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 help answer: "There are many. Now, 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.
Combining 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. It is inevitable to get some blood stains."
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 aristocrats. Civil servants had administrative power in the Timur Khanate, but their influence was far less than that of the Ming Dynasty 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 are actually very obvious, that is, as long as the Ming Dynasty does not use its status as a suzerain to save face, it forces the Timurid Khanate to send New Year's coins like the Iron-Blooded Song Dynasty, or directly cedes its territory, thereby embarrassing 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 the overall situation into consideration, 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 between Daming and Timur Khanate.
The Prime Minister of the Du Mu Khan Kingdom, Alduo, is very determined. Although he is required to be in Daming, he still maintains his position. Many conditions he believes that violate the principles, and strive for words.
However, the other senior officials and nobles of the Timu Mido Military Missile Group have been negotiated for several days in a row, and the consumption of the brain makes their faces look pale. Obviously, the domestic civil strife is very passive. In addition, these calculations are already the calculations. Let them work hard.
"Dear Zhuo Shangshu."
Alduosha is open, and his voice is a bit hoarse: "Now our country is in trouble. We hope that as the country of heaven, we can give us some assistance and help us through this difficulty."
Zhuo Jing twisted Silver's smiling slightly, but there was no warmth in the smile: "Assistance? Of course, but you also know that we are not doing good deeds.
"There are some controversial points just now, and if you can agree, these conditions can be promised."
Zhuo Jing took out the alternative solution again.
The members of the Timur Midn looked at each other, obviously that Daming had no predictions that Daming was so tough and resolute.
Alduosha took a deep breath and tried to stabilize his emotions.
Zhuo Jing passed the plan. During the other party's reading, two fingers stretched out and tapped the desktop gently: "In fact, it is very simple. First, we need you to open more trade ports. In the list, these ports allow our businessmen to freely enter and exit your country, including the legal traffic and transportation rights of land and river; second, we need you to support us in certain military operations, such as the action of Tianzhu. "
The kingdom of Ceylon, as a thorn on the west section of the Manchuka Strait, is of course removed.
But in addition, Tianzhu, as the pearl with the Crown of the British Empire, is so domesticated. Jiang Xinghuo has no meaning.
In Jiang Xinghuo's global strategy, Daming now only achieves the first step, that is, the absolute hegemony is achieved east of the Manchuka Strait, and the three -ring diplomatic system has been established.
But this is obviously not enough. The next step is to obtain the stronghold in Ceylon and Nantianzhu, establish a fleet base, and then be close to Egypt.
If Timur Khanate can sign this contract, then the Ocean Fleet of the Daming will not only obtain the right to supplies the port in the Harriller's actual control zone, but also allows Timur Khanate The sheep dynasty and the Maruk dynasty.
In this way, in the east of Africa, Daming was completely unobstructed.
After doing this, you can try to bypass Africa and establish a direct trade connection with the West.
The last step is to get potato corn and sweet potatoes to the Americas, which greatly improves grain production and ability to resist disaster.
So far, if it can be fully implemented, a trade network dominated by Daming worldwide is completely established, and even with the advancement of technology and population, Daming colonials will become "Sun and Moon The worldwide empire that does not fall "is a matter of course.
With this historical process, the new class will soon develop, and more backward vampires will inevitably be eliminated.
These conditions obviously surprised the Timu Mida.
However, if you don't need to accept the conditions that they seem to be unbearable, this new supplementary solution does not seem to be so unacceptable.
They began to talk in Persian, trying to find out the response.
Zhuo Jing sat opposite quietly and observed their reactions.
He knew very well that the critical moment of this negotiation had arrived.
After a period of discussion, Alduosha spoke again: "Zhuo Shangshu, we understand your conditions. But we must admit that these conditions are a bit difficult for us. Our country is now in civil strife and cannot be unable to cannot Immediately meet your requirements, but we are willing to make concessions in other respects. For example, increase the number of tributes, or open a specific city on the traditional Silk Road as a discussion. "
Zhuo Jing shook his head: "Not enough. What we need is more substantial concessions. If you cannot meet our conditions, then I am sorry, we cannot provide your weapons and food assistance."
The negotiations fell into a deadlock again.
But the arranged Fu An walked gently to Zhuo Jing, whispered a few words, and Zhuo Jing nodded slightly after hearing it.
Zhuo Jing said to the Timur Mast to say: "We can consider giving you some time, but in any case, if we cannot meet the conditions of Daming, then we will have to re -consider the position of Daming in the national war in Timur Khan."
This is what you mean to talk to me, so I will go to the opponents such as Shaharu and other opponents.
Under the huge pressure of Daming, Alduosha eventually had to succeed, he had no other way.
Daming basically reached the negotiation requirements of Jiang Xinghuo's design in advance. Those who can talk about it, including the establishment of an Angel Museum, an open port, etc., and even some conditions such as inland business. For concessions, as for whether there is an excuse to come to personal cash on personal cash on this, I don't know.
Some conditions, Daming may not be able to use it now, but now that it is talked about, it will be inaccurate in the future.
As Zhu Xi returned to Nanjing, the content of the Ministry of Li was officially presented. As long as Zhu Xi nodded in printing, the "Daming and Timur Khan Guo Friendship and Trade Navigation Contract" was officially effective because Aldu There is Harriller's full authorization on the Shatler.
After all, Alduo is unlikely to talk about sending someone back to send a letter to Harriller, asking "Can you agree" and the like. If this is the case. It's all a problem.
Alduosha and his group were solemnly led into the Nanjing Palace.
The towering palace shows the majesty of the Ming Dynasty.
Through the high threshold of the palace, they finally came to the palace to meet the main hall of foreign envoys.
In the Fengtian Temple, Zhu Xi was sitting on a tall dragon chair, waiting for their arrival.
Alduosha and others respectfully salute the emperor according to the etiquette taught by the Ministry of Rites, and then submitted Harriller's sweaty Chinese book.
At this moment, the air seemed to be filled with an intangible tension.
Alduo conveyed the greetings and sincerity of Harriller's sweat to Zhu Xi, and elaborated the desire to establish a friendly relationship with Daming in detail.
Because there are preparations in advance, Timur also has a master who can write Chinese aspects, so he is sincere and sincere, and has won a hint of affection for the ministers.
However, the last time Timur Khan Guo turned his face like this, so with the lesson of the car, Zhu Xi didn't go to his heart, but just nodded slightly.
If it is written with modern diplomatic rhetoric, it is "His Majesty the Emperor expressed the respect of Daming's domestic affairs to Timur Khan to Alhuusha and others. Based on the consistent friendship of the two countries, he expressed his willingness to be with Timur Khanate. Commonly maintaining the peace and stability of the region. Seeing continued in a friendly and solemn atmosphere, the two parties conducted in -depth discussions and exchanges on the issues of common concern. Although there were differences in some issues, both sides showed a great performance. The patience and sincerity, strive to seek consensus and solutions, and finally concluded this time with the joint efforts of both parties. This historic contact has laid the continuous development of the friendly relationship between Timur Khan Guo and Daming. The foundation also brings new hope to the peace and prosperity of the region. "
In April of the four years of Yongle, the Prime Minister of the Du Mu Khan Kingdom Alvasha and Daming signed the "Affairs Contract of Friendship of Daming and Timur Khan Guo". At this point, Daming reconciled with Timuru Khan Guo and established formal diplomatic relations. .
And the impact of this contract is undoubtedly very far -reaching. In addition to some things on the market, Daming not only obtained the guarantee that the Khanate Khan Country Khan Country in Nan Tianzhu was not interfered, but also basically ensured that the Ocean Fleet could sail all the way to Africa all the way to Africa all the way to Africa all the way to Africa. Unimpeded and can be replenished along the way.
This has given great promotion to the implementation of Daming's establishment of a global hegemony strategy.
In addition, Daming also realized the intervention of Timurhan Khan's domestic war. With Daming's assistance, although Harrler could not immediately defeat his four uncle and elder brother, at least it was not pushed by others all the way. Although Daming’s food and weapons assistance is expensive, this blood transfusion line is exchanged for real gold and silver, but there is much stronger than no. After the Eastern Army returned to China, many lords and nobles were unable to control it at all. Back to the land with his own army, this also led to the extremely weakening of Harrille power. Daming's assistance was a life -saving straw for him.
It was just that before the life -saving straw was delivered to him, Harrler had to insist on it.
Harrler is not an overwhelming Abdo. He is still more aggressive. He quickly completely controlled the estuary of the central area and the south of the south. In this way, under the intervention of Daming, from the four years of Yongle The civil war fell into an deadlock, and no one could not help anyone, so the huge empire created by Timur in the fact and the nominal split after his death was formed.
——————
The afterglow of the dusk was sprinkled on the golden tile red wall of the Nanjing Palace, plating a layer of golden glory for the majestic palace.
Zhu Xuan was sitting in the study, and his expression was a bit complicated, and he could see quite tangled.
For Zhu Xi, he completed the reconciliation with Timur Khanate, but he did not make him happy.
Zhu Xi returned to Nanjing this time, and did not bring many troops. The main force of the Beijing camp still stayed in the north.
Because the construction of Beizhi Lili also requires these soldiers, Zhu Xi given the logic given on the bright side very simple. He does not intend to raise idle people. So many soldiers are idle. Volume their incomplete strength.
But in fact, Zhu Xi had a selfishness to keep the army in the north.
Because of returning from the expedition, Zhu Xi has been hovering in his heart: Was Zhu Gaochi, the eldest son who is good at government affairs, as Chu Jun, or the second son of the second son Zhu Gaojun, who is brave?
This question is like a double -edged sword, no matter how he chooses, he is destined to hurt one of the sons.
Zhu Gaochi, gentle and polite, calm and elegant. Since his youth, he has shown extraordinary government talents. He handles the politics of the DPRK and is affected by the Wenchen.
Although Zhu Gaoyu, although his personality is violent, he is brave and unparalleled. He has repeatedly made strange achievements on the battlefield. It is the pride in Zhu Xi's heart and Zhu Xi who thinks the most like his son.
The previous agreed period, even if it was postponed by the war, it was coming to the time, and Zhu Xi had to make a choice.
Zhu Xi closed his eyes, and his two sons appeared in his mind. Their advantages and disadvantages of their respectives were like two mirrors, reflecting the struggle and contradictions deep in his heart.
The construction progress of Nan Zhili and Bei Zhili, Zhu Xi has seen it.
According to the agreement, after the construction of Nan Zhili, various data were recorded in the case, and then cut off.
Nan Zhili has developed over the years. It is not bad.
Because of this, Bei Zhili, led by Zhu Gaoyu, even if there is a dynamic balance algorithm, there is still no high chance of winning, because the time left for Zhu Gaoyu has not been too much. Although the time has been added an additional time to show fairness, this period of time is actually developing theoretically, so it is not too much to make up. For a few months of time, even the number of dynamic balance in Beili is also very It is difficult to surpass the leapfrog development of Nan Zhili in the past few years.
Zhu Xi is actually very clear that as the emperor, he should choose the son who can bear the heavy responsibility of the country.
But as a father, how can he give up his deep love for another son?
Time passed by every minute, Zhu Xi's heart was still like a mess. He opened his eyes and looked at the sky that was gradually dim outside the window, and sighed deeply.
This is not another decision, this is the big position of Chu Jun.
Chu Jun may not necessarily become the emperor in the future, because there are many things in history in the abolition of Prince Prince, but anyway, this is a major event related to the country.
This decision is destined to change the fate of the two sons, and it will also affect the future of the entire Ming Dynasty. Zhu Xi must consider it carefully and not have any negligence.
However, no matter how Zhu Xi sits in the study how to think and analyze, his heart cannot give a clear answer.
This kind of tangling made him feel a little tired even if he was full of energy, and his slight helplessness made him seem to be caught in a vortex that could not escape.
The night was like ink, deep and quiet, and the lights in the palace swayed in the warm air of early summer, as if feeling the waves of Zhu Xi's heart.
Zhu Xi stood up from the seat, stood in front of the study of the study alone, penetrated the dark night, looking towards the distant and deep starry sky, trying to find a trace of guidance from there.
His heart is like a battlefield, two emotions, two expectations of fierce confrontation.
Zhu Gaochi's calmness and wisdom, Zhu Gao's courage and pride, flashed alternately in his mind, and each flash was like a knife cut, making him more tangled.
The night is getting deeper and deeper, and the hustle and bustle of the palace has gradually retreated, and only a few lone lamps sway in the wind.
Zhu Xi still sat in the royal study room, his brows were locked, and the entanglement in his heart was like a mess, cutting continuously, and chaotic. Even the breeze caused by the drizzle outside the window could not relieve the irritability of his heart.
He closed his eyes and tried to find a trace of light in the darkness. However, the figure of the two sons lingered like a nightmare. He knew that he couldn't go on like this, and he had to make a decision as soon as possible.
So, he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted outside the door: "Come!"
After a while, a little eunuch hurried in: "Your Majesty."
"Go, call the three prince Zhu Gaozhen." Zhu Xi revealed a hint of fatigue in the voice.
After a while, Zhu Gaozhen came to the study, and Zhu Gaozhen looked calm, as if he had already expected it all.
"Father Emperor, I didn't know what happened to see the children at so late?" But Zhu Gaozhen asked carefully.
Zhu Xi did not answer, but turned his gaze to Zhu Gaozhang: "Do you think, who should I stand as Chu Jun?"
Zhu Gaozheng bowed slightly, and then bowed: "Father Emperor, this is a state affairs, and the children dare not say arrogantly."
"Isn't the state affairs a family affairs? Are you not the Zhu family?"
Zhu Xi waved his hand: "But say it is okay. Chu Jun's position is to be off, and you go to Luzon."
Zhu Gaozhen groaned for a moment and said slowly: "Father emperor, the two brothers are all dragons and phoenixes. No matter who stands for Chu Jun, it is the blessing of Daming, but the children think that the choice of Chu Jun should be able to inherit the father of the father. The guidelines are the first. "
Zhu Xi was caught in thought after hearing it. Zhu Gaozhen's words did not give the answer directly, but pointed out a direction for him.
Zhu Xi raised his head and looked at Zhu Gaozhen: "Can you think you are Chujun?"
Zhu Gaozhen did not expect that the Father Emperor would suddenly ask himself about this question. For a while, he was a little stunned, but he quickly reacted and bowed and said: "Father emperor, the children are bad, the text is not as good as the elder brother, Wu is not as good as the second brother. When this is a big job. "
Zhu Xi sighed, he no longer entangled his personal preference and emotion, but instead set his sights on the farther place -the future of the Daming Dynasty.
"knew."
Zhu Gaozhen was relieved, but Zhu Xi said again and said, "You go to the home teacher's house with you."
Zhu Gaozhen heard his words, and inexplicably remembered a allusion -Zhao Kuangyin visited Zhao Pu at night.
"What are you doing?" Zhu Xi looked at Zhu Gaozhang.
At this time, Zhu Gaozhang blurted out his inner thoughts. Zhu Xi heard the words and suddenly remembered that he went to prison for the first time, and he heard Jiang Xinghuo tell the story of Song Shi.
(End of chapter)
