Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 500 Why are you here?

At this time, it had been more than half a year since Dayan came to Yingtian. During this period, he not only had a deeper understanding of the Ming Dynasty under Zhu Cilang's rule, but also had the idea of ​​letting the Khoshut change their allegiance.

The extremely mysterious factory, the lucrative trade, and the relationship between Ming Dynasty and Western powers made the Khoshut prince realize that Ming Dynasty was a huge empire that was even more powerful than Russia.

But all this is just a thought. If you want it to become a reality, it needs some time to ferment.

After all, the current Ming Dynasty is strong, but he and the Shuotes also have to consider their own interests.

The war between the Ming and Qing dynasties was still going on, so it would be okay to bargain after the dust settled.

With this in mind, Dayan naturally spent the past six months in a relaxed manner.

However, this was a time of great strife, and situations everywhere were undergoing drastic changes. After he received the letter from Xining, his thoughts of waiting for changes in the times were immediately shattered by the changes in the Western Regions.

There were more than a dozen countries scattered to the west of the Ming Dynasty, one of which was called Yarkand.

This country was originally a vassal of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate. Later, the master family gradually declined due to the influence of sectarian struggles, and the Yarkand Khan of that generation destroyed the original master family by chance.

At this point, the territory of Yarkand was connected to Central Asia in the west, Jiayuguan in the east, U-Tsang in the south, and the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains in the north. It was considered a major country among the Mongolian remnants.

There is nothing much to say about what happened later.

Whenever a nation is established in a place like that, it is inevitable that internal strife will occur due to sectarian issues.

By the time of the Tianqi era, the country had become torn apart by power struggles and sectarian conflicts, and was on the verge of becoming food for the Oirats.

But there are always some twists and turns in the development of world affairs.

During the Chongzhen period, Abdullah, the son of the Turpan ruler, succeeded to the throne.

He first got rid of his father-in-law, the governor who intended to usurp the throne, and then secretly colluded with the Black Mountain faction. When the conflicts among various forces in the royal capital became almost irreconcilable, Abdullah led his troops westward and reunified Yarkand, which had been divided for several years, in a blink of an eye.

If that were the case, it would only be a powerful enemy for the Khoshut Khanate that occupied the entire U-Tsang, and it would definitely not be enough to make Dayan stop waiting for changes.

But who would have thought that when Dzungar and Khoshut wanted to weaken their neighbor, Abdullah first defeated tens of thousands of troops led by three Dzungar generals in Hotan, and then captured the Badakhshan Khanate and the Kyrgyz Khanate.

By this time, both sides knew that they could no longer let Yarkand go on like this, so they assembled a large army and attacked again before the New Year.

just
"Your Majesty, I dare not conceal the fact that Batur Hongtaiji of the Dzungarian Khan and my father Khan gathered 70,000 to 80,000 troops, but they were completely annihilated in Aksu in February."

As soon as he finished speaking, Dayan pressed his head tightly against the ground, looking as if he was determined to make the final decision based on the Holy Spirit.

Zhu Cilang had only a slight influence on the events in the west and knew nothing about the details.

But in his memory, the overlord in the west was the Dzungar Khanate that was about to be annihilated, and Yarkand seemed to be just a flash in the pan.

If you think about it normally, he could just do a favor.

After all, in the original history, Yarkand was unable to do anything to the Khoshut.

But he thought clearly.

Even after suffering such a devastating defeat, the Dzungars were still able to destroy Yarkand and Khoshut. If he helps these two tribes weaken Yarkand now, wouldn't a more powerful Dzungar emerge in the future?
You know, in the original history, the Dzungar Khanate and its tribesmen fought with the Qing Dynasty for nearly a hundred years. If the three generations of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong were not incompetent rulers, it is not known whether the Qing Dynasty could withstand such a powerful enemy.

But then again, if the Central Plains dynasty wants to be stable, it must rely on the Hexi Corridor to control the surrounding areas. If he rejects the Khoshut's request for submission this time, it will undoubtedly have an adverse impact on the westward strategy.

It’s difficult~~~~~
Looking at Dayan who was bowing respectfully before him, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Then he said softly, "Get up." After the other party stood up as ordered, he frowned and said.

"Since you have told me everything, I will also be honest with you," Zhu Cilang stood up from his chair, then paced a few steps in the warm room before looking at Dayan again: "Although the court has received some silver this year, the money has already gone somewhere before it entered the treasury. This time, I want to help you and the Khoshut, but a penny can make a hero fail. I really have no power."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Cilang turned his back to Dayan, perhaps to express his determination or because he felt guilty for being unable to help the Khoshut people who admired the Ming Dynasty.

At this point, Dayan should have given up the idea of ​​asking the Ming Dynasty for help.

In the end, he had been in Yingtian for such a long time, so he naturally knew that Zhu Cilang was the best at spending money.

But then again, since he knew all this, how could he not be prepared?
Zhu Cilang just stopped moving and said, "Your Majesty, I know your difficulties, so I have thought of a compromise. If you can send an army westward, I and Shuote will not only bear all the expenses, but also reward you with 100,000 cattle and sheep."

"You can't do that. If you, the Khoshut, are willing to offer me tribute, I will accept it calmly. But now..." Zhu Cilang paused for a moment, obviously thinking that this matter would damage the dignity of the Ming Dynasty and not wanting to get involved in it. "Besides, U-Tsang is not a rich place, and the military expenses are..."

Although Zhu Cilang did not say everything he wanted to say, the meaning behind his words was obvious.

In essence, Yarkand has the strength to fight two enemies at once. If the Ming Dynasty does not want to embarrass itself in front of the northwestern countries, it must send elite troops.

This requirement has eliminated most of the Ming army. If we take into account the geographical advantages of the northwest for cavalry operations, the only option left is Li Chengdong's army.

Just kidding, it wouldn't cost much money to send the gunpowder and bullets produced in Yingtian along the river to central Sichuan, but if they were sent all the way to Yarkand, they would probably be more valuable than gold and silver.

Under such circumstances, even if Khoshut really wanted to supply the army with what it needs, it would probably be unable to do so.

just
"Your Majesty, I also know that the army costs a lot, but my father can't afford so much money, but the lamas can." "Lama? The monks of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Yes."

"If monks can support the needs of a large army, I am afraid that the Ming Dynasty will also regard them as the state religion."

After a few words of conversation, Zhu Cilang's face showed just the right amount of disdain.

Although the monks and Taoists of the Ming Dynasty were not as arrogant as those in Central Asia, fundamentally speaking, this was just because the regime of the Central Plains dynasty had always been wary of such things after several lessons, and even in the late period it maintained sufficient suppression.

If they were allowed to repeat the same fate as in Central Asia, it would only take a moment for them to suffer the same defeat. Zhu Cilang's disdain was understandable.

But since Dayan said this, how could he be aimless? Then he told the Ming Emperor, who was not very familiar with the affairs of the sect, about the situation of U-Tsang in detail.

According to his description, the common people in that place are even lower than livestock, but this does not prevent the lamas from possessing a large amount of wealth (censored here =.=) After feeling the threat from YSL, the lamas were truly willing to do anything.

"Oh~~~, I see."

Looking at Zhu Cilang who had just realized something, Dayan immediately felt a sense of hope in his heart, but the young emperor seemed to still have some concerns, and then he began to pace again.

Time passed little by little, and even though Dayan had already made a plan, he couldn't help but become worried. After an incense stick of time had passed, he was even a little shaken, but Zhu Cilang suddenly stopped.

"So, the envoys from Britain, France and the Netherlands came together the day before yesterday. It is likely that something will happen on the sea. So I can only dispatch 5,000 dragon riders to help you stop Yarkand, but I cannot help you and the Khoshut destroy this country."

When Dayan heard the words, he was stunned for a moment. After confirming Zhu Cilang's consent from his expression, he immediately bowed heavily to the ground.

"Khoshut prince Dayan Ochir, on behalf of Khoshut Khan Borjigin Tulubaihu, thanks His Majesty for his royal grace!"

"Okay, I still need to meet with the envoys from the three countries. You can discuss the details with Zhu Dadian and Li Chengdong."

Having said this, even if Dayan had a thousand words to say, he had to obey the order and leave. Then Zhou Quan, who had been waiting on the side for a long time, moved to the side of his majesty very swiftly, and when he raised his arms, he began to change his clothes.

Zhu Cilang was indeed pretending to be stupid. Even if he was ignorant, how could he not know about the struggles between the various religious sects in Central Asia?

He did play tricks on the Khoshut, otherwise how could he not destroy small Yarkand without spending any money?
But there is one thing he did not lie to people: the envoys from Britain, France and the Netherlands did come to Yingtian.

To say that I don't know the intentions of these three parties would be nonsense.

In the final analysis, the Ming Dynasty's military aid to Spain had already been shipped out one after another. Even if the Protestant Alliance did not check for the time being and let the cargo ships pass through Malacca, it should have responded by now.

However, the exact reaction of these families is another matter. Zhu Cilang, who is extremely lacking in diplomatic talent, naturally has to meet them in person.

After about an hour, Zhu Cilang, dressed in full imperial attire, arrived at the Fengtian Hall.

At this time, the envoys from Britain, France and the Netherlands, accompanied by the Minister of the Honglu Temple, had been waiting in the hall for a long time. When they heard a very loud shout, they all knelt on the ground immediately.

"Get up, are you the envoys from the Three Kingdoms?"

Zhu Cilang had just sat on the dragon throne when he asked the three Westerners who were bowing in the hall. Then one of them stood up, took a step forward, bowed, and spoke in a very stiff tone.

"Reporting to His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, my name is Van der Rhein, and I am the Governor of Batavia. These two are the Marquis de Win from Britain and the Count of Bourgeois from France."

"Oh? The Governor of Batavia?"

Following Van der Rhine's explanation, Zhu Cilang, who was sitting on the dragon throne, couldn't help but lean forward.

Although the other two random knights did not arouse his much interest, the Governor of Batavia could not be taken lightly.

You must know that although the British East India Company had landed in India at that time and the French had established many trading posts in Indochina, they were ultimately late-developing countries and their power invested in Asia was limited. The Dutch not only existed in Southeast Asia for half a century, but also invested most of their power in Batavia.

So-called power means the right to speak.

Since the other party is implicitly the leader of the three, it is reasonable for him to pay certain attention to him.

"Your Majesty, Batavia is in the south of Ming Dynasty. If the wind direction is right, it will only take half a month to sail there."

"Oh? So close? Then why didn't you help Kalon defend against Zelandia?"

As soon as the words fell, not only did everyone present change their expressions, even the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was well aware of the situation, could not help but be stunned for a moment.

It was obvious that no matter whether there was a threat in Van der Rhine's words, Zhu Cilang had no intention of giving them any face. But to everyone's surprise, when everyone in the Ming Dynasty had all kinds of ideas because of their Majesty's toughness, Van der Rhine behaved extremely calmly.

"Your Majesty, you are joking. Caron's attack on the Ming city was entirely his personal behavior. The Dutch East India Company has no intention of pursuing any responsibility."

Oh? So cowardly?
So why are such a large force being mobilized?

(End of this chapter)