My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 287 They couldn't even defeat the Jurchens, yet they wanted to attack the Ming Dynasty?
Just as Zhu Cilang was wondering, Qin Liangyu continued:
“The messengers are from the Khoshut tribe (Tibet). They say they have come to request an audience with Your Highness.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang suddenly realized what was going on, but then he sneered.

Several months have passed since the Battle of Songjin, and these guys have remained silent as if they were dead, as if the matter had nothing to do with them.

As a result, less than half a month after we started our military campaign against the Mongols, they all rushed to the Ming Dynasty in a hurry.

How can these guys be so shameless?
In addition, the Yarkand Khanate (New Jiang) had already sent envoys long before the Khoshut Khanate sent its envoys.

However, Zhu Cilang was too lazy to pay attention to them at the time and never saw them.

However, the Yarkand envoys were unwilling to leave and found a place to stay in Xuanfu, where they came to see Zhu Cilang every day.

They went to great lengths to get a glimpse of Zhu Cilang, even sending various kinds of gold and silver treasures to those around him, hoping they would put in a good word for him.

Zhu Cilang found it amusing at the time, and then immediately issued an order.

That means everyone should accept whatever they send, but they shouldn't pay any attention to them.

In this way, Yarkand was swindled out of a lot of gold and silver treasures.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang looked at Qin Liangyu and said:
"Let them come. Have someone keep a close watch on their every move, but ignore them."

"If they come to see me, I will tell them I don't have time. I'll leave them hanging for a few days and see how long they can hold out."

Upon hearing this, Qin Liangyu immediately replied:

"Your subject obeys. I will go and make the arrangements immediately."

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, and then Qin Liangyu turned and left the government office to arrange related matters.

After Qin Liangyu left, Zhu Cilang sat down and began to ponder the current situation.

The Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut tribe, to put it simply, were actually the three places that later became known as Tibet, Xinjiang, and Qinghai.

These two forces have historically had intricate connections with the Ming Dynasty, and their relationship is quite complex.

Among them, the relationship between the Yarkand Khanate (New Jiang) and the Ming Dynasty was always a tributary relationship, similar to that of a vassal state.

Although the Yarkand Khanate (New Zion) sometimes had border conflicts with the Ming Dynasty, the two sides generally maintained a relatively peaceful state.

The Yarkand Khanate recognized the Ming Dynasty's suzerainty and sent envoys to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty every year, offering local specialties and treasures.

The Ming Dynasty also bestowed generous rewards upon them, and the two sides engaged in economic exchanges through tribute trade and other means, which promoted the exchange of goods and economic development between the two sides.

However, by the time of the Chongzhen Emperor, this relationship had ceased to exist, and the Yarkand Khanate (New Jiang) began to submit to the Jurchens and broke away from the Ming Dynasty.

The relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Khoshut tribe (Tibet) was rather special.

Because in the beginning, the Ming Dynasty actually had direct control over the Khoshut tribe (Tibet).

The Ming Dynasty established tributary garrisons in the Qinghai region, such as Xining Garrison, to indirectly rule the area where the Khoshut tribe (Tibet) was located.

During the early and mid-Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty could even directly mobilize troops from Tibet, and the Khoshut tribe also obeyed the Ming Dynasty's orders at that time.

However, as time went on, the Khoshut tribe gradually gained control of the entire Qinghai region and Tibet during the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, becoming the de facto rulers.

Gradually, they stopped paying attention to the Ming Dynasty!
Later, with the rise of the Jurchens, they all began to have their own ulterior motives.

The Khoshut tribe even took the initiative to establish diplomatic relations with the Jurchens, seemingly believing that the Jurchens were powerful and that establishing relations with them would bring them more benefits and security.

To be honest, if the Ming army had just won the Battle of Songjin and then came to the Ming Dynasty to ask to re-establish diplomatic relations, Zhu Cilang would definitely have agreed.

After all, who wants to fight a war if they can have peace?
But three months have passed and they're only just arriving. What kind of sincerity is that?
This was clearly because they knew about the Ming army's attack on the Vystral Alliance, and they were afraid they would be next, so they hurriedly came to the Ming Dynasty, hoping to beg the Ming Dynasty to let them go.

But where in this world can you find such a good thing?

I gave you a chance before, but you didn't do it. Why should I give you another chance now?

Of course, this opportunity does exist, but it requires a significant financial commitment.

If there isn't a significant amount of bleeding, this matter won't be easily resolved.

Zhu Cilang did not intend to use force against these two places for the time being, but it was still necessary to extort them. In addition, he also needed to restore control over the Khoshut tribe, which meant re-establishing new garrisons.

The same applies to the Yarkand Khanate!

So, in the following days, the envoys from the Khoshut Khanate and the Yarkand Khanate, like ascetics driven by fate, tirelessly came to see Zhu Cilang every day.

They lingered outside the Xuanfu government office time and time again, just hoping to catch a glimpse of Zhu Cilang.

However, Zhu Cilang continued to ignore them and refused to meet with them as usual.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang also issued an order requiring the 10,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry stationed in Xuanfu to conduct daily drills.

It should be noted that not long ago, a batch of brand-new flintlock muskets were transported from the capital to Xuanfu and were quickly equipped by most of the garrison.

With the new weapons arriving, the next step is naturally training!

So every day when daylight arrives and the sun shines over the entire grassland, a deafening, thunderous sound of gunfire that pierces the sky can be heard on the grassland outside Xuanfu.

Upon hearing this, many shrewd businessmen and local residents of Xuanfu dropped what they were doing and flocked to join the excitement.

Some stood at a distance, craning their necks to look, while others squeezed to the front, wanting to see more clearly.

When everyone witnessed such powerful firearms, they were all astonished, their mouths agape, as if they had seen the most incredible thing in the world.

After all, flintlock muskets had only been used against the Jurchens before, and had never been displayed on such a large scale elsewhere. Therefore, the Mongols and the people of Xuanfu were naturally dumbfounded, their hearts filled with shock and curiosity.

This naturally included Adam, the envoy of the Khoshut tribe, and Dolidu, the envoy of the Yarkand Khanate.

Adamu stood in the crowd, his eyes fixed on the imposing Ming soldiers holding flintlock muskets, his heart filled with mixed emotions, as if a bottle of mixed feelings had been spilled.

He knew that restoring diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty was of utmost urgency; otherwise, if the Ming Dynasty were to actually attack them, they would be powerless to retaliate.

After all, they had no way to counter the Ming army's firearms; their crude cold weapons were utterly helpless against flintlock muskets.

With these powerful firearms, the Ming army was able to defeat even the arrogant Jurchens, let alone them.

As for Doridu, the envoy of the Yarkand Khanate, his feelings at this moment were similar to those of Adamu.

Moreover, his current situation is actually even more difficult, because they arrived earlier and have almost used up most of the money they brought, and are now penniless.

If they don't see Zhu Cilang before they run out of money, they'll have no choice but to slink back home.

But he was really unwilling. If he went back without even seeing Zhu Cilang, and the Ming Dynasty really launched an attack on them, wouldn't they be doomed?

As a result, in the following days, the two groups of envoys came to the gate of Xuanfu to request an audience with Zhu Cilang even more frequently.

They often stay for an entire day, from the first rays of sunlight in the morning to the last rays of sunset, unwilling to leave.

They simply waited patiently for Zhu Cilang's summons.

This forced Zhu Cilang to even leave through the back door to avoid these messengers.

It wasn't until Zhu Cilang received a secret report that the Yarkand Khanate envoys were running out of money and that if Zhu Cilang didn't see them soon, they would have no choice but to return home.

Zhu Cilang then realized that it was about time, so he decided to meet with them.

The sun shone brightly at noon that day, as if it were a perfect day specially arranged by heaven.

Zhu Cilang finally ordered an audience with the Khoshut envoy and the Yarkand envoy.

Upon receiving this news, the two envoys standing at the entrance of the government office were so excited that they almost burst into tears.

They were not originally acquainted, but after suffering together for days, they had become familiar with each other and even developed a sense of kinship and sympathy.

After their initial excitement subsided, they quickly tidied their clothes before hurriedly going inside.

Before long, they saw Zhu Cilang sitting in a high position.

Compared to before, Zhu Cilang has matured considerably, and the boyish naiveté has faded, replaced by a composed demeanor.

However, judging solely from his appearance, Zhu Cilang is still just a teenager at present.

Of course, neither of these two envoys dared to underestimate Zhu Cilang, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

The next second, they hurriedly bowed and respectfully worshipped:

"The Yarkand envoy (New Zombie) pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty!"

"The Special Envoy of Heshuo (Tibet) pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept over the group, his expression calm and unwavering, revealing no trace of emotion, before he spoke in a low voice:
"Everyone, please stand up."

Upon hearing this, the messengers stood up shakily.

Zhu Cilang then asked directly:
"Gentlemen, I have heard that you have been trying to see me recently. What is the reason for this?"

Although he knew the other party was feigning ignorance, the envoy from the Khoshut Khanate still quickly spoke up upon hearing this:
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, we have come here today to request that Your Highness restore the previous relationship between the Khoshut Khanate and the Great Ming Dynasty."

"We were forced to submit to the Jurchens under duress. After the Ming Dynasty defeated the Jurchens, we regained our freedom. We are filled with gratitude for the Ming Dynasty."

"Therefore, we now wish to restore our previous relationship with the Ming Dynasty, and we hope that His Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty will agree."

"We are willing to pay tribute every year, come to court every year, and serve the Ming Dynasty forever."

Upon hearing this, the Yarkand envoy, who was standing nearby, quickly added:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, the Yarkand Khanate also wishes to request the restoration of our previous relations." "We are well aware of the strength and benevolence of the Great Ming Dynasty and are willing to forge an eternal friendship with it for mutual prosperity."

Zhu Cilang found these words amusing, and then chuckled:
"Gentlemen, what do you mean by that? Didn't you establish diplomatic relations with the Jurchens back in the early years of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign and sever all ties with the Ming Dynasty?"

"Isn't it a bit inappropriate to say such things now? When you betrayed the Ming Dynasty and colluded with the Jurchens, did you ever imagine that things would turn out this way?"

Upon hearing this, the two envoys' expressions changed instantly, and their bodies began to tremble involuntarily.

Immediately afterwards, the Heshuo envoy hurriedly said:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, this is not something we wanted to do. It's just that the Jurchens are too powerful, and we have no choice but to comply."

"After all, we are just a small border country, powerless to resist the powerful Jurchens."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Cilang raised his hand to stop him.

Seeing this, the Heshuo envoy had no choice but to shut his mouth.

Zhu Cilang then said:
"You two, I understand your meaning, but please forgive me for not being able to agree to this matter."

"Because of your previous betrayal, the Emperor of Ming and the court no longer trust you."

"The imperial court already has a plan for you, which is to launch a military campaign against Yarkand and Khoshut next year."

“Originally, this kind of thing is a secret of the imperial court and should not be told to you, but you have seen the situation of the military exercises outside Xuanfu recently.”

"Nowadays, all the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are equipped with new firearms, and I don't need to elaborate on how powerful they are."

"To put it simply, the Ming Dynasty doesn't care whether you know about this or not, nor does it care whether you will form an alliance to deal with the Ming Dynasty."

"After all, even the strongest cavalry cannot withstand the firearms of the Ming Dynasty. Even if you unite, you will be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot in the face of the Ming Dynasty's firearms. You are simply overestimating your own strength."

"So hurry back before the Ming Dynasty sends troops against you, and enjoy your privileged life for a while longer, otherwise you may not have the chance again."

Upon hearing this, the envoys from the Yarkand Khanate and the Khoshut Khanate were almost in tears.

Their legs buckled, and they knelt down, their eyes filled with fear and despair.

Not
What's going on here? Why are they actually going to fight? They don't want to fight at all!
They couldn't even defeat the Jurchens, how could they possibly defeat the Ming Dynasty?

Moreover, they also saw the Ming Dynasty's firearms. If the Ming Dynasty has such firearms, this war simply cannot be won.
To put it bluntly, 30,000 cavalrymen equipped with such firearms could wipe them out in one fell swoop!

Even if we cannot completely eliminate them, we will thoroughly destroy their fighting force, causing them to never recover.

Thinking of this, the two envoys quickly kowtowed and said:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, please spare our lives! We are truly willing to return to the Ming Dynasty. We are willing to prove our sincerity with practical actions. We hope that Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty can plead with His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty to refrain from starting a war."

"If war breaks out, there will be immense suffering and loss of life. Our people will be displaced, which will be a huge disaster."

"We hope that Your Highness will consider the plight of these people and spare us from war."

In an instant, the two messengers burst into tears, their tears flowing like a flood that had burst its banks, unstoppable.

There was nothing they could do; they were genuinely terrified. The Ming army's existing military weaponry was like a game-changer for them—a force they simply couldn't comprehend or contend with.

Even though they can move around at any time thanks to their nomadic lifestyle, it's not a sustainable way to live. They can't live a life of constant wandering forever.

Seeing the two people in front of him looking terrified and pleading, Zhu Cilang knew the time had come.

However, he still pretended to look somewhat embarrassed.

Then he frowned slightly, his eyes revealing a thoughtful expression, as if he were making an intense internal decision.

After a moment, he slowly spoke:
"In fact, not everyone in the Ming Dynasty's court supported war; there were still some who wanted to maintain the previous peaceful situation."

"Even I, the Empress, am unwilling to start a war."

Upon hearing this, the two envoys' previously dull eyes lit up instantly, and they quickly looked at Zhu Cilang with delighted expressions.

They said urgently:
"Your Highness is truly wise! After all, war is costly and exhausting, and in the end, it is the common people who suffer."

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, then continued:

"But in the end, you still betrayed the Ming Dynasty and submitted to the Jurchens. If you don't pay the corresponding price, it will be hard for the court to be convinced."

"Therefore, if you really want to re-establish friendly relations with the Ming Dynasty, you will have to pay a certain price."

Once these words were spoken, what could the envoys from the Khoshut tribe and the Yarkand Khanate possibly not understand?

So the special envoy from Heshuo hurriedly said:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, as long as peace can be maintained and the Khoshut tribe can reconcile with the Great Ming Dynasty, the Khoshut tribe is willing to pay any price."

"Moreover, to be honest, most of the soldiers who were stationed in Khoshut by the Ming Dynasty are still alive, and their descendants have always identified themselves as Han Chinese and have a deep affection for the Ming Dynasty."

"As long as the Ming Dynasty gives the order, the garrisons can be re-established immediately and continue to guard the borders for the Ming Dynasty."

Oh?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang was instantly tempted.

He originally thought that after the Khoshut tribe unified Tibet, they might ruthlessly kill all the previous garrison soldiers to eliminate potential threats.

Unexpectedly, they did not do that, but instead left behind the garrison soldiers.

This is indeed a pleasant surprise.

Because these garrison soldiers were not simply Han Chinese or ethnic minorities, but a combination of both.

In this way, even if the imperial court wants to re-establish garrisons in Tibet, it will not need to recruit soldiers again.

By simply sending a portion of Han Chinese troops to the Khoshut tribe to garrison alongside the local garrison troops, initial control over Tibet could be achieved.

As for the next steps, we can only wait and plan them out gradually based on the actual situation later.

Seeing that Zhu Cilang was somewhat tempted, the Yarkand envoy beside him quickly added:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, the Yarkand Khanate is also willing to accept the stationing of troops from the Great Ming Dynasty."

Although the Yarkand Khanate had previously only maintained a tributary relationship with the Ming Dynasty, their daily interactions were not frequent.

However, it is clear that refusing to allow troops to be stationed at this point is not an option.

After all, they had previously submitted to the Jurchens voluntarily, which was tantamount to betraying the long-standing relationship they had built with the Ming Dynasty.

Now that we want to re-establish friendly relations with the Ming Dynasty, we must show our utmost sincerity, and nothing shows more sincerity than allowing the Ming Dynasty to station troops.

Zhu Cilang listened to their words and found them amusing.

Because this matter was much easier than he had imagined.

He originally thought that persuading the two Mongol tribes to allow the Ming Dynasty to station troops would take some effort, but things went much more smoothly than he expected.

Sure enough, after winning a great victory, many things will change.

Those forces that once harbored ulterior motives towards the Ming Dynasty and attempted to be its enemies had to re-examine their stance after witnessing the Ming Dynasty's formidable strength.

But Zhu Cilang showed no emotional fluctuation on his face, instead feigning some hesitation as he said:
"Gentlemen, it's not that I don't believe you, but you are merely envoys. What use would it be if you agreed to such an important matter?"

"After all, this concerns the future direction between the Ming Dynasty and your tribe, and it is not something you can easily decide."

Upon hearing this, the Heshuo envoy quickly said:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, before we came here, our leader specifically instructed us that as long as the Great Ming Dynasty is willing to accept us again, we can agree to any conditions."

"Therefore, we can guarantee that this matter will definitely be accomplished, and we hope that His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty can trust us."

The Yarkand envoy standing nearby quickly echoed:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty, so are we!"

Having said that, Zhu Cilang finally got the answer he wanted.

However, he ultimately did not agree on the spot, but said instead:

"In that case, you may all go and rest. I will inform you of the final decision after discussing it with the ministers."

Upon hearing this, the two envoys dared not say anything more and then respectfully withdrew.

After they left, Zhu Cilang smiled slightly.

At this point, some people may be wondering how Zhu Cilang managed to retake Tibet and Xinjiang with just a few simple words?

Isn't this a bit too far-fetched?

In reality, this was not something that could be won over in just a few words.
This was clearly recaptured using the fighting prowess of the Ming soldiers!

When these envoys saw the ten thousand Ming cavalrymen launching an attack from horseback using flintlock muskets, they knew that times had changed.

In the past, Mongol cavalry, with their superb horsemanship and fierce fighting power, dominated the battlefield and were invincible.

But now, faced with the Ming army's new firearms, they have become nothing more than sitting ducks.

The flintlock musket fired bullets as densely as raindrops, instantly routing the enemy.

Especially when such an army numbers as high as 20,000, 30,000, 50,000 or even 100,000, who in this world can stop it?
To reiterate, no army from the era of cold weapons could withstand the combined might of the Ming Dynasty's near-modern forces.

(End of this chapter)