After the territory and national strength reach a certain level, the strategic direction of a big country needs to be adjusted, which is no longer a matter of casual remarks from the leader. The emperor's methods are harsh, which is called a lonely man, and going against the trend of what millions of people think and want is called a lonely man.
So Genghis Khan's attention turned eastward, which was just the beginning. There are too many things that need to be done to truly mobilize the huge military and political system, to make everyone's ideas converge with the Great Khan's, and to finally launch an overwhelming action.
Citing the surrender of people from the Central Plains, more proactively promoting mature political and military systems, and achieving more thorough centralization of power are only a small part of it.
Genghis Khan's gaze, like his attention, had long returned to the Mongolian grassland. As a rare hero on the grassland for hundreds of years, he caused ripples on the grassland wherever he looked. Even in the Golden Lotus River area on the eastern edge of the grassland, some smart people sensed something unusual.
During this period, the Mongols stationed near Jinlian River were all subordinates of Qianhu Nayan Yeli Yasi.
Yeli Yasi once followed Mu Huali south to the Central Plains and broke into Zhongdu City. He was immediately counterattacked by the Ding Navy. All his subordinates were killed or injured. He only escaped with his own life and fled back in embarrassment.
After returning to the grassland, thousands of households on the left wing that had been transformed by Tata'er, Hetajin, Salzhewuti and other tribes were shaken and refused Genghis Khan's call for an alliance. As a result, they were attacked by Genghis Khan's heavy troops, killing many people. , slaughtered three thousand households and killed more than 20,000 people in one breath.
After all the dissatisfied people were killed, Yeli Yasi was appointed. He set up his Yuerti, or camp, to the west of Jinlian River and to the north of a lake called Gouluo, which became the de facto front line facing the Ding Navy.
At that time, all the subordinates who had gathered together temporarily were frightened, feeling that the grassland would be empty after the Khan left, and that they would be killed and plundered by Ding Haijun at any time. But three years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Ding Haijun has not come to fight. This peaceful life has continued like this.
At first, everyone was confused, but later someone got some information.
It turns out that when Yeli Yasi Nayan was under the command of Mu Huali, he had a good relationship with Shi Tianni, a Han general who had fallen to the Qing Yue Army. Shi Tianni and another Han general Zhao Xuan went deep into the grassland to investigate, and they bumped into the Khan's headquarters troops. Shi Tianni almost had his hand cut off, and Zhao Xuan was almost trampled to death by thousands of horses. Yeli Yasinayan protected them and allowed them to escape.
As a result, when Genghis Khan marched westward, the general sent by the Jin Kingdom in the south to garrison Jinlianchuan was Zhao Xuan, whose life was saved by Yeli Yasi. That's why the two families live in peace and harmony.
Because of this rumor, Yeli Yasinayan's position in the Mongolian tribe became more and more stable.
But Yeli Yasi knew that this was all nonsense. What does personal friendship count between two countries and two armies? If the casual friendship between me and Zhao Xuan could be valuable, if I had followed Mu Huali into Zhongdu earlier, all the Mongolians under his command would be like wolves and tigers, and I would be afraid that I would owe tens of thousands of lives... …How does this count?
Yeli Yasi sat spread out in his big tent, watching several servants bring up a huge plate.
A roasted yellow sheep on the plate looked at Yeli Yasina with an innocent face. There were several silver plates between the spread out front and rear legs. The plates were filled with seasonings stirred with various wild vegetable juices. and honey.
There are also two particularly exquisite porcelain bottles, containing soy sauce and vinegar sold from the south. It is said that these are good things that only the nobles of the Southern Song Dynasty can use.
He had a Han concubine who was said to have been a famous prostitute in Dading Prefecture in Beijing before living on the grassland. Her surname was Li and her name was Zuo Ming. This Mrs. Li, with a face like a silver basin and plump limbs, was always his favorite.
Mrs. Li sat under Yeli Yasi, holding a silver knife to cut off a piece of meat. Seeing the tender color, she said to Yeli Yasi with satisfaction: "That color, the meat is ready."
Yeli Yasi held his stomach, straightened his waist, and tried to sit upright. After trying it twice, he said feebly: "I have no appetite, I can't eat, I'm sick."
"Damn you, what are you pretending to be... You had so much strength last night, how could you possibly be sick?"
Mrs. Li's eyes flashed and she laughed. She lowered her waist, climbed two steps on the silk pavement on the ground, lay down on Yeli Yasi's knees, and picked up the mutton stuck on the knife.
Put it into his mouth: "Open your mouth and eat!"
This woman's voice is very soft and charming. Yeli Yasi's heart trembled, but he shook his head repeatedly: "I'm worried, I really can't eat."
Mrs. Li did it several times in a row, but Yeli Yasi turned her head desperately. The beard on the side of her face and chin were covered with meat juice, and she just didn't open her mouth.
This time, Mrs. Li became angry.
"I'm giving you shame, right?" Mrs. Li threw the knife and mutton back on the plate and said sternly: "Are you going to eat it or not? If not, I'll throw it all away and feed it to the dogs!"
The big fat sheep on the dam was just slaughtered last night; it would be a pity to throw it away. Yeli Yasi let out a long sigh, picked up the knife, and stuffed the piece of meat that had been rejected repeatedly into his mouth: "Eat, eat...but I really..."
"You have something on your mind! A messenger came this morning, and you panicked! Right!" Mrs. Li put her hands on her hips and sneered, "What fart did the messenger put to scare you like that?"
Yeli Yasi whispered: "Beelgutai Nayan and Princess Zhenguo have both received the letter from the Great Khan. The Great Khan is asking about the situation of the navy in the south. So Belgutai Nayan sent people Come to us and ask us to report the latest situation."
"The Great Khan asked his brother and daughter, what's wrong? You are just a thousand households, why are you nervous? Just say whatever the messenger asks!"
"After the Great Khan's Western Expedition, it took half a year for messengers to come and go. The previous few trips back and forth were all about attacking cities and destroying countries on the western grasslands. So solemnly asking about the current situation of the Ding Navy, and also asking in detail, this It’s the first time.”
Having said this, Yeli Yasi tugged on his beard: "Of course, I will report the matter truthfully on the public side. But, do you want to talk about the matters on your side?"
Mrs. Li couldn't help laughing: "What's on my end..."
Her smile suddenly faded: "Are you talking about the salt pond?"
She said in a stern tone: "Did you say that?"
Yeli Yasi explained: "I didn't say it! I was just thinking whether I should say it!"
"Is there any need to think about it? This can't be said at all! Once you say it, all the benefits will be gone!" Mrs. Li screamed, as if she was taking a knife and stabbing a hole in Yeli Yasi's eardrum.
"Okay, okay, if you don't want to say it, don't say it!" Yeli Yasi fidgeted with his hands and feet, and stood up suddenly with a strong effort.
What the two men mentioned was a source of wealth that allowed Yeli Yasi to establish a foothold in the grassland.
The Gouluo area he controlled was a huge salt pond with a circumference of nearly a hundred miles. When the Jin Kingdom was at its peak, the Xijing Salt Division was established here, becoming one of the seven major salt divisions in the world. Over the past thirty years, this salt pond has brought Daikin salt profits ranging from more than 200,000 guan to as little as 100,000 guan every year.
The salt field built by Daijin was razed to the ground when the Mongolian army conquered Changzhou, and even the salt field workers fled. But in the past two years, Yeligasi secretly restored the production of this salt farm by 30% through his private contacts with the southern Zhou Dynasty.
So now, the hidden identity of this Mongolian Nayan is one of the important salt merchants in the grassland and the northern states of the Great Zhou Kingdom.
