Chapter Twenty-Four

Lin Feng stared at Li Ergou in astonishment, unable to believe what he had just heard. "What did you say?! An envoy from Gerdan?!"

"Reporting to my lord, it seems… it really is an envoy from Gerdan!" Li Ergou, noticing Lin Feng's expression, grew a bit flustered. He suddenly recalled that he hadn’t thoroughly verified the Mongol’s identity earlier. If someone were impersonating, he would be in serious trouble. Yet, at this moment, he could not afford to retract his words.

"Oh?" Lin Feng pondered for a moment, then shook his head and smiled. "Go and summon Mr. Wang and the chief military advisor. This matter requires discussion."

News of the arrival of the Junghar envoy spread quickly, causing quite a stir. Within moments, strategists and generals accompanying the central army gathered in the command tent. Opinions about the envoy’s intentions varied widely. At this stage of the war, it was hard to imagine there was anything left to discuss between both sides. Judging by the current battlefield situation, although Gerdan was somewhat on the defensive, it was far from impossible for him to turn the tide. It would indeed be strange if he were to concede so quickly.

Seeing that none of his colleagues offered any constructive suggestions, Wang Shirong stepped forward. "My lord, guessing won’t get us anywhere. Since that’s the case, why not bring the envoy in and ask him directly?"

"His Highness sends his regards. The Great Khan is in good health, able to eat two mutton legs in one meal and drink a bag of milk wine!" Yiled respectfully reported.

"Oh, that’s good, that’s good! That puts my mind at ease," Lin Feng said, turning to Mu Tianyan. "Heming, last time I asked you to build a grand residence for Adan in Beijing. How is the progress on that?!"

Mu Tianyan was taken aback but soon realized the intent. He adopted a solemn expression and bowed earnestly. "Reporting to my lord, I, together with the officials of the Ministry of Works, have been urging the construction. The Junghar Khan’s grand mansion was completed last month!"

"See, Yiled, do you think I’m being unreasonable? When you go back, you better tell Adan properly—we’re done with all this fuss and should enjoy the comforts of Beijing instead!"

Yiled’s face flushed with anger. Coldly, he retorted, "Our Great Khan Gerdan has also prepared a grand tent for His Highness. If you are willing, you might as well come live on the grasslands!"

"Good. That’s exactly what I intend," Lin Feng waved his hand dismissively. "Look, I’ve brought hundreds of thousands of troops precisely to garrison the grasslands!"

Yiled’s face turned bright red, his chest heaving rapidly, his body trembling. He was speechless for a long while before finally saying, "Your Highness, don’t be too arrogant. Our Mongol warriors are not so easily bullied!"

Looking at this pitiable man, Lin Feng felt a bit bored. Arguing with him was pointless as their strengths were on entirely different levels. He waved his hand. "Forget it, let’s not argue over that. You just said you came to bring me peace? What did you mean by that?!"

By now, Yiled was gradually recovering from his extreme anger and remembered his mission. He controlled his emotions, bowed deeply, and said, "Your Highness, Great Khan Gerdan sent me to convey his hope that our two nations cease hostilities and maintain friendly relations."

"Ah, what a lofty and constructive suggestion! It shows that Adan is indeed a decent person. If given the chance, I must become friends with him," Lin Feng said, showering him with empty praise before abruptly changing the subject. "So, you’re going to withdraw your troops? When will you march out?"

Yiled looked a bit embarrassed. "Your Highness, our Great Khan hopes to divide Shanxi along the Fen River, with the Junghar Khanate and the Great Han Empire sharing it equally," he glanced around cautiously before continuing, "That way, we won’t have to fight anymore."

"Oh?" Lin Feng chuckled dryly, glancing around. The civilian and military officials in the central army’s command tent all wore grim expressions, their anger plain to see. He laughed heartily. "Not bad, not bad. That really is a good idea..."

The moment the words left his mouth, not only did the Han generals gasp in surprise, but even Yiled found it hard to believe. He stared at Lin Feng dumbfounded as Lin Feng continued, "From what I know, the Fen River originates in Ningwu, slicing Shanxi in half. So we’ll follow this line northward—west side is yours, east side is ours—is that right?"

Yiled was ecstatic, nodding repeatedly. "Exactly, Your Highness, you are truly wise and insightful!"

"Well then, following this line north, past the Great Wall lies Ordos. So does that mean places like Baotou and Ikh Juu are mine?" Ignoring Yiled’s stunned expression, Lin Feng continued, "It seems Wuliya Sutai and Khalkha are also split in two, with the east belonging to me and the west to Adan. Trading half of Shanxi for such a vast territory seems like a good deal!"

Yiled turned to stone, stunned for a long moment before suddenly jumping up and shouting angrily, "Your Highness, don’t push your luck!!!"

"Bang!" Lin Feng slammed the table, his face full of fury. "What do you mean by pushing your luck?! Yiled, what the hell are you talking about? You say you come in peace, then you talk about dividing the land. I follow your instructions, but neither side is satisfied. Are your mouths for speaking or for farting?! After Genghis Khan died, has the eagle of the steppes really fallen so low as to be untrustworthy and full of lies?!"

Like being struck by a heavy blow, Yiled stared blankly at Lin Feng. His earlier anger had vanished. He hung his head and said, "Your Highness, when I spoke of dividing lands, I meant only Shanxi. Not any other territories!"

"Oh? Then why didn’t you say so in the first place?!" Lin Feng snapped angrily, "Is this also me pushing my luck?"

"Forgive me, Your Highness!" Yiled knelt down helplessly, his face sour. "This is my fault!"

"Forget it, forget it," Lin Feng sat back down, waving his hand impatiently. "Let’s not talk about dividing lands. You Mongols don’t keep your word. I can’t trust you!"

Yiled looked up in shock, his suppressed anger erupting once more. He stood and shouted furiously, "Descendants of Genghis Khan—"

"Hey! Stop bringing up Genghis Khan every other sentence," Lin Feng interrupted impatiently. "As for my ancestors, they were wealthier than yours—Qin Shi Huang, Han Wu, Tang Taizong, Song Zu—any one of them would hold their own. Yet you don’t see us bragging everywhere." He smiled at his ministers and then said to Yiled, "Genghis Khan is Genghis Khan. You are Yiled. There’s no connection between the two. Don’t drag him out as a scapegoat every time something goes wrong!"

Yiled was thoroughly dispirited. Now he understood the vast difference in strength between them. Negotiating with this Han lord was truly a tough task, far beyond his capacity. He no longer made exorbitant demands and humbly said, "Very well. Since Your Highness has no intention of dividing territories, we will not force the issue. To ensure lasting friendship between the Junghar Khanate and the Great Han Empire, we are open to withdrawing troops..." He glanced at the smiling Lin Feng and said earnestly, "However, our Mongol warriors suffered heavy losses on this campaign. The tribes under our banner have gained little. Our esteemed Great Khan Gerdan hopes Your Highness can offer some compensation—you understand, last winter the grasslands suffered from snow and wolf disasters. Otherwise, the Great Khan would not have rashly declared war!"

This seemed to be Gerdan’s bottom line. Lin Feng asked, "Oh? And what exactly does Adan want?"

"Your Majesty is wise and insightful. Yiled would not speak recklessly," Yiled answered honestly. "We hope Your Highness can provide 100,000 taels of gold and 500,000 shi of grain." Seeing Lin Feng frown deeply, he hastened to explain, "Please verify this, sir. I am not making empty demands. You know, besides our Junghar main force, many tribal nobles joined this campaign. If we gain nothing, our Great Khan will have no explanation for them."

Looking at Yiled’s sincere expression, Lin Feng knew he was telling the truth. Frankly, the amount was not overly harsh for the Mongol army. At the current exchange rate, 100,000 taels of gold equaled roughly 1.4 to 1.5 million taels of silver. The Han army could also provide 500,000 shi of grain. This condition was indeed very sincere.

Lin Feng hesitated and looked to his ministers. Wang Shirong quietly stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "My lord, this seems feasible. I oversee our arms and provisions. I know this campaign has been costly. If we continue fighting the Junghars, military expenses alone will far exceed this amount."

Lin Feng remained undecided. This expedition had mobilized the entire nation’s best troops. They had fought hard to reach this point. Yet, without a battle, they might have to pay the enemy off to leave. Such a move would be hard to justify. In history books, he would be branded as one who “surrendered the country’s rights and brought disgrace.”

Wang Shirong grew anxious and urged, "My lord, please reconsider. This matter—"

Lin Feng raised a hand to stop him, stood, and faced Yiled. Slowly, he said, "Yiled, do you know why I came to Shanxi?"

Yiled was taken aback and cautiously replied, "Is it not for the land and people of Shanxi?"

"You’re wrong," Lin Feng shook his head. "Not at all. I came because the people of Shanxi share the same ancestry and bloodline as us. You Mongols plunder our wealth, burn our homes, violate our sisters, and kill our kin. This is a deep and bitter hatred. I stand firm in the Central Plains, my might shakes all of China. What is this power based on?" His gaze swept solemnly across his ministers’ faces. "First, the bravery of my soldiers. Second, the banner of ‘Expel the barbarians, revive China.’ Now, with my hundreds of thousands of troops entering Shanxi, all the people watch to see if I can drive out the invaders, if I can give the people of Shanxi justice. Tell me, how can I let you go just because of your light words or some ‘fisherman’s gain’ scheme?!"

Yiled’s face darkened. "Your Highness, are you determined to go to war against the Junghar Khanate?"

"We have already been at war!" Lin Feng said sternly. "If Gerdan truly doesn’t want to fight me to the end, he should lay down what he has stolen and, following my orders, withdraw beyond the Great Wall at the appointed time and route. Otherwise, there will be no peace!"

Yiled shook his head with a bitter smile. "Is Your Highness being rash?" He still tried to persuade him, "I often hear your heroic name on the grasslands. People say you are a rare hero among the Han, just like our Great Khan Gerdan. Surely you know that Gerdan only wishes to unite the Mongol tribes, while your ambition is to unify China, north and south!"

"Yiled, in your Mongol grasslands, is someone who kills indiscriminately called a warrior?"

"N-no, of course not," Yiled smiled. "Though you Han call us barbarians, that isn’t true. The grasslands have their own rules. True warriors defeat enemies and protect women and children. They do not kill recklessly. Those who kill without cause are bandits, and we execute them when caught."

"Exactly. Our Han laws are the same. If someone kills indiscriminately, the authorities arrest him and behead him publicly at the city gates as an example. That way, others understand killing is wrong and will face the harshest punishment if they do so. I have come to Shanxi to prove this point!" Lin Feng said earnestly, looking at Yiled.

Yiled’s smile faltered, understanding Lin Feng’s meaning. He blushed deeply and protested, "Your Highness, that is a forced argument. War and indiscriminate killing are not the same. Surely our esteemed Great Khan Gerdan is not a bandit!"

Lin Feng chuckled, lifting his chin arrogantly. "Tell Gerdan to clean himself up and wait for me!"

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