Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 492 The End of the Khan's Son! The Ming Dynasty's Demand!
Mahama was filled with doubt and suspicion, a look of disbelief flashing across his brow: "It's even more terrifying than the rumors say?"

Even so, Mahama still refused to be convinced.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with increasingly intense anger as he stared intently at the defensive line erected by the Ming delegation, his chest churning with hatred.

He absolutely cannot back down!

He wanted to completely annihilate this Ming Dynasty delegation, then frame his brother, Shamichagan, for the crime, ensuring his utter ruin.

But at that moment, Mahama noticed that the cavalry formation at the front was beginning to fall into disarray, the formation was loose, and there was even a small group of soldiers showing signs of wanting to desert.

Mahama's pupils contracted, and his expression changed drastically.

"These useless cowards were scared out of their wits by just a few rounds of gunfire?!"

Anger surged into my heart instantly.

He was the son of the Khan of Beshbaliq, and his men were all elite warriors of the steppe. How could he allow them to be so cowardly?

Even if the enemy's firearms are powerful, they cannot flee in the face of battle!
Enraged, Mahama spurred his horse and charged down the sand dune.

He wanted to severely punish the cowardly soldiers, punish those who deserted, and rebuild the morale of the army.

However, just as he galloped off on his horse...

"boom!"

A crisp gunshot pierced the sky, like the call of death.

A bullet was fired from the Ming army's position, passing through layers of sand and dust, and with almost no deviation, it hit Mahama directly in the forehead.

He felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer; his body jerked backward, and he tumbled off the horse, crashing heavily to the ground.

Amidst the swirling dust, Mahama's body remained motionless.

At that moment, surprise and confusion still lingered in Mahama's eyes.

Even as he breathed his last, he couldn't understand one thing:

They were clearly far from the Ming army's position, so far that even the most skilled archers could not shoot arrows from such a distance.

But why was it hit so accurately by the enemy's muskets?

Mahama died without ever realizing that times had changed.

It is silently crushing everyone.

Whether he noticed it or not!

With Mahama's demise, his personal guards who had followed him were instantly stunned, and time seemed to freeze at that moment.

That's the Khan's son!
He was also one of the Khan's most beloved sons.

Otherwise, how could he have dared to openly and secretly compete with his eldest son, Shamichagan, for the Khanate, and even use troops to plot against him?

Now, in full view of everyone, he was shot in the head by Ming soldiers and died on the spot.

His blood had not yet dried when new gunshots rang out on the battlefield, as if urging everyone to come to their senses.

An indescribable fear suddenly rose in the hearts of the guards.

The Khan's son died here. How are they, his guards, supposed to explain this when they return?

I'm afraid that no matter how they try to justify themselves, the Fire Khan will not let them off easily.

In his rage, he might very well behead all his personal guards to accompany his son in death.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The intense gunfire continued to echo across the battlefield, like the call of death. Another trusted general was shot and fell from his horse amidst the hail of bullets, his blood splattering on the scorching yellow sand. He struggled for a moment before falling silent.

Fear, like a tidal wave, quickly spread to everyone's heart.

They seemed to be caught in a nightmare, with the Ming army's deadly firearms in front of them and the ruthless, enraged Khan behind them.

Whether we advance or retreat, it's a dead end.

Just as everyone was at a loss and in a dilemma, dust suddenly billowed up on the other side of the sand dune in the distance, and a new team was rushing towards the top of the dune from below.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed as battle flags fluttered wildly in the fierce wind.

"How dare you attack the Ming Dynasty's envoy?"

At the front of the procession, a man with wide-open eyes roared fiercely as he rode a tall horse.

It was none other than the Khan's eldest son, Shamichagan!

The sound of gunfire was deafening and continuous on the battlefield. He was still quite far away, and even if he shouted until his throat was hoarse, no one would be able to hear him in the chaos of the battlefield.

But Shamichagan's fury was the most genuine of all.

He was sent by the Khan to welcome the envoys of the Ming Dynasty delegation. Originally, this trip should have been a safe and secure diplomatic mission, but unexpected changes occurred.

At this moment, Shamichagan was extremely anxious. If something went wrong with the mission, the Ming Dynasty would be furious, which would not only cause turmoil in relations between the two countries, but he would also bear an indelible guilt.

How will we explain this to the Ming Dynasty then?
How could they face the wrath of their father, the Khan?
Thinking of this, Shamichagan's anger almost burst forth.

Fortunately, from a distance, the Ming delegation seemed to have stabilized its position and had not been breached.

He immediately gave the order:

"Flank them from both flanks and cut off their retreat! Don't let a single one escape!"

"kill!"

The accompanying soldiers responded in unison, roaring out with tremendous force, like a surging torrent, rushing straight towards the chaotic area.

The moment they saw Samichagan leading his troops to attack, the hearts of the people who had been coerced by Mahama collapsed, and their last line of support crumbled completely.

They lost all will to fight and collapsed like a tidal wave.

Mahama is dead, and Shamichagan has led his army to the battlefield.

The situation has completely reversed.

Those who were once brought by Mahama to charge into battle, even if they wanted to escape, where could they possibly go?

The vast wilderness stretches out, with endless yellow sand and no road to follow in the desert.

Furthermore, after repeated battles, both men and horses were exhausted and completely worn out. How could they possibly escape from the well-trained and still-spirited elite cavalry under Shamichagan's command?
Despair spread like a venomous snake in their hearts, and they finally gave up resistance. One by one, they dismounted, abandoned their weapons, knelt down, and surrendered, becoming prisoners of war.

The battle ended abruptly, almost before it had even truly begun.

Except for a very few deserters who took advantage of the chaos to escape into the desert, the rest were all captured, disarmed, and imprisoned.

In the blink of an eye, the war came to an end.

Shortly afterward, Shamichagan found Mahama's body.

His face was grim. He dismounted and strode quickly to the corpse. His eyes were cold, and he was filled with mixed emotions, but without a trace of pity.

Shamichagan kicked Mahama twice hard, growling angrily:
"You deserve to die! You truly deserve it!"

Although they were both the blood relatives of the Black Fire People, bound by blood, they had long been sworn enemies due to their struggle for the Khanate.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were mortal enemies. Now, seeing his former rival lying dead on the battlefield, Shami Chagan felt no sorrow, but rather immense joy.

From this day forward, the struggle for the Khanate will be a foregone conclusion, and the biggest obstacle in his path will finally be removed!

How could this not excite him immensely?

At this moment, he wished he could sing loudly, summon beautiful concubines, dance wildly for three days and three nights, hold a banquet, drink fine wine for three days and three nights, and celebrate this great joy with his confidants!

Of course, this kind of thing can only be done behind closed doors.

If one were to act too ostentatiously in public, it would surely arouse suspicion and dissatisfaction if it reached the ears of the Khan.

If the Khan were to perceive that he had no pity for his own brothers and was cold-blooded and ruthless, the consequences would be unimaginable.

So, Samichagan put on a sorrowful expression, approached Mahama's body, and while feigning rebuke, pretended to be grieving, saying:
"You led your troops, disguised as bandits, and dared to attack the Ming Dynasty's envoy, committing a heinous crime... Mahama, you truly deserve to die!"

The conversation then shifted, and he was overcome with grief:
"But you are still my own brother! We are brothers, blood is thicker than water, how could you have fallen to this state... Waaah..."

He covered his face and wept, his body trembling slightly, showing extreme grief.

However, perhaps the desert climate was too dry, with no moisture at all. Even though he tried his best to shed tears, he couldn't force out a single drop.

The scene was somewhat comical, and all the trusted confidants present knew what was going on, yet none of them dared to laugh.

A few moments later, the poor performance came to an abrupt end.

Shamichagan regained his composure, stood up, and gave the order in a deep voice:

“Collect my brother’s body carefully and bring it back to Beshbali for a proper burial.”

“No matter what, he is my brother after all, and the Khan’s own son.”

Having said that, his gaze suddenly turned cold as he swept over the prisoners who were still alive, and he said in a cold voice:
"As for those who are still alive, all of them will have their collarbones pierced with iron chains and be taken back to Beshbaliq to await Father Khan's judgment."

His tone was cold and devoid of any emotion.

"As for those who are already dead, let their bodies be buried forever in this yellow sand, to be devoured by jackals and buried by the wind and sand."

After giving his instructions, Shamichagan turned and walked expressionlessly toward the camp of the Ming delegation.

The heart-wrenching crying just now seemed as if it had never happened.

……

Ming army camp.

When Shamichagan led his army to the battlefield, Chen Cheng, Huo Liancheng, and others already knew what was going on.

The dust has settled in this battle!

Huo Liancheng immediately ordered his guards to cease fire.

Although the battle is not yet completely over, the situation is no longer in doubt, and continuing to fire will only waste precious bullets.

After all, they were a lone envoy who came from afar with a mission, and they had no sufficient supply lines to rely on.

Every bullet is a precious resource that cannot be easily replenished.

As for the fighting and casualties among the Beshbaliq army, what did that have to do with the Ming army?
At the same time, the group quickly gathered together to discuss and begin to assess the situation.

They already had information about Beshbali, including the political turmoil, tribal power, and the personalities and ambitions of the Khan's sons.

At this moment, considering the current changes, many judgments naturally come to fruition.

“The one who led the troops to ‘rescue’ us was Shamichagan.” Li Boyue stroked his short beard. “His identity can be confirmed from the military flag and the characteristics of his clothing. There is no doubt about it.”

"The group that launched the surprise attack disguised as bandits was very likely Mahama's men."

"This Mahamat dared to openly attack the Ming Dynasty delegation, I must kill him!" Huo Liancheng roared.

Although our side suffered no casualties and the battle ended extremely quickly, the thrill of the previous moment was still vivid in our minds, and life and death hung in the balance.

If the Ming army had not been well-equipped and well-trained, the situation would likely have been very different.

Mahama was already dead at this time, but Huo Liancheng was still unaware of it.

"Rumor has it that this person is reckless and belligerent, brave but reckless, a brute who only knows how to charge headlong into danger," Chen Cheng said calmly. "It's not surprising that he would do something so stupid."

“Let’s not rule out another possibility,” Li Boyue said with a smile. “Perhaps all of this was secretly orchestrated by Shamichagan to lure Mahama into making a move, so that he could use someone else to do the dirty work.”

“These two brothers are fighting to the death for the Khanate. If it really was Sami Chagan who set a trap to use us to get rid of Mahama, then this move is really ruthless.”

"That's irrelevant." Chen Cheng shook his head with a faint smile: "The most important thing is how to extract the greatest benefit for the Ming Dynasty from this turmoil."

His tone shifted from gentle to deep, and his eyes became sharp.

“Since Shamichagan has shown his willingness, things will be easier.”

"When he comes to talk later, we can set our terms and demand that Beshbali provide official compensation."

“If he agrees,” Chen Cheng said with a burning gaze, “then we can take the opportunity to reach a secret alliance with him. The Ming Dynasty will fully support him in his struggle for the Khanate, provided that he submits to our dynasty and signs a permanent treaty of vassalage.”

"Beshbali is now part of the territory of our Great Ming Dynasty, and our mission can be considered a complete success."

Li Boyue nodded and added, "In addition, we need to test his attitude towards the Black Fire People."

"If he harbors resentment towards the current Khan, who is also his father, or intends to usurp the throne, we might be able to stir up trouble and launch a palace coup."

“Imagine this,” Chen Cheng said slowly, “If Hei’erhuo Zhe is forced to abdicate or killed, and Shami Chagan ascends the throne as Khan, and his position is entirely due to the efforts of the Ming Dynasty, how could he dare not obey the Ming Dynasty?”

"In this way, the Ming Dynasty can use a borrowed knife to govern the country and reap the benefits without lifting a finger."

While the group was discussing, someone came to report that Shamichagan was requesting an audience.

"Your Excellency, I apologize for the disturbance you have suffered. I, Shamichagan, as the son of the Great Khan, extend my sincerest apologies to you."

Shamichagan was very humble: "We are very sorry that an attack on the Ming delegation occurred on our territory."

"Rest assured, we will severely punish these bandits and give you an explanation."

He had inspected the battlefield and found that Mahama's men had suffered considerable casualties.

Upon entering the Ming Dynasty delegation's camp, they were astonished to find that the delegation had suffered almost no damage.

Although his younger brother was incredibly reckless, he was always exceptionally brave in battle.

Unexpectedly, they suffered such a great loss in front of the Ming Dynasty delegation.

Could it be that the Ming Dynasty delegation in front of us consists of elite warriors?

However, regardless of the circumstances, Shamichagan was very "grateful" to the Ming Dynasty delegation.

After all, they helped him kill Mahama.

I did what I had always wanted to do but had never been able to.

Chen Cheng, his face stern, said coldly, "Severely punish the bandits? Is it merely to severely punish the bandits? We are an envoy of the Great Ming Dynasty, we came for friendly relations with our neighbors, yet we have suffered such a terrible attack on your territory. You must give us a reasonable explanation and compensate us for our losses!"

……

(End of this chapter)