"I have met King Yan." Xu Yungong smiled bitterly. Zhu Di was diligent in exercising, and his body seemed to be stronger. Just such a hug almost killed half of his life.
"Your Highness, please be gentle. I have been training for a long time. The night marches in recent days have already overwhelmed me..." Xu Yungong smiled bitterly.
"You are also a general, how can you be so fragile?" Zhu Di said with a smile. "It's just that you led Mengqi. When I arrived with my army, if I hadn't seen the flag, I would have almost ordered an attack."
"These are the three cavalrymen of Duoyan Guards, the former Shanyang Wanhu... Oh, I haven't accused the guilty minister of robbing His Highness of his military exploits yet."
"It doesn't matter, we only have a few hundred cavalry, and we didn't expect to be able to annihilate these thousands of people alone..."
While the two were chatting, they were still paying attention to the wisp of wolf smoke reaching into the sky in the distance. It wasn't until the sky got dark and the smoke gradually stopped rising that they all felt relieved.
"It seems that this group of Warameng thieves is the only one nearby... The hunting ground is now settled, so we can breathe a sigh of relief first."
"It's just for now, who knows how long it will last?"
That wolf smoke was designed to indicate the presence of enemy cavalry around the desert foraging field. Now that the smoke is not rising, it means that the crisis has been resolved.
Since Xu Da returned to Helin, the Ming Dynasty and the Xu family began to work together to build a path from the Great Wall to the desert grassland. Beacon towers and foraging fields were set up along the way to serve as China's focal point for controlling the desert.
At first, this strategy went smoothly. With the construction of roads and the prosperity of wool trade, many Mongolian tribes gained enough benefits to improve their lives due to trade with the Ming Dynasty, and naturally they became attracted to the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, many local merchants in the Ming Dynasty sensed the profits of wool, and came to the grasslands to invest in pastures. They relied on the farming fields and enclosed the land for grazing, and built each of the farming fields into prosperous and lively homes outside the Great Wall. Many Han merchants came to the grasslands to invest in pastures. Arrangements were made for the Shuzi clan to settle down in Ganchang, where they planned to settle, multiply and take root.
The Ming Dynasty's first external feudal principality, Wei, located outside the Great Wall, was prosperous and was about to become another China.
However, this good situation was quickly interrupted. Wala, which integrated most of the western Mongol and Yuan forces in the west, soon began to test the east, trying to absorb the eastern part of the grassland and even take back Helin. Due to Xu Da's reputation, Yesudier did not directly send a large army to attack, but adopted a very despicable method, recruiting herdsmen one after another to plunder the grasslands of Wei in the east... It can rob Wei of the wealth, and can bring back the tribal herdsmen who have surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, so as to spread his reputation as the Mongol Khan and set an example for those neutral tribes that are still wavering.
Look, if you obey the Ming Dynasty and cut off your own followers, this is the end...
"Yesudier wanted to revive the past raiding tradition of the Mongols. In the past, when his ancestor Ali Buge and Kublai Khan competed for the throne of Khan, it was because of this virtue that he lost to Kublai Khan who practiced Han law. "Xu Yungong said. "He didn't dare to send out a large force. He only dared to make small troubles like this, but it turned out to be trouble for us..."
"The grasslands are vast. If hundreds of Mongolian bandits hide in the grasslands, they may not be found even if tens of thousands of troops are sent to search for them. However, they can continue to attack our pastures. Even if they cannot break through the walls of the forecourt, they can still find them. It can cause us heavy harm..."
Xu Yungong looked a little anxious.
"Does Shuai Xu have any ideas?" Zhu Di asked.
"Father has thought about taking command and going on an expedition." Xu Yungong said. "My father originally thought that leading the army to go around the Oara territory a few times to scare the grassland tribes, or simply drive Yesudier to the bitter cold in the far north, would be enough to ensure the peace of Wei for more than ten years. . It’s just that he is old after all, and now he is no longer in command for the Ming Dynasty... In the past, when he was in command, His Majesty and the princes in the court were responsible for coordinating the logistics and food for him. Now, if he wants to go on a safe expedition, where can he come from such a generous person? family property?"
"They can't break through the field. Even if they suffer losses, it's just because the progress of the sinicization of the grassland is slower. He still wants to stay in Helin, so he let me, his son, lead the troops to gain experience. Although I chased the bandits all the way, It’s hard work, but fortunately the Duoyan cavalry under my command are quite loyal. They are grassland people, and they don’t waste much time fighting on the grassland..."
"Leading the cavalry to run around? This won't work. It can't be wiped out. Look at your black eye sockets. Sooner or later, you will become a tired soldier. If I hadn't seen the beacon fire coming out of the seclusion in the Great Wall, I'm afraid these thousand You can't catch anyone." Zhu Di shook his head, disapproving of Xu Yungong's tactics.
Xu Yungong was silenced by what he said. "I...I am not good at military affairs. I only know how to build ships in the shipyard. My father entrusted me with this great responsibility, but I have failed to live up to my father's expectations." After saying that, he shed tears.
Zhu Di was silent for a moment and took out a volume of letters from his arms. "Let's take a look at this."
"What is this?" Xu Yungong took it and unfolded it. His expression changed: "What? Yesudie'er agreed to share the Western Region with Timur?"
"Is the news accurate?"
"Accurate." Zhu Di nodded. There was already a bit of solemnity in his expression. "This letter was obtained by my second brother who sent people to the Western Regions to get information from Timur's empire after all the hard work. You must have heard of the people in the world under my second brother on the grassland. ability."
"When it comes to fighting in battle, they may not be able to do it. But when it comes to climbing over walls and gathering espionage, they are definitely top-notch experts."
"However, this Western Region is now in the hands of the Chagatai Khanate...that is, Yilibaili. This Yilibaoli is one of the four great khanates of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty. Yesudie'er claims to be the Great Mongolian Empire. Khan inherited the legal system of the Great Mongol Kingdom, the predecessor of Yuanting."
"He would actually take the initiative to make an appointment with Timur to carve up his own khanate under the Great Mongolian Kingdom?"
Xu Yungong couldn't believe it.
"What a great Mongolian country, you are just a bandit." Zhu Di dismissed it. "In the past, when Meng Yuan was still there, he was still doing this. In fact, he no longer took Emperor Yuanting seriously."
"Now that Yesudi'er has regained his robberish nature, he naturally won't care about his legal reputation."
"The combined territory of these four khanates is much vaster than today's Oara. When Yesudie'er first emerged in the West, it was natural that he wanted to swallow up the power of these four khanates."
"The other khanates are still far away. The Chagatai Khanate's extremely thin camels are bigger than horses... It's normal for him to be unable to chew for a while."
"Under the pressure of our Ming Dynasty, Yesudier is eager to increase his strength, and it is not unexpected to seek skin from the tiger. Moreover, if it comes to truth, then Timur of the Timur Empire also married a member of the Golden Family. Where is the woman!"
"Timur is also playing the role of the Golden Family. Generally speaking, they are of the same origin and the same clan. Isn't it normal to form an alliance and work together? The Timur Empire is also annexing to the east. Can it be moved? They must also be willing to open up the Chagatai Khanate as a stumbling block."
"This is..." Xu Yungong felt extremely shaken. He knew that the reason why the Timur Khanate wanted the Western Regions was to open up a road eastward to the Central Plains, thereby plundering the rich land of China.
As for Yesudier, he could take the initiative to give up the Hexi Corridor to the Timurid Empire and give up the road for the Timurid Empire to attack the western border of the Ming Dynasty. Then he can take advantage of the struggle between the Ming Dynasty and the Timurid Empire to engulf the eastern grasslands and increase his strength...
"Has Ying Tian got the news? What's the purpose?" Xu Yungong said.
"The news has been sent to Yingtian, but after all, it's a long way, and I don't know what kind of decree dad has given." Zhu Di said, his expression became serious. "It's just that I have already made a decision."
"I want to march westward."
He looked into Xu Yungong's eyes and spoke word by word.
(End of chapter)
