Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 573 A combination of kindness and power
"Your humble servant pays respect to His Majesty the Hongxi Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. May His Majesty live forever..."

In mid-September, when the sound of chanting was heard at the foot of the Western Tianshan Mountains, a city with broken walls appeared among the chaotic mountains at the foot of the Western Tianshan Mountains.

Yangyi City, a city that disappeared in the long river of history, although it belonged to the Eastern Chagatai Khanate in this era, was actually often looted by the Timurid Empire and the Yueqibie Kingdom, resulting in it being a city but actually no different from a ghost town.

The rammed earth wall was no more than ten feet high and ten feet thick, only about a mile from east to west and two hundred steps from north to south.

There are no more than 400 houses in the city, and there is a military camp covering an area of ​​no more than 30 acres.

Even so, most of the houses in the city have been abandoned and are now being repaired by the Ming army.

Before the Ming army arrived here, there were no more than 200 soldiers stationed in the city and no more than 500 civilians.

Because of this, this will be the end point of the Ming army's westward expedition, because even if Zhu Gaoxu wanted to continue westward, Yangyi City with a population of several hundred people could not bear the logistical supply pressure of the Ming army.

Relying on the manpower of more than 30,000 people in Tokmok in the east, at most 5,000 cavalry and 10,000 auxiliary troops can arrive here, and their stay cannot exceed three months.

Of course, only the Ming army knew these things, but other countries and forces did not know about them, such as the current Timurid Kingdom and Yuejibie Kingdom...

"Be flat."

The dilapidated military camp in Yangyi City, which covers an area of ​​less than 20 acres, has been renovated. Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Di are sitting in the yamen of the military camp. The furnishings in the yamen have been replaced with imperial items, which looks quite gorgeous.

"Thank you, Your Majesty..."

As Zhu Gaoxu signaled to stand up, Ulugh Beg of Timur and Azahai of Yuejibie slowly stood up from the ground.

They came on behalf of Timurid Empire and Yuejibie Kingdom respectively. In order to demonstrate, Zhu Gaoxu specially ordered 10,000 auxiliary soldiers to suspend the transportation of materials and stay inside and outside the city as a facade.

Although they are auxiliary troops, their equipment is intimidating enough and is completely sufficient to serve as a temporary standoff.

As for the 5,000 cavalrymen, they were arranged by Zhu Gaoxu in the military camp. At this moment, they were wearing armor, carrying spears and lances, and standing on the left and right of the military camp's training ground, leading their horses in their hands. A two-zhang wide long road was left in the middle leading directly to the yamen.

Looking out from Zhu Gaoxu's perspective, he could clearly see most of the 5,000 cavalrymen. They were solemn and dignified, and their majesty was inviolable.

Even he could give such an evaluation, not to mention Ulugh Beg and Azahai.

Their expressions were slightly different at this moment. Ulugh Beg's expression was stern, while Azahai was nervous.

The reason why the former is serious is that he knows that if things are not handled properly, there is a high possibility that war will break out between the two countries.

The latter was uneasy because he did not know whether the Ming army's westward expedition had ended. If it had not ended, who would be the next target of the Ming army.

"The Celestial Empire destroyed Yilibali because it repeatedly attacked our railway workers and killed thousands of our people."

"Of course, Yesenbuhua and Yunusi are still young, and they were just instigated by the powerful officials, but they must be punished."

"I think you have heard about the court's treatment of them..."

Zhu Gaoxu spoke slowly, while Zhu Di was eating the fruit from the river absentmindedly.

"Yes……"

Wulu Beg and Azahai bowed in response, and Zhu Gaoxu continued to speak:

"The nobles in Yilibali said that your father is ready to meet them?"

Zhu Gaoxu squinted his eyes and looked straight at Ulugh Beg, and Azahai also glanced at Ulugh Beg covertly.

Ulugh Beg was now thirty-nine years old and served as governor of Transoxiana and Turkestan in the Timurid Empire, and had ruled Samarkand for twenty-five years.

Despite his high position and power, he always volunteered to go to the Ming Dynasty to study every time the Timurid Empire paid tribute over the years.

He actively introduced various "talents" that were in surplus in the Ming Dynasty. He offered high prices to recruit any student who graduated from elementary school. As for those who had served as clerks and soldiers, he could even offer them an extremely high salary of fifty strings of cash per year.

You should know that the Timurid Empire had two main ways to obtain fiscal revenue. One was trade on the Silk Road, and the other was oasis output from its core areas.

As maritime trade became more and more developed, the land trade routes controlled by the Timurid Empire have been declining over the years and the profits have been decreasing.

In addition, the world temperature was too low and the output in Transoxiana and Persia was not high, so the normal tax system could not support a huge empire.

Ulugh Beg knew all this clearly, so he brought in talents from the Ming Dynasty at high prices to transform his own fiefdoms such as Transoxiana and Turkestan.

Over a period of more than 20 years, thanks to Ulugh Beg's efforts, many large-scale irrigation projects were built in Transoxiana and Turkestan.

These irrigation projects have complete ditches, and large tracts of farmland have been reclaimed for production, making the local land fertile and the population prosperous.

Not only that, he also built many official Chinese schools in the local area in order to emulate the Ming Dynasty and enter the industry.

Although he didn't know how water pumps and steam locomotives worked, he supported his subordinates in their research.

As long as they can develop water pumps and steam locomotives, the national strength of Timur will be further enhanced.

Of course, ideals are full and reality is skinny. After more than 20 years, the land under his rule is only richer than other places.

If we compare it with the Ming Dynasty, I'm afraid it can't even compare with the Ming Dynasty's Mobei Yanrandusi.

Zhu Gaoxu asked Ulugh Beg because he wanted to see how this Sultan of the Timurid Empire, who had actively promoted religion in history and became an astronomer and mathematician, would answer him.

Facing Zhu Gaoxu's gaze, Ulugh Beg knelt down directly and kowtowed five times and three times, each kowtow was deep and powerful.

After he kowtowed three times, his forehead turned red, and he bowed and said:
"We were deceived by the people of Yilibali, so we sent troops to Kashgar."

"As for Kashgar, I have already told my father to withdraw the troops. Your Majesty, please do not be offended by this small country's lack of culture."

"To show our sincerity in apologizing to His Majesty the Emperor, we are willing to dispatch 5,000 oxen and 30,000 sheep to reward the troops..."

Ulugh Beg made great concessions. Five thousand cattle and thirty thousand sheep could be sold at a high price of tens of thousands of strings of cash even on the northern border of the Ming Dynasty, which was more than enough to reward the army.

However, Zhu Gaoxu would not accept it directly. After all, doing so would make him look a little embarrassing.

"I have said before that I attacked Yilibali to vent the anger of the people, not to covet Yilibali's land."

"We captured Yilibali to tell you that the dignity of the Celestial Empire cannot be violated."

"If you are just doing business and coming to study, the Heavenly Dynasty and I welcome you."

"But if you come with an army, I will come with an army and artillery to meet you."

"Neither I nor the Ming Dynasty needs the things you mentioned, but Kashgar must be returned, and you must come and apologize honestly."

Zhu Gaoxu's voice was calm, but it sounded very stressful to Ulugh Beg.

He knew that the emperor wanted his father to apologize in person.

"Your Majesty, my father is too far away from here, and he is already fifty-seven years old. You..."

"He is in Samarkand now." Zhu Gaoxu interrupted Ulugh Beg, which caught Ulugh Beg by surprise.

"I have already come here from Yilibali, why..." Zhu Gaoxu stood up and looked down at Ulugh Beg who was kneeling on the ground:

"I can walk more than 1,500 miles, but he can't even walk 1,000 miles?"

Ulugh Beg did not expect that the emperor had such clear intelligence about the Timurid Empire. You have to know that his father had only arrived in Samarkand for a few months, and many civilians did not know about it, but the emperor knew it.

"Your Majesty, this minister's father..."

Wulu Beg wanted to say something else, but Zhu Gaoxu interrupted him with a sonorous and powerful tone:
"I have said that I will personally watch your father Shaharu come to Yangyi and kneel down to apologize to me and the Ming Dynasty!!"

After the clanging, Zhu Gaoxu's tone returned to normal: "If he is unwilling, then the court can only regard his invasion of Kashgar as a provocation."

"In the north, I will personally lead troops to Samarkand to find him. The Duke of Yue and Zheng He on the sea will arrive in Hormuz soon."

"Whether he will come or not, you can go back and tell him clearly..."

After Zhu Gaoxu finished speaking, he waved his hand, signaling Ulugh Beg to leave, without giving him the chance to say anything else.

Seeing this, Ulugh Beg did not dare to act presumptuously. He could only bite the bullet and bow, and then walked out of the yamen under the supervision of the Western Factory's strongmen.

The moment he walked out of the yamen, thousands of eyes on the parade ground were staring at him, which made Ulugh Beg feel pressured and he hurriedly left Yangyi City.

After he left, Azahai became even more embarrassed, but Zhu Gaoxu sat back in his seat and said, "Yue Jibie did not provoke the court, you don't have to be so restrained."

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat..." Azahai was only in his early twenties, and his father was the Khan of the current Yuejibie Khanate, Abu Haier.

Abu Hair was a descendant of Shiban, the fifth son of Genghis Khan's eldest son Jochi. Since Jochi died before Genghis Khan, the territory allocated to him was inherited by his second son Batu.

Batu was very powerful and capable, and he took over the fiefdom and the army on behalf of Jochi.

Before Batu's westward expedition, the center of his rule was in the Irtysh River basin in the east.

After the Western Expedition, Batu's ruling center moved to the newly established capital Sarai on the Volga River, and he gave the land northeast of the Aral Sea to his brother Orda, who was called the White Horde Khan.

Later, he divided the land north of the Aral Sea to his brother Shiban, giving Shiban his own fiefdom.

As the internal conflicts of the Golden Horde became more and more serious, the national strength began to weaken. Therefore, Abu Hair, the sixth-generation grandson of Shiban, was elected as the Khan of the Blue Tent by his people on the banks of the Tula River. His country was also called the Green Tent Khanate and Yuejibie.

The Ming Dynasty called them the Yuejibie Kingdom, and Abu Hail had nearly 300,000 people under his rule.

In terms of strength, Abu Hail can mobilize a standing army of about 30,000, which is already a considerable force outside the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, if Zhu Gaoxu wanted to take action against Yuejibie, it would only take a few months to defeat them. After all, they were not as good as the Eastern Chagatai Khanate.

However, due to logistical constraints, Zhu Gaoxu did not plan to take action against Yue Jibie.

The current situation in the Western Regions is not good. There is insufficient population, insufficient agriculture, and inconvenient transportation...

These problems prevented Zhu Gaoxu from intervening in Hezhong, so he needed enough time to develop.

Therefore, Zhu Gaoxu's plan was to intimidate Yue Jibie and make Shah Rukh surrender.

"The Ming Dynasty has now come to Hezhong, and plans to set up a trade market in Yangyi City in the future. Yue Jibie can use cattle and sheep to trade some goods here."

"I will not treat you unfairly in terms of the price of cattle and sheep. How about five strings of cash per cattle and four hundred coins per sheep?" "This is the commodity list of the court's trade. You can take a good look at it..."

Zhu Gaoxu signaled, and Hu Ji immediately handed a booklet to Azahai.

As a nobleman, Azahai naturally learned the official language of the Ming Dynasty, as the Ming Dynasty had ended the rule of the Mongolian headquarters over the northern desert a few years ago.

He took the document and looked through it. On it were iron pots, iron materials, pottery, weapons, grain, beans and other supplies that the royal family needed, as well as luxury goods such as silk, porcelain, tea, white sugar, brown sugar and so on that the nobles needed.

The above prices are the same as those set by the Ministry of Rites. The prices of ordinary pottery and porcelain range from ten to one hundred wen, grain and bean materials are basically around five wen per catty, and iron materials are around ten wen per catty.

As for sugar and tea, they were 50 wen per catty, while silk and blue-and-white porcelain were priced from 800 wen to 2 guan per piece.

For Yue Jibie, being able to buy tribute trade goods that can only be obtained by going to Beijing right at their doorstep was naturally something they would love to have.

"The price offered by His Majesty the Emperor is fair. Yue Jibie will serve His Majesty the Emperor and guard the border for the Celestial Empire..."

Azahai stood up and bowed, and Zhu Gaoxu nodded and said, "I have brought gifts for you and your father. When you leave later, take the gifts with you."

Naturally, the delegation had to bring gifts when they came. Ulugh Beg gave two Ferghana horses, and Yuejibie also gave two Ferghana horses.

There is no need to reciprocate when there is friction between the Timurid Empire and the Ming Dynasty, but since there is no friction between the two countries, the superficial work still needs to be done.

Following Zhu Gaoxu's instructions, Azahai returned to Yuejibie soon with a cart of porcelain and tea, while Ulugh Beg also returned south.

The temperature in the river was dropping, and as time went by, Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu both put on cotton clothes without realizing it.

On the fourth day of October, Ulugh Beg returned to Samarkand and met his father in his palace.

Shahru sat in the main seat wearing a traditional robe, and on the table next to him were many documents that needed to be processed.

"He asked me to go meet him and kneel down to apologize to him?"

The 57-year-old Shah Rukh listened to the news brought back by his eldest son Ulugh Beg in disbelief, and at the same time glanced at the ministers in the palace.

The ministers discussed in low voices, but no one dared to stop it.

The Timurid Empire had experienced the power of the Ming Dynasty as early as the Yongle period. A navy of 20,000 swept across most of Persia, and now there were tens of thousands of people above their heads, and an unknown number of navy were about to arrive at the sea.

In addition, there were 5,600 Ming troops stationed in Hormuz.

Even if Zheng He only brought 20,000 people, they would still have to face the double-teaming of nearly 40,000 Ming troops.

Moreover, according to the intelligence they had obtained, the number of Ming troops attacking the Western Regions was obviously more than 20,000.

Although the Timurid Empire can now mobilize 200,000 troops, these 200,000 troops are very weak.

If we talk about fully armored soldiers and horses, the Timurid Empire only had about 170,000 or 180,000 soldiers.

170,000 or 180,000 against 50,000. This sounds like a crushing victory, but in fact it was probably a crushing victory of the Ming army over them.

Shah Rukh couldn't help but have a headache. If he had known earlier, he would not have sent troops to the Eastern Chagatai Khanate.

They originally thought that they could hold out against the Ming army for a long time, but unexpectedly they were conquered by the Ming army like fallen leaves in the autumn wind in less than five months.

Now, except for Kashgar in his own hands and Khotan hiding in the south of Kashgar, the entire Western Regions has fallen into the hands of the Ming Dynasty.

Even so, Shah Rukh still couldn't let go of his pride. After all, he was the Sultan of Transoxiana and Persia. Although the person he needed to kneel down to was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he still couldn't bring himself to do that.

"You guys are silent. Are you planning to ask me to kneel down and kowtow to that person?"

Shaharu spoke in a cold voice, and everyone saluted but still kept silent.

The national strength of the Timurid Empire was only slightly stronger than that of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate. If the Ming army could conquer the Eastern Chagatai Khanate with tens of thousands of troops in five months, it could conquer the Timurid Empire in a year.

We can see how big the gap in strength between the two sides is from the Yongle period, let alone now.

Zhu Gaoxu has already given Shah Rukh a way out, and whether he does so or not is up to Shah Rukh himself.

As for the ministers, they really didn't dare to speak.

The Ming Dynasty is about to destroy the Eastern Chagatai Khanate, and anyone who talks about fighting to the end is a fool.

They just want to protect their own interests, and if the two countries go to war, everything they have will be lost.

Of course, they did not dare to persuade Shah Rukh. After all, Shah Rukh was their Sultan, so keeping silent was their best choice.

"..." Shaharu silently scanned everything in front of him, hoping that someone would stand up and speak for him. However, he waited for a long time, but no one stood up.

"Father, we will return Kashgar to the Ming Dynasty and prepare abundant cattle and sheep. I believe that His Majesty the Emperor will not really embarrass us. He is just angry."

Ulugh Beg comforted Shah Rukh, but Shah Rukh clenched the pen in his hand.

He really wanted to say that he would not go, but such words would undoubtedly destroy everything he had now.

The Ming army has proven that they have the strength to launch an expedition against the Timurid Empire, and the Black Sheep and White Sheep Kingdoms are also eyeing the Timurid Empire covetously.

If I don't go, Timur will be in danger of national extinction...

"I won't kneel down, but I can meet these two emperors."

Shah Rukh tried to make amends for himself, and the nobles, including Shah Rukh's eldest son Ulugh Beg, breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this.

"Withdraw the troops from Kashgar and leave everything behind. Not a single copper coin can be taken away."

After saying this, Shaharu stood up and walked towards the side hall with a hunched back.

Ulugh Beg clenched his fists, but felt powerless.

The strength of the Ming Dynasty is indeed not something they can contend with, so now they can only surrender.

After his thoughts came to an end, Ulugh Beg followed in his father's footsteps.

As he caught up, Shaharu looked back at him and sighed:
"I'm old, and I need to go through with it this time, but I want you to remember one thing..."

Shaharu took a deep breath and calmed himself down before continuing:
"If they can destroy Chagatai's group in this way, they can destroy us in the same way."

"The reason why they haven't taken action yet is because it would cost a lot to eat us now."

"So, you need to be prepared and be alert to their actions."

Shah Rukh did not know the details of the Western Expedition Army, nor could he know that the Western Expedition to Yangyi was the limit of the Ming Dynasty.

But even if he knew, he would still admit defeat, because there were so many ways that the Ming Dynasty could take action against the Timurid Empire.

The sea in the south, the vassal states in the west, the river in the north...

All they can do now is wait, wait for problems to arise in the Ming Dynasty, and then seize the time to improve the national strength.

"We already have 20,000 musketeers. Although they can build the railway quickly, it will still take more than 20 years to reach the river."

"In twenty years, we will have at least 50,000 musketeers."

"By then, even if we are no match for them, we can still consume them step by step."

Ulugh Beg talked about the current situation and analyzed the situation:

"We must seize an opportunity, an opportunity to destroy Iskandar (the leader of the Black Sheep Kingdom)."

"Only by destroying Iskandar and making peace with Murad (Ottoman Sultan) can we avoid being surrounded by enemies on three sides."

Facing Ulugh Beg's analysis, Shah Rukh nodded and said, "You are right, but the Ming Dynasty will not give us this opportunity."

"Waiting for the opponent to make a mistake is something you can only do when you are strong and evenly matched, but not now."

"I know, I just look forward to it..." Ulugh Beg sighed and said:
"The worst-case scenario is a war on three fronts, and we need to move the firearms workshop to a safer place. After the war begins, we will immediately destroy Iskandar and then attack Hormuz."

"The north can rely on the terrain to fight a protracted war with the Ming army. This is a tactic written in their military books."

"Now we are not the only ones who are dissatisfied with the Ming Dynasty. If we can achieve a stalemate with the Ming army, then many countries that are dissatisfied with the Ming Dynasty will rise up in rebellion."

Ulugh Beg was very good at using idioms from the Central Plains and could translate them skillfully.

Therefore, Shah Rukh was able to hear everything he said clearly and was very satisfied with his ideas.

Surrendering is not their style. They seek a fight to the bitter end, with both sides suffering losses, or exchanging their lives for injuries.

"Let someone arrange the matter of raising the barbarians, and you will arrange the matter of making amends."

Shahru gave orders to Ulugh Beg, and at the end he sighed and said, "I hope my dignity can be preserved."

Obviously, he still didn't want to kneel down to Zhu Gaoxu, even though he knew that kneeling down to Zhu Gaoxu would not humiliate himself, he still didn't want to.

His back was hunched, as if he had aged several years in an instant.

Looking at his back, Ulugh Beg felt uncomfortable.

Ulugh Beg could not accept asking his father to kneel down to someone, even if the person was someone he respected.

Attacking the Western Regions was indeed a wrong move, but who could have predicted everything 100% before it was over...

Thinking of this, the image of the Ming Emperor emerged in Ulugh Beg's mind.

Perhaps he is the only one who can predict everything that has happened so far with 100% certainty.

It is their sorrow to live in the same era with such people.

Fortunately, he is now 54 years old and I am only 39, so I still have enough time to wait.

After he calmed down, Ulugh Beg turned around and walked out of the palace, and began to make arrangements for his trip north to pay apology...

(End of this chapter)