Central Asia, Samarkand.

At this time, more than half a year had passed since Haril, on the way to withdraw his troops, and asked the Ming delegation led by Deputy Envoy Yang Dewen, as well as Westerners such as Claviyo and Hilterberg, to go to Daming to release his goodwill.

According to the time conversion of the Ming Dynasty, it is the autumn of the third year of Yongle.

After a long journey, Khalil withdrew to the imperial capital of Samarkand, and initially stabilized the situation in the Transoxiana region.

Almost at the same time, Jiang Xinghuo had just finished meeting with Claviyo and Hilterberg, and was accompanied by Zheng He for a parade.

In the depths of the imperial palace of the Timurid Khanate, an atmosphere of solemnity shrouded like a dark cloud, and the once resplendent palace was now affected by the solemn mood of the crowd, and seemed to have become bleak.

Timurid Khan, the great ruler who had made countless nations tremble under his iron hooves, had died of illness, and with his departure, the Timurid Khanate had lost its backbone.

The young and ambitious emperor Haril, in the midst of the chaos, quickly occupied the imperial capital of Samarkand and established himself as Khan.

And with the move of Khalil Khan, the entire Timurid Khanate also seemed to be opened Pandora's box, constantly releasing the devil called the battle The Aries dynasty in the west is ready to move, no longer obeying the control of the Timurid Khanate, the Mamluks also began to wait and see, stopped paying tribute, as for the Armenians and Azerbaijanis who have always been suppressed in the north, at this time also began to revolt again in an organized manner, as for the other tribes in the Transoxiana region, Khorezm, Mesopotamia and other places, It's just that it's too close to the ruling center of the Timurid Khanate, and I don't dare to make any moves for the time being.

And for Haril, the most fatal thing is that two heavyweights rise up at the same time.

The fourth son of the emperor, Shahru, raised troops in the fiefdom of Khorasan (located in the northeast of Iran, south of Turkmenistan and north of Afghanistan) under the guise of "Qing Jun's side", and the eldest grandson of the emperor, Pir Maheima, who also had the right to inherit the throne and even had a higher priority than Haril, also called Khan in his fiefdom of Khorezm (in Afghanistan and surrounding areas), and launched an army with the intention of attacking Samarkand in order to regain the throne that should have belonged to him.

These news quickly spread back to Samarkand, and Khalil said that Khan was indeed not recognized by some nobles, so it was inevitable that there would be some confusion in the palace at this time.

In fact, no one is immune to this power game.

The nobles in the court looked somewhat flustered, they either whispered or hurried to exchange information, at this time, every corner of the Samarkand palace was full of conspiracy, everyone was fighting for their own interests, everyone was trying to find a little life in this chaos.

But what is certain is that, in any case, the Timurid Khanate is no longer the powerful empire that once made all of Central Asia and the Middle East tremble, and this civil strife is destined to devastate the once world's second most powerful country.

On the throne of the palace, made of gold and set with precious gems, covered in soft and precious furs, sat the young Khalil Khan, his figure a little rickety in the flickering candlestick firelight, and the empire left behind by his grandfather, Timur Khan, though large, was like a pack of wolves hidden in the shadows, ready to bite at the power he had just established.

Although Haril's face still had a bit of youthful immaturity, there was a cold look in his eyes.

People are not ruthless, and they can't stand steadily.

He had already executed more than a dozen nobles who had been captured in public.

Khalil had no choice, and in the culture of the Timurid Khanate, the ruler had to be iron-blooded enough to deter his vassals, and mercy meant little to the point, so he had to use decisive and iron-fisted means to quell the civil strife.

But killing people alone will not solve the problem, and for Khalil, the most important thing now is to come up with a countermeasure.

Haril's gaze swept over the nobles below, the eyes of these nobles were full of uneasiness, Haril knew that after all, he was caught in the minority, he did not have enough supporters, and if he wanted to get these nobles to support him, there was only one way, and that was to show that he could truly be a Great Khan He had to make a decision, and it had to be a decision that would convince everyone.

Haril: He took a deep breath.

"Ben Khan decided to seek reconciliation with the Ming Dynasty and renew his tribute to the Ming Dynasty."

When these words came out of the mouth of Haril, the entire hall fell into a brief silence.

He could see all kinds of mixed emotions flashing on the faces of the nobles, surprise, doubt, joy, and worry. But Khalil didn't hesitate because he knew it was his only way out.

And in order to successfully reconcile with the Ming Dynasty at the level of the country, it is necessary to get the full support of these important ministers, after all, the army of the Eastern Expedition that he is coerced is to expedition against the Ming Dynasty, and his grandfather Timur Khan has just died on the front foot, and he has paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty against his will on the back foot, which is actually detrimental to the legitimacy of his inheritance, but Khalil now has no choice.

In fact, even the newly formed enemy of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, Khalil also chose to ease relations.

He freed the Ottoman Emperor Bayezid from his control of the southern ports and promised that the Timurid Khanate would no longer act hostilely against the Ottoman Empire.

Bayezid endured such an insult from Timur, it is impossible to say that there is no resentment against the Timurid Khanate, but now his four sons have divided the empire that originally belonged to him, and the road to restoring power is still far away for Bayezid, so it is necessary to temporarily let go of the resentment against the Timurid Khanate, and Bayezid has to admit that no matter how divided the Timurid Khanate is, it is still a behemoth that cannot be dealt with head-on for countries in this world except for the Ming Dynasty.

And the ministers of the Samarkand court chose a tacit attitude towards Khalil's actions.

It is precisely because of this that Khalil has the confidence to continue to launch a diplomatic policy that also chooses reconciliation with the Ming Dynasty.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

Haril spoke slowly, and his voice echoed in the hall: "Ben Khan thinks about it, now he is worried about internal and external troubles, and if he wants to stabilize the domestic situation, not only can he not continue to be hostile with Daming, but he must also improve his relationship with Daming, I hope you can speak freely and discuss a foolproof plan together." ”

As soon as he finished speaking, a whisper rang out in the hall, and the nobles exchanged ears to discuss Khalil's proposal.

In the end, the prime minister Aldushah was the first to stand up, he saluted Khalil, and then said in a deep voice: "Great Khan, the minister thinks that reconciliation with the Ming is indeed our best choice at present, but we must be fully prepared to deal with all kinds of difficulties or demands that the Ming may have. ”

Khalil's most important supporter in the army, the famous general of the Timurid Khanate, Gaisuyaddin, also said the same.

Prime Minister Aldushah and the famous general Gaisuyaddin spoke one after another, in fact, as important ministers of the Timurid Khanate, they knew the importance of reconciliation with the Ming Dynasty.

But who could take on this important task, the nobles were all silent.

Although the Timurid Khanate and the Ming Dynasty are neighbors from the map, in fact, whether they are by land or sea, the distance is quite far, and the Timurid Khanate has just finished fighting with the Ming Dynasty, and the forward is also wiped out by the Ming army.

Khalil looked at Aldushah, the old prime minister who had followed Timur for many years and had always been Timur's brainstorm, his eyes were deep and understood Khalil's thoughts, but he also did not take the initiative to ask for help.

"Prime Minister Aldusha." Haril spoke slowly, his voice low and powerful.

"Ben Khan would like to ask you to take on a heavy responsibility."

Khalil paused, as if thinking about how to phrase it: "Send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty, hold peace talks with them, and win the support of the Ming Dynasty for us." ”

He accentuates the tone on "we", the meaning of which is self-evident.

Khalil would rather sell some of the interests of the Timurid Khanate than gain the support of the Ming Dynasty for him to win the civil war.

Interests, with the size of the Timurid Khanate, can be negotiated back or snatched back when it is strong.

And if the sweat position is gone, then there is nothing for him.

Therefore, whether there are advantages or disadvantages of peace talks with Daming, Haril can still distinguish them.

In fact, if the Timurid Khanate wants to quell the civil strife and obtain a stable external environment, then peace talks with the Ming Dynasty are necessary, whether it is Haril or Shaharu, whoever becomes the Great Khan has to do this, in Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, Shaharu just became the Great Khan, and sent a large delegation to Nanjing to make amends to Zhu Di, in order to ease the relationship with the Ming, after all, the Ming Dynasty can be seen from the Ming Dynasty's several northern expeditions to the Timurid Khanate, and the Ming Dynasty also has the ability to go on land expeditions of more than 100,000 people, Moreover, the sea power of the Ming Dynasty is more threatening.

There is also a small episode in this, that is, in Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, the reason why Zheng He did not reach the east coast of Africa several times ago was the reason why the Mamluk dynasty was under pressure from the Timurid Khanate and did not dare to open ports for the Ming ocean-going fleet for replenishment.

In short, Khalil's decision is fine, and the problem is whether Aldushah is willing to go or not.

And Khalil's choice of Aldushah naturally has a reason.

The prime minister, Aldushad, was a prominent figure in the Timurid Khanate's political arena, but he did not belong to the Khalil faction, and he supported Khalil only because he did not want to divide the vast empire.

And Althushah was well aware of his awkward situation, and although Khalil had to rely on him, he did not fully trust him, fearing that he would overthrow his rule with Shaharu or Pir Maheima, so he planned to send him out justifiably until the rebellion was quelled, or a three-legged situation was formed, and the regime stabilized before returning.

Therefore, when Aldusha heard the news, he did not immediately answer, he was silent for a while, thinking about the consequences of this decision.

Finally, he raised his head, met Khalil's gaze, and said calmly: "Great Khan, the minister is willing to take on this heavy responsibility. ”

"The ministers will definitely do their best to fight for the best interests of the Timurid Khanate."

Hearing Aldusha's answer, Haril's eyes flashed with relief, and he stepped down from the throne and stretched out his hand, holding Aldusha's wrinkled hand tightly, as if to convey his trust in him through this action. Of course, there is trust, but it is not much.

With Haril's order, the entire court began to get busy, preparing gifts, selecting retinues, and arranging itineraries. For this kind of diplomacy between thousands of miles of great powers, there must not be the slightest mistake in every link.

——————

The fourth spring of Yongle.

In the bustling city of Nanjing, the bustling crowd shuttles between the streets, and the shouts of various vendors come and go, forming a unique song of the market.

After a long journey, the prime minister of the Timurid Khanate, Aldushah, led a large delegation of the Timurid Khanate to the capital of the Ming Empire, and the eyes of many members of the mission were full of curiosity about Nanjing.

After all, Samarkand was the capital built by Timur with all his might, and it can be called a famous city in the whole world.

However, the city of Nanjing in the Ming Dynasty, whether it is population or market style, is obviously better than Samarkand.

Samarkand was governed by a strict hierarchical order and doctrine, and in the city of Nanjing, there was no rule that each monastery should slaughter twenty sheep every morning and give them to the common people for free, on the contrary, the people here used sheep soup or duck blood soup as the main soup, accompanied by baked cakes, soup dumplings and other pasta, and all food needed to be purchased at their own expense, and in terms of the variety of goods, it was also more abundant than Samarkand.

"What is this?"

The nobles in the mission asked, pointing to the strange fruit in the wooden box with the words "Daming Fruit" printed on it.

"Snakeskin fruit, its shell is like a snakeskin, it can be stored at a normal temperature for two months, and now the temperature is relatively low in spring, and it has a shelf life of more than a month after being transported by sea." The interpreter of Honglu Temple helped explain.

"Where's this?"

"This is bergamot, this batch is the last batch of ripe in Nanyang, and you have to eat it immediately when you ship it, otherwise it will spoil in a few days."

Because of the poor relationship between the Timurid Khanate and the entire Tianzhu state (including the Kingdom of Ceylon), the trading fleet of the Timurid Khanate was basically unable to reach the east of the Manraka Strait, and due to the limited latitude and climate, naturally there were no such things in the mainland, so the nobles of the mission were quite curious about these fruits and paid for some tastings.

Aldusha wasn't interested in the taste of these fruits, but he was curious about the "Daming fruits" printed everywhere.

"What is Daming Fruit?"

"The full name is 'Daming Fruit Co., Ltd.', which is a limited liability company run by the royal family."

Aldusha got to the bottom of the matter and asked what a company limited by shares is.

When Aldusha knew that Daming Fruit was a chamber of commerce specializing in the purchase, transportation and sales of Nanyang fruits, and the shareholders of this chamber of commerce were the royal family, clans, and nobles of Daming, he couldn't help but think about it.

He asked the officials of Honglu Temple again: "Are there many chambers of commerce like this?" ”

The official of Honglu Temple resisted the urge to correct his title to "company", and asked the translator to help reply: "There are many, in addition to the monopoly goods such as salt and steel that are under the management of the imperial court, the imperial family also has many companies that deal in separate commodity categories, but compared with the private companies from all walks of life that have sprung up, the royal family has relatively few and specialized companies, high technical thresholds, and large scales, such as glass, perfumes, etc. ”

Aldusha keenly caught the word once, and after confirming that the translation was correct, he asked: "The Ming Dynasty only monopolizes steel, and does not restrict iron?" ”

"There are restrictions on exports, but there are no private uses and trade."

This was obviously a complete departure from the Mongol rule, and when Aldusha asked about steel, the Ming officials were silent.

Aldusha combined what he knew, and had a guess in his heart - perhaps the Ming Dynasty had mastered the technology of large-scale steel production, which would explain why the Ming army had so many artillery and guns, and even enough to fit several to dozens of guns on every ship in the fleet.

The escalation of armament superiority resulting from this leap in metallurgical technology is obviously quite staggering.

Because for a large country, especially a large country like Timur and the Ming Dynasty, if it is only a steel forged by hand, it is not possible to be universally installed.

And once steel-cast weapons, armor, and firearms begin to be installed on a large scale, it is equivalent to forming a generation gap, which is an out-and-out dimensionality reduction strike.

Thinking of this, Aldusha became a little more determined about the idea of peace talks with Daming.

And coupled with what he had seen and heard, Aldusha understood that there was a person named Jiang Xinghuo with a similar status to himself in Daming, who was promoting an unprecedented reform, and it was this reform that made Daming completely different from the impression he had learned from past intelligence.

The great development of commerce will inevitably bring richer financial resources and a larger tax base to the empire.

Next, the group moved on.

There is no doubt that as the prime minister of the Timurid Khanate, Aldushah was accustomed to seeing the world.

But all the way to Honglu Temple, the city of Nanjing in front of him brought him a new feeling.

The streets here are spacious and clean, and the shops on both sides are full of not only silk, porcelain, tea and other traditional Ming dynasty goods.

And pedestrians can be said to be endless, some are busy shopping for goods, some are leisurely wandering in the streets and alleys, and the members of the Aldusha mission no matter who they talk to, whether it is a hawker or a pedestrian, the citizens of Nanjing are quite confident in the Ming Dynasty, and the conversation is full of pride and identity for the Ming Dynasty, it is obvious that this kind of market atmosphere is only so strong when the national power of an empire is on the rise.

Aldusha took a deep breath, feeling the unique atmosphere of the city, and he was led through the busy streets by the officials of the Honglu Temple to a secluded area.

The environment here is completely different from the outside, as if it is a paradise in the middle of nowhere.

He gently pushed open the courtyard door and walked inside.

In the courtyard, Aldusha met the second-in-command of the Daming Honglu Temple and some officials of the Ministry of Rites.

They warmly greeted the guest from afar and showed him around the various landscapes in the courtyard.

"How is there blood here?"

The samurai accompanying the mission keenly noticed that there seemed to be something unusual somewhere in the courtyard, a small patch of blood in the brick crack that had turned black, and it was impossible to see it if you didn't look closely.

Honglu Temple Shaoqing Wang Zhen's face was a little stiff, as Zhu Di's cook, after he came to Honglu Temple, of course he had heard about what happened here, but at this time, he obviously couldn't speak directly with the mission of the Timurid Khanate, could it be said that Chen Zuyi's pirate gang not only slaughtered the mission of the Champa State for impersonation, but also used knives here?

Wang Zhen could only make a fool of himself: "In the past, the missions of some countries were more barbaric, and they liked to barbecue meat in the open air here, and it was inevitable that they would get some blood stains. ”

This explanation is also reasonable, the members of the Timurid mission did not delve into it, after all, there are more than a dozen countries that paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty, and there are hundreds of tribes, and it is reasonable to say that there are those who like to barbecue meat in the open air.

Unlike Korea, Ryukyu and other countries that often came to pay tribute, the relationship between the Timurid Khanate and the Ming Dynasty was not deep, so they did not have a fixed embassy in the past, and this time the scale of their visit was so large, it was really normal to be arranged separately to settle in other people's places.

Soon, Fu An, the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, who was more familiar with Timur, as well as Yang Dewen, who was promoted to the rank of Langzhong of the Ministry of Rites, and Chen Cheng, who was in charge of Persian language teaching in the Siyi Pavilion, all came over in groups.

While admiring the beautiful scenery in the courtyard, Aldusha exchanged culture and customs with the Ming officials.

These officials of various ministries and temples whose official positions are not very high are obviously sent by the Ming Dynasty to find out, and since they want to negotiate, they must know where the bottom line of the Timurid Khanate is.

As the greetings ended, they sat around the stone table in the courtyard, sipped tea, and began a relatively in-depth conversation.

These carefully selected Ming officials introduced the customs, history, culture, and current political and economic system of the Ming Dynasty in relatively fluent Persian (informally, if it was a formal diplomatic occasion, the Timurid Khanate as a theoretical vassal state had to be conversed through Chinese or a Chinese translator throughout the conversation), while Aldushah used his infectious language, combined with constant wave gestures, to tell the magnificence and prosperity of the Timurid Khanate.

In their exchanges, there were laughter and laughter from time to time.

Because there was a Chinese interpreter interpreting at the same time, other Ming officials who did not understand Persian were also attracted by Aldusha's humor, and Aldushah was also impressed by the erudition and talent of many people.

Compared with the Timurid Khanate, the popularity of education and the system of selecting officials in the Ming Dynasty were obviously closely integrated with the acquisition of knowledge.

The Timurid Khanate was a state similar to the Mongol Empire, but not so barbaric, the upper echelons of the entire country, dominated by the feudal aristocracy, and the civil officials in the Timurid Khanate had administrative power, but their influence was far less than that of the Ming civil officials.

As the head of the civil officials of the Timurid Khanate, Aldusha naturally hoped that the Timurid Khanate would be in the state of the Ming Dynasty, and that the civil and military sides would be able to check and balance each other, rather than the one-sided feudal nobles who controlled the army.

Aldusha leaned forward slightly and asked, "We came from the west and witnessed the cement trade of the Ming Empire, which is really a miracle in the world, can you tell me more about it?" ”

Fu An has been detained by the Timurid Khanate for so many years, so he naturally knows what Aldusha's idea is, and he has asked for help from Daming, and he is still thinking about finding out the truth for the Timurid Khanate.

However, even if he took out a few pieces of cement and brought them back, he couldn't understand it, so he could still say what he should say.

Fu An smiled lightly, his smile was a little proud: "Prime Minister, my Daming cement road is indeed unparalleled in the world. Not only is it straight and wide, flat as a mirror, but it can also remain hard and smooth regardless of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The caravan walked on it, the wheels rolling and the dust not rising, enough to travel thousands of miles a day without tire. ”

Aldusha hurriedly sneered, and then looked at Fu An, the meaning was obvious, and then what? This cement, which seems to be of the same origin as the strange fort that Harry Sultan encountered in the Northwest Corridor.

Fu An was very shrewd and refused to say anything.

Yang Dewen continued Fu An's words: "As the Prime Minister can see, these cement roads are the invention of the National Teacher, from the second year of Yongle to start construction, now after two years, not only has run through the whole line from Ningbo to Wuhu, and several major branch lines have also been built, constituting a complete business network, coupled with the help of the Yangtze River water transport, not only to promote the prosperity of trade, but also a symbol of my Ming national strength. These cement trade routes connected the cities, allowing overseas resources to be transported by sea to the port of Ningbo, and then transported by land to the city of Nanjing, and then to the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. ”

Chen Cheng, a proficient Persian teacher, added from the perspective of an onlooker: "In addition, the toll warehouses along the route for business travel to rest and replenish water and temporarily store goods, as well as the post offices established on the basis of trade routes, have now been established as part of the system, and our trade routes in the Ming Dynasty can not only quickly trade, but also mail things to the people." ”

"The warehouse is charged, but is the post office charged?"

"Of course."

Fu An smiled and said in a pun in Persian: "Da Ming doesn't make loss-making transactions. ”

In fact, not only the warehouses associated with the business, and the post office business that was derived from the mailing, but also the work of suppressing bandits in Huanghuai, Shandong, and Henan, which connected Nanjing and Beijing for the next step of the businessway, were basically prepared under Jiang Xinghuo's layout.

The bandits caused by the Battle of Jingjing have now disappeared without a trace, and those who really resist stubbornly will be slaughtered, while other bandits, if the circumstances are less serious, they will be punished for building roads and mining and returning home, and those who are more serious will be punished or exiled from the army. Now the Ming Dynasty is not only exiled to Yunnan, Gansu, and Liaodong, but there are also so many Xuanwei Divisions in Nanyang in the exile area, and those places are not good people.

Jiang Xinghuo's idea is the same as Daiying's exile of the prisoner to Tuao.

As long as it is not a heinous criminal, it is a pity to slaughter it, and it is better to use the waste and throw it overseas to expand the colony population, either to see the local wildlife baring their teeth, or to communicate cordially with the indigenous people.

After all, the domestic environment of the Ming Dynasty is still very stable, and overseas, whether it is Xingang or Manila, it is difficult for non-brave and bloody people to survive, and it is suitable for these people.

Aldusha listened attentively, and two big words flashed in his eyes - "envy".

In fact, the Timurid Khanate also had a fairly developed network of post roads, but the network of post roads in the Timurid Khanate was exclusively for military and official use, and was established not for trade, but for the rapid transportation of troops and the delivery of letters.

In this regard, Kraviyo wrote in his notes: "I have witnessed a complete system of post stations, which are elaborate information networks built for the operation of the khanate, and throughout the territory of Persia, the officials and post stations of the Timurid Khanate are extremely efficient, but the natives are silent about them, because Timur's messengers often have to travel five or six miles in a single day, and can requisition any resources along the way, including common people, houses, and even women, and they obviously have little respect for the Persian inhabitants." , so that the villages along the way dare to be angry and dare not speak, and can only avoid it like a plague god."

For the Timurid Khanate, maintaining this huge post road network was the same as the post road network of the Ming Dynasty, and it was a pure loss-making transaction.

With the gradual ossification of the system, in addition to the increase in various non-essential expenditures, the maintenance cost of these post road networks will definitely become higher and higher, and even many people who do not belong to the design of the system will inevitably "rub" it, so Li Zicheng's unemployment is not an accidental event. The empire's "cost reduction and efficiency increase" is well.

It's a pity that the officials of the Ming Dynasty blew the ginger spark and the cement road, and in the end they didn't say what Aldusha was most interested in.

Aldushah pondered for a moment, and then said slowly: "What you said has given me a deeper understanding of the cement road and trade road of the Ming Dynasty, such an engineering miracle is really as breathtaking as the Great Wall, I wonder when my Timurid Khanate will have the honor to see and learn such advanced skills?" ”

Fu An responded with a smile: "Your Excellency the Prime Minister is too modest, although the Timurid Khanate and the Ming Dynasty are far apart, they have never stopped communicating with each other, and I believe that in the near future, the cooperation between our two countries will be even closer." ”

Fu An seemed to have said a lot, but he didn't seem to have said anything.

Yang Dewen also nodded in agreement: "It is precisely like this, Daming is willing to live in friendship with all countries in the world and trade on an equal footing." ”

Chen Cheng added: "Xia Guan also believes that as long as your country is as open-minded as the Ming Dynasty, the future of your country will definitely be brighter because of this." ”

Aldusha laughed when he heard this, and his laughter was full of admiration for the clichés of the Ming officialdom.

Seeing that nothing more could be asked, this cross-border dialogue came to an end in a friendly atmosphere.

——————

In the president's law change affairs yamen, Fu An met Jiang Xinghuo.

Jiang Xinghuo was looking at the world map and pondering, and Fu An, who was the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, stood aside respectfully.

"Fu An."

Jiang Xinghuo looked at the Timurid Khanate, a behemoth that the Ming ocean-going fleet could not bypass, and asked, "What do you think of the attitude of the Timurid Mission?" ”

Fu An bowed slightly, and replied in a deep voice: "Returning to the national teacher, although the Timurid mission is respectful on the surface and does not seem to be in a hurry, many of them have anxious expressions, presumably because the civil strife in their Timurid Khanate really makes them uneasy. After all, Da Ming is so powerful now, their confidence must be insufficient. ”

Jiang Xinghuo nodded slightly and agreed: "Yes, then what do you think is the bottom line that Timur can bear now when he signs the contract?" Or where is the bottom line for Haril? Your opinion is important, after all, you are the only one who has been in contact with Haril for a long time and understands his style of doing things. ”

Fu An pondered for a moment, and then said slowly: "Judging from the current situation, Timur Khan's internal strife is serious, and Khalil urgently needs foreign aid to stabilize the situation, so when signing the contract, as long as it is not directly related to land and wealth, as well as matters that affect Khalil's reputation, appropriate concessions should be made in exchange for our support." ”

Fu An's words actually implied obviously, that is, as long as the Ming Dynasty did not force the Timurid Khanate to send New Year's coins like the iron-blooded Great Song Dynasty in the face of the suzerain, or directly cut its territory, and then make Haril lose face, then other conditions can actually be negotiated slowly.

Jiang Xinghuo took out a list of matters for negotiation from the stacked paperwork on the table.

"Look at it."

After Fu An looked at it carefully, he raised his head and said: "We should take this opportunity to strive for the greatest interests, but at the same time, we should also pay attention to proportions to avoid causing extreme disgust from the Timurid Khanate. After all, we also need them as allies. ”

"You're right."

After Jiang Xinghuo heard this, a satisfied smile appeared on his face: "We have to fight for interests and take into account the overall situation, but negotiation, just like doing business, asking for prices all over the sky, sitting on the ground to pay back, it doesn't hurt to open a little higher first." ”

After two years of development, the [mercantilism] national policy pointed out by Jiang Xinghuo through the Fengtian Palace debate has begun to sweep the entire south, and this kind of businessman thinking is of course also applicable to the exchange of interests between countries.

Seeing Fu An away, Jiang Xinghuo leaned back in his chair and fell into thought.

The mission of the Timurid Khanate does not actually represent the entire Timurid Khanate, but only represents Khalil, so Jiang Xinghuo is actually negotiating with Khalil.

In response to this, it is very good to make a fuss.

In Jiang Xinghuo's heart, at least it is necessary to trade on an equal footing and use coastal port supplies, as well as to put pressure on the Aries Dynasty and the Mamluk Dynasty to let these two fulfill the same contract content as the Timurid Khanate as vassals of the Timurid Khanate.

As for sending angels to strengthen mutual trust and communication between the two sides, I am afraid that it is something that Haril cannot ask for.

And the Timurid Khanate now lacks food and weapons, and these can also be discussed.

With their current state of civil strife, even if they import a certain amount of food and weapons, they will not be able to use these things to make a Ming Dynasty.

Judging by various information, Samarkand, which is now occupied by Khalil, is not short of gold and silver.

Timur has been fighting in the north and south over the years, plundering an unknown amount of wealth from other countries, and since Khalil is now short of food and weapons for a civil war, the Ming can sell it at a high price as the first business with the Timurid Khanate.

As for the question of whether Haril can accept the high price, let's put it this way, Da Ming will not sell it to him, and he will not get it from other places.

The reason is simple, the west is the territory of the opponents, and Khalil has no assistance from other vassal states, while the Ming is to the east and the Delhi Sultanate is to the south.

There was a blood feud between the Delhi Sultanate and the Timurid Khanate, and the Southern Tianzhu states hiding behind the Delhi Sultanate were even more eager for the Timurid Khanate to die quickly.

As for the east of Nantianzhu, those Nanyang countries are all the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

Those who have attained enlightenment may not be much help, but those who have lost the Tao like the Timurid Khanate must have little help.

Counting over and over, such a disintegrated and large country ruled by Haril can really only rely on the Ming Dynasty.

In addition to Da Ming's current strength, capacity and willingness, other countries don't want to help him, even if they want to help him, they don't have so many weapons and food, right? Even if there is, it is difficult to say whether it can be shipped over or not.

Jiang Xinghuo went to the Ministry of Rites to find Zhuo Jing.

Song Li is now sent to govern the Yellow River as he wishes, and he is not familiar with Molin, the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, and the negotiation level is relatively high, what he can find is Zhuo Jing, a scholar.

Zhuo Jing discussed it with him and basically unified his thoughts.

"Jiangnan has had a bumper harvest for two consecutive years, coupled with the completion of the clear fields, the grain in the treasury is indeed enough."

"You don't need Daming's own food."

Jiang Xinghuo smiled and said: "Let Annan and Zhancheng produce grain, which is considered to be purchased by the Ming Dynasty, so that it is just to wipe out the trade deficit and save them from complaining about not making money." ”

"Where's the weapon?" Zhuo Jing asked.

"Armor can't be given, not to mention cotton armor and piercing armor, even a pair of leather armor can't be given, and firearms are not for sale, but those firearms saved from the end of the Yuan Dynasty can be sold, as for arrows, the most powerful consumables used by the Timurid Khanate, you can also sell some, but you can't sell steel arrow clusters, sell the iron arrow clusters and copper arrow clusters captured by the Northern Expedition from the Tatar Department, those are all broken copper and rotten iron, clear the inventory"

Soon, negotiations led by the Ministry of Rites Shangshu Zhuo Jing began.

There are many requirements of the Ming Dynasty, first of all, the Timurid Khanate must be called a minister and pay tribute like the Hongwu Dynasty, and the members of the mission must bow down, but not similar to the "year coin" This kind of condition, and there is no need for the Timurid Khanate to cede land, on the contrary, the two sides trade freely and equally.

The Daming Society set up an angel pavilion in Samarkand, with Chen Cheng of the Siyi Pavilion as an angel responsible for regular communication between the two countries.

On the two items of weapons and food aid that are of most concern, Daming is also very generous to solve Haril's urgency, promising that as long as Haril needs it, there will be a steady stream of weapons and food sent by sea, of course, these military aids are not without a price, even if it is the captured goods of the Ming army or the inventory of obsolete goods, it is impossible to give them away in vain, on the contrary, the asking price of these things on the Ming side is quite high, and only supports gold and silver settlement.

In other words, as long as the gold and silver are in place, in addition to not sending troops to Haril to directly intervene in the civil war, the Ming will provide him with some necessary resources to fight the civil war.

The Timurid Khanate, a large country of 10,000 miles, is best for the Ming to be divided, if the Ming Dynasty can give Haril a blood transfusion that allows him to hold on so that the Timurid Khanate cannot regain its strength, that is the result that the Ming most want to see.

Of course, what Jiang Xinghuo cares about most is actually a seemingly insignificant additional condition, that is, in order to transport supplies, the Ming will send a fleet to escort it, and the Timurid Khanate needs to open a few ports for the supply of the Ming ocean-going fleet.

In addition, the Ming also asked Haril to put pressure on the Aries and Mamluk dynasties, which were subordinate to the Timurid Khanate but completely autonomous, so that these two countries would also fulfill the friendly trade contract signed between the Ming and the Timurid Khanate.

As for other conditions such as extraterritoriality and a separate garrison in the Angel Pavilion area, they were also mentioned, and Da Ming also simply showed similar contracts signed with other countries to show that this was not against the Timurid Khanate, let alone humiliating.

At the negotiating table, a complex and delicate contest unfolded between the Ming and the Timurid Khanate.

The prime minister of the Timurid Khanate, Aldushah, was very determined, and although he had a request from the Ming Dynasty, he still maintained his position, and many conditions that he considered to be contrary to principles were argued verbatim and reasoned.

But the other high-ranking officials and nobles of the Timurid mission, after several days of high-intensity negotiations, the consumption of their brains made their faces look a little pale, and it was obvious that the situation of civil strife in the country was very passive, plus these calculations had exhausted them.

"Dear Zhuo Shangshu."

Aldusha spoke, his voice a little hoarse: "Now our country is in a difficult situation, we hope that the Ming Dynasty, as the superior country of the Celestial Empire, can give us some assistance to help us get through this difficulty." ”

Zhuo Jing twisted his silver beard and smiled slightly, but there was no warmth in his smile: "Assistance? Of course you can, but you also know that we are not doing good deeds and have done assistance, and we need to be rewarded accordingly. ”

"The points that were controversial just now can be put aside, and if these conditions can be agreed, it is okay."

Zhuo Jing came up with an alternative plan.

The members of the Timurid mission looked at each other, obviously not expecting such a tough and resolute attitude of the Ming Dynasty.

Aldushah took a deep breath and tried to stabilize his emotions.

Zhuo Jing handed over the plan, and while the other party was reading it, he stretched out two fingers and tapped lightly on the table: "In fact, in general, it is very simple, first, we need you to open more trade ports, and the specific ports are on the list, these ports should allow our merchants to enter and leave your country freely, including the legal passage and transportation rights of land and rivers; Second, we need your support in certain military operations, such as the one in Tianzhu. ”

The Kingdom of Ceylon, as a thorn stuck in the western section of the Manraka Strait, was of course to be removed.

But in addition, Tianzhu, as the crown jewel of the British Empire, is so well domesticated, Jiang Xinghuo did not mean to be touched.

In Jiang Xinghuo's global strategy, now the Ming Dynasty has only achieved the first step, that is, to achieve absolute hegemony east of the Manraka Strait and establish a three-ring diplomatic system.

But this is obviously not enough, the next step is to gain strongholds in Ceylon and South Tianzhu, establish a fleet base, and then advance to Egypt.

If the Timurid Khanate was able to sign this contract, then the Ming ocean-going fleet would not only be able to obtain the right to supply the ports in the area under the control of Haril, but also allow the Timurid Khanate to force the Aries and Mamluks as suzerain.

In this way, in the east of Africa, the Ming Dynasty is completely unimpeded.

And once this is done, it is possible to try to bypass Africa and establish direct trade links with the West.

The final step is to travel to the Americas to obtain potatoes, corn and sweet potatoes, which will greatly increase food production and famine resistance.

At this point, if it can be fully realized, a worldwide trade network dominated by the Ming Dynasty will be completely established, and then it only needs to be followed by the progress of technology and the growth of the population, and the Ming Dynasty will colonize the world and become a world empire where "the sun and the moon never set", which is a matter of course.

With this historical process, a new class will soon develop, and the more backward bloodsucking worms will inevitably be exterminated.

These conditions apparently came as a somewhat unexpected surprise to the Timurid mission.

But without accepting conditions that they seem intolerable, this new supplement doesn't seem so unacceptable.

They began to talk in Persian in a whisper, trying to figure out what to do.

Zhuo Jing sat quietly across from him, observing their reactions.

He is well aware that the moment of truth in this negotiation has arrived.

After a period of discussion, Aldusha spoke again: "Zhuo Shangshu, we understand your conditions. But we must admit that these conditions are somewhat difficult for us, our country is now in the midst of civil strife and it is not possible to meet your demands in full at once, but we are willing to make concessions on other fronts. For example, increasing the amount of tribute, or opening up some specific cities on the traditional Silk Road as venues. ”

Zhuo Jing shook his head: "Not enough." What we need is more substantial concessions, and if you can't meet our conditions, then I'm sorry that we can't provide the weapons and food aid you need. ”

Negotiations have again reached an impasse.

But Fu An, who had been arranged, walked up to Zhuo Jing gently and whispered a few words, and Zhuo Jing nodded slightly in agreement after hearing this.

Zhuo Jing said to the Timurid mission: "We can consider giving you some time, but in any case, if the conditions of the Ming cannot be met, then we will have to reconsider the position of the Ming in the civil war of the Timurid Khan." ”

That's what you mean if you can't talk to me, then I'll go to Shaharu and other opponents.

Under the tremendous pressure of the Ming Dynasty, Aldusha finally had to give in, and he had no other way.

The Ming Dynasty basically reached the negotiation requirements designed by Jiang Xinghuo in advance, and everything that could be negotiated was negotiated, including the establishment of the Angel Pavilion, the opening of ports, etc., and even some conditions such as inland trade, and the Timurid Khanate even made concessions.

There are some conditions that Daming may not be able to use now, but since it has been discussed, it is impossible to say in the future.

As Zhu Di returned to Nanjing, the content negotiated by the Ministry of Rites was officially presented, as long as Zhu Di nodded and sealed, then this "Ming and Timurid Khanate Friendship and Trade and Navigation Contract" was officially effective, because Aldusha had the full authority of Khalil.

After all, it is unlikely that Aldusha will be talking about sending someone back to deliver a letter to Haril, asking "can you agree to this" or something like that, if this is the case, with the current communication conditions, it is a question of whether Yongle can finish talking in twenty years.

Aldusha and his party were solemnly led into the Nanjing Imperial Palace.

The majesty of the palace shows the majesty of the Ming Dynasty.

After passing through the palace gates with high thresholds, they finally came to the palace hall to receive foreign envoys.

In the Fengtian Palace, Zhu Di was already sitting on the high dragon chair, waiting for their arrival.

In accordance with the etiquette taught to them by the Ministry of Rites, Aldushah and the others respectfully saluted the emperor, and then handed over the credentials of Khalil Khan.

At this moment, there seemed to be an invisible tension in the air.

Aldushah conveyed to Zhu Di the greetings and sincerity of the Great Khan of Khalil, and elaborated on the desire of the Timurid Khanate to establish friendly relations with the Ming Dynasty.

Because of the preparation in advance, Timur also had a master who could write Chinese recitals, so his words were sincere and earnest, and won a trace of favor from the ministers present.

However, the Timurid Khanate also licked it like this before turning its face last time, so with the experience of the past, Zhu Di didn't take it to heart, just nodded slightly.

If it is written in modern diplomatic terms, it is "His Majesty the Emperor expressed to Aldusha and others the respect of the Ming Dynasty for the internal affairs of the Timurid Khanate, and based on the consistent friendly attitude between the two countries, expressed his willingness to work with the Timurid Khanate to maintain regional peace and stability. Although there were differences on some issues, both sides showed great patience and sincerity, and worked hard to seek consensus and solutions, and finally the meeting was successfully concluded with the joint efforts of both sides, and this historic contact not only laid the foundation for the continued development of friendly relations between the Timurid Khanate and the Ming Dynasty, but also brought new hope for regional peace and prosperity. ”

In April of the fourth year of Yongle, the prime minister of the Timurid Khanate, Aldushah, signed the "Friendship and Trade and Navigation Contract between the Ming and the Timurid Khanate" with the Ming Dynasty, so far, the Ming and the Timurid Khanate reconciled and established formal diplomatic relations.

The impact of the signing of this contract is undoubtedly very far-reaching, in addition to some things on the market, the Ming not only obtained the guarantee that the Timurid Khanate would not interfere with the troops in Southern Tianzhu, but also basically ensured that the ocean-going fleet could sail all the way to Africa unimpeded and get supplies along the way.

This has given a great boost to the implementation of the Ming Dynasty's strategy of establishing global hegemony.

And the Ming also realized the intervention in the civil war of Timurid Khan, with the assistance of the Ming Dynasty, although Haril could not immediately defeat his fourth uncle and eldest brother, but at least it would not be pushed all the way by others and for Haril, although the food and weapon aid of the Ming Dynasty was very expensive, this blood transfusion line was exchanged for real money, but it was much stronger than nothing, after the return of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, many lords and nobles he was unable to control at all, and they all returned to the fiefdom with their own troops, which also led to the extreme weakening of Haril's power, Daming's assistance was a lifesaver for him.

It's just that before the life-saving straw is delivered to him, Haril has to hold on to himself.

In this way, under the intervention of the Ming Dynasty, starting from the fourth year of Yongle, the civil war of the Timurid Khanate fell into a stalemate, and no one of the three parties could help anyone, so the huge empire created by Timur was formed after his death, both de facto and nominally divided.

——————

The afterglow of dusk sprinkled on the golden tiles and red walls of the Nanjing Imperial Palace, gilding this majestic palace with a layer of golden brilliance.

Zhu Di sat in the study, his expression was a little complicated, and he could see that he was quite entangled.

For Zhu Di, the reconciliation with the Timurid Khanate was completed, but it did not make him happy.

Zhu Di returned to Nanjing this time and did not bring many troops, and the main force of the Beijing camp remained in the north.

Because the construction of Beizhili also needs these soldiers, Zhu Di's logic on the bright side is very simple, he doesn't plan to raise idlers, so many soldiers are idle, it is better to build bridges and pave roads, just train them to vent their inexhaustible strength.

But in fact, Zhu Di left the army in the north, but he had a selfish intention.

Because since returning from the expedition, Zhu Di has been hovering a question in his heart: should he appoint his eldest son Zhu Gaochi, who is good at government affairs, as the prince, or should he appoint the second son Zhu Gaochi, who is brave and good at fighting and he prefers, as the prince?

This problem is like a double-edged sword, and no matter what he chooses, he is destined to hurt one of his sons.

Zhu Gaochi, gentle and polite, calm and atmospheric, since his youth has shown outstanding political talents, he is handy in handling court affairs, and is deeply supported by the civil servants.

And Zhu Gaoxu, although he has a violent personality, he is brave and unparalleled, and he has repeatedly performed miraculous feats on the battlefield, which is the pride of Zhu Di's heart, and he is also the son that Zhu Di thinks is most like himself.

The previously agreed deadline, even if it is postponed due to the war, is about to arrive, and it is time for Zhu Di to make a choice.

Zhu Di closed his eyes, and the figures of his two sons appeared in his mind, their respective strengths and weaknesses were like two mirrors, reflecting the struggles and contradictions in his heart.

Zhu Di has already seen the construction progress of South Zhili and North Zhili.

According to the agreement, after the construction of Nanzhili reached the time, the data was recorded, and then it was closed.

The development of Nanzhili over the years is not bad.

It is precisely because of this that Zhu Gaoxu led the Northern Zhili, even if the data has a dynamic balance algorithm, there is still no too high chance of winning, because the time left for Zhu Gaoxu is not much Northern Expedition and Defense Timur Expedition, although the time is extra to show fairness, but this period of time is actually theoretically developing, so it is not too much, a few months of work, even if the Northern Zhili adds the multiplier of dynamic balance, it is difficult to surpass the leapfrog development of Southern Zhili in recent years.

Zhu Di actually knows very well that as the emperor, he should choose the son who is more able to take on the responsibility of the country.

But as a father, how could he let go of his deep love for another son?

Time passed minute by minute, Zhu Di's heart was still like a mess, he opened his eyes, looked at the gradually dimming sky outside the window, and sighed deeply.

It's not a decision else, it's the throne.

The prince may not necessarily become the emperor in the future, because there are many such things as abolishing the crown prince in history, but in any case, this is a major event related to the country.

This decision is destined to change the fate of the two sons, and it will also affect the future of the entire Ming Dynasty.

However, no matter how hard Zhu Di tried to think and analyze while sitting in his study, his heart could never give a clear answer.

This kind of entanglement made even if he was as energetic as Zhu Di, he felt a little tired, and the slight feeling of helplessness made him feel as if he had fallen into a whirlpool that he could not escape.

The night was like ink, deep and quiet, and the lights in the palace swayed in the warm breeze of early summer, as if Zhu Di's inner turmoil was also felt.

Zhu Di got up from his seat and stood alone in front of the window of the study, his eyes piercing through the dark night, looking at the distant and deep starry sky, trying to find a trace of guidance from there.

His heart is like a battlefield, in which two emotions and two expectations clash fiercely.

Zhu Gaochi's calmness and wisdom, Zhu Gaochu's bravery and pride, flashed alternately in his mind, and each flash was like a knife cut, which made him even more entangled.

As the night grew darker, the hustle and bustle of the palace had gradually receded, and only a few lone lamps swayed in the wind.

Zhu Di was still sitting in the imperial study, his brows were tightly locked, the entanglement in his heart was like a mess, cutting constantly, and the reason was messy, even the breeze brought by the drizzle of early summer outside the window could not relieve the irritability in his heart.

He closed his eyes, trying to find a glimmer of light in the darkness, but the figures of his two sons lingered like nightmares. He knew that he could not go on like this anymore and that he had to make a decision as soon as possible.

So, he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted outside the door, "Someone! ”

A moment later, a small eunuch hurriedly walked in: "Your Majesty." ”

"Go, call the third prince Zhu Gaosui." Zhu Di's voice revealed a hint of exhaustion.

Not long after, Zhu Gaosui came to the study, and Zhu Gaosui's expression was calm, as if he had expected all this.

"Father, I summoned my sons so late, I don't know what the important thing is?" But Zhu Gaosui still asked cautiously.

Zhu Di didn't answer, but turned his gaze to Zhu Gaosui: "Do you think, who should I appoint as the prince?" ”

Zhu Gaosui was slightly stunned, and then bowed down and said: "Father, this is a state matter, and the sons dare not speak falsely." ”

"State affairs are not family affairs? You are not the Zhu family? ”

Zhu Di waved his hand: "But it's okay to say it. The position of the prince is decided, and I will let you go to Luzon. ”

Zhu Gaosui pondered for a moment, and slowly spoke: "Father, the two brothers are both dragons and phoenixes among the people, no matter who is appointed as the prince, it is the blessing of the Ming Dynasty, but the sons think that the choice of the prince should be the first to inherit the policy of the father." ”

Zhu Di fell into deep thought after hearing this, Zhu Gaosui's words did not give a direct answer, but pointed out a direction for him.

Zhu Di raised his head and looked at Zhu Gaosui: "Do you think you can be the prince?" ”

Zhu Gaosui didn't expect his father to suddenly ask him this question, and he was a little stunned for a while, but he quickly reacted, bowed down and said: "Father, the son is stubborn, the literature is not as good as the eldest brother, and the martial arts are not as good as the second brother, so he has no talent to take on this great responsibility." ”

Zhu Di sighed, he no longer dwelled on personal preferences and emotions, but set his sights on a farther place - the future of the Ming Dynasty.

"Got it."

Zhu Gaosui breathed a sigh of relief, but Zhu Di immediately said, "You accompany me to the national teacher's house." ”

When Zhu Gaosui heard this, he inexplicably remembered an allusion - Zhao Kuangyinxue visited Zhao Pu at night.

"Why are you stunned?" Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaosui.

Zhu Gaosui blurted out his inner thoughts at this time, Zhu Di was stunned when he heard this, and suddenly remembered that the first time he went to the edict was to listen to Jiang Xinghuo tell the story of the Song Dynasty.

(End of chapter)