Reincarnation of the powerful minister

In Chile River at the foot of Yin Mountain, the white grass is rustling in the cold.

The lush grassland in spring and summer has now become a vast white wilderness, and even the Helin River that flows through the grassland has frozen into a strip of solid ice.The horseshoes of the army trampled on the river surface, making a clanging sound, kicking the ice like iron.

After passing this grassland is the long and narrow desert, crossing the desert and entering Yunnei Pingchuan, then crossing the Yellow River to the southeast and entering Hetao, the Great Wall of Daming is within sight.

There was a faint sound of groaning on the gloomy clouds, and the head of the guard, Wu Dan, drew his bow like a full moon, shot an arrow, and fell down a blue-colored long-billed owl.He joyfully took the waterfowl to present to the general: "Altan! Look at how fat this one is, with a bulging belly. It might be able to cut out another fresh fish!"

The young Holy Khan was looking up at the sky on his horseback, but he didn't turn his head when he heard the sound, as if he was not very keen on the extra meal.

After the Vala army set off from the royal court, they rushed south for several days, crossed the Yin Mountains, and came to this plain called "Chilechuan" in ancient times. They drove a batch of cattle and sheep with the army, killed and ate while walking, and were very self-sufficient.

Passing by the settlements of large and small tribes, they confiscated horse grass in the name of the Golden Royal Court.If it is easier to go to the territory of Mingguo, it would be easier to plunder the supply camps and food stores of the various guards directly. Not only are there enough quantities, but they are also packaged according to categories, so they are easy to use, and they can run away after grabbing them.

Before the Northern Desert was unified, some tribes with more household registrations would resist a few times, but since the prince of Oara attacked the royal court of Tatar under the banner of avenging his father, and slaughtered several tribes one after another, Altan became fierce. His name spread all over the northern desert, and later even the famous grand master's fire-removing platform was folded in his hands, and all the tribes were terrified when they heard it.

After the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, Altan became the co-lord of the grassland, the holy Khan bestowed by the gods, and no one dared to overthrow him again.

Now it is heard that the Holy Khan led an army to attack the Ming Kingdom, and all the tribes in the Northern Desert are even more rejoicing. Even if the supplies for the winter are scarce, they will try their best to allocate food and grass to hand in to win the victory. The Holy Khan favored him, and he hoped that in the future, he would get more supplies and slaves from the Central Plains when rewarding him for meritorious deeds.

Altan collected the food and grass, sent heralds to verbally praise these tribal leaders, and left half a gold medal as a proof of future rewards-he directly copied the gold medal system implemented by Su Yan when he reformed the horse administration in Shaanxi. Come here, I think it is quite useful.

Of course, now Beimo and Mingguo are hostile, and all the border horse markets are closed, and the gold medal of "honest cooperation, priority trading" that Mingguo once issued is useless.However, some tribes and border towns closer to the border of Daming secretly hid the gold medal issued by Su Yan, planning to eat two ends for one bite.

Altan knew this well.There is a saying in the Central Plains that "when the water is clear, there will be no fish." As long as these tribes pay their food obediently and don't drag his army back, he will not turn against them.

"I heard that the person who set up the gold medal system was a very young official from Mingguo, and also a scholar from Lingzhou. His name is...what's his name?" While the army was resting by the river for lunch, Wu Dan turned over the grilled pheasant Tossing half a gold medal up and down, "By the way, Altan was in Mashi, Lingzhou at that time. You should know his name."

Because of eating the fruit of the sacred tree, Altan's memory of Qingshui Camp in Lingzhou became very blurred.When Wu Dan said this, fragmented pictures flew across his mind, accompanied by a few words from someone who didn't know:

"It is true that we met by chance, but I am deeply impressed, and I will never forget it. I will try my best to help if I can."

"You and I have no destiny, it depends on my spending money. If this deal fails, don't say you can't be a repeat customer in the future, and you will only be a passer-by when you meet."

The man seemed to be wearing a suit of ultramarine blue, riding on the grass blades, and the fresh morning dew sprinkled on his face, making him blurt out: "You are very suitable to wear our grandson's robe, it looks very good."

In a trance, it was another ruined temple, with the sound of rain, and the bonfire was raging.

"Yes, Altan, thank you for buying me a drink."

"You have a special smell, very light, a bit like flowers and herbs, but not any flowers and herbs I've ever smelled."

"I have another merciless request...can I touch your tattoo?"

Through the thick fox fur, the sacred tree tattoo on the chest and abdomen became hot, as if fingers were caressing it, bringing a tingling sensation.Altan covered his abdomen with his palms, breathing involuntarily heavy and rapid.

Sitting next to him, Wu Dan felt his strangeness, smiled and handed over the roasted oyster meat: "Are you hungry? Try my roasted meat, this is a skill that can attract wolves."

Altan stood up, turned his back to him, and took a deep breath in the wind.

Wu Dan was only eighteen years old, but he had a wife and children last year. He married a concubine from the Tatar royal family, and there were many noble women from the Oirat tribe who fell in love with him.At this moment, he suddenly realized, got up with a smirk, and bumped Altan's waist with his elbow: "Missing a woman? When you pass by Yunnei City tonight, the city lord will welcome you well."

The so-called "receive well" is the bad habit of dedicating all the wives, concubines and daughters in the family to serve the distinguished guests.

Altan said unmoved: "Say hello to him in advance, and send the supplies on our list to wait outside the city."

"Not going to the city?"

"Don't go in, continue to march quickly."

But Wu Dan felt that there was no need to hurry so much, and camped and rested overnight inside and outside the city, so as not to miss the battle. Anyway, Mingguo was there, and he would not walk away with long legs.

Altan sighed: "There is no time, you don't understand."

Wu Dan really didn't understand why Altan was so swift and determined when he sent troops to the Ming country this time, as if an invisible horsewhip was whipping him day and night behind his back.

So Wodan asked: "Altan, can we really reach the capital of Ming Kingdom this winter and take control of the Central Plains?"

Altan's eyes sank, and the golden pupils no longer contained the autumn sun of the grassland, but were replaced by a ferocious and domineering aura like a wild beast.He said: "Wodan, if you didn't say this, but it came from any other general, including Lieutenant General Hu Guyan, the adopted son of my father Khan, I will not forgive him lightly, and he will be accused of shaking the morale of the army Severe punishment with the whip."

Since following Altan at the age of 15 and taking an oath of allegiance, Odan has never received such a severe warning, which can almost be regarded as a reprimand.

He was terrified at first, and then a look of shame filled his face, he bowed his head and kowtowed on his chest: "Holy Khan, I was wrong."

Altan eased his tone: "I can tolerate you calling me Altan for the rest of your life, but I can't tolerate you questioning my determination. Because doubts easily lead to dissatisfaction, dissatisfaction breeds dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction breeds betrayal... I hope you will never betray me , Odan, for your father's sake."

This is not a request, but the truth.Wudan instantly understood what Altan meant—"For your father's sake, I will treat you kindly for the rest of my life, and don't let me go to the point where I have to make a painful decision against you."

Wo Dan gritted his teeth and thumped his left chest heavily: "Altan, I know I was wrong!"

Altan was silent for a moment, and continued: "There is something that I have never told anyone, and I will tell you now."

Wodan listened with bated breath.

"...I may not live long."

Wodan's face changed drastically, and the exclamation was firmly bitten by him before the exit. He grabbed Altan's arm, and his voice was hoarse: "Altan, are you kidding?"

Altan didn't answer.

Wo Dan's heart seemed to be chilled by ice and snow, his ears were buzzing, and he was gasping for breath: "I'm not sick or injured, why are you so sure...it's the old witch of the guardian tree? Before Chu Hutaiji was defeated and died, I remember you received a secret letter from Hai Dongqing, did it come from the old witch?"

"The old witch reminded me that my time is running out. 'Before the blizzard lands', do you know what that means?" Altan asked.

Wo Dan was confused: "It means you can't survive this winter? So you decided to attack Mingguo before the winter is over... You have been looking for a man who can't remember his face and name for two full years... He is here The capital of Ming country?" He shook Altan's arm vigorously, "Can this person save you? Then find him, and use all the strength of the whole clan to break through the Central Plains, and find him too!"

"Wodan, it seems that you are really loyal to me." Altan patted the back of his hand, "Have you ever thought that this means that there will be one, or even more than one, that is so violent that it will be recorded in God's name?" Will the blizzard of the song descend on the land of Beimo?"

Wu Dan was stunned.

"I am not afraid of death, Wodan. The cloud of death has been hanging over my head for nearly three years. Under this cloud, I will do what I should do as usual. Khan of the Prairie.

"I don't covet the throne, but I know that I must sit on the throne. Only in this way can the centuries-long disputes between the ministries be subsided, and Beimo can win a period of recuperation.

"I thought this period would last at least decades, at least in my lifetime—but I didn't expect that my life would be so short that I wouldn't even have time to see the first wildflowers bloom in the grassland next year.

"Wodan, after I die, I'm afraid that Beimo will fall into disintegration again." Altan looked at the sky where the thick clouds rolled, "You say that I am a great witch and the son of the sacred tree, but I cannot control my own destiny.

"But at the very least, I can leave you with a grand enough victory, a victory that can force the king and ministers of the Ming Kingdom to bow their heads and cede huge resources, so that the tribes of the Northern Desert will have no worries about food and clothing for the next ten years."

With tears in his eyes, Wodan pleaded: "Altan! Altan... If you are doomed to die, leave a child here! No matter male or female, we will regard him as the new Holy Khan. There will be unity around him and there will be no more divisions."

Altan shook his head slowly: "I have a blood contract with the tree of God, so I will not marry easily, and I will not let anyone give birth to my child. Even if I give birth, a swaddling baby will not be embraced by everyone. Maybe My prestige can last for a few years after my death, but the deterrent power without roots will eventually dissipate, and this child will only become a jade seal passed down to the country, and become a tool for the various tribes in the Northern Desert to fight for power."

Wu Dan was silent for a long time before he said: "You still have a 14-year-old brother, but his legs are atrophied and he can't walk, so he can't inherit your will. Even if it's just for those of us who are loyal to you and follow you, you can't die."

"I don't want to return to Changshengtian too early." Altan smiled self-deprecatingly, "As an old saying in the Central Plains says, do your best and obey the destiny!"

He turned his eyes to the cloudy sky again, and frowned: "Tomorrow... the weather will not be good."