Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 516 Old Zhu's Question! An Envoy Who Came for Peace?
West of the desert, beyond Beshbaliq, lies the territory of the Timurid Empire.

This is a relatively new regime, having risen to power only a few decades ago, and its history is even shorter than that of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate.

The founder of this empire was Timur himself.

Timur is still alive today, and although he is nearly sixty, he remains incredibly powerful.

The empire's iron cavalry swept across the land, annexing surrounding tribes, its prestige growing daily, its ambitions undiminished.

However, even so, he always maintained a respectful attitude towards the neighboring Beshbali.

Firstly, Beshbaliq is a powerful state with a vast territory and a valiant army, unlike any other small state.

Secondly, its ruler, Heirhuozhe, was a descendant of Genghis Khan and a legitimate successor of the Golden Family.

Since Genghis Khan unified the grasslands and embarked on his westward expeditions, the prestige of the Golden Family has been at its zenith.

In the minds of many people in Central Asia, only the descendants of the Golden Family are qualified to be called "Great Khan".

In order to obtain this "legitimate" blessing, Timur went to great lengths, offering a large sum of money and gifts to the Black Fireman several years ago to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage.

With a generous dowry, he finally married one of the daughters of the Black Fire Clan, a princess of the Golden Family. As a "prince consort," he secured his position by attaching himself to the legitimate bloodline.

Since then, Timur's power has grown stronger day by day, his empire has continued to expand, and he has annexed many small countries in the surrounding area, showing signs of surpassing Beshbaliq.

However, all of this suddenly changed when the Ming Dynasty delegation arrived in Beshbaliq and Emperor Zhu personally led his army into the Western Regions.

During this period, Lao Zhu has been stationed in Beshbali, strategizing and planning.

The Ming Dynasty's new army not only received a steady stream of grain and military supplies from Shaanxi, but also launched a fierce propaganda offensive and political pressure against the Timurid Empire.

Faced with the Ming Dynasty's relentless pressure, the Timurid Empire remained silent and offered no response.

According to reliable information gathered by the Ming Dynasty's intelligence bureau and military intelligence department, the Timurid Empire's high command has fallen into serious divisions, with the pro-war and pro-peace factions locked in a heated argument.

Timur himself, as the supreme ruler of the empire, remained silent and his attitude remained unclear.

Months earlier, Zhu Yuanzhang had already dispatched Chen Cheng as an envoy, leading a delegation to the Timurid Empire.

The hope is to appeal to Timur's emotions and reason, and persuade him to "form an alliance" with the Ming Dynasty.

It has been more than four months since they left Beshbali, but there has been no news of them since.

Of course, this is understandable.

The journey from Beshbaliq to Barkh, the capital of the Timurid Empire, was over three thousand li.

This is not the heartland of the Ming Dynasty, and there are no wide, flat official roads for people and horses to gallop on.

The mission not only had to traverse the vast, uninhabited desert, but also had to cross endless mountain ranges.

The mountains here are completely different from the beautiful landscapes within the Ming Dynasty.

Due to the arid climate and long-term weathering and erosion, many mountains are barren and desolate. Apart from the particularly high snow-capped mountains with ice and snow, many mountains do not even have a drop of water.

This meant that the mission had to carry its own sufficient water and food supplies, and with these burdens, the arduous journey was unimaginable.

Furthermore, Barry did not have telegraph machines like those in the Ming Dynasty, so it was perfectly normal that even if the mission arrived successfully, it would be difficult to send back messages in a short period of time.

But Old Zhu's patience had run out, and he was unwilling to wait any longer.

Old Zhu harbored a strong sense of pride and longed to display his prowess in front of his grandson and achieve great things.

He wanted to prove to the world that he was the greatest military genius of the Ming Dynasty, and that his ability to lead troops into battle was even greater than that of his grandson!

If this continues, won't it ruin his plan?
Thus, under Zhu Yuanzhang's decisive decision, the Ming army began to assemble and deploy outside the borders of the Timurid Empire, with its military might aimed directly at the Timurid Empire.

At this moment, inside the central army camp, all the generals and soldiers were beaming with joy, showing no sign of the solemn atmosphere that a great battle was about to begin. Instead, they were filled with high morale and confidence in victory.

"Haha, laying this cable is a piece of cake! Just pull a line to connect it, then connect it to the telegraph machine, and you can maintain uninterrupted communication with the rear anytime, anywhere!"

A new army general pointed at the telegraph machine, his eyes gleaming with excitement, his tone filled with incredulous surprise.

“That’s right! We can lay cables anywhere the army goes on the march to ensure that information transmission with the rear is never interrupted. This is simply a godsend!” another general excitedly echoed.

"That's not all!" another general added, unable to contain his excitement. "The vanguard can lay cables while marching, maintaining close contact with the central army in real time."

"In this way, even if the various armies advance separately, they can maintain unimpeded communication with each other."

"This makes coordinated operations on the battlefield so much easier!"

Inside the large tent, several new army generals gathered around the telegraph machine, their faces beaming with joy.

For military operations, maintaining efficient and stable communication with the rear is always a matter of success or failure, especially when conducting long-range raids and penetrating deep into enemy territory.

In many cases, the timely transmission of information can directly determine the final outcome of a battle.

Old Zhu was in a pretty good mood at the moment.

He had thought that his aging body would be unable to withstand the hardships of a long journey.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yunwen dispatched a professional medical team to accompany him.

These doctors, trained in the new medicine system, while inheriting the methods of traditional imperial physicians in conditioning the body and treating diseases, also made significant innovations and breakthroughs.

For example, they would use professional filters to finely filter the water that Lao Zhu was drinking, and then boil and cool it before serving it.

They explained that this would minimize the intake of heavy metals, bacteria, and viruses, thus ensuring the Emperor's health.

The health-preserving medicinal diets and foods we consume daily have also undergone careful adjustments and optimizations.

Even more remarkably, the medical team also tailored a complete health and exercise program for him.

Old Zhu followed this plan for a period of time and indeed felt much stronger and more energetic.

In addition, Zhu Yunwen also specially sent several new-style carriages.

These carriages are more advanced than ever before, providing not only comprehensive and robust protection, but also achieving the ultimate in shock absorption.

Sitting in the carriage, even when traveling through rugged terrain, one could hardly feel any bumps, providing great comfort and convenience for Zhu Yuanzhang to lead his army on marches.

Furthermore, although Zhu De had personally arrived at the front lines, he was actually stationed in a relatively rear command area. Unlike the troops advancing at the front, he would not frequently need to march or rush at high speed due to combat missions.

Old Zhu led an elite guard team, advancing slowly from the rear while remotely commanding the frontline troops.

This method of marching was undoubtedly much more comfortable, and Old Zhu's body could fully withstand it.

"You must not underestimate the enemy!" Unlike the optimistic generals, Old Zhu's expression was extremely solemn. He calmly warned his generals, "The journey to Barihei is long and arduous, and the mountain roads are rugged and difficult to travel. There are also large areas along the way that are uninhabited."

"All military supplies, such as food and fodder, depend on the continuous transport from the rear. These will be huge problems for us."

"If Timur can assess the situation and recognize the opportune moment, take the initiative to show goodwill to our Great Ming, or even form an alliance with our Great Ming and allow our army to pass through, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome."

“However,” Old Zhu sighed softly, “this guy is ambitious and should not be underestimated.”

"In the past two decades, the territory of the empire he ruled has expanded several times over."

"It would be extremely difficult, almost an impossible task, to get him to bow down and show weakness to our Great Ming."

"We had previously ordered the Third Brigade of the New Army to conduct continuous military exercises in the border area. The roar of artillery fire was deafening all day long, shaking the earth and creating an awe-inspiring force."

Even so, the Timurid Empire has never given any response.

"It seems that if we don't teach them a lesson first and fight a battle, they won't easily accept our Great Ming's proposal for peace and friendship."

At this point, Old Zhu abruptly changed the subject, his tone turning cold: "We've also heard that this Timur is a fanatical follower of Genghis Khan, and he holds Genghis Khan in the highest esteem."

"Despite not being a descendant of the Golden Family, they take pride in being one."

He also hoped to lead the steppe cavalry to sweep across the world, just like the ancestors of the Golden Family.

"He even harbored the wolfish ambition of conquering our Great Ming, and dared to say that he would restore the former glory of the grasslands and make the Han people of the Central Plains grovel under the iron hooves of the grasslands once again."

"However, he felt the time was not yet ripe, so he temporarily gave up."

"Now that we have our troops at the city gates, we can ask him in person if he truly wants to fight our Great Ming to the death!"

Just as Old Zhu was about to continue outlining the next battle strategy to his generals, a hurried report came from outside the tent: "Your Majesty, an envoy from the Timurid Empire requests an audience!"

Old Zhu's eyes lit up instantly, and a rare gleam appeared on his face.

He immediately waved his hand and ordered, "Summon him to an audience!"

After speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright in the main seat, and the generals returned to their respective positions from beside the telegraph machine, and the atmosphere in the entire central command tent became solemn.

Before long, a guard led an elderly man, who looked to be about fifty or sixty years old, into the tent.

The old man's face was weathered, and he walked with a limp. His clothing was simple, and his demeanor was like that of an ordinary grassland herdsman, without any airs of a great man.

"This is the envoy from the Timurid Empire? He's hardly behaving like a proper envoy from a nation."

Such thoughts involuntarily arose in the minds of all the soldiers.

After all, those who came to the Ming Dynasty represented the face of the entire empire.

However, the other side sent out a lame old man, which really surprised everyone present, and even made them somewhat incredulous.

As everyone's thoughts raced, the old man had already walked into the tent and stood firmly.

He immediately cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said in a slightly hoarse but clear voice, "The envoy of the Turan Empire pays respects to the Supreme Emperor of the Great Ming!"

The Turan Empire was the name the Timurid Empire used to refer to itself on many formal occasions.

However, it is more commonly referred to as the Timurid Empire, or directly by its core region "Mavarankhnar", or by the more akin to "Gurkani" which carries a kinship connotation.

Among them, "Mavaranhenar" refers to the core heartland of the Timurid Empire, much like the Central Plains are to the Ming Dynasty.

"Gurkhani" means son-in-law of Genghis Khan's family. This was an honorific title Timur gave himself after marrying a princess of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate.

Today, on such a formal occasion as the envoys pay homage to the Supreme Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the self-designation "Turand Empire" is specifically mentioned to show respect.

Old Zhu did not respond immediately; he simply observed the newcomer quietly.

Seeing this, Yoshigaki could no longer contain himself and shouted sharply, "How dare you! Now that you know this is the Supreme Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, why don't you kneel and pay your respects?"

"Could it be that your knees can't kneel down?"

The old man glanced at Yoshigaki calmly, his gaze devoid of any emotion.

He spoke slowly, his tone neither humble nor arrogant: "I am a cripple, and my knees do indeed have some old ailments, which cause me much inconvenience. I hope the Supreme Emperor of the Great Ming will forgive and understand."

Yoshigaki was taken aback by the answer and was momentarily speechless, a look of surprise on his face.

At this moment, the old man quickly changed the subject and continued, "I have long heard that the Supreme Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty is the reincarnation of a true dragon emperor. Although he was born into humble circumstances, he harbored the ambition to overthrow the heavens and change the world. As a commoner, he was able to rule over a vast empire. He is truly a hero of all time!"

He paused briefly, his gaze falling on Old Zhu, scrutinizing him without any hesitation, a genuine expression of admiration appearing on his face:

"Having met you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved; you possess extraordinary bearing."

"The supreme emperor's unparalleled majesty truly fills the envoy with admiration, like looking up at a towering mountain!"

“You people of the Ming Dynasty once had an old saying: ‘A prime minister’s belly can hold a boat.’”

The old man looked calmly at Zhu Yuanzhang, his tone unhurried, "I believe that the Emperor's magnanimity is far broader and more expansive than that of an ordinary prime minister."

"The Supreme Emperor is like an eagle soaring in the heavens, how could he care about the humble ant like me?"

"With the Supreme Emperor's wisdom and foresight, he must also know that whether or not I kneel is not a trivial matter."

He emphasized slightly, "The important thing is that I am here on behalf of the Turan Empire, seeking peace between our two countries!"

After saying this, the old man bowed deeply to Zhu again, saying, "The Ming delegation has arrived in Barihei and conveyed your request to the Turan Empire."

"Therefore, our great and supreme Emperor Timur has specially dispatched me to this place to pay homage to the Supreme Emperor of the Great Ming."

……

(End of this chapter)