Chapter 434: Who Else But Me

Watching the welcoming party that had come ten li out from the city from a distance, Subadi heard Liu Chengzong's interpreter beside Zhou Riqiang say that Liu Chengzong had come out of the city to welcome them, and his heart sank.

He exchanged a glance with Babu; both saw the startled suspicion in the other's eyes. Though no one spoke, their expressions made their thoughts perfectly clear: Why has he come out to receive us? With so many people here, do we still kowtow or not?

Liu Chengzong, seeing them from afar, was thoroughly delighted. He spurred his horse forward, only reining in his warhorse when the two sides were a little over a hundred paces apart, and watched them slowly approach.

Once the men of the tribute party had all dismounted and proceeded on foot, Liu Chengzong also swung down from his horse. He saw an elder and a younger man, wearing jeweled ba li hats and narrow-sleeved leather coats, leading the group slower and slower as they drew near. When they were a few paces away, the elder and the younger man opposite him even froze for several breaths.

Then the elder in the ba li hat at the lead bowed his head, and both men knelt on their left knees simultaneously and performed three kowtows.

Subadi declared: "Great-great-grandson of Dayan Khan, great-grandson of Geresenje Jalair, grandson of Ashihai, son of Laihul, Khalkha League Master, Right Wing Chief Borjigin Subadi, kowtows before the Great Khan."

Babu, kneeling on one knee and kowtowing, stole a glance at Subadi and hurriedly followed, announcing his name: "Son of Shuolei of the Khalkha Left Wing Chechen Tribe, Borjigin Babu, kowtows before the Great Khan."

Liu Chengzong stood opposite and received the rites, then cupped his hands and bowed in return, quickly stepping forward to support Subadi to his feet, and told Babu to rise as well.

Just then, he could still hear Batur Hongtaiji muttering behind him: "What's he so proud of, still a Borjigin. Chaotu, go announce your name, you're a Borjigin too."

Chaotu Taiji could not even be bothered to acknowledge him.

Batur Hongtaiji's relationship with the Khalkha Right Wing could not be called particularly good. Subadi's father of the Right Wing had once conquered and ruled the Oirat, specifically dispatching Subadi's uncle Ubashi as Hongtaiji to establish the Khotogoid tribe to oversee the Oirat.

Later, Ubashi was killed, and the Oirat gradually broke free from the Khalkha Right Wing's control and rose to prominence — this had all happened within the last ten years at most.

However, a few years ago, the Jin Kingdom rose in the east. Facing a greater threat, Khalkha took the initiative to make peace with the Oirat, and open warfare between the two sides ceased.

But that did nothing to stop Batur Hongtaiji from finding his former overlord an eyesore.

Liu Chengzong did not take this to heart. As long as the Oirat and Khalkha had no real conflict of interest, mere mutual dislike would not spark a war.

He smiled at Subadi and said, "Elder Brother should have sent word to me long ago. Suddenly learning that you personally led a delegation here threw your little brother into a fluster. It's freezing outside; let us first go into the city and warm up. Please."

Dai Daozi, translating beside him, thought to himself that the Grand Marshal truly could call anyone brother. This Subadi looked to be a full ten years older than Liu Laoye.

Subadi, for his part, had nothing to complain about. That Liu Chengzong would come out to welcome him left him feeling rather overwhelmed by the unexpected honor. He could hardly stand outside the new city foolishly pondering matters of seniority with Liu Chengzong, and besides, his purpose in coming here was certainly not to make Liu the Lion call him uncle.

So he adopted an attitude of taking things as they came, letting the guest follow the host's lead.

The attendants in the envoy party were received by Marshal's Manor clerks and settled outside the city. The furs, horn bows, fine horses, and white camels their party carried were entered into the storehouses, while Subadi, Babu, and the others followed Liu Chengzong into the Marshal's Manor yamen.

Once host and guests were seated in the main hall, Subadi finally spoke: "Since the Khagan ascended to heaven, our tribe has heard that the Oirat tribes and Chahar jointly support Your Excellency as the Dundaa Khagan. We northern khanates have never borne any enmity toward the Khagan; it was merely that our own state was in chaos and we did not maintain relations. Now, I have come on behalf of the Khalkha Tumen to offer congratulations to the Great Khan, specially presenting nine white horses and wishing the Great Khan good fortune and prosperity."

Liu Chengzong nodded slowly. He understood perfectly, and his smile was very gentle.

The meaning in Subadi's words was quite clear: he was saying that Khalkha had never borne any enmity toward Ligdan Khan in the past. The unspoken implication was that there was also no particular bond of gratitude. If you wish to inherit Chahar, then inherit Chahar; we will not openly oppose it.

But do not delude yourself into thinking you have thereby inherited the Mongol legitimate succession — even Ligdan Khan, we tribes of the Mobei region were not particularly willing to pay him any mind.

This was basically identical to Liu the Lion's earlier guess about Khalkha's attitude, and the attitude was even somewhat better than he had guessed.

But this did not explain Subadi's act of personally condescending to come here.

Liu Chengzong said, "I am very grateful for your sentiments. A few months ago, the Grand Consort came to me with Shuolei's letter, and I even thought Khalkha wanted to have a fight with me."

"Please rest assured, Great Khan, Shuolei has absolutely no such intention."

Subadi thought to himself that they had no such intention, and even if they did, they certainly could not say so.

From everything he had seen and heard along the way, the Dundaa Ulus was neither Great Ming nor Mongol.

Mongol meant nomadism, and nomadism meant every man a soldier — but it also meant being very easy to strike.

Pick a moment when an opponent has let down their guard, spend two or three months preparing and conditioning the horses, then scatter their warriors in one battle and seize their women and children in another, and you could cripple an entire nomadic kingdom.

Great Ming meant agriculture, and agriculture meant wealth. Though their elite standing army was not easy to fight, their common people were very easy to plunder.

The problem was this Dundaa Ulus: it had both an agricultural standing army and the nomadic universal conscription. From the sea coast to the new city, it also looked so poor they might as well pawn their trousers — nothing but military camps and pastures one after another, with nothing worth plundering. The whole thing was a hedgehog.

Strong soldiers and sturdy horses, and no one knew where the money to feed the troops came from. Only a madman would want to clash with them.

"That being the case, Elder Brother has come neither to wage war nor to submit to me." Liu Chengzong shook his head and spread his hands. "Then what has Elder Brother come here personally to do?"

"I have come to have an audience with the Great Khan. At the same time, since the Great Khan has already inherited Ligdan Khagan's tribes, he ought to avenge Ligdan Khagan..."

Before Subadi could finish, Batur Hongtaiji practically leaped from his chair. "Great Khan, drag him away and slaughter him! That Ligdan died of smallpox — who is there to take revenge on?"

Although Ligdan Khutugtu had not died at Batur Hongtaiji's hands, he had always wanted to kill Ligdan Khan. So the moment he heard Subadi speak this way, he felt this man from Mobei was a treacherous minister, here to frame the loyal and good!

Liu Chengzong, however, showed no anger. He merely said to Subadi, "If Ligdan Khagan had possessed courage like yours, daring to come see me without any wariness, I would not have let him be killed by smallpox. The Khagan's younger brother, Chaotu Taiji, is right there. If you wish to know how he died and how his tribes came to submit to me, you may ask him."

As soon as his words fell, Subadi looked toward Chaotu Taiji, and Chaotu Taiji spoke: "I came to see the Grand Marshal, and the Grand Marshal let me catch smallpox. The Khagan did not come to see the Grand Marshal; he had never had smallpox, so the smallpox took the Khagan away."

Subadi had originally had no intention of asking how Ligdan Khan died, but once Chaotu Taiji put it that way, the look he gave Liu Chengzong changed.

What do you mean, 'I came to see the Grand Marshal, and the Grand Marshal let me catch smallpox'?

Subadi feigned calm, slowly swallowing his saliva. Had the smallpox under Liu Chengzong's control already been arranged to send off a second Khan?

"Great Khan, I am not, I..."

Subadi said, "What I mean is, it was the Jurchen of the Jin Kingdom who caused the Khagan's death. If not for them, the Khagan would not have migrated west, and the Khan's court would not have weakened. The Great Khan ought to avenge the Khagan."

Clap!

Liu the Lion applauded and cheered: "Well said!"

Encouraged, Subadi continued: "To jointly resist the threat of the Jin Kingdom, all tribes should swear a common oath, clearly define each tribe's rights, duties, and pasture boundaries, and unite with one heart to resist the foreign enemy together."

Liu Chengzong nodded again and said, "Well spoken!"

But at this moment, Subadi sensed that something seemed off about the atmosphere in the hall.

He looked left and right, toward Batur Hongtaiji and Chaotu Taiji, and found that both of them lacked any interest in this topic. Xie Erhu, on the other hand, was watching him with a gaze full of interest, but he had no idea who Xie Erhu was.

Everyone was looking at him without speaking, making him feel intensely awkward.

What... what did this mean?

In the awkward silence, Batur Hongtaiji looked toward Liu Chengzong. Seeing the Great Khan nod, he then shook his head and laughed. "Ah, the Hongtaiji is too kind. Let me tell you... all these things you speak of, we have already done."

"The Chahar tribe, Dzungar tribe, Yongshieb tribe, Khoshut tribe, Dorbet tribe, and Tumed tribe under the Great Khan have already formed an alliance. All honor the Great Khan's commands, accept the pasture boundaries delimited by the Great Khan, and together unite to resist..."

Batur Hongtaiji paused here, his eyes fixed intently on Subadi: "... the foreign enemy."

Seated in the host's seat, Liu Chengzong shook his head and laughed silently. He realized that this Batur Hongtaiji was simply someone who fed on an audience. He had been perfectly normal ever since Ligdan Khan died, but the moment he laid eyes on Subadi, it was as if he had returned to the days when Ligdan Khan was still alive.

Yet the feeling was somewhat different. When Ligdan Khan was alive, the attitude Batur Hongtaiji displayed was a genuine desire to put the Great Khan to death. Toward this Subadi, however, it was more that he could refrain from acting, but absolutely had to frighten him.

Subadi was not afraid of being frightened. He paid no attention to Batur Hongtaiji, merely looking at Liu Chengzong and saying, "Khalkha also wishes to join the alliance."

"Fine!" Batur Hongtaiji rose, glaring. "The Kyrgyz tribe are my subjects — return them and the Yenisei River to me!"

Subadi frowned. "Those are subjects of the Khotogoid tribe."

Batur Hongtaiji turned to Liu Chengzong, clasping his fists. "Great Khan, the Khotogoid are a tribe of the Khalkha Right Wing. He can't do it — this league chief can't control the Khalkha."

Though Liu Chengzong had no idea what the Khotogoid tribe was, he understood perfectly well: Batur Hongtaiji was unwilling to let the Khalkha join the covenant, because once the Dzungar and Khalkha drew their borders, Batur Hongtaiji could no longer campaign eastward for furs.

He asked Subadi, "I thought you, elder brother, were the Khalkha league chief. If you cannot decide for the Khalkha, then for whom have you come?"

The Khotogoid tribe was a tribe created during the period when the Khalkha conquered the Oirat. Its chieftain held the title of Hongtaiji, encamped by Lake Uvs, centered on the Tannu Uriankhai.

The purpose of creating this tribe was to control the Oirat. The first Hongtaiji was Subadi's uncle; the current Ombu Hongtaiji is Subadi's cousin.

Although Subadi was league chief, in his view Batur Hongtaiji was simply making unreasonable trouble, because no league chief had ever been able to adjudicate the borders of the tribes under him.

Pastures are like the houses of the Han people — even a league chief can only manage his own family's house. By what right should he give away someone else's courtyard?

He frowned. "Where is there such a principle? As Oirat league chief, can you adjudicate the pastures of the four tribes?"

To his utter astonishment, Batur Hongtaiji nodded with great pride. "I can."

Having said this, the Hongtaiji turned to Liu Chengzong, clasped his fists, and said, "Not only can I — the pasture boundaries of all our tribes are decided by the Great Khan. If the Great Khan ordered me to give the Kyrgyz tribe and the Yenisei River to you, then I would simply give them up."

After speaking, Batur Hongtaiji cast a deliberate glance at Liu Chengzong.

The meaning was unmistakable: Great Khan, see how I'm making you look good?

In truth, both he and Liu Chengzong knew perfectly well that there was no tribal dispute here at all. The Kyrgyz tribe and the Yenisei River meant furs.

This problem was very easy to resolve. The Hongtaiji wanted furs only to trade for guns and cannons. At bottom, it was merely a matter of a few hundred guns a year.

But to Subadi's ears, it sounded entirely different. He turned to look at Babu, who stood dumbstruck, then shifted his shocked gaze back and forth between Liu Chengzong and the Hongtaiji, thinking: On what grounds?

Pasture boundaries are the prerogative of every Great Khan, but the Great Khans who have ever distinguished themselves in dividing pastures have always been the most just and wisest of men.

Because tribes are the private property of the Mongol nobility. Only directly-ruled tribes are property the Khan can divide as he pleases.

It is like the difference between private fields and official fields — the official house cannot arbitrarily swallow up another's private fields, just as a Great Khan cannot command another man's tribe.

Never mind on what grounds Batur Hongtaiji could freely divide the private property of others in the league — on what grounds could Liu Chengzong command Batur Hongtaiji!

Subadi's entire worldview collapsed.

Liu Chengzong understood the inner workings perfectly, and so the look he gave Subadi was one of deep sympathy.

It was like two neighbors fighting endlessly over three feet of courtyard wall, using negotiation, violence, and every other method, quarreling for generations without resolution — then suddenly someone steps forward, says a few words to one neighbor, and that neighbor simply stops fighting.

Is that realistic?

It isn't realistic. To Subadi, it was sheer fantasy.

What he didn't know was that this person had the power of money, and had stuffed a pile of silver into his neighbor's hands.

Liu Chengzong spread his hands. "Elder brother, you surely know that everything in this world has a price. I can make the Hongtaiji give up the Yenisei River, but that too has a price. You have no intention of submitting to me — why should I pay such a price?"

Subadi was momentarily speechless.

This had nothing to do with his ability to adapt. That Liu Chengzong could make the Oirat abandon their dispute with a single sentence was simply too far beyond his comprehension.

And within the limits of his existing understanding, Subadi could not make the connection to the arms trade between the Marshal's Manor and the Oirat. He could only think in one direction — the Oirat had been beaten so badly by Liu Chengzong in this war, beaten until they could muster not a shred of will to resist, that they were utterly prostrate with admiration and would accept any command.

Liu Chengzong did not care about Subadi's speculations. In his heart, he very much wished to annex the Khalkha, but it could not be in the form of a league — a league-form Mongolia was far too weak.

He said to Subadi, "Since we have spoken to this point, and you, elder brother, have come in person, you must have made some assessment of the situation. You know in your heart that Mongolia is unprecedentedly weak. An independent Khalkha cannot stop me, nor can it stop the Jurchen of the Jin Kingdom."

"I know that, for your people, all things in this world are emptiness — only honor is immortal. For any chieftain with the ambition to call himself Khan, admitting to be another's subject is a lifelong stain that can never be washed clean."

Liu Chengzong rose and paced the hall, then looked at Subadi. "But now, the Mongols east of the desert all stand with the Jurchen, and the Mongols west of the desert all march with the Han. War will come sooner or later — the northern desert will not remain aloof."

"The Jin Kingdom's Hong Taiji is truly a wise ruler, and his men are fierce and skilled in battle. Rather than accept a humiliating status after defeat, it is better to choose a worthy lord and serve him while there is still time."

These words of Liu Chengzong stunned not only Subadi and Babu, but even Batur Hongtaiji and Chantu Hongtaiji.

Only Xie Erhu remained utterly composed. He knew that Liu Chengzong had always regarded the Jin Kingdom as his greatest hypothetical enemy — there was surely more to come.

Sure enough, Liu the Lion continued: "Yet their people are few and their land narrow. With a mere two hundred thousand Jurchen, they lord over two million Mongols. Are the Mongols truly so unworthy of Jurchen fear? And if they fear you, will they not teach you to check and harm one another, strip your real power, and hold your very lives in their grip?"

"But we Han number in the tens of millions. The Mongols are no more than a single drop in the vast sea — what is there to fear? Without fear, there can be tolerance. Look at the situation south of the desert today: east and west, Liu and Hong Taiji alike can share life and death, hardship and peril with the Mongols."

"But when the great enterprise is accomplished tomorrow, and you wish to share the joy and take your share of the profit…" Liu Chengzong swept his gaze over the Mongol nobles in the hall. "Who else but we Han?"

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Good evening!