As soon as Liu Xianqian was driven away, Wang Shide came over to report: "My lord, there is a Mongolian envoy outside who asks to see him, claiming to be from distant Hulunbuir. ”

Zhang Zhun nodded and said casually: "It should be someone from the Mongolian Otel tribe, please let him in!" Remember to be polite! ”

Wang Shide turned around and went out.

Zhang Zhun subconsciously looked at the map on the wall, looked at the location of the Hulunbuir grassland in the north, and looked at Jinzhou, where he was located. The people of the Otel tribe are not slow. It took less than two months to travel from Hulunbuir to Jinzhou, and it took me to cross the grasslands controlled by the Horqin tribe. Nomads are nomads after all, moving extremely fast across the steppes. If you change to Han Chinese, two months will only be enough.

Before he arrived in Jinzhou, Zhang Zhun had already sent people to get in touch with the merchants of the Mongol Otel tribe in Shanhaiguan, and clearly stated his intentions, hoping that the Otel tribe could send capable people to find him and negotiate some things face-to-face. As a result, the messenger of the Otel tribe arrived so soon. It seems that the Otel tribe is still sincere in cooperating with itself. Well, as long as there is sincerity.

In fact, the people of the Ming Kingdom are no strangers to the Hulunbuir grassland. In the Ming Kingdom, Lake Bear was generally referred to as the Sea of Fishing. In September of the twentieth year of Hongwu (1387 AD), Zhu Yuanzhang sent Yongchang Marquis Lanyu as a general to lead the army to attack the Northern Yuan. In April of the following year, Lan Yu led his army to Gyeongju (northwest of present-day Balin's Right Banner in Inner Mongolia), and heard that the Northern Yuan Emperor Timur was fishing in the fishing sea.

The Yuan army was completely unaware of Lan Yu's actions. As a result, after Lan Yu's army arrived, Yuan Taiwei barbarian hurriedly refused to fight and was killed. Dozens of horses, including Timur and the crown prince Tianbaonu, fled away. The Ming army captured more than 120 people, including the second son Di Baonu, the late prince Bili, and the princess, 3,000 officials, 70,000 men and women, 150,000 horses, cattle, alpacas, and seals, books, gold and silver seals.

This battle can be said to have completely given the Han people a long face, and it can be regarded as a shame for Jingkang. In the shame of Jingkang, the princesses of the Han people were snatched away by the nomads, and then the Han people never had the opportunity to take revenge, and finally the Southern Song Dynasty perished. It wasn't until the Battle of the Fishing Sea that Lan Yu captured the Mongol princess or something in one go, which can be regarded as a complete revenge for Jingkang's shame. From the angle of revenge, Lan Yu is much more fierce than Yue Fei. Of course, Zhu Yuanzhang is also a fierce man.

Because of the Great War of Fishing, it is absolutely impossible to say that there is no gap between the Mongols and the Ming Kingdom. The Mongols, who retreated to the steppes, never gave up their coveting of the fertile land of the Central Plains. It's just that their power is no longer what it used to be. Even Ye Xian, Altan Khan and others just caused some trouble to the Central Plains Dynasty. If you want to re-enter the Central Plains, it is absolutely impossible.

Many of today's Otel tribes are descendants of the Northern Yuan Empire. Fishing in the sea battle, it should be said, has always been a pain in their hearts. To say that they don't want revenge is also false, who doesn't want to recast their glory? However, they also know that the current Mongols are no longer the original Mongols, and the current Han people are no longer the original Han people, and with their abilities, it is impossible to take revenge.

After all, more than 200 years have passed, and many people and things have changed dramatically. This is the time of profit. This is true for the Han Chinese, and the same is true for the Mongols. The Hulunbuir grassland needs the supplies of the Han people and the relief of the Han people. The Han people, on the other hand, need the war horses of the nomads and the cavalry of the nomads.

It's a naked exchange of interests. Since it is an exchange of interests, the historical grievances between the two sides must be put aside for the time being. Both sides cooperate, and both sides benefit. If the two sides fight, it will not benefit either side. I believe that the Mongols also understand such a simple road, and the rapid arrival of the envoy of the Otel tribe is the best proof of this.

Zhang Zhun never felt that the Han people's own cavalry could compete with the nomads in horsemanship. Others have grown up on horseback since childhood, and when they are three or four years old, they begin to mix with horses. Many of the Han cavalry had to be enlisted before they began to train. Just from the aspect of being familiar with horse nature, it is difficult to catch up with others.

In addition to riding, other experiences, such as survival in the wild, hunting, finding directions, finding water, avoiding danger, treating war horses, etc., are not to mention. Every time the Han cavalry goes out to battle, no matter how strong the strength is, there must be a nomadic spy as a guide, otherwise, it will definitely be difficult to move an inch on the prairie!

Wei Qing and Huo Quai's cavalry were all accumulated by the Han Empire over a period of several decades, and the cost was quite high, almost emptying the treasury of the Han Empire. In fact, after the two of them tossed, the national strength of the Han Empire also weakened a little, which led to a series of events later.

Relatively speaking, the cost of cavalry in the Tang Dynasty was much lower. Because, they used mercenaries in large numbers to participate in the war. Almost all the nomadic tribes in the north of the Tang Empire have been requisitioned by the Tang Empire, such as the Tuqishi, Gelulu, Shatuoqi, Tulunqi and other tribes, all of which are the mercenaries that the Tang Empire likes to use the most. Someone calculated that the cost of training one cavalry on their own could hire five or even ten nomadic cavalry.

Basically, as long as the Han people themselves maintain a cavalry team of about 50,000 people as the backbone and serve as the core force of the ruler, the other cavalry can use a large number of nomads. The materials that nomads need are really few, and the cost performance is very high. Five hundred quintals of tea was enough for them to launch a military campaign. And the price of five hundred quintals of tea is not even enough for Yang Guifei to eat a meal.

The use of nomads is particularly effective when expanding abroad. In particular, to the west, to the north, to leave these nomads, it is basically impossible. Due to the living customs of the Han people, it is difficult to survive in the barren Western Regions and the far north, relying solely on the strength of the Han people, the north of the desert and the west of the Green Ridge are basically the limit.

The cold snap in Siberia is often minus fifty or sixty, and the hot breath exhaled can freeze at any time, even if it is an iron-beaten Han people, it is very difficult to stand it. Only those nomads who produce in the high latitudes, such as Cossacks, can gallop. Of course, some Mongols can do it too.

For example, in the Western Regions and Afghanistan, there are barren lands, scarce water sources, and material shortages, and it is indeed too difficult for the Han people to fight and live there. However, the Tungas, Turgish and other ethnic groups can travel in these places. In the land of Central Asia, the Arabs were not the most suitable for survival, but their religion was strong, and they eventually occupied this land.

The territory of all dynasties was the largest in the period of Tang Gaozong, almost to today's Iraq. One of the main reasons is that the Tang army hired a large number of nomads to fight. If it weren't for the fact that there were problems in some details, which led to a counterattack by the nomads and a crushing defeat at Talas, the area controlled by the Tang army could have continued to expand westward.

It seems that the expansion of Tsarist Russia to the East also used a large number of hooligans, bandits, thieves, prisoners, and the main force was the Cossack cavalry. According to the development of history, the Cossack cavalry at this time should have reached the central part of Siberia and would soon enter the north of Heilongjiang. When the time came, a clash between the Han Chinese and the Cossack cavalry was almost inevitable.

Obviously, in such a cold area, it is very difficult to use the Han troops and fight against the Cossack cavalry. Only people who have lived in the alpine regions for a long time can fight the Cossack cavalry. There are only two kinds of people who meet this condition. One is the Tartars, and the other is the Mongol tribes in the north.

Relying on the Tartars against the Cossack cavalry, it seems unrealistic, it is better to rely on the Mongols. In history, hundreds of Mongols were once slaughtered by Cossack cavalry with only a few dozen people, and Zhang Zhun certainly did not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. Under his leadership, the Mongols must turn around and defeat the Cossack cavalry.

If the Mongols were unable to deal with the Cossack cavalry, then, it seems, the only mercenary who could confront the Cossacks was the Gurkhas. Zhang Zhun's gaze couldn't help but focus on the roof of the world. It was the place where the famous Gurkha mercenaries of later generations were located. Zhang Zhun has long regarded the Gurkha as the main vanguard of the westward expansion.

Turning over the roof of the world, there is the Mughal Dynasty, which is today's India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other places. At this moment, the Mughal Dynasty should be very weak, with constant internal strife, and the Han people just took advantage of the weakness. After watching the Indian movie "Unknown Death", Zhang Zhun also has a little interest in India's beauties.

Of course, women's things are only incidental. The most important thing is to strengthen our own military strength. Even if the Mongols are not as powerful as the Gurkhas, they are also a very sharp knife, and the key is to use it well and use it skillfully. In the future, the Tiger Ben army will have to use a large number of Mongolian cavalry to fight in the north and west! The Otel tribe is just the beginning.

"Lord Governor, please receive the salute of Alatanula."

A moment later, Wang Shide came in with a Mongolian man. This Mongolian man looked like a businessman on the outside, and when he saw Zhang Zhun, he immediately shouted loudly, and when he saluted, his movements were quite exaggerated.

"Cunning guy ......"

Zhang Zhun whispered to himself in his heart.

Of course, he doesn't think that he has any domineering spirit, and he can let the other party meet and make this big gift. Don't look at the rugged appearance of the Mongols, in fact, they are very cunning inside. This Mongol's contrivance, more often than not, is just to let his guard down on him.

If they let their guard down, the Mongols will gain more in the next negotiations. If you are really fooled, the other party will definitely laugh at your incompetence in your heart. Of course, ordinary Mongolians will not be like this, but the high-ranking nobles of the Mongols must have such thoughts.

In fact, the Mongols are also a nation that bullies the weak and fears the hard, and their glorious period has completely passed. They were driven to the edge of the sky by Fu Youde, Lan Yu and others, and there was almost no way to survive. Fortunately, after the Hu Weiyong case, Zhu Yuanzhang had no time to look north, so they were able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Alatanula, my friend, please get up."

Zhang Zhun said seriously.

"Thank you, Lord Governor."

Alatanula's Chinese is not very good, and when he speaks, he looks a bit like a steel file, which is very stiff. However, in general, it is still basically understandable. The Aoter tribe is in the distant Hulunbuir grassland, almost isolated from the Ming Kingdom, and there are nobles among them who know Chinese, which is quite remarkable.

"Distant friend, where are you from?"

Zhang Zhun asked slowly.

"I'm from the banks of the Hannan River."

Alatan Ulla replied respectfully.

"Oh, distant holy places."

Zhang Zhun nodded and said thoughtfully.

Genghis Khan rose on the banks of the Hannan River, gradually unified the Mongol tribes, and then fought in the south and north, creating a glorious era for the Mongols. After his death, all the Mongol nobles had to make a trip to the banks of the Hannan River to boast that they were the descendants of the Golden Family. Even if you don't have the slightest relationship with the Golden Family, you have to pull a little relationship.

This is very important, otherwise, other Mongolian nobles may not obey you at all. This ceremony is like a sacrifice to the heavens in the enthronement ceremony of the Han emperor. You must show God that you are the son of heaven and the son of heaven in order to be qualified to be this emperor. Otherwise, it is a lack of procedures, which can lead to unpredictable consequences.

It seems that Altan Khan back then, on the banks of the Hannan River, and the Golden Family, actually had nothing to do with it. However, in order to justify his identity, he also went to the bank of the Hannan River to worship, saying that he was actually a descendant of the Golden Family, and he also made up his own genealogy and became a member of the Golden Family.

Basically, for the Mongols, the banks of the Hannan River are their sacred place. However, this holy place is indeed a bit far away, and ordinary Mongols rarely have the opportunity to reach it except for the nobles. Moreover, in the past few decades, the climate on the banks of the Hannan River seems to be getting colder and colder, and the local nomadic Mongolians have to slowly migrate south, so the banks of the Hannan River have gradually become cold.

"The warriors on the banks of the Hannan River are all friends of the Han people."

Alatan Ulla said slowly, directly stating his position.

"Friends on the Golden Mountain, what do you need?"

Zhang Zhun nodded and went straight to the point.

Translated into Chinese, Alatan Ula means Jinshan, and Zhang Zhun called him in Chinese, indicating that the relationship between the two sides has been brought one step closer.

"We need grain, we need sugar, we need salt, we need vinegar, we need iron, we need tea, we need silk, we need medicinal herbs, we need porcelain, we need dried fruits, we need spices. ”

Zhang Zhun smiled slightly, nodded, and said affirmatively: "I can give you these." What can you give me? ”

"We only have horses and warriors. ”

Zhang Zhun nodded and asked in a deep voice, "How many war horses and warriors can you give me?" ”

Alatan Ullah said without thinking: "If it weren't for the obstruction of the Horqin tribe, we can give you 30,000 war horses and 3,000 warriors!" ”

Zhang Zhun nodded, quite satisfied with the figure of Alatan Ula. The population of the Mongols is indeed not too large, especially the Hulunbuir tribe in the north, with 3,000 cavalry, which is basically three percent of their number. Zhang Zhun estimated that this tribe could pull out about 10,000 cavalry to fight. It seems that the Otel tribe still has sincere cooperation.

"In addition to warriors, I also need some experienced grooms, experienced equestrian coaches. It doesn't matter if they're older, I don't need them to go to war. ”

Zhang Zhun thought about it and said slowly.

What the Tiger Army needs most now is actually war horses and equestrian instructors. There are indeed too few equestrian instructors for the cavalry of the Tiger Army. Due to the lack of sufficient training personnel, the cavalry of the Tiger Ben Army still has only five battalions. The situation would be much better if a large number of Mongols arrived, and it was possible to double the number of cavalry in a short time.

"No problem!"

"Is a thousand enough?"

"Some of our tribes are experienced old warriors!"

Alatan Ullah did have the sincerity to cooperate, and replied without thinking.

"Good!"

"Deal!"

Zhang Zhun also said crisply.

"Come!"

"Taste the tea!"

Zhang Zhun said sincerely.

Since both sides have the sincerity of cooperation, the next negotiation will be handed over to Wang Shide and Alatan Ula's men to complete. The specific exchange ratio will certainly not be outrageous. When his subordinates began to negotiate the specific details, Zhang Zhun and Ulatan Ula began to taste tea.

"Good tea!"

"This is Emei Snow Peak?"

Alatan Ula picked up the teacup, took a shallow sip, and cried out in surprise. Looking at his expression, it seems that he has not tasted such a good tea for a long time.

"Seems to be."

Zhang Zhun picked up the teapot, looked at it carefully, and found that it was indeed Emei Snow Peak.

As the governor of the Tiger Army, Zhang Zhun has a large amount of fine tea by his side, which is ready for use at any time. It's just that he himself doesn't have any research on the tea ceremony, and he doesn't usually have a hobby of tea tasting. Basically, good tea and bad tea, if he tastes it carefully, can tell the difference. However, what kind of tea is good, he is blind.

Unexpectedly, this Alatan Ula is quite skilled in tea tasting. It's a shame that others are still Mongols! The tea ceremony and chess ceremony of later generations are carried forward abroad, but not very well at home, I am really shy to think about it, I'm sorry for my ancestors! In order to inherit Chinese culture, it is necessary to drink more tea in the future.

Alatanula, a Mongolian nobleman, really has a little understanding of the tea ceremony, and when it comes to the tea ceremony, the head is the Tao. He had been complaining that the Horqin tribe had cut off their relationship with the Ming Kingdom, and they had been unable to buy good tea. The tea leaves that were changed by Horqin were either inferior old teas, or they were expensive to death.

"What do you think of Horqin?"

Alatan Ullah suddenly changed his words and pointed out the core problem.

Zhang Zhun smiled slightly, and the play meat came. The Aotel tribe is also a guy who can't afford to make a profit, and since they have the support of the Tiger Army, they naturally want to seek more benefits. For the Mongols, bigger pastures, more people, more horses, cattle and sheep are greater benefits. Therefore, their eyes were fixed on the Horqin grassland in the south.

If you can get the Horqin steppe, the fertile pasture of the Aotel tribe can be expanded several times immediately, and the population, horses, cattle and sheep can increase a lot. This is a qualitative leap in the strength of the Otel tribe. At the same time, after the annexation of Horqin, the relationship between them and the Han people was unimpeded, which allowed them to get more supplies at any time.

Zhang Zhun said affirmatively: "Zai Sangbu is the lackey of Huang Taiji, and he must be eliminated." ”

Alatan Ullah hurriedly said, "We, the Otel tribe, are willing to help you. ”

Zhang Zhun nodded and said meaningfully: "I will remember." When conquering Horqin, there will definitely be no missing figure of the Otel tribe. ”

Alatan Ulla smiled with satisfaction. There are two main purposes for his arrival this time, the first is to take the initiative to form an alliance with Zhang Zhun to exchange resources with each other and develop and grow. The second is to instigate Zhang Zhun to make a move against Korqin and let the Otel tribe go south. Now that both purposes have been accomplished, he can certainly smile with satisfaction.

Zhang Zhun's heart also felt more satisfied. An alliance with the Aotl tribe can increase the strength of the Tiger Warriors, eliminate the Tartars faster, and then free up your hands to expand in all directions. As for the annexation of Korqin by the Aotel tribe, it was also a trivial matter. Whether they can annex Korqin or not depends on two words.

Don't forget, in the Mongolian steppes, there are two other tribes, one is Harashen and the other is Tumut. Zhang Zhun believed that after the news of the alliance between the Otel tribe and himself spread, the envoys of Azhislan and Hadanbatar would soon come to Jinzhou to discuss with him about dividing up the Horqin tribe.

The final result must be the three major tribes of Mongolia, which stand on three legs. This is what Zhang Zhun needs, and it is also carefully planned by Zhang Zhun. The Mongols are a knife, and there is no good or bad knife in itself, the key is to see whose hands it holds. Huang Taiji can master this knife, and Zhang Zhun can certainly master this knife.

"Zhang Zhun! Your meal is ready! ”

"I'll see how much you can eat! Hold you out! ”

Zhang Zhun was about to speak, when Liu Xianqian's breathless voice suddenly came from outside.

Immediately after, Liu Xianqian, Li Yuhui, and Li Jingjie came in with a tray. Even if the people around her are idiots, as soon as they look at Liu Xianqian's appearance and temperament, they know that she is definitely not a maid or maid, and then look at her expression, they know that she is angry with Zhang Zhun. is too beautiful in appearance, and dares to be angry with Zhang Zhun, and can think of her identity with her heels.

Alatan Ulla hurriedly stood up, with a smile on his face, and at the same time a little embarrassed and said, "This is ...... Madam? ”！ ~！