xymnovel Chapter 101 Ilha's Wisdom
Chapter 101 Ilha's Wisdom
Chapter 102 Ilha's Wisdom
Chapter 101 "Could this—truly be fate?"
Nurhaci fell silent. He recalled that since he raised his army, he had always received divine assistance in every major battle.
In the Battle of Sarhu, a dense fog prevented the Ming army's four armies from coordinating their attacks; in the Battle of Liaoyang, a sudden change in wind direction gave the Ming archers the upper hand; during the Battle of Liaoyang, the Ming army deployed firearms, but heavy rain made it difficult for them to fire.
But this time, it seems that fate is not helping him.
"Xibe tribe—Hamutai, Chen Boying—what gives you the right?"
Nurhaci muttered to himself, but no one dared to answer him.
The wind and snow intensified, and suddenly the large banner in the distance fell to the ground.
Nurhaci flew into a rage: "Useless trash! What use are you to me?"
Nurhaci didn't actually see clearly and thought that it was the soldiers protecting Da Tao who had accidentally let the banner fall. A dozen or so Goshha brought the soldiers protecting Da Tao to Nurhaci.
The guards hurriedly begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life—"
"Chop it up!"
Nurhaci had already realized that the pole had not fallen because it had slipped, but because it had been broken by the cold wind, which made Nurhaci even angrier.
"Pfft—"
The leader of the guards was beheaded, and blood gushed out, freezing solid in no time.
Daišan really wanted to tell Nurhaci that they should retreat now, otherwise the army would be wiped out. But he didn't dare, because his own defeat had prompted Nurhaci to personally lead the army into battle.
Unfortunately, a blizzard struck. Because Nurhaci was capricious, no one dared to advise him. At the beginning of his rise to power, Nurhaci had an important Han Chinese strategist named Gong Zhenglu, whom he respectfully called "Master".
Gong Zhenglu was a merchant from Zhejiang. He was fluent in Jurchen, Mongolian and Korean languages and was responsible for documents, translation, diplomacy and education of Nurhaci's sons (such as Huang Taiji).
However, Gong Zhenglu was killed for advising Nurhaci, and his entire family of more than one hundred people were wiped out. Even Gong Zhenglu's grandson, who was less than 100 days old, was crushed to death in a stone mill.
Nurhaci actually wanted to ask what the others thought, but the problem was that wherever his gaze fell, all the princes lowered their heads and dared not look him in the eye.
After a long silence, Nurhaci slowly spoke: "Eighth Prince, what do you think?"
Huang Taiji was well aware of Nurhaci's intentions. He had finally managed to persuade the Inner Khalkha Mongols to join him on the expedition against the Xibe tribe. This was a war that Nurhaci had prepared to establish his authority.
Unfortunately, this rare blizzard made it almost impossible for the army to move.
If they continued marching through the wind and snow, regardless of the outcome, the losses would certainly be considerable. The Jurchens were also made of flesh and blood; they too would freeze to death or suffer frostbite.
Huang Taiji originally did not want to express his opinion. Logically speaking, the best way now was to withdraw the troops. However, the problem was that withdrawing the troops did not mean agreeing with Nurhaci's opinion.
He thought for a moment and made a decision against his will: "Father, the snow is too heavy. We can only set up camp here for now. We'll decide whether to go forward or retreat after the snow stops!"
Nurhaci nodded and said, "Eighth Brother is right. Pass down the order to set up camp immediately!"
"twitter!"
The surrounding princes breathed a sigh of relief. Marching in such heavy snow was practically risking their lives. With Nurhaci's order, the army began to set up camp with great difficulty.
It took a full half hour for the camp to be set up. Nurhaci was in his tent, watching the snow outside still falling, and falling heavier and heavier.
The following morning, Nurhaci reported that more than a hundred tents had collapsed under the weight of the snow, and hundreds or even thousands of people, whether from a deep sleep or being knocked unconscious, were found to be stiff corpses by daybreak.
Nurhaci was eager to order a retreat, but Niohuru Cheerge, a Jurchen from the Wild People tribe, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have been here before. We are not far from the Zhusheli Valley; it will only take half a day to reach it. The Zhusheli Valley was once the wintering ground for the Zhusheli tribe of the Haixi Jurchens. The valley provides shelter from the wind and snow, and there are also hot springs for warmth!"
Cherge was the third son of Eidu. His mother was Mukush, Nurhaci's fourth daughter, making him Nurhaci's grandson.
Nurhaci nodded and said, "Alright, Cherge, you'll be the vanguard and lead the way!"
"twitter!"
Chelger bowed and slowly retreated.
Shuangchengwei, East City.
-
The original dozen or so adjacent houses were converted into the Da Ning Metropolitan Commandery Office by Chen Ying. The entire city was seized by Chen Ying, and he didn't have to pay any demolition fees.
During this period, he was mainly responsible for establishing the various levels of officials within the Da Ning Metropolitan Commandery. The Tianqi Emperor granted Chen Ying the authority to act expediently, overseeing the offices of the Bureau of Records, Bureau of Judicial Review, Bureau of Prison Administration, Bureau of Market Regulation, Bureau of Agricultural Settlements, and Bureau of Forest Protection.
The corresponding military equipment department and other agencies were established.
Originally, Su Mei served as the chief steward of Dalu Island under Chen Ying. After arriving in Shuangcheng, she also served as the chief steward. However, this chief steward was appointed privately by Chen Ying and was not considered an official, but rather Chen Ying's private advisor.
Chen Ying directly appointed Su Mei as the Secretary of the Da Ning Bureau. Although this position was not high, it was a sixth-rank official position. However, Su Mei was responsible for managing documents, money, grain, and military equipment, as well as collecting taxes from various Haixi Jurchen tribes. She was a typical example of someone with a low rank but great power.
However, the position of the commander of the Da Ning Regional Military Commission was a sixth-rank official, but it was not hereditary. Instead, it was a civil service position, selected and appointed by the Ministry of Personnel, and thus considered an official appointed by the imperial court.
Chen Ying also took advantage of the fact that Shuangchengwei was newly established and extremely risky, and that the court officials did not value the position here. He let Su Mei occupy the position first. Because he had too few people, Su Mei also served as the director of the Market and Commerce Bureau.
As the saying goes, "When one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."
Chen Ying not only promoted Su Mei, a female official, but also promoted Song Xianze to the position of Assistant Commander of the Great Ning Commandery, a third-rank military post that was hereditary.
At the same time, Chen Ying established the Military Intelligence Division of the Da Ning Commandery, which was headed by his adopted son Chen Yongren. This can be described as complete absurd, because Chen Yongren was only seventeen years old at the time. In later generations, he would not have been an adult, but in the Ming Dynasty, this was a very easy thing to do.
Because the entire Da Ning Regional Military Command was essentially separated from the original Da Ning Regional Military Command, and since the responsibilities of the original Da Ning Regional Military Command overlapped with those of the Liaodong Regional Military Command, it was now practically an empty shell with neither people nor soldiers.
Su Mei, dressed in a blue official robe, came with an account book and reported: "My lord, during this period, the various tribes have exchanged a total of more than 34,000 draft horses and spent more than 58,000 shi of grain. All the tribes are overjoyed and say that you are a living bodhisattva."
"Hmph—"
Chen Ying naturally didn't believe that the various tribes called him some kind of living bodhisattva, because he himself was also taking advantage of the situation. Although draft horses were worthless in the various tribes, the problem was that they were only worthless compared to warhorses, but they were not without any value.
A bolt of grain could fetch six to eight taels of silver at the Datong trade market, but the problem was that Chen Ying only offered three shi of grain, which was equivalent to selling the grain for two or three taels of silver.
Chen Ying took the ledger, glanced at it, and nodded, saying, "These draft horses, prioritize selecting the best ones and distributing them to the families of fallen soldiers of the Shahe New Army. Each family will receive three horses, wounded soldiers two, and ordinary soldiers one. If none of these families know how to raise horses, we will temporarily raise them ourselves and have them send someone to learn how. Once the snow melts in spring, they will all be used for farming. How much land can one horse plow in a day?"
Horses are actually better suited for plowing than oxen. Using oxen to plow is too inefficient, and their speed and endurance are inferior to horses. From ancient times to the present, oxen have been a great help to farmers in China, making plowing much easier.
Oxen are very docile and work very steadily, taking one step at a time. Although they can do heavy work, they walk slowly and pull carts slowly. In a day, they can only plow a limited amount of land, with two or three acres being the limit.
Horses are different. They are extremely fast, running at breakneck speed. Even when pulling a plow, they can maintain a relatively fast speed, making them much faster than oxen.
This question is similar to the question of why there were no knights in ancient China. Horses in China were generally used as warhorses. Even horses that could not be used as warhorses served as the main force for pulling carts because pulling carts was faster.
Ordinary people rarely raise horses, mainly raising cattle. Whether it is a draft horse or a warhorse, it needs to be trained.
Su Mei thought for a moment: "Horses can plow the land twice as fast as oxen. They can plow at least five or six mu a day, and even those that are less capable can plow more than three mu."
"With over 34,000 horses, we can plow more than 100,000 mu a day. The wasteland we've designated near Shuangchengwei can be reclaimed to cover at least a million mu!"
Chen Ying said excitedly, "Even if the harvest is only a little over one shi (a unit of dry measure), that's still more than a million shi of grain, which can basically guarantee self-sufficiency!"
What Chen Ying needed was never temporary military achievements, but a long-term foundation.
The hundreds of thousands of hectares of black soil in the Sanjiang Plain are his true treasure.
With these lands, more people could be fed; with more people, more soldiers could be trained; and with more soldiers, they could gain a foothold against the Jurchen's covetous gaze. As for those draft horses, they were a burden in the hands of the various tribes, but in his hands, they were the main force for reclaiming wasteland.
This deal was worthwhile.
As night fell, the snow finally stopped. Chen Yingmei took a nice hot bath and then sent someone to inform Bomubogor's daughter, Unagihan, to come see him. Unagihan was very excited, thinking that Chen Boying had finally remembered her as the most beautiful woman in the Solon tribe.
Then, when she arrived at the warm pavilion where Chen Ying was, there were some equipment laid out in front of him: a gleaming knife and brand-new armor. Only then did Ujina Khan realize that Chen Boying was not lusting after her body, but rather had his eye on the cattle, sheep and horses of the Solon tribe.
As she suspected, Chen Ying tried to sell her equipment, which was captured from the four right-wing banners of the Jurchens. The soldiers under Chen Ying's command were all equipped with firearms, and their only cold weapon was the dagger, which was a three-edged military dagger. He didn't actually need equipment like sabers, spears, lances, shields, and armor.
Chen Ying wanted to resell the equipment to the Solon tribe. In his view, the Solon tribe would engage in a fierce battle with the Jurchens, and with the current strength of the Solon tribe, they were far from being a match for the Jurchens. He intended to use the equipment to strengthen the Solon tribe's strength.
However, the problem was that Chen Ying had misjudged the situation. Bomubogor had been awakened by Chen Ying and no longer had any thoughts of establishing an independent state; instead, he just wanted to live a good life.
When Chen Ying saw that Unagi Khan had directly rejected his suggestion, he did not insist. Instead, he continued to strengthen the Xibe tribe. So he summoned Hamutai's daughter, Ilha. Ilha means flower and is one of the most common female names in the Xibe tribe.
Ilha was dressed in the finest attire for a Xibe women's festival, a blue robe over which was a trimmed vest, and a silver-embroidered belt around her waist. Her long, black hair was braided into countless thin braids that hung down her back. Although her face was slightly flushed from the cold wind, it could not hide the curiosity and liveliness in her bright eyes.
"Ilha pays his respects to Lord Chen."
She performed the Han Chinese woman's curtsy and spoke in Han language. Although her movements were slightly awkward, she tried her best to be standard. Clearly, Hamutai had put a lot of effort into teaching his daughter before sending her to the household.
Chen Ying pointed to the brocade stool in front of him: "Sit down."
Ilha sat down, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to the gleaming weapons and armor on the table. Her eyes were fixed on these items and she couldn't look away.
Chen Ying smiled and said, "Do you want it?"
Ilha bit her lip, not answering immediately. She raised her head, looking directly into Chen Ying's eyes: "You summoned me here, not to reward Ilha with these things, are you?"
Chen Ying raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking to himself, "This girl is no ordinary person."
"Then why do you think I summoned you here?"
Ilha lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and said softly, "My father said that sending me to the lord is an honor for the Xibe tribe. He told me to serve the lord well and make him happy. But I know that the lord didn't call me here for that."
"Oh? Why is that?"
Ilha pointed to the weapons on the table: "You want my father to buy these things through me, right?"
"You're very smart!"
Ilha's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sly smile.
"Well done, what a clever girl!"
Chen Ying laughed, "Hamutai actually gave birth to such a bright and intelligent daughter!"
Ilha was a little embarrassed by his laughter, lowered his head, and his face turned slightly red.
Chen Ying sat down again and said solemnly, "Since you guessed it, I won't hide it from you. Your Xibe tribe is too weak. Compared with the Solon tribe, you are far inferior. Your father is loyal to me, so I will naturally not mistreat him!"
Ilha immediately understood that Chen Boying had not sent anyone to talk directly with Hamutai because he wanted to maintain a balance among the various departments of the trade alliance.
Through her daughter, she could support the Xibe tribe. Of course, this support wouldn't be free. Ilha remembered that Chen Boying had recently been exchanging draft horses for grain with various tribes, and he understood that Chen Boying had his eye on the Xibe tribe's draft horses.
The Xibe tribe has more draft horses than other tribes. Many of these draft horses were warhorses that were injured and had to be used as draft horses. Even though Hamutai has replaced more than 1,600 horses, the Xibe tribe still has three to four thousand draft horses.
Ilha laughed and said, "My lord, you are truly an oddball."
"Oh?"
"My father sent me to you so that I could serve you. But what about you? Aren't you afraid that I'll side with my father and cause you to suffer?"
Chen Ying laughed heartily: "If you really sided with your father, then you wouldn't be yourself. A smart woman would make a smart choice, not a foolish one!"
Ilha was well aware that Chen Boying, the superior man of the superior state, did not like the daughters of the various Haixi Jurchen tribes, and in the past month or so, very few of them had been able to serve him in bed.
However, the problem was that Chen Boying was not averse to women. He preferred the fragrant beauties of Jiangnan and disliked women with a strong odor. In order to win Chen Boying's favor, the daughters of various departments went to great lengths.
Some people bathe every day, wishing they could wash themselves until their skin is scabbed. Others learn to speak Chinese and learn Han etiquette. But the problem is, no matter how hard they try, they can't be as natural as Han women.
Now that Su Mei has become an official, just like a man, this gave Ilha an opportunity. There's no reason why she couldn't do what Su Mei could do; she's no less capable than Su Mei.
Ilha bowed deeply to Chen Ying in a solemn manner: "Rest assured, sir, Ilha will definitely handle this matter well. Let you see that the women of the Xibe tribe are not only good at giving birth."
Fortune