The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 438 Don't Count on the Enemy's Stupidity
However, things don't always develop according to people's wishes.

Just as the Ming Dynasty was preparing to conquer the Western Regions according to plan, an accident occurred.

Zhu Chong looked at the information in his hand, frowned and said:
"In other words, Timur is not going to attack Tokhtamysh?"

Liu Yunniang naturally knew the seriousness of the matter and said seriously:

"According to our intelligence, Timur has fallen ill due to excessive worry, and all expedition plans have been cancelled."

Zhu Chong said suspiciously, "What a coincidence, it's just like a play... Can you confirm the authenticity of this information?"

Liu Yunniang shook her head and said, "No, there are only a very small number of high-ranking officials who can contact Timur now, and these people are difficult to bribe."

Zhu Chong frowned even more tightly and asked again: "What is the current domestic situation in Timur?"

Liu Yunniang used four words to describe the current situation of the Timurid Empire:
“People are in a state of panic.”

But this does not prove whether Timur was really sick, because he could have pretended to be sick without telling anyone.

Liu Yunniang also mentioned many details, such as the border troops shrinking their defense lines and entering a full defensive posture.

Even Timur's previously designated successor, Pir Mahma, brought his men to the capital. His purpose was self-evident.

"The current situation in the Timurid Empire depends entirely on Shah Rukh's efforts to maintain it."

"But when the legitimate heir, Pier Mahemah, arrives in the capital, I'm afraid he won't be able to maintain the situation."

After all, Mahama is the legitimate heir. With him around, Shah Rukh wouldn't be able to hold power, let alone protect himself.

Zhu Chong was quite appreciative of Shah Rukh and said:

"Timur was a hero, but none of his descendants were talented. Only Shah Rukh can be considered a hero."

"It's a pity that it's not justified after all."

But based on this information, it is still impossible to determine whether Timur was acting or was really ill.

In the end, Liu Yunniang could only continue to inquire.

Before leaving, Liu Yunniang reminded: "Should we inform Daming?"

Zhu Chong thought for a moment and said, "It will take a long time for the news to reach Ming Dynasty from here... I believe the third brother knows how to judge the situation."

"By the way, keep an eye on the Chagatai Khanate and report any developments there to me in a timely manner."

If Zhu Gang still chooses to attack the Western Regions, he can cooperate in time.

After seeing Liu Yunniang off, he sat in his seat, looking at the information in his hand and falling into deep thought.

Was Timur really ill or was he faking it?

This is critical.

If you are really sick, then everything is easy to deal with.

If he is faking illness, there must be a deep calculation behind it.

If you jump out rashly, you will probably get into trouble.

Although he had defeated Timur head-on, he never underestimated this enemy.

Being able to dominate Anxi for decades was not based on luck.

He believed that not only he, but also Tutu Mishi, Kara Yusuf and others were thinking about this problem at this moment.

Everyone wanted to fight Timur, but no one was willing to take the initiative to launch an attack.

After all, an active attack means fighting a tough battle, which means you will lose 800 of your own money while injuring 1,000 of the enemy.

In case the war turns into a war of attrition, Timur can get reinforcements at any time thanks to his geographical advantage.

They had to march long distances, and the food rations for hundreds of thousands of troops were enough to strain their logistics.

And you also have to be careful about others attacking your rear.

Originally, if Toghtomir had restored the monarchy and raised the banner of revenge, Timur would have taken the initiative to attack.

In fact, Timur was also prepared for this and had been preparing for this war for the past two years.

Many people are also waiting for this war so that they can fish in troubled waters.

But when Timur fell ill, the situation was different.

At this time, Princess Guanyinnu came in and brought him a bowl of hot soup.

"My king, drink some soup to warm yourself up."

Zhu Chong quickly stood up and said with a smile, "Why are you here? Didn't the doctor tell you not to move around?"

Guanyin Nu smiled and said, "It's not the first time she gave birth, how can she be so fragile..."

The two of them sat down again, and Guanyin Nu asked, "I saw you looked so sad just now, are you facing any problems?"

While drinking his soup, Zhu Chong casually recounted the general situation and sighed:
"But Timur suddenly fell ill, and that changed everything."

Guanyin Nu didn't understand this, and just echoed:

"Timur's illness is really timely."

"But he was frightened to the point of falling ill. What a shame for him to be a hero all his life..."

Her casual words were like lightning, breaking through the fog that shrouded Zhu Chong's heart:
"I see, I understand... Guanyinnu, you are really my good wife."

Guanyin Nu looked confused: "What's wrong? I didn't say anything."

Zhu Chong laughed and said, "It is precisely because you have no intention that God wants Timur to die."

As he said this, he ordered his men to call all his subordinates over, and in the midst of everyone's puzzled gazes, he said with certainty:

"Timur is pretending to be ill."

Liu Yunniang asked in surprise: "How did the king get the news?"

Weren't you guessing just now? How come you are so sure in the blink of an eye?

The others were also puzzled and waited for his answer.

Zhu Chong pointed to his head and said, "I guessed it."

Then he didn't keep anyone in suspense and directly stated his basis:

"The hero will only be killed by others, not frightened to death."

"A strong enemy will not make them feel afraid, but will only make them full of fighting spirit."

"Timur is a heroic leader, and a decisive and ruthless leader. It is even more impossible for such a person to be frightened by a difficult situation."

"Besides, he still has the upper hand on the surface, so how can he be worried and sick?"

Some people agree with this analysis, while others disagree.

But Zhu Chong's character can be described as either opinionated or stubborn.

Once you have your own ideas, it is difficult to shake them.

Even when someone questioned him, he still stuck to his opinion.

Timur was just pretending to be sick.

As for why he pretended to be sick...

"Timur is a smart man, so he can naturally sense that he is surrounded by enemies."

"Which enemy to attack first becomes a question he has to consider."

He cannot deal with so many enemies at the same time by himself, he has to prioritize them.

Mindless attacking will only lead to being divided and eaten.

Li Fang was even more confused: "What does this have to do with him pretending to be sick?"

Zhu Chong said confidently: "Since we don't know who to attack first, let's set up a trap and let the most impatient person jump out on his own."

"When we hear the news that he is ill, the first ones to jump out are those who hate him the most. They must be eliminated first."

Xu Yingxu asked: "What if everyone is afraid and dares not take action?"

Zhu Chong smiled and said, "That's why he needs to pretend to be sick even more."

Seeing the puzzled look on everyone's faces, he explained: "He was defeated by us two years ago, and Tuotomishi took advantage of his weakness to restore the throne and threatened revenge."

"Timur also made a gesture to eliminate all his opponents and prepared for this for two years."

"But the development of the situation was completely beyond his expectations. The biggest variable came from us."

Everyone couldn't help but reveal an expression of pride on their faces.

Two years ago, the Qin State was officially established after defeating Timur and winning the battle to gain a foothold.

After that, a steady stream of resources were sent to the Ming Dynasty, with the Han people alone sending over 300,000 people.

With these populations as their support, they are no longer rootless duckweed.

It can be said that it took two years to resettle so many people without causing any major unrest.

These people have made great contributions.

No matter where you look at it, it is a first-class achievement.

Therefore, they have the right to be proud.

However, what is good for Qin is not good news for other countries.

A population of 300,000 is enough to support 30,000 to 40,000 regular troops.

Including the affiliated troops from various tribes, the Qin State had 100,000 regular troops.

In a place like Anxi, it was enough to influence the balance of the situation. Timur had to consider whether he would be attacked by the Qin State if he went to war with Toghtomish.

Moreover, Kara Yusuf of the Black Sheep Kingdom is also ambitious. Once the Timurid Empire reveals a flaw, he will not mind pouncing on it and taking a bite.

There are also other forces that are eyeing us covetously.

All we can say is that Timur’s tyranny made him surrounded by enemies and no friends.

It would be fine if he remained strong, but once he became weak he would be besieged by everyone.

Therefore, he must first identify clearly who is the person who wants his life the most.

The principle of forming alliances and making alliances is not only understood by the Chinese, but also by other ethnic groups.

After Zhu Chong praised everyone for a few words, he continued:

"I don't know who the main enemy is. I will definitely be attacked from both sides."

"If he doesn't send troops, the preparations over the past two years will become a joke. Where is his authority as the overlord of Anxi?"

"So, now Timur is being roasted on the fire."

"Being sick is the best excuse."

"If someone jumps out, he'll hit the one who jumps out."

"Whether it's Tuotuo who is lost, us, or any other opponent..."

"Whoever attacks him first, he will make peace with the others, and then concentrate his forces to attack the one who jumps out first."

"If no one comes forward, he will strike out on the pretext of being sick and then take a rest to recuperate."

"When we are stronger and can identify who the main enemy is, it won't be too late to send troops then."

"We can also take this opportunity to clean up those who have ulterior motives in the country."

After listening to his analysis, everyone looked thoughtful.

That is indeed the truth.

Timur fought throughout his life and faced countless bigger crises, but he managed to get through them all safely.

How could such a person become sick with worry just because he has many enemies?

Of course, the most crucial thing is Zhu Chong’s subsequent analysis.

When the situation is murky, the best thing to do is to stay still.

It's like a snake, when it coils on the ground to defend itself, that's when it's most dangerous.

Now that Timur is ill, the situation has suddenly reversed.

He was no longer surrounded by enemies, but was the one hunting his enemies instead.

Of course, his enemies could also unite to attack him.

But countries like Anxi are not as good as the six states in Shandong back then.

It is more reliable to pray that Timur chokes to death while drinking water than to expect them to unite.

Therefore, facing the current situation, everyone is somewhat helpless.

Liu Yunniang seemed to have thought of something and said quickly:

"Should we inform King Jin of this news?"

Although the Prince of Jin has the support of the Ming Dynasty and is not afraid of a head-on confrontation with Timur, there is no need for him to be stubborn.

Zhu Chong naturally understood this and said, "Notify the Ming Dynasty immediately and tell them to delay the Western Region strategy."

Li Fang said worriedly: "It will take several months to send the message back from here. I'm afraid it will be too late."

Zhu Chong said: "The previous agreement with the third brother was to wait for Timur to send troops to attack Toghtomish before he would send troops to the Western Regions."

"Timur is keeping his troops on hold. With his intelligence, he must have realized that something unexpected has happened and will not rush to attack."

"But just in case, it's better to inform him of the situation as soon as possible."

Liu Yunniang immediately sent someone to Hexi to report the news.

At this time, the Qin State had already established a stable land-based information transmission channel with the Ming Dynasty.

It is several times faster to transmit news from Anxi to Zhu Gang in Hexi by land than by water.

Now we can only hope that Zhu Gang can notice the abnormality, change the original plan, and not send troops to the Western Regions.

With an accurate assessment of the situation, everyone felt a lot more relaxed.

But the fundamental problem remains unsolved.

Tang Wei said in distress: "If Timur doesn't send troops, how can we break the deadlock?"

Zhu Chong smiled and said, "If he doesn't move, we won't move either. Let's see who loses patience first."

Xu Yingxu agreed and said, "Your Majesty, your opinion is correct. Time is on our side."

"My Qin State will only become stronger and stronger. Next year, our Han population alone will reach 500,000."

"The Yan State is also making good progress. According to the plan, we will be able to completely defeat Sindhu this year."

"Then they can attack Timur from the south."

"The King of Jin sent troops to the Western Regions..."

"We are attacking from three sides. No matter how powerful he is, he won't be able to turn the tables."

Zhu Chong couldn't help but think of Chen Jingke's plan, which was a three-pronged attack.

I didn't expect that things would end up going down this path.

Thinking of Chen Jingke, he couldn't help but think of another thing:
"How's the situation in Egypt?"

Liu Yunniang looked at Cen Xintong, who had always been in charge of the matters over there.

Cen Xintong naturally knew what he really cared about, and replied:

"The situation in Egypt was chaotic, and the Judah group took the opportunity to gain a foothold and bribed many dignitaries with money."

"But they seem to be obsessed with buying people off with money and rarely intervene directly in the military."

Zhu Chong said disdainfully: "A parasite is a parasite. The only thing on their mind is parasitism. They don't know how to control their own destiny."

"Continue to monitor them, try to identify all of their members, and then arrest them all in one fell swoop."

Cen Xintong said: "Yes."

At this time, Li Fang asked: "It's time to start promoting the canal planned by the court."

"It is also a good opportunity to use this incident to add fuel to the fire in Egypt and make them even more chaotic."

Zhu Chong nodded and said, "What the Prime Minister said is very true. Commander Cen, I will leave this matter to you."

The so-called canal is the Suez Canal.

Use Egypt's power to dig this canal, and then the Ming Dynasty will send troops to destroy Egypt and reap the benefits.

He even found a reason to seduce the Egyptian nobles.

It is the huge profits from the trade between the East and the West. Opening this canal is really like sitting back and counting money.

What? You said digging the canal is difficult and many people will die?
Stop kidding, we are slaves.

Do you think we, the Mamluk Turkic rulers, care about the lives of Egyptian Arab slaves?

We are now worried about having too many people and not being able to feed them.

Liu Yunniang said: "Perhaps we can use the power of the Judases to help with this matter. I think they also hope that this canal will be dug."

Of course not. Any group that values ​​business can realize the commercial value of this canal.

Judas must have been the most active.
-
Just as Zhu Chong and his colleagues were discussing their next strategy, the Ming Dynasty was also in celebration.

It’s not about any festival, but the prince is about to get married.

Time unknowingly came to the year 4090 in the lunar calendar (1395), which was the fifth year of Jianzhang.

The future Crown Princess Xu Miaojing has finally reached the age of marriage.

Zhu Xiongying, who couldn't wait any longer, immediately went to Ma Niangniang and cried:
"The East Palace's harem is without a master, and I can't concentrate on state affairs."

Who is Empress Ma? How could she not see what evil plans her eldest grandson is up to?

However, Xu Miaojin has indeed reached the age, and it is time for them to get married.

Otherwise, the outside world wouldn’t know how to spread the news.

She nodded, and the matter was basically settled.

So Xu Yungong entered the palace and took his sister back home.

This is the rule. A woman must ride in a sedan chair at her parents' home and be carried to her husband's home.

This is complete etiquette, and the royal family is no exception.

What's more, the girl he is marrying is the Crown Princess, the future Queen, so he cannot be negligent in etiquette.

Then there are various processes, and everything goes smoothly.

The auspicious date given by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory is March 12, which means there is still a month and a half of preparation time, which is sufficient.

So the whole country began to prepare for this wedding.

(End of this chapter)