The Urumqi Chaiwopu Dabancheng Valley, located on the important route from Urumqi to Turpan, is a rare treasure in the Western Regions, rich in resources, with salt lakes and Chaiwopu Lake, producing salt and various aquatic products.
The leader of the Oirat people, Baibagas Khan of the Khoshut, was stationed here.
Although it was already summer, this area did not have a true summer, but rather a connection between spring and autumn.
At this moment, mountain flowers were in full bloom, wild flowers covered the mountains and fields, and the lush forests and pastures, with countless cattle and sheep, looked like an extremely beautiful painting.
Of course, people were indispensable in the painting.
At Baibagas Khan's call, the Taijis of various tribes brought the heroes of their own tribes here.
There were indeed people, and quite a few of them.
Nomudalai Great Taiji of the Huit Tribe also came, bringing a thousand elite soldiers and his mischievous eldest son, Sultan.
The child was still young, and he originally did not want to take the child on a long journey, but he could not resist the little rascal's constant crying and pestering.
After careful consideration, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles, so be it, he would take him out to see the world.
The group entered a canyon in the Celestial Mountains and were on their way when they suddenly saw dust rolling behind them, and over a thousand wolf-like men galloping towards them.
A messenger galloped to Nomudalai's horse and shouted, "I am a subordinate of Minzhu Taiji of the Dörbet tribe.
My Taiji has ordered your Huit Tribe to quickly clear the way so that the Dörbet cavalry can pass first."
"What!"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the Huit generals, including Erke Taiji, Tuoli, and Xi Rimo, were furious.
Nomudalai was also grinding his teeth with anger, but he knew that this Minzhu was the eldest son of Dalai Taishi and had considerable influence in the Dörbet tribe, and the Huit Tribe was nominally a vassal of the Dörbet tribe.
Impatience would ruin a great plan!
He suppressed his anger and ordered, "Clear the way!"
The Huit soldiers cleared the way, and the Dörbet cavalry quickly galloped up.
"Hahaha, E Qi Ge often said that this Nomudalai has great ambitions and should not be underestimated.
Seeing him today, he is nothing more than this," a burly man with fierce eyes leading the group laughed loudly.
This was Minzhu, the eldest son of Dalai Taishi.
He often heard his father praise Nomudalai and felt resentful in his heart: What kind of hero could a small Huit Tribe have?
What happened just now was deliberate.
Minzhu slowly walked at the very front, looking smug.
"Huh?"
He suddenly discovered that a child was blocking the middle of the road, blocking his way.
He reined in his horse and scolded, "You child, why don't you avoid the carriages and horses?
What will you do if you get hit?"
"The city is here, how can carriages and horses pass?" The child was not afraid and answered in a childish voice.
"City?
Where is it?"
"Built at my feet."
Minzhu was greatly surprised, dismounted, and looked, and indeed saw a "city" built with stones and branches at the child's feet.
He couldn't help but praise, "What a clever little child!
Whose child are you?
How old are you?"
"My name is Ike Ming'an·Sultan, I am the son of Nomudalai Great Taiji of the Huit Tribe, and I am five years old this year," the little fellow puffed out his chest and answered proudly.
"Oh, you are Nomudalai's son.
A while ago, I heard that Nomudalai had a son who was called a wise man by Dong Ke Er·Manzhu Xili·Hutuktu Master.
Could it be you?
Well, I will give you a question to test you.
If you can answer it, I will let your Huit Tribe go first; otherwise, you should obediently clear the way and don't delay," Minzhu said with a smile.
"Uncle, please speak."
"Little child, listen carefully: What water has no fish?
What fire has no smoke?
What tree has no leaves?
What flower has no branches?"
Sultan was amused.
In later generations, he had answered countless similar brain teaser questions, and he giggled, "What's so difficult about this?
Listen carefully, well water has no fish, fireflies have no smoke, withered trees have no leaves, and snowflakes have no branches."
After speaking, without waiting for Minzhu to ask another difficult question, the little fellow made a face, bounced, and slipped away.
"Oh my, Nomudalai's little child is really smart!
No wonder the Master said he is a wise man!"
Minzhu sighed repeatedly, ordered his subordinates to stop and let the Huit Tribe go first, and then personally went to see Nomudalai to apologize.
"Nomudalai Taiji, my words were rude just now, please forgive me."
"Oh my, Minzhu Taiji, what are you saying?
I, Nomudalai, like to make friends with straightforward men like you the most."
As the two chatted, they actually became close friends.
It turned out that the two men had similar identities, both being the eldest legitimate sons; their experiences were also similar, both being bullied by their younger brothers in the tribe, so they naturally had more common ground.
The difference was that Dalai Taishi liked his fourth son, Omobu Daiqing Heshokhi, and gave most of his family property to his fourth son, while Minzhu only received a small portion of the family property; on the other hand, Nomudalai's father, Eselei Beisai Yinka, liked Nomudalai very much and gave the majority of the family property to his eldest son.
"Alas!
Nowadays, our Oirats are becoming more and more lawless.
Sons are not filial to their fathers, and younger brothers do not respect their elder brothers.
It is truly shameful!"
Nomudalai had a thorough understanding of the situation of the Dörbet tribe, and with just a few words, he quickly narrowed the distance between the two sides.
The more the two chatted, the more they hit it off, and their feelings quickly warmed up.
Minzhu suddenly said, "I feel like I have known you for a long time, Brother.
Why don't we become Anda?"
"Oh my, that would be great, but my virtuous brother is a Taiji of a large tribe, and I am climbing high."
"What are you saying, Brother?
You are the head of a tribe, I am just an ordinary Taiji, I am the one climbing high."
The two were humble for a while, then suddenly looked at each other and smiled.
Nomudalai took out a long arrow, snapped it in half with force, and prayed to the sky, "chang sheng tian above, Ike Ming'an·Nomudalai is willing to become Anda with Choros·Minzhu, to share life and death, good fortune and misfortune.
If I break this oath, let me be like this arrow."
Minzhu also broke an arrow as an oath and prayed to the sky.
After stating their ages, Nomudalai was one year older than Minzhu, so he was the brother, and Minzhu was the younger brother.
After becoming Anda, the relationship between the two was further elevated.
"Anda, I have one request, please grant it," Minzhu suddenly spoke to Nomudalai.
"Oh my, Anda, what is it?
There is no need to ask," Nomudalai said hastily.
"I see that your son Sultan is smart and lovable, and will surely achieve great things in the future.
My little daughter Ulji Bayar (meaning: auspicious, happy) is two years younger than your son.
I want to marry into your family, Anda, is that possible?"
Nomudalai was stunned.
This Minzhu looked honest and simple, but he was very shrewd.
First, he apologized to him and made friends; then he became Anda with him and courteously courted him; finally, he proposed marriage to him.
It turned out he had his eye on my son!
With him doing this, how could I refuse?
After careful consideration, although this Minzhu did not get much of the Omuqi, he was the eldest son of Dalai Taishi and had considerable influence in the Dörbet tribe.
Marrying into his family was equivalent to finding a big tree that could shelter his son from wind and rain, which was not a loss!
He immediately laughed heartily, "It is the honor of my Huit Tribe to be able to marry into your family, Anda.
When we return to the tribe, I will send the betrothal gifts to Anda."
Minzhu was overjoyed.
The two men, being relatives by marriage, their relationship was further elevated, and finally, they even walked hand in hand into Baibagas Khan's large tent.