son of Heaven must obey them. So I, in private, would remind the father-in-law: to avoid difficulties, it would be best for you to register in the Han registers."

"Moreover, once Lady Tuoya and the father-in-law enter the Han registers, from then on you shall be subjects of our dynasty, no longer foreign barbarians beyond the frontier. Our Great Ming Emperor is one who favors his kin—using this as grounds, he can grant you many benefits with great convenience."

"Though our acquaintance has been brief, I can see that the father-in-law is a man who plans for the long term. If the Jianzhou barbarians are destroyed one day, would you have your clansmen remain within the pass to continue making a living, or return to that bitter cold land beyond the frontier to keep herding?"

"If you enter the Han registers, when the Emperor wishes for you to stay, it shall be a perfectly legitimate matter. Think on it—is what I say not reasonable?"

Feng Quan was like a cunning old fox, every word unfathomable. Yet Urmai's mind was now in turmoil, with no energy left to spar with Feng Quan. Torn between anxiety and hesitation, he was led by the nose and nodded in agreement.

Before long, Urmai felt something amiss and asked: "Are the benefits of entering the Han registers truly so many? After entering the Han registers, must we also learn the Han script?"

Seeing that this big fish Urmai had finally taken the bait, Feng Quan breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, though his face still wore a smile as he said: "On this matter, the Son of Heaven has also spoken: from now on, within the territory of the six guards of Uriankhai, your clansmen shall be permitted self-governance, and the Shuntian Prefecture yamen shall not establish offices there."

"In the future, you will after all be residing within the pass for a long time. Even if the Son of Heaven does not consider your clansmen, he must consider our Great Ming's imperial consort. So to remain within the pass, learning and using Han script and Han speech is absolutely essential."

"To this end, the Emperor has also said he will establish academies and schools locally, teaching your clansmen—men and women, old and young—our Han culture free of charge. As for whether you keep your own customs, whether you observe our festivals, whether you use our lunar calendar—those are your own affairs, and the court will not interfere."

Before Urmai could say anything, a chieftain from another tribe spoke up: "Since we are to enter the pass, we must learn the Han language and script. Otherwise, once inside, unable to understand a word of their tongue, what good is merely registering in the Han registers?"

"Mm! I have seen the Han script before. As for their language, it's nothing special. We should enter the Han registers and learn their script—our own script is far too complicated; I think we'd best just use Han characters!" said another minor tribal lord of the Doyen who was attached to the Uriankhai main tribe.

Urmai also nodded, neither approving nor objecting.

The tribes on the lands of the Three Doyen Guards had never consisted solely of the Uriankhai main tribe, the Ongniud tribe, and the Ujiyed tribe—there were also small tribes like the Nen Khorchin and Aluba that attached themselves to the three great Uriankhai clans. Besides a common language and script, each also had its own language, script, and differing customs—truly quite a jumble.

For Urmai, learning and uniformly adopting the Han script and language was not necessarily a bad thing. After all, the nature of grassland men would not change; this way, dealing with people within the pass would also be more convenient.

Beyond the pass was too cold and too harsh. This time he was going in, and he had no intention of returning.

Things could not always go smoothly. Just as Urmai was about to nod, a minor tribal lord suddenly stepped forward to object: "This won't do! The language and script our Old Ancestor left us—we have used them for several hundred years without any change. How can we simply cast them aside?"

"Don't you Han have a saying: the laws of the ancestors cannot be abolished? I say the grasslands have their own rules. If we abandon even our own script and customs, are we still the proud sons of the grasslands!?"

"Well said! If the grassland men are raised this way, they will become no different from the feeble Han within the pass. Since we are to have self-governance, we ask your Son of Heaven to respect our grassland customs!" another minor lord clamored.

Hearing the objections of these minor tribal lords, Urmai fell silent at once. Feng Quan narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking to himself that there were indeed a few who understood matters—but it was already too late now.

Feng Quan saw no need to waste words with those stubborn roughnecks. He simply produced a golden-yellow scroll and read it out with solemn ceremony: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

"Sacred and benevolent, spreading far and wide—all beneath heaven's cover and earth's support revere and cherish him; the imperial mandate extends universally, reaching even the sunrise at the sea's edge, all submit. In former days, our imperial ancestor nurtured many regions; through the mountain peaks, walls and passes came to divide. Now at this flourishing time, it is fitting to praise and honor the ancient statutes.

"Whereas you, Urmai of the Hada clan, rendered meritorious service in following the campaign decreed by the Ancestor, and knowing to revere the Central Kingdom, knocked at the gates ten thousand li away, earnestly seeking to submit. Your sincerity in obedience being firm, favor shall not be withheld in gentle embrace.

"You are hereby specially enfeoffed as the paramount chieftain of all tribes of the Uriankhai region, and granted this patent of appointment. A special post of Uriankhai Regional Commanding General is established, governing the six guards, hereditary in perpetuity.

"Alas! The dragon-bedecked decree descends, bringing robes and crowns beyond the frontier; the wind stirs the grass garments, securing the vassal screen of the Celestial Court. Let you be mindful of the duties of a subject, strictly observing the covenants; feel the imperial grace already deep, and never waver in your sincerity. Respect this."

When Feng Quan finished speaking, the room fell silent at once. The men of the Uriankhai tribes stared at each other with wide eyes—damn it, what in the world had this Han official's long-winded speech actually said?

Feng Quan understood this was like playing a lute to a cow, so he placed the weighty imperial decree into Urmai's hands and translated:

"The Emperor of our Great Ming has enfeoffed you as the joint paramount chieftain of all Uriankhai tribes, and has furthermore specially established the post of Regional Commanding General, permitting you to pass it down by heredity. Heredity means that from now on, your son's sons, and your son's sons' sons—all your descendants—shall be the Uriankhai Regional Commanding General of our Great Ming! Why do you not hurry and receive the decree and give thanks?"

It was only after hearing so many mentions of "sons" that Urmai understood the meaning of the decree. Father-in-law of the Emperor, Regional Commanding General, and the jointly appointed paramount chieftain of all Uriankhai tribes—just how many offices had the Great Ming Emperor's mother given him all at once? He feared even his own father, Hadaxi Zhen, had never reached such heights.

At this thought, Urmai knelt on one knee and, in a proper manner, raised the imperial decree above his head, saying:

"Your subject, Urmai, Uriankhai Regional Commanding General, receives the decree and gives thanks!"