Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

On the banks of the Syr Darya River in winter, the sun shines through the thin clouds and shines on the white snow, reflecting dazzling light. The army of the Timur Khanate set up camp on the banks of the Syr Darya River.

The camp was built along the river and was huge, like an ice and snow castle. The soldiers' tents were dotted here and there, sparkling in the sunlight after the snow, like countless gems set in the white field, and in the open space between the tents, The smoke from the cooking stoves occasionally serving the nobles curled up and intertwined with the cold air, forming a warm picture.

Timur Khan's royal tent is located in the center of the camp. It is tall and majestic. Under the rays of the sun, it seems to be covered with a layer of golden veil, making it look particularly mysterious and solemn.

Soldiers lined up around the imperial tent, their armors shining in the sun, and the tips of their spears flashing with cold light. Their faces were red from the cold, but the determination and loyalty in their eyes did not diminish at all.

Fu An pushed open the thick curtain of the tent, and the dazzling sunlight reflected on the snow made him unable to open his eyes for a moment. But after he got used to the light, he looked at the spectacular scene in front of him, even though he, as an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, believed The Timur Khanate could not defeat the Ming Dynasty, but it still couldn't help but marvel at it.

"Where to go?"

"Go find Khalil."

Khalil is Timur's favorite imperial grandson. He is just 21 years old this year. He is roughly equal to Zhu Xiongying to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Zhanji to Zhu Di.

Khalil is the eldest son of Timur's third son Miran Shah. Miran Shah worked extremely hard for Timur in all directions. He was also permanently disabled because of a horse falling on the battlefield, which made Timur feel guilty, so Khalil's body gathered Tamerlane's double love.

But unlike those grumpy brothers, Khalil is funny and humorous. If he has any shortcomings, the only one is that he likes to brag. But this doesn't seem to be an important thing, and Khalil has made many friends because of this. , many people love chatting with him.

It is precisely because of this that Khalil takes on a part-time role in managing those who need to limit their movements.

Under the leadership of the guards, Fu An followed towards the Syr Darya River. These guards were not very vigilant. Among hundreds of thousands of troops, no one was afraid that Fu An would escape. Instead, they were afraid that he would not find a way. , it would be a disaster if he got lost and walked to other areas and was casually hacked to death by some reckless nobles acting drunkenly.

Different from the Ming Dynasty's army, the Timur Khanate's army has extremely complex ethnic and religious compositions, and it also gives preferential treatment to the nobles. The nobles are not prohibited from drinking. And now the army has been stationed on the banks of the Syr Darya River for more than forty days. While waiting for the ice on the Syr Darya River to freeze completely, the bloodthirsty nobles killed people for fun every day.

But unlike the nobles who received preferential treatment everywhere, the soldiers of the Timur Khanate were still miserable. These soldiers got up early from their bunks and started a new day of work. By the river, they walked through the thick snow. , shuttled between the tents, the hot breath they exhaled turned into clouds of white mist in the cold air. Fu An secretly observed that despite the cold weather, their movements were still fast and orderly, showing that the Timur Khanate The strict discipline and tenacious spirit of the army.

Although Timur's army was very complex in ethnicity and religion, Fu An summarized it and roughly divided it into two categories: elite soldiers directly under the nobility and ordinary soldiers. The arms were divided into cavalry, infantry, artillery, transport troops, engineering troops, and communications. Soldiers and so on.

In terms of command system, the Timur Khanate completely inherited the military system of the Mongol Empire, namely, commanders of tens, commanders of hundreds, commanders of thousands, and commanders of ten thousand. The weapons and equipment are basically uniformly equipped and do not require soldiers to prepare themselves. The army There are also military judges in the camp. During this daily camp, the military judges would wander around. Fu An had already seen two military judges before walking far.

The training of the Timur Khanate's army is also in place. On the river, the ice is thick and hard, like a silver plain. Although it may be difficult for hundreds of thousands of troops to pass, it is expected that as the temperature drops, the ice will actually freeze. It's happened in the past few days.

Under the orders of the nobles, the soldiers performed various trainings on the ice. Their armors shone brightly in the sun, and the sound of wind caused by the dancing of their spears echoed on the silent riverside.

On the river, groups of soldiers were busily shuttled back and forth. They were either wielding hammers and digging small holes in the ice for fishing, or driving horse-drawn sleighs to transport supplies and wood. Although it was freezing cold, It was freezing, but the enthusiasm and vitality of the soldiers made this ice and snow world full of life.

Soon, Fu An found the grandson of Khalil.

At this time, he was squatting on the ice and observing the fish below.

"Are you here to ask when we can cross the river?" Khalil asked in half-baked Chinese.

"It's coming soon. It's much easier to wait by the river in winter than to go through the hot and waterless desert of Beishi8 miles and thousands of miles in summer."

"Come on, I guessed it right."

After saying that, Khalil raised his head and looked at his Chinese teacher with a smile.

Khalil didn't take Fu An's secret probing for various intelligence seriously, and even condoned it intentionally or unintentionally.

Unlike his grandfather who wanted to become the real "Khan of All Mongolia", Khalil, who was born in the Transoxiana region, has no obsession with conquering the East. In his opinion, traveling thousands of miles over mountains and ridges to occupy an area that is almost entirely desert and next door There is not much need for the land (Belos Bali and Gansu Hexi Corridor). As for the so-called colorful world of the Central Plains, Khalil is not interested. In the eyes of many nobles, Samarkand is the center of the world, where everything is available, and The territory of the Khanate is already too vast to rule, so why go on an expedition full of uncertainties?

Fu An said straight to the point: "I want to meet Bayezid, the emperor of the Ottoman Turkish Empire."

"sure."

Khalil stood up and rubbed his knees that were numb after squatting for a long time and said: "The Great Khan went to worship at the tomb of a saint today. He has no time to care about these things. I can make the decision. Let's go, let's go together. "

"You look a little glum today."

"Indeed."

Khalil laughed and said: "I am still depressed about not being able to become the forward commander. You know, if I become the forward commander, then there will be no general who is my opponent. Grandpa should choose me, not the one in Black Mire." Harry Sultan rolling in."

Seeing that Fu An didn't understand his metaphor, Khalil explained: "My brother fell in love with a black maid who came as tribute from the Mamluk dynasty. He couldn't help himself."

"What position has Hari Sultan reached?"

"have no idea."

Khalil was not unreserved. In fact, he received very bad news.

"Grandpa is getting more and more stubborn. I really hope he stops this terrible expedition."

Khalil's usually lively demeanor has become much lighter. The grandson of the emperor with a high nose and blue eyes is a little helpless at this time. He does not agree with the expedition against the Ming Dynasty. An expedition of thousands of miles with few supply areas is really taboo for military strategists. Now The supplies were adequate, but it was foreseeable that the logistical pressure would be huge in the future. If the soldiers had no food to eat, they would have to slaughter cattle and sheep or drink camel milk to survive. Even if they reached the northwest border of the Ming Dynasty, they would still be stranded and exhausted.

The right time, the right place, the right people, and if you don't occupy anyone, how can you win?

If the strong city in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty cannot be conquered, how can there be any progress in Guanzhong?

Khalil's attitude is not unique. Among the top leaders of the Timur Khanate, almost the vast majority of people hold this attitude.

Timur's mood has become increasingly unstable. Not only has he had disputes with many powerful nobles within the family, but in the past few years, several of Timur's best descendants have died one after another. Giving the black-haired man away made him extremely sad, lamenting that he did not have the blessings of Genghis Khan. Although he was victorious in every battle, he had to take action to solve the problem himself, but he was almost seventy years old this year.

No one persuaded him to move the old man who had his own way.

"I hope so too."

Khalil took a deep look at Fu An. In his opinion, the position of the Great Khan was far more important than the expedition. If his grandfather had something wrong with him on the expedition, then he who has the legal inheritance rights would definitely not continue the expedition, but The relationship with Daming needs to be eased, which is also the fundamental reason why he intends to give preferential treatment to and win over Fu An. He needs such an intermediary.

In fact, this is not a whimsical thing. If Jiang Xinghuo had not intervened in the historical line, after Timur passed away, Khalil, as his appointed heir during his lifetime, would compete with his fourth uncle Shaharul for the throne. Fierce battle. Zhu Yunwen liked it.

In order to reconcile with the Ming Dynasty, Khalil released the Ming Dynasty envoys Fu An, Yang Dewen and others who had been detained by Timur in the early years, and asked them to bring the Timur Empire's desire to reconcile with the Ming Dynasty.

And this act of kindness also brought unexpected benefits to Khalil.

When the Ming Dynasty envoys came to Samarkand with Zhu Di's autograph letter to mediate the civil war between the Timurid Khan, Khalil had become a prisoner of his fourth uncle Shaharul, who was trying to ease the conflict with the Ming Dynasty. relationship, released Khalil and gave him the black seal of Isa. Of course, there are also factors that are slightly different in the political traditions of the Ming Dynasty and the Timur Khanate. The Timur Khanate is a typical feudal system, even if the Timur Khanate is Mu'er only directly governed the core territory centered on Hezhong, and the rest of the huge territory was enfeoffed to feudal lords at all levels through enfeoffment.

The Timurid Khanate, which is similar to the Mongol imperial system, lacks the ability and willingness to directly manage local areas. So, referring to the way in which the Mongolian khanates showed mercy to their opponents and expelled their tribes and people during the civil war, Shaharul's actions towards Khalil No wonder.

Shaharul, who officially became Timur Khan, also sent an envoy to Nanjing to meet Zhu Di and presented gifts such as leopards and lions. The two sides restored the superficial vassal relationship that existed during the Zhu Yuanzhang era and maintained friendly exchanges ever since.

During Zheng He's voyages to the West, he passed through southern Tianzhu, which was the territory of the Timur Khanate. As the relationship between the two countries improved, he received considerable preferential treatment.

Otherwise, Zheng He might not have had the opportunity to send people to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, because it is now the territory that the Timur Khanate seized from the Mamluk Dynasty, and is not yet the territory of the Aries Dynasty, because the founder of the Aries Dynasty Kara Osman participated in the Ankara campaign of the Timur Khanate as a servant, and Timur gave him the entire area of ​​Diyarbakır as a fief.

——————

Among the mighty army of the Timur Khanate in its eastern expedition against the Ming Dynasty, there was a special presence, and that was the captured Ottoman Turkish Emperor Bayezid.

He was once the king of a country and ruled all the people. He was once called the "King of Light" and nicknamed "Lightning" by the Crusaders. But now he has become a prisoner and is bound to this expeditionary army.

Bayezid was placed in the circus, working with acrobats and animal trainers, providing performances for the nobles. Although his status was noble, no one here looked at him in awe. On the contrary, He became a topic of conversation between people after dinner, a plaything used for fun.

Inside the circus tent, the light was dim and the air was filled with the smell of various animals and feces.

Bayezid was asked to wear funny costumes and perform with acrobats. Under the dim lights, Bayezid wore funny costumes. His movements were clumsy and stiff, in sharp contrast to those agile actors. , every stumble and every mistake will attract bursts of laughter and taunts from the nobles who came to watch and pass the time. Their laughter stabbed Bayezid's heart like a needle, and his heart was dripping. He was bleeding, but he had to squeeze out a bitter smile on his face to cater to those ruthless eyes.

Whenever the performance ends, Bayezid will silently drag his tired body back to the cage in the corner, which is his cell and his safe haven. The cage is surrounded by thick curtains, isolating the outside world. Noisy and snooping, in this small space, Bayezid can temporarily forget his humiliation and predicament and immerse himself in the memories of the past.

Bayezid was the son of Murad I. He was not a mediocre king. On the contrary, in this era, almost all the monarchs of the great empires of the East and the West were famous generals. King Lajos II of Hungary, who was married to Austria, rejected Bayezid. Murad I's peace initiative was followed by the First Battle of Kosovo, which determined the fate of the Balkans. Bayezid's father Murad I was assassinated at the beginning of the battle, and Bayezid was forced to take the throne in the military. , had to face a seemingly extremely unfavorable war situation. Through calm command, this young man annihilated the coalition forces of Serbia, Bulgaria and other countries, captured and killed their commander, Duke Lazar, and conquered Serbia and Bulgaria.

Eight years ago, Bayezid and the Crusaders composed of Hungarian and Polish armies commanded by King Sigismund of Hungary, as well as British and French knights, a total of 100,000 people, fought in Nicoburg and won a great victory.

If it hadn't been for Timur's Western Expedition, Bayezid would probably not be in the circus at this time, but sitting on the high throne of Constantinople. It can only be said that Timur saved the life of the Byzantine Empire.

In the Battle of Ankara, unlike the foolish Western European knights, Timur used his higher mobility than the Ottoman Turkish army to bypass the defense line and take its retreat from the south, forcing the Ottoman Turkish army to fight on the plains. The two same Countries that are good at cavalry began a decisive battle to determine the fate of the two countries under the personal command of their respective monarchs. However, changes soon occurred. The 20,000 Mongolian-Turkic cavalry guarding the right wing of the Ottoman Turkish army were defeated by other troops under Timur's account. The old master surrendered and rebelled, and the subsequent chain reaction was that nearly 20,000 Anatolian troops and part of the Guards were also forced to surrender, and the Ottoman Turkish army collapsed thousands of miles away.

However, Timur, who learned of the success of Zhu Di's revolt, did not continue to annex the Ottoman Turkish Empire or even occupy the Byzantine Empire. Instead, he divided the old Turkish territories equally among Bayezid's four sons. Bayezid himself was imprisoned and treated as a trophy. Timur even used him as a footstool and forced Bayezid's Serbian wife to dance in front of his courtiers.

Bayezid looked at the iron bars of the cage. Sometimes, he wanted to hit his head here and die.

The reality is cruel, and Bayezid's ears are filled with the laughter of the audience and the whipping of the animal trainers. These sounds remind him all the time that he is no longer the aloof emperor of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, but A prisoner at the mercy of others.

Bayezid's heart is full of pain and despair. He once had endless power and glory, but now he can't even control his own destiny. He doesn't know what the future will be like, and he doesn't know whether he can regain his freedom. In this In a strange environment, he could only endure the humiliation and pain silently, looking forward to one day being able to return to his homeland and ascend the throne again.

However, reality cruelly told him that all this was just an unattainable dream.

In this strange environment, Bayezid felt unprecedentedly lonely and helpless. He began to doubt his own value and the meaning of existence. He asked himself: Who am I? The once glorious emperor, or the humiliating prisoner he is now? Where is my future? To regain freedom, or to perish forever?

These questions swallowed Bayezid's mind like a dark whirlpool, plunging him into endless struggle and pain. He didn't know the answer, nor what the future would hold. He could only endure it all silently, hoping that one day he would be able to break free and regain his freedom.

In the dark, smelly cage, Bayezid sat alone as usual, staring blankly ahead. He had been spending every day like this since he was captured, as if time had lost its meaning.

The curtain of the cage was gently lifted, and a bright light came in. Bayezid squinted his eyes slightly and saw two figures standing against the light. One of them was the tall grandson of Timur, Khalil. It looked soft in the light, and although he didn't recognize the other person, he could tell from his unique clothing that he should be the Ming Dynasty envoy who was rumored to be detained.

Khalil spoke first, his voice echoing in the empty tent: "Emperor Bayezid, we are here to see you."

Everyone here was temporarily driven away by him.

With that said, he motioned for Fu An to move forward.

Fu An walked up to Bayezid with heavy steps. He took a deep look at the former emperor of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, and then slowly bowed with his hands and bowed.

This strange behavior surprised Bayezid. He was stunned for a moment, and then he came back to his senses. It was probably the etiquette of the Ming Dynasty, so he saluted in response.

"Special Envoy Fu An, why are you here?" Bayezid's voice was hoarse and low, revealing an indescribable complex emotion.

The two parties still spoke in Persian, which was the lingua franca of West Asia and Central Asia at this time, and the royal families and envoys of various countries basically knew it.

Fu An sighed softly and said: "Like you, I have become a prisoner of the Timur Khanate. However, Emperor Khalil and his grandson treated me with courtesy, so that I will not be too miserable here."

Bayezid was silent for a while, then smiled bitterly and said: "It turns out that we are all fallen people from the end of the world."

Khalil interjected from the side: "Emperor Bayezid, you don't have to be too pessimistic. Although you are a prisoner now, it does not mean that there is no hope for the future. Maybe one day, you can regain your freedom."

Bayezid did not respond to Khalil's words. He just looked at Fu An silently, with an inexplicable light flashing in his eyes. He knew that Fu An, as a special envoy of the Ming Dynasty, must have his own mission and responsibility, and now, they Both men were trapped here, unable to complete their missions. This helplessness and frustration made Bayezid feel even more painful and desperate.

But Bayezid was not hopeless, because in Bayezid's mind, the Ming Dynasty, as one of the most powerful empires in the known world, was not a soft persimmon to be pinched.

So no matter what, as long as Timur's expeditionary army has problems or is defeated by the Ming army, he will have a great possibility of regaining freedom and returning to his homeland.

Therefore, Bayezid really wanted to have a good relationship with Fu An.

Fu An also learned about the changes in the Ming Dynasty's foreign policy. Fu An was very excited about this. He walked thousands of miles and was taken to visit the entire Timur Khanate. Unlike those scholar-bureaucrats who stayed at home, Fu An was very excited. He was soberly aware that only when the Ming Dynasty turned to foreign aggression, could it have the opportunity to interact with these big countries in the west, such as the Ottoman Turkish Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Mamluk Dynasty, the Holy Roman Empire, etc., and this was exactly what people like Fu An wanted. Useful place.

Who wouldn't want to be a soldier who would like to be a soldier?

Therefore, Fu An also wanted to have a good relationship with Bayezid, so that if the other party really got out of trouble and regained the throne due to the rescue of the Ming army in the future, the Ottoman Turkish Empire would not become an obstacle to the Ming Dynasty's westward movement.

If Khalil becomes the Great Khan of the Timur Khanate in the future, Khalil's character will not cause much conflict with the Ming Dynasty.

In this case, the two regional hegemon-level powers to the west might be able to live in peace with the Ming Dynasty, and many things would be much easier to plan.

Therefore, Fu An, who was under house arrest for a longer period of time, did not seem to be depressed. He looked up at the top of the circus tent, then turned to Bayezid and said: "A scholar cannot be ambitious, and there is a long way to go. This is It is an old saying from our Ming Dynasty, which means that even if you are in trouble, you cannot give up hope. The future is still long. I believe that as long as you persist, you will regain your freedom one day."

After hearing Fu An's words, Bayezid felt inexplicably moved in his heart. He took a deep look at Fu An, and then nodded heavily. At this moment, he seemed to have found a trace of strength to persevere.

Khalil also spoke with him for a moment.

The light in the tent gradually dimmed, but Bayezid's mood was much brighter than before. He knew that he was not alone, and that there were people like Fu An accompanying him to face difficulties together, although the future was still full of unknowns. and challenges, but at least at this time, he felt hope and warmth.

It was inconvenient for Fu An to say too much. He left the circus tent with Khalil later.

At noon, the sun was warming up, and the soldiers in the camp were sitting around the fire. They came from different tribes, some were experienced veterans, and some were young people who were setting foot on the battlefield for the first time. At this time, they were enjoying the steaming food together. Their faces were filled with smiles of satisfaction and happiness, as if at this moment, all the coldness and fatigue were dispelled by the warm firelight and delicious food.

Walking farther away, the camp gradually became quiet, with only the occasional sound of horses and the footsteps of patrolling soldiers breaking the tranquility.

Khalil stopped and Fu An followed suit.

"You have something to say to me?"

Fu An's feeling was very keen, Khalil said: "Even if you don't come to me today, I should come to you."

Without waiting for Fu An to ask, Khalil took the initiative and said: "I want to tell you two things, both of which are confidential. It's up to you whether you want to listen or not. If you listen, there will be no turning back. Once the secret is leaked, I may not have anything." Things, but I’m afraid death will be the most enjoyable thing for you by then.”

Although this place is secretive enough, Khalil is still careful. He speaks the Chinese that Fu An taught him. Although it is a bit half-baked, he can basically express his meaning clearly.

"You tell me."

Fu An took a deep look at Khalil. On the surface, he was calm, but his heart was beating wildly in his chest.

He had waited too long for the day when the turning point came.

"The first thing is that Harry Sultan's vanguard army is in big trouble."

"What's the big trouble?"

Khalil frowned when he heard this question. He seemed to have no idea how to answer.

After considering the words for a long time, Khalil said it to Fu An in Chinese. For fear that Fu An would not understand, he explained the key words in Persian.

"Harry Sultan encounters a strange fortress that cannot be conquered?"

"Yes."

Khalil nodded heavily. In fact, just from the letters he saw, he couldn't imagine what this "strange and unconquerable fortress" in Harry Sultan's words looked like.

"It's a gray-white fortress, not a stone, not a sand, not a shell. It's not all the known materials in the world, even the Semu engineers who have been with the army for many years in the north and south can't identify it."

"The fortress made of this material is like an irregular prism. It is so indestructible that even the return gun (heavy counterweight trebuchet) carried by Harry Sultan cannot cause much damage. Any known Siege weapons were ineffective, not even fire and artillery blasts."

Khalil looked into Fu An's eyes: "Teacher Fu An, tell me, what is this kind of fortress that never appeared when the Mongols conquered Xiangfan?"

Although Fu An was happy in his heart, he looked confused on the surface.

"I have no idea."

Fu An really didn't know, so all his expressions seemed so flawless.

The best acting skill is not having to act.

Khalil already believed that Fu An didn't know, because not to mention Fu An, who had left the Ming Dynasty for several years, even the spies just sent out last year didn't figure it out, and there was no information about this strange fortress.

The only thing there is is a message that seems to be a rumor.

——This is some kind of magical technique of the great master of the Ming Dynasty named Jiang Xinghuo.

Immortal magic?

Khalil scoffed.

If there really are any miracles or magic in this world, why didn’t the 100,000 crusaders receive God’s blessing in the Battle of Nicoburg? In the battle of Ankara, why didn’t the devout gods on both sides intervene? Is it possible that Chengdu is too busy fighting in the sky?

Living in the Tamerlane Khanate, a country with diverse beliefs, because everyone believed in different gods, Khalil didn't really believe in the nonsense of these gods.

"Have you heard of or know Jiang Xinghuo?" Khalil asked again.

Fu An's answer was the same as last time, and Khalil nodded with satisfaction. Fu An did not lie, because according to the intelligence of the Timur Khanate, it was indeed impossible for Fu An to know Jiang Xinghuo from the point of time.

At this time, Fu An felt both surprised and worried.

Surprisingly, Timur's vanguard army was helpless against the strange fortress of Hami Guard. Worryingly, he was afraid that Jiang Xinghuo was another character similar to Lin Lingsu, the great master of the Song Dynasty. The so-called "magic" was just pretending to be a ghost.

"It's very tricky, because according to intelligence, more than a dozen strange fortresses like Hamiwei have been built in the Hexi Corridor. If they are chewed up one by one, I'm afraid they won't be able to knock them down in a few years."

Khalil stopped pretending and went straight to the point.

"The second thing is that Dahan's health is not very good."

Timur has been drinking since he arrived at the Black Rift. Now on the banks of the Syr Darya River, due to various reasons such as internal disputes and the inability to love each other due to his old age, alcoholism has become a pain and paralysis for Timur, who is covered in battlefield scars. A good way.

Arak soju has become his favorite instead of wine. This kind of spirit is extracted from fermented palm juice and mixed with rice and molasses. It has the long flavor of rice wine and is sweet and delicious. The only problem is For an old warrior, it was too powerful.

"The Great Khan did not go to the saint's tomb today. Instead, he fell ill. His alcoholism caused colds and high fevers. Going to pay homage to the tomb is just an external excuse to delay time."

Khalil's words were like cold daggers, piercing the already thin warmth. His blue eyes were full of gloom, like the sky before a storm, so depressing that it made people breathless.

Every word of this sentence hit Fu An's heart like a heavy hammer. He had stayed in the Timur Khanate for several years, and he knew very well that Timur's health was important to the entire army, and even to the prisoners like them. Say, it means nothing.

For an old man of this age, if the high fever does not go away, death is just a matter of time.

"I have prepared a fast horse, water, and a pass for you. If there is an emergency, you can set off with my guards. They will escort you to the Ming Dynasty to meet the Ming Dynasty's highest commander in Gansu, General Ping Qiang. Song Sheng, Marquis of Xining, I remember you told me that you met him when you went out to the Western Regions."

Song Sheng was a veteran of the Hongwu Kingdom. He not only conquered the Western Regions with Lan Yu, but also held four towns in Liangzhou for more than 20 years. He was extremely prestigious in Gansu. Zhu Di also trusted him very much and took charge of all the military and civil affairs in Gansu. handed it to him.

However, because the Ming Dynasty's military strength in Gansu was weak, when Iskanda, the grandson of another Timur Khanate, attacked Khotan three years ago, Song Sheng did not make any move.

"When the time comes, I have something to say to him."

"What do you want me to say to the Marquis of Xining?"

Fu An was in high spirits.

"Send General Song a great victory in the war, hold back Harry Sultan, and I will cut off his supplies."

Khalil's expression was terrifyingly calm, completely gone from the way he used to be when he was joking and bragging to others, as if he was talking about something innocuous.

In fact, among Timur's grandsons, Iskandar, the most capable of fighting, is now under house arrest. As long as Hari Sultan cannot come back, Khalil, who originally had the legal right to inherit, will be among Timur's grandchildren. No more rivals.

The only person he needs to worry about is his fourth uncle.

The result of the Ming Dynasty Jingnan Campaign made Khalil feel very unhappy.

The favored grandson of the imperial family who was also a first-come-first-served person, and his fourth uncle who was also brave and good at fighting, had to let Khalil weigh whether Shaharul would also give him "appeasement".

In fact, if you look at Shaharul's life experience, he does follow the standard "fourth uncle" template.

As Timur's youngest son (excluding illegitimate children), Shaharul was born in the era when Timur had just established the Khanate. His boy received a good religious and cultural education in the court of Samarkand, and was proficient in Persian, Chagatai speaks and Arabic, loves literature and art, is good at riding and shooting, and is both civil and military. He was granted the title of Khorasan seven years ago.

If the historical line does not change, Shaharul will next take advantage of the betrayal of Khalil, raise troops from the fiefdom of Khorasan, march across the river to seize Samarkand, and then conquer the original Timurid Khanate except Western Persia. Territorial unity.

Then it was time for the "fourth uncle" to do what he wanted to do, which was to move the capital.

Shaharul moved the capital to Herat, which was convenient for controlling the Persian area. During his more than 40 years in power, in addition to unifying the territory and quelling rebellions in various places, he devoted his main energy to domestic construction to resume his father's military campaigns. During the destruction caused by the war, the main means were to take measures to develop agriculture, handicrafts and commerce, build irrigation projects, open up new trade routes, set up post stations, rebuild and build new major cities. These internal affairs measures brought the entire Timurid Khanate into prosperity. Herat and Samarkand have also become synonymous with the golden age of Persian literature and art.

Later, he would follow the "Fourth Uncle" template in his later years and die of illness on the way to counter the rebellion.

The vassal king, raising armies, seizing the throne, moving the capital, prosperous times, plus "born in war and died on the road".

If Zhu Di had seen it, he would have thought that this was his long-lost half-brother.

But these two people don't know what's going to happen in the future.

Although Fu An's heart trembled at this time, he still managed to agree, and then he asked another very concerned question.

"Where's Yang Dewen?"

"He and the other members of the Ming Dynasty mission must stay."

Fu An nodded and said nothing more.

This is the intended meaning of the question. On the one hand, he is unwilling and inconvenient to let go of the other members of the mission. On the other hand, they are used as a fetter to influence him to prevent Fu An from getting into trouble.

The howling wind seems to indicate the coming storm, and in the center of this storm, the fate of Khalil, Bayezid and Fu'an, and the fate of the entire expeditionary army are like flickering candles that may be extinguished at any time. .