Chapter 181

In the fifth month, at nightfall, Mars moved in retrograde, encroaching upon the Di constellation.

A large, crimson star hung in the night sky, flickering with an eerie light.

Nurhaci looked up, watching it intently.

Perhaps the astrological theory spread by the White Lotus Sect could truly correspond to reality.

At the very least, the current situation of the Jianzhou Jurchens was truly like this astrological phenomenon, flourishing like fire—oh no, that's not right, it seems to be 'flourishing like fire.'

Nurhaci returned to Hetu'ala Mountain City in the third month.

But upon returning, he didn't feel the sense of security of being home; instead, he was overwhelmed by an oncoming sense of tension.

The Jianzhou Jurchens were fighting with the Great Ming Dynasty.

More accurately, it was his stepmother's father, the foster son of the Great Ming's Liaodong Regional Commander and Hai Yushi-in-Chief Zhang Zhang Xueyan, and the most powerful force among the Jianzhou Three Guards—the chieftain of the Hitara clan, Wang Gao—who had plundered the Great Ming Dynasty once again.

This convenient grandfather of his, Wang Gao, was not wrestling with the Han people for the first time.

Seventeen years ago, after Wang Gao returned to Jianzhou from his studies in Fushun, he gathered his tribesmen, killed his way back to Fushun City, and beheaded the Great Ming's Garrison Commander, Peng Wenzhu.

Twelve years ago, Wang Gao again lured and killed the Han people's Deputy Regional Commander, Hei Chun, invaded Liaoyang, plundered Gushan, and raided Fushun, successively beheading dozens of people including the Commander Wang Guozhu, establishing prestige among the various tribes that no one could match.

It wasn't until four years ago that his convenient grandfather's convenient foster father—Liaodong Regional Commander Zhang Zhang Xueyan—personally stepped forward, led troops to defeat Wang Gao, and the two sides began exchanging prisoners and opening the horse markets.

Four years ago was also the time Nurhaci worked as a servant in Wang Gao's mansion.

It was only when the horse markets were flourishing the year before last that Nurhaci was sent by his stepmother to run trade.

He had thought the horse markets would continue peacefully like this, but who would have known that when Nurhaci returned to Jianzhou in March, he was stunned to find that the horse markets between the Jurchens and the Great Ming Dynasty had already been closed.

After asking around, he learned that his convenient grandfather Wang Gao had once again become murderous, taking advantage of the horse market to lure and kill the Great Ming's Garrison Commander Pei Chengzu and a low-ranking officer named Liu Cheng Yi, and plundered extensively.

But this time, the Great Ming Dynasty did not swallow its pride as it had in the past.

Perhaps they had hit some kind of nerve, but that Regional Commander named Li Li Chengliang was not prepared to let it go, immediately counting his troops and sharpening his blades, looking like he was about to press forward with a massive army at any moment.

Facing the unprecedented aggressiveness of the Great Ming Dynasty, the Jianzhou Jurchens finally felt panic and unease.

Nurhaci was unable to sleep all night.

Outsiders were at most afraid of disrupting their stable lives, but for Nurhaci, this convenient grandfather was highly likely to drag him into it as well—Nurhaci had heard plenty of stories about the Han people exterminating three or nine generations of a family while running trade.

In his view, this grandfather of his was simply stupid beyond measure.

Why offend the Han people for the sake of some supplies?

If it were him, he certainly wouldn't plunder the Han people; instead, he would show the Han people his greatest loyalty.

Not only would he pay tribute, trade, and submit memorials of vassalage, he would also fawn over the Han Emperor and act as a loyal vassal barrier for the Han people.

If one were sufficiently respectful on the surface, how could one easily invite the Han people's punitive expeditions?

Only in this way could one spare the energy to integrate the various Jurchen tribes of Jianzhou, Haixi, and Donghai.

Finding the lost Jurchen script, promulgating the Jurchen legal code, and establishing a Jurchen dynasty—why couldn't his grandfather, who only knew how to kill and plunder, think about these things properly?

Sigh, if only he could take his place.

When would he be able to split the family and establish his own power?

Perhaps, as long as it didn't implicate him, it would be a good thing if his convenient grandfather were killed by Li Li Chengliang; that way, his stepmother wouldn't be so overbearing, and when he split the family, he might even get a larger share of the assets.

He was lost in his own thoughts.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from outside the house.

Nurhaci was startled and poked his head out the window.

He only saw his younger brother running over in a hurry.

Nurhaci hurriedly walked out of the house.

Before he could speak, he heard his younger brother's urgent voice.

"Older Brother! Something has happened!"

Nurhaci held his younger brother's shoulders and frowned in confusion: "Shurhaci, what happened?"

Shurhaci was so anxious that his forehead was covered in sweat: "Older Brother, some Mongols have come to the city, saying they want to take you away!"

Nurhaci didn't understand what he meant upon hearing this.

What Mongols, and what did it mean to take him away?

Nurhaci brought his younger brother into the room: "Speak clearly, what Mongols? Where do they want to take me?"

Shurhaci took a deep breath and began to gesture wildly: "It was in the evening; several Mongols riding good horses entered Hetu'ala Mountain City."

"They just found our house and said they want to take Older Brother to the Han Emperor's palace to be a eunuch and enjoy a life of ease."

"Mother agreed as soon as she heard!"

"Grandfather didn't dare offend the Mongols, so he had to serve them wine, and while the Mongols were drinking, he let me come and tell Older Brother to leave quickly."

Shurhaci spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube.

Nurhaci had been listening with a frown, but his expression changed abruptly!

Be a eunuch?

He knew that eunuchs in the Southern Dynasty had to be castrated!

Did his bitch of a stepmother dare to harm him like this!?

Nurhaci glared hatefully in the direction of his stepmother.

He had no dealings with the Han or Mongol people; apart from his stepmother fearing he would split the family and take away property, there was no other reason!

Nurhaci hurriedly turned around and began rummaging through boxes and cabinets to pack his luggage—if he didn't run now, let alone being the King of the Grassland, he probably wouldn't even be able to be a man!

As he packed his luggage, he kept asking about the situation: "Which Mongol tribe are they from?"

He had to find out who his stepmother was colluding with so he could see which way to run; otherwise, if he walked right into their mouths, he wouldn't have a chance to regret it.

At this critical moment, Shurhaci naturally answered whatever was asked: "They are Mongols from the Uriankhai Uryankhai Tumen."

Nurhaci gasped, feeling that things were going badly.

Hetu'ala Mountain City was already in the grazing lands of the Uriankhai Uryankhai Tumen; it would be even harder to run now!

To the north was his stepmother's tribe.

To the west were the various Uriankhai tribes.

To the east was the Bohai Sea.

There was simply no way out.

Nurhaci couldn't accept it; it was as if he had no way to heaven and no door to earth.

He gritted his teeth: "How did that bitch from the Nara clan of Hada suddenly collude with the Uriankhai Uryankhai Tumen?"

Shurhaci hesitated: "It seems Mother didn't call them..."

Nurhaci was startled.

He only heard Shurhaci continue.

"The Mongols told Grandfather that Chang'ang of the Uriankhai Guard was defeated and was called by the Han people to the capital to pay tribute."

"To let the Han people know of his submission, Chang'ang took a tamed wild wolf, named it Chang'ang, and sent it to the Han Emperor."

"The Han Emperor was very happy and even taught people how to distinguish between a wolf and a dog."

"He told Chang'ang and his Han subordinates that when teasing them, one should look at their reaction; Chang'ang is a wolf, while Nurhaci is a dog."

"To please the Han Emperor, Chang'ang responded that there was a dog named Nurhaci in the Fuyu Guard's grazing lands, which could be sent to the Han Emperor to be a eunuch and pair up with the tamed wolf."

"And then they sent people to find us..."

Shurhaci's voice grew smaller and smaller.

Nurhaci was dumbfounded.

There was such a reason!?

Could the Han Emperor and Chang'ang, those two beasts, be any more childish!?

Relying on their high position and great power, they implicated an innocent person.

It was simply too bullying!

Nurhaci had originally thought about whether to rely on Li Li Chengliang and lead the way for the Han people—selling out his grandfather to weaken his stepmother, and perhaps even gaining a future for himself.

But now...

He instantly extinguished this thought and packed his luggage without a word: "Shurhaci, I'm going out to hide; I won't return until the Han people and the Uriankhai Mongols forget about this."

"During this time, I will travel north and south until I come of age."

Shurhaci asked in a worried, small voice: "Where is Older Brother going?"

Nurhaci was about to say it, but thought better of it and held back.

He squeezed his younger brother's shoulders hard: "Take care of yourself."

Then, without waiting for his younger brother to respond, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

Shurhaci watched his older brother's figure disappear into the black night with the wind.

Half a month later.

Kaiyuan City welcomed a Jurchen trade caravan.

This city was the closest city in the Great Ming Dynasty to Jianzhou, with an Eastern Route Assistant Regional Commander and horse market officials stationed there.

After the Eastern Route Assistant Regional Commander carefully inspected the caravan, he allowed it to stay at the post station.

This caravan was able to enter Liaodong while both sides were at daggers drawn, naturally because it was releasing signals of peace.

Wang Gao of the Jianzhou Jurchens was stubborn, so the Wan Khan of the Haixi Jurchens finally couldn't hold back and stepped forward to mediate.

Not only did he personally redeem eighty-two Han people whom Wang Gao had abducted from the horse markets and return them to Liaodong, he also took the initiative to send his son to the capital as a hostage, hoping to demonstrate submission and thereby quell this dispute.

It was precisely because of this that the Han border troops could allow Jurchens to enter Liaodong at such a time.

Nurhaci, mixed in the caravan, looked around cautiously and curiously.

In the caravan, there were elders who understood Han Chinese, whispering to their tribesmen—especially Menggebulu, who was going to the capital as a hostage—about the situation in Liaodong.

"... The Liaodong generals are all paper tigers, unable to withstand a single blow. In ten years, Yin Shangzhi, Yang Zhao, and Wang Zhidao died one after another at the hands of us and the Mongols, until Li Li Chengliang took office, when he began to repair military equipment, select officers, and recruit strong men from all directions, giving them generous rations and using them as elite troops."

"From then on, we never gained any advantage again."

"Therefore, the first person we must not provoke is Li Li Chengliang."

After this was said, someone naturally asked.

"But we have already offended him; if Li Li Chengliang really wants to invade our Jurchen tribes, what should we do?"

The elder remained silent for a long time upon hearing this and spread his hands: "It's just Wang Gao's faction that doesn't know death from life; how can that be called invading our Jurchen tribes?"

Everyone understood and couldn't help but sigh.

At this time, someone else asked curiously: "But I heard that the Han people's greatest leader in Liaodong is called the Viceroy; how does it sound like this Regional Commander Li Li Chengliang is bigger than the Viceroy?"

The elder shook his head and said something everyone didn't quite understand: "This person knows how to fight, and he also knows how to be an official."

Nurhaci didn't understand either, but he remembered the name; in the situation in Liaodong, this Li Li Chengliang must be a key figure.

But he had changed his name and was most afraid of attracting attention, so it wasn't easy to ask.

While listening quietly, Nurhaci also observed whether his fake identity was causing anyone to suspect him.

His trip to escape to the Han territory was a desperate move taken at great risk.

It was impossible to flee to his stepmother's territory, and even more impossible to head toward the Uriankhai direction.

Going to sea or to Korea was out of the question.

The Han people all say that the most dangerous place is the safest place.

Just like the only escape route Nurhaci could choose, it seemed dangerous, but he certainly wouldn't run into the Mongols or his stepmother's people.

Even the Han people wouldn't search for him within the frontier.

He only needed to leave at a suitable place, and he wouldn't have to worry anymore.

Of course, a suitable place certainly wasn't Kaiyuan City; it was too close to Jianzhou, and many people in Liaodong had seen him during the horse markets over the years, so accidents were hard to avoid.

Moreover, his saying to his younger brother that he would travel north and south wasn't just talk.

He truly intended to see with his own eyes the Han culture and the Han border defenses—what this place, which had once been defeated by the Jurchens and had now become the strongest country again, really looked like.

Holding this mindset, Nurhaci played his role in the caravan with peace of mind and didn't do anything that would arouse suspicion.

The following days.

The caravan followed the route designated by the Great Ming border troops—ninety li west to Sanwan Guard Post, another ninety li to Yinzhou Post, another ninety li to Yilu Post, and sixty li to Shenyang Guard City Post.

Nurhaci followed the caravan, observing Liaodong all the way.

The Han people didn't seem to live as well as the tribesmen's legends said; instead, the slave-like Han people occupied the majority.

Whether old or young, men or women, everyone was sallow and emaciated, and the houses by the roadside mostly looked like they had been abandoned for a long time.

One day, he even saw Han people at a post station lamenting something like "lives are destroyed by the whip, and fat and cream are exhausted by chewing and sucking, nine out of ten houses are empty," before being taken away by the Prefectural Yamen in public.

Only later did he learn that this was lamenting that the taxes were too heavy.

Nurhaci summarized at night that the Han people's rule in Liaodong was like a cow or sheep that had lost blood, ready to collapse at any moment, scattering with a single gust of wind.

And the border troops' appearance wasn't as scary as on the battlefield.

He often encountered fleeing soldiers being captured and escorted past the post station.

Furthermore, through his cautious eavesdropping and inquiries, that general named Li Li Chengliang seemed to have the same common weaknesses as the Han people, just like those Han merchants.

Greedy, irritable, and extravagant were evaluations he often heard among the Han people in Liaodong.

Once, while drinking with a postman, Nurhaci even heard him evaluate Li Li Chengliang as "fond of great achievements," not only suppressing colleagues to steal credit but also "covering up defeats as victories and killing innocent civilians to claim rewards."

Nurhaci silently remembered all of this in his heart.

As the caravan advanced.

The weather became increasingly hot, and it was already midsummer.

The caravan was also getting further and further away from Jianzhou.

One hundred and twenty li to Liaoyang Town, sixty li to Anshan Post, ninety li to Haizhou Guard City Post, ninety li to Niujiazhuang Post, eighty li to Shaling Post, seventy li to Guangning City Banqiao Post...

After passing Shanhai Pass, they arrived at Luanhe Post in Yongping Prefecture.

Everyone ate cooling melons and fruits and rested by the stream next to the post station.

"Paving the way for the Kuanhe horse market?" Nurhaci asked curiously.

"Yes, ever since the Han Dynasty had water transport on the Luan River, it has always depended on the face of heaven; if there is plenty of rain, it's smooth, and if there is little rain, it's not smooth. Now, for the sake of cargo transport for the Kuanhe horse market, the imperial court naturally wants to organize the hydrology, saying it will be divided into two shipping channels, the Luan River channel and the Dou River channel..." the old postman spoke as if he were counting his family treasures.

Nurhaci listened carefully to the old postman's introduction.

After the old postman finished speaking, he asked again: "Has the horse market already started construction? Can Jurchens really go there to trade?"

The old postman laughed: "The inner city has already been built, and the outer city is still under construction. It's called the Kuanhe Free Trade Zone, under the remote jurisdiction of Jizhou, and troops are stationed there together with the Uriankhai Guard, open to all tribal subjects."

"As for Jurchens..."

He looked at Nurhaci and nodded in approval: "Not just trading, but people like you who can speak Han Chinese can also be recorded in the yellow registers of the Kuanhe Free Trade Zone; whether settling down or doing business, there are preferential treatments."

Nurhaci's eyes flashed with a hint of solemnity upon hearing this.

He smiled reluctantly and covered it up: "Even so, that's a qualification only for the nobility."

"Just like Li Li Chengliang in Liaodong, he has taken all the profits of the merchants and people of Liaodong into his own name, befriending the powerful and noble; how would ordinary merchants have a chance to intervene."

This statement was something he had heard from the Han people, and as for whether it was true, he would definitely verify it himself in the future.

The old postman smacked his lips and didn't refute it, just said with hope: "General Qi has a better reputation than General Li; perhaps he can manage it slightly, let ordinary merchants drink some soup, and let our area enjoy some light and prosper in business."

Perhaps because the topic was unhappy, the old postman shook his head and ended the chat with the barbarian.

Nurhaci recalled the old postman's words and fell into deep thought.

According to this, it didn't seem as simple as just opening a horse market—even the post stations had been opened in advance.

Opening shipping, attracting Han and barbarians to live together, trade, and markets—it was a bit too many tricks.

Could it be that they are rebuilding the Danning Regional Military Commission?

Nurhaci thought of this, and his expression became somewhat ugly. If they were really rebuilding the Danning Regional Military Commission, would they station troops, or would they enfeoff princes as before? What should they Jurchens do then?

Holding this vigilant mindset, Nurhaci observed and inquired even more carefully.

Especially after entering the Jizhou area.

Compared to when he was in Liaodong, Nurhaci was slightly less cautious, instead taking the initiative to talk to the Han people, observing the soldiers passing by the post station, and inquiring everywhere about the Governor-General Qi Qi Jiguang himself.

This inquiry gave Nurhaci a shock.

First was Qi Qi Jiguang himself.

This person's reputation was much better than Li Li Chengliang's; along the way, he didn't encounter a single Han person complaining or cursing this person, and he even heard that the Han Emperor trusted this person very much.

Besides this, the appearance of the border troops was also much better than the soldiers in Liaodong.

He even saw once that when the Southern troops passed through, they were quiet and silent, and when they encountered crops, they actually walked around them.

And.

Perhaps because they were close to the capital and feared the censors, the strange and miscellaneous taxes of the Han people were much fewer.

Although there were still many sallow and emaciated people, it was much better than in Liaodong.

The border defense was even more speechless.

Since Qi Qi Jiguang killed Dong Dong Huli at the turn of spring and summer, the Uriankhai Guard had been willing to act as a barrier for the Han people.

Now that summer had passed and it was autumn, it was the time when horses were fat, yet the Mongols hadn't raided the passes.

All these things gave Nurhaci a feeling of being impregnable.

Just like the autumn weather, his mood was also tinged with a hint of chill.

Observing all the way, time arrived in August.

As the caravan moved forward, after leaving Jizhou, it was Tongzhou.

This was very close to the capital.

Precisely because it was close, Nurhaci felt a prosperity he had never seen before, different from the grassland.

At the same time, he learned many idioms he had never heard before.

Scales and combs (densely packed).

Heavy traffic (cars and horses like a dragon).

Living and working in peace and contentment.

So, it was only the border people who were miserable; the closer to the capital, the more prosperous it was.

Especially, at the Sanhe Post in Tongzhou, Nurhaci saw a scene he would never forget in his life.

He pointed tremblingly at the large ship docked at the pier, looking at the beauties on the ship wearing veils and moving gracefully.

He gasped in astonishment: "Is this the Han Emperor marrying a wife? Hundreds of beauties at once?"

Nurhaci was too surprised, so he accidentally spoke out loud while talking to himself.

A Korean next to him saw that he was a Jurchen and sneered, replying fluently in Mongolian: "You haven't seen the world; this ship only carries women from one province."

"Let me tell you, the number of women entering the capital this time is five thousand!"

Nurhaci was dumbfounded: "Five thousand!?"

And then he muttered to himself: "Big man... big man..."

The Korean saw Nurhaci's reaction and felt a secret pleasure at the strength of his suzerain state.

He intentionally showed off his Mongolian and started a conversation: "Let me tell you, barbarian, this is the Heavenly Dynasty; see the world properly."

Nurhaci finally came to his senses and realized he was being ridiculed.

Being a teenager, he had to find a way to save face, so he retorted with his neck stiff: "It's just making up the numbers; no matter how many wives the Han Emperor marries, he is still managed by his mother his whole life and cannot be a real man in the house."

"When I come of age, my mother can also be managed together!"

The Korean saw the barbarian wouldn't admit defeat and also became competitive: "What do you know, barbarian? When our Emperor first ascended the throne, he brought the Embroidered Uniform Guard into the palace in the middle of the night to request the Empress Dowager to supervise the state; at that time, he could also force Empress Chen to bow her head and control the state, speaking with the authority of heaven."

Once these words were out, even though he said them in Mongolian, he carefully looked around.

Seeing no one noticed, he proudly pointed his chin at the barbarian next to him.

Unfortunately, he saw the barbarian looking blank, as if he didn't understand the meaning at all.

The Korean shook his head, sighed with lack of interest, and turned to leave.

Leaving only Nurhaci, who was staring straight at the beauties on the ship.

Nurhaci, who had intended to leave the caravan at Sanhe Post, stared for half an hour, and only after all the beauties had disembarked did he reluctantly withdraw his gaze.

Marrying five thousand wives, how terrifying.

I wonder if he can handle it.

If I can one day become the master of the Jurchens, I will definitely learn the Han people's good customs.

He touched his neck, stopped his wild thoughts, and turned his attention to his current situation.

Since he had arrived in Tongzhou, it was about time to leave the caravan.

He didn't intend to enter the capital—the Han people's capital was strictly checked, and even Han people were heavily checked when entering, let alone a Jurchen like him using a fake identity.

So, to prevent being exposed, he decided to leave the caravan in Tongzhou and go alone from Miyun through Princess Yanqing and Xuanda to leave the frontier and return to the grassland.

Then, he would never have to worry about being caught and made a eunuch again.

At nightfall.

Nurhaci changed into a merchant's outfit and the identity of a Xihai Jurchen he had prepared in advance—it was better not to use the Jianzhou Jurchen identity; he had heard halfway that Li Li Chengliang sent troops to Jianzhou and entered Gule Village in just eight days, killing many people.

If the Wan Khan of the Xihai Jurchens hadn't already shown a submissive attitude, the village would probably have been slaughtered this time.

The only pity was that his grandfather had escaped.

Nurhaci wrapped his clothes around himself and quietly left the post station.

It was already high autumn in August.

The weather was getting colder.

Nurhaci also robbed several farmers along the way—according to his experience, farmers were about the same as slaves, and robbing them probably wouldn't lead to the officials being dispatched to pursue him.

Of course, the facts were as he expected.

He robbed all the way from Tongzhou, passing through Miyun and Princess Yanqing, robbing houses and plundering, all the way to Xuanfu, and the whole journey was smooth without any setbacks.

He even teamed up with people from the White Lotus Sect along the way and robbed a carriage of a wealthy household.

Unfortunately, perhaps because he hooked up with the White Lotus Sect, he finally attracted the pursuit of government soldiers.

Nurhaci knew when to stop and prepared to leave the frontier from Xuanda.

On the first day of the tenth month, the weather already had a hint of winter.

In the middle of the night, the sky gradually began to drift with light snow.

Nurhaci took off the Han clothes and headscarf provided by the garrison to cover his identity and changed into the Hu clothes that originally belonged to him.

Then he took out the remaining property and a copy of the "White Lotus Morning Repentance Ritual" from the Han clothes, which had been looted by the garrison, and put them into his pocket.

Nurhaci looked back at the Great Wall behind him one last time.

After staring for a long while, he turned and walked toward the direction of Ban-sheng.

(End of chapter)