The lonely smoke in the desert is straight, and the long river is round when the sun falls.
It is already midsummer in July, and the weather of the fifth year of Zhengde is like flowing fire spreading over the desert.
An army of 25,000 men was marching along the sand dunes. They were all cavalry, with no logistical equipment, no accompanying civilians, and no camps.
From the moment the sun hung blazingly in the middle of the sky to sinking behind the sand dunes, he never took a sip of water. Although this hero's face was full of exhaustion, his eyes were bright and full of infinite vitality.
This battle is a battle to destroy the country.
What he brought with him were the elites of the Turpan army. The remaining troops, under the leadership of General Tajiding, were stationed in Liucheng area, preparing to attack the Ming army coming west across the eight hundred miles of sand sea.
Hot steam was rising from the sand dunes in the distance. Turpan's elite soldiers also crossed the sand sea. Although they rested for half a month at Puchang Sea to recuperate, there was still a long way from Puchang Sea to Dunhuang.
distance.
He came all the way east, killing dozens of tribes along the way. His strategy of relying on the enemy's food and no baggage allowed his 25,000-strong army to cross the sand sea and penetrate directly into the flank of the Ming army.
This battle to destroy the country has become a comparison of endurance. Whether the Ming Dynasty will conquer Liucheng first or Mansu'er will conquer Shazhou first, everything is still unknown.
If Man Su'er had a choice, he would never bet on this. Unfortunately, he was just a monarch of a small country. Compared with a behemoth like the Ming Dynasty, risking an attack on Shazhou was the only strategy he could choose.
Because the so-called destruction of the country is just for Turpan. And for the Ming Emperor who was hiding in Ganzhou, it was just a small doll that was lost to the sky.
Beyond the sand mountain in front of us, there is another sand mountain. The boundless desert is draining the strength of the Turpan soldiers. Born and raised here, they are equally vulnerable to nature.
God of Eternal Life, please grant me glory! Allah, please grant defeat to my enemies!
After setting up camp and resting under a large fixed sand dune, Mansuer closed his eyes, listened to the evening wind, and prayed quietly.
Starting from Ali, the three generations of Khans of Turpan were not devout Green Religions. They chose the Green Religion simply because of the huge power of the Green Religion.
This is even more true for Mansuer. In the choice between Allah and Changshengtian, he subconsciously ranked Changshengtian first. If Buddhism was not weak in power, perhaps Buddha's status would be higher than Allah.
Worshiping next to him were his eldest son Sha Si and his second son Ma Heima. Not far away was the fireman Ma Heimu, who together with the general Tajidin was known as the "Tulupan Double Wall", and a little further away
, it is Turpan's number one military general Hu Li Na Zan'er, and his younger brother Sa Zhe'er.
These six people are the core of the command of 25,000 people.
Worshiping is a daily task for Green believers, and they have to be done five times a day, which makes Mansuer a little upset. I heard that the saints in the far west only do it once a week, and they can also deceive people.
The simpler the superstition is, the better the superstition is.
No wonder the Green Sect has been unable to enter Hexi. If King Ben Khan became the sultan of the entire Mongolia, he would order all the warriors in the world to pray only once a week and pay Zakat. The more the better, it is best to be human
People donate their wealth to Allah.
Then as the spokesperson of Allah in the world, Mansuer will also become the richest khan in Mongolia. The Sultan, who has no religious piety, began to plan a strategy to force the Ming Dynasty to conquer.
In his opinion, Shazhou is just a broken city that can be conquered in one attack. As long as his army appears on the sandy plain outside the city, the people in the city will kneel down under his wolf flag.
According to reports from the scouts, the Ming armies that threatened Turpan were all in Guazhou, nearly three hundred miles away. And they were just passing through. The final destination of these Ming armies was Hami.
The main force of the Ming Army had already set off from Hami half a month ago and headed straight for Liucheng. However, the reserve force of the Ming Army was still far away in Guazhou!
The civilians along the way had countless luggage. The grain and grass transported from Suzhou to Hami alone was enough to feed the 25,000 people in Mansu'er for half a year.
What a huge and prodigal empire!
Man Su'er couldn't help but envy the young emperor who was under twenty years old. It would take others a lifetime to go through mountains of corpses and seas of blood to reach the position. That boy was destined to sit on the unfairness of the world as soon as he was born.
, nothing more than this.
As for the Uighur tribes, as well as the Mongolian tribes in Uszang and Hexi, they are not within the scope of Mansu'er's consideration at all. Those cowards can only be on the sidelines, and give them one hundred and twenty courage.
Dare not send troops.
"Honorable Sultan," a heroic voice came from behind Mansu'er. It was Maheimu the Fire Man. If translated into Green Sect text, it should be Muhammad. "Our army only has three days of food reserves. If it is clear,
After we arrive in Shazhou, if we can’t capture the city within one day, I’m afraid there will be big trouble!”
In the strategy of long-distance raids, it was impossible to have a large amount of military rations. Three days of rations was already the result of massacre of countless small tribes.
Mansu'er looked at Ma Heimu, who was full of worry, and said with a smile: "In just half a day, my wolf flag will be planted on the top of the city of Dunhuang."
Strictly speaking, Ma Heimu is not Man Su'er's direct confidant. He was able to climb to the double wall position of the Khanate entirely due to his own outstanding ability. He was originally Ya Lan's general, and Ya Lan was Man Su'er's subordinate.
His great-uncle was also the general of the two sultans, Ali and Ahima.
After Ahema's death, Mansuer became the new Sultan in a bloody mess. He not only killed most of his brothers, but also forced Yalan back. At that time, Maheimu was captured after fighting for three days and three nights.
After his persuasion, a new khan was appointed.
Man Su'er also immediately entrusted this surrendered general with a heavy responsibility. The 25,000 elite cavalry troops were fully coordinated by Ma Heimu. Ma Heimu did not live up to his expectations and led the entire army on the way east.
Everything up and down is taken care of in an orderly manner.
Even the eldest prince Sasi and the second prince Ma Heima, whose conflicts were increasingly intensified, temporarily reconciled under his mediation.
In the khanates that were split from the Mongol Empire, fathers and sons killed each other, and brothers killed each other. It seems to have become a fixed drama that must be performed in every generation. From the coast of the East China Sea to the Kipchak Khanate in Europe. On the tens of thousands of miles of grassland,
This kind of bloody drama will appear before and after the birth of every new king.
"I heard that the Uighur tribe of Heihe tribe had nomadically arrived at Tu'erba on the banks of the Gajin River in Xila a few days ago," Ma Heimu took out a simple marching map from his arms and pointed at a small black dot. He sighed.
He said, "This place is only more than ten miles away from Dunhuang. In one hour, the entire clan can hide in the city. There are 90,000 of them. Among them, there are more than 10,000 warriors!"
"To be broad-minded and universal is to be mediocre," Mansu'er said with a smile, "You only have the courage to take advantage of the situation, how can you have the courage to fight against me?"
Ma Heimu shook his head and continued: "According to the news from the craftsmen in Ganzhou, the emperor of the Han people is planning to marry Kuan Che Puhua's daughter as his concubine, and then promise the land of the West Sea. Kuan Che Puhua's courage, I’m afraid it’s much bigger than before.”
Man Su'er snorted coldly: "No matter how courageous the rabbit is, it is still a rabbit and cannot become a wolf."
"Where's Yalan?" Ma Heimu said about his former boss without any emotion. Instead, he was very calm. "He sent Timur brother and Tuba, with three thousand people, and he is hiding in Siraga. Suoziba on the bank of Jinhe River is also only more than ten miles away from Dunhuang!"
"How do you find out?" Man Su'er frowned. He was not worried about Ya Lan, the defeated general. His only concern was Ma Heimu, who was suspicious of people but not of people he employed.
Ma Heimu understood the doubts of his own Khan and calmly replied: "Among those people are my subordinates from the old days."
Yalan was from Qinghai Quxianwei. He was plundered by Turpan when he was a child. When he grew up, he was admired by Ali and became his sister's wife. He had been in charge of the Turpan army for a long time. After being forced back by Mansu'er, he occupied He conquered several cities and became the king in private. Mansuer saw that he did not openly rebel, so he did not want to waste his energy in conquering him. The two of them maintained a delicate balance.
Brother Timur and Tuba are both locals of Shazhou and were born as horse bandits. After being repelled by Zhao Yuan, the prefect, they took refuge in Yalan. Now that they are leading their troops outside Shazhou City, they are definitely not here to enjoy the mountains. water.
Adding insult to injury is their only purpose.
Mansu'er pointed to the darkness in the east and said with a smile: "Tomorrow at noon, my Khan King's wolf flag will be planted on the top of the city of Dunhuang. At that time, the heads of Zhao Yuan, Timur brother and Tuba will be Become the trophy of this Khan, and be lenient and universal, you will kneel before my horse’s head, with tears streaming down your face, and pray for my generosity.”
"well……"
Ma Heimu wanted to say something, but he hesitated. He wanted to open his mouth several times, but forced himself to hold it back. In the end, all his emotions turned into a long sigh, floating in the night.
Almost at the same moment, in the temporary camp of Long Xiang's army in Shazhou City, the real Timur sat in the tent of the Chinese army, facing the dim lights and a pot of residual wine in front of him, feeling sad.
The West Sea! That ocean with boundless salt water, that ocean with vast grasslands!
Emperor! The emperor who controls the world, the emperor who controls the largest empire in the world!
If the opponent is just one person, even if he is the Great Khan of all Mongolia, the real Timur will have the courage to fight for Ulanzhen. But that is the unique Ming Emperor. How can I, a short-term commander of the Ming Dynasty, fight with the emperor? ,How dare you compete with the emperor?
Zhu Shou used a Western Sea that did not entirely belong to the Ming Dynasty in exchange for Kuanche Puhua's life-saving help. Ninety thousand Heihe tribesmen have arrived outside Dunhuang City. Ten thousand Heihe warriors have grown up under the leadership of Wu Lanzhen. He killed the first batch of soldiers of Longxiang Army.
He worked hard to convince Wu Lanzhen, but was defeated by a thin imperial edict, and what awaited him was the emperor's thunderous wrath.
His greatest role was to pacify and pacify the Turpan Khanate after the war. This was a trick that the Ming Dynasty had always used.
But Said can also play this role. Brother Wang, who is in exile in the Western Regions, will never have the second choice if he receives the imperial edict from the Ming Dynasty.
And what is waiting for you may be a cup of poisonous wine!
As for Long Xiang's army, there is not much with him, and there is no less without him. Zhang Yunlin can manage the army very well.
No! I will never give in. I am the prince of Turpan, and I am the hope of the Western Regions! Zhu Houzhao, I want you to pay a heavier price!
After swearing a poisonous oath in the name of Allah in his heart, the real Timur took out a knife from his arms, placed it on the tables in front of him, picked up the wine flask, and poured all the remaining strong wine on the blade of the knife.
superior.
A string of tears rolled out of the corners of his eyes.
Wu Lanzhen, I will marry you in the next life! (To be continued...)