In the royal city of Khotan, Zhang Zhao fought his horse hard and galloped through the streets.
That is to say, he saw the yellow flag representing the royal family stuck behind his back, otherwise the guards would have taken him down on the spot.
When he arrived at the entrance of Taihua Palace, Zhang Zhao quickly reined in his horse, because he couldn't break into this place as he would be hit by crossbow arrows.
"I am Zhang Zhao, Huangmen's minister, and I have urgent military affairs to meet with the emperor!"
After the palace guard at the door checked Zhang Zhao's token, he saw that the nephew of the Great Sage and Emperor was anxious and quickly let him in.
In Tonghe Hall, Li Shengtian was looking at a map with his hands behind his back.
On the map, Shule City is drawn regardless of its size. It is obvious that the Khotan royal family has definitely put great effort into studying Shule City.
"Why did you come to see your uncle in such a hurry? You made Dongcheng a mess and scared the merchants and pedestrians to howl!" Li Shengtian waved his hand with his back to Zhang Zhao, indicating that he did not need to salute.
"Uncle, the Emperor! If my nephew dares to love you, send troops immediately. We can't delay any longer!"
Advising Li Shengtian to send troops immediately, this is why Zhang Zhao ran back from Weitou Prefecture to see Li Shengtian without stopping. He didn't even have time to settle the Basimi people, and left everything to his cousin Yin Yaozi.
"Send troops now?" Li Shengtian finally turned around. He wrinkled his forehead and looked at Zhang Zhao in confusion.
Zhang Zhao knows the level of war preparations! This time Khotan sent out the entire nation's troops. How could they just casually send out troops immediately before they were ready?
Zhang Zhao understands this truth, but it is not as important as the information Zhang Zhao is currently inquiring about. Wu Yuan'er and Ma Yaozi captured a secretary to the governor of Shule City and came back. Zhang Zhao got an astonishing news from this person.
That is, Saktu Buglahan's visit to Balasagun this time was not just a simple demonstration as he had initially imagined.
Originally, the intelligence collected from Khotan and the speculations of Li Shengtian and Zhang Zhao were that Saktu Bugla Khan of the Kara Khanate led his army to Balashagon in order to promote his Bugla Khan (deputy khan) to Alsileng Khan (Zhenghan).
Because Alslen Khan is the symbol of the supreme leader of the Kara Khanate, and because Saktu originally set the de facto capital in Shule, the old nobles of Balashagon wanted to preserve the status and status of Balashagon. Due to his own interests, he has been unwilling to recommend Saktu as Arslenk Khan.
So according to original estimates, this time Saktu led his army to Balashagon, probably to intimidate the old nobles in the city into submission.
But in fact, things are far from that simple. When Saktu led his army to Balasagun, he did not simply force the old nobles to submit and put Alslen Khan's hat on his head. There was a huge rebellion in Shakon.
In this world, except for the Confucian civilization in East Asia, which is dominated by the Han people, religious conflicts are definitely the most acute and cruel in any other civilization.
And the Buddhism at this time was different from the Buddhism of later generations that incorporated a large number of Confucianism and other Han civilization ideas. Buddhism at this time was actually very violent.
These monks, firstly, like to make money, and secondly, they like to engage in private armed forces. The fat monks Zhang Zhao saw recently in the palace of King Li Shengtian are Buddhist private armies, warrior monks!
The monks at this time were not the two images of later generations wearing monk robes and holding crescent shovels. Most of them were no different from the army of a normal country. They were equipped with swords, guns, swords, halberds, bows, crossbows and shields, and their armor coverage rate was very high, because they were rich. .
Moreover, because they have money and do not need to farm, Buddhist monks and soldiers are actually a real professional standing army. Otherwise, Wu Zetian would not have built the Dayun Temple in Shule in history. Her Majesty the Queen wanted to use the huge Buddhist community in Anxi to fight against Tibet and unite. All ethnic groups in Anxi.
This strategy was so successful that even the Tubo people in later generations believed in Buddhism. However, when they attacked the four towns of Anxi, the Anxi Buddhists all sided with the Tang Dynasty and put up fierce resistance.
The same is true in Balasagon. Saktu vigorously promoted the spread of Tianfang Sect, which had already angered Buddhism.
Under the huge threat, Manichaeism and Nestorianism also united with Buddhism. Together, they united with the old nobles of Balashagon and other places to prepare to elect a new Alsileng Khan.
This is going to cut off Saktu’s lifeblood!
So the green Karakhanate Duke Camel Khan couldn't bear it anymore. He brought 30,000 troops not to intimidate, but to officially start a fight between the two sides.
The secretary said that Saktu Khan had recently transferred 3,000 men and a large amount of supplies from Shule City. According to people who came back from the front line, the two sides in Balasagon had been fighting bloody battles for four months, and corpses were piled up under the city. Like mountains, both sides were fierce, and the battle was extremely fierce.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The main force of Saktu was trapped in Balashagon. There were less than 7,000 people in Shule City, and most of them were troops with average combat effectiveness like Askar. The time, place and people were all right.
But if we still wait a few months according to the current preparations, if Saktu Khan captures Balashagon, it will be troublesome.
Saktu Bugla Khan could not only obtain a large amount of supplies, but also obtain the title of Arsleng Khan.
With this title, Saktu could mobilize the Geluolu and Ogus people of the Land of Seven Rivers, which is today's Ili Valley.
This place is the sacred land of Anxi. There are 70,000 to 80,000 Geluolu, Ogus, Uighur and other tribesmen here. Saktu can easily take out 40,000 to 50,000 cavalry from here.
With these cavalry, plus Saktu's own tens of thousands of troops, a total of only 30,000 troops can be provided. Or will Yutian, who has more infantry and mostly heavy-armored cavalry, take the lead to attack Shule?
Isn't this the same as my army of the Song Dynasty? It can't catch up if it can't be beaten, can't run if it can't be beaten!
In fact, Zhang Zhao didn't know that he had unintentionally chosen a very, very good time.
Historically, Khotan and Li Shengtian did not know the true purpose of Saktu's journey north to Balashagon, so they missed this best opportunity.
By the time Li Shengtian reacted, Saktu had already captured Balashagon and eliminated the last powerful Buddhists in the Kara Khanate.
And with this power, he successfully converted 70,000 to 80,000 people in the Land of Seven Rivers to the Tianfang Sect.
After stacking this set of BUFFs, the Kara Khanate was already in an undefeated position against Khotan.
In the battles between Khotan and the Kara Khanate in history, Khotan always won more than it lost, and most of its victories were great victories.
They captured Shule twice, and killed Ali Arslan, the then Great Khan of the Kara Khanate. Later, they also killed the so-called Four Imams, killing the divine warriors like an avalanche. .
But these glorious victories are completely powerless to reverse the situation!
Because of the alliance between Khotan and the Tubo tribes on the Kunlun Mountains, the population of 600 to 700,000 was already at its peak.
Even with the support of the Gaochang Uighurs, Ganzhou Uighurs and the Guiyi Army, only 50,000 to 60,000 troops could be mobilized.
However, the Buddhists of Balasagon were completely eliminated, and the Karakhanate, which still owned the Land of Seven Rivers and Fergana, had a population of nearly two million at its peak.
It is also possible to continuously recruit divine warriors from Persia, Cathay and even the Fatimid dynasty on the African continent. Under the call of religious banners, Karakhan has almost endless supplies.
Therefore, if you want Khotan to be able to withstand the Kara Khanate, you cannot let Saktu take care of the Buddhists and old nobles in Balashagon.
Because as long as there is the nail of Balasagon, a city stuck on the main road between Anxi and Persia, Saktu cannot easily obtain the divine warriors from the west.
If Balasagon does not fall, the 70,000 to 80,000 tents and more than 400,000 people in the Land of Seven Rivers will not be used by Saktu, and everything can be restored.
