Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Fu An started from Gansu Town and headed southeast along the Hexi Corridor.

After passing Longshan and entering the Great Wall from Jingluwei, Fu An could clearly notice that compared with the fortresses in the cities and towns in the Hexi Corridor, the Ming army's troop distribution began to become more dense, even to the point of being abnormally dense.

There are military stations and fortifications of the Ming army in the countryside along the way, and even the auxiliary troops are generally equipped with leather armor. This shows that the Ming Dynasty did not dare to attack due to lack of troops and equipment, but planned to use the bastion group in the Hexi Corridor from the beginning. Consuming the supplies and morale of Timur's expeditionary force, he then fought a decisive battle west of Longshan, isolating the impact of the war outside the relatively densely populated Guanzhong.

After all, Timur came all the way, and the Gansu towns located in the Hexi Corridor are all military households. There is no possibility of defeating the enemy due to food. They can only consume their own supplies, but once Timur's army enters the heart of Shaanxi The region is different.

The Shaanxi Chengxuan Government Envoy Division has jurisdiction over eight prefectures, 21 prefectures, and 95 counties. In principle, the predecessor of Gansu Town, the "Shaanxi Xingdu Commandery Division", is the same as the Shaanxi Chengxuan Government Envoy Division and the Shaanxi Capital Commandery Division. It is a horizontal organizational system, and although Dusi and Xingdusi are military structures and theoretically have nothing to do with administrative divisions, those in border areas such as Liaodong Dusi or Shaanxi Xingdusi also have civil responsibilities, so they are called solid soil. Dusi or Shituxingdusi. In the Ming Dynasty, Gansu Town and Shaanxi Dusi were all managed as one at the level of first-level administrative divisions.

The Shaanxi Chengxuan Government Envoy Si Yamen is based in Xi'an Prefecture. After passing through Pingliang Prefecture and Fengxiang Prefecture, Fu An reached the end of this journey.

Standing under the majestic city wall of Xi'an, looking up at this ancient capital that had gone through vicissitudes of life, Fu An felt an indescribable excitement in his heart. He knew that he was about to meet the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and that he was in some kind of situation. In a sense, he is responsible for the safety of the entire Ming Dynasty.

Soon Fu An arrived at Prince Qin's Mansion. The city of Prince Qin's Mansion was built with two layers of city walls inside and outside. It was narrow from east to west and long from north to south. The south side was slightly protruding in the shape of an inverted "convex". There was a brick city inside and a Xiao wall outside. The Xiao wall and the brick city were built inside. In between is the rippling moat, which is introduced from the Chan River in the east of the city through Longshou Canal. The entire palace has a circumference of 28 miles and 800 palaces. It is not only the largest building complex in Xi'an, but also wider than all the princes' palaces. Its grandeur and scale are second only to the Nanjing Imperial Palace, and even cannot compare to Zhu Di's unexpanded Yan Palace. You must know that the Yan Palace was rebuilt on the basis of the Yuan Dynasty Palace. This shows how grand the Qin Palace is.

At this time, because the emperor was stationed, Qin King Zhu Shangbing, who had just been deprived of the power of the three bodyguards, was also very sensible and obediently got out of the Qin Prince's Mansion and went to live outside.

At this time, Zhu Di was not in the palace, but in the garden of the Qin Palace. The Qin Palace used a large number of soft blue glazed tiles, and the garden architecture was even more elegant and quiet. The fish and lotus in the pond were moving and quiet, and the rockery pavilions by the pond were reflected in the water. Zhu Di liked it very much. here.

When Fu An followed the palace attendants to the audience, he was taken to a pond full of white lotus flowers. There were golden carp in the pond, and the palace maid was playing bang on the bank of the pond. When she heard the sound, the golden carp jumped out of the water in an instant. The fight for fish food is truly spectacular.

There is a rockery built of earth and rocks behind the pond, and there are more than ten pavilions and pavilions nearby. It is the spring of the third year of Yongle. Here, the begonias are red, the pear blossoms are white, and all kinds of flowers are in full bloom, which is particularly lovely.

Fu An took a deep breath, tried to calm down his excitement, and then stepped inside.

The attic was filled with fragrance, and Zhu Di was sitting on the throne, which was a throne carved with dragons and phoenixes. The back of the chair was embroidered with the sun, moon and stars. Zhu Di knocked on the armrest, looking at Fu An below with eyes like torches.

He has received the secret message from Song Sheng, the Marquis of Xining, and Zhu Di is thinking about whether Fu An is really reliable.

Fu An only felt an invisible pressure rushing towards him, but he knew that he could not retreat. He straightened his back and reported in a deep voice.

Fu An was very careful with every word he said. He knew that the information he mentioned might affect the future of Ming Dynasty, so he did not dare to conceal or exaggerate at all, and just reported everything he knew truthfully.

Zhu Di listened to Fu An's report. When he heard the specific strength and layout of the Timur Khanate and the intelligence collection situation, a chill flashed in his eyes. When he heard that there were internal conflicts and divisions, his eyes flashed. Another imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

After listening to the report, Zhu Di quickly made a judgment. The information Fu An brought back was crucial to the Ming Dynasty. He not only wanted to thank Fu An for his loyalty and courage comparable to Su Wu, but also thanked him for bringing back the information for the Ming Dynasty. of this valuable information.

Zhu Di was silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke: "Fu Qing, this information of yours, especially the fact that Timur is seriously ill and Khalil plans to cut off the supply of the forward, is like timely rain for Ming Dynasty, solving my urgent need. The generals will be summoned immediately to discuss countermeasures."

"In the past, Su Wu of the Han Dynasty sent the Huns to the Xiongnu for nineteen years before they returned to Guji. The Zhizhi Chanyu was actually harmed. Looking at Fu Qing's affairs now, it is very similar.

Fu Qing has been able to persevere in the Timur Khanate for so many years. I will not treat my meritorious officials badly. "

When Fu An heard the emperor's affirmation, a warm current surged in his heart.

For him, Fu An, any appointments and awards were actually not as important as the Ming Dynasty's recognition of him, a lonely minister outside the territory.

Zhu Di directly asked Yang Shiqi beside him to draw up the decree: "Give Fu An ten Pasi Bawen silver coins, a collar of unicorn clothing, ten pieces of yarn, three pieces of cotton, 20,000 Ming Dynasty treasure notes, and be promoted to Shaoqing of Taichang Temple."

Zhu Di was not stingy with his rewards. Fu An's original post was the seventh rank in the official position, and the fourth rank as the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple. This was equivalent to being promoted to the sixth rank in a row. In normal times, it would be impossible. If it weren't for Fu, An's great perseverance and great achievements would probably be hard to come by even if we look at the entire history of the Ming Dynasty.

And Zhu Di continued: "Now the Ming Dynasty attaches great importance to foreign exchanges with neighboring countries. Since Fu Qing is proficient in Persian and other languages, and knows the customs and customs of Western countries, he can assist the Ministry of Rites to cultivate more officials who can station abroad. If Zheng He's fleet When I come back, I can go to sea with them next time and set up angel halls in Western countries. The National Master is very interested in this aspect. When I get to Nanjing, I can ask the National Master for more advice."

"yes."

——————

Zhu Di was sitting in the side hall of the palace, his eyes as deep as a pool. The light coming from the window lattice made Zhu Di's face half-dark. His eyes swept across the generals standing solemnly in the hall. Iron-blooded men who have fought hundreds of battles, their eyes sparkle with the desire for the coming war.

Zhu Di believed that the three major battalions that had experienced the Northern Expedition were more than enough even to face Timur's expeditionary army head-on.

But war is not a game of chess. There is no need to put your horses and horses in all situations to confront the enemy head-on. Being able to consume the enemy, find opportunities for combat, and achieve final victory is the essence of war.

Fu An brought back the news that Timur was seriously ill and that Khalil had usurped power. However, Zhu Di had experienced many battles and knew that there might be fraud, so he did not believe it entirely, but made a decision after weighing it for a moment.

"Everyone."

Zhu Di spoke slowly, with a low and powerful voice: "You have all seen the intelligence. Timur is seriously ill, and his expeditionary army is torn apart. Emperor Khalil is secretly planning to cut off the food and grass supplies of pioneer Harry Sultan. We want to use the help of our army to eradicate this serious threat."

After hearing this, the generals exchanged glances with each other. They naturally understood what the civil strife in Timur's empire meant to the Ming army - this was an opportunity that could change the structure of the Western Region and even the entire world.

Zhu Neng, who has the highest status among the generals, nodded: "If the intelligence is true, it is indeed a God-given opportunity, but Khalil wants to use our hands to get rid of Harry Sultan, huh, he is really good at calculating."

Someone said: "Timur is seriously ill, and his forward army will be in chaos. If we take this opportunity to attack, we will definitely win a complete victory."

"That being said, we still have to guard against it."

Another general frowned and said: "In case we attack rashly, this information is false. If we deliberately lure our army to abandon the bastion group and dispatch the main force to fight with it in the field, wouldn't it be playing into their plans?"

Zhu Di smiled slightly when he heard this, with a glint in his eyes: "What you all said makes sense. It is not ruled out that Timur's serious illness is false news, but this is also our opportunity. Even if it is false, how can I let the enemy get what he wants? ?”

With that said, Zhu Di stood up, walked to the map, pointed in the direction of Longshan and said: "Send the order and order all our army units to assemble in the direction of Longshan, and then go out to Liangzhou Guard to stand by. At the same time, ask the Marquis of Xining to send out scouts After ascertaining the situation, if Khalil really cuts off Hari Sultan's supply, we will take the opportunity to send cavalry to attack and defeat Timur's vanguard in one fell swoop; if it is just a bluff, we will stand still and wait and see what happens."

All the generals heard the words and agreed in unison.

Zhu Di's decision was not only a reflection of his confidence in the strength of the Ming army, but also a careful consideration of the battle situation.

Although it is thousands of miles away from Guanzhong to Liangzhou Guard, there are complete military stations along the way, and the army can march for more than ten days. When arriving at Liangzhou Guard, whether it is to strengthen the defense of the Hexi Corridor or to find fighters and Timurid's army The battle was all under the control of the Ming army.

No matter what, this kind of decision-making to advance, attack, retreat or defend is not wrong.

"The three thousand battalion must be deployed closer to the front."

Zhu Di's eyes turned to the map again. He pondered for a moment, then pointed to the position of Suzhou Guard and said: "If Timur's forward army is cut off from supplies, they can attack with cavalry groups and defeat Timur's army in one fell swoop."

His finger drew an arc on the map, which was the Ming army's offensive route and the enemy's death line. This route was the most likely passage for Timur's vanguard army to withdraw into Beslopali.

Finally, Zhu Di made a series of detailed arrangements, including the mobilization of various ministries, the storage of grain and grass, the actions of scouts, etc. Each of his arrangements was like a chess piece, which he skillfully placed on the chessboard. It constitutes a perfect battle situation picture.

At this time, Zhu Gaoxu, wearing a battle armor, strode out of the queue with his hands clasped in fists: "Father, I have something to say."

Zhu Di raised his head, a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes. The second brother was brave and good at fighting, and now he seemed to be developing towards a path of both wisdom and bravery. He was a rare general who could be cultivated.

"Let's talk."

Zhu Gaoxu looked at Zhu Di with bright eyes: "Father, I think that although Timur's news has not been confirmed, our army does have a chance. If the three thousand battalion needs to go to Suzhou Guard, I am willing to lead one there." Jingqi, using Shazhou Guard as their foothold, went to Hami Guard to find out the truth. If the news was true, they would take the opportunity to entangle Harry Sultan and create a fighting opportunity for the Three Thousand Battalion. Otherwise, the enemy had many cavalry and carried some supplies. Once If they withdraw, it will be difficult to pursue them.”

"And I'm a little worried."

Zhu Gaoxu further clarified his views: "If Harry Sultan is really forced, he may not go all the way back to Samarkand, but occupy Beslopali or go to the northern grasslands to join the Oara tribe. "

Zhu Neng, Duke of Chengguo, raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard the words. He knew the importance of this battle and understood what Zhu Gaoxu's words meant.

If the news is false, Zhu Gaoxu's move will undoubtedly put himself in danger; but if the news is true, this battle will disrupt the enemy's deployment and gain the initiative for the Ming army.

When Zhu Gaoxu's request echoed in the palace, Zhu Di did not respond immediately in his heart. He knew that as the king of a country and the commander-in-chief of the Ming army, he could not make decisions based only on passion or family affection. He needed What is considered is the entire war situation and the life and death of Ming Dynasty.

He closed his eyes and used his battle-hardened intuition to feel and analyze.

Although the news brought back by Fu An is important, the risk is equally huge. If this is Tamerlane's trick to lure the enemy, then the Ming army may fall into a desperate situation. But on the other hand, if the news is true, then Zhu Gaoxu's Taking the initiative to attack may win valuable fighter opportunities for the Ming army.

Because Zhu Di also knew very well that the deployment of the Three Thousand Battalion was already very far forward. If another forward cavalry was sent further forward, it would be difficult to get support from the rear on the battlefield. At that time, no matter the cavalry led by Zhu Gaoxu Whether you take the initiative to bite the enemy or fall into the trap and lure the enemy deeper, you can only rely on your own performance, and it is difficult for reinforcements to provide timely support.

Zhu Di thought for a moment and then slowly said: "Do you know the risks of this trip?"

Zhu Gaoxu replied calmly: "I naturally know that, and I don't care whether I fall into the trap or not. Just say that although Timur's forward army cannot attack our fortress, it does not mean that it cannot fight in the field. On the contrary, the enemy is also an elite who has fought many battles. But as a son of the royal family, now that the Ming Dynasty has been invaded by the Timur Khanate, I should take the initiative to share the worries of my father! I am willing to issue a military order. If I cannot complete the task, I am willing to be punished by military law!"

A hint of approval flashed in Zhu Di's eyes. Since the second brother took the initiative to challenge, he must have some plans.

So, Zhu Di nodded: "Okay! In that case, I will grant your request. You can select five thousand elite soldiers and generals. As the leader of the army, the Shazhou Guards must be careful before leaving."

A hint of joy flashed in Zhu Gaoxu's eyes, and he clasped his fists and bowed again: "Thank you very much, Father, for your trust! I will definitely live up to my mission!"

"At the same time, all troops and horses are ready for war and ready to support at any time."

As Zhu Di's order was issued, the entire main force of the Ming army stationed in Guanzhong began to take action, and Zhu Gaoxu also immediately began preparations for his expedition.

The sky was dimming, and the military camp outside Xi'an City was still shrouded in silence in the morning light. Zhu Di stood on the general commanding platform, looking through the mist from a distance at the cavalry team ready to go on the school field.

At the front of the team, Zhu Gaoxu was wearing Mingguang armor, carrying a long spear, and sitting astride a tall war horse.

Behind him were five thousand carefully selected cavalrymen, also wearing armor and holding weapons, arranged neatly on the school field.

Looking at his son's heroic figure, Zhu Di felt a surge of complex emotions in his heart, including pride, because Zhu Gaoxu was the most outstanding son in his eyes, a general he trained with his own hands, and a real "father-son soldier" with him. comrade-in-arms; there are also worries, because the battlefield is ruthless, and he is worried that his son will be injured or even sacrificed. But more of it is expectation and trust. Zhu Di believes that Zhu Gaoxu can complete this mission and win victory for the Ming army, just as he did in Bai Just like what was done in the battles of Gouhe, Gaocheng, Jiahe, Lingbi and other battles.

As the marching horn sounded, Zhu Gaoxu led the cavalry team to set off slowly. The horses' hooves walked in neat steps across the sandy ground of the school field and disappeared outside the camp gate.

Zhu Di watched them go away until their figures completely disappeared from sight.

At this moment, Zhu Di's inner state was like a silent volcano, seemingly calm on the surface, but actually turbulent inside.

As a battle-hardened commander, he has long been accustomed to the cruelty and uncertainty of war. However, when he watched his son Zhu Gaoxu lead the cavalry on the expedition, Zhu Di's inner defense was lightly touched. At least at this moment, he couldn't help but No longer the ruthless war machine, but a father worried about his son's safety.

However, as an emperor determined to establish immortal achievements, Zhu Di could not let these personal emotions affect his decision-making. He must remain calm forever. Therefore, he suppressed the worry and reluctance in his heart and continued to coordinate and deploy the rest. Various units of the Ming army marched towards the Hexi Corridor.

——————

The night is dark and the campfire is swaying.

Harry Sultan's face looked gloomy and uncertain under the firelight. It was completely different from the previous orders brought by official messengers. The news brought by his cronies was like a bolt from the blue, shocking him to pieces - Timur Khan had died of illness, and Khalil actually usurped military power.

In this way, it makes sense why the previous messenger asked him to continue to attack Hamiwei. Khalil did not want him to go back at all!

This news was undoubtedly a shock to Harry Sultan. Grandpa Timur was like a bright light in his heart. Now, this bright light suddenly went out, and his road ahead became dark.

What made him even more desperate was that Khalil had cut off his supplies, and no more supplies would be delivered from the rear.

All generals understand the consequences of insufficient food and grass, that is, the morale of the army is weakened. Don't forget that Bali and the countries in the Western Regions cannot provide much supplies. Harry Sultan's situation is precarious. He knows that he must make a decision as soon as possible, otherwise what awaits him There is only a dead end.

Harry Sultan paced back and forth in the camp, feeling as if his heart was shaking.

He thought about continuing to fight, but the Hamiwei's bastion was like an iron wall, and he had no chance at all.

He also thought about surrendering to Khalil, but thinking about his brother's cunning and ruthlessness hidden under his cheerful face, he gave up the idea.

But immediately, a thought flashed through his mind, and the ambition in Harry Sultan's heart burned like a fire.

The death of Timur Khan and the usurpation of power by Khalil made him realize that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Now he has more than 30,000 soldiers and horses, all of whom are elite soldiers. If his idea is feasible, Then not only can you get rid of the current predicament, but you can also take this opportunity to realize your own ambitions.

He stared deeply at Beslopali on the map. This country in the Western Region has an important geographical location. It has large oasis and several large rivers, which is suitable for grazing. It is his ideal new territory.

Capturing Beslopali would not only provide him with a stable base, but also allow him to use it as a springboard to gradually rule the entire Western Region and even erode the territory of the Oara people to the north.

Harry Sultan's heart was filled with nostalgia and longing for the Eastern Chagatai Khanate. It was a once glorious country with a vast territory and a powerful army. He dreamed of rebuilding the Eastern Chagatai Khanate and making it He became the overlord of the Western Region and made the entire Western Region surrender to his feet.

If this is achieved, it is not impossible to fight back to Samarkand in the future.

When Harry Sultan was sitting in the tent planning his future glory, the hurried footsteps of his cronies broke the tranquility in the tent, and the anxious look indicated the seriousness of the situation.

"Oh no!"

Panting, the confidants knelt in front of Harry Sultan: "There are Ming army cavalry dispatched from Shazhou Guard in large numbers and are coming towards us!"

When Harry Sultan heard this, his heart suddenly sank. He understood what it meant - there was a mole.

Without accurate intelligence, the Ming army, which planned to rely on the fortresses in the Hexi Corridor, would not have taken the initiative to change its strategy, let alone do it so quickly.

He quickly walked to the map, his eyes wandering back and forth in the direction of Gansu and Shaanxi. The Ming army was like a poisonous snake, quietly completing its assembly and biting his heart. Harry Sultan felt like a mirror in his heart. He must immediately Make a decision, otherwise the whole army will be annihilated waiting for him.

However, at this time, Hari Sultan had no way out. His supplies were cut off by Khalil. The sudden attack of the Ming army made him passive. He felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness in his heart, as if everything was under control. Developing in the direction you least want to see.

But Harry Sultan knew very well that it was useless whether he wanted to or not at this time.

"How many people are there in the Ming army?"

"About four to five thousand riders."

Harry Sultan's mind was still clear. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Don't be entangled by the Ming army's cavalry. If you get entangled, you won't be able to escape."

"Pass the order."

He said in a deep voice: "The whole army will continue to attack the Hami Guards fiercely, and then secretly withdraw the troops tonight."

As Harry Sultan's order was issued, busy footsteps sounded again in the military camp.

——————

Harry Sultan did not run away in the end.

Although his army had a lot of cavalry, infantry and engineers also accounted for a considerable proportion, while Zhu Gaoxu led pure cavalry, marching day and night, biting the tail of his army in the Gobi Desert.

Harry Sultan tried to send a small number of cavalry to break up the rear, but it had no effect.

As a last resort, Harry Sultan, who was overtaken, could only form a formation on the vast Gobi, intending to beat up the Ming army cavalry that was entangled with them before getting away.

On the opposite side, the formation of five thousand Ming army cavalry was like an unsheathed sword, with a cold light shining. Zhu Gaoxu was wearing heavy armor and sitting on a tall war horse. He was at the front of the formation, like the god of war. Come into the world.

The air was obscured by the dust and smoke kicked up by iron hoofs, and there was only chaos between heaven and earth. Following Zhu Gaoxu's order, the Ming army cavalry surged up like a tide, and the spears in their hands shone with a cold light, like the eyes of the god of death. sickle.

Harry Sultan quickly issued an order, ordering the archers to fire a dense rain of arrows at the charging troops of the Ming army. These archers of the Timur Khanate were well-trained. They drew their long bows to full length, and the rain of arrows roared through From the sky, shoot at the cavalry of the Ming army.

The Ming cavalry relied on their round shields and armor to withstand the rain of arrows, and rushed within fifty steps of Harry Sultan's troops.

Fifty paces is the best range for riding a bow.

Subsequently, the Ming cavalry began to cut through the Timurid phalanx with amazing tactical execution capabilities and returned to the starting position.

This is the "Mangu evil" tactic that the Mongols are best at. There are a considerable number of Ming army forward cavalry of Tartar officers in the army, who are also very skilled in this.

In this way, the Ming army cavalry led by Zhu Gaoxu always clung to Harry Sultan's troops. Once Harry Sultan started marching, they ran up to harass him. After being harassed so much, Harry Sultan once After forming an array, the Ming army would choose to avoid the battle or come up to ride and shoot and fly kites.

Harry Sultan really had no choice. The only countermeasure at this time was to fight with a group of cavalry.

But this means that the direct cavalry that Harry Sultan regarded as a treasure and that was unscathed in the siege battle may become abandoned, because although he has more than 7,000 cavalry under his command, he is not absolutely sure to defeat these Ming troops. cavalry.

And without this cavalry force, he would be equivalent to having his arm cut off. Not only would his mobility be greatly reduced, but it would also be difficult to occupy the magpie's nest.

And just when Harry Sultan hesitated repeatedly, his last chance was lost.

Zhu Gaoxu has confirmed that this vanguard army was indeed abandoned by the Timur Khanate. Thanks to Zhu Gaoxu's entanglement with him in the Gobi Desert for more than ten days, he and Anhou Huoli Huozhen led the Three Thousand Battalion and Shaanxi-Gansu and other places. There were more than 30,000 cavalrymen in pursuit.

Seeing the strength of the Ming army, the cavalry from Bali and the Western Regions, as well as Mongolian, Uighur and other tribes, also dispersed one after another.

The Ming army ignored these fleeing people. With only more than 30,000 troops left in Ali Sultan's army, a decisive battle began.

With every charge, countless lives disappear in the dust; with every swing of the knife, blood blooms into beautiful flowers in the air.

The sounds of iron weapons colliding, the neighing of war horses, and the shouts of soldiers intertwined together to form a tragic symphony.

The battle entered a fierce stage. The Ming army relied on the advantage of pure cavalry troops to continuously launch fierce charges. Although Harry Sultan's army was trapped, it showed amazing tenacity.

However, under the fierce attack of the Ming army, Harry Sultan's army gradually became tired. Their formation began to loosen and their morale began to decline.

However, at this critical moment, Harry Sultan personally led an elite cavalry to launch a counterattack. They were like a strong wind, sweeping the flanks of the Ming army.

The flanks of the Ming army fell into chaos instantly. Zhu Gaoxu witnessed all this, but did not show any panic. He knew that the decision made at this moment would determine the direction of the battle.

"Don't worry about him, let's break through from the center!"

Soon, Zhu Gaoxu led hundreds of armored cavalrymen in full armor and equipped with muskets, breaking through the center of the enemy's army and piercing their heart. The light cavalry of the Ming Army followed closely, waving the spears in their hands. and sword, shouting and charging towards the enemy.

"Bang bang bang!"

The sound of gunfire is continuous. This may be the first appearance of the "Pistol Cavalry" unit in the history of this world. However, no one has realized its significance at this time. Only when people in the future open the war history Only then will we realize that the emergence of firearms has quietly changed the tactics of the ancient cavalry.

The two sides once again fell into a fierce confrontation. On the battlefield, lives were constantly disappearing, but the courage of the soldiers did not diminish at all. They fought with all their strength for their own beliefs and glory.

In the end, after a long and arduous battle, the Ming army successfully defeated Harry Sultan's army by virtue of its superior hard power and slightly superior work and rest conditions.

Harry Sultan died heroically in the rebel army. His dreams and ambitions disappeared with his death. His army completely collapsed under the fierce attack of the Ming army. Their formation was completely disrupted, and the soldiers fell into disarray. They scattered and fled, while the Ming army took advantage of the victory and pursued them, not giving the enemy any chance to breathe.

When the last enemy cavalry disappeared in the dust, the noise on the battlefield gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of hunting carried by the wind.

Zhu Gaoxu slowly took off his pocket, and his tired but joyful face was revealed in the air. His eyes swept across the battlefield. Those once vivid lives have now become cold corpses, but their sacrifices have brought the Ming army's victory. victory.

Zhu Gaoxu ordered the troops to be gathered, counted the casualties, and at the same time sent scouts to detect the movements of the Timurid people. The battle was won, but the war was far from over.

Huoli Huozhen and Zhu Gaoxu convened their generals to discuss the next action plan. In the end, Zhu Gaoxu decided to adopt a strategy of dividing his troops and sent part of the army to continue to pursue the remnants of Harry Sultan in order to completely annihilate them; the other part of the army was responsible for Guard important towns in the countries in the Western Regions to appease the people and resume production.

After a series of actions by the Ming army, the remnants of Harry Sultan were finally completely annihilated, and the situation in the Western Region gradually stabilized. The Ming army strictly maintained military discipline, helped local people rebuild their homes, resume production, and towns and villages everywhere began to recover. With the vitality and vitality of the past, the soldiers of the Ming Army also used their practical actions to win the respect and love of the people in the Western Regions.

Different from the Han and Tang Dynasties, the Ming Dynasty started from the Hongwu Dynasty. Except for Lan Yu's Western Expedition, the Ming Dynasty's influence on the Western Regions was almost "zero". Those who were good at fighting had no outstanding achievements. Although the Ming army had many preparations for large-scale battles. None of them came in handy. With Timur's sudden death, the world's first and second largest powers did not engage in a national war-level war in the Hexi Corridor, but this does not mean that this military operation is meaningless.

Politically speaking, the Ming Dynasty strengthened its control over the countries in the Western Regions. Beshwabali, who was afraid of being destroyed, saw the Timur Khanate's expedition failed, and quickly turned the ship and completely turned to the Ming Dynasty. As a result, the Ming Dynasty had many He established more than a dozen tributary vassal states.

In terms of military affairs, this operation not only strengthened the northwest border defense, but also greatly affected the situation on the grassland. The Oara tribe was horrified to find that the Ming army could now march directly from their due south, and it was a matter of whether or not to fight them. One thing, whether they can beat them is another matter. The Ming Dynasty's deterrent effect on the Oara tribe has risen sharply. This can't help but make the Oara people who originally thought that the Tatar tribe was severely damaged and wanted to move eastward became more honest.

In short, after a series of wars from the autumn of the second year of Yongle to the spring of the third year of Yongle, through reducing vassal states, conquering Tatars, and resisting Timur's invasion, the Ming Dynasty has basically stabilized the northern defense that became extremely weak after the Battle of Jingnan. line, and severely intimidated dozens of countries and tribes along the border that stretched thousands of miles from west to east.

As for the northwest, although the Silk Road is now cut off, basic commerce still needs to be re-launched. With Hamiwei as the mutual market, the two sides have carried out extensive trade and cultural exchanges. With the prosperity of trade, the treasures of the Western Regions, Spices, medicinal materials and other commodities continued to flow into the Ming Dynasty, enriching the lives of the people of the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, Ming Dynasty's silk, tea, porcelain, cotton and other commodities were also loved by the princes, nobles and common people of the Western Regions.

Unlike the Ming Dynasty, when the national security situation was completely reversed, the Timur Khanate at this time fell into brief chaos following the death of Timur.

Timur likes to play the game of enfeoffment just like Lao Zhu, but he is obviously more wild. Thanks to the Mongol Empire's habit of enfeoffing real land, Timur often rewards large tracts of conquered territory to meritorious ministers, such as Bai Bai. Kara Osman, the founder of the Sheep Dynasty, established his position because of his participation in the Battle of Ankara, and Timur gave him the entire Diyarbakir as a fiefdom. Therefore, the entire Timur Khanate was actually a collection of feudal lordships of different levels. composed together.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with the principle of "establishing direct descendants and establishing elders", and although Tamerlane's eldest son, Jihanjier, was confirmed as the crown prince early and had outstanding military achievements and had great prestige in the army, if When he was alive normally, no one would dare to covet the throne of Khan. Unfortunately, Zhuhan Jie'er died too early, and his eldest son Ma Heima's ability was far inferior to him. Many emperors and grandchildren were not convinced.

After Timur's death, Khalil returned with the Eastern Expedition army who wanted to go home, and then took control of Samarkand and proclaimed himself Khan, while his fourth uncle Shaharul came from the fiefdom of Khorasan (located in the northeast of Iran, Turkey South of Kermanistan and North of Afghanistan) raised troops and began his journey of "Fengtian Jingnan".

In order to win the support of the Ming Dynasty, Khalil led his army back to Samarkand. When he returned to the banks of the Syr Darya River, he not only released the detained members of the Ming Dynasty's envoy and returned to the country under the leadership of deputy envoy Yang Dewen, but also It was the court envoy of the Kingdom of Castile in Spain, Roberto Gozelez Clavijo, and Westerners such as the Bavarian knight John Hiltberg who were allowed to visit the Ming Dynasty together.

These people set out from the Syr Darya River and experienced a long journey of thousands of miles. When they arrived in Nanjing, it was already the late autumn of the third year of Yongle. As soon as they arrived, they were warmly received by Jiang Xinghuo.