Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2310 Fengshan (VII) Liu Jing's Battle Report

At the request of the Ming court, the tributary states of the Ming Dynasty are sending their own important envoys to prepare for the Fengshan ceremony. Although the time of the Fengshan ceremony has not yet been finalized, all countries generally believe that it is likely to be in the spring of next year. In other words, there is still more than half a year to determine the participating envoys, the tributes to be paid, and so on.

These matters were all important, but Gao Youshi didn't need to intervene in them personally. In many cases, he only needed to look over the petitions from the Ministry of Rites and make a simple reply. After all, among the tributary states of the Ming Dynasty, Southern Xinjiang and Nanyang alone accounted for a large number, and these "kingdoms" were actually controlled by him through the Jinghua Advisory Group.

At this time, Gao Youshi also had to pay serious attention to the situation in the Western Regions, in addition to the arrangements along the way for the emperor's journey south. Although the main part of the Western Regions had been recovered, Liu Jing had brought him some new news not long ago - Liu Jing had gathered elite troops and chased after Burihatu to capture Andijan. However, this matter started with Lindan Batur's surprise attack on Andijan.

The city walls of Andijan looked solemn and solid in the morning light, and a new day quietly descended on this war-torn land. Lindan Batur stood on the city wall, gazing at the distant horizon, but his heart could not be as calm as this quiet morning.

At the celebration banquet last night, his heroic deeds were praised, and he was surrounded by wine and praise, but behind the glory, he felt an unspeakable uneasiness. He knew that the shadow of war had never really left, and every victory was only a temporary respite.

Buzhihatu appeared at the foot of the city wall, his steps firm and powerful, as if every step was in the rhythm of victory. He looked up at Lindan Batur, his eyes flashing with plans and determination for the future.

"Lindan Batur, you did a great job." Buzhihatu's voice penetrated the morning breeze and reached Lindan Batur's ears.

Lindanbatur took a deep breath, and facing this awe-inspiring leader, his heart was filled with respect and trust.

"Grandmaster, your strategy is the key to our victory."

Buzhihatu smiled slightly. He knew that this young man who was destined to become the Khan in the near future possessed wisdom and courage beyond his age, but he also knew that the road ahead would be even more difficult.

"Andijan is just the beginning, our journey is far from over."

Lindan Batur nodded, his eyes cast into the distance again, thinking secretly in his heart. He knew that what Burihatu said was true, their victory was only temporary, and greater challenges were waiting for them ahead.

In the meeting hall in the city, Buzhihatu summoned his generals to discuss the next action. The generals sat around the long table, and everyone's face showed seriousness and determination. They knew that although they had occupied Andijan now, the powerful Ming army was still eyeing them from behind, and their peace could be broken at any time.

Burihatu stood at the front of the hall, unfolded a detailed map, and pointed to the three major cities west of Andijan in the Bukhara Khanate - Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva.

"These three cities are our targets as we advance westwards. We must act quickly and capture them in one fell swoop."

Burihatu emphasized, "I have carefully analyzed it on the way here. The Ming army may not be satisfied with the current occupied area. Especially with Gao Rixin's talent, he will definitely not sit idly by and watch Andijan fall into our hands. Now we are not sure of one thing, that is, when will the Ming army continue to move westward to seize Andijan, so that it can form a pincer attack with Yili and protect the entire Western Region."

The generals talked about their own views and strategies, but there was only determination in Buzhihatu's eyes. He knew that this was their only choice and hope for survival.

After a moment, Lindan Batur asked, "So, Grand Master, when will we continue westward?"

Bu Rihatu replied in a deep voice: "The sooner the better."

At the same time, on the other side of Andijan, Liu Jing was standing in front of his tent in a snowy mountain valley, staring towards the west. His heart was full of contradictions, he knew that Burihatu would not stop there, but he also knew the limitations of his authority and supplies.

"Marshal, the brothers have already eaten and are in high spirits. We can still travel a little further today." Bian Zhiyuan, whose status in the Western Expedition Army was second only to Liu Jing, walked up to him and reported the latest military situation.

Liu Jing nodded, but he was thinking about deeper issues in his heart. He knew that Burihatu might have captured Andijan at this time, but he would not stay there for long and would soon continue to move westward.

The problem now is that he also wants to capture Andijan, so there is a time difference here - it would be best to wait until Burihatu's main force moves westward, and then he will lead his troops to launch a surprise attack on Andijan. This way he can avoid losses as much as possible and increase the probability of success.

Moreover, after capturing Andijan, he must also build a defense line there as soon as possible to avoid Buzhihatu's counterattack. Therefore, now he must ask the court for more support until the Andijan defense line is stabilized.

As night fell, the walls of Andijan were brightly lit, and soldiers patrolled their posts, alert for any possible threats. Lindan Batur climbed the wall again, his eyes piercing the night, as if looking for traces of the future.

In this sleepless night, the fate of the two forces is quietly intertwined, and the city of Andijan has become a new chapter in their story.

The next morning, in the early morning of Andijan, the sun shone through the mist and sprinkled on the newly awakened city. Burihatu stood at the door of the meeting hall, staring at the distant skyline, but in his heart he was planning the next move. He knew that although Andijan had fallen into his hands, it was probably only a springboard for his westward advance, and the real challenge had just begun.

"Call all generals, we must act immediately." Buzhihatu's voice was particularly clear in the tranquility of the early morning.

Lindan Batur responded quickly. He passed through the newly awakened camp and conveyed the order to each general. Soon, the elite troops of the Chahar tribe gathered in the meeting hall again, and everyone's eyes were shining with determination and expectation.

Burihatu stood at the front of the hall and unfolded a detailed map, which clearly marked the route and goal of the westward advance. "Our next step is to capture Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. These three cities will be the foundation for our great cause of reviving Mongolia." The generals gathered around the map and listened carefully to Burihatu's analysis and deployment. They knew that this would be a difficult journey, but it was also the only way to achieve Mongolia's glory.

"Lindan Batur, you will lead the vanguard troops and advance towards Samarkand first, and Tashhai will still serve as your deputy. Your task is to act quickly, disrupt the enemy's deployment, and create conditions for the arrival of the main force." Buzhihatu's eyes fell firmly on Lindan Batur and Tashhai.

Lindan Batur straightened his body, his eyes revealing fearlessness and confidence, and he said loudly: "I will fulfill my mission and capture Samarkand for the Grand Master."

The burly Tashhai just nodded vigorously and said in a deep voice: "Grandmaster, Tashhai will not fail in your mission."

Following Buzhihatu's order, the entire army began to move quickly and orderly. The logistics troops were responsible for preparing food and weapons, while the cavalry was ready to embark on a new journey.

In just four days, Liu Jing's troops "surprise attacked" Andijan. The whole battle was unremarkable because the "surprise attack" was too smooth - Andijan was actually an empty city, and the Chahar tribe actually abandoned such an important city and came out in full force, heading west to attack Samarkand.

This battle situation shocked Liu Jing, and he once again looked at Burihatu's magnanimity with new eyes: he first gave up the Eastern Mongolian grasslands, then gave up Yarkand, and now he even gave up the Fergana Basin that the prime minister had been thinking about without hesitation. If Burihatu was really the Mongolian Grand Master, otherwise Liu Jing would have suspected that this man had been bribed by the prime minister a long time ago.

Then Liu Jing found that Burihatu's departure had thrown a difficult problem to him. Liu Jing originally wanted to take advantage of the Chahar tribe's empty defense in Andijan to launch a surprise attack. Although the enemy might not have many troops, as long as he succeeded, the Chahar tribe would suffer losses, and the Chahar tribe, which was constantly moving westward, would find it difficult to restore its tribal strength at least in the short term.

In addition, they would also suffer losses in the westward expedition, and even if they won, they would have to consolidate their victory, so they would be unable to come east to compete with me for Andijan for at least a period of time. In this way, I would buy enough time to consolidate Andijan and build the "Western Horn". By then, the prime minister with excellent strategic vision would definitely reward the western expedition army heavily.

But what about now? It's a mess. Who would have thought that after losing all his territory, Burihatu would dare to lose his foothold again? With this kind of ambition and confidence, there are not many people in the world who dare to claim to be his opponent...

"We must strengthen the defense of Andijan and request more supplies from the court, otherwise it will be difficult to quickly build a solid line of defense." Liu Jing said to Bian Zhiyuan beside him.

  Bian Zhiyuan nodded and immediately began to prepare. He also knew that facing Burihatu, any slackness could lead to disastrous consequences - who knew if Burihatu would come back and completely ruin the Ming Dynasty's attempt to continue westward?

At the same time, Burihatu's entire army was heading southwest to Samarkand. Lindan Batur led the vanguard troops and took the lead in heading west. With the courage and heroism of the Mongol expedition to the west, they rode their horses and marched forward towards Samarkand.

  On this journey, Burihatu's army will face unknown challenges and dangers. But they have only one belief in their hearts: for the future of Mongolia and for the grand plan of the Grand Master, they will move forward bravely and fear no enemy - such as the Bukhara Khan who has been on the throne for only three years: Abd Mumin. [Note: The name of this Bukhara Khan is actually translated as "Mumin", which is really a bit of a coincidence.]

In the vast land east of Andijan, Liu Jing stood outside the tent and gazed at the starry sky. The night was dark and the stars twinkled, as if telling the depth of history and the uncertainty of the future. Liu Jing pondered expressionlessly, knowing that he was standing at a critical crossroads.

The lights in the tent were bright, and Liu Jing summoned his senior generals to hold an emergency military meeting. A map was spread out on the long table, with various symbols and lines densely marked on it, representing the current battle situation and possible action plans.

"Everyone, we have already discovered the whereabouts of Burihatu. Their target is Samarkand. For the time being, we don't see any intention of making a surprise attack." Liu Jing's voice echoed in the tent. He pointed to a point on the map and drew a circle with this point as the center: "But our mission is to guard Andijan and ensure the safety of the entire basin."

The generals gathered around the map, discussing possible strategies and actions. They knew that although Andijan had been occupied by the Ming army, Burihatu's ambitions might not be limited to the Bukhara Khanate, and if his actions went too smoothly, no one could guarantee that after he conquered Bukhara, he would march eastward to Andijan again and have a decisive battle with the Ming army.

After all, although the Yuanfu attached great importance to the Fergana Basin, the passage between it and Kashgar was very difficult to travel, and the logistical support of the Ming army in Andijan was very difficult.

It can be said that the Yuanfu believed that Andijan was a treasure land, but that was based on the premise that the entire Fergana Basin was fully developed. Before that, Andijan was an isolated island and it was difficult to get reinforcements from the rear. At present, the Ming army that arrived here were all elite soldiers, and the supplies they carried were sufficient, but if they wanted to start construction... it was still far from enough, and nothing was enough.

"Marshal, should we pursue them?" guerrilla general Kou Chongde asked the question.

Liu Jing was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "No, according to the orders we received, even the most generous orders are only to capture Andijan and control the basin. This is the decision of the court, and it is a military order written by the prime minister himself. How can we act on our own?"

When everyone heard this, they dared not say a word.

However, Liu Jing had another struggle in his heart. He knew that if Burihatu succeeded in capturing Samarkand, the situation in the entire Western Regions might change fundamentally. No one knew whether Burihatu would turn the tables and fight a decisive battle in Andijan. As the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition Army, he had the responsibility to prevent this from happening.

"But we can't just sit there and do nothing." Liu Jing continued, "Since we can't continue the pursuit, we must strengthen the defense of Andijan and ask the court for more support and instructions."

The generals nodded their heads in understanding. They trusted Liu Jing's judgment, so the meeting began to discuss how to use the local people in Andijan to help build the defense line. After the meeting, they returned to their posts and began to prepare to strengthen the defense line.

At the same time, Liu Jing sat at his desk, writing a memorial to the court, reporting the current war situation and asking the prime minister for further instructions. He knew that his action and the prime minister's reply would determine the future of Andijan and even the entire Western Region.

In the next few days, Liu Jing's army began to strengthen the city walls, deepen the trenches, and prepare various defensive equipment. Under Liu Jing's command, the soldiers showed extremely high morale and efficiency.

  At the other end of the court, Liu Jing's memorial finally arrived in the capital after a long journey. However, he did not expect that this memorial would cause a dispute in the court.
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