In the twenty-seventh year of Chongzhen, that is, in the spring of 1654, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong began to flee westward after packing up.
Along the way, war broke out all over Persia again. The city to the west, which had not been affected by the bandits, was also patronized at this time.
At this time, Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng both had rifled siege cannons in their armies, so the difficulty of attacking the city was greatly reduced. It can almost be said that no city on the march of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng was spared.
The coalition forces of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng did not continue to go west, but eventually turned back to the place that originally belonged to Iraq and headed for Africa.
Of course, these places are currently the territory of the Ottoman Empire.
Although the generals on the border of the Ottoman Empire heard about the civil strife in Persia, there were thieves from the Far East wreaking havoc. But for him, the most important thing is to report the situation. Whether to take advantage of the situation or not is not something he can decide.
As far as the eye is concerned, the Ottomans are more gloating about their misfortune. They absolutely did not expect that the bandit army raging in eastern Persia would suddenly march westward and invade Ottoman territory.
What makes them even more unexpected is that in their impression, the combat power of the bandit army is definitely not as good as that of the regular army, and the ordnance and equipment are even more rubbish.
The result was good. The weapons used by the bandit army they encountered were the weapons that the most elite Ottoman troops wanted.
Under the superposition of these unexpected circumstances, the Ottoman local army was unable to stop the offensive of the coalition forces of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, and was immediately swept away.
It can be said that the coalition forces of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng almost swept through the Suez Canal area in later generations, invaded Egypt, and was currently an area controlled by the Ottoman Empire, all the way into Africa.
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Abbas II detected the sudden departure of the bandits to the west, and after confirming that it was true, he was immediately overjoyed and quickly led his remaining soldiers back to the country. Unexpectedly, the Ming army in Lahore took the opportunity to attack Kandahar and other places. Using the sharpness of their artillery, they captured Kandahar not long after Abbas II led his troops to leave.
Abbas II had already felt cold in his heart when he saw the ruins and dilapidated conditions in Persia. As a result, at this time, when he heard that the Ming army not only captured Kandahar, but also invaded Persia, right behind him, he was dumbfounded.
What does it mean that a leaky house attracts wind and rain all night? This is it!
As soon as the wolf in front of him left, the tiger from behind came looking for him. How could he survive?
The Bukhara Khanate, which had already taken Kabul, had already sent troops to join forces with the Persian army. When they heard that the Ming army declared Persia an enemy and invaded Persian territory, they were so frightened that they immediately fled back to their own country. The Khan King Abdullah Aziz sent an envoy to the Ming army to express his intention to be the enemy of the Ming army.
To the north of the Bukhara Khanate is the Volga River Basin. The Torgut tribe there is already part of the Ming Dynasty, and many Ming troops are stationed there. To the south, the Ming army has occupied the Mughals and invaded. to Persia.
With such great momentum, and the fact that the Bukhara Khanate was far from its heyday at this time, with constant civil strife and separatism, it was strange that Abdullah Aziz still had the guts to become an enemy of the Ming army!
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Aqidu was a close confidant of the Khan King. After arriving at the Ming army's camp, he was stunned by the Ming army's formation.
Just the uniform uniforms of the Ming army, the distinctive armor, and the standardization of unified ordnance had already shocked him. At the same time, the Ming army officers and soldiers he saw were either practicing or patrolling. They all moved neatly and lined up in the same formation. He could tell that this Ming army was definitely an elite one.
There are also artillerymen who are wiping the barrels of the guns. The rows of cannons are large, medium and small, and the visual impact is also great.
The most important thing is that on the Ming army, the spirit shown by the soldiers up and down, even people who don't understand soldiers, can tell what kind of army this is!
Therefore, when Aqidu was welcomed and met Sun Chuanting, the commander-in-chief of the Ming army, his humility was clearly demonstrated. Because he knew that the Bukhara Khanate was definitely no match for the Ming army. Once the Ming army is angered and allowed to divert its troops to attack the Bukhara Khanate, the country will definitely be destroyed.
Sun Chuanting looked at the Uzbeks bending down below and said calmly: "You formed an alliance with Persia, which was originally the enemy of our Ming Dynasty. But now you say that this is actually a misunderstanding. That's fine, I'm looking at your sincerity! If you are truly sincere, I will believe your explanation."
After being translated and hearing the words of Commander Ming, Aqidu quickly replied: "You must be sincere, absolutely sincere!"
"Okay!" When Sun Chuanting heard this, he stared at him and said, "Then send five thousand sheep, thirty thousand shi of grain, and five thousand cavalry to fight with the army. In this way, I will believe in your sincerity. And , I can petition the imperial court to make your Bukhara Khanate a vassal state of my Ming Dynasty!"
What can stop the Ming army is never how strong the enemy is, but the logistical constraints and the influence of the climate.
After entering Persia, according to the plan, this place will become a new province established by the Ming Dynasty and will be directly under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, the army cannot be as unscrupulous as it was in Dashun State, regardless of people's livelihood.
As a result, the army will have more needs for food and supplies. According to the previous discussion at the Imperial Conference in Nanjing, the Bukhara Khanate could be used as a vassal state and become a dumping ground for Ming Dynasty goods and a supply place for Persian conquests.
This time, the Bukhara Khanate came together on its own, as Sun Chuanting said.
Of course, if the Bukhara Khanate does not come together and does not have this awareness, Sun Chuanting will change the direction of his military use and teach the Bukhara Khanate how to behave!
Most people in the Bukhara Khanate are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, among which irrigation projects are relatively developed.
At this time, Aqidu couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed when he heard Sun Chuanting's request.
At this time, the Bukhara Khanate was not very powerful. Under constant civil strife, the Safavid Dynasty of Persia, the Afshar Dynasty, the Mughal Dynasty of India, and the Khiva Khanate also took the opportunity to invade frequently. Generally speaking, it is also poor.
Although it is possible to get what Ming Dynasty requires, it is definitely not easy.
Originally, King Abdullah Aziz of the Bukhara Khanate came to Kabul from Persia and felt that he was the master of the ZTE. However, he did not expect that the situation took a turn for the worse. Under the power of the Ming army, everything might be in vain. Now that he has to take out these grain and grass supplies, it will definitely be a blow to his reputation.
When Aqidu was hesitating, Sun Chuanting continued to say: "Once it becomes a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, it will be protected by the Ming Dynasty. When encountering a crisis that cannot be solved, as long as you ask for help from the Ming Dynasty, you will receive assistance. The Ming Dynasty can also ask for help from the Ming Dynasty. The vassal state is open to the purchase of goods, including firearms. As long as you can afford the money, you are allowed to buy and sell..."
Interest is the most practical thing, and it is impossible to make people willing to do it just by threatening it.
Sun Chuanting knew this very well, so he briefly introduced the benefits that could be obtained by becoming a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.
In fact, he was sure that if he told the Persian emperor this, Abbas II would definitely be very willing to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. It's just a pity that the Ming Dynasty took a fancy to his territory, so it was impossible for Persia to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty!
As soon as Aqidu heard what Sun Chuanting said later, his face that was originally a little embarrassed suddenly turned gloomy and became clear very quickly. If he hadn't been afraid of interrupting Sun Chuanting, he would have probably interrupted Sun Chuanting long ago.
After finally waiting for Sun Chuanting to finish speaking, Aqidu nodded quickly and replied: "Dear Sir, our Bukhara Khanate is very willing to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. As long as we can become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, everything is easy to talk about, Yang And food, I will report it to our Khan King immediately, and it will definitely be delivered soon!"
As a second-tier dealer in Daming firearms, Portugal has made a lot of money, which is obvious to all. There are already rumors that the relationship between Portugal and Ming Dynasty is absolutely extraordinary.
Now, if the Bukhara Khanate becomes a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty and can also purchase firearms from the Ming Dynasty, even if it is not used by itself and can be resold, it will definitely be a profitable business. Not to mention, if the Bukhara Khanate can equip itself with Daming firearms, it can expand westward, attack Turkmen, Crimean Khanate, etc., and unify these regions.
As for domestic rebellions and local dissenters, King Khan can also suppress them forcefully!
In short, after becoming a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, there were too many benefits for the Bukhara Khanate!
There is a saying to describe it: If you don’t want to be the king of a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, you are not a good king!
In the end, Aqidu hurried back to report. Without any surprise, Abdullah Aziz not only delivered the sheep and grain Sun Chuanting requested, but the number was much larger, and the cavalry was also in place. In short, I am afraid that if I am not satisfied with it, I will lose the qualification to be a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.
Then, after getting Sun Chuanting's promise, Abdullah Aziz took Sun Chuanting's letter with him and went to the capital of the Ming Dynasty in person to pay tribute to the saint.
On Sun Chuanting's side, after receiving the supply of grain and grass materials from the Bukhara Khanate, he did not pursue Abbas II's army. Instead, he carried out operations in Persia in a steady and step-by-step manner.
For the poor people in Persia, they were all appeased, and the land of the fleeing Persian nobles was divided. If there was no food, the Ming army would also herd sheep and grain so that they could hold on until the land was harvested.
Crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes that were shipped from China have also begun to be promoted in Persia.
In short, Abbas II was in the front collecting grain, grass and young men to cope with the Ming army's offensive, while the Ming army was in the back to appease people and stabilize the place.
