An unprecedented decisive battle thus dissolved into nothingness.
The next day,
Zhu Mo returned to Datong and first drafted a peace negotiation plan, with the "Bansheng Plan" as its focus. He had it sent to Tumote in the grasslands that same day.
He then drafted a memorial to the throne, sent via express courier to the capital's Grand Secretariat for Xu Jie. It detailed the course of the recent conflict, mentioning the Datong volunteers and subtly suggesting Xu Jie might find leverage against Yang Bo. Regarding the peace plan, it explicitly proposed "enfeoffment and tribute states" and recommended the imperial court grant Anda a title.
Zhu Mo naturally understood, having gathered as much from Anda's last statement –
The Tumote people had only submitted temporarily. Without the new firearms, the situation would have been reversed, turning Xuan-Da into a buffer zone for the Tatars, much like the Great Yuan Jin Dynasty. Now, the three enfeoffment and tribute states served as buffer zones for the Ming, situated in the east, central, and west, corresponding to Ji-Liao, Xuan-Da, and Sanbian. This marked the first step toward permanently pacifying the border unrest.
Therefore, the court needed to bestow an appropriate title upon Anda, one that signified that the Tatar lands were now subordinate vassals of the Great Ming.
After finishing two mentally taxing documents,
Zhu Mo walked out of the Governor's yamen.
At this moment,
the great calamity had passed, and the people's hearts were at peace. The streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, exuding an atmosphere of festive joy once more.
But Zhu Mo merely sighed softly, with no mind for the celebratory mood. He wandered aimlessly, contemplating his next steps. Having weathered many storms, he knew the characteristics of the Great Ming dynasty: often, the most dangerous moments arrived after stability had been restored.
Currently,
the first pressing matter was to await Anda's reply. Once all intentions were finalized, he would make the situation irreversible by establishing the first enfeoffment and tribute state. This task required detailed planning by Ma Lu, Li Wenjin, and others, considering aspects like troop deployment and the resolution of border civilian disputes. Otherwise, if anything went wrong, the Yan family would seize the opportunity to exploit it indefinitely.
Next, he intended to personally interrogate the Prince of Raoyang to clarify many matters, particularly his relationship with the Yan family. After the interrogation, he would have the Prince sent to the high walls of Fengyang the very next day, to preempt any suspicions from the Jiajing Emperor. This needed to be handled swiftly, as Zhu Mo sensed the Prince posed a significant danger, potentially leading to unimaginable complications. A moment's delay could allow others to act first.
After completing matters in Datong, he had to rush to the capital to oversee Zhao Shizhen and his team in the manufacturing of firearms. Zhao Shizhen had indicated further improvements were needed after practical field tests. It was estimated that producing one to two thousand units might take several months. It seemed that pacifying the Japanese pirates would also not be a swift process.
Following that, he needed to address the salt industry, visit Jiangxi to inspect the porcelain industry, then re-establish the ironware industry, followed by the tea industry, and so on.
Besides all this,
there was a deep-seated concern: grain.
Because,
once these initiatives were rolled out, the agricultural population would decrease. With no immediate solutions for agricultural cultivation, imports would be necessary in the long term to depress grain prices. Simultaneously, efforts would be made to revive agriculture, but this process would be arduous, requiring localized strategies and a large cadre of talented individuals.
A myriad of complex issues.
He secluded himself in the Governor's yamen for two days, only then beginning to see some order emerge from the chaos.
...
Early one morning,
Anda's letter arrived. He had discussed its contents with his ministers en route and had the Han Chinese scribes Xiao Qin, Qiu Fu, and Li Zixin write it down.
Zhu Mo dismissed everyone and read the letter word by word, finally breaking out in a cold sweat.
As expected.
This was a long-standing conduit, involving dozens of civil and military officials, academies, and scholars. The key figure in this network was, naturally, the Prince of Raoyang.
Anda had divulged everything: it began with Zhao Quan of the White Lotus Sect meeting the Prince of Raoyang through the Princess of Dai, then secretly crossing the border to meet Khan Anda for the first time. The Prince of Raoyang proposed the "Great Yuan Jin Dynasty" concept, recommended numerous Han literati, and oversaw the secret construction of palaces in the grasslands. Anda had also personally promised the Prince of Raoyang the title of Prince of Nanping upon the success of their endeavors. With Anda's support, the Prince of Raoyang began infiltrating the Datong volunteers, gradually turning them into his private forces.
Regarding the Prince of Raoyang's relationship with the Yan family, Anda seemed to know little, only mentioning that he had become acquainted with Yan Shifan and Zhang Er of the Embroidered Uniform Guard through the Princess of Dai's former connections in the capital.
In addition to this,
Anda truthfully described the smuggling channels that had been operating for years, largely controlled by Yan family factions and their businesses. These channels involved three ironware production centers along the Nine Frontiers and over a dozen mines. It was these iron products that had consistently supplied the Tatars with arrowheads.
The core of the letter focused on the transaction between Yan Song and Anda for the recent military actions. Anda directly mentioned Ge Jin and Chi Fengxiang in Xuanfu, stating that intelligence had been passed through the ironware smuggling channels. The letter also discussed a secret correspondence from Yan Song himself, detailing the three conditions for Anda's invasion: perpetual trade, ironware factories, and thirty thousand civilians.
After reading it,
Zhu Mo, harboring several questions, immediately rode to the Censorate's yamen to personally interrogate the Prince of Raoyang.
Because,
Anda only knew part of the story. The crucial connections, such as how the Prince of Raoyang met Yan Shifan and Zhang Er, were vaguely described. This was the most critical aspect; if concrete evidence could be obtained, Yan Shifan could be directly condemned. After all, the Prince of Raoyang's treason was already conclusively proven.
...
It was now deep into the night.
Zhu Mo arrived at Yu Zhen's main hall and found him still engrossed in writing.
Yu Zhen was now the second of the Thirteen Protectors, second only to Wu Feng, and should have been addressed as Yu Er. However, Zhu Mo knew he, like Zhang Juzheng, maintained a neutral stance, so he did not wish to engage in lengthy conversation. He stated his purpose directly and proceeded to the rear courtyard, regardless of Yu Zhen's consent.
Upon entering the rear courtyard,
he found a small room with all four walls covered in wooden boards. Eight bailiffs were stationed around the clock, with all provisions, including food and drink, passed through a small window. For several days, not a single bird had landed here, let alone a person.
With a creak, the door was opened.
In the darkness,
Zhu Mo saw a disheveled figure sitting alone on the couch, with two vacant eyes. But as these eyes recognized Zhu Mo, a ghastly cackle erupted from his throat.
Kaha kaha ka!
Zhu Mo was unhurried, calmly waiting for him to finish laughing before speaking:
"Anda has reached a peace agreement with me, and he has also sold you out..."
"Hmph!"
"I intend to establish three enfeoffment and tribute states in Tumote, and Anda will become a vassal of the Great Ming... Your Great Yuan Jin Dynasty is no longer possible..."
"Hmph!"
The Prince of Raoyang maintained a gloomy, disdainful expression.
Zhu Mo smiled and continued, "I've come today to tell you that the Great Ming will not fall... My reforms will continue, and the Yan father and son will surely die..."
At this moment,
he suddenly spoke, "Your reforms are unworkable... The only way to save the Great Ming is through my methods..."
Oh?
Zhu Mo had suspected earlier that this man, having reached this point, likely still harbored feelings for the Great Ming. Although he had spoken to the Princess of Dai at Guanyin Temple about dividing the land and proclaiming himself king, and then marching on the capital to claim the throne, Zhu Mo felt this man could not be that simple.