6 August 1722, Isfahan.

Once again, the Imperial Shah Surtan Hussein rejected the Afghans' request for negotiations outside the city, saying that he would rather die and hold out to Isfahan until the last moment.

The reason why the Shah is so hard is not out of the dignity and honor of an emperor, but because there is still an extravagant hope in his heart, a belief that the army of King Qin from all over the country is about to arrive and will save him and the whole of Isfahan from danger.

His third son, Prince Tahmasp, was reorganizing his troops in Qazvin, the old capital of the empire, and was in constant contact with the provincial governors who were still willing to swear allegiance to the Shah; The governor of Thun and Tabas, Malik Mahmoud al-Sistani, in the northeast, is also gathering tribal forces in the Khorasan region and will soon reach Isfahan to attack the besieging Afghans.

At the end of June, the Bakhtiari tribe had assembled a force of 6,000 men to escort a large shipment of food and other supplies into the city of Isfahan. Although, after fierce confrontations with the Afghans, they were repulsed, and all the supplies were taken and burned. But this undoubtedly gave the Shah unlimited confidence, and there were still countless tribes and governors loyal to the empire and the Shah, doing everything they could to rescue Isfahan.

As long as you stick to it for a while, you will definitely be able to see the moon. Isfahan is certainly on the verge of collapse, and the Afghans outside the city are presumably no better. They had been around Kerman for six months without giving up, and eventually left disappointed. Now, they are facing Isfahan, which is bigger, more populous, and more heavily defended, and will surely eventually retreat.

Beginning in mid-June, there was a widespread famine in Isfahan, with even the city's princes and nobles and wealthy merchants eating horse meat, while the poor searched for cats, dogs, and whatever food they could provide.

By early August, the famine was at its peak, more and more people were dying from hunger and disease, and despair spread throughout the city.

The city used to be full of trees, but now many of them have been cut down and their leaves and bark are sold. Grass roots are also eaten as food, and cooked leather boots and belts were common foods for a long time.

It is reported that in some neighborhoods of the city, the phenomenon of eating human flesh has already appeared. The streets were littered with starving corpses, some of whose legs had been sawed off at night. The separated children will never be able to return to their parents, because they will most likely be taken and eaten by people who have gone mad with hunger.

As time went on, the bodies piled up in the streets, the dead could not be buried, and thousands of people died in a hopeless escape. Coins no longer have value, the only thing of value is food.

Muhammad Hassan clutched the small piece of dry and hard horse meat in his hand, and couldn't help but sigh secretly, and then looked at Huo Jilin with a look of hope, and pleaded: "Can you give me a little more, there are still three children at home." …… They haven't eaten in a long time. ”

"Hassan, it's not that I don't want to give you more." Huo Jilin smiled bitterly and said, "I don't have much food in the Great Qi Legation. I'm afraid you don't know that our envoy can only eat one meal a day now, and it is still very thin porridge rice. It's just such a little horse meat, which we bought at a high price of more than 300 yuan half a month ago. ”

"But......" Muhammad Hassan still did not give up, looked at Huo Jilin with his eyes, and pleaded: "But such a little bit of jerky can't sustain the lives of our family of five at all." You can find a way to help me get more food. Even if you can have a few handfuls of brown rice! You don't know, I rushed from my home to the legation, but it took me so much time that I almost killed the hungry people in the streets. Have mercy on me, and give me a little more food. Didn't you say before, "I'm one of your own people?" ”

"Hassan......" Huo Jilin leaned against a column and said weakly: "Hassan, whether it was before or now, we have always regarded you as our own. When the whole city was in a famine a little over a month ago, weren't we providing you with precious food? However, at this time, the legation really has no extra food. The little rice and white flour we have left were personally sent by the minister to the palace in the name of our Qi government to ask the Shah. Do you know what a shame this is for a diplomat? ”

As he spoke, Huo Jilin untied a cowhide belt from his trousers, hung it around Mohammed Hassan's neck, patted him on the shoulder, and then staggered back to the legation.

"Thank you, my brother. …… God will bless you! Muhammad Hassan grabbed the belt tightly in his hand and shouted at Huo Jilin.

"I hope that your true god can bring me a delicious meal immediately......" Huo Jilin muttered as he walked: "This dog-day Afghan actually let Lao Tzu experience such a terrible famine!" When I have the chance, I will kill you to the ground......"

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Compared to Isfahan, where some branches and grass seeds can still be found from time to time and can barely hang a breath, then the Qi State Merchant Station located outside the city can be said to have reached a dangerous situation of running out of ammunition and food.

Although, as soon as the Afghans arrived in Isfahan in March, the entire trading post was immediately put under military control, and all food and supplies were rationed. But more than five months have passed, and no matter how streamlined and economical it is, the food in the trading station has also decreased rapidly at a rate visible to the naked eye.

By July, food reserves had been reduced to a minimum level and were on the verge of running out of food. As a result, under the orders of Yan Shaowu, the commander of the 3rd Mixed Battalion of the Army and Captain (Major) Xuanjie, the food ration of all non-combatants in the trading station was reduced to one meal a day, and it was mainly gruel or noodle soup with clear bottoms. The more than 200 officers and men who were relied on as the backbone of the defense could only enjoy the treatment of barely satisfying themselves.

The cute cats, dogs and other personal pets in the trading station have already entered the wombs of everyone. Even the hundred-

The cunning Afghans were stationed far away in the east and west directions of the trading post, monitoring the movements of the Qi people day and night. At the slightest disturbance, they would immediately mount their horses and put on a cavalry charge, ready to deal the most resolute blow to the Qi people who were in danger out of the city.

They knew very well that the firearms of the Qi people were sharp, and they easily did not approach the merchant station to launch an active attack. But as long as they dare to rush out, the Afghans don't mind giving them a classic lesson in cavalry siege and killing infantry.

The Afghans believed that such a small trading post would inevitably have limited reserves of food and other daily necessities, and that as long as they waited patiently outside, the Qi people in the trading station would sooner or later run out of ammunition and food, and would be forced to surrender to them.

It is said that the Qi people have accumulated a lot of gold and silver in the trading post, and they have no less wealth than the Armenians in the Julifa district they have sacked.

"No matter how much gold and silver we have in our trading station, how much will you, as a Sistan, get from Mahmud?" Latif Saidar nervously translated the words of Cai Dezhao, the steward of the trading station, to the Afghan general opposite, "As long as you are willing to provide us with food, we will buy it at five times the normal price." ”

Abdul Hakim listened, ignoring Latif Saidar, but looked the Qi man up and down, and although the other party tried to maintain a calm expression, the sweat that continued to ooze from his forehead and the constant swallowing of saliva fully revealed his nervousness and fear.

"If I don't agree to your request, what will you do next?" Abdul Hakim asked, smiling.

"We can't do anything but hold on to the trading post until we consume all the food, and in the meantime, we may starve many people to death." Cai Dezhao paused and said softly: "However, so far, you are still not completely sure that you can capture Isfahan, and soldiers and horses from all over Persia are still coming one after another. Although you have repelled several waves of reinforcements, if you are defeated once, the offensive and defensive forces will inevitably change, and you will most likely have to retreat back to Kandahar, to that barren and desolate place, and wait for the retaliatory attack of the Persian army. In the end, what do you get? You are not Gilzai, in the eyes of Mahmoud, you belong to an absolute marginal force, and in the distribution of wealth, you are probably not the highest priority, right? ”

"Huh?" When Abdul Hakim heard this, he immediately squinted his eyes slightly, his eyes showed a fierce light, and he stared fiercely at this Qi countryman who spoke falsely.

For a time, the air in the big tent froze to the extreme.

"Haha......" Abdul Hakim suddenly laughed, then turned around and sat on the soft floor, looked up at Cai Dezhao, and asked sadly: "If I didn't guess, you should have sent someone to the west of Baradar to carry out the same lobbying activities, right?" ”

"......" After listening to the translation of Latif Saidar next to him, Cai Dezhao did not answer, but just looked at Abdul Hakim quietly.

"Hmm......" Abdul al-Hakim sat on the slump, his legs crossed, and a greedy look in his eyes, "as for the food, I can provide it to you." But the price should be ten times the market price. ”

"Yes."

"In addition, in order to show your sincerity, you will first send five thousand toman silver coins tonight (1 toman is equal to about 2.7 taels of silver)."

“…… Good. ”