At the Great Taiji Residence in Yingsuo River City, Sultan sat upright on a tiger skin armchair.
The style of the chair was somewhat like a Grand Tutor's chair, and the tiger skin was obtained from a hunt years ago; it was soft to the touch and very warm.
Since the city and residence were built, the Great Taiji of the Huit Tribe no longer lived in a tent but moved into a palace.
However, Sultan usually liked to work in his study; the small study, with a fire burning, was warm and cozy.
Looking at a pile of memorials written in Uyghur-style Mongolian script, the young man sighed.
This Uyghur-style Mongolian script evolved from the Uyghur script, which in turn evolved from the Proto-Semitic alphabet.
When Genghis Khan ordered Tatatong'a to create the Mongolian script back then, he made selections based on the characteristics of the Mongolian language, resulting in 22 letters, 5 vowels, and 17 consonants, which were obscure and difficult to understand, and some meanings were hard to express in writing, making reading these memorials very laborious.
Chinese characters are still better!
The meaning is clear!
However, he did not dare to promote Chinese characters in the tribe yet, as living in the Oirat, where it was survival of the fittest and surrounded by powerful enemies, being labeled with the big hat of forgetting one's ancestors would not be fun.
However, as a transmigrator, he knew this situation would change soon.
More than ten years later, the Oirat eminent monk and famous scholar Zaya Pandit would change the "Uyghur Mongolian script" into the "Todo Mongolian script".
The new Mongolian script would have 30 letters, 7 vowels, and 23 consonants.
Because it was comprehensive in meaning and easy to understand, it was called "Todo Mongolian script", meaning "clear Mongolian script".
Thinking of reforming the script made him truly want to meet the historically renowned Zaya Pandit, but he also understood that haste makes waste; this great talent was in Lhasa, studying under the two most respected Masters of the Gelug (Yellow Sect), and could not return to Oirat yet.
"Great Taiji, Your servant has urgent military intelligence to report," while contemplating the reform of the script, the voice of his confidant Hada came from outside the study.
This person was originally his slave, but because he was steady and capable in handling matters, he was appointed to the position of hundred-household and was responsible for gathering military intelligence.
Over the years, he had been promoted to Thousand-household due to his accumulated merits and was his eyes and ears.
"Oh, come in," Sultan put down his brush pen and said slowly.
He knew that Hada would never dare to disturb him in the study unless there was something important.
"Great Taiji, we just received intelligence that Weilat Khan Baibagas was hit by a stray arrow from the rebel army and died in battle," as soon as he entered the study, Hada reported a shocking piece of news.
"What!
Baibagas Khan is dead!"
As a transmigrator, he actually knew the history of Baibagas Khan dying in the Oirat civil war, but he couldn't remember the exact year.
His Master Liu Haogu had previously planned with him to take advantage of the Heshuote's weakness during their civil war to seize their population and pastureland.
Now that they were leaderless, it was a good time to act!
"Good!
Good death, wonderful death!
The fierce tiger is dead, what more do I have to fear?"
(Chronicle of Emperor Gaozu of Wei: "The tiger has collapsed; what more is there to fear?")
Sultan burst into laughter.
A hero needs three helpers; although he had already decided to send troops to expand his territory, he still wanted to hear the opinions of his important ministers.
Important ministers such as Batu and Tan, Tiemuer, Nasutu, Ba'er Si, Xi Rimo, and Tuoli were summoned to the main hall.
Unexpectedly, everyone unanimously agreed to send troops to expand their influence.
Firstly, after two victories in the southern campaigns in recent years, the morale of the tribe from top to bottom was high.
Secondly, fighting could obtain a large amount of wealth; the Khoshut was weakened by the civil war and now even their Great Khan was dead, making them a soft persimmon in their eyes.
Not taking the opportunity to plunder them would be missing a golden opportunity, wouldn't it?
"Great Taiji, Your servant believes that sending troops must have a justification; it is better to act with a just cause," Batu and Tan spoke up.
"A just cause?"
Sultan was secretly amused.
I am just going to plunder, plunder pastureland, plunder population, plunder cattle, sheep, and wealth.
How can a bandit have a just cause?
"Grand Secretary, tell me, how can we have a just cause?" he asked, suppressing a smile.
"Great Taiji, Your servant remembers that when Baibagas Khan was alive, he repeatedly ordered you to send troops to assist in battle.
You agreed happily each time but never dispatched troops.
Now, we can use the excuse of being ordered by the late Khan to send troops to assist in battle.
This way, we will have a just cause."
What is talent?
This is talent!
To be able to explain everything shameless in a righteous manner.
Sultan looked at Batu and Tan with appreciation.
As expected of the former chief of the Tushmer and now the chief of the Inner Cabinet, his consideration of issues is comprehensive!
He immediately praised, "Hmm, what Batu and Tan said is reasonable.
This is the strategy of an experienced statesman!
We shall send troops under this name!
Remember, my Huit army is going to suppress the rebellion by order of the late Khan, not to plunder!"
Six thousand Huit warriors, ordered to suppress the rebellion, set off under the command of the wise and mighty Great Taiji Sultan.
First, they went west to the Otok of the Khoshut in Taragars.
This Otok belonged to Baibagas Khan's eldest son, Oqiertu, and had about a thousand households and over five thousand herdsmen.
The dignified Khoshut, the head of the Oirat, had never been treated like this?
The Zaisang of that Otok hurriedly gathered a few hundred soldiers and cursed loudly, "Where did you ruffians come from?
How dare you plunder the Otok of the Weilat Khan?
Aren't you afraid that the army of my Khoshut will tear you into ten thousand pieces?"
The 棗 red horse was red like fire; the phoenix-winged helmet was like a phoenix dancing; the chainmail shimmered with silver light.
The majestic young man rode his horse to his front.
"Noisy!"
The young man took out his horn bow, drew the string to full, and shot an arrow, knocking the Zaisang off his horse.
"I am Sultan, Great Taiji of the Huit Tribe, ordered by Baibagas Khan to suppress the rebellion.
This person resisted the royal army and is truly a rebel; I have killed him.
Lay down your arms and surrender, and you can be spared death."
With a majestic shout, the resistance of the Otok ended.
The Heshuote, without their commander, laid down their weapons.
After capturing Taragars, Sultan organized the captured Khoshut herdsmen into his own direct Sixth Otok, ordered his confidant Luo Bu Zang to lead a thousand soldiers to guard the area, and also set up officials such as Qianhu Chief, Zaisang, Demuchi, and Shouleng'e to manage military affairs, civil administration, judiciary, and taxation separately.
Young people are never satisfied.
After obtaining the fertile pastureland of Taragars and over five thousand herdsmen, Sultan continued to lead his army around Tus Lake (also known as Temurtu Nuur, now Issyk-Kul in eastern Kyrgyzstan), arriving at Tugurik, Hong Guoer Oleng, and other places south of Tus Lake.
Good place!
Truly a good place!
The sky is vast, the wilderness is boundless, when the wind blows, the grass bends low, revealing cattle and sheep.
Upon seeing the cattle and sheep everywhere, the eyes of the Huit warriors turned red.
After the Zaisang of Taragars was shot dead by the Great Taiji, the Heshuote surrendered.
To show favor to these surrendered Khoshut herdsmen, the Great Taiji ordered a strict prohibition on plundering.
Since Sultan took control of the Huit Tribe's whip, he had been trying to prohibit plundering and instead grant cattle, sheep, and wealth according to the size of military merit.
But how could the tradition of seizing spoils of war, formed over hundreds of years, be so easily prohibited?
"Great Taiji, Your servant requests to fight!"
"Your servant also requests to fight!"
"Please let Your servant serve as your vanguard!"
Hearing these requests to "fight," Sultan was amused.
There were only some herdsmen here, no army, what kind of battle were they requesting?
You are just trying to plunder!
However, clear water has no fish; since I have led my lads on campaign, I must let them gain some benefits.
This is called winning over the hearts of the army.
"Very well!
Go and fight bravely!
I, this Taiji, await the news of your victorious return," the young man artistically beautified plundering as fighting bravely, and waiting for the generals to return victorious was an implicit hint that they should not forget their share of the spoils.
A dignified Great Taiji could not personally go and plunder; it would be too embarrassing.
"Thank you, Great Taiji!"
The generals were overjoyed, each like a wolf or tiger, preparing to "fight bravely."
"No, Great Taiji!"
Someone loudly advised against it.
It was the old minister Nasutu.
Sultan was startled.
"Why not?"
"This place is the Jisai of the eminent monk Namuka Jemecuo (an Otok owned by a powerful Master and temple)."