After more than half a month of preparation, in early July, Luan Jia set off from Yuquan Mountain, protected by tens of thousands of Beijing troops, and slowly headed northeast.
Originally we wanted to go eastward along the Great Wall, but considering that supplies would be unfavorable along the way, the large team arrived at Shunyi first, then passed through Huairou and Miyun, and then arrived at the rear of Miyun, where Gubeikou is located.
The journey along the way was only two hundred miles, but because the emperor was accompanying him, he could only travel about thirty miles a day, and it took seven days to arrive.
Afterwards, the entire imperial court left the fortress and headed for Kala Hetao, which is Chengde City.
It is about eighty miles away from the Great Wall.
This is the gateway to Chahar. In addition, it is located in a small river, with fertile land and abundant water and grass, attracting a large number of herdsmen to settle here.
A special situation of half grazing and half farming has formed.
Many merchants who went out to the fortress often stopped in Chengde to replenish food and supplies.
Chengde's location is really good. It is in the transition zone connecting North China and Northeast China. It is close to Beijing and Tianjin, and has Mongolia and Liaoning at its back. More importantly, it has mild summers and cool autumns, making it an excellent place to escape the heat.
The herdsmen who are fortunate enough to be stationed here are basically Khan tribe.
That is to say, the herdsmen separated from Chahar were directly controlled by the court and were not affiliated with any noble.
This also means that in the Mongolian steppe of slavery, the Khan tribe enjoys the lightest taxes, or even none, and the corvee is equivalent to nothing.
And there are all kinds of benefits, especially in politics.
For example, when the Beijing camp recruits cavalry, the first choice is to come to the Khan tribe, and the remaining corners go to the Chahar tribe and Suiyuan tribes.
The most typical one is that the bodyguard department selects the bodyguards.
After screening some of the guards, they are basically from the Khan tribe, and their privileges are enviable.
On this day, Agula just led the horse home and couldn't help but said with great joy: "Ye and Nai'er (wife), also and Nai'er——"
"What's wrong?" A middle-aged woman wearing a traditional Mongolian robe and an apron ran out: "Why are you back so soon today?"
"What a happy event, a great happy event——"
Agula shouted: "I went to the market and heard that the Great Khan was coming to Chengde, and our son must be coming too."
"I can see Bagan again——"
Hearing this, the woman couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Bagan is their eldest son. He is only twenty years old. He came to Beijing last year and became the bodyguard of the Great Khan. The annual salary greatly improved the life of the entire Agula family.
This is the honor of the whole family.
The children also cheered and jumped for joy. With such good news, there must be delicious food.
Soon, the official from Baihu ran over. He was wearing a Mongolian robe, leather boots in the morning, and a riding whip hanging from his waist. His face was shiny and he looked particularly happy.
"Bagan is coming back with Chuluo Khan, Agula, this is a great thing -"
The Agula family hurriedly bowed and saluted, very respectfully.
In the Khan Department, officials from hundreds of households and officials from thousands of households serve as grassroots cadres. They are not hereditary, but are selected and appointed directly by the governor.
The selection is usually from veterans or Mongolians who can speak Chinese and write Chinese characters.
Those who are in the ninth rank of a hundred households, the eighth rank of a deputy thousand household, and the eighth rank of a thousand households receive their salaries directly from the Governor's Mansion. They eat royal grain, and there is no need to worry about disaster harvests.
The Mongolian robes they wore were the same as those of ordinary Mongolians, but they were green, just like the civil servants in the mainland. They were embroidered with quails. On the generally poor grassland, this piece of embroidery looked particularly grand.
Of course, it also highlights their extraordinary identities.
As for the horsewhip, it is carried everywhere and is a symbol of Mongolian officials.
The unification of Mongolian and Han officials was accompanied by differences. This was a characteristic of the Ming Dynasty and a habit in the next few hundred years. Although it was criticized by civil servants, it was very popular among Mongolians.
It's impossible to let these Mongolian officials wear Han robes in daily life. It's so inconvenient to ride a horse!
"Agula, congratulations -"
At this time, a middle-aged man wearing a blue Mongolian robe also came on horseback, followed by two followers.
When the hundreds of households on the side saw this, they immediately bowed and saluted.
Hundreds of households and thousands of households are grassroots officials who control the herdsmen's daily affairs such as tax collection, corvee labor, recruitment, transfers, and household registration. Among them, there is also an official who decides the affairs.
That is to say, among the judicial officials who handle issues such as litigation, division of family property, and pasture division, there is only one judge for each thousand households, and the official rank is the seventh grade.
His Mongolian robe is blue, with a Xiqi embroidered on the surface, and he wears a felt hat on his head. He looks a little inconspicuous, but behind him are two green-robed officials, which further highlights his power.
This is his subordinate officer.
In a thousand-household district, there are only a dozen officials of all sizes, and the judge is definitely at the top.
"Master Judge——"
Everyone immediately bowed their heads.
The term "adult" is widely used on the grasslands. It is often used to address the leader, which is a symbol of status. The Mongolians call the judge this way, which is a sign of respect.
"The Great Khan is coming to Chengde, and then the whole Khan tribe will become lively."
The judge did not hesitate and said directly: "Your family has a bodyguard, which is the pride of our Qianhu District. We must behave well..."
"What do you mean?" Baihu couldn't help but asked.
"This time the Great Khan comes to Chengde and will meet with the leaders of the grassland tribes. All the young people must gather together, just in case. Don't let others underestimate our Khan tribe."
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The judge casually said: "If you perform well this time, the Beijing Camp, or the Guards Department, will definitely recruit some people."
These words made the herdsmen who paid money to watch the excitement excited.
Whether going to the Beijing Camp or the Guards Department, it is a good opportunity for ordinary herdsmen to leap over the dragon's gate.
The grasslands are harsh and disasters are frequent. The herdsmen's daily diet consists of dairy products and they only eat meat during the winter, so they all envy the Han people for their ease of eating and drinking.
Being an official, receiving a monthly salary, and an iron rice bowl are extremely attractive to the herdsmen who are constantly worried.
The entire Chengde Khanate was in a great movement in an instant.
The bureaucracy composed of hundreds or thousands of households quickly gathered more than 6,000 people to obey the orders of Chengde City in accordance with the requirement of one cent per account.
Including Chengde's own 3,000 border troops, the number exceeded 10,000.
In Chifeng, the center of Chahar, as the governor of Chahar, Sun Changzhou did not dare to neglect.
When he heard that the emperor was about to come to Chengde, he immediately summoned the nobles and officials of the Khan Ministry and requested that troops and horses be dispatched to Chengde to protect him in accordance with the model of three households and one ding.
Including the frontier troops in Chifeng, a total of five thousand people headed southwest.
It's not that there aren't many soldiers and horses in Chifeng, but it's just that there are too many. The east wind can't overwhelm the west wind.
The eight-year-old Prince of Chahar, Abul, as the nominal leader of the Mongols in the Chahar region, naturally wanted to go.
Similarly, the Potali Khan, who was granted the title of Prince of Beihai and was the emperor's uncle, also naturally left for Chengde to meet the emperor.
Dozens of the great lamas of the entire Chahar tribe and the great lama of Suiyuan also set out together.
As for the Mongolian nobles, they had received the news long ago and rushed to Chengde to meet the distinguished Chuluo Khan.
However, the three great Khans of the Khalkha tribe, including the Khan of Chechnya, and a large number of Taiji Khans expressed that it was difficult to go and only sent personal envoys.
This is also expected.
How could hundreds of thousands of people in the Khalkha Mongols still accept the leadership of an overlord who had lived freely for hundreds of years?
Isn't it enough to submit in name only and send nine white horses every year?
If they really went south en masse, the emperor might really catch them and completely unify Mobei Mongolia.
Even though the three Khalkha tribes were missing, the arrival of Mongolian nobles from the Suiyuan, Chahar, Horqin and other tribes still made the entire Chengde overcrowded.
It is conservatively estimated that the number of followers brought by these nobles alone exceeds a thousand, and the number of personal guards exceeds 10,000.
Of course, the Ming army also gathered 20,000 to 30,000 troops, especially the nearly 10,000 Beijing troops, which was enough to suppress the Mongols.
The endless and vast grassland is absolutely pleasing to the eye and refreshing to Zhu Yixi.
Similarly, for the concubines who have lived in the inner court for a long time, this place is full of novelties.
Especially when they are going to sleep in a yurt at night, the princes and princesses are overjoyed.
However, as a compromise, the prince and the queen did not follow, but returned to Beijing to take charge, just in case.
Originally, the emperor wanted the prince to come over to witness some historical moments and appreciate the elegance of the grassland, but the civil servants strongly opposed it and persuaded him that as an emperor, he should not act willfully.
If this was really done in one pot, it would really be the end of the world.
"His Majesty--"
My uncle, Gobdali, was working hard and had been waiting in Chengde for a long time.
After seeing the emperor, he was extremely excited.
Looking at Budali who had gained weight, Zhu Yixi shook his head: "Look at you like this, can you still ride a horse?"
"Don't worry, I can definitely ride with you."
Budali slapped her chest, her face rolling with flesh.
Seeing this, Zhu Yixi had no choice. He knew that Budali was a person who wanted to enjoy himself. This was his nature and he couldn't refuse.
"These are my daughters, Your Majesty, which one do you like?"
Budali pointed at a few girls aged 12 or 13 and said loudly.
These words almost made Zhu Yixi angry.
Aunt and nephew together? What kind of mess is this?
The little girls are as young as a flower, with delicate facial features, and their skin is fairer and tender compared to ordinary herdsmen. At first glance, they are from aristocratic backgrounds.
"Not bad -" Zhu Yixi nodded, commenting with precious words.
"Choose one of the princes!"
Budarion raised his head, with a look of longing on his fleshy face.
Zhu Yixi breathed a sigh of relief. As expected, Budali was not that beastly.
However, the emperor fell into thinking.
It would be feasible if the princes were allowed to have a side concubine, but not the principal concubine.
Not only did the civil servants refuse to agree, he also felt a little uncomfortable with it.
Even if the Mongols and Han merged, there would be no need to be like the Qing people.
He thought about it and said, "The princes are still young, so there is no rush to get married."
Budali said eagerly: "Dear Anda, what you said is true, but you can get engaged first. In the words of the Han people, it is a kiss that is getting closer."
"The Chahar tribe and the Ming Dynasty are in harmony."
"Budali, you know, your daughter can't become the concubine."
Zhu Yixi said in a deep voice.
Startled by the emperor's expression, Budali hurriedly said: "It doesn't matter, I can be a concubine too."
"The princes are all mature, and it is our honor to have them become concubines."
Hearing this, Zhu Yixi nodded: "In this case, you won't go back to Chifeng after a while, and just go with me to live in Beijing for a few months."
"The Prince's Palace I built for you in the capital is already ready. You happen to be able to live in it, and by the way, you and I can cultivate our relationship."
Budali quickly cheered.
He had wanted to go to Beijing for a long time, but Sun Changzhou didn't allow it, and the emperor didn't approve it. It was great to go to Beijing under the pretext of his daughter.
After he left, Zhu Yixi shook his head.
Sure enough, marriage is still the oldest method, but it is also the most effective.
Naturally, Budali's daughter will not marry Qiqige's son. Except for the suspicion of cousins, allowing her to marry will make the blood more mixed and detrimental to her future development.
In his mind, the first choice for Budali's daughter is naturally the oldest son at present - Qin King Zhu Cunming.
Getting engaged at the age of twelve is just right.
"However, with so many nobles coming this time, it would be good to select a few to join the harem."
The emperor sighed: "Sure enough, this Ming Dynasty still has to sacrifice me, the emperor, to fulfill its future."
"After all, you have built your own country, and a little sacrifice is nothing."
A few days later, after several days of rehearsal, the prairie nobles began a large-scale audience event.
The people who attended this meeting were basically all local nobles, and at last they were from a thousand households.
Of course, the nobles in Suiyuan and Chahar were all registered as households, and they became thousands or hundreds of households. Although they enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy, they ultimately became members of the imperial system.
The non-staff nobles are the main body.
In order to declare his power and appease him, the emperor studied the Manchu system, carried out large-scale canonization, and developed a Mongolian aristocratic system.
That is to say, the feudal aristocratic titles such as Jinong, Hongtaiji, Prime Minister, Taishi, Zaisang and so on before Mongolia were abolished and the new system was used to reflect the new atmosphere of the new dynasty.
This aristocratic system includes the three major Mongolian communities of Monan, Moxi and Mobei.
The Mongolian nobles will be divided into three levels: Tabunang, Taiji, and Prince (Khan).
"Tabu Nang" in Mongolian refers to the title of a person who marries a descendant of Genghis Khan.
Taiji originates from the Chinese word Wang Taizi and Wang Taidi. It is a title for the leader of the Mongolian tribe, and people like to add words such as "red", "hun" and "yellow" in front of it. For example, Huang Taiji was originally Huang Taiji.
Due to the reproduction of the Golden Family, Taiji became synonymous with the nobility on the grassland.
Zhu Yixi awarded the largest "Tabu Nang" to a large number of ordinary nobles, exceeding a hundred people.
As a rule, they can receive one hundred pieces of silver and ten pieces of cloth every year.
As for Taiji, it is divided into three grades: the first grade receives 200 yuan, the second grade receives 180 yuan, and the third grade receives 150 yuan.
The highest rank of khan, with the title of king of the same county, enjoys a salary of 3,000 yuan.
The Great Khan has one level, and the Khalkha tribe has three: Chechen Khan, Tushetu Khan, and Zhasaktu Khan.
There are two people in Monan Mongolia, Chahar Khan Abul and Beihai County King Budali.
In Mongolia, the desert, there was no canonization because no one came to see him.