Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2311 Fengshan (VIII) Western Frontier Situation

The disputes in the court mainly focused on two aspects: First, regarding Liu Jing's request to strengthen the defense of Andijan and request more support, some ministers believed that it should be fully supported to ensure the stability of the Western Regions; while other ministers were worried that excessive investment would lead to an empty treasury and advocated caution.

Second, regarding the question of whether Burihatu should be pursued, some ministers believed that they should take the opportunity to expand the results of the war and completely eliminate the threat from the Western Regions; while other ministers believed that they should adhere to the established strategy and avoid unnecessary risks.

Two aspects and four voices actually all have their own reasons.

The advantage of strengthening the defense of Andijan is that it can achieve in advance the best idea that Gao Youshi had made before the war. That is, with the Ili Basin and the Fergana Basin as the two power horns in the Western Region, they can make an offensive posture that can project military threats at any time, forming a strategic advantage of attacking instead of defending but accumulating strength.

The downside is that the road from Kashgar to Andijan is problematic, resulting in high transportation costs, and the establishment of the Fergana Basin defense line takes too long and may face the strategic threat of a counterattack by Burihatu. If the worst-case scenario occurs - Burihatu counterattacks and actually defeats the Ming army with logistical difficulties, then the court's initial investment will be wasted, and this initial investment is certainly not small.

Overall, the reality of actively strengthening the defense of Andijan and sending reinforcements is that if successful, the benefits will be very large and the strategic goal of the "Western Region Plan" can be achieved in one fell swoop; if it fails, the risks are also great, and the losses may be even greater. Because the Ming army has not yet been defeated in the Western Region, if it is defeated in Andijan, all kinds of demons and monsters may surface, making the defense and governance of the entire Western Region more difficult.

Therefore, in this situation, the court officials who supported strengthening the defense of Andijan could be regarded as "optimists". They were optimistic about the court's spare capacity in finance, materials, transportation, etc., and were also optimistic about the combat effectiveness of Liu Jing and his troops, believing that he could defend Andijan, which was currently not reliable.

Correspondingly, the court officials who opposed the occupation of Andijan and the massive investment could be regarded as "pessimists" or "cautious". They advocated stopping while the going was good and not taking such dangerous actions, so as to avoid too much loss in case of failure. In their view, the Ming Dynasty was now in the period of rejuvenation and the national strength was growing day by day. As long as they took steady steps, it would not be difficult to take Andijan in the future, so there was no need to rush.

As for the pursuit of Burihatu, this matter requires even more caution. The Ming army is different from the Mongolian army. The difference between the two in terms of the degree of dependence on logistics is immeasurable.

The Ming army's food, clothing, and battlefield consumption replenishment almost entirely relied on logistical transportation. The road from Kashgar to Andijan was not only difficult to travel, but sometimes even depended on the weather (when marching through snowy mountains, an avalanche could bury an entire transport team), which added a bit of uncertainty.

On the contrary, the Chahar Mongolian army marched westward as a whole clan. As long as they had (or conquered) a foothold each time, they would not lack supplies. Therefore, they could drag the Ming army westward until the Ming army completely lost its ability to replenish, and then they could calmly counterattack.

The Ming army at that time had already been dragged to exhaustion, and facing the Mongolian army's counterattack, they could only wait for death - this became a strategic "Mangudai".

The court officials who supported the pursuit believed that the Ming army had won great victories along the way and that Burihatu hardly dared to engage in battle. This showed that the Chahar tribe had either suffered huge losses or did not dare to suffer losses at all because of the limited population of the tribe.

Therefore, as long as the Ming army dared to pursue, Burihatu would not dare to engage in battle. In this case, Liu Jing continued to advance westward. If he was lucky, he could capture more areas. Even if he was unlucky, it was "attack instead of defense", which actually ensured the safety of Andijan in the rear.

The court officials who opposed the pursuit believed that according to the strategy proposed by the prime minister before the war, taking Andijan was already the limit. Continuing the pursuit was not only meaningless but also faced huge risks and was totally unnecessary.

Why do I say that? Because Gao Youshi had already fully demonstrated the Ming army's supply capacity before the war, which could only support the battle to Andijan at most, and there was no sufficient supply capacity to advance westward.

You have to know that the entire Western Regions had just been conquered, and even the Western Regions Protectorate was still in the preparation stage. The Ming Dynasty's stable rule in the Western Regions had not yet been established. Continuing the Western Expedition would be a waste of time.

In this dispute, Gao Youshi's attitude was obviously the most crucial. As the chief minister of the cabinet, especially as he had led the entire Western Region plan against all odds, he undoubtedly had the greatest say.

His attitude will directly affect the final decision of the court, because even the emperor must fully respect the fact that all the actions and achievements of the Western Expedition Army are based on Gao Youshi's plan, decision-making and command. Under him, Wang Tingzhuan, Liu Jing, Xiong Tingbi and others are just executors of the decision.

Gao Youshi knew the importance of the Western Regions and was also aware of Burihatu's ambitions and abilities. He was also worried that Burihatu would successfully defeat the Bukhara Khanate and complete the great cause of "rebuilding Mongolia" in the Western Regions, just as Yelu Dashi rebuilt the Liao Dynasty in the Western Regions.

This is actually possible, because with the ability of Burihatu and the strength of the Chahar tribe, as long as they defeat the Bukhara Khanate, they can defeat Khiva next, and then deal with Kazakhstan. At this point, Burihatu can even form a three-way confrontation with the Safavid Persia and the Mughal Empire to his south!

Gao Youshi felt that Burihatu might have had such a plan. Perhaps he had already made up his mind when he gave up Yarkand and moved westward, otherwise it would be difficult to explain why he would let the Chahar headquarters not engage in battle with the Ming army at all.

There are only two possibilities for not engaging in battle with the Ming army: one is that Burihatu was certain that the Mongolian army was no match for the Ming army and engaging in battle would be a waste of lives; the other is that Burihatu wanted to preserve his strength and use the Chahar headquarters in more critical battles.

Gao Youshi believes that although the first possibility cannot be completely ruled out, the second possibility is obviously much higher. So, what could be the purpose of Burihatu retaining the strength of Chahar headquarters and letting the Yarkand Black Army and the remnants of the Oirat to consume the Ming army? Of course, it was to capture Bukhara, then Khiva and Kazakhstan, and unify the three Central Asian countries.

With this judgment and after carefully studying Liu Jing's memorial, Gao Youshi decided to convene the cabinet elders in Beijing and the officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War to hold an "enlarged cabinet meeting" for in-depth discussions.

After a heated debate, Gao Youshi put forward his own opinion: "The stability of the Western Regions is of vital importance to our Ming Dynasty. As the gateway to the Western Regions, Andijan's strategic position is self-evident. Liu Jing's request to strengthen Andijan's defense is reasonable, and we should give necessary and sufficient support.

As for whether to pursue Burihatu, this cabinet believes that we should act with caution. Although Burihatu is ambitious, his actions also give us an opportunity to consolidate the Western Region. We should use this opportunity to first strengthen the defense of Andijan, complete and consolidate our Western Region plan, and then keep a close eye on Burihatu's movements and wait for the right time to make further decisions. "

Gao Youshi's words were the final word, and were also recognized by most of the important officials present. In the end, after reporting to the emperor and obtaining the emperor's approval, the court decided to support Liu Jing's request and allocated more supplies and troops to support Andijan again. At the same time, Liu Jing was ordered to closely monitor Burihatu's movements, but not to take the initiative to attack for the time being. Not long after, in Andijan, Liu Jing received a reply from the court and immediately began to strengthen the defense. He ordered the soldiers to reinforce the city walls, dig trenches, and prepare various defensive equipment. At the same time, he also actively communicated with local tribal leaders to win their support and jointly resist possible threats.

To be honest, the court's decision was not entirely what he wanted, because he now had a hunch that both Bujihatu and Lindan Batur, the two generations of Chahar decision-makers, were extraordinary people. Once the oppression from the Ming army disappeared or temporarily disappeared, the two of them might be able to "soar up to 90,000 miles like a roc when it soars into the sky with the wind."

But Liu Jing also knew that he had to obey orders. The authority of the court was now far greater than before. Whether it was the "Sage Emperor of the Restoration" Wanli or the "Grand Minister of the World" Gao Yuanfu, they were not the masters that Liu Jing could disobey.

In the night of Andijan, Liu Jing once again gazed at the starry sky and thought about the future. He knew that no matter what the court decided, he had to stick to his post and fight for the glory of the Ming Dynasty and the stability of the Western Regions.

Now, he also has a premonition about his future. He feels that he will be kept in the Western Regions and take root there from then on... Maybe just like the Mu family "stayed in Yunnan forever", he would "stay in the Western Frontier forever".

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Liu Jing didn't know, because Gao Youshi didn't tell him before the war, and he only realized it recently. The Western Regions are not prosperous now, and it is definitely not as good as the Sichuan he is familiar with, but as a typical warrior, he also has the heroic spirit of "not returning until Loulan is conquered", and secretly hopes to "forever control the Western Frontier".

Forget it, forget it, let's see how the emperor and the prime minister decide. If they think I should become the gate god of Xijiang, then I, Liu Jing, will never shrink back. If anyone dares to covet Xijiang in the future, they should first ask if the sword in the hands of my Liu family agrees!

Samarkand, a city with a long history, its ochre-colored walls have witnessed countless rises and falls. Now, the city has once again become the focus of war. Burihatu's army is heading here, and Abd Mumin, as the new Khan of the Bukhara Khanate, undoubtedly feels unprecedented pressure.

In the Khan's tent in Samarkand, Mumin summoned his generals to discuss countermeasures. The map hanging on the wall was repeatedly examined, and every road and every building became the focus of their discussion.

"Buzhihatu's army moves quickly, and we must make full preparations quickly." Muming's voice echoed in the conference room, his eyes were firm, revealing his unquestionable determination.

The generals spoke one after another and put forward their own views and suggestions. Some advocated defending the city and using Samarkand's solid walls to resist the enemy; some believed that cavalry should be sent out to conduct guerrilla warfare to weaken Burihatu's military strength; and some believed that it would be better to simply mobilize the main force to fight outside the city, so that the "descendants of Western Mongolia" and the "descendants of Eastern Mongolia" could have a fair fight, and the winner would become the Khan, which was in line with Mongolian tradition.

Mu Ming listened to everyone's opinions, but in his mind he was weighing the best tactics. He knew that Burihatu was not an easy person to deal with, and any rash decision could lead to disastrous consequences.

"We must hold on, and at the same time actively look for opportunities to attack." Mu Ming finally made a decision and said decisively: "Although Burihatu is powerful, the long journey will make his army tired. We must take advantage of this and give them a fatal blow."

Since the Khan had made the decision, the generals looked at each other and agreed.

While Samarkand was preparing for battle, Burihatu's army was also advancing rapidly. Lindan Batur and Tashhai, as the vanguard, led their cavalry to gallop forward, their horses' hooves raised rolling dust, like a giant dragon galloping on the land.

Lindan Batur knew that Samarkand would not surrender easily and the defenders of the city would resist stubbornly. But he also understood that his mission was to open the way for Burihatu to victory.

During a short break, Lindan Batur and Tashhai summoned their generals to discuss the next course of action.

"The defenders of Samarkand will not give up easily. We must be fully prepared." Lindan Batur spoke first.

"Our cavalry is elite enough. We can use our speed advantage to bypass the city and cut off the connection between Samarkand and Bukhara, making Samarkand an isolated city." Tashhai made a suggestion.

Lindan Batur pondered for a moment, then nodded. "This is a good idea, but we can't ignore Samarkand's movements. They are also descendants of the Mongols and have powerful cavalry. We need to guard against their active attacks. We must not end up losing more than we gain by stealing the chicken and being ambushed by them instead."

Tashhai said: "What the Taiji said is very true. Our army is the vanguard and all of them are cavalry. Unless Samarkand surrenders voluntarily, it will be difficult to capture the fortified city.

However, the Grand Master had mastered the technique of capturing a city a few years ago, and now all the gunpowder is in the Grand Master's army. Once the Grand Master arrives, if Mu Ming still refuses to surrender, then we will see whether Samarkand is impregnable or Hancheng in the Central Plains is more impregnable. "

Just as Burihatu's army was preparing to launch an attack, the defenders of Samarkand were also nervously making their final deployment. Mumin stood on the city wall, looking at the distant horizon, and he knew that the enemy's army would soon appear there.

We are all descendants of the Mongols, but now we have to fight for our lives. But what's so strange about this? Fighting to the death among descendants of the Mongols is commonplace, so who would care that their ancestors are from the same family? Oh, Mongols, war is just a necessity for survival, what's there to lament about!

In the darkness of the night, Burihatu's army finally appeared in Samarkand's sight. Torches illuminated their troops, like a fire dragon winding through the night. Mumin took a deep breath, gripped his weapon tightly, and prepared for the upcoming battle.

However, before the battle horn was sounded, in the shadows outside Samarkand, a winding fire dragon passed around the city and blocked the road to the west - they cut off the road between Samarkand and Bukhara.

  Bukhara Khan narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly: "Samarkand has been rich for a hundred years. Now I have stored two years' worth of food for this battle. If you, Burihatu, want to win by besieging the city, you are dreaming!"
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