Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Central Asia, Samarkand.

At this time, more than half a year had passed since Khalil, on the way to withdraw his troops, asked the Ming envoy headed by Deputy Envoy Yang Dewen, as well as Westerners such as Claviyo and Hiltberg to go to the Ming Dynasty to express his goodwill.

According to the time conversion of the Ming Dynasty, it is the autumn of the third year of Yongle.

After a long journey, Khalil withdrew to the imperial capital Samarkand and initially stabilized the situation in the river area.

At almost the same time, Jiang Xinghuo had just received Kraviyo and Hiltberg and was conducting a ship review accompanied by Zheng He.

Deep in the palace of the Timur Khanate, a chilling atmosphere shrouded like a dark cloud. The once magnificent palace was now affected by the solemn emotions of the crowd, and seemed to have become dim.

Timur Khan, the hero who once made countless countries tremble under his iron hoof, has died of illness, and with his death, the Timur Khanate also lost its backbone.

The young, promising and ambitious grandson Khalil quickly occupied the imperial capital of Samarkand in the chaos and established himself as Khan.

With Khalil's move to declare himself Khan, the entire Timur Khanate seemed to have been opened up Pandora's box, constantly releasing the devil called struggle. The Aries Dynasty in the west was ready to move and no longer obeyed the Timur Khanate. Under their control, the Mamluk dynasty also began to wait and see and stopped paying tribute. As for the Armenians and Azerbaijanis who had always been suppressed in the north, they also began to organize organized resistance again. As for the Transoxiana area, Khwarezm, and Mesopota Other tribes in Mia and other places are just too close to the control center of the Timur Khanate and dare not take any action for the time being.

For Khalil, the most critical thing is that two heavyweights raise troops at the same time.

The fourth prince Shaharul raised troops in the fiefdom of Khorasan (located in the northeast of Iran, south of Turkmenistan and north of Afghanistan) under the guise of "Qingjun side", and he also had the right to inherit the throne, and even had a higher priority than The eldest grandson of the emperor, Pir Mahimah, who was even taller than Khalil, also proclaimed himself Khan in his fiefdom of Khorezm (located in Afghanistan and surrounding areas), and launched an army to attack Samarkand in an attempt to regain what was supposed to be his kingdom. My own sweat bit.

This news quickly spread back to Samarkand, and Khalil said that Khan did not get the recognition of some nobles, so there was inevitably some confusion in the palace at this time.

In fact, in this power game, no one can survive alone.

The nobles in the palace looked somewhat flustered. They were either talking in low voices or hurriedly exchanging information. At this time, every corner of the Samarkand Palace was full of conspiracy, and everyone was fighting for their own interests. , everyone is trying to find a chance of survival in this chaos.

But what is certain is that no matter what, the Timur Khanate is no longer the powerful empire that once made the entire Central Asia and even the Middle East tremble. This civil strife is destined to severely weaken the vitality of this once world's second most powerful country.

On the throne in the palace, made of gold, inlaid with gems, and covered with soft precious fur, the young Khalil Khan sat. His figure looked a little rickety in the light of the swaying candlestick. His grandfather Timur Khan left Although his empire is huge, internal and external troubles are like wolves hiding in the dark, ready to bite at any time his newly established and not yet stable regime.

Although Khalil's face still has a bit of the immaturity of a young man, there is a cold look in his eyes.

If a person is not ruthless, he cannot stand firm.

Just now, he had publicly executed more than ten nobles who were caught in Litongshaharu and Pir Mahima.

Khalil had no choice. In the culture of the Timur Khanate, the ruler had to be iron-blooded enough to intimidate his vassals. Mercy was almost meaningless, so he had to use decisive iron-fisted measures to quell this civil strife.

But just killing people cannot solve the problem. For Khalil, the most important thing now is to come up with countermeasures.

Khalil's eyes swept across the nobles below. The eyes of these nobles were full of uneasiness. Khalil knew that the ones who were caught were only a few. He did not have enough supporters, and if he wanted to get these nobles to support him, he could only One way is to show his ability as a true Khan. He must make a decision, and it must be a decision that can convince everyone.

Khalil He took a deep breath.

"Ben Khan decided to seek reconciliation with the Ming Dynasty and resume paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty."

When these words came out of Khalil's mouth, the entire hall fell into a brief silence.

He could see various complex emotions flashing across the nobles' faces, including surprise, doubt, joy, and worry. But Khalil did not hesitate at all, because he knew that this was his only way out.

If you want to successfully reconcile with the Ming Dynasty on a country-to-country level, you must get the full support of these important ministers. After all, the Eastern Expedition army he brought was for the expedition to the Ming Dynasty, and his grandfather Timur Khan had just died on the front foot, and he was on the back foot. Paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty against his will actually undermines the legitimacy of his inheritance, but Khalil has no choice now.

In fact, Khalil chose to ease relations even with his newly forged enemy, the Ottoman Empire.

He released the Ottoman Emperor Bayezid and sent him out of the southern ports under his control, and promised that the Tamerlane Khanate would not take any more hostile actions against the Ottoman Empire.

Bayezid endured such insults from Timur. It would be impossible to say that he did not have any resentment towards the Timur Khanate, but now his four sons have divided up the empire that originally belonged to him, and the road to regaining power is very difficult. For Bayezid, it is still far away, so it is necessary to temporarily put aside his resentment against the Timur Khanate. One fact that Bayezid has to admit is that no matter how divided the Timur Khanate is, it will not be good for the world. For countries other than the Ming Dynasty, it is still a behemoth that cannot deal with it head-on.

The ministers of the Samarkand Palace chose acquiescence to Khalil's move.

Because of this, Khalil had the confidence to continue to launch a diplomatic policy that also chose reconciliation with Ming Dynasty.

"Everyone."

Khalil spoke slowly, and his voice echoed in the hall: "After much thought, Ben Khan has found that now that there are internal and external troubles, and if we want to stabilize the domestic situation, we must not only continue to be hostile to the Ming Dynasty, but also must improve the relationship with the Ming Dynasty. I hope you can Speak freely and come up with a sound solution together.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of whispers in the hall, and the nobles were whispering to each other and discussing Khalil's proposal.

Finally, Prime Minister Altusa stood up first. He saluted Khalil and then said in a deep voice: "Great Khan, I think that reconciliation with the Ming Dynasty is indeed our best choice at the moment, but we must be fully prepared. In order to deal with various difficulties or requirements that may arise from Ming Dynasty."

Khalil's most important supporter in the military, the famous Timur Khanate general Qasuyeddin, also expressed this stance.

Prime Minister Altusa and the famous general Gesuyedin spoke one after another. In fact, as important ministers of the Timur Khanate, they knew the importance of reconciliation with the Ming Dynasty.

But who can take on this important task, the nobles all looked at each other in silence.

Although the Timur Khanate and the Ming Dynasty are neighboring countries on the map, in fact, they are quite far apart whether by land or sea. Moreover, the Timur Khanate has just finished fighting the Ming Dynasty, and the forwards have been defeated by the Ming army. It's gone. No matter how you look at it, this job is not easy to do.

Khalil looked at Altusa. This old prime minister had followed Timur Khan for many years and had always been Timur's adviser. His eyes were deep and he understood Khalil's thoughts, but he also did not take the initiative to ask for help.

"Prime Minister Altusa." Khalil spoke slowly, his voice low and powerful.

"Ben Khan would like to ask you to take on an important task."

Khalil paused and seemed to be thinking about how to phrase his words: "Send an envoy to Ming Dynasty, conduct peace talks with them, and win Ming Dynasty's support for us."

He emphasized the word "we" and the meaning is self-evident.

Khalil would rather betray some of the interests of the Timur Khanate to gain Ming's support in winning the civil war.

The interests, given the size of the Timur Khanate, can be negotiated or snatched back when it becomes strong.

And if the Khan position is gone, then there will be nothing for him.

Therefore, Khalil can still distinguish between the pros and cons of peace talks with Ming Dynasty.

In fact, if the Timur Khanate wants to quell the internal strife and obtain a stable external environment, then peace talks with the Ming Dynasty are necessary. Whether it is Khalil or Shaharul, whoever is the Great Khan has to do this. In Jiang In Xinghuo's previous life, Shaharul had just become the Great Khan, and he sent a large-scale mission to Nanjing to apologize to Zhu Di in order to ease the relationship with the Ming Dynasty. After all, the Ming Dynasty could rely on the Ming Dynasty's several northern expeditions to the Tamerlane Khanate. It can be seen that the Ming Dynasty also has the ability of hundreds of thousands of people to conduct land expeditions, and the Ming Dynasty's maritime power is even more threatening.

There is also a small episode here, that is, in Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, the reason why Zheng He did not reach the east coast of Africa several times was that the Mamluk Dynasty was under pressure from the Timur Khanate and did not dare to open the ocean fleet to the Ming Dynasty. Reasons for replenishment at ports.

In short, there is no problem with Khalil's decision. The problem is whether Altusa is willing to go.

And Khalil's choice of Altusa certainly makes sense.

Prime Minister Aldushad was highly respected and a very important figure in the political arena of the Timur Khanate, but he did not belong to Khalil's faction. The reason why Aldushad supported Khalil was just because he did not want the huge empire to fall into division.

And Altusa was very aware of his embarrassing situation. Although Khalil had to rely on him, he did not completely trust him. He was afraid that he would overthrow his rule with Shaharul or Pir Mahima, so he planned to send him out justly. Go out and wait until the rebellion subsides, or a tripartite situation is formed, and the political power stabilizes before coming back.

Therefore, when Altusha heard the news, he did not answer immediately. He was silent for a while, thinking about the consequences of this decision.

Finally, he raised his head, met Khalil's eyes, and said calmly: "Great Khan, I am willing to take on this important task."

"I will definitely do my best to strive for the greatest benefits for the Timur Khanate."

When Khalil heard Altusha's answer, a glimmer of relief flashed in his eyes. He stepped down from the throne and stretched out his hand, holding Altusha's wrinkled hand tightly, as if conveying his love for him through this action. Trust. Of course, there is trust, but it’s not much.

Following Khalil's order, the entire palace began to get busy, preparing gifts, selecting entourage, and arranging itineraries. For this kind of diplomacy between large countries thousands of miles away, there must be no mistakes in every aspect.

——————

The spring of the fourth year of Yongle.

In the bustling city of Nanjing, bustling crowds shuttle through the streets, and the shouts of various vendors come and go, forming a unique music of peace in the city.

After a long journey, Altusa, the Prime Minister of the Timur Khanate, led the large-scale mission of the Timur Khanate into the capital of the Ming Empire. Many members of the mission were full of curiosity about Nanjing.

After all, Samarkand is the capital built by Timur with all his efforts. Looking at the whole world, it can be regarded as a famous city.

But the city of Nanjing in the Ming Dynasty was obviously better than Samarkand in terms of population and urban appearance.

Samarkand is governed by strict hierarchical order and doctrine, while in Nanjing, there is no rule that every morning every temple needs to slaughter twenty sheep and give them to the common people for free. On the contrary, the people here eat sheep soup or duck blood. Soup is the main soup, accompanied by noodles such as sesame cakes and soup dumplings. All food needs to be purchased at your own expense. In terms of the variety of goods, it is also more abundant than in Samarkand.

"What's this?"

The nobles in the mission asked, pointing to the strange fruit contained in a wooden box with the words "Da Ming Fruit" printed on it.

"Snake skin fruit, its shell is like snake skin, can be stored at normal temperature for two months. Now that the temperature is relatively low in spring, it has a shelf life of more than a month after being transported by sea." The translator from Honglu Temple helped explain.

"what about this?"

"This is bergamot. This batch is the last batch of mature ones from Nanyang. You need to eat them immediately after they are shipped, otherwise they will spoil in a few days."

Because the relationship between the Timur Khanate and the entire Tianzhu state (including the Kingdom of Ceylon) was not good, the Timur Khanate's trade fleet was basically unable to reach the east of the Manlajia Strait and was restricted Due to the latitude and climate, there are naturally no such things in the mainland. Therefore, the nobles in the mission were very curious about these fruits and spent money to buy some to taste.

Altusa was not interested in the taste of these fruits, but he was curious about the "Daming Fruits" printed everywhere.

"What is Daming Fruit?"

"The full name is 'Daming Fruit Co., Ltd.', which is a joint-stock company run by the royal family."

Altusa inquired deeply and asked clearly what a joint stock company was.

When Aldusha learned that Daming Fruit was a chamber of commerce specializing in the purchase, transportation, and sales of Nanyang fruits, and that the shareholders of this chamber were the royal family, clan, and nobles of the Ming Dynasty, he couldn't help but think deeply.

He then asked the officials of Honglu Temple: "Are there many chambers of commerce like this?"

The official of Honglu Temple resisted the urge to correct his title to "company" and asked the translator to answer: "There are many. In addition to salt, steel and other specialized commodities that are under the management of the imperial court, the royal family also has many independent commodity categories. companies, but compared to the private companies that have sprung up in various industries, the royal family’s companies are relatively few and specialized, with high technical thresholds and large scales, such as glass, perfume, etc.”

Altusa keenly caught the word once, and after confirming that the translation was correct, he asked: "Did the Ming Dynasty only specialize in steel, not iron?"

"There are restrictions on exports, but there are no restrictions on private use and trade."

This was obviously completely different from the Mongolian rule, and when Altusha asked about steel, the Ming officials kept silent.

Based on what he already knew, Altusha made a guess in his mind - perhaps the Ming Dynasty had mastered the technology of large-scale steel production, which would explain why the Ming army had so many artillery and muskets, and even had a surplus of them. Each ship in the fleet can be equipped with several to dozens of artillery pieces.

The upgrade in arms superiority caused by this leap in metallurgical technology is obviously quite astonishing.

Because for big countries, especially for big countries like Timur and Ming Dynasty, if steel is just forged by hand, there is no possibility of widespread installation.

Once steel-cast weapons, armor, and firearms begin to be installed on a large scale, it is equivalent to forming a generation gap, which is an out-and-out dimensionality reduction attack.

When he thought of this, Altusha became a little more determined about the idea of ​​​​peace talks with Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, coupled with what the group saw and heard, Altusha understood that there was a man with a similar status to himself in Ming Dynasty, named Jiang Xinghuo, who was promoting an unprecedented reform, and it was this reform that made Ming Dynasty and His impression from past intelligence was completely different.

The great development of commerce will inevitably bring richer financial resources and a larger tax base to the empire.

Next, the group moved on.

There is no doubt that as the prime minister of the Timur Khanate, Altusa was used to seeing the big world.

But walking all the way to Honglu Temple, the Nanjing city in front of him gave him a new feeling.

The streets here are spacious and clean, and there are a wide variety of shops on both sides, including silk, porcelain, tea and other traditional Ming Dynasty products.

Moreover, there was an endless stream of pedestrians. Some were busy shopping for goods, while others were strolling leisurely in the streets and alleys. No matter who the members of Altousha’s mission were chatting with, whether it was hawkers or pedestrians, the citizens of Nanjing were all He showed considerable confidence in the Ming Dynasty, and his conversation was full of pride and identification with the Ming Dynasty. It is obvious that this kind of market atmosphere will only be so strong when an empire's national power is on the rise.

Altusa took a deep breath and felt the unique atmosphere of this city. Under the leadership of officials from Honglu Temple, he walked through the busy streets and came to a quiet area.

The environment here is completely different from the outside. It seems like a peaceful paradise amidst the chaos.

He gently opened the courtyard door and walked in.

In the courtyard, Altusa met the second-in-command of Honglu Temple in the Ming Dynasty and some officials from the Ministry of Rites.

They warmly welcomed these guests from afar and took him to visit various landscapes in the courtyard.

"Why is there blood here?"

The samurai accompanying the delegation keenly noticed that there seemed to be something unusual somewhere in the courtyard. It was a small blood stain that had turned black in the cracks of the bricks. If you don't look carefully, you can't see it at all.

Wang Zhen, the young minister of Honglu Temple, looked a little stiff. As Zhu Di's cook, he had of course heard about what happened here after he came to Honglu Temple, but at this time, he obviously could not speak directly to the Timur Khanate's envoys. Could it be said that Chen Zuyi's pirate gang not only killed the Champa Kingdom's mission and pretended to be one, but also used the knife here?

Wang Zhen could only fool him by making a joke: "In the past, the missions of some countries were relatively barbaric and liked to barbecue in the open air. Some blood stains are inevitable."

This explanation was reasonable, but the members of the Timur mission did not delve into it. After all, there were more than a dozen countries that paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty, and there were hundreds of tribes. It makes sense that some people like to barbecue in the open air.

Unlike North Korea, Ryukyu and other countries that often come to pay tribute, the Timur Khanate does not have a deep relationship with the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, their previous missions did not have a fixed location. This time the mission was so large that they were arranged separately. It is perfectly normal to settle in a place where others have lived.

Soon, Fu An, the young minister of Taichang Temple who was familiar with Timur, Yang Dewen, who was promoted to be a doctor in the Ministry of Rites, and Chen Cheng, who was in charge of teaching Persian at the Siyi Pavilion, all came together in a group.

While admiring the beautiful scenery in the courtyard, Altusa exchanged mutual culture and customs with Ming officials.

These officials from various ministries and monasteries with not very high official positions were obviously sent by the Ming Dynasty to find out the bottom line. Since they want to negotiate, they have to know where the bottom line of the Timur Khanate is.

As the pleasantries ended, they sat around the stone table in the courtyard, sipping tea, and began a relatively in-depth conversation.

These carefully selected officials of the Ming Dynasty introduced the Ming Dynasty in relatively fluent Persian (in informal situations, if it is a formal diplomatic situation, the Timurid Khanate, as a theoretical vassal state, needs to conduct the entire conversation through Chinese or a Chinese interpreter) Customs, history, culture and the current political and economic system, Altusha used his infectious language and waving gestures to tell the story of the magnificence and prosperity of the Timur Khanate.

During their exchanges, laughter could be heard from time to time.

Because there were Chinese translators interpreting at the same time, other Ming officials who did not understand Farsi were also attracted by Altusa's humor, and Altusa was also impressed by many people's erudition.

Compared with the Timur Khanate, the Ming Dynasty's education popularity and official selection system are obviously closely integrated with the acquisition of knowledge.

The Timur Khanate was a country similar to the Mongol Empire, but not as barbaric. The upper class of the entire country was dominated by feudal nobles. Civil servants had administrative power in the Timur Khanate, but their influence was far less than that of the Ming Dynasty's civil servants.

As the leader of the civil service of the Timur Khanate, Altusa naturally hopes that the Timur Khanate will be in a state like the Ming Dynasty, where the civil and military sides can check and balance each other, rather than being one-sided and dominated by the feudal nobles who control the army.

Altusa leaned forward slightly and asked: "We came from the west and witnessed the cement trade roads of the Ming Empire with our own eyes. It is really a miracle on earth. Can you guys tell me in detail?"

Fu An had been detained by the Timur Khanate for so many years. Naturally, he knew what Altusa had in mind. He had already turned to the Ming Dynasty, and he was still thinking about finding out the truth for the Timur Khanate.

But for things like cement, even if you cut out a few pieces and bring them back to him, he wouldn't be able to understand them, so he can still say what needs to be said.

Fu An smiled softly, with a bit of pride in his smile: "Master Prime Minister, the cement road of our Ming Dynasty is indeed unparalleled in the world. Not only is it straight and wide, flat as a mirror, but it can also remain hard and durable no matter spring, summer, autumn or winter. It is smooth. Caravans travel on it, the wheels roll, and the dust does not rise. It is enough to travel thousands of miles without getting tired."

Altusa praised him hurriedly, and then looked at Fu An longingly. His meaning was obvious, but what next? This kind of cement seems to come from the same source as the strange fortress that Harry Sultan encountered in the northwest corridor.

Fu An was very shrewd and refused to say anything.

Yang Dewen continued Fu An's words: "As the Prime Minister can see, these cement roads are the invention of the Imperial Master. Construction began in the second year of Yongle. Now, after two years, not only has the entire line from Ningbo to Wuhu been connected, Moreover, several main branch lines have been built one after another, forming a complete trade road network. Coupled with the help of Yangtze River water transportation, it not only promoted the prosperity of trade, but also became a symbol of the national power of the Ming Dynasty. These cement trade roads connected various cities, making overseas Resources can be transported to Ningbo Port by sea, and then continuously transported by land to Nanjing City, and then to the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.”

Chen Cheng, a teacher who is proficient in Persian, added from the perspective of an onlooker: "In addition, along the way, there are paid warehouses for traders to rest and replenish water, temporarily store goods, and post offices established based on trade routes. They are all established as part of the system. Our Ming Dynasty’s trade routes not only allow fast trade, but can also mail things to the people.”

"The warehouse charges a fee, but does the post office charge a fee?"

"certainly."

Fu An smiled and said with a pun in Persian: "The Ming Dynasty does not engage in loss-making business."

In fact, not only were the warehouses associated with the trade routes and the post office business derived from them responsible for mailing, but also the anti-bandit work in Huanghuai, Shandong, and Henan, which laid the foundation for the next step of the trade routes connecting Nanjing and Beijing. Under Jiang Xinghuo's layout, everything was basically ready.

The banditry caused by the Battle of Jingnan has now disappeared without a trace. Those who resisted tenaciously will be killed, while other bandits who have more serious cases are punished for building roads and mining and then go home. Severe punishments or exile will be imposed. Now the Ming Dynasty is not only exiled in Yunnan, Gansu, and Liaodong, there are also so many Xuanwei Divisions in Southeast Asia, and those places are not good people.

Jiang Xinghuo's idea is the same as Daiying's exile of prisoners to Tu'ao.

As long as they are not heinous criminals, it would be a pity to kill them. It would be better to use the waste and throw it overseas to expand the colonial population. Either watch the local wild animals baring their teeth, or have a cordial exchange with the indigenous residents.

After all, the domestic environment of the Ming Dynasty is still very stable, but overseas, whether it is Xingang or Manila, it is difficult for non-brave and bloody people to survive, which is a suitable place for these people.

Altusa was fascinated by what he heard, and two big words flashed in his eyes - "envy".

In fact, the Timurid Khanate also had a fairly developed post road network, but the post road network of the Timur Khanate was exclusively for military and official use. It was not established for trade, but for the rapid transportation of troops and delivery of messages.

Regarding this point, Claviyo recorded in his notes, "I witnessed a series of complete post systems, which were sophisticated information networks built for the operation of the Khanate. Throughout Persia, the Timur Khanate The officials and the post system are extremely efficient, but the local people are silent about them. This is because Timur's messengers often need to fly five or six miles in a single day, and can arbitrarily requisition people's things, houses, and even women along the way. They obviously didn’t have much respect for the Persian residents, so the villages along the way dared not speak out and could only avoid them like the plague.”

For the Timur Khanate, maintaining this huge post road network was the same as the Ming Dynasty's post road network, a purely loss-making business.

As the system gradually becomes rigid, in addition to the increase in various non-essential expenditures, the maintenance costs of these post network will definitely become higher and higher, and it is inevitable that many people who are not part of the system design will come to "compromise". Therefore, Li Zicheng's unemployment is not an accident. It is the empire's "cost reduction and efficiency increase".

It's a pity that Ming officials talked about Jiang Xinghuo and cement roads, but in the end they didn't talk about what Altusha was most interested in.

Altusa pondered for a moment, and then said slowly: "What you have said has given me a deeper understanding of the cement roads of the Ming Dynasty. Such engineering miracles are really as breathtaking as the Great Wall. I don't know that Timur When will the Khanate be lucky enough to see and learn such advanced skills?"

Fu An responded with a smile: "The Prime Minister is being too modest. Although the Timur Khanate and the Ming Dynasty are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, their exchanges have never stopped. I believe that the cooperation between our two countries will be closer in the near future. "

Fu An seemed to have said a lot, but also seemed to have said nothing.

Yang Dewen also nodded in agreement: "That's why Ming Dynasty is willing to live in friendship with all countries in the world and trade on an equal footing."

Chen Cheng added: "I also believe that as long as your country is as open-minded as the Ming Dynasty, your country's future will definitely be brighter."

Altusa laughed loudly after hearing this, and his laughter was full of admiration for the official clichés of the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing that no more questions could be asked, this cross-border dialogue came to an end in a friendly atmosphere.

——————

Fu An met Jiang Xinghuo in the president's reform office.

Jiang Xinghuo was looking at the world map and meditating, while Fu An, the young minister of Taichang Temple, stood respectfully aside.

"Fu An."

Jiang Xinghuo looked at the Timur Khanate, a behemoth that the Ming Dynasty's ocean fleet could not circumvent, and asked, "What do you think of the attitude of the Timur mission?"

Fu An bowed slightly and replied in a deep voice: "Reporting to the Imperial Master, although the Timur mission is respectful and unhurried, many of them look anxious. It must be their Timur mission." The civil strife in the Khanate really makes them uneasy. After all, the Ming Dynasty is so powerful now, and their confidence is definitely not enough."

Jiang Xinghuo nodded slightly and agreed: "Yes, then when signing the contract, what do you think is the bottom line that Timur can bear now? Or where is Khalil's bottom line? Your opinion is very important, after all, there are only you and Harry I have been with Le for a long time and understand his style of doing things."

Fu An pondered for a moment, and then said slowly: "Judging from the current situation, the civil strife in Timur Khan is serious, and Khalil is in urgent need of foreign aid to stabilize the situation. Therefore, when signing a contract, as long as it does not directly involve land and wealth, As well as matters that affect Khalil's reputation, appropriate concessions should be made in exchange for our support."

Fu An's words actually imply very clearly, that is, as long as the Ming Dynasty does not use its status as a suzerain to save face, forcing the Timurid Khanate to send New Year coins like the Iron-Blooded Song Dynasty, or directly ceding its territory, thereby disgracing Khalil, Then other conditions can actually be discussed slowly.

Jiang Xinghuo took out a list of items for negotiation from the stack of documents on the table.

"Look."

After Fu An looked at it carefully, he raised his head and said: "We should take this opportunity to strive for the greatest benefits, but at the same time we must pay attention to propriety to avoid causing extreme resentment to the Timur Khanate. After all, we still need them as allies."

"You're right."

After Jiang Xinghuo heard this, a satisfied smile appeared on his face: "We have to fight for interests, but also take into account the overall situation, but negotiation is just like doing business. You ask for a high price and then pay back the money. It doesn't hurt to ask for a higher price first. .”

After two years of development, the [mercantilism] national policy proposed by Jiang Xinghuo through the Fengtian Palace Debate has begun to spread throughout the south. This businessman's thinking is of course also applicable to the exchange of interests between countries.

After sending Fu An away, Jiang Xinghuo leaned on his chair and fell into thought.

The mission of the Timur Khanate does not actually represent the entire Timur Khanate, but only represents Khalil, so Jiang Xinghuo is actually negotiating with Khalil.

It's easy to make a fuss about this.

The Ming Dynasty can either seek some of the overall benefits cut off by the Timur Khanate, or it can make a fuss about the areas under Khalil's actual control. In Jiang Xinghuo's heart, at least it must have equal access to trade and use of coastal ports for supplies, as well as for the White House. The Sheep Dynasty and the Mamluk Dynasty put pressure on them to fulfill the same contract content as the Timur Khanate as vassals of the Timur Khanate. These are all necessary.

As for sending angels to strengthen mutual trust and communication between the two sides, this is probably what Khalil wishes for.

The Timur Khanate is now short of food and weapons, and these can also be discussed.

With their current state of civil strife, even if they import a certain amount of food and weapons, they will not be able to bring these things to the Ming Dynasty.

Judging from various information, there is no shortage of gold and silver in Samarkand now occupied by Khalil.

Timur has conquered the north and south over the years and plundered countless wealth from other countries. Since Khalil is now short of food and weapons to fight a civil war, Ming can sell it at a high price and treat it as the first deal with the Timur Khanate. Do business.

As for whether Khalil can accept the high price, let's put it this way: if Daming doesn't sell it to him, he can't get it from other places.

The reason is simple. To the west is the territory of the opponents, and Khalil cannot get assistance from other subordinate countries. To the east is the Ming Dynasty, and to the south is the Delhi Sultanate.

There is a blood feud between the Delhi Sultanate and the Timur Khanate, and the states of South India hiding behind the Delhi Sultanate are eager for the death of the Timur Khanate.

As for those Southeast Asian countries east of Southern Tianzhu, they were all the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

Those who are honest may not always be helpful when encountering problems, but unjust people like Timur Khan will definitely be less helpful.

Counting over and over again, Khalil ruled such a disintegrated country that could only rely on the Ming Dynasty.

Except that Ming Dynasty now has the strength, transportation capacity and willingness, other countries don't want to help him, even if they want to help him, they don't have so many weapons and food, right? Even if there is, it is even more difficult to say whether it can be transported.

Jiang Xinghuo went to the Ministry of Etiquette to find Zhuo Jing.

Song Li was now sent to regulate the Yellow River as he wished, but he was not familiar with Mo Lin, the right minister of the Ministry of Rites, and the negotiation level was relatively high, so the only one he could find was Zhuo Jing, the minister.

Zhuo Jing discussed it with him and basically unified their thoughts.

"Jiangnan has had good harvests for two consecutive years, and with the completion of clearing the fields, there is indeed enough food in the treasury."

"No need for Ming's own food."

Jiang Xinghuo smiled and said: "Let the Annan and Champa countries send out grain, which can be regarded as purchased by the Ming Dynasty. This will just wipe out the trade deficit and save them from complaining about not making money."

"Where are the weapons?" Zhuo Jing asked.

"Armor cannot be given, not to mention cotton armor and pierced armor, not even a pair of leather armor. Firearms are not for sale, but the firecrackers saved from the late Yuan Dynasty can be sold. As for arrows, such as Timur Khan You can also sell some of the most powerful consumables for national use, but you cannot sell steel arrow clusters. Sell the iron arrow clusters and copper arrow clusters captured by the Northern Expedition from the Tatars. They are all broken copper. Rotten iron, clear the inventory."

Soon, negotiations led by Zhuo Jing, the Minister of Rites, began.

The Ming Dynasty had many requirements. First of all, the Timur Khanate must surrender and pay tribute like the Hongwu Dynasty. Members of the mission must bow and salute, but there are no conditions like "year-old coins", and there is no need for the Timur Khanate to cede territory. On the contrary, both sides trade freely and equally.

The Ming Dynasty established an angel pavilion in Samarkand, with Chen Cheng from the Siyi Pavilion serving as an angel and responsible for regular communication between the two countries.

Regarding the two items of greatest concern, weapons and food aid, Ming Dynasty also generously responded to Khalil's urgent needs, promising that as long as Khalil needed it, a steady stream of weapons and food would be sent by sea. Of course, these troops Aid is not without cost, even the Ming army's seizures or inventory elimination cannot be given away in vain. On the contrary, the Ming Dynasty's asking price for these things is quite high, and they only support gold and silver settlement.

In other words, as long as the gold and silver are in place, apart from not being able to send troops to Khalil to directly intervene in the civil war, Ming will provide him with some necessary resources to fight the civil war.

For the Ming Dynasty, it would be best for the Timur Khanate, a country thousands of miles away, to be divided into pieces. If Ming gave Khalil a blood transfusion to help him hold on, so that the Timur Khanate could not regain its glory, that would be what the Ming Dynasty wanted to see the most. the result of.

Of course, what Jiang Xinghuo cared about most was actually a seemingly insignificant additional condition, that is, in order to transport supplies, the Ming Dynasty would send a fleet to escort, and the Timur Khanate would need to open several ports to supply the Ming Dynasty's ocean fleet.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty asked Khalil to put pressure on the Aries and Mamluk dynasties, which were affiliated but completely autonomous to the Timur Khanate, so that these two countries would also fulfill the friendly trade contract signed between the Ming Dynasty and the Timur Khanate.

As for other conditions such as extraterritoriality and the stationing of troops in a separate angel area, they were also put forward, and Ming Dynasty simply showed similar contracts signed with other countries to show that this was not aimed at the Timur Khanate, nor was it a humiliation.

On the negotiating table, a complex and subtle contest unfolded between Ming Dynasty and Timur Khanate.

Altusa, the prime minister of the Timur Khanate, was very determined. Although he sought help from the Ming Dynasty, he still maintained his position. Many conditions that he believed were contrary to principles were argued for word by word.

But the other senior officials and nobles of Timur's mission, after several days of intense negotiations, their faces looked a little pale due to the exhaustion of their brains. It was obvious that the domestic civil strife was very passive, and these calculations were already It left them mentally and physically exhausted.

"Dear Master Zhuo."

Altousha spoke, his voice a little hoarse: "Now our country is in trouble. We hope that Ming Dynasty, as the heavenly country, can give us some assistance to help us tide over this difficulty."

Zhuo Jing twisted his silver whiskers and smiled slightly, but there was no warmth in his smile: "Assistance? Of course you can, but you also know that our Ming Dynasty is not doing good deeds. We have provided assistance, and we need to receive corresponding rewards."

"You can put aside the controversial points just now. If you can agree to these conditions, that's fine."

Zhuo Jing came up with an alternative plan.

The members of Timur's mission looked at each other, obviously not expecting Daming's attitude to be so tough and resolute.

Altusa took a deep breath and tried to stabilize his emotions.

Zhuo Jing handed over the plan. While the other party was reading, he stretched out two fingers and tapped the table: "Actually, in general, it is very simple. First, we need you to open more trade ports. The specific ports are On the list, these ports must allow our merchants to enter and leave your country freely, including legal passage and transportation rights to land and rivers; second, we need your support in certain military operations, such as the operation in Tianzhu. "

The Kingdom of Ceylon is a thorn stuck in the western section of the Strait of Manrak, and of course it must be removed.

But in addition, Tianzhu, as the crown jewel of the British Empire, is so easy to tame, Jiang Xinghuo has no intention of getting involved.

In Jiang Xinghuo's global strategy, Ming Dynasty has only achieved the first step, which is to achieve absolute hegemony east of the Malacca Strait and establish a three-ring diplomatic system.

But this is obviously not enough. The next step is to obtain strongholds in Ceylon and southern Tianzhu, establish a fleet base, and then move closer to Egypt.

If the Timur Khanate can sign this contract, then the Ming Dynasty's ocean-going fleet will not only be able to obtain the right to replenish the ports in the Khalil actual control area, but also allow the Timur Khanate to force the White Sea as a suzerain. Sheep Dynasty and Mamluk Dynasty.

In this way, east of Africa, Ming Dynasty would be completely unimpeded.

After achieving this, we can try to bypass Africa and establish direct trade links with the West.

The last step is to go to the Americas to obtain potatoes, corn and sweet potatoes, which will greatly increase food production and the ability to resist famines.

If all can be realized at this point, a worldwide trade network led by the Ming Dynasty will be completely established, and then only with the advancement of technology and the growth of the population, the Ming Dynasty will colonize the world and become the "Sun and Moon". A world-wide empire that will never fall is a matter of course.

Along with this historical process, a new class will soon develop, and the more backward blood-sucking insects will inevitably be eliminated.

These conditions apparently took the Timur mission somewhat by surprise.

But without having to accept conditions that they seem intolerable to, this new supplementary plan does not seem so unacceptable.

They started talking quietly in Farsi, trying to figure out what to do.

Zhuo Jing sat across from him quietly, observing their reactions.

He knew very well that the critical moment in this negotiation had arrived.

After a period of discussion, Altusha spoke again: "Zhuo Shangshu, we understand your conditions. But we must admit that these conditions are somewhat difficult for us. Our country is now in civil strife and cannot All your requirements will be met immediately, but we are willing to make concessions in other aspects. For example, increasing the amount of tribute, or opening up some specific cities on the traditional Silk Road as trading grounds."

Zhuo Jing shook his head: "Not enough. What we need is more substantial concessions. If you cannot meet our conditions, then I am sorry that we cannot provide the weapons and food aid you need."

Negotiations reached a deadlock again.

But Fu An, who had been arranged, walked gently to Zhuo Jing and whispered a few words in a low voice. After hearing this, Zhuo Jing nodded slightly in agreement.

Zhuo Jing said to the Timur mission: "We can consider giving you some time, but in any case, if Ming's conditions cannot be met, then we will have to reconsider Ming's position in the civil war of Timur Khan."

This means that if you can't come to an agreement with me, then I will go find Shaharul and other opponents.

Under Ming's huge pressure, Altusa finally had to give in. He had no other choice.

The Ming Dynasty basically reached the negotiation requirements designed by Jiang Xinghuo in advance, and everything that could be negotiated was negotiated, including the establishment of an embassy, ​​the opening of ports, etc., and even some conditions such as inland trade. The Timur Khanate also made In order to make concessions, I don’t know whether there is any intention to use the excuse of civil strife to take advantage of everyone.

There are some conditions that Ming Dynasty may not be able to use now, but now that they have been negotiated, they will not be able to say for sure in the future.

As Zhu Di returned to Nanjing, the content negotiated by the Ministry of Rites was officially presented. As long as Zhu Di nodded and sealed it, the "Friendly Trade and Navigation Contract between the Ming Dynasty and the Tamerlane Khanate" would be officially effective, because Aldu Shah has full authority from Khalil.

After all, it is unlikely that Altusa would send someone back to deliver a letter to Khalil while talking, asking "can we agree to this" or something like that. If that were the case, with the current communication conditions, could the negotiations be completed in Yongle 20 years? It's all a problem.

Altusa and his party were solemnly led into the Nanjing Imperial Palace.

The towering palace shows the majesty of the Ming Dynasty.

Passing through the palace gates with high thresholds, they finally arrived at the palace hall where they received foreign envoys.

In Fengtian Hall, Zhu Di was already sitting on a high dragon chair, waiting for their arrival.

Altusa and others respectfully saluted the emperor in accordance with the etiquette taught to them by the Ministry of Etiquette, and then handed over the credentials written by Khalil Khan.

At this moment, there seemed to be an invisible tension in the air.

Altusa conveyed the greetings and sincerity of Khalil Khan to Zhu Di, and elaborated on the Timur Khanate's desire to establish friendly relations with the Ming Dynasty.

Because he had prepared in advance, and Timur also had a master who could write Chinese memorials, his words were sincere and sincere, and he won the favor of all the ministers present.

However, the Timur Khanate also licked it like this before they turned against each other last time, so Zhu Di didn't take it seriously and just nodded slightly, having learned from the past.

If written in modern diplomatic terms, it would be "His Majesty the Emperor expressed Ming Dynasty's respect for the internal affairs of the Timur Khanate to Altusha and others, and based on the consistent friendly attitude between the two countries, expressed his willingness to cooperate with the Timur Khanate jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. The meeting continued in a friendly and solemn atmosphere. The two sides had in-depth discussions and exchanges on issues of common concern. Although there were differences on some issues, both sides showed great With their patience and sincerity, they worked hard to seek consensus and solutions. In the end, the meeting ended successfully with the joint efforts of both parties. This historic contact not only laid the foundation for the continued development of friendly relations between the Timur Khanate and Ming Dynasty. It also brings new hope for regional peace and prosperity."

In April of the fourth year of Yongle, Altusa, the Prime Minister of the Timur Khanate, signed the "Friendly Trade and Navigation Contract between the Ming Dynasty and the Timur Khanate" with the Ming Dynasty. At this point, the Ming Dynasty and the Timur Khanate reconciled and established formal diplomatic relations. .

The impact of the signing of this contract is undoubtedly very far-reaching. In addition to some things on the market, the Ming Dynasty not only obtained the guarantee that the Timurid Khanate would not interfere with its troops in southern Tianzhu, but also basically ensured that the ocean-going fleet could sail all the way to Africa. Unobstructed traffic and access to supplies along the way.

This gave great impetus to the implementation of Ming's strategy of establishing global hegemony.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty also intervened in the civil war of Timur Khan. With the assistance of the Ming Dynasty, although Khalil could not defeat his fourth uncle and eldest brother immediately, at least he would not be pushed aside by others. For Khalil, Although the Ming Dynasty's food and weapons aid was very expensive, and this blood transfusion line was exchanged for real money and silver, it was much better than nothing. After the Eastern Expedition army returned home, many lords and nobles he had no control over. He brought his army back to the fiefdom, which also led to the extreme weakening of Khalil's power. Daming's assistance was a life-saving straw for him.

But before the life-saving straw was delivered to him, Khalil had to persist on his own.

Khalil was not an Adou who couldn't be helped. He was quite ambitious and soon completely controlled the river area and the southern seaport. In this way, with the intervention of the Ming Dynasty, starting from the fourth year of Yongle, the Timur Khanate The civil war reached a stalemate, and no one of the three parties could do anything to the other. Therefore, the huge empire created by Timur was divided in fact and in name after his death.

——————

The afterglow of dusk shines on the golden tiles and red walls of the Nanjing Imperial Palace, giving this majestic palace a golden glow.

Zhu Di was sitting in the study, his expression was a bit complicated, and he could see that he was quite tangled.

For Zhu Di, completing the reconciliation with the Timur Khanate did not make him happy.

When Zhu Di returned to Nanjing this time, he did not bring many troops. The main force of the Beijing camp still stayed in the north.

Because the construction of Northern Zhili also requires these soldiers, Zhu Di's logic on the surface is very simple. He does not intend to raise idle people. So many soldiers are idle if they are idle. It is better to build bridges and pave roads and treat them as training. To vent their endless energy.

But in fact, Zhu Di left the army in the north out of selfish motives.

Because since returning from the expedition, a question has been swirling in Zhu Di's mind: Should he make the eldest son Zhu Gaochi, who is good at government affairs, the crown prince, or should he make the second son Zhu Gaoxu, who is brave and good at fighting and whom he prefers, the crown prince?

This question is like a double-edged sword. No matter how he chooses, it will definitely hurt one of his sons.

Zhu Gaochi was gentle, courteous, and calm. He had shown extraordinary political talents since he was a boy. He handled government affairs with ease and was deeply supported by civil servants.

Although Zhu Gaoxu has a violent personality, he is unparalleled in bravery and has repeatedly performed extraordinary feats on the battlefield. He is the pride of Zhu Di and the son who Zhu Di thinks is most like him.

The previously agreed deadline, even with the delay due to the war, is coming soon, and it's time for Zhu Di to make a decision.

Zhu Di closed his eyes, and the figures of his two sons appeared in his mind. Their respective strengths and weaknesses were like two mirrors, reflecting the struggles and contradictions deep in his heart.

Zhu Di has already seen the construction progress of South Zhili and North Zhili.

According to the agreement, after the construction time of Nanzhili is completed, all data will be recorded and then ended.

The development of Southern Zhili in recent years is not bad.

It is precisely because of this that even if the Beizhili led by Zhu Gaoxu has a dynamic balance algorithm, it still does not have a high chance of winning, because there is not much time left for Zhu Gaoxu to conduct the Northern Expedition and defend Timur's expedition. , although some extra time is added to show fairness, this period of time is actually developing in theory, so it is not too much. In a few months, even if the dynamic balance multiplier is added to Beizhili, it will be very It is difficult to surpass the leap-forward development of Nanzhili in recent years.

Zhu Di actually knew very well that as the emperor, he should choose the son who was better able to shoulder the important responsibilities of the country.

But as a father, how could he let go of his deep love for another son?

Time passed by minute by second, and Zhu Di's heart was still like a mess. He opened his eyes, looked at the gradually dimming sky outside the window, and sighed deeply.

This is not some other decision, this is the crown prince position.

The prince may not necessarily become the emperor in the future, because there are so many things like deposing a prince in history, but no matter what, it is a major matter related to the country.

This decision is destined to change the fate of his two sons, and will also affect the future of the entire Ming Dynasty. Zhu Di must consider it carefully and cannot make any oversights.

However, no matter how hard Zhu Di tried to think and analyze while sitting in his study, he could never give a clear answer in his heart.

This kind of entanglement made even Zhu Di, as energetic as he was, feel a little tired, and a slight sense of helplessness made him seem to be trapped in an inescapable whirlpool.

The night was as dark as ink, deep and quiet, and the lights in the palace swayed in the warm wind of early summer, as if they could also feel the waves in Zhu Di's heart.

Zhu Di stood up from his seat and stood alone in front of the study window, looking through the dark night at the distant and deep starry sky, trying to find a hint of guidance from there.

His heart was like a battlefield, where two emotions and two expectations fiercely clashed.

Zhu Gaochi's calmness and wisdom, and Zhu Gaoxu's bravery and pride, flashed alternately in his mind. Each flash was like a knife cut, making him more entangled.

The night is getting darker and darker, and the hustle and bustle in the palace has gradually receded, leaving only a few lonely lamps swaying in the wind.

Zhu Di was still sitting in the imperial study room, his brows furrowed, and the tangle in his heart was like a mess. He kept cutting and sorting it out, and even the breeze brought by the drizzle in early summer outside the window could not relieve the irritability in his heart.

He closed his eyes and tried to find a glimmer of light in the darkness. However, the figures of his two sons lingered like a nightmare. He knew that he could not go on like this and must make a decision as soon as possible.

So, he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted to the door: "Here comes someone!"

After a while, a young eunuch hurriedly walked in: "Your Majesty."

"Go and call the third prince Zhu Gaosui." Zhu Di's voice revealed a hint of exhaustion.

Not long after, Zhu Gaosui came to the study. Zhu Gaosui looked calm, as if he had expected all this.

"Father, why are you summoning your ministers so late?" But Zhu Gaosui still asked cautiously.

Zhu Di did not answer, but turned his attention to Zhu Gaosui: "Who do you think I should appoint as the crown prince?"

Zhu Gaosui was stunned for a moment, then bowed and said: "Father, this is a state matter, and I don't dare to speak nonsense."

"State affairs are not family affairs? Are you not from the Zhu family?"

Zhu Di waved his hand: "But it doesn't matter. The crown prince's position is confirmed, I will let you go to Luzon."

Zhu Gaosui pondered for a moment and then slowly said: "Father, the two brothers are both good and bad. No matter who is appointed as the crown prince, it will be a blessing to the Ming Dynasty. However, I believe that the choice of the crown prince should be able to inherit the policies of the father." Those who follow the policy come first.”

Zhu Di fell into deep thought after hearing this. Zhu Gaosui's words did not give a direct answer, but they pointed him in a direction.

Zhu Di raised his head and looked at Zhu Gaosui: "Do you think you can be the crown prince?"

Zhu Gaosui did not expect that his father would suddenly ask him this question. He was a little stunned for a moment, but he quickly reacted and bowed and said: "Father, my son is naughty. He is not as good as his eldest brother in literature, and not as talented as his second brother in martial arts." This is a great responsibility.”

Zhu Di sighed. He no longer struggled with his personal preferences and emotions, but set his sights further afield - the future of the Ming Dynasty.

"knew."

Zhu Gaosui breathed a sigh of relief, but Zhu Di immediately said, "Please accompany me to the National Master's home."

When Zhu Gaosui heard this, he inexplicably remembered an allusion - Zhao Kuangyin visited Zhao Pu at night.

"Why are you standing there stunned?" Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaosui.

Zhu Gaosui actually blurted out his inner thoughts at this time. Zhu Di was startled when he heard this, and suddenly remembered that the first time he went to the imperial prison, he listened to Jiang Xinghuo telling stories about the Song Dynasty.