On 22 September, Malik Mahmoud al-Sistani, the governor of Thun and Tabas provinces of the Safavid Empire, led 5,000 cavalry to Gulnabad and anchored in a makeshift camp where the Afghans had stayed.

On 23 September, Mahmoud sent Nas Rula to intervene with him.

To impress the other side, Nas Lula prepared eight Arabian horses with ornate harnesses and four camels laden with silk, coins and jewels. He earnestly persuaded Malik that the Safavid dynasty was about to collapse and fall and that the Gilzais would become the new rulers of Persia. If Malik is willing to cooperate, then in return, the Afghans will help him become the new master of Khorasan.

Probably not thinking of rescuing Isfahan at all, Malik hesitated for a moment, then heeded Nas Lula's persuasion and returned to the northeast with his troops. He took out the money given by the Afghans, recruited more soldiers on the way, and headed straight for Mashhad, the provincial capital of Khorasan.

After sending Malik, the Afghans breathed a sigh of relief, and then they drew more than 10,000 elites from the army besieging the city on all sides and gathered near the Farahabad Palace in the southern suburbs of Isfahan, preparing to deal with the Qi army heading north.

It is reported that in addition to hundreds of heavily armed musketeers, the Qi army that came from Bushehr Port also hired more than 3,000 tribal cavalry, and drove all the way to Isfahan.

The maritime hegemon of the Indian Ocean region, with its military might and its reputation built over the decades, makes it impossible for the Afghans to be cautious. Last year, they launched a war against the Omani Empire, almost in a devastating manner, annihilating the Omani army occupying many of the Gulf islands, and forcing the other side to sue for peace, ending the war with humiliating conditions such as land cession, reparations, and trade.

Now, as Isfahan is about to fall, they have gathered thousands of troops and are ready to run to the rescue of the Persians, which makes the Afghans both depressed and nervous.

Governors and generals across Persia have abandoned Isfahan and are waiting for the situation to evolve and prepare to witness a change of dynasty in an empire. Why should you, a country thousands of miles away, rush to save the Safavid dynasty that was about to fall?

"We need to bring the merchants and goods stranded in Isfahan back to the port of Bushehr safely." Yu Wanping watched Mahmud sit tall on the throne of the Shah in the past, with a huge turban wrapped around his head and a few beautiful feathers inserted on it, trying his best to show a majestic momentum.

Hmph, it's just a monkey crown.

"You Qi people are leading troops here, just to pick up the stranded merchants and goods?" Mahmoud listened to the interpreter's translation, and his face showed a little surprise.

"Yes." Yu Wanping nodded and said, "Therefore, we hope that your army will open a passage so that all the Qi people stranded in Isfahan City can safely evacuate the city, and let us transport the goods accumulated in the trading station back to Bushehr Port smoothly." ”

......Hearing this, Mahmoud couldn't help but hesitate a little at the request of the Qi people, and turned his head to look at his closest companion, former army commander Amanullah Khan.

Amanullah Khan nodded slightly, signaling Mahmoud to agree to the conditions of the Qi people.

Although they Afghans have gathered 10,000 main troops, there is a high probability that they can defeat those Qi people who came in a hurry, but from the strong combat power shown by the Qi people in the offensive and defensive battles of the merchant station, they may pay a huge price. Once their Afghan losses are too large, I am afraid that this will have a great impact on the complete control of the imminent city of Isfahan.

Moreover, compared to the huge Isfahan City, the money and materials accumulated in the Qi State Business Station are only a drop in the bucket, and they can't offend the Qi people to death for this little property.

"Okay, we will open a passage for you Qi people to bring back the merchants and goods stranded in Isfahan." Mahmoud said in a deep voice: "However, I would like to solemnly warn you Qi people here, don't play any tricks. Otherwise, tens of thousands of our brave Gilzai warriors will send you all to hell! ”

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Li Yanliang held the musket and looked at the place where the torches were shining on the other side of the trench, where several merchants were haggling with the Afghans, arguing over the price of the livestock and grain to be bought.

Since a month ago, when the Qi people reached a grain purchase agreement with the Afghans besieging the trading station, there have been five transactions like tonight. Because both parties have their own needs, the whole transaction behavior appears to be relatively peaceful.

The Afghans could easily pocket a large amount of money by selling the looted cattle, sheep and grain to the Qi people at ten times the original market price. Although the people of Qi spent a lot of gold and silver, they completely bid farewell to the previous miserable days of starvation.

Due to the fact that the Afghan leader Mahmoud has not yet issued an order to lift the blockade, more than 2,000 tribal troops are still very "dutiful" to continue to besiege the merchant station to ensure that the Qi people will not break out of the siege.

Perhaps, in their opinion, this painless lockdown would be better to last a little longer. As a vassal of Mahmud, when Isfahan was about to fall at any time, he was assigned to seal and besiege the Qi State Trading Station. At that time, once the city is broken, they will not even get the opportunity to enter the city and loot, how can this not make them resentful.

Since, if you can sell some food to the Qi people in the merchant station at a high price, you can easily get a lot of gold and silver, so why bother fighting with them to the death? It is better to get more cattle, sheep and grains and sell them to the Qi people, so that they can take out the lovely gold and silver coins in their pockets and put them in their purses.

The capture of Isfahan, the seizure of the Safavid dynasty, and the creation of an empire belonging to the Afghans were considered by the big men. And the many tribal warriors who have been killed all the way from the poor mountains and bad waters, deep in their hearts, I am afraid that they can only think of making more gold and silver, increasing their weapons and equipment, and then returning to their hometowns to live their own small lives in peace.

"Do you sell your muskets?" A small leader of the tribal army stood on the other side of the trench and shouted in the direction where Li Yanliang was.

"Not for sale!" After the interpreter translated the words, Li Yanliang immediately replied coldly.

"We exchange war horses, which are definitely the best Arabian war horses." The small leader of the clan army continued unrelentingly, "If you need it, we can also exchange it for women,...... They are all high-class goods under the age of eighteen! ”

“…… Don't sell! Hearing the other party mention women, Li Yanliang refused even more angrily.

"Oh, that's a shame." The other party couldn't help but smack his lips and said regretfully: "Actually, the conditions we gave are already very good, and you should seriously consider it." ”

In the battle of Gulnabad, the Afghans captured more than 2,000 flintlock muskets produced by the Qi Kingdom, but all of them were assigned by Mahmoud to his own cronies to further strengthen their armament and ensure absolute control of their descendants.

Although the Persian army, armed with muskets, did not cause much damage to the Afghans on the battlefield, many Afghan tribes near Baloch knew the power of firearms. The Kharat Khanate, with a small number of firearms, frequently invaded the border areas of Afghanistan, often with a sporadic dozen cavalry, it was able to easily break down a tribe and village of more than 100 people, and wantonly plundered property and women, making them miserable.

Therefore, these tribal armies besieging the Qi State Merchant Station tried to obtain some firearms from the Qi people. lest when they returned to their homeland after plundering a large amount of property, they were robbed by a group of even more vicious robbers, who made wedding clothes for others.

"I'd like to give you some important news." The small leader of the tribal army slowly walked up to Li Yanliang and other army officers and soldiers, stared at the muskets in their hands for a while, and then said with a smile: "Three days ago, Thun and Malik, the governor of Tabas Province, gave up the rescue of Isfahan and returned to Khorasan with five thousand cavalry. …… In addition, according to the news from the north, the prince Tahmasp, who had fled from the city, was still cowering in Qazvin, not daring to bring troops to the rescue of his father, nor trying to unite the forces to deal with the attack of our Afghans, and drunk himself all day. …… Therefore, the Persians in the city of Isfahan were hopeless. ”

"Oh, by the way, the Russians, located north of the Caucasus, under the personal command of their tsar (Peter I), invaded Darband from sea (Caspian Sea) and by land. Well, they met almost no resistance along the way, quickly hit Georgia and occupied a large territory along the coast of Dagestan. The Ottoman Empire, an old rival of the Persians, was also beginning a military mobilization in preparation for an invasion of the Caucasus and the western regions. In this situation, the Safavid dynasty would face a catastrophe. Yes, this empire is going to end, perhaps, only we Afghans can save it......"

Li Yanliang just listened silently and did not make any response.

"Well, I'll give you another piece of good news. …… You Qi people have sent a force that has arrived near Isfahan and is ready to pick you up. ”

"Huh? ......" Li Yanliang immediately looked at the other party in astonishment when he heard this.

"Since you're about to leave here, can you sell us all the firearms you have when you leave?"