"I think so too." Guo Kang agreed: "He said he was targeting the Ming Dynasty, but in fact it should be an attack on Eastern Chagatai. The goal is not to conquer, but to prevent others from attacking and destroying the core of his rule. district."
"Why is this?" Perdiccas asked: "If this is the case, there is no need to prepare so many people."
"East Chagatai is the hometown of the Western Regions. The war in that place cannot be copied from our thinking." Li Xuanying reminded: "Do you know the war between the Karakhan Dynasty and Khotan?"
"I read it when I was studying." Perdiccas nodded.
"Uncle Timur's main achievements seemed to be in the west, but when he was middle-aged, his biggest enemy was the Eastern Chagatai Khanate." Li Xuanying said: "And it was not the entire Khanate, but the tyrants of the Khanate. Hamaluddin - what Guo Kang just said, the man whose power was unstable, so he wanted to take refuge in the powerful officials of the Ming Dynasty."
"Hamaruddin's territory was roughly the Western Regions at that time, which was the area directly under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, his authority was often questioned, and many noble people did not listen to him. Even so, Hammaruddin took the initiative many times Attack Timur, compete for the Seven Rivers Basin and Fergana, and even directly threaten Samarkand."
"Timur and Hamaruddin fought for nearly thirty years. During this period, Timur invaded the Western Regions many times, but Hamaruddin was able to fight back every time. In the end, Timur finally invaded Kuqa and Khotan. , Hamaluddin was nowhere to be found, and this finally temporarily solved the threat in the east."
"This is why I feel that this war is very similar to the war between Karakhan and Khotan." He concluded: "Although Emperor Timur was good at fighting, to be honest, his side's performance in the war was just like A big Karakhan. After decades of fighting, even the eldest son was killed, and in the end such a separatist force was wiped out."
"But what about the other side? He set out from the river, and in more than ten years, he circled most of Asia. From Delhi to Kazan, to Ankara and Damascus, they were all conquered by his army."
"Think about it, if it were you, which side would you choose as your main expansion target?"
"Then why did he still declare that he wanted to conquer the Ming Dynasty?" Perdiccas continued to ask.
"Let's just take a look at the situation at the time." Li Xuanying said: "The strategic situation plays a decisive role in specific military operations. I have also studied this case specifically."
"At that time, the situation in East Chagatai changed. The story of the 'Bo'erzhijin's Orphan' was staged here."
"Hamaruddin's nephew Husuda was very loyal to the Khan. When Hamaluddin massacred the members of the Khan's chamber, he hid the Khan's son Hei Erhuo. Later, Hamaluddin was defeated and disappeared, and Husada supported Hei's son. Those who are full of fire are called sweat."
"The Black Erhuo people called themselves Khan probably in 1390. In 1391, their envoys arrived in Nanjing and met with Zhu Hongwu Hehan, expressing their intention to join the Ming Dynasty's international order."
"In 1399, Heidi Erhuo died and Shami Chagan came to the throne. He even publicly wrote to the emperor, asking for permission to conquer Timur in the west and regain the inherent territory of the Chagatai Khanate, Samarkand. The court also sent a special The envoy went to persuade him, saying that young people should not be too impulsive and be more steady."
"At this time, after ten years of management, Eastern Chagatai has stabilized internally and its strength has recovered. The core territory of Emperor Timur's uncle is the former home of Western Chagatai. The tyrant Hamaruddin fought hard to fight for it. Of course, the orthodox Great Khan will not let it go."
"Even if he doesn't march eastwards, others will come. In this case, it's better to take the initiative and eliminate the enemies before they are ready." Li Xuanying concluded: "Dongchagatai has a close relationship with the Ming Dynasty, so if we attack him, Ming Dynasty will definitely come forward. In this case, it is better to just say that I am going to Ming Dynasty."
"You see, if you say it directly, people will think that 'Timur is another jihadist' and a 'fake khan fighting against the orthodox Khan of the Chagatai family'; but if you put it another way, it becomes 'Timur the Warrior' "Younger challenges the chief leader of the pagans" and "God of War Tamerlane swears to break the myth of Peach Blossom Stone's invincibility". At least in terms of appearance, it looks much better. You can also deceive a bunch of passionate church members to help, what's the use of it? Why not?"
"That's it. I've been taught a lesson." Perdiccas suddenly realized.
"It's okay, it's okay." Li Xuanying waved her hand: "Propaganda is also an important part of war. As generals, we must also understand and learn."
Guo Kang also nodded.
At the beginning, the adoptive father was not optimistic about Timur's actions, thinking that he would not be able to conquer the Eastern Chagatai Khanate.
Even if Timur's Persian army succeeds in taking Beslopali, the effect will not be very good, because the nomadic nature of Eastern Chagatai is very strong, and the real strength of the Khan is the Mongolian tribes on the grassland. If these people start a guerrilla fight against him, the consequences will be more serious than the expedition to Tokhtamysh.
Although a large amount of food and supplies have been prepared, no one can say whether they can survive until the other side gives up - what if they, like Hamaluddin, spend another thirty years? And if the Ming Dynasty really intervenes, the situation will be even less optimistic.
The Purple Khan Court thinks that you should not worry about the east. Why don't we join forces again to defeat Egypt and overthrow the Mamluk dynasty?
If Egypt can be used well, it is also a very rich place. For this reason, Zi Zhang put forward a plan very early and began to prepare a fleet. He also invited the French who had also coveted the place for a long time, hoping that the three families would come together.
But this kind of thing involves the country's core interests, and Timur really can't compromise, so the plan can only be shelved. With the death of Emperor Timur's uncle, the country fell into division, and this plan came to nothing, which became a major regret for Zi Zhang.
"Uncle Timur is no longer here to help, and Beiyuan doesn't seem to be doing well. Should we find other ways?" Chief Treasurer Otrifus asked: "Can the northern route--I It’s just a hypothesis, can we start from Novgorod or Kazan, bypass these troublesome areas, and directly reach Liaoyang Province?”
