Chapter 48

The chirping of birds and the chilly autumn wind woke Yueyang from his drowsiness. Leaning on the horse's back, Yueyang looked ahead at the endless grassland, a hint of helplessness flashing across his face. They had been in the grassland for ten days, and the initial excitement of entering the grassland had long been replaced by boredom and monotony. More importantly, after riding for so many days, the insides of Yueyang's thighs were chafed and raw, making him limp when he walked.

"Yue Nephew, we are now at the edge of the科尔沁tribe. If we continue for another half an hour, we will enter their territory." Just as Yueyang was feeling bored, a slightly aged voice sounded beside him.

Yueyang rubbed his sore waist impatiently and said, "Master Li, why did you run so far to do business? There are plenty of Mongolian tribes not far from Datong. Why don't we do business with them instead of coming so close to the Jurchens? I think you're just overdoing it!"

"You really have no fear at all!" Li Yuan was startled and looked around nervously before saying, "Remember, from today... no... from now on, you must never mention the term 'Jurchens' again. The科尔沁tribe is a loyal ally of the Later Jin. If they hear you insulting the Later Jin, you won't just fail to buy horses; you might even lose your life."

"I..." Yueyang thought for a moment and then remembered that the Qing Dynasty's predecessor was the Jianzhou Jurchen. After Nurhaci rebelled against the Ming Dynasty, the Ming officials began to call Nurhaci and the Jurchens 'Jurchens' and 'rebels.' For the Later Jin, this term was naturally full of contempt and insult, and the Manchus would certainly fight to the death if they heard it.

"Alright, I won't say it." Yueyang nodded reluctantly and then asked, "By the way, you still haven't answered my question."

Li Yuan said helplessly, "Do I need to explain? You know that our Shanxi merchants have a close relationship with the Manchus. The Mongolian tribes themselves do not engage in production; they only hunt and herd. Where do they get their living supplies? They are all transported from our Ming Dynasty. However, doing business also has its territories. The tribes near the border or the wealthier tribes have their businesses reserved by large merchants. We small traders can only do business with the remote and smaller tribes."

Yueyang waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, let's not talk about this. By the way, when we first left the pass, I saw many carts carrying heavy loads. What were they? They looked like iron goods!"

Li Yuan snorted, "They are not just like iron goods; they are armor and weapons! Do you think the Later Jin makes all their weapons and armor themselves? With their few pitiful blacksmiths? No, we sell them to them!"

"What? We sell them weapons and armor? Isn't that aiding the enemy?"

Yueyang was shocked. He had thought that although the merchants had a close relationship with the Later Jin, they would only sell essential items like iron pots, tea bricks, and salt. He never imagined that they would be so bold as to sell weapons and armor, which was not just smuggling but outright treason!

"Aiding the enemy?" Li Yuan sneered, his eyes filled with ridicule, "They are aiding the enemy, but what about us?"

"How can that be the same?" Yueyang shook his head, "Selling tea bricks, iron pots, and salt to the Mongolians is nothing. They use them and that's it. But selling armor and weapons to the Later Jin is completely different. With such fine weapons and armor, the Later Jin poses a huge threat to our Ming Dynasty. Don't they understand this?"

"Even if they do, what can they do?" Li Yuan sighed, "Do you know how many Shanxi merchants are in league with the Later Jin? I'll tell you, the eight largest merchant houses in Shanxi all have ties with the Later Jin. Do you think the Later Jin uses all the gold and silver they plunder from our Ming Dynasty for themselves? No... most of the gold and silver eventually end up in the hands of those eight merchant houses, which then exchange them for large quantities of weapons, armor, and food and clothing, which flow continuously into the hands of the Later Jin. Otherwise, what would they do with so much gold and silver? Just look at it for fun? And every time the Later Jin enters the pass, they choose the weakest and least defended areas of our Ming Dynasty. Why? Because someone is informing them!"

Hearing Li Yuan's words, Yueyang was stunned for a long time. He had heard in his studies that the Shanxi merchants had a deep connection with the Qing Dynasty, but he never imagined it was to this extent. The Shanxi merchants not only sold weapons, armor, and living supplies to the Later Jin but also acted as spies and informants. This was truly complete treason.

"What about the科尔沁tribe? What is their relationship with the Later Jin?"

"What relationship?" Li Yuan grunted, "If you ask which Mongolian tribe is the most loyal to the Later Jin, the科尔沁tribe is definitely the most thorough. The Later Jin Khan Huang Taiji has two concubines from the科尔沁tribe."

"Damn... so ruthless!"

Yueyang was secretly alarmed. The place he was going to was a staunch supporter of the Later Jin. If his identity was exposed to the科尔沁tribe, it would be very dangerous. He needed to be prepared! Thinking of this, Yueyang quickly pulled out a whistle from his neck and blew it hard.

"Beep beep beep... beep beep beep..."

The loud and urgent whistle echoed across the vast grassland. Before Li Yuan could react, the Yue Family Manor's militia, disguised as guards, immediately stopped, and the surrounding carts also halted.

Under the orders of the junior officers, the militiamen quickly took out their armor from the carts and began to put it on. Within a few minutes, the militiamen, who were originally dressed in civilian clothes, were all wearing Gothic-style armor. Some of them picked up long spears and crossbows, while others carried shields and long swords. After putting on the armor, everyone's faces showed a fierce and determined look!

Seeing the group of soldiers around him, ready for battle, Li Yuan was stunned and stammered, "Yue Nephew, what... what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Naturally, I'm preparing to protect myself," Yueyang looked at Li Yuan sideways, "Since the科尔沁tribe has such a good relationship with the Later Jin, there must be people from the Later Jin in their tribe. If they turn against us, I need to be prepared!"

"You..." Li Yuan tried to explain with a bitter smile, "Don't worry. Although the Later Jin and the Mongolian tribes often clash with our Ming Dynasty, they have an unwritten rule: they will never attack merchant caravans. After all, if this were to be exposed, who would dare to do business with them in the future? So, you can rest assured; there won't be any problems."

Yueyang shook his head like a rattle, "No, as the old saying goes, 'Do not have the heart to harm others, but always be on guard.' We need to be careful!"

"But if your soldiers enter the科尔沁territory fully armed, it will easily cause misunderstandings!" Li Yuan tried to persuade Yueyang to order his soldiers to remove their armor and put on civilian clothes, but Yueyang refused, insisting that the soldiers enter the科尔沁tribe's territory fully armed. As Yueyang put it, "We also need to show the科尔沁tribe the might of the Ming Dynasty!"

In the end, Li Yuan had no choice but to let Yueyang have his way. Thus, Yueyang and his group of about two thousand people, escorting more than three hundred carts, entered the科尔沁tribe's territory...