Xue Shouli was walking on the streets of Bukhara, followed by two children of the Xue family. The three of them bought a few cakes at a snack shop, and each of them ordered a bowl of mutton soup.
The city of Bukhara is very peaceful, just like usual. There is no tense atmosphere at all, whether in the food shops or on the streets.
The original rumor that Ju'er Khan was ten feet tall and had to eat a pair of boys and girls in one meal was also regarded as a joke.
Xue Shouli took a sullen sip of mutton soup before he regained control of himself and stopped laughing on the spot. The king was already preparing to capture Juzhanti immediately, and the people here didn't know anything about it yet.
"This Dihekan, go all the way north and cross three streets, and you will find the residence of the North City Clerk!"
Xue Sili threw two copper coins, and the boy at the food shop enthusiastically showed them the way.
The North City clerk is Prince Hamid's secret confidant, which is the information provided by Salah.
The secret letter written by Salah will be handed over to the scribe before he hands it to Prince Hamid.
"Thank you! Thank you so much for this little brother! Ali Hamuduli! (Everything belongs to Allah!)"
Xue Sili wiped his mouth and thanked the food shop boy with a smile on his face.
He has a mixed appearance of East Iranian and Turkic people, and is proficient in daily religious blessings. He looks no different from the Bukhara people who believe in God.
"Alhamudulli!" The young man responded flattered to the fact that he had come here from the war to buy some real estate in the countryside of Dihkan in the north city.
"Let's go! Be careful with everything!" Xue Shouli said to the brothers beside him, then raised his head and looked in the direction of Alka Forbidden City.
One hundred and fifty years ago, the order was issued from there, and one hundred thousand divine warriors rushed into the country of Bakhna.
From that time on, the Xue family had no choice but to move far away. From the Xue family of King Bahanna, they became the Xue family, the descendants of the Anxi Army.
"Si Li, Tong Li, you two stay outside and let me deliver it alone. After the event is successful, I will have someone hang a piece of red silk at the door.
But if you don’t see the red silk cloth at this time tomorrow, go back to Ba Khan quickly. "
As he said that, Xue Shouli took a deep breath and said, "One day, we will come back, and we will come back to take back everything we have from the people in Alka Forbidden City."
. . . .
Late at night, in the castle, Prince Hamid held a piece of parchment, his whole body trembling with anger, and his fingers turned white from the extreme exertion.
The content on the parchment was a top-secret message sent to him from a secret source in Alka Forbidden City.
Grand Wazir Balaami quietly entered the palace yesterday evening and proposed to his father Nasr II that the Ghulam Guards stationed in the south of Bukhara should be separated from the Ghulam troops stationed in Samarkand. The Royal Guards of Mu are exchanged with each other, and it is also a routine to exchange them every three years.
Although he is the Great Salar who controls all the Ghulam Guards, in fact, Prince Hamid can only control the Ghulam Guards stationed in Bukhara. After all, even if he is the Great Salar, But you must also obey the emir's orders.
tomato
Therefore, the Ghulam Guards in Samarkand and other cities are not so close to him. Most of the middle and upper-level officers in these Ghulam Guards were directly appointed by Emir Nasr II, and they were only Take orders from the Emir.
The Gulam Guards in the southern city of Bukhara were led by his brother-in-law Hussein and were the elite of the entire Gulam in Bukhara.
They are the guarantee for Prince Hamid's survival. Without the protection of these Gulams, he would not have been executed many times.
This is not a defense change, this is killing Hamid!
"Father! Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this? I have been a well-behaved crown prince for twenty years. Why in the end, I can't even save my life?"
Prince Hamid's eyes were red and he muttered in a low voice. In his heart, the father who took him riding horses and hunted with him when he was a child, and performed Hutubai (Tianfang religious rituals) with him, has disappeared.
Instead, there was a terrifying existence that could kill him at any time.
"Your Highness, General Hussein and the Secretary of Lahore came through a secret passage and said that they have extremely important matters and must meet with you!"
Just when Prince Hamid felt infinite dissatisfaction with Nasr II, the personal attendant outside the door reported softly.
"Ask them to go to the secret room quickly and tell them I'll be there in a minute."
Prince Hamid quickly collected himself and wiped the moist corners of his eyes that almost shed tears with the corner of his clothes.
Hussein and Lahore are both his most trusted ministers. There must be something very important to come together now.
"The noble Khan of the Khans, the envoy of His Majesty Juer Khan, Xue Shouli from Juzhanti, has met Prince Hamid!"
Prince Hamid was horrified when he saw the man in front of him who looked similar to him but spoke fluent Turkic and claimed to be the envoy of Juer Khan.
He looked at Hussein and Lahore in confusion, wondering how they could bring Juer Khan's envoy to this secret place.
"Juzhanti...has Juzhanti been lost?"
Hamid asked softly, if this messenger claims to be from Juzhanti, does that mean that Juzhanti is gone?
"His Royal Highness the Prince looks surprised? Adulal's 30,000-strong army has been completely wiped out. Salah Hakeem took office with only 200 men. Do you expect him to be able to hold on to Juzhanti?"
Xue Shouli smiled lightly and asked Prince Hamid.
"You're lying! I've been to Juzhanti. It's stronger than Samarkand. Even if there are only a few thousand defenders, it's not that easy to break! Where did you come from?"
Prince Hamid shouted loudly, looking fierce and angry.
"Your Highness, you should read the secret letter Salah Hakeem gave you first! After reading the letter, Your Highness will no longer follow me and worry about whether it still exists."
Xue Shouli handed the secret parchment letter to Prince Hamid's attendant. Prince Hamid's eyelids twitched, and he had a vague premonition.
Sure enough, after reading the secret letter, the expression on Prince Hamid's face was very exciting, a little angry, and a little excited, but of course, more distrustful.
"His Majesty Ju'er Khan may have found the wrong person. As the crown prince of Saman Persia and the heir to this great dynasty, I have nothing but respect for the Emir's father.
Besides, Emil was just bewitched by the traitors. As wise as he is, he will one day see through the slander those traitors have against me. "
Xue Shouli sneered twice and spread his hands towards the two people around him.
"General Hussein, Clerk of Lahore, it seems that His Highness the Prince doesn't trust me very much. He can say such things even if he doesn't believe it himself.
But it’s normal, because many people don’t have the vision to see through everything like the great Juer Khan.
But I would like to remind you and His Royal Highness that if you wait until the butcher knife raised high to fall before you try to resist, it will be too late. "
After Xue Shouli finished speaking, Prince Hamid did not speak or express any dissatisfaction, but Hussein stood up and tapped his fingers on the table.
"If, I mean if, everything Ju'er Khan predicted is right, and we are willing to accept Ju'er Khan's help, then why should we believe that His Majesty the Great Khan is telling the truth?
No matter how much treasure there is, can it compare to the temptation of capturing Bukhara? "
"Very good question! This shows that General Hussein has realized the danger." Xue Shouli nodded.
“But if you understand the territory Juer Khan ruled, you won’t have such worries.
Because Juer Khan has already captured most of the Kara Khanate, including Suiye and Shule, as well as the entire Khotan Kingdom of Jin and Bakhna, the territory is far wider than your country.
However, there are only two to three million subjects living in such a large country. If we capture Bukhara again, where will we find people to maintain our rule?
Moreover, Bugra Khan Saktu was not defeated. He fled further north. To put it bluntly, Juer Khan's enemy was Bugra Khan Saktu, and Prince Hamid... "
Xue Shouli didn't finish what he said, but the meaning was clear. In his heart, Prince Hamid was not qualified to be Ju'er Khan's enemy.
The furious Hussein pulled out the scimitar from his waist and said, "Although you are the envoy of Juer Khan, if you say such things again, I will let you see the anger of the Samani people! "
"Let go of the messenger, my general. Words cannot harm a true king!"
Prince Hamid, who was blushing, almost squeezed out these words through his teeth, because he already believed in the sincerity of this deal.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness, I didn't mean to do it, it's just because in my heart, Ju'er Khan's talent is probably better than all the monarchs in the world."
Xue Shouli straightened his collar and gave him a blow. Of course he needed to be comforted.
At this time, Prince Hamid's aloof temperament had faded a lot, and he could continue to negotiate.
"The prince should believe what I say, because it is more than four thousand miles from Shule to Bukhara, and more than three thousand miles from Shule to Suiye. Such a long distance is very detrimental to the rule.
What His Majesty Juer Khan needs is wealth that can be rewarded to warriors. As for territory, we already have enough.
Besides, are the 20,000 gulam guards in the hands of His Royal Highness all lambs? Can we do whatever we want? "
Prince Hamid stared at Xue Shouli, nodded slowly for a while, but then frowned again.
"Ju'er Khan may be beyond reach of Bukhara now, but what about in the future? When the population increases, you will still come to attack Bukhara!"
"Haha!" Xue Shouli imitated Zhang Zhao's expression and laughed meaningfully.
"His Royal Highness is already at this time, and you still want to talk about the future with me? Without the support of Ju'er Khan, do you still have a future?
The five thousand guards in the Forbidden City of Alka ensure the safety of the emir, but how long can the prince's twenty thousand gulam guards protect you? Can they break through the Forbidden City of Alka? Will they even fight bloody battles for you?
I'm afraid that after Grand Wazir Baraami and others cut off your military power, His Highness the Prince's present will no longer exist, so what future can you talk about? "
"Your Highness, the envoy is right. According to His Highness the Emir's behavior, we may soon lose our present. By then, everyone who follows you will die without a burial place!" The secretary who has been silent has not spoken. Guan Lahore couldn't help but speak.
However, Prince Hamid, who was sitting in the seat, still frowned and did not speak. His father Nasr II had too much authority over him. Even now, it was difficult for Prince Hamid to make up his mind to resist.
He even had some expectations in his heart, maybe his father Nasr II would not approve this defense plan.
"I came here one way and heard that His Highness Emir Nasr II is in very good health. It is said that there is no problem in living for another thirty years.
His Highness the Prince has been the Crown Prince for twenty years. Even if His Highness the Emir trusts you, the Prince might as well think about what it would be like to be the Crown Prince for another thirty years.
Is there such a thing as a fifty-year-old crown prince?
By then General Hussein and the Lahore Clerk will be over sixty years old, and most of your cronies will be old or even dead.
They followed His Highness the Prince all their lives, but in the end they didn't even enjoy a single day of wealth. I'm afraid they will die in peace, right? "
This is a big killer. Prince Hamid turned pale instantly. He has been the crown prince for fifty years! It sounds really scary.
He would be almost seventy years old by then, and he even suspected that even if he simply lived, he might not live another thirty years.
Hussein and Lahore's faces became even paler. Why did they follow Prince Hamid?
It's not just because His Highness the Prince will become the Emir one day, so that their wealth can be further improved.
But if you wait until thirty years later, everyone will be gone, and you will still be rich!
"Your Highness, please make a decision! We have no other choice!" The two of them knelt down at the same time and said in unison.
Chapter 215 There is no way out
