Chapter 864: Make Them Listen to You
The Wushen tribe leader looked utterly bewildered. "We can use sheepskin and wool ourselves to make clothes, can't we? Why do we need a textile factory to process them again? What exactly is this for?"
Zao Ying replied, "Don't ask me; I only know how to fight."
The Wushen tribe leader truly didn't understand, but a few lines at the end of the letter made sense to him: "My sworn brother has prepared a batch of supplies and asked General Zao Ying to help deliver them home, to be given to father, in exchange for some sheepskin and wool. Please, Father, make the arrangements; your son will surely use these items to achieve great things."
The leader asked, puzzled, "Supplies?"
Zao Ying confirmed, "They'll be here soon."
Sure enough, not long after, a caravan appeared, bringing essential supplies for the Mongols, such as grain, large iron pots, tea, and salt...
The goods weren't particularly abundant, but Han Chinese products were rare on the steppes in those times. Even a small amount could fetch a lot of sheepskin and wool. One ox could be exchanged for one *shi* of rice and beans, a sheep for several *dou* of coarse grains...
The leader said no more and quickly gathered a large quantity of sheepskin and wool, handing them over to the Han Chinese caravan.
In truth, such trade had always existed between the Mongols and the Ming, with "border markets" established since the early Ming. However, with the escalating conflicts between north and south and the natural disasters of the Little Ice Age, the legitimate border markets had long since collapsed. Trade between Mongols and Ming had become small, clandestine exchanges. Now, with a Han Chinese caravan returning, for the Wushen tribe, it was a truly joyous occasion.
These Han Chinese were not only powerful, but they also brought supplies, which would help them endure the harsh winter. Forming an alliance with these Han Chinese was truly the right choice.
The Wushen tribe leader joyfully put away the supplies when Zao Ying approached him again. "Oh, right," she said. "I have one more thing to discuss with you on this northern journey."
The Wushen tribe leader immediately adopted a deferential tone. "My dear Han Chinese friend, please speak your mind. We will certainly do whatever is within our power."
Zao Ying stated, "We've received intelligence that the Ordos tribe is about to surrender to the Jiannu."
Upon hearing this, the Wushen tribe leader couldn't help but sigh. He knew that the "Jiannu" the Han people spoke of were the "Jurchens," also known as the Later Jin, in their own tongue.
These Later Jin were incredibly powerful; they constantly trampled upon the Mongols. Many Mongol tribes in the northeast had already defected to the Later Jin. And here in the west, the Ordos tribe had just been dealt with by the Manchus, having even driven Ligdan Khan into such despair that he fell ill and died.
The Wushen tribe leader said, "My dear Han Chinese friend, I know you are also at war with the Jiannu. My son wrote to me last time and said that you fought the Jiannu in Xuanfu and Datong and utterly routed them."
Zao Ying affirmed, "It's good that you know! The Jiannu are enemies of our Great Ming, and we don't want to see the Ordos tribe surrender to them."
The Wushen tribe leader pondered the question carefully, nodding. "So, your meaning is for me to influence the Ordos' decision?"
"Exactly!" Zao Ying grinned. "Don't let them surrender to the Jiannu; make them surrender to *you* instead, wouldn't that be better?"
"Surrender to *me*?" The Wushen tribe leader was startled. "You want me to absorb the Ordos tribe? Ah, I don't have that kind of ability."
"You don't, but we will make sure you do," Zao Ying said ominously. "According to our intelligence, the Ordos tribe is composed of the Khokhote, Xiba Guchin, Urad, Tangut, Otog, Dalat, Khangjin, Bersud, Wushen, Batejin, Khaliguchin, Khogit, Kriyas, Chahar, Minggat, Khorchin, Khuyaguchin... Ah, there are too many, I can't remember the rest..."
Zao Ying continued, "Anyway, the Ordos is just a collection of many tribes put together. To make the Ordos listen to you, you just need to... hehehe..."
The Wushen tribe leader understood. "You just need to make sure that more than half of these tribes listen to me."
"Exactly!" Zao Ying affirmed. "If anyone resists, you beat them up. If you can't beat them, call me, and I'll help you. Once we've beaten more than half of these chaotic tribes into submission, the remaining few will naturally follow your lead. Then the Ordos won't surrender to the Jiannu, and wouldn't it be even better if we beat the Jiannu until *they* surrender to *us*?"
This was no small matter.
Yet, the Wushen tribe leader felt no fear. The blood of the Mongols did not permit fear in such endeavors, only exhilaration. To absorb other tribes, to expand one's own—this was the very nature of the Mongols! Their way of life! Their lifelong pursuit.
Before, he wouldn't have dared to dream of it, but with the help of the incredibly powerful Han Chinese flintlock cavalry, now, he certainly could.
The Wushen tribe leader clenched his fists. "Understood! Several tribes already listen to me. I will gather all of them, organize an army, and then absorb them one by one, striving to make the entire Otog tribe mine."
Zao Ying smiled. "Go for it. I'm rooting for you."
Not long after, Zao Ying escorted the caravan, carrying a large quantity of sheepskin and wool, back to Wangjia Fork fortress in the south. This small fortress, now under the control of Gao Family Village, had been transformed into a formidable military stronghold.
Shi Jian led a militia unit stationed there, on one hand to control the Wushen tribe to the north, and on the other, to deal with the bandits in northern Shaanxi.
After escorting the caravan back here, Zao Ying didn't continue south. The caravan was handed over to infantry escorts to continue its journey south, and before long, it arrived back at Gao Family Village itself.
The sheepskin and wool were then all delivered to a small textile factory.
This factory was called the "Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory." Liu Maopao controlled eighty percent of its shares, while Zhebu controlled twenty percent.
The sheepskin and wool were brought into the factory, piled high before the two boys.
Although Zhebu was a shareholder, he knew nothing about the business and could only ask, bewildered, "Brother Bubbles, how are we supposed to use all this sheepskin and wool?"
Liu Maopao clapped Zhebu on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Little Arrow. Even though you don't understand anything, your older brother here understands everything. I'll lead you to wealth and success. First, we'll buy some textile machines, hire some women workers, and then we can begin our grand money-making scheme. Hahahaha! As our factory grows bigger and bigger, all the wool from your tribe will be brought here for processing. Your tribesmen will make a fortune selling wool, and we two brothers will also earn a great deal. Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone profited?"
Zhebu replied, "Thank you, Brother Bubbles. You help me with everything. You're truly too kind to me."
Liu Maopao burst into laughter. "We're sworn brothers, after all; there's no need to be so formal. Come on! Let's go buy the textile machines first, then put up notices to hire women workers."
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