Outside Shanhaiguan, fifty miles outside the Liaodong General Military Mansion, there is a large courtyard specially used for negotiations.
Because the Mongols, Jurchens and Ming army generals were not at ease with each other, this courtyard came into being. It is connected in all directions and is extremely difficult to encircle.
As long as the troops and horses they carry are evenly matched, it will be difficult for either side to plot against the other. Of course, this place is close to the General Military Mansion, and the courtyard is also managed by the Ming Army. The Ming Army still has the upper hand.
Yang Zhao, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, brought Xiao Feng to the yard. Xiao Feng saw Cheng Geer enjoying the shade under the big tree in the yard.
Cheng Geer also saw Xiao Feng and grinned: "Master Xiao, long time no see!"
Xiao Feng also smiled: "You guys came so fast, I thought I would arrive first."
Cheng Geer grinned and said: "If it had been before, it would have been very slow. Now that the Great Khan and a few of us can pass through the pass of your Ming army, there is no need to detour, so it will naturally be faster."
Xiao Feng smiled and nodded. Since the mutual trade, in order to show the friendship between the two parties, Ada Khan was given a pass token. As long as he brought no more than ten people, he could pass the customs after a search.
Entering the hall, Ada Khan and a man with long braids stood up at the same time. An Dahan and Xiao Feng were familiar with each other and said hello first, while the man with long braids was more reserved.
After everyone was divided into guests and hosts, Yang Zhao cupped his hands and said to Xiao Feng.
"Master Xiao, let me introduce you. This is the Great Khan of Mongolia, Anda Khan, and this is Wang Gao, the commander of the Jurchen capital in Jianzhou. This time I came to Liaodong to discuss with the imperial court the war outside Liaoxi."
Xiao Feng glanced at Wang Gao. This man had a strong build and slightly bowed legs. He was similar to An Dahan. At first glance, he looked like a man who had been on horseback all year round. His eyes are shrewd and restrained, which is different from the domineering Ada Khan.
Wang Gao also glanced at Xiao Feng and was shocked. He had heard Xiao Feng's name a long time ago, but before he met Xiao Feng, he really couldn't imagine how a person under twenty years old could have such bottomless eyes.
"Wang Gao, the commander of the Jurchen capital of Jianzhou, pays homage to Mr. Xiao. I have admired Mr. Xiao for a long time. I am lucky to see him today."
Xiao Feng smiled slightly: "I don't know who commanded the Jurchen capital in Jianzhou. Is there any imperial edict?"
Wang Gao was stunned, and then looked at Yang Zhao. Yang Zhao was quite embarrassed and quickly explained.
"Sir, after the Jianzhou Jurchens became independent, the imperial court no longer canonized them. They all elect their own leaders and report them to the imperial court."
Xiao Feng nodded slightly: "This is because I am ignorant. It's just that the land in Liaodong is the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Since it has not been canonized by the imperial court, I am afraid that the name of this commander-in-chief is not justified."
Although Wang Gao came with a purpose and did not want to have a dispute with Xiao Feng, Xiao Feng's words basically pointed out that he was not worthy of being the commander of the capital, but he had to respond.
"Master Xiao, it's not that I don't want to be ennobled by the imperial court. It's just that the imperial court no longer ennobles the Three Guards of Jianzhou, and I can't do anything about it.
However, Jianzhou Jurchen has always been the strongest, and the court does not interfere. Nowadays, the Xiaguan tribe has strong soldiers and horses, and the Jurchens admire it. How can it be said that the name is unfair and the words are unfair? "
Xiao Feng said calmly: "The strong is king is the law of the beasts in the mountains and forests. For many years, the Ming Dynasty has only respected the customs of local tribes and did not want to interfere too much. It does not mean that it cannot interfere."
Wang Gao smiled and said: "Since you don't want to interfere too much, why do you need to interfere today? Isn't it enough for the Ming Dynasty to be the Khan of Heaven and accept the worship of our tribe?"
Wang Gao's words were soft but hard, and he was obviously not afraid of Xiao Feng. Yang Zhao secretly frowned, worried that Xiao Feng would fall out, and his military headquarters would probably see blood today.
Xiao Feng nodded: "With that said, I think Master Wang's words are reasonable!"
Wang Gao was stunned. Xiao Feng was arrogant in front and respectful in the back, which made him confused.
The personal guard who followed him was a young and handsome young man. He originally looked at Xiao Feng with curiosity, but now he couldn't help but show contempt after hearing this.
Only An Dahan was convinced that Xiao Feng would never give in so easily. This guy must have some bad intentions again.
Xiao Feng stood up with a smile: "Originally, when we meet old friends, I should have a drink with Khan. However, I have to go to Datong to meet Qiu Luan because of military affairs.
I'm rude today. When Anda Khan returns to Datong Trading Market, we'll have a few more drinks together and say goodbye! "
I couldn't help but sweat at this moment, and everyone was stunned. Yang Zhao stood up quickly, at a loss, and didn't dare to say anything.
Ida Khan secretly thought that something was wrong, so he quickly stood up: "The Heavenly Master is in such a hurry, what are you going to see General Qiu for? There's no rush, just sit down first."
Xiao Feng shook his head and said: "I am here to deliver the order this time. There was a severe drought early this year. Although the Long Live Prayer for Rain was successful and the harvest is expected to be acceptable in the Ming Dynasty, we must always prepare for a rainy day.
What's more, the Miao people petitioned the imperial court to demolish the partition walls, appoint officials, and open schools. The court commended them for their loyalty, so naturally they could not let the Miao people go hungry.
Therefore, the imperial court asked me to go to various mutual markets to convey orders that not a single grain of grain from the Ming Dynasty could be lost through the mutual markets this year. The people of the Ming Dynasty must be fed first!
Yang Zhao, did you hear that clearly? After you pass the order here, I will go to Qiu Luan to pass the order. This is an urgent matter and cannot be delayed for a moment! "
Yang Zhao was obedient and complained secretly in his heart. He knew that the Jurchens were having a hard time this year. The farming technology was not good enough in the first place, and it was even worse when there was a severe drought.
Moreover, the severe drought has caused a significant reduction in prey in the hunting grounds where they usually hunt. Otherwise, the Mongols and Jurchens would not have gone to Liaoxi Road to meet the Rakshasa people together.
Moreover, the nomadic people have little food, and they still need to exchange horses, cattle and sheep with the Ming Dynasty for food. This order from the court is tantamount to adding salt to the wounds of the Jurchens!
Wang Gao was stunned, but the one who was more anxious than him was An Dahan.
The grassland in Mongolia is not good this year. The Ming Dynasty prayed for rain, but the raindrops did not fall much on the grassland. Even outside the customs, it only rained in the Ningjin area close to Shanhaiguan.
There are fewer cattle and sheep breeding than every year, and there is almost no harvest of the little grain that was originally planted. Although the grassland people can eat milk and meat, they can't stand it without food!
Originally, Anda Khan had already made a plan. I heard that Daming had no food losses this year, but his cattle and sheep had a relatively large loss. He planned to discuss the price with Daming, increase the price of cattle and sheep, and try to get more grain.
In case Daming disagreed, Anda Khan decided to bite the bullet and sell more horses in exchange for food! He knew that when Ming saw a war horse, it was like a pervert seeing a beautiful woman, and his resistance was zero.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Feng suddenly told him that this pervert decided to commit suicide in the palace! Let alone beauties, even fairies, we won’t be tempted. If we don’t sell it, we won’t sell it!
"Xiao Tianshi, this...why is this! Mongolia really needs food this year. Tianshi has a distinguished status and is the second minister of the cabinet, so we still ask Tianshi to mediate on our behalf!"
Xiao Feng smiled helplessly and said: "Great Khan, it's not that I don't care about friendship, it's actually that the imperial court has to consider many aspects.
The harvest in Tibetan areas is also not good this year. The Tibetan areas refused to follow the White Lotus Sect this year, and a Tiebang Lama died because of this. Living Buddha Tsochen wrote to me and also mentioned the matter of food. "
Even the envoys from North Korea who came to pay tribute mentioned that they hoped to buy grain from the Ming Dynasty. Although North Korea was a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, the relationship had always been close, and the court had to take care of it.
After all this time, no matter how much food we have, it's not enough. If Daming had not planted sweet potatoes this year, I would not be able to take care of these. "
Anda Khan nodded repeatedly: "Sweet potatoes are fine, sweet potatoes are fine too. I heard people from the market say that the Ming Dynasty planted fairy vines with a large yield, and the fruit was named sweet potato by you. If there is no food, sweet potatoes can be exchanged for horses!"
Xiao Feng grimaced, just shook his head, cupped his hands, turned around and left. Wang Gao became anxious and said loudly.
"Master Xiao! When people are extremely hungry, they have to fight hard! Now Mongolia and the Jurchens are short of food, but the Ming Dynasty wants to cut off the food trade at this time. Isn't it really afraid of triggering a civil uprising?"
An Dahan glanced at Wang Gao. He was so humble just for this effect. Because he knew that the weaker he was, the tougher Wang Gao would be.
Human nature is very strange. When ordinary people are together, they are both brave and timid. But it is different for people who are accustomed to being leaders.
When several big shots are together, they naturally have a competitive spirit in their hearts, and they all feel that they are the best in the world. At this time, if someone shrinks back, it will arouse the ambition and pride of others.
For example, now, Wang Gao looks down on An Dahan. As the Great Khan of Mongolia, where did your heroic spirit go? It seems that the Mongols are really in trouble, it’s our Jurchens’ turn!
An Dahan saw that Xiao Feng was unable to make any progress, so he knew that the only option left was to threaten him. But he was not willing to fall out on his own, so it was best to let others do it for him. As expected, Wang Gao rushed forward.
Xiao Feng stopped and looked at Wang Gao with cold eyes: "If Commander Wang is confident, you might as well give it a try! Even if An Dahan wants to join forces, Ming Dynasty doesn't care!"
The atmosphere in the hall instantly dropped to freezing point. Xiao Feng, who had been smiling and looking embarrassed just now, suddenly turned into a predator. Wang Gao was speechless for a moment.
He suddenly realized that he was being used as a weapon by Anda Khan. The Mongolians were even more short of food. Why did he want to be the leader? Silly!
Anda Khan was secretly glad that he did not say these words, so that he could find a way to change the situation. He chuckled and was about to speak when a clear and angry roar sounded.
"Just give it a try. If it weren't for the muskets and bullying of the few, could the Han people defeat us?"
Xiao Feng's eyes fell on the young guard beside Wang Gao, and he suddenly realized that this was a woman dressed in men's clothing. At this time, she was pressing the handle of the knife, her face was red, and her eyes were wide open.
Wang Gao finally found his way to the bottom of the steps and immediately yelled angrily: "You are so outrageous! There is no place for you to interrupt when adults are talking!"
Then he bent down and gave Xiao Feng a big salute: "Master Xiao, please don't be offended. This is my daughter Xitara Emuqi. She is still young and does not know the depth. Wang Gao has confessed."
Xiao Feng had no intention of falling out at first, but when he saw Wang Gao found the steps, he also walked down the steps.
"How can I be as knowledgeable as a child? However, Mr. Wang, I still have to answer your concubine's words.
Using the masses to bully the few is the way of a soldier. This is not a group fight on the street or a competition in the ring, there is nothing to be ashamed of. The only shame in war is losing!
The same goes for muskets. What is the difference between muskets and bows? Why is it said that fighting with bows and arrows is glorious, and fighting with muskets is shameful?
People are born with some being tall, some short, some strong, and some weak, so war itself is unfair.
Girl, remember, those who are willing to talk to you fairly are your friends. If you really regard you as an enemy, you will never be fair! "
Emuqi stared and wanted to argue, but he didn't know what to say. The warrior concept deeply ingrained in his heart could not be changed for a while.
But she was scolded by her father, so she naturally didn't dare to speak anymore. She just thought in her heart: Sure enough, Han people can use strong words to make excuses, and they can express their cowardice and incompetence in such a fresh and refined way.
Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, An Dahan quickly stepped forward and grabbed Xiao Feng's arm, laughing loudly with a straightforward attitude without any scheming.
"Whether we sell food or not is the court's business, and whether we drink or not is our business! No matter how urgent you are, you must drink this meal today! Otherwise, you are really looking down on me!"
This is Xiong Xiong's scheming. As long as there is a chance to talk about anything, there is a chance to succeed. If Xiao Feng is let go, then there will be no chance at all.
Moreover, Anda Khan was scheming, and he always felt that there was something fishy about Xiao Feng's order that the court not sell grain.
It rained this year in Ming Dynasty, and I heard that a lot of food was bought from overseas and a lot of fish were caught.
There is a drought and food shortage all around. Food is a rare commodity and the price is raised. If you say not to sell it at this time, it feels like a brothel girl suddenly puts on the armor of chastity. It is most likely hunger marketing.
But An Dahan didn't dare to bet, because if Xiao Feng didn't step down, the lie might become true. On the other hand, Daming would only lose income, and people on his side would starve to death!
Sure enough, Xiao Feng, who was held tightly by An Dahan, finally sat down helplessly. Wang Gao breathed a sigh of relief and sat back on the table, his expression extremely respectful, and he no longer had the momentum to start.
Yang Zhao also breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered the food and drinks to be prepared and the banquet started!
Everything was prepared in the kitchen, and in a moment, the food and wine were served like water. An Dahan was a guest, frequently toasting and talking about his loyalty to the Ming Dynasty in the past two years.
Why did Xiao Qin ask him to rebel with him? He swore to the sky and the earth that he would never betray the Ming Dynasty. Then he sprayed Xiao Qin away with a spittle and shot an arrow at his back.
Whenever a rebel tribe tried to rob Hua Market, he did not notify the Ming army. He led his own troops to destroy the rebels and resolutely protected the safety of Hua Market.
Why did he repeatedly send people to tell the Tibetan area that they must not be bewitched by Xiao Qin and must not be enemies of the Ming Dynasty, otherwise they would not believe in Buddhism...
Xiao Feng listened with a smile, and his glass was dry. He now has a strong internal energy, and his drinking capacity is not the same as before. He will no longer be able to finish his job after three bowls.
When everyone was very drunk, An Dahan brought up the matter of selling grain again. Xiao Feng pondered for a long time before sighing.
"The food of the Ming Dynasty should be given priority to the people of the Ming Dynasty. This is a matter of course. No one would starve their children to death in order to save their neighbors, right?"
Anda Khan repeatedly said: "But the Ming Dynasty should still have plenty of food, so they will not starve. I am willing to sell more war horses to the Ming Dynasty this year to show my sincerity."
Even when it comes to saving neighbors, there are differences between near and far. North Korea is so far away from the Ming Dynasty, how can it compare with the close relationship between Mongolia and Jurchen and the Ming Dynasty? "
Xiao Feng smiled and said: "The distance and distance depend not only on the region, but also on the mood. Although North Korea is far away, its clothing and culture are similar to those of the Central Plains. Although Mongolia and Jurchen are close, they are not close to the culture of the Central Plains."
An Dahan was silent for a moment. He knew that Xiao Feng was about to reveal his trump card, and he also felt that Xiao Feng's trump card this time must be three Aces, but he had to follow the bet.
"Master Xiao Tian, if you have any requests, just ask me. As long as I can do it, I will try my best to cooperate."
Xiao Feng thought for a while: "It stands to reason that the court has made a decision, and I should not go against the trend. But I feel a little sorry for what you said just now, brother.
Well, let me talk to the court about the war horses. Also, brother, you have to do some gestures. You also said that Han people just have a good face.
Just outside the mutual market, a school was opened, and children from all tribes came to attend school. Each tribe's share of the grain trade is distributed according to the number of children coming to school. "
An Dahan frowned and said with a smile: "That's why. Can't children with a small tribe buy more food?"
Xiao Feng nodded: "This is called supply on demand. Now that food is so scarce, it is natural to ensure that people do not starve to death. Those with a large population should buy more, and those with a small population should buy less.
There are few children in the tribe, which naturally means that the population is small. Is there any reason for a large population but few children? That must be Changshengtian punishing them, and I didn't dare to help, for fear that Changshengtian would punish me. "
An Dahan cursed in his heart, are you afraid of the Immortal Heaven? If Changshengtian can kill you, I will kneel down and swear right now that I will sacrifice one of my sons in exchange for your death!
But the smile on his face never diminished: "The Heavenly Master's method is indeed simple and effective. That's it, it's okay."
Xiao Feng seemed to have just remembered something: "Oops, I almost forgot. Han people have a lot of face. Long live chatted with me a few days ago and mentioned the most embarrassing thing for him. What do you think it is?"
Idahan shook his head repeatedly: "This is hard to guess. Long live the world, how can there be any shame in it?"
Xiao Feng said with a smile: "That day, the Great Khan made a furious advance, fighting all the way from Gubeikou to the capital, and his troops came to the city gates. How majestic the Great Khan was, but how shameless the court was."
I sweated and grinned, thinking that this matter was difficult to handle. After all the fighting, I couldn't build a capital city and let Jiajing lead the troops to fight.
"Heavenly Master, isn't this matter over now? This Khan has also been given a memorial to apologize, and Long Live has also reprimanded this Khan.
You Han people say, "A gentleman does not remember old evils." If Banzai still feels that he has no face, how can I write a memorandum of apology and ask Banzai to scold him again? "
Xiao Feng smiled: "That's what I said at the time. I said I have a good relationship with An Dahan. How about I talk to him and let him apologize again?"
In the end, Banzai said that was not necessary. If Anda Khan wanted to express his apology and return the Hetao area to Ming Dynasty, he would have enough face and he would not be angry. "
An Dahan suddenly stood up, looked at Xiao Feng with a livid face, and crushed the wine glass in his hand to pieces.
