Ch.242Eastern (2)

Due to the Mongol Pirates’ raids on the Song Dynasty’s coastal areas, the Song Dynasty lost most of its naval bases in the Yellow Sea.

Losing these ports meant more than just being unable to deploy ships.

Ports were essential for maintaining stable control over the seas.

With the loss of these crucial ports, it was fair to say that the Song Dynasty had effectively lost control over the Yellow Sea.

Losing maritime control, especially over coastal waters adjacent to one’s own territory, was a devastating blow beyond words.

This was particularly critical because the Song Dynasty typically collected taxes through maritime transport.

With the loss of maritime control, tax collection via sea routes became impossible.

Running a country required tax revenue, and without it, most ongoing policies would inevitably be suspended.

Additionally, with most coastal cities suffering damage, the country had fallen into greater chaos.

As mentioned earlier, Southern Song territory consisted largely of mountainous regions.

This meant that most people had no choice but to live in cities built along the Yangtze River basin or near the Yellow Sea.

With most of the population living near water and maritime control lost, essentially the entire Song Dynasty had fallen under Mongol threat.

“H-how do we solve this?”

“We must inform the central government!”

“We’ll be dead before we can report anything.”

Merchants were quicker than anyone to notice how dire the situation had become.

This was because they shared information networks throughout the Song Dynasty for trade purposes.

For this reason, most merchants knew that the majority of Song cities were suffering from attacks by the Mongol Pirates.

“We should flee to the mountains for now.”

“Money is important, but life is more important.”

Though merchants seemed like they would sacrifice their lives for money, even they valued life more than wealth.

After all, if they lost their lives, they couldn’t earn any more money.

So they began evacuating to Hunan Province, with its winding mountains and ranges.

“The merchants are leaving…?”

“This must be serious.”

“Should we follow them too?”

The common people exchanged such words while watching anxiously.

As they hesitated in confusion, pirates suddenly emerged from the coastal area.

“Blood and plunder!”

“Hand over everything you have!”

The people were greatly startled by the appearance of pirates barking orders in an unfamiliar language.

“Sh-shaved heads… aren’t those nomads?”

“How are Mongols suddenly coming from the sea…”

The people couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

They could have understood if the raiders were Japanese, Korean, or from Dai Viet, who lived near the sea.

But the appearance of nomads who had no connection to the sea was shocking.

While the people were confused, the pirates quickly approached them.

They drew their swords and began plundering the people’s possessions.

“So this is the Song Dynasty indeed! Even common people possess precious items!”

“If you want to keep your life, take off that silk clothing. Otherwise, I’ll capture you and make you a slave.”

As the pirates focused on plundering, their admiral appeared.

He surveyed the surroundings with a calm expression, as if accustomed to such chaotic situations.

“This place seems to have many suitable people to serve as oarsmen.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

Working on ships was grueling labor that even strong men found difficult.

Among such work, the most challenging was rowing.

To be precise, those sitting farthest from the oars had the hardest time.

This was because it took tremendous strength to propel the ship through rough seas.

For this reason, few people in Mongolia wanted to work as oarsmen.

The Mongol Pirates therefore filled these positions mostly with slaves.

“Release the slave hunters.”

At those words, the lieutenant took out a small flute from his waist.

When he blew it loudly, people began disembarking from the pirate ships.

“W-what are those guys…?”

“They seem different somehow…?”

The Song people were immediately intimidated by the Mongol Pirates with strange markings on their shoulders.

This was because they looked different from the Mongols.

These were dark-skinned people with massive bodies.

They would later be known as Polynesians.

The reason these people from Pacific coastal islands worked as slave hunters under the Mongol Pirates was simple.

They too had been captured as slaves.

These people, who had lived peacefully on their islands, had no choice but to become slaves and work as oarsmen after sudden raids by the Mongol Pirates.

However, after capturing and working them, the Mongol Pirates realized it would be wasteful to use them only as oarsmen.

So they made them a proposal.

If they captured slaves to replace themselves, they would be freed from slavery and additionally rewarded for each slave they captured.

The slave hunters eagerly participated in slave hunting to free themselves from slavery.

Even after gaining their freedom by capturing replacements, they continued working under the Mongol Pirates.

This was because slave hunting earned them more money than fishing.

For this reason, most slave hunters under the Mongol Pirates were already free men.

The reason they captured Song people as slaves was simply for money.

“Slave hunt!”

“Time to make money! Move quickly! You sluggards!”

“Drive them from the right so they can’t escape!”

These slave hunters were also people of the Ulus.

As such, they too moved in groups organized according to the decimal system, forming arbans.

The leader of these groups was called a barangay.

“By order of the barangay! To the right!”

“Drive them to the right!”

Following the barangay’s orders, the slave hunters drove the Song people into a corner.

Cornered, the people were caught in ropes thrown by the hunters and bound.

Those who were captured were slung over the shoulders of the massive Polynesians and carried to the pirate ships.

“Admiral. This area seems to be mostly cleared.”

“Time to withdraw.”

The admiral sensed it was time to retreat.

If they lingered any longer, Song regular troops might arrive.

Of course, those they had fought before their coastal assault were also Song soldiers.

However, the Song coastal guards were far from being considered regular troops.

Unlike them, the properly armed Song army with gunpowder weapons was a different story.

Even experienced Mongol pirates found direct confrontation with them troublesome.

They could win such confrontations, but the casualties would be severe.

As pirates, casualties would hinder their activities, so they avoided direct confrontation.

Anyway, just as the Mongol Pirates were about to leave after completing their raid,

one of the pirates urgently approached the fleet admiral.

“What’s so urgent that you come running like this?”

“I have good news.”

“Good news?”

“Yes. There’s a tax transport ship docked in a city just south of here, heading for the Song central government.”

The admiral’s eyes lit up at the mention of the tax ship.

The tax revenue from the wealthy Song Dynasty was enormous.

With a ship carrying such taxes within reach, it was impossible not to feel greedy.

“We go there immediately.”

At the admiral’s command, his lieutenants nodded.

They blew their flutes signaling retreat, and the pirates who had spread like the tide withdrew like an ebb.

And nothing remained in the places they had plundered.

* * *

“They must be terrified now.”

I said this with a smirk.

I had just received reports that the Mongol Pirates were conducting large-scale raids across the entire Song Dynasty.

According to these reports, most coastal cities had been destroyed and plundered.

The destruction and plundering of cities didn’t just mean they had lost productivity.

It was synonymous with the evaporation of expected tax revenue from these cities.

In other words, it was only a matter of time before the Song Dynasty’s finances, which relied on this tax revenue to run the country, would be in the red.

“They should have known better than to be so annoying.”

I had established an intelligence network in Miyako, the shogunate’s headquarters, using Elunka who led the tamma.

Through this, I learned that the shogunate had requested aid from the Song Dynasty.

According to this request, the Song Dynasty had planned to intervene in the conflict between the Ulus and Japan.

But before they could respond to this request, the Mongol pirates had made their move.

Because of this, the Song Dynasty faced the crisis of being destroyed by the Mongol Pirates before they could save Japan.

As I was thinking about this, the door to my ger opened.

The person who entered was none other than Elunka.

“Excuse me, Gur Khagan.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“An envoy from the Song Dynasty has arrived.”

For an envoy to visit personally meant the situation was truly urgent.

I could immediately understand that.

However, this was merely their perspective.

There was no reason for me to make time for them.

“Send them away. I have nothing to say to them.”

“Understood, Khagan.”

As Elunka was about to leave, suddenly a loud voice was heard from somewhere.

“What is that sound?”

“It seems to be coming from in front of the ger.”

I nodded at Elunka’s words.

Then I left the ger to find the source of the sound.

“Gur Khagan! Please spare us some time!”

The one shouting at the top of his lungs was none other than the Song envoy.

“Stand back!”

Despite the Kheshig trying to drive him away, the envoy lay flat on the ground, refusing to move.

“I will not leave until I see the Khagan!”

Looking at the Song envoy, I felt something familiar.

Seeing this with my own eyes, I could once again feel that the Song Dynasty was truly the country of Neo-Confucianism.

As I was thinking this, my eyes met with the envoy’s.

Upon discovering me, the envoy crawled toward me while still prostrated.

That appearance was like… ahem… never mind.

“Khagan! I beg you! Please spare us some time!”

“No.”

Thud.

“I will continue until you grant permission!”

And suddenly the Song envoy began banging his head on the ground.

With such self-harming coercion, I felt I had no choice but to at least hear him out.