Autumn arrived, and the beautiful Yulduz Grassland turned yellow. Inside the great tent of the Huit Tribe, a solemn atmosphere prevailed. Nomudalai was making arrangements for his departure, as he was going to the Ob River for a council, and couldn't leave the tribal affairs unattended.
He wasn't afraid of Dalai Taishi annexing his territory, but he worried about his two younger brothers stirring up trouble. After all, as a regional overlord, the Great Taiji still cared about his reputation and would never do something as discreditable as annexing land while someone was at a council. However, the same couldn't be said for his two younger brothers. The thousand cavalry he was taking to the council included only three hundred elites; the other seven hundred were old and weak. This was partly to show weakness to the Great Taiji, but more importantly, to keep the elite soldiers in his own territory as a precaution.
Nomudalai's main territory had two thousand-households, located in the center of the Yulduz Grassland; his two younger brothers, Noyan Ubashen and Buyanbu'erhan, each had one thousand-household, located in the northern part of the Yulduz Grassland; Eluo Li Ke Heshuoqi had one thousand-household, located in the west; Namu Zhan had one thousand-household, located in the east; Aledaer Heshuoqi and Erke Taiji each had five hundred-households, located in the south.
Currently, the Huit Tribe had a total of only about seven thousand-households and around thirty-five thousand tribesmen, which was even less than the population when their ancestor had "eight thousand-households Huit". The once prosperous leader of the Oirat confederation had truly declined! However, Mongols are a people of the horseback, with everyone being a soldier. Although the Huit Tribe was weak, if fully organized, they could still mobilize over ten thousand troops.
However, people were not united. Among the many Noyans, Aledaer and Erke, due to their weak forces, had always been dependent on him; Eluolike and Namu Zhan maintained relative independence; while Noyan Ubashen and Buyanbu'erhan, though his own brothers, had always been disobedient to him due to inheritance rights and property disputes. Now that he was about to leave his main territory, how could he not make arrangements?
Nomudalai summoned his trusted civil and military officials: Zalguqi (political and judicial officer) Batu and Tan, Demuqi (internal affairs officer) Tiemuer, Arbaqi Zaisang (in charge of corvée and tribute) Nasutu, Zahaqin (border defense officer) Ba'er Si, Baoqi Naer (in charge of military camps and weapons) Xi Rimo, and others.
After Genghis Khan's unification and the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongol official system became increasingly mature. The Ulus of the Great Taiji of the Oirat Mongol tribes had four Tushmer (who participated in political affairs, equivalent to the Inner Cabinet of the Great Ming), six to eight Zalguqi (political officials who assisted the Tushmer and also managed judicial affairs, equivalent to the various ministries' ministers), and many other officials such as Demuqi, Arbaqi Zaisang, Zahaqin, Baoqi Naer, Ulut (who managed blacksmiths and manufactured weapons), Alta Qin (who painted and sculpted Buddhist images), and Kutuqi Naer (who was responsible for the leader's encampment affairs). In addition, within the various Otoks under the Ulus, there were also officials such as Zaisang (Otok leader), Demuqi (supervisor and inspector), Shouleng'e (tax official), and Albani Aha (thousand-household head).
The drawback was that the leaders of the various Ulus, Otoks, and Aimaks were mostly hereditary and held both military and civilian power. This aristocratic system, which combined military and political power, was extremely conducive to warfare but not conducive to unification. When a strong ruler was present, they could maintain control; but upon the ruler's death, they would fall apart, as was the case with Genghis Khan, Dayan Khan, and Anda Khan.
Each time there was a split, there were always heroes who thought about reunifying Mongol. Lindan Khan of the Chahar tribe in Mobei, a direct descendant of the Golden Family, was one of them. This "Hutuktu Khan" (translated by the Ming Dynasty as Hu Dun Tu Han), who ascended the throne at the age of thirteen, was initially not favored by the officials of the Great Ming Dynasty, who called him "young and foolish, weak and without prestige" and "unable to lead the masses." However, this young man soon gave them a "surprise." He built Wachar Tuchahan City (now Chifeng, Inner Mongolia) on the old site of Qingzhou, quickly controlled the Inner Khalkha Five Tribes, while also infiltrating other Mongol tribes, and repeatedly led troops to invade the Great Ming. These officials then all changed their tune, saying, "Hu Dun Tu Han is a famous Wang among the captives, and is particularly arrogant."
Although he was a heroic ruler, the three great tribes of Khalkha in Outer Mongolia and the four great tribes of Oirat in West Desert were all formidable. Even in Mobei, there were still some large tribes that were not obedient. How difficult it was to suppress the deeply entrenched power of the great nobles and become the co-ruler of all Mongol!
Nomudalai did not have the ambition to unify Mongol like Lindan Khan. If he could become the leader of the Oirat Mongol like his ancestors, that would be enough for this life.
He scanned his trusted officials, finally fixing his gaze on Batu and Tan and Tiemuer, saying, "After I leave, you two shall assist Subude Biji in handling political affairs. You must keep your eyes wide open for this Taiji, and the patrolling scouts must be increased threefold."
"Yes, Taiji," the two immediately accepted the order.
"You are all my trusted aides. During the days I am in the north, you must strictly guard the camps, look after the livestock, and prevent malicious people from launching sneak attacks."
"Yes," the civil and military officials responded in unison.
Nomudalai grunted with satisfaction, then suddenly remembered and said to Batu and Tan and Tiemuer, "The Biji is about to give birth, you must take good care of her."
"Taiji, please rest assured, we will definitely take good care of the Biji and the young master," the two emphasized the words "young master."
After settling everything, Nomudalai left. A thousand cavalry galloped away and soon disappeared without a trace.
When sending off her husband, Subude's body already showed signs, but to ease her husband's mind, she pretended that nothing was wrong. Just two days after her husband left, her abdomen churned, and she couldn't help but cry out in pain.
"Biji!" the maidservants exclaimed.
"Quickly call the midwife, I'm going to give birth!" Subude shrieked, trembling.
The prepared midwife ordered someone to light a bonfire outside the ger door to welcome the arrival of the new life. Fire, in Mongol culture, symbolizes the continuation of the lineage, and a fire must be built when giving birth. Seeing the fire ignite, several Masters who had been invited from the temple began chanting scriptures, praying for a normal delivery for the pregnant woman and a safe birth for the baby. Batu and Tan, Tiemuer, Nasutu, Ba'er Si, Xi Rimo, and other civil and military officials rushed over upon hearing the news, waiting anxiously.
Although these officials and Masters were usually figures whom the herdsmen looked up to, today's protagonist was the midwife.
This woman, over forty years old, was a famous "craftswoman" of the Huit Tribe. She was experienced in handling such matters, busy but not flustered.
She first instructed the maidservants to spread the pre-prepared sand on the heated bed, helped the Biji squat on it, and began to assist with the delivery using skilled techniques. Subude's groans echoed in the tent, and large beads of sweat dripped down in strings.
"Biji, don't be afraid, just push when the old woman tells you," the midwife's calm voice greatly reassured Subude, who gritted her teeth and pushed according to the midwife's instructions.
The little tender flesh, Sule Teng, in her belly was leisurely swimming in a small pool, when suddenly he was squeezed forcefully by a power. He was originally lying flat, but was squeezed into a head-down, feet-up position.
"Help!"
With the external pressure and his own weight, Sule Teng's body fell downwards.
"He's out, Biji, the young master's head is out!"
"Biji, push a little harder, his body is coming out too."
"Be careful, support his neck and shoulders."
Subude suddenly felt her whole body relax, and the little tender flesh fell out of her body onto the fine sand.
The midwife skillfully used a boiled wooden piece to cut the umbilical cord, then burned cotton into ash and applied it to the cut, and then carefully bathed the baby.
Because the north was cold and it was difficult to keep warm, many Mongol herdsmen were afraid of catching a cold and didn't dare to bathe often. Over time, they developed an odor, which led to the Han calling them "stinky Tatars." However, the living conditions of Mongol nobles were much better than those of ordinary herdsmen. After occupying the rich lands of the Han, many nobles grew to love bathing and it became a habit. They had no odor on them at all.
"Congratulations, Biji, it's a boy!" the midwife said happily.
"Bring him to me," Subude commanded weakly, lying on the bed.
The maidservants brought Sule Teng, and despite his strong protests, lifted the swaddling cloth, revealing his little bird.
"It really is a boy, the Great Taiji has an heir!" Subude cried with joy, then suddenly worried, "Why isn't he crying? Is something wrong?"
"This..."
The midwife was also stumped. She had delivered so many babies, but this was the first time she had seen one that didn't cry after being born. "Perhaps the young master is asleep."
Sule Teng mischievously widened his eyes, but just didn't cry. No matter how the midwife and maidservants coaxed him, he still didn't cry.
His mother was scared. Could this child be mute? With a hardened heart, she pinched his little bottom hard.
"Ow, that hurts!"
Sule Teng was being mischievous when a sharp pain struck him, and he couldn't help but cry out.
"Wah~ Wah~ Wah~"
The cry of the newborn baby dispelled the dark clouds in the sky and made the entire Huit Tribe bright and cheerful.
Smiling maidservants hung a specially made bow and arrow outside the ger door. This was a Mongol custom: hanging a bow and arrow for a boy, and a willow branch for a girl.
Upon seeing the bow and arrow, Nomudalai's trusted officials waiting outside the tent were overjoyed, thanking chang sheng tian that the Great Taiji had an heir! Our Huit Tribe has an successor!
"Horei (Long live)~ Horei~ Horei~"
Cheers rose and fell, and the Huit Tribe became a sea of joy.
