Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 323: Lurking around me, do you think I don’t know?

Samarkand.

The capital of the Timurid Empire was also a fortress on the Silk Road. Although Chagatai was at war in the east, many caravans still came to Samarkand.

Outside the city gate, a long procession of merchants led camels loaded with goods or drove horse-drawn carriages, patiently waiting for the inspection before entering the city. Their faces were full of expectations for this city, because this was not only an important fortress on the Silk Road, but also a place full of legends.

As soon as you step into the city gate, the scene in front of you is instantly shocking. On both sides of the wide streets, there are many magnificent palaces and mosques, which are decorated with golden domes, exquisite carvings and gorgeous decorations. The sunlight shines on these buildings, making them more shining, and every brick and stone tells the glory of Samarkand in the past.

"The inspection is so strict? Especially for our Ming Dynasty caravan, they searched everything. It took two hours to enter the city."

"They were afraid that the Ming army would be mixed in with the caravan, because there was a precedent where the Ming army used the caravan to enter the city and then set fire to it and opened the city gates."

"The imperial army is going to attack Samarkand? Aren't they confronting each other at the Pamir Mountains?"

"Who knows? I hope the Ming army can sweep across the Western Regions. By then, the whole world will belong to us, the Ming Dynasty, and we can go wherever we want."

A Ming Dynasty caravan entered the city, and they chatted as they walked. Soon, they were attracted by the splendid Samarkand. The beautiful Zeravshan River runs through the city of Samarkand.

At this moment, a fleet of boats came up on the river and was slowly approaching the shore. A man from the Central Plains stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the magnificent golden dome of the mosque in front of him.

"Sir, are we going to get off the boat?" A man came up and asked in a low voice.

"No need, wait until dark." The man sneered, "By then, General Cao will be at the gates of the city."

It turned out that they were not merchant ships, but Ming troops in disguise. The captain chuckled and said, "It's interesting. They focused on the land route but neglected the water route."

The subordinates around him looked in the direction of the city and sighed: "The capital of the Timurid Empire is also very majestic."

The captain glanced at it, nodded, and pointed: "That tallest mosque should be the largest mosque in the world. It was built by Timur the Great in memory of his deceased wife. Timur the Great was indeed a great ruler. He brought back the best craftsmen and artists from the conquered lands and built many magnificent palaces, mosques and mausoleums for his family in Samarkand. All of these show his ambition."

"Sir, it is said that Timur the Great died on the way to the east to attack our Ming Dynasty?" asked the subordinate.

"Yes!" Qian Hu's eyes flashed with excitement. "It's a pity that he died. Otherwise, Timur the Great would have faced our Emperor Taizong. I really want to know which of them is the real emperor of the world."

The subordinate spread his hands and said, "Decades have passed, and they are all gone. Now, our Majesty is the emperor of the world."

Qian Hu laughed loudly: "Well said! Soon, this city will be the capital of a province in our Ming Dynasty."

……

royal palace.

Abu Said, the emperor of the Timurid Empire, was sitting on the throne, listening to the reports of his ministers. He was the grandson of Timur the Great and revived the Timurid Empire.

Unfortunately, he did not last long and soon declined. Who made him sandwiched between the Ming Empire and the Ottoman Empire? These two empires were still ambitiously expanding and left him no way out.

After listening to the ministers' reports, Sayyid frowned.

The war was intense at the Pamir Mountains, where Timur's main forces were. If they were defeated, the consequences would be disastrous. In addition, the Ottoman army in the west invaded from time to time, watching closely.

What worried him even more was that a Ming army crossed the Fergana Plain and headed towards Samarkand. He confirmed with his ministers many times that the Ming army would not arrive in a short time.

After the court meeting, he returned to the harem.

A beautiful woman came over. She was wearing a black and red dress, which outlined her extremely hot figure. She was like an elf walking out of the flames. Her beautiful eyes blinked slightly: "Your Majesty~"

"Tuma." Sayid held her in his arms, "I have been feeling uneasy lately."

"I'll give you a massage." Tuma said softly.

It turned out that she was the queen of the Timurid Empire, the daughter of the former Khan Chagatai, a descendant of Genghis Khan, with noble blood and inherited the heroism of her ancestors.

She was not only the empress of the empire, but also a female general with her own guards. She had once defeated the army of the Black Sheep Dynasty and was quite prestigious in the imperial army.

"There are only 50,000 imperial guards in the royal city now. I am very worried." Sayyid frowned.

Tuma pressed the button and said confidently, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Even if the Ming army comes, I can defeat them."

Sayid slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

……

Night falls.

The moonlight was like water, gently falling on every corner of Samarkand. The royal palace stood tall, and the golden roof shone softly and solemnly under the moonlight, as if one could glimpse the splendor and glory of Timur the Great in the past.

The seminary seemed exceptionally quiet, with moonlight shining through the ancient window lattices onto the mottled stone steps. The minarets of the mosque outlined graceful contours in the night sky, and the long calls to prayer echoed from the minarets.

On both sides of the street, shops and houses are still brightly lit and bustling. Vendors are shouting and selling all kinds of goods, from exquisite handicrafts to fragrant barbecue, all of which exude an enticing aroma.

Suddenly, the earth shook.

There was a huge rumbling sound outside the city, and in an instant, the city was in a panic. At this moment, the defenders on the city wall were dumbfounded as they looked at the raging sea of ​​fire outside the city.

"Enemy, it's the enemy!"

Finally, the Ming army arrived.

Holding torches, they rushed towards Samarkand, and in the blink of an eye, they were at the gates of the city. Commander Cao Qinggao sat on his horse and looked up at Samarkand in the moonlight.

"This city is so beautiful." He sighed.

The guard came to him and bowed: "General, shall we attack the city immediately?"

Cao Qin smiled and said, "It won't be that easy to take down this mighty city. Haha, let's pull up the Shenji Battalion first and give them a warning."

The guard took the order and left.

At this time, on the tower, Tuma, dressed in armor, looked heroic. She squinted at the Ming army below the city with sharp eyes: "They are really here."

"Queen, this place is too dangerous." A guard came to persuade, "You should go back."

Tuma shook his head: "I and all the soldiers will fight the enemy together!"

……

The capital of the Ming Dynasty.

The spring sun was shining, and the six ministries were bustling with people. In recent years, the six ministries have been expanding every year. In the past, there were many officials, and many Jinshi had to wait for several years before they could take the turn to be a county magistrate.

Now, not only the imperial court needs a large number of officials, but also the local governments are in short supply. Therefore, after passing the imperial examination, they will be appointed to office soon. Of course, there are some exceptions, such as the top three, top three and top three. These people will be kept in the Hanlin Academy and will directly enter the six ministries of the imperial court in the future.

In the Hanlin Academy.

Liu Wanqing was looking through the historical materials about the White Lotus Sect, and was so absorbed in reading that she didn't even notice Xiyao appearing behind her. Xiyao suddenly called out, "Sister."

"Sister Xiyao?" Liu Wanqing finally reacted, "You're here." "Sister, are you interested in the White Lotus Sect?" Xiyao smiled.

Liu Wanqing closed the book and smiled: "I have liked reading picture books since I was a child, and I am very curious about these Jianghu stories."

"The White Lotus Sect is not just a simple martial arts sect." Xiyao blinked her beautiful eyes. "During the reign of Emperor Taizong, wasn't there a female leader? She was said to be a Buddha Mother, and she was quite magical."

Liu Wanqing's beautiful eyes were full of curiosity: "I have heard of it, but there are very few related legends. How much do you know, sister? Tell me."

"Sister, you are so curious." Xiyao shrugged, "I just heard about it."

The two were chatting when they suddenly heard the eunuch's voice: "Your Majesty has arrived~"

All the officials of the Hanlin Academy came out and knelt to welcome the Emperor. Xiyao and Liu Wanqing also knelt on one side. Zhu Qizhen came in and raised his hand: "Do what you need to do. I am here to see Liu Wanqing."

The officials dispersed, and Zhu Qizhen's eyes fell on the two women and smiled: "Xiyao, you are here too."

"Your Majesty, I am chatting about history books with Sister Wanqing." Xiyao said with a smile.

"Then we can talk later." Zhu Qizhen beckoned Liu Wanqing, "Liu Hanlin, come with me."

"Yes, sir." Liu Wanqing stood up.

She followed Zhu Qizhen out of the Hanlin Academy. Xiyao looked at their backs with a sharp gaze: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you really don't let go of any beauty."

……

Zhu Qizhen returned to the Qianqing Palace from the Hanlin Academy with an extremely gloomy face.

Cao Jixiang didn't even dare to approach and talk to him. Having served the emperor for so long, he knew that the emperor was murderous at the moment. Zhu Qizhen drank a cup of tea in silence and began to review memorials.

After he opened the memorial, he was slightly stunned, because it was Ning Rongrong's secret report, and it was urgent. After he quickly scanned it, a hint of coldness appeared on his face.

"What a coincidence." He snorted coldly.

He closed the memorial, pondered for a while, raised his eyes and said, "Go and call Hosokawa Katsumoto to me."

Hosokawa Katsumoto came to attend the 90th anniversary of the Ming Dynasty and had not yet returned to Japan. Not long after, Hosokawa Katsumoto came to the palace and after paying respectful respects, Zhu Qizhen had someone move a chair and asked him to sit down.

"I have decided. As long as you can support Ashikaga Yoshitada to ascend the throne, I will issue an edict to recognize him and form an alliance with him." Zhu Qizhen said.

Hosokawa Katsumoto was delighted: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Ashikaga Yoshitsugu is the younger brother of the current shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. Ashikaga Yoshimasa is already old, and this younger brother is still young. He could have inherited his brother's position as shogun because Ashikaga Yoshimasa has no son.

However, Ashikaga Yoshimasa's new wife, Hino Tomiko, gave birth to a son, and a group of military generals of the shogunate, including Yamana Sozen, all supported this little son.

Hosokawa Katsumoto supported Ashikaga Yoshimasa, and now the two forces were fighting secretly. Once Ashikaga Yoshimasa died, there would definitely be a big war, so Hosokawa Katsumoto came to Ming to seek support while there was still time.

"Your Majesty, can you allow me to bring back some muskets and cannons this time?" asked Katsumoto Hosokawa.

"Okay." Zhu Qizhen agreed decisively, "Just give me the money."

He was thinking about clearing out the inventory. With heavy investments in the construction of arsenals in recent years, Ming Dynasty's weapons were constantly being innovated, and the old inventory could be cleared out.

Those things are treasures in the eyes of the Japanese.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Katsumoto Hosokawa was delighted.

Zhu Qizhen smiled faintly: "However, you must protect the Ming Dynasty's caravan in Japan. I don't want to hear the news that the Ming people are attacked in Japan."

Katsumoto Hosokawa nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course."

……

After Hosokawa Katsumoto retreated, Zhu Qizhen called in Ding Xiu, the pacification envoy of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Ding Xiu, what exactly are you investigating by sending people to Jiangnan?" Zhu Qizhen asked coldly.

"Investigate...the Japanese pirates." Ding Xiu replied.

Zhu Qizhen's eyes were like knives: "You are so bold now, you dare to deceive the emperor?"

Ding Xiu knelt down hurriedly and bowed, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I will send the Royal Guards to investigate... Shang Gong Xiyao."

Zhu Qizhen was not surprised at all, he raised his hand and said: "Stand up and talk, I know your loyalty. Humph, you asked me for Xiyao's family files in the palace, I knew your intention."

"So Your Majesty understands everything." Ding Xiu was shocked.

Zhu Qizhen did not answer him, and continued to ask: "Has the Jinyiwei sent out not returned yet?"

Ding Xiu shook his head: "No, I have sent out a special team, and I think there will be news in a few days."

"There's no need to go through so much trouble, and there's no need to wait." Zhu Qizhen sighed softly, "Xiyao, ah Xiyao, Zhu Xiyao! Haha, this really surprised me."

He picked up Ning Rongrong's secret report and handed it to Ding Xiu, saying, "Take a look."

Ding Xiu took it, glanced at it quickly, and widened his eyes: "So it's really her! Your Majesty, what does this Ning family mean?"

"Haha, they are all ambitious women." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "When they get crazy, they are much more ruthless than us men."

Ding Xiu nodded slowly, pondered for a while and said, "I still think that Lady Ning has the qualities of a hero, and not just any woman. To put it bluntly, Xiyao's wisdom is still not up to her ambition. However, Lady Ning is different, she is already a force that cannot be underestimated. Your Majesty, Bai Wuqi also wrote to me, expressing his admiration for Lady Ning."

"Well, I also sent her some talented people." Zhu Qizhen smiled.

Ding Xiu bowed again: "Your Majesty, should I go and capture Zhu Xiyao?"

"I will do it myself." Zhu Qizhen's eyes flashed with murderous intent, "After all, she has been serving tea to me for so long, and she has some feelings for me. I will end it myself."

"Yes, sir." Ding Xiu accepted the order and stepped out.

……

Night falls.

Lanterns were already lit in the Qianqing Palace, and the whole hall was filled with flickering candlelight. Xiyao came up to the hall with tea in her hand, and bowed to Zhu Qizhen, who was reviewing memorials, "Your Majesty, have a cup of hot tea."

"Okay." Zhu Qizhen put down his pen.

He picked up the teacup and took a sip, smacked his lips, and said to Xiyao with a half-smile: "Xiyao, why don't you poison me? Are you in love with me?"

Xiyao's expression changed drastically, and then her beautiful eyes smiled and she glared slightly: "Your Majesty, you are talking nonsense again, stop making fun of me."

(End of this chapter)