Chapter 902: Don't Blame Me
The Mongolian steppes, Guhuacheng (Hohhot), the Western Tumed tribe.
The Tumed were a renowned Mongolian tribe. At its peak, it divided into twelve sections, also known as the "Twelve Tumed."
The Wushen tribe once belonged to the Uguxin branch of the Twelve Tumed.
In that sense, they could be considered a subordinate of the Tumed tribe.
However, later the Tumed tribe fragmented. Half of its people migrated beyond Jizhou and were called the "Eastern Tumed." The branch of the Tumed tribe that remained in Guhuacheng (Hohhot) could only be called the "Western Tumed," and its strength was less than half of its former peak.
The leader of the Western Tumed tribe, Omubu, had suffered numerous defeats at the hands of the Jin state, leaving him humiliated and utterly defeated. Now, he trembled at the mere mention of the Jin.
But recently, the Great Ming had secretly sent an envoy to discuss an alliance to jointly attack the Jin state.
Omubu's ambition had rekindled.
If he could ally with the Ming army, perhaps there was still a chance?
Unexpectedly, shortly after Mao Han had departed, a personal guard rushed in, exclaiming urgently, “Terrible news! The Jin state sent an ambush party to lie in wait along the road, and they killed Mao Han. Now, General Yue Tuo of the Jin state has sent an envoy who wishes to speak with you.”
“What?!” Omubu was utterly stunned. “Uncle Mao Han has been killed?!”
A flicker of sorrow crossed his face, but Omubu quickly suppressed it. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Bring in the Jin envoy.”
Soon, a Jin envoy entered, speaking with immense arrogance. “I am the envoy of Aisin-Gioro Yue Tuo. Are you Omubu?”
Omubu's face was grim, his anger simmering beneath the surface. “I am.”
The envoy laughed arrogantly. “Your secret collusion with the Great Ming to harm our Jin state has been exposed by us. Here is a head, a gift for you.”
With a casual toss, the envoy threw a wooden box.
The box crashed to the ground, sprang open, and a human head rolled out. It was Mao Han’s head.
A silent cry of anguish tore through Omubu’s heart, but in front of a foreign envoy, he couldn’t show weakness. So, stiffening his neck, he said, “Speak your mind directly.”
The envoy declared, “General Yue Tuo commands the Tumed tribe to surrender immediately. From this day forward, you shall submit to our Jin state and provide three thousand able-bodied young men to join the Jin army. Should you refuse, we will breach your Guhuacheng and Suiyuan city and raze your Tumed tribe to the ground.”
Omubu was furious internally, but despite his rage, he dared not show it.
It wasn't the first time he had been humiliated by the Jin state. Every time he had tried to resist, he had been thoroughly beaten by the Jin, unable to fight back at all. The Mongolian reverence for strength made him, when facing an opponent stronger than himself, feel an irresistible urge to kneel and sing a song of surrender.
Sweat dripped from his brow as Omubu pondered deeply. Ultimately, there was only one path: surrender. He couldn't win. He truly couldn't stand against the Jin's Eight Banners army.
Just then...
A guard rushed in, shouting, “Khan, the Wushen tribe, leading various Ordos tribes, has arrived outside Guhuacheng and is loudly calling for the city to open.”
“What?!” Omubu was startled.
The Jin envoy heard this and let out a sneering laugh. “So the Wushen and Ordos have arrived? Excellent! I’ll simply accept their surrender as well, saving myself the trouble of traveling further west. Come, let’s go to the city wall and have a look.”
Soon, Omubu and the Jin envoy ascended the city wall together.
Outside Guhuacheng’s south gate stood dozens of horses. At the front was the Wushen tribe’s leader, accompanied by Bo'erzhijin Elinchen of the Ordos. Another few dozen individuals appeared to be the leaders of various tribes.
With these several dozen horsemen gathered there, their combined presence carried immense weight. All the major figures of the entire Western Mongolian region were assembled.
The Wushen leader at the front looked up and called out loudly, “Omubu of the Tumed tribe, I am the leader of the Wushen tribe, and now also the leader of the Ordos. I have come to persuade you.”
Omubu leaned out from the city wall. “What do you have to say?”
The Wushen leader said, “Come join us. I will lead you to a life where you can eat your fill. Together, we will beat the Jin barbarians!”
At these words, Omubu’s face reddened with embarrassment.
The Jin envoy was standing right beside him, and for someone below to say such a thing wasn’t it... a complete disregard for the Jin envoy’s dignity?
Indeed, the Jin envoy was instantly enraged. “Wushen tribesman, mind your language!”
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like being called ‘Manchu dogs’?” The Wushen leader laughed loudly. “I quite like it, actually.”
The Jin envoy was furious. “This is outrageous! Our Great Jin hasn’t dealt with you for a while, and you’ve forgotten the might of the Great Jin, have you?”
The Wushen leader scoffed, “Hmph! Just Jurchen savages.”
The Jin envoy said, “Our Great Jin’s generals, Dorgon and Yue Tuo, are currently leading a large army, stationed not far from here. If you dare to act so brazenly here, the moment our army arrives, we will instantly slaughter every last one of you.”
At these words, Omubu, standing nearby, trembled all over, a hint of fear in his eyes.
However, the Wushen leader and Bo'erzhijin Elinchen beside him, along with the large group of Ordos tribal leaders, all burst into laughter. “Oh, we’re so scared,” they mocked.
The Jin envoy continued, “The Tumed tribe has already decided to surrender to us. You too should surrender immediately, submit to our Great Jin, and perhaps your lives will be spared.”
The Wushen leader shouted up at Omubu, “Have you surrendered to him?”
Cold sweat streamed down Omubu’s forehead. “Uh... well...”
He didn’t dare say he wouldn’t surrender, nor could he bring himself to admit he had. He was now in a difficult predicament.
The Wushen leader pressed, “Just take out a knife now and chop up this Jin savage! Wouldn’t that solve everything?”
Omubu: “...”
He didn’t dare!
Seeing Omubu’s cowardly demeanor, the Jin envoy burst out laughing. “Omubu, those fellows outside dare to resist our Great Jin. You just resist them staunchly. Our Jin army will arrive soon to assist you and slaughter every one of these rascals.”
Hearing these words, Omubu grew even more terrified.
After much deliberation, Omubu still believed the Jin state was stronger. Those Wushen, Ordos, and their ilk outside—hadn’t they all been repeatedly humiliated by the Jin in the past? Even if they gathered now, they still wouldn’t be a match for the Jin and would ultimately be defeated.
Secretly, he might have dared to contact them to ally against the Jin state. But in front of the Jin envoy, he didn’t dare.
Omubu let out a long sigh. “Don’t blame me! I cannot join forces with you.”
On the steppes, the rule was simple: if ambitions diverged and paths didn’t align, then it was time to fight!
Without another word, the Wushen leader turned his horse and rode off. “Since persuasion has failed, we will have to let battle decide. Omubu, don’t blame us either.”
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