In the second hall of the Lanzhou Governor's Mansion, several merchant representatives were talking earnestly to Mei Zhihuan, the governor of Ganning, about their difficulties, "... Now that Abdullah, the Khan of eastern Yarkand, was at war with Kreqi Khan, the king of Yarkand, Abdul Raha Khan cut off the trade route to Kashgar.

The Oirat Junggar Mongols in the north of the Tianshan Mountains have cut off our trade routes to the north because of conflicts with the Kazakhs and Russians. Now we have only one trade route left from Mobei Mongolia to the forest, but this trade route is sparsely populated, and the second half is still in the hands of the Russians, who charge us high tolls and cannot guarantee the safety of the caravan, which is really hateful. So far this year, the trade volume of the Chamber of Commerce is less than half of that of the same period last year, how can this business continue..."

Although he was born as a scholar, Mei Zhihuan is different from those colleagues who only know how to write poetry. As the governor of Ganning, he knew very well that if it were not for the tax revenue brought by these caravans, it would be difficult for him to even pay the money of the local officials in Gansu, not to mention how many people in Gansu, Ningxia, and Shaanxi who relied on border merchants to live would lose their jobs.

Therefore, after patiently listening to the grievances of these chamber of commerce representatives, he asked several representatives unhurriedly: "So, what do you want this official to do for you?" ”

After several representatives of the Chamber of Commerce exchanged glances with each other, the older one of them stood up and said respectfully to Mei Zhihuan: "Thousands of colleagues from the Ganshan Chamber of Commerce have entrusted us to ask to see the Governor, and there is only one thing to ask for. Please also ask your Excellency to help us open up the trade routes of the Yarkand Khanate, as long as the adults are willing to send troops to attack the military expenses and materials of the Yarkand Khanate, my Ganshan Chamber of Commerce is willing to bear it. This trade route is related to the livelihood of more than 100,000 people in Gansu and Shaanxi, and I ask you to consider it carefully. ”

Mei Zhihuan pondered for a while, and then said to these representatives of the Chamber of Commerce who were nervously watching him: "Regarding the matter of opening up the Yarkand trade route, this official still needs to understand the specific situation, if the matter is really as you said, the imperial court will definitely not sit idly by..."

After giving these delegates an ambiguous reply, Mei Zhihuan picked up the tea bowl placed on the table, and saw the governor's move of serving tea to the guests, although the merchant representatives were still a little unwilling, they also had to get up and leave.

After these merchant representatives left, Mei Zhihuan put down the tea bowl and called the flag official who was waiting outside the door and ordered: "Go and call Meng Qiaofang, Chai Shihua, and Wang Shizhong, and by the way, invite Fan Yixuan and Lu Daqi to come over and talk." ”

After the banner official went down to give the order, Mei Zhihuan thought about the conquest of the Yarkand Khanate. Since the last time the emperor personally toured Lanzhou, recovering the Western Regions and controlling the trade routes to Central Asia has become something that the Governor's Office of Ganning has been planning and planning.

As the weather gets colder every year, Gansu's agriculture, which relies on snow from the Qilian Mountains, has fallen into a constant decline. If it weren't for the reopening of the trade routes in the Western Regions, which solved the livelihood of many people in Gansu, the people in the Hexi Corridor would have been exiled to other regions long ago. Of course, the new crops such as potatoes and corn issued by the imperial court also provided great help for Gansu's agriculture to resist the harsh changes in the climate, so that Gansu farmers can still barely fill their stomachs.

However, if the people of Gansu want to completely get rid of the shadow of famine, maintaining the trade route to the Western Regions is the only option at present. In the past two years, Mei Zhihuan has been inserting his eyes and ears into the Yarkand Khanate, learning all the political, economic, cultural, religious, geographical and other information inside the Yarkand Khanate, and preparing for the attack on the Yarkand Khanate.

It should be said that the plan of him and his subordinates in the Governor's Mansion was still extremely effective, and now the Gansu Governor's Mansion and the army generals stationed in Gansu are no longer as ignorant of the internal intelligence of the Yarkand Khanate as before. Even Ma Shouying and others he sent became cronies of Kreich Khan.

However, Abdullaha Khan, who had just taken over as Khan of eastern Yarkand, enjoyed great prestige in Yarkand Khan, and even if Mei Zhihuan supported the local forces in Yarkand against Abdul Rakhan, he was quickly pacified, and a war to unify the Yarkand Khanate began at the beginning of this year.

Although he and Zhuoshadi had been killed by Ma Shouying and Kreqi Khan, the Montenegrin priests and some emirs in Yarkand Khan were still inclined to Abdul Raha Khan. Especially after Abdullaha Khan killed his father-in-law and political rival, Abu Hadi, the governor of Kuqa, from Aksu and Korla to Jiayuguan, Abdullaha Khan has become a solid foundation.

Although Kreqi Khan found an excuse to clean up a large number of Montenegrin priests and emirs who were close to the Montenegrin faction after getting rid of the Hezhuo Shadi family, the Montenegrin faction's power in Yarkand was still too strong, so he then found an excuse to inspect Kashgar and relocated the court to Kashgar, where he had made his fortune.

But after he moved to Kashgar, there was only one Aksu region left between him and Abdul Rakha Khan. As soon as Abdurraha Khan's army broke through the Aksu defenses, Kashgar opened its doors to Abdul Rakhahan.

It should be said that although Kreich Khan's ability is not very good, his luck is still quite good. Ma Shouying, who was appointed by him as Aksu Aqimu, although he was only a businessman, Ma Shouying, who had served in the Ming border army for many years, knew how to fight better than the Berks under Kreqi Khan.

Moreover, Ma Shouying also received strong support from the Ming merchants who were doing business in Yarkand, providing him with a lot of supplies, so that he could master the military heart of the Aksu army in a very short time. But no matter how good Ma Shouying was at winning over people's hearts, in the face of the attack of Abdullaha Khan's army and the troubles of the Montenegrin faction inside, he felt a little difficult to sustain after holding out in Aksu for several months.

Ma Shouying knew the temperament of his nobles better than Kreč Khan, and he did not think that he could get much help from Kashgar. Therefore, he directly sent a request for help to Lanzhou through the caravan. The information that the caravan returning to Lanzhou brought to Mei Zhihuan was that Aksu would support it until next spring at most, and if there was no foreign aid, Abdullaha Khan would be able to unify the entire Yarkand Khanate in 2-3 years.

Although Ma Shouying did not directly ask him to send troops, Mei Zhihuan saw the implication of Ma Shouying's words, if the Ming Dynasty did not send troops again, the Yarkand Khanate would not give the Ming much opportunity to take advantage of.

While Mei Zhihuan was pondering, Fan Yixuan and Lu Daqi, the two senators of the Governor's Palace, had already come to the second hall. Mei Zhihuan beckoned the two to sit down, and after letting the servants serve new tea, he briefly recounted the matter of today's petition to him by the representative of the Chamber of Commerce.

Fan Yixuan and Lu Daqi were already involved in the planning of the Yarkand Khanate, so the two were not very surprised by the Chamber of Commerce's petition. It's just that Lu Daqi is still a little disgusted by the behavior of these merchants, thinking that these merchants seem to have exceeded their duties and begun to interfere in the country's conquest, which is obviously not a good sign.

However, Fan Yixuan obviously didn't care much about the businessmen's overstepping, he only saw the merchants' support for this war, so he couldn't help but excitedly say to Mei Zhihuan: "My lord, this is a good thing." As the old saying goes: those who want the same up and down win. Now even these merchants have taken the initiative to support the imperial court in attacking the Yarkand Khanate, doesn't this show that the general trend has become a reality?

Now the railway from Lanzhou to Hami has been repaired to 120 miles outside Jiayu Pass, and it will not be able to be repaired any further. The Hami army has sent people to block our construction work several times, and if we do not take back Hami and Turpan, the railway can only be repaired to this position.

Since Abdullaha Khan cut off the trade routes of our country, the lower officials thought that the time was ripe to recover Hami and seize the Turpan Basin while the Yarkand Khan was in civil war. ”

Lu Daqi immediately spoke up and said: "The matter of conquest is the authority of the Son of Heaven, how can the Jiang ministers be self-controlled? Even if the fighter plane comes, you should inform the court first, and get Your Majesty's permission before you can act..."

Fan Yixuan immediately replied with a big grin: "The fighter plane is lost in a moment, since Your Majesty has already entrusted the task of conquering the Yarkand Khanate to the Ganning Governor's Palace, how can we miss this great opportunity and ignore the safety of the soldiers in order to protect our reputation, instead of first obtaining Your Majesty's permission?" ”

Lu Daqi's breath was suffocated, and he slowed down before he said to Mei Zhihuan: "My lord, when Your Majesty planned before, it was with the Oirat Mongols as the main force to attack the Yarkand Khanate, and our army as the deputy. Now that Gushi Khan has returned to the tribe for nearly half a year, I think there should be news coming back soon, so let's wait a little longer, and by the way, I just happened to send a letter to the imperial court. ”

Fan Yixuan immediately said firmly to Mei Zhihuan: "What Master Lu said is not right, it is the so-called at that time, and at this time. When His Majesty planned it, it was not clear that there would be a civil war within the Yarkand Khanate.

Now that there are horses to defend and Kreich Khan to respond, even if our army attacks the Yarkand Khanate alone, it will not fall into the point of isolation. When the husband takes advantage of the time, how can he tie his hands to a piece of agreement. Now is the best season to march into the Yarkand Khanate, and the exploits of Ban Chao and Zhang Qian are in front of us, do we still have to let others collect them? ”

Seeing that the two subordinates were going to continue arguing, Mei Zhihuan finally made up his mind and said: "I already know what you mean, I have already made a decision on whether to attack the Yarkand Khanate, and I will talk about it after the generals arrive..."

After Meng Qiaofang, Chai Shihua, and Wang Shizhong arrived at the Governor's Palace, they were led to the map room in the Governor's Palace.

Facing a huge sand table of northwest terrain in the conference room, Mei Zhihuan briefly introduced the internal situation of the Yarkand Khanate to the participants, and then said categorically: "This official has obtained the edict of His Majesty to exercise the right of self-exertion over the Yarkand Khanate and the Oirat tribes.

In view of the civil war situation in the Yarkand Khanate, Kreqi Khan's request for help from my Ming Dynasty and the blockage of our trade routes, I am determined to send troops to the Yarkand Khanate, quell the internal strife in the Khanate, and recover the Hami and Turpan regions...

I intend to divide this battle into two battlefields, the Hexi Corridor out of Jiayuguan Road, with the 21st Division as the main force, to attack Hami and Turpan Anle City.

The other was limited to the 11th Cavalry Division and Arslan's elite troops, no more than 6,000 people. From Qinghai to the northwest, cross the Black Glacier into the town of Lobu on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, then march west along the edge of the desert, pass through the Hotan region and enter Yarkand to join the forces of Kreqi Khan..."