"chang sheng tian! Why have the descendants of Yabu Ganmiergan suffered such humiliation?"
After the arrogant Elinqin Batur left, Nomudalai roared towards the sky. Just now, he had suppressed the urge to kill, clenching his fists tightly in his sleeves until his palms were red.
Oirat is formed by connecting the two words "Wei" (Mongolian: forest, woods) and "Arat" (Mongolian: people), meaning "people of the woods". The Oirat Mongols are a tribal alliance that developed from the people of the woods, and the Huit Tribe was the early leader of this alliance.
Huit, meaning "Northern" in Mongolian. Once upon a time, his ancestor, Hudu Hebiqi, led the people of the woods from the northern Oirat to battle Genghis Khan. After being defeated, he led his followers to surrender.
Genghis Khan granted his son Chagatai eight Thousand-Households, and because of this, the Huit Tribe was called "Naiman Ming'an Huit" by the various Mongol tribes, meaning "Eight Thousand-Household Huit". Later, the term Huit became a general term for the descendants of Chagatai and Ogedai and their affiliated tribes.
The reason Nomudalai's ancestor, Hudu Hebiqi, was initially unwilling to submit to Genghis Khan was out of ancestor worship for the progenitor Yabu Ganmiergan's ancestor.
Legend has it that during the split of the Eastern and Western Mongols, a man named Ike Ming'an was fishing by a river and caught a boy. So he let the boy take Ike Ming'an as his surname and named him "Yabu Ganmiergan". "Yabu Gan" means walking, and "Miergan" (Mo'ergen) means hero.
After growing up, this child truly lived up to the title of "Walking Hero". His body was so strong that no horse could carry him, forcing him to walk. He was also brave, strong, and resourceful, establishing the Huit Tribe.
Later, he led his people from Eastern Mongol to the place where the people of the woods lived north of Oirat, becoming the leader of the tribes.
With such heroic ancestors, Hudu Hebiqi naturally disdained being subservient to others. However, he was ultimately defeated, which was not shameful, because his opponent was Temujin, the conqueror of the world.
After surrendering, the brave and skilled warrior led the people of the woods to repeatedly achieve military success. Genghis Khan married his daughter Cheche Gan Princess and his granddaughter Huolei Princess to his two sons, and also divided the Oirat tribe into four Thousand-Households, placing them under his jurisdiction.
Another of his daughters married the Mongol Khan Gui You, and after Gui You's death, she ruled as Dowager Empress. His two granddaughters were married to Tolui's sons Ariq Böke and Hulagu respectively. For a time, the Ike Ming'an family held immense power in the court.
However, the good times did not last long. When Ariq Böke raised an army against Kublai Khan's claim to the Khanate, the Huit Tribe, which was closely related to him, led the Oirat Mongols to join Ariq Böke's army. They were defeated by Kublai Khan and, naturally, were neglected by the Yuan Dynasty royal family, their power greatly diminished.
After the Ming Dynasty destroyed the Yuan Dynasty, there were constant wars between the Tartar (Eastern Mongol), led by the descendants of the Yuan Dynasty, and the Oirat (Oirat Mongol). As an early leader of the Oirat, the Huit Tribe participated in a series of wars and became even more weakened during the conflicts.
In the mid-16th century, Anda Khan led the Eastern Mongol army to kill the Huit Tribe leader Mani Ming'an Tu, captured his wife and two sons, and occupied the former Oirat territory, forcing the Huit Tribe to leave Harahorin.
However, the Huit Tribe did not surrender. Their leader, Eseleibeiqia, killed the Ordos Huntaiji Buyan Batur in the war against the Tartar.
In the wars against the various Eastern Mongol tribes, the Oirat Mongols were actually at a disadvantage most of the time. The Huit Tribe suffered particularly heavy losses and gradually lost its position as the leader of the Oirat alliance.
By the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, under the military pressure from the Eastern Mongols, the various Oirat Mongol tribes had to migrate westward to the Xinjiang and Central Asia regions, gradually evolving into the four major tribes: Khoshut, Torghut, Dzungar, and Dörbet.
The strength of these four tribes continued to grow, while the former Oirat alliance leader, the Huit Tribe, gradually declined and had to rely on the Dörbet tribe for survival.
Restoring the glory of his ancestors had always been Nomudalai's dream. In his twenties, he was full of vigor and eager to achieve great things. Unexpectedly, Elinqin Batur's provocation today poured cold water on his dream, making him realize his own weakness and lowliness.
Mongols respect the strong; if you are weak, you have no dignity.
In his indignation, Nomudalai sang a mournful song: "Majestic and beautiful Harahorin, adorned with all kinds of precious treasures. The summer camp of the Huit ancestors, my Orkhon Steppe, the yellow grassland."
The mournful song startled Subude in the tent. The beautiful Biji, with her pregnant belly, came to her husband's side. A wife knows her husband best; only she understood his ambitions.
There was no comfort, no persuasion, only the song of the Mongol people, "You are the sharp treasure sword in my hand, you are the shining helmet on my head. Ah, my Miergan (warrior)! The Yule Duosi Grassland, you are stationed there to guard it; our lives and property depend on your protection day and night.
Ah, my Miergan! The fetus in my belly has not yet been born, but your will must not be extinguished. My Miergan, you will return to Harahorin, herding horses and singing on the yellow grassland."
The cheerful song dispelled the gloom in his heart. The two looked at each other and smiled, walking hand in hand into the great tent.
Inside the tent, a warm stove was burning, and the milk tea on the table was steaming. Cakes such as mixed sugar cakes, honey shortbread, sheep oil sanzi, and Mongol fruit strips filled the table.
There were also raisins, Subude's favorite, which Nomudalai had ordered from Yarkand in the south.
"Taiji, why are you sad?" his virtuous wife asked gently.
"Just now, Elinqin Batur of the Dörbet brought a command from the Great Taiji, ordering me to lead a thousand warriors to meet at the Ob River. This person is truly rude; he dared to enter my great tent with a horsewhip!"
Upon hearing this, Subude frowned, "The Great Taiji has always been well-read and polite, and strict with his subordinates. Without his tacit permission, Elinqin Batur would not dare to do this. Unless ~"
"Unless what?"
"Unless the Great Taiji deliberately ordered him to test your loyalty."
After listening to his wife, Nomudalai sighed, "You are right, it is indeed a test. In recent years, the power of the Dörbet people has grown stronger and stronger, and the Great Taiji's royal court has been moving northward, getting further and further away from us.
He is worried that we will not be obedient because of the distance, so he let that young man deliberately provoke me to test my reaction. Fortunately, I endured it and did not get angry."
"Taiji, a few days ago, the Great Taiji wanted you to lead your people to migrate north to the Tarbahatai area, but you refused on the grounds that there were already several tribes there and not enough pasture.
Now that he is suspicious of you, why not migrate north to Tarbahatai to put the Great Taiji's mind at ease?" The kind Subude wanted to resolve the matter peacefully.
"Hmph! If we go to Tarbahatai, under the eyes of others, constantly having to rely on them, my Huit Tribe will truly become a vassal of the Dörbet people.
Yule Duosi is better. This place is adjacent to the Dörbet people to the north, the Dzungar and Khoshut people to the east and southeast, and there are also Kazakh and Yarkand to the west and south.
We can maneuver between various forces. No matter who wants to annex us, they will be hesitant," Nomudalai flatly refused. Although he was young, he was very insightful.
"Then quickly select a thousand warriors to meet with the Great Taiji, so that he doesn't become suspicious."
"No," Nomudalai laughed heartily, "We can't take warriors, we have to take a thousand old and weak, only then will the Great Taiji truly be at ease."