The Ushin Tribe.
Zhebu had already led his army away on campaign, marching deep toward the territories of the Khalkha and Khorchin tribes.
But even though their young khan had departed for war, the development of the Ushin tribe did not stop.
Because help from Gao Family Village had arrived.
A large number of Blue Hats and Yellow Hats from the village came riding across the grasslands and entered the newly established "small city" of the tribe.
Its name was Baladen.
In the Mongolian language, the word meant "full of vitality."
It was supposed to be a city full of life.
Of course, in the eyes of people from Gao Family Village, it could barely be called a city at all.
It looked more like a random collection of tents.
The Ushin tribe lacked reliable construction skills, and they certainly lacked building materials. Their so called city was nothing more than tents arranged in clusters.
When strong winds swept across the grassland, the entire "city" swayed and twisted in the gusts like drunken goats.
The scene looked rather miserable.
One of the entrepreneurs from Gao Family Village, Teng Yifeng, stared at the tent city and could not help scratching his head awkwardly.
"Aiya. I heard things were bad here before I came, but this is even worse than I imagined."
Another entrepreneur standing beside him burst out laughing.
"Stop complaining. Old Teng, I guess you won't be building a cement factory here after all."
Teng Yifeng nodded seriously.
"Looks difficult indeed. Still, I should at least send someone to check whether there's any stone around here that could be used for cement."
He waved his hand.
Several geological survey technicians immediately stepped forward.
Teng Yifeng gave his instructions.
"Take a look around the nearby area. See if there's any material suitable for cement production."
The men mounted their horses and rode off into the grassland.
Meanwhile the other entrepreneur had come for a completely different kind of business.
He dealt in everyday consumer goods.
For him, opportunities here were practically endless.
From a distance he saw the horn product factory Zhebu had established. It stood in the center of Baladen as an enormous tent.
The entrepreneur chuckled quietly.
"Zhebu has learned a few things, but his knowledge is still shallow. If I were the one running things here, the business opportunities would be countless."
He rubbed his chin and began listing them in his mind.
"Cowhide can be turned into all kinds of crafts. Sword scabbards, knife sheaths, saddles. It can also be made into shoes. Sheep leather works the same way. Then there's cow milk and sheep milk which can be processed into various dairy products."
The more he thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.
"I have ten thousand possible businesses here. Which one should I start first to make a fortune?"
He paused for half a second.
Then shrugged.
"Forget it. I'll do all of them. When it comes to making money, there's no such thing as earning too little."
Immediately he hung up a recruitment banner.
"Hiring workers! Hiring workers!"
The labor cost on the grassland shocked him.
He barely made the announcement before a huge crowd gathered. People were willing to work like oxen for extremely low wages.
He waved his hand.
"Take them all."
This was not considered labor exploitation.
In fact, the young tribal leader Zhebu was eager for Gao Family Village people to "exploit" his tribesmen.
Because only when factories appeared and provided stable jobs could people settle down in Baladen.
Otherwise they would continue wandering across the grassland, chasing water and pasture.
If the population could not gather in one place, the Mongols would never become prosperous.
Soon the entrepreneur recruited a large group of workers.
He began happily calculating how much silver he would earn in the future.
At the same time the newly hired Mongolian workers were also dreaming happily.
They imagined a stable life in Baladen.
No more wandering across the dangerous grassland.
No more chasing grass for their herds.
Right then the entrepreneur noticed Teng Yifeng returning.
But Teng Yifeng's face looked rather embarrassed.
"This is bad," Teng Yifeng sighed. "I couldn't find any suitable material for making cement."
The entrepreneur burst into laughter.
"Well then, you came here for nothing. Looks like I'll be the one making money here. Hahaha!"
He had barely finished laughing when one of the survey technicians galloped back on horseback.
The man was shouting excitedly.
"Boss! I found something good! Something very good!"
Teng Yifeng raised his eyebrows.
"Oh? Limestone? Or some other useful rock?"
"Coal!"
The technician shouted with wild excitement.
"A coal mine! A huge coal mine! And it's very close to the surface, almost like an open pit mine!"
Teng Yifeng froze for a moment.
Then his expression exploded with joy.
"We're going to get rich!"
Mining coal inside the territory of the Ming Empire was extremely troublesome.
The Ming Empire was a mature and fully organized state. Even a remote hill or empty mountain usually belonged to someone.
You could not simply dig wherever you wanted.
But the Mongolian grasslands were different.
Who owned the land here?
Technically the Ushin tribe.
But the tribe had never divided land among feudal nobles the way the Ming Empire did.
If you wanted to dig, you simply dug.
No need to worry about some prince suddenly appearing to claim the land.
Teng Yifeng threw his head back and laughed loudly.
"Quick! Recruit workers! We need coal miners!"
The other entrepreneur stared in disbelief.
"Damn it!"
Compared with mining coal, his small handicraft businesses suddenly seemed tiny.
He also understood something very clearly.
Small scale handicrafts alone could not easily support the growth of an entire city.
But a coal mine could.
Once Teng Yifeng's mine started operating, Baladen would stabilize immediately.
Large numbers of miners and their families would settle here.
The rising population would support trade, markets, and countless supporting industries.
Then the city would truly stand firm.
The entrepreneur punched Teng Yifeng lightly on the shoulder.
"You lucky bastard. You're going to make a fortune this time. I'm already jealous."
Teng Yifeng laughed.
"Making money is secondary. The important thing is completing the strategic mission entrusted to us by Dao Xuan Tianzun. Even if I earn mountains of silver, it still wouldn't be as satisfying as hearing Tianzun praise me once."
Those words lifted the entrepreneur's spirits as well.
Teng Yifeng continued.
"Even a coal mine alone is not enough to support a healthy city. Your small factories will diversify the economy. That's the real strength."
He gestured around the tent city.
"If we develop this place properly, Baladen will become a model city on the grassland. Not only the Ushin tribe, but many other tribes will follow their example."
At that point the greater strategic goal would be achieved.
Helping the Mongols build cities.
Helping them stabilize their population.
And once Mongols and Han Chinese became closer to each other, the natural outcome would follow.
Unification between the two peoples would face far less resistance.
"Alright."
The entrepreneur grinned.
"Let's work hard."
His small factories could begin immediately.
After all, the "factory buildings" were simply tents.
Gather some workers and start producing.
But Teng Yifeng's coal mine was another matter entirely.
He quickly sent riders back to Gao Family Village requesting support.
Soon the Blue Hats and Yellow Hats arrived.
Massive iron vehicles rolled across the grassland carrying all kinds of equipment and materials.
Money was provided.
Workers were provided.
Strange machines and unfamiliar tools appeared everywhere.
The Ushin tribesmen had never seen anything like it.
They stared in stunned silence.
Before long, the most impressive people in Baladen were the miners working at the coal mine.
They became the coolest and most fashionable workers in the entire city.
They earned generous wages.
They operated gigantic machines.
They performed work that nobody else could even understand.
When they walked through the streets, their backs were straight and proud.
They looked incredibly impressive.
Many herdsmen made a bold decision.
They sold their cattle and sheep.
No more herding.
Working in the mines was better.
Whether their descendants would regret that decision several hundred years later was another question entirely.