amaotonovel Chapter 744 That official, we're on the same side!
Chapter 744 That official, we're on the same side!
From a military perspective, the Zhao Mao Tu, Hu Lu Si Tai, and Tao Jun Tu tribes form a small triangle, which can be considered as "mutual support." If one tribe is attacked, the other two tribes can quickly provide support to ensure its safety.
The problem is that theory is one thing, and reality is another.
Because the three tribes were not large to begin with, and Li Mingchen had sent people to impersonate Kökö's men to enter the Khan's tent of the Zhaomaotu tribe, while also sending troops to surround the outer perimeter of the Zhaomaotu tribe, so that Li Mingchen had already eaten and drunk his fill, and the Zhaomaotu tribe had been forced to migrate south, while the Hulusitai and Taojuntu tribes had not received a single piece of news.
"That's just stupid."
Looking at the chieftain of the Hulusitai tribe who had just been captured, Li Mingchen couldn't help but mentally rant.
"They've already started fighting, and these idiots are scattered all over the place."
"If those tribes had all come together, I would never have been able to take them down so easily."
To Li Mingchen's utter surprise, the chieftain of the Hulusitai tribe, instead of being afraid when brought before him, exclaimed with delight, "Are you an official of the Ming Dynasty? Did the Ming Emperor send you?"
Li Mingchen was stunned for a moment, then looked down at his official robe, which belonged to the seventh rank.
Isn't this obvious?
Aside from the county magistrates of the Ming Dynasty who wore the official robes of a seventh-rank official, which tribe on the grasslands still had people wearing this?
The chieftain of the Hulusitai tribe struggled and shouted, "Officer, have someone release me! We're on the same side! On the same side! I'm a chieftain appointed by the Emperor of Ming!"
Li Mingchen was completely stunned.
The headman of the Hulusitai tribe, who looked exactly like a typical Mongol, was actually appointed as a headman by the Ming emperor.
What about the previous rabbit-raising department?
Li Mingchen asked with a dark face, "You claim to be a chieftain appointed by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, but do you have any proof?"
The chieftain of Hulusitai nodded repeatedly: "Yes! Yes! It's in my tent. There's a mahogany box under the table, and at the very bottom of the box is a small box. Break the lock, and inside is the official title and decree bestowed by our Great Ming Emperor!"
Li Mingchen turned his head and gave Morigen a wink.
When Morigen returned, Li Mingchen indeed saw the imperial edict issued by Emperor Zhu to the headman of the Hulusitai tribe.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I believe that the rule of an emperor is to take the world as his home. Therefore, in governing the army and pacifying the people, regardless of distance, officials must be appointed to lead them. You, Batu, have long been stationed on the frontier. You have come to submit to the cause of righteousness, in accordance with the way of Heaven... I commend your sincerity and hereby bestow upon you this imperial decree. I hereby establish the Chaha Guard Commandery and grant you, Hulusitai, the hereditary commander of the Guard. You shall strengthen your loyalty and be forever faithful and diligent... Then Heaven will be pleased and your descendants will be blessed. Go forth and strive, and do not disobey my decree."
Li Mingchen was once again completely bewildered.
Does this Hulusitai chieftain named Batu have some serious illness?
While living on the grasslands and accepting the rule of the Hu Yuan dynasty, he secretly ran away to surrender to the Ming dynasty and even received the treatment of a hereditary centurion.
Then the problem is coming.
I am a county magistrate of the seventh rank, while this Batu with a fawning smile is a centurion of the sixth rank.
So, I have to dismount and pay my respects to my superior first?
While mentally ranting, Li Mingchen dismounted and had Morigen untie the ropes binding Batu.
"This is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple; family members no longer recognize each other."
Li Mingchen chuckled and said with a smile, "I am Li Mingchen, the magistrate of Qian'an County. I did not mean to offend the Hulusitai tribe. It was my fault. Please forgive me, Commander Batu."
Batu rubbed his wrist, which was red from being bound, and said with a smile, "It's nothing, it's nothing. May I ask what this is, sir?"
Li Mingchen said, "Previously, some Hu soldiers marched south and harassed Qian'an. Although they retreated, I was still angry and wanted to lead troops to pursue them."
Batu's eyes lit up, and he pointed northeast, saying, "The Tu tribe of deserters and the Tang tribe must have been involved as well, and the Zhao Mao tribe might have been involved as well. If Magistrate Li intends to retaliate, he must not let them off the hook."
Li Mingchen was once again dumbfounded. Batu continued, "By the way, could Magistrate Li find a way to plead for our Hulusitai tribe and allow them to move south into the pass?"
Before Li Mingchen could answer, Batu held up two fingers: "Two hundred cavalrymen. As long as Magistrate Li is willing to help, I, the centurion, am willing to provide two hundred cavalrymen, with my own bows and arrows, warhorses and provisions, to help Magistrate Li find trouble for the fleeing Tu tribe and Tang Tu tribe."
Li Mingchen has begun to question the meaning of life.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
The Hulusitai tribe leader in front of me, named Batu, seems to be even more eager than I am to eliminate the fleeing Tu tribe and Tang Tu tribe.
Are these families enemies of each other, or is this guy named Batu just playing a delaying tactic?
After thinking for a long time without coming up with a solution, Li Mingchen simply laughed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Commander Batu."
Batu waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No need for thanks, no need for thanks. To be honest, Magistrate Li, I had already sent a hundred-man team to serve under the Grand Commander, and I also sent cattle and sheep to the Grand Commander."
Li Mingchen smiled again and asked, "Does Commander Batu really want to enter the pass?"
Batu nodded and replied, "Of course I want to enter the pass. Once I enter the pass, I can farm and no longer be afraid of the White Disaster and the Black Disaster. If I could enter the pass and farm, only a fool would want to stay on the grassland."
Seeing that Li Mingchen still had some doubts, Batu simply pointed to the northwest and said, "If Magistrate Li doesn't believe me, you can take some men to Kuancheng first. They are building a city there, and we have dozens of young men from our Hulusitai tribe working there."
"This centurion is also sincerely thinking of helping Magistrate Li to wipe out the deserter rabbit and the soup rabbit."
Batu raised three fingers and swore, "If there is a single falsehood, may the Eternal Heaven punish me and make me suffer a terrible death!"
Li Mingchen suddenly had an idea and asked, "May I ask Batu, are there any other tribes nearby that are loyal to the Ming Dynasty?"
Batu was overjoyed and replied, "There are none nearby, but there are some in the Chahan River bend and the Hala River bend. I saw them when I went to the capital to pay tribute."
Damn it!
Li Mingchen began to question the meaning of life once again.
He held an official title bestowed by the Ming emperor and had even traveled to the capital to pay tribute.
This Batu Khan in front of us is no ordinary person either!
While pondering wildly in his mind, Li Mingchen said with a smile, "Let Commander Batu know that I intend to take men to Karakorum. In that case, would Commander Batu still dare to send men to follow me?"
Pay attention.
The famous Karakorum, which was personally scooped up once by Liu Bilie, then scooped up again by his men, and finally scooped up several times by the Ming army and destroyed by them, is located on the upper reaches of the Orkhon River and the southern foothills of the Khangai Mountains.
The Hangai Mountains are also known as the famous Yanran Mountains.
However, the Zhao Mao Tu tribe, Hu Lu Si Tai tribe, Tao Jun Tu tribe, Tang Tu tribe, and other tribes are located north of Qian'an, in the southeast direction of Yanran Mountain. It would take them an unknown amount of time to travel there.
However, the chieftain of the Hulusitai tribe was not intimidated by Li Mingchen's words. Instead, his eyes lit up and he asked, "Are you really going to Karakorum?"