“Tarbagatai” means "marmot" in the Mongolian language, and the place was named after the abundance of marmots there.
In the fifteenth year of Zhiyuan (1278), Yuan General Ba'er Si marched here, and when his army was short on food, he ordered his soldiers to catch marmots (called "Tarbagatai" in Mongolian) to eat, and "accumulated their skins to ten thousand carts, which were taken to Beijing to trade for silk." The place was thus named "Tarbagatai."
In the nineteenth year of Zhiyuan (1282), the Yuan Dynasty established a post station here.
In that era, the post stations Outside the Pass were collectively called "Tai," so the name was harmonized to Tarbagatai.
This is a trading town for the Dörbet, and also a famous commercial center for the Oirat Mongol.
The town is built in the south, surrounded by a wooden fence, with Tarbagatai Mountain to the northwest.
It is high in the northwest and low in the south, shaped like a wooden bowl.
Legend has it that a Master once passed through here and used a wooden bowl he carried with him to fetch water from the Chu Hu Chu Spring to quench his thirst.
He fell asleep by the spring and left the wooden bowl behind when he woke up and left, and the wooden bowl transformed into Tarbagatai.
Youth is truly wonderful, full of vitality.
Although the journey was arduous, Sultan felt no fatigue at all, slowly driving his horse while laughing and chatting with his generals, Tuoli, Narisong, and Suhe.
To prevent the Dörbet from being deceitful during this wedding procession, he brought five thousand Kheshig.
Although the troops were not many, they were well-trained standing army, far superior to those temporarily conscripted herders.
He also appointed his eleven-year-old brother Sumuer as Deputy Battalion Commander, and ordered the old generals Ba'er Si and Xi Rimo to assist Sumuer in guarding Yingsuo River City.
“Great Taiji, that is the Chu Hu Chu Spring ahead.
Legend has it that drinking the water from this spring can prolong life, and that Master back then ascended after drinking from this spring,” Tuoli, who had been to Tarbagatai before, explained the local customs and traditions to Sultan with great enthusiasm.
“Is that so?
Later, everyone will drink a bowl and become happy immortals, hahaha,” Sultan laughed heartily.
“That's great!
At that time, Your servants will ascend with the Great Taiji, roam the skies, and be happy, so happy,” Narisong joked along.
“That won't do, Brother Narisong, if you ascend, what will happen to the pile of Aha (wives) at home?” Narisong was very fond of women, and although he was only in his early twenties, he had already married four Aha, so Suhe made fun of him.
These two were both personal guards who had served by Sultan's side, which was why they dared to joke around next to the Great Taiji.
In contrast, the old general Tuoli respectfully adhered to the etiquette between ruler and subject, not daring to overstep his bounds in the slightest.
The Chu Hu Chu Spring truly deserves the name "Sacred Spring."
The spring water is clear and sweet, and many Dörbet herders travel thousands of miles to fetch water here.
However, they couldn't fetch water today, as the Khoshut soldiers, fierce as wolves and tigers, drove them away for the safety of the Great Taiji.
As a time-traveler, Sultan was initially unaccustomed to this kind of unequal royal power and dominance, but under the corruption of power, he gradually became used to it.
He took the bowl of spring water handed to him by his subordinate and gulped it down.
The sweet taste quickly filled his heart, and the fatigue of the long journey was swept away.
“Marvelous!
Good water!” The Great Taiji who ruled Huit praised profusely, and suddenly remembered the subordinates who had followed him here, laughing, “Let all the soldiers dismount and rest, and drink some spring water to relieve their fatigue.”
“No, Great Taiji, this is the territory of the Dörbet, and we are in a foreign land, so we must be careful.
Let the soldiers rest in shifts,” Tuoli advised.
Sultan stared at Tuoli, a little moved, “General Tuoli is truly careful and cautious.
No wonder when E Qi Ge was alive, he often told me that with Tuoli around, he could sleep soundly at night!”
Following the military order, the Five Thousand Hui Te Warriors dismounted and rested in turn.
In the forest by the Chu Hu Chu Spring, two people, four eyes, were staring intently at them.
“Hmm, I didn't expect this young Sultan to be so careful and cautious!
Even when the Khoshut soldiers are resting, the formation is not chaotic.
This is truly a strong army,” a young general in a white robe, stroking his long beard, murmured to himself.
“Fourth Brother, why do you boost others' morale and diminish your own prestige?
Even if they are well-trained, they are only five thousand soldiers, while you and I have an army of twenty thousand.
I am willing to lead the army to surround them,” another young general in a blue robe, with a fierce demeanor, heard his murmuring and shouted unconvinced.
The young general's face was immature, looking no older than sixteen or seventeen, but he was tall and strong, with bright and piercing eyes.
These two were none other than Omobudai Qing, the fourth son of the Great Taiji Dalai Taishi of the Dörbet, and Sonam Tsering, his eighth son.
“Eighth Brother, don't be reckless.
E Qi Ge told us brothers to exert military pressure on the Khoshut, but he didn't say we should start a war between the Dörbet and the Khoshut.
When we act later, you must listen to my command and not injure anyone,” Omobudai Qing reminded in a low voice.
“Yes, Fourth Brother,” Despite Omobudai Qing's refined appearance, Sonam Tsering was most obedient to him, repeatedly saying yes.
“Woo~ Woo~ Woo~”
The charge horn sounded, and twenty thousand Dörbet elite cavalry galloped out from the forest.
“Mount up quickly, protect the Great Taiji,” Tuoli, who was drinking water, heard the sound of hooves and quickly mounted his horse to give orders.
“Form ranks, don't panic, form ranks.”
“Archers, prepare.”
“Spearmen, prepare.”
Military orders were issued one after another, and the Khoshut army, which had just been resting, quickly solidified into an iron wall and copper rampart.
“Da~ Da~ Da~,” the Dörbet cavalry surrounded them.
The Khoshut army tightened into a circular formation, with infantry holding long spears on the outside, and archers, gunmen, and cavalry on the inside, like a hedgehog, making it impossible for them to attack.
Sultan was calm.
If the Dörbet really wanted to fight, why would they make such a show of force?
Surrounding but not attacking, shouting loudly, they were clearly showing off their military strength.
Understanding this, he was not in a hurry and waited with a smile.
Finally, a general in a white robe galloped out from the opposite formation, with a fair face and a long beard, and a very loud voice, “I am Omobudai Qing, Taiji of the Dörbet.
Please ask your Great Taiji to come out and speak.”
A rouge horse galloped out, a good horse!
Its whole body was as red as charcoal, without a single stray hair.
From head to tail, it was ten feet long; from hoof to neck, it was eight feet high.
It neighed and roared, looking as if it could soar into the sky and dive into the sea.
On the horse was a young man, dressed perfectly as a groom, wearing a bright Mongolian robe, a colorful belt around his waist, a round-topped red tassel hat on his head, high leather boots on his feet, and carrying a bow and arrows.
“Ah, so it's Fourth Uncle, my apologies, my apologies,” the young man's voice carried a hint of slipperiness.
Omobudai Qing frowned slightly, “Shut up, who is your Fourth Uncle?”
“Husband and wife are one body.
I am about to marry your niece, Ulji Bayar, so naturally I will call you Fourth Uncle as she does,” the young man's answer was still oily.
“Hmph, glib-tongued.
I ask you, why did you drive away the common people who came to Chu Hu Chu Spring to fetch water?
Could it be that you think we Dörbet are easy to bully?” With a clang, Fourth Uncle, the old man, drew his saber.
“Fourth Uncle is mistaken.
Your Nephew did not drive away those people who came to fetch water.
They fled far away themselves out of fear of the army,” the young man argued carelessly.
“Hmph, hmph hmph,” Omobudai Qing sneered repeatedly, just as he was about to continue exerting his authority, he suddenly saw rolling dust ahead, and another cavalry of several thousand arrived.
