It's better to reward mistakes than achievements; bestowing kindness upon those facing certain death earns the most sincere gratitude. After all, Sultan was a Time Traveler, his actual age far exceeding his physical age, and with his father's guidance, he was extremely skilled in the art of managing subordinates.
Forgiveness can be worth a million soldiers; this action made Shaobu weep with guilt and vow to repay him with his life. It also earned endless praise from officials like Batu and Tan and Tiemuer, who exclaimed, "The Great Taiji is truly a magnanimous person!"
Sultan suddenly gazed towards the vast mountain range in the distance; he had a hunch that there seemed to be other people hidden in the mountains.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Indeed, there were people hiding in the distant mountains; that was Taiji Namu Zhan and his two thousand soldiers. After receiving the secret letter written to him by Noyan Ubashen, he led his army to the mountains near Da Yu Leidus, not showing himself, but merely observing the battle from afar.
When Noyan Ubashen and Buyanbu'erhan attacked the valley, he was very excited, almost about to reveal himself to join the battle and share in the spoils of victory. However, he hadn't expected these two Taijis, who were usually so arrogant, to be defeated so quickly; before he could even dispatch troops, their entire army was annihilated. It was fortunate this happened, otherwise he wouldn't have been exposed.
"Pah!"
Namu Zhan spat fiercely, completely lacking the demeanor of a noble, and after cursing those two incompetent good-for-nothings a few times, he immediately led his army away.
He was very alert and evaded the scouts sent by Sultan.
Hearing the scouts report that there were no ambushes in the distant mountains, Sultan couldn't help but laugh; it seemed he had been too nervous recently, his suspicions creating phantoms. He then dismissed the matter and returned to the city to rest.
Many people wanted to be the oriole, not just Namu Zhan alone. In the upper reaches of the Ili River, west of the Yulduz Grassland, seven thousand warriors were camped there; that was the iron cavalry of the Dörbet.
Noyan Ubashen feared inviting the wolf into the house and was unwilling to borrow troops from the Dörbet, only requesting some military supplies and provisions. But who was that Dalai Taishi? A ruthless character who could turn his hand to create clouds or rain, he quickly judged from the quantity of military supplies and provisions Noyan Ubashen requested that he was planning a major move.
A fortress is most easily breached from within; since the Huit Tribe was on the verge of internal strife, the time to annex them was ripe. Hearing that the Huit had made a fortune after capturing Chalish and Kucha, it was just enough to compensate for the losses the Durbet had suffered in years of continuous warfare.
Thus, Dalai Taishi sent his fourth son Omobudai Qing and his eighth son Cenomu Celing to lead seven thousand soldiers, stationed west of the Yulduz Grassland, waiting for internal strife to erupt so they could be the oriole behind the mantis. These were his two favorite sons, so naturally, he had to give the opportunity for merit to them.
The mantis eats the cicada, and the oriole eats the mantis; this is the law of nature. Unexpectedly, some cicadas didn't follow the rules and actually ate the mantis instead. Sultan was this rule-breaking cicada, learning from "Duke Zheng Defeats Duan at Yan," he feigned leaving the city, set up an ambush, and ambushed the raiding Noyan Ubashen and Buyanbu'erhan. It was said that those two were defeated miserably, not only was their army annihilated, but they also lost their own lives.
This startled the orioles; Omobudai Qing and Cenomu Celing, upon hearing that Noyan Ubashen and Buyanbu'erhan's entire army was annihilated, immediately led their troops back to Dalai Taishi's grazing grounds without a word.
Because he was pursuing the Torghut, Dalai Taishi's grazing grounds had moved to the Talachi area. The scent of green grass in spring brought vitality and vigor, as if the tribal feuds between the Torghut and the Dörbet had never occurred here.
After listening to his two sons' report, Dalai Taishi remained silent like a statue, only the slight tremor of his sword-like eyebrows reflecting the turmoil in this hero's heart.
He had originally thought that Nomudalai of the Huit Tribe was a capable strongman, but he hadn't expected his son to be even more formidable, actually feigning to go to the west bank of the Ili River to assist in battle, luring his two uncles to rebel and then annihilating them. This tactic of luring the snake out of its hole was played brilliantly! From now on, with no internal restraints, the Huit Tribe's momentum of prosperity would be difficult to curb! Since he couldn't eliminate them, then he would befriend them and rely on each other.
Dalai Taishi quickly made a decision and said calmly, "The sapling has grown into a big tree; it seems our strategy towards the Huit Tribe needs to change. You may withdraw now and call Minzhu to me."
"Yes, E Qi Ge," the two brothers filed out of the tent to summon their older brother.
"E Qi Ge, you called for your son?" A burly man bowed and entered the large tent, his demeanor humble, yet with a fierce glint in his eyes.
Dalai Taishi sighed inwardly. His eldest son wasn't afraid of death in battle and dared to fight with his life, but he had a violent temper and would draw his saber and hack at people at the slightest provocation. As a ruler, how could one kill out of anger? Therefore, he wasn't fond of him. He had originally thought his eldest son was merely a brave but foolish man, but unexpectedly, he possessed considerable foresight, having formed a marriage alliance with Nomudalai of the Huit Tribe early on. They say no one knows a son better than his father, but it seemed this father didn't understand his son at all!
"Oh, it's Minzhu. Come, sit beside me and talk with me."
Minzhu's eyes reddened. From a young age, his father hadn't favored him much, doting solely on his fourth and eighth brothers, and he rarely had the chance to sit beside his father and talk. Lacking paternal love, he suddenly encountered long-lost warmth; how could he not be emotional!
"Yes, E Qi Ge," he sat on the chair closest to the tiger skin chair.
"Minzhu, your little daughter Ulji Bayar is eleven this year, isn't she? I heard that in the past, you had a marriage agreement with Nomudalai, promising her to Sultan, the current Great Taiji of the Huit Tribe?"
"E Qi Ge, that is indeed the case. That year, your son went to Urumqi to attend the alliance meeting, saw that the child was intelligent, and felt a connection with Nomudalai, so we became in-laws and promised Ulji Bayar to Sultan." After saying this, Minzhu recounted the situation when he went to the Chaiwobao Dabancheng valley in Urumqi that year, telling everything in detail.
Hearing about five-year-old Sultan using stones and branches to build a "city" to block his son, Dalai Taishi smiled, a rare occurrence for him, "To have such wisdom at such a young age, no wonder Dongkoer Manzhu Xili Hutuktu Master called him a sage. Such a person would not bring shame upon my granddaughter. Minzhu, choose an auspicious day and time and marry Ulji Bayar off."
"What!"
Minzhu was startled, "E Qi Ge, not long ago you had your fourth and eighth brothers lead troops near the Yulduz Grassland, intending to annex them, so why today do you want to form a marriage alliance with them?"
Dalai Taishi smiled, "Ah, you should read more Han books when you have time; circumstances change. A while ago, Noyan Ubashen and Buyanbu'erhan were stirring, and there was a possibility of internal strife in the Huit Tribe. With such a good opportunity, how could I, your father, not take advantage? That's why I sent troops to annex them. Now they have quelled the internal strife and conquered places like Chalish and Kucha, greatly increasing their power; there are no longer any weaknesses to exploit. Since we cannot eliminate them, then we shall befriend them. Currently, the Oros People to the north and the Dzungar to the east are both eyeing us covetously, and the Kazakh and Torghut to the west have already become our enemies; we absolutely cannot make any more enemies to the south! Having a friend, no, an in-law, is very important!"