Free Web NovelChapter 2139: Chapter 1556: So, What Is the Ming Dynasty?
"Brother Ali, I still don’t quite understand. You mentioned before that the Ming Dynasty in the south has abandoned this Black Water Forest Sea because there’s not enough manpower and resources to maintain it, even though they don’t want such a well-built and sturdy village! You also said that the warriors of Liaodong Town are quite impoverished, which makes them fierce and greedy, and we mustn’t let them discover we’re bringing too much gold south... But now, you say we can not only offer tribute for rewards but also make a name for ourselves and obtain good things from the Ming Dynasty? Even get them continuously? How is this possible..."
The tall trees entwine with vines, the old forest lets its branches droop. The wind howls softly through the bones, crows circle and sing in the sand. Three Jurchen Chiefs and a Kingdom Priest gather around a chieftain’s skeleton, sitting cross-legged. In this old forest where the Jurchen’s tree burials lie, among hundreds and thousands of bones, they plan the future of the tribes and the kingdom in this Black Water Forest Sea.
Listening to Ali’s explanation, Maha Agudah rested his tiger-paw chin on his hand, his brows furrowed into a knot. As the warrior among them, the true Shengshu Jurchen Chief, he genuinely struggled with these complex intrigues.
To him, deciphering these difficult matters was far harder than hunting fierce tigers or battling black bears. Yet he was the key figure in the southward plans and had to understand "Liaodong’s politics," even just the simplest bit. Through repeated efforts and guidance from others, his insight and wisdom grew continuously, gradually transforming from a reckless chieftain to a deeper, bone-marrow transformation...
"Brother Ali, can you give me a straight answer! This grand Ming Tribe Alliance in the south, are they wealthy or impoverished? What do they actually value the most, and by what tribal rules do they operate?..."
"Hmm, let me think about how to put this... Aguda Chieftain..."
"You can call me Brother Aguda!"
"Alright! Brother Aguda... then let me use an easy metaphor!..."
Shushu Jurchen Chief Ali pondered for a moment, stood up, and walked to a tall cold fir before them. He then forcefully patted the massive tree trunk and spoke in a deep voice.
"Our Ming is like this Sorrel Tree! Look at how thick its trunk is! See how far its roots extend from one end to the other! The Ming Dynasty is like this grand tree, stretching from the northernmost Liaodong to the southernmost Lingnan, encompassing its branches. Each of its roots grips deeply into the earth’s soil here. Each particle of dust in the earth is its tribal citizens, those it can control and collect taxes from!..."
"The Sorrel Tree of the Ming Dynasty spans the heavens and the earth. It can absorb fertility from the earth beneath its roots, from each grain of dust, growing tall and strong like this. What do you say to that wealth and strength?!..."
"However, upon closer inspection, you’ll see that this Sorrel Tree is wrapped with dense vines and covered with layers upon layers of moss. Birds peck at its top, mice gnaw at its roots, and insects eat its bark and leaves..."
"Vines, moss, mice, insects, and birds live off this tree, drawing sustenance from it. Consequently, some branches have withered, others have died, and the tree bark and roots have decayed! Look at the land beneath us, the former Nurgan Metropolitan Authority is one of those branches from the Great Ming Divine Tree that has withered and snapped at the farthest extent! And what is the Liaodong Military Department? It’s a branch that’s been stripped of many leaves but is not allowed to wither or die!..."
"So, is the court impoverished? Of course, the court is impoverished too! The soil is squeezed ever poorer, insects and mice abound, vines grow longer and birds constantly watch over... Look at all the branches of this tree and the signs of decay and death on them, naturally, it is impoverished. But the impoverishment is true for all branches! Yet if the fertility extracted from this Divine Tree is directed solely to one branch, you get unimaginable manpower and resources, unseen wealth, and endless supplies!..."
"!!..."
Shushu Jurchen Chief Ali paused, observing the deeply contemplative expressions on everyone’s faces, even Wu Xiong’s eyes widened, muttering "food, food." Meanwhile, the skeleton beside them grinned silently, laughing at who knows what.
"Furthermore, Liaodong Military Town! Liaodong defends Mongolia and protects the Capital Region; it’s the most crucial barrier outside the border and must not fail! Therefore, Liaodong Military Town is one of the vital branches the court holds most dearly. With the court’s tree providing ’nourishment,’ it can receive constant manpower and resource replenishment. Regardless of the losses incurred in between, the court spares no expense. In the eyes of court officials, Liaodong is more crucial than Fujian Liangguang, even when combined with Yun Gui Wusi Tibetan! The Ming Dynasty could do without the six southern provinces but must not lose Liaodong!..."
"At this very moment, the tremendous ’nourishment’ extracted by the court from all corners and transported to Liaodong’s branches is supporting Liaodong Military Town and rewarding Jurchen’s various garrisons! The titles of different garrisons we obtained are our principal prerequisite to become a small branch among many parasitic vines on this Liaodong branch..."
"Indeed! Brother Aguda, Ancestor High Priest, our goal is to be a vine entwined around the Great Ming Divine Tree. We’ll do our utmost to squeeze inside, from the military supplies and food the court sends to Liaodong, craftsmen, and civilians, licking a sip of broth left from the adults’ nourishment! When it comes to mice and insects that take big bites? That’s the privilege of vassal kings, nobles, and scholar-officials, not for others to touch. The flock of ravens that dive down to peck? That’s the Mongolian Tribes raiding southward, not a viable path for us, nor is it something we can learn from..."
