At this very moment, the main forces of both sides had already moved forward a considerable distance, but nothing significant had happened, and the two armies were once again in a standoff.
Zhu Mo could now see Anda at close range. Although Anda maintained his composure, the recent firearms had clearly terrified him, and his eyes flickered with indecision.
However, he had only seen the tip of the iceberg. At this moment, Anda's shock was beyond words!
For he understood Ming firearms. He had always believed they were of little use, as reloading was slow, making them ineffective against cavalry, and their accuracy was poor. Therefore, he had always considered them inferior to bows and arrows. But seeing the opponent fire two shots in rapid succession, reloading and firing in the blink of an eye, had made his legs turn to jelly.
Imagine, if this were the case, the combat effectiveness of the Ming army would be invincible. They only had a hundred or so now; what if they had a thousand, or five thousand? Cavalry would be unable to get close at all.
It could be said that in that instant, Anda had collapsed. His mind was filled with a single thought: seize this opportunity while the armies were in a standoff and the Ming still held ultimate deterrence, and quickly negotiate a peace, preferably a long-term one. Then, at all costs, obtain the blueprints for these firearms. Otherwise, the end of the Tumet people was nigh, and the honor of the Golden Family would be utterly extinguished.
Thus, he calmed the situation and feigned indifference. He then glanced sideways at Zhu Mo, remaining silent, insisting on waiting for the other party to speak first.
Zhu Mo snorted and, disregarding everything, rode forward with his translator, just two or three meters away from Anda. He then said to the translator:
"Tell him, I am Zhu Mo. It is a great honor for me, Zhu Mo, to hunt with the Khan at Deshengbao today."
The translator, a man in his early twenties from the Right Guard, had returned a few years prior and been incorporated into the army by Ma Lu as a guide. He now rattled off a response.
Zhu Mo observed Anda's expression closely. He saw that Anda's sharp eyes were constantly appraising him, nodding from time to time. As Anda listened intently to the translator, a hint of surprise appeared on his face, and he also said a few words.
The translator relayed, "Young Master Zhu, he says he never expected Zhu Mo to be so young. When he was this age, he had only led at most ten thousand soldiers. He also says that Young Master Zhu is both wise and brave, and he hasn't encountered such an opponent from the Ming in many years. He admires you greatly and feels it is an honor."
Mm-hmm,
Zhu Mo mused, "This person is quite interesting. Since neither side has learned much about the other, let's chat about something else first before returning to the main topic."
He then said to the translator, "Tell him, I am truly a Daoist, and I believe all things are born naturally, and there is no need for favoritism or discrimination among them..."
Upon hearing this, Anda suddenly pondered for a moment before having Xiao Qin translate, "The Khan says he is also a herdsman and believes in the Eternal Heaven..."
Mm-hmm,
Zhu Mo saw that although Anda's expression was stubborn, it had softened considerably. He thought, "Polite words can only go so far. Now, it's probably time to get down to business? After all, I spoke in the name of Patriarch Qiu, and he responded by saying he is a herdsman, which means there is a basis for discussion."
He twirled his whip, gazing at the snowy desert in the distance, and after a moment of contemplation, felt that there was no time to lose and it was best to be direct. He immediately got to the point:
"Ask him, my reforms in the Ming are unrelated to others. Why are you interfering? Helping evildoers against me? You are a herdsman; you shouldn't meddle in the affairs of farmers. Directly ask..."
As the translator spoke, his tone was very fitting. Anda's expression suddenly startled him. He swept his gaze over Zhu Mo with a gloomy look, then suddenly burst into laughter, having Xiao Qin translate:
"The Khan says that your reforms in the Ming have made the farmers and silkworm raisers happy, and the shepherds and horsemen of Tumutechuan have also heard about it..."
"There's no more?"
Zhu Mo asked, curious.
The translator replied, "No more."
Oh,
So, Anda's meaning was: the common people of Tartary also yearn for change? He too is facing internal pressure? He looked at Anda's expression again, feeling there was some deception, but the truthfulness seemed genuine.
Indeed,
The grasslands were in unprecedented decline. Shortages of daily necessities were at an unbelievable level, the cause of which was a global change. The overland Silk Road was rapidly shrinking, and the biggest losers were the Tatars of northern Asia. The direct reason was that the Shaybanid Khanate had cut off previous trade, and the Ming Dynasty had implemented a blockade policy. The people under Anda's rule were indeed on the brink of survival.
Not only that, but the Ming Dynasty was also deeply affected. In recent years, with drastic retrenchment, the common people of the Ming had also become increasingly impoverished and could not hold on for much longer. Therefore, this matter was actually the most concerning to the common people of both sides. He said that the horsemen of Tumutechuan had heard about his reforms, which should be true, most likely spread by smugglers and refugees.
Anda's situation was similar to that of Jiajing. If the issues of people's livelihood were not resolved within ten years, it would inevitably lead to collapse.
Thinking of this, Zhu Mo said again, "Ask him: then what exactly are you here for?"
Anda was expressionless at this moment and calmly had Xiao Qin translate:
"The Khan says he is here for the herdsmen. For twenty years, every time he has come to the Ming, it has been for the same reason..."
Mm-hmm,
Zhu Mo nodded first, thinking, "Anda, you're playing the innocent fool right now with the same old story about trade, who are you kidding? Are you still not after the Great Yuan and Jin Kingdoms? I must warn him clearly about this."
He immediately instructed the translator:
"Tell him: my reforms benefit both farmers and horsemen... However, there are those who are neither horsemen nor farmers who want to stop me. I hope you are not such a person. Because for such people, I, Zhu Mo, will not let them go; their demise is only a matter of time. If you trust me, I will send you a letter later..."
As he spoke, he was not looking at Anda but at the hundred-man firearm squad behind him, his tone carrying a hint of inexplicable coldness.
Anda listened, pondered, and asked Xiao Qin several times, even scrutinizing each word, before pondering for a long time and then having Xiao Qin translate:
"The Khan says that since you are a Daoist friend and have given me a great gift, I am willing to reciprocate. I will send someone to Datong later to give you a letter regarding those who are neither horsemen nor farmers. Also, I very much hope to see your letter as soon as possible."
Good,
Good!
He had shown sincerity.
Zhu Mo's meaning was very clear: Anda, you explain the situation of Yan Song, Prince Rao Yang, Zhao Quan, and others clearly, otherwise, peace talks are impossible. Furthermore, I, Zhu Mo, will definitely eliminate Yan Song. Will the outcome be the same then? If you trust me, we can discuss the treaty details today.
Anda's response was also very direct: he would reveal everything about Yan Song, Prince Rao Yang, the White Lotus Society, and others in exchange for peace talks today.
Hahaha,
Both with their own agendas, they pondered for a moment and then burst into laughter.
Zhu Mo dismounted and walked over, and Anda also quickly dismounted.
As they met, Zhu Mo performed a Daoist salute, while Anda placed his arm across his chest in a herdsman's greeting.
Zhu Mo felt that this trip was basically settled and had no ill feelings toward Anda. He smiled and said,
"My herdsman friend, let's cease hostilities now... Let's retreat separately first, and then the two of us can chat inside the fort? Some things are better discussed face-to-face. What do you think?"
Anda, having interacted with Han advisors for a long time, knew a few words of Han. He smiled and said, "I am eager to hear it. Haha..."
...
Li Wenjin, as agreed, retreated with the entire army a hundred li.
Over there, Xin Ai led the entire army back a hundred and fifty li.
Ma Lu returned to the left wing and ordered Zhang Yue to command the retreat. He then returned to Deshengbao to find Zhu Mo and Anda chatting happily. A campfire had been lit, and they were leaning against a broken wall, gesturing in the snow, clearly discussing that experimental zone.
They talked for a full three hours, and the sky had already reached evening. The two ate some dry rations and jerky, and continued gesturing.
An hour later,
Zhu Mo finally bid farewell to Anda.
As he left,
Anda presented Zhu Mo with a small golden knife, and Zhu Mo reciprocated with a firearm, smiling and saying,
"Anda, once the first three tributary states are established, I hope your grandson will manage Han Na Ji with my people... In the future, you must know how to herd horses and farm..."
Anda, after all, was a formidable figure. When his grandson was mentioned, although his heart ached a little, he could still calmly judge. He knew that once this treaty was reached, the Tumet people would completely transform, bidding farewell to two to three thousand years of nomadic life. And all of this would require a new type of leader, and naturally, Han Na Ji was the most suitable.
He burst into laughter and said,
"Daoist Zhu, don't send my grandson back for now. I want him to learn from you for a few years! If he doesn't turn out well, discipline him properly!"
With that,
He mounted his horse and galloped away, shouting,
"Daoist Zhu, your firearms are very powerful! However, my Tumet people will have them sooner or later! Go!"