I studied in modern times

Chapter 1066 Storm in the Western Regions
Bukhara.

It was once one of the vassal states of the Tang Dynasty and the capital of the Bi Kingdom, one of the Nine Sogdian States.

Even back then, this city was already a shining pearl on the Silk Road.

Merchants from both the east and the west all pass through here.

With its large population and people from all directions, it is one of the most important cities in the world, and it enjoys a great reputation even in Western countries.

Today, this city enjoys immense prestige throughout the entire world of the Arab world.

This is because the city contains countless Arab temples and nurtures and protects hundreds of scholars who are renowned throughout the Arab world.

Therefore, it is known as the "Noble Bukhara" and is also renowned for bringing honor and joy to all Aboriginal people.

Since the two branches of the Black Khanate officially separated decades ago, with Ibrahim Khan of the Ali line establishing his capital in Bukhara and Sarmahan, this city has remained untouched by war for decades.

Since the division, the rulers of the Eastern and Western Black Khanates have both inherited their ancestors' self-designation as "Taohuashi Khan," meaning "Lord of China."

The Alibaba system has been passed down through four generations.

The contemporary Western Black Khan, named Ahmad, stood atop the walls of Bukhara, gazing towards the direction of Sarmakhan.

“That heretic Maliksha has no chance of making me grovel and submit to him!” He held the letter that had just been sent from the direction of Salmahan in his hand, his expression extremely ferocious.

The Seljuk cavalry have now broken through the defenses in the river valley and are approaching Sarmahan, the summer capital of the Western Black Khan, forcing him, the Peach Blossom Khan, to retreat to Bukhara.

It's hateful that the Ghulam Guard left by our ancestors is no longer of any use.

Last year, in the battle of the River St., three thousand Ghulam guards were wiped out by the Seljuks.

Tanros thus changed hands!
As a result, Seljuk swarmed in from multiple directions.

Maliksha even came in person this year, determined to subdue Peach Blossom Stone and fulfill his glorious reputation of conquering all nations and being invincible!
Thinking of this, Ahmad's eyes grew even more murderous.

This is because, as a devout follower of the Aboriginal faith.

Malik Shah's actions were all crossing his bottom line and were a crazy provocation!
They entered Baghdad, treated the Caliph as nothing, and made him a puppet!
The crucial point is that this scoundrel brazenly kidnapped the Caliph and forced him to order that his name be included in the prayers on Friday, so that he might be with the Caliph!
This is blasphemy!

This is not only blasphemy against the Caliph, but also against the faith of every Abbasid Caliph!

If it were just this, Ahmad would at most utter a few curses.

After all, the core of the Great Food Cult is more than ten thousand miles away from Peach Blossom Stone.

If Malik Shah only swaggered around in Baghdad and acted arrogantly in Medina, Ahmad, even if he disliked him, couldn't do anything about it.

However, ever since this lord ascended to the throne as Seljuk Sultan, he has been targeting West Black Khan at every turn.

First, they drove out and exterminated all the forces that the Western Black Khanate had painstakingly infiltrated into Khorasan through three generations of hard work.

Now, they have launched an invasion, annihilating the Ghulam Guard, the very force upon which the Western Black Khan relied, in a single battle, slaughtering nearly a thousand Ghulam heavy cavalry.

Even the summer capital of Sarmahan is now besieged by it.

If Salmahan falls, can Bukhara be preserved?
Who knows, the day Salmahan falls will be the day Ahmad surrenders—even if he refuses, the nobles, scholars, and military leaders of Bukhara will bind him and send him before the King of Kings, the conqueror of the world, to wag his tail and beg for mercy.

Fortunately...fortunately...

Ahmad's eyes were fixed on the camp to the east of the city.

Countless flags spread out from each tent.

Block the reinforcements!

The Zubu cavalry came from the Liao emperor in the east!
Although these Zub were poorly equipped—almost all of them were light cavalry, and there wasn’t a single heavy cavalryman like the Ghulam Guards.

However, they were skilled in archery and horsemanship, and each of them was incredibly brave!

They are far superior to the Gulams who are pampered with fine clothes and food and are even unfamiliar with archery and horsemanship!
Despite having received almost no formal training, their tents were loose and riddled with holes.

However, when given a command, they can gather like a flock of birds, displaying strict discipline!

This is no ordinary thing!

Moreover, those gathered here now are only the vanguard!
The imperial envoy of the Liao emperor had already made a famous statement: "The emperor has mobilized a large army, and the thirty-six tribes of Zubu have bravely set out to fight."

If it can be done by August, Bukhara can gather at least 20,000 Zub cavalry!
In addition, several thousand elite troops from the Northwest Circuit of the Liao Dynasty will come to the aid!

With such a powerful boost, even if Maliksha is a genius, he will still suffer setbacks in Bukhara!

Just thinking that Maliksha's myth of being invincible since his accession to the throne was about to end in his hands made Ahmad feel very comfortable!
even……

Who knows, in the future we might even be able to borrow troops from the Liao Dynasty to launch a western expedition to Khorasan and march on Baghdad!

To prop up a collapsing building and save the Caliph from imminent collapse!

Therefore, he was called Sultan, and his name was Huljumma, just like Malik Shah today!
Thinking of this, Ahmad summoned his trusted confidant and instructed him, "Go and invite the chieftains of the Zub to come into the city and meet me!"

"As ordered!"

After the man left, Ahmad summoned another trusted confidant and instructed him to open the national treasury and retrieve the treasures that the Western Black Khanate had kept for decades.

He intended to give these precious treasures to the chieftains of the Zubu tribes who had come to his aid.

This is because the very survival of the Western Khan now depends entirely on the assistance of the Zub tribes.

This was also because he still harbored the plan to continue hiring the Zub cavalry for his western expedition—hiring soldiers from other tribes and winning them over with generous rewards.

This is the foundation upon which the Black Khanate was founded.

The so-called Ghulam Guard was not formed by Uyghurs—but was mainly composed of Turks. When the Turks became unusable, they turned to the Kipchak, Kangli, Arghun and other tribes.

Furthermore, the Black Khan was able to unify the Western Regions and advance into Central Asia.

They also relied on mercenaries.

In particular, the victory in the battle to annihilate Khotan owes much of its success to the volunteer army recruited and mobilized by the Black Khans from Central and West Asia.

In the name of holy war, with the aid of the entire Arab world, the Western Buddhist Kingdom was extinguished, hundreds of Buddhist temples were destroyed, and countless Buddha statues were burned.

Therefore, the Black Khans are willing to hire other ethnic groups to fight for them.

Not only did they not resist at all, but they were also very skilled at it.

It's nothing more than paying money!

As the most important commercial dynasty on the Silk Road, the wealth of the Black Khans was beyond imagination!
……

Samarkand.

This city is older than Bukhara.

This city was already world-renowned more than a thousand years ago!
Even in the Middle Kingdom, this city was renowned.

The Book of Wei refers to it as Xi Wanjin, and the Sui and Tang dynasties call it Kangguo—it was the core of the Nine Sogdian Clans and also the outpost base for the Tang Dynasty's advance from Central Asia to West Asia.

However, times have changed. Hundreds of years later, this once important town of the Tang Dynasty has lost its Han Dynasty glory. Even the nine Sogdian clans have long been swept away by the winds and rains, and no one knows where they have ended up.

The owners of this place have long since changed to the Black Khan Uyghurs!
Furthermore, since the time of Satuq, the former king of the Black Khan, who, imitating the Persian system, adopted the Abbasid Caliphate, established the Ghulam Guard, seized power, and then led hundreds of thousands of Black Khan Uyghurs to convert to Abbasid Caliphate.

The Buddhist temples, Zoroastrian temples, and shrines that once stood in Samarkand naturally could not escape the fate of being burned down.

Arab temples and Arab scholars flocked to the area.

Today, Samarkand is home to numerous Abbasid temples.

The people in the city all believed in the Abbasid Caliphate.

At the same time, the temples and palaces of this city, just like those in Bukhara, are filled with countless Arab scholars who study day and night.

These scholars were renowned throughout the entire Arab world.

Therefore, when news of the Seljuk army defeating the Ghulam guards of the West Black Khan reached Baghdad...

The contemporary Seljuk Sultan, known as the King of Kings, commanded respect from Baghdad to Constantinople, and from Azerbaijan to Persia. Countless Arab states and vassal states trembled at the mere mention of his name. Even the contemporary Caliph treated him with utmost deference. The powerful Seljuk ruler Malik Shah immediately left Baghdad and led his army eastward.

He vowed to conquer Peach Blossom Stone and make it grovel at his feet.

To seize the claim of "Peach Blossom Stone Khan" for the sake of future generations.

This gave the Seljuk Sultan the land of Lower Qin and the right to compete with Ma Qin (Liao) and Taohuashi (Song).

Yes—in today's world of food, in the eyes of the general public.

Because of the propaganda of the Black Khans, they believe that present-day Seres (China) has naturally disintegrated into three parts, just like the Roman Empire.

The Black Khanate was like the Lower Qin, such as the Byzantium; the Liao Dynasty was like the Ma Qin, such as the Germanic states; and the Song Dynasty was like the Peach Blossom Stone, which was the Western Roman Empire before its collapse.

Therefore, the title of Peach Blossom Khan was equivalent to that of the Roman emperor, the same as that of the Byzantine emperor.

Possessing it grants one a legitimate claim to Seris.

Although Maliksha himself knew that this might not actually be true.

But the vast majority of the states and feudal lords in the Arab world believed it. That was enough!

For Maliksha, that was all he needed.

Maliksha was different from his father and grandfather.

He was not only a conqueror, but also a wise and enlightened monarch who was skilled in both literature and martial arts.

Since ascending the throne, he has focused on improving domestic governance and waging war against foreign powers.

Wherever he went, he killed disobedient subjects and also pacified the common people.

At the same time, he valued scholars, promoted education, and established the world-renowned Nietzsche University on the advice of his vizier (prime minister) Mullek.

This university has hundreds of scholars and, in addition to law, also offers courses in philosophy, mathematics, and medicine.

It is one of the world's top universities in the Arab world!
At this very moment, the regent of the Arab world, the king of kings appointed by the Caliph, gazed at the towering city of Samarkand.

A pair of emerald green eyes gleamed with an unreadable light, as if they were pondering something, or perhaps weighing something.

The reason is that just now, a messenger arrived from Samarkand.

This messenger was a scholar.

Moreover, he was a scholar whom even he had to treat with respect.

Because of its reputation, it is prominent throughout the Arab world.

The Caliph had demoted him, and even his father, the previous Seljuk Sultan Arslan, had yielded to him.

This scholar's name is Kashgar Geri.

His book, "The Great Dictionary of Turkic Languages," is not only essential reading for the current Seljuk Sultanate royal family.

It is also a classic text on the education of children by the contemporary Caliph Muqtadai.

Not only because this book records more than a dozen languages, including Turkic, Uyghur, and Arabic.

It was an important book for the various states and feudal lords of the Arab world to educate their children in language learning.

Furthermore, this book also records the geography, customs, and people that Kashgar Gali saw, heard, and knew throughout his life as he traveled to various places.

Before Kashgar, the Arab world's understanding of the East was limited to legends and stories.

After Kashgar, the Arab world truly began to look towards the East.

Therefore, Kashgari's writings remain the primary source for the Arab world to understand and learn about the Eastern Seres.

Putting aside other matters, the first thing described in this book is that the Arab world divides Seris into Lower Qin, Ma Qin, and Peach Blossom Stone.

Therefore, when Kashgari left Samarkand, Maliksha immediately greeted him with courtesy, not daring to neglect this famous scholar who had studied in Baghdad for more than ten years and enjoyed a reputation in the Arab world for decades.

Kashgari's arrival brought Maliksha a piece of astonishing news—the ruler of the Eastern Maqin, the legendary Khitan emperor who supposedly possessed ten thousand kingdoms and a million soldiers, had already mobilized tens of thousands of troops to come to his aid after hearing that Taohuashi Khan had been deceived by him.

As for why?
Ahmad, the Khan of the Peach Blossom Stone, was the nephew of the Namaqin Khitan Emperor!

Moreover, Kashgari also told him that Peach Blossom Khan Ahmad was not only the nephew of the Maqin Khitan emperor.

He was also the nephew of the Peach Blossom Stone Emperor!

Now, Ahmad, the Khan of Peach Blossom Stone, has sent envoys to Peach Blossom Stone to request the Peach Blossom Stone Emperor, the so-called "Han family's uncle, the great official," to send troops to aid him.

Now that permission has been granted, the troops from Peach Blossom Stone will soon arrive from the west.

And that peach blossom stone belonged to the descendants of the dynasty that once rivaled the Abbasid Caliphate in Talas.

Just like the Umayyad Caliphate and the Abbasid Caliphate.

Now, the Peach Blossom Stone Kingdom has long since quelled its internal strife and revived.

Its emperor commanded an army of millions, the country was vast, and the population was incalculable.

They were a powerful and well-equipped force, unparalleled in the world!

If they come to our aid, their army will number in the hundreds of thousands.

Therefore, Kashgari came here on behalf of Ahmad, the Khan of the Peach Blossom Stone, to ask Maliksha to withdraw his troops.

According to him, Xia Qin, Ma Qin, and Taohuashi are all descendants of the Seris Empire.

The three families are originally one family!
Furthermore, they have intermarried for generations, and there are kinship ties between uncles and nephews.

Ma Qin and Tao Huashi would absolutely not stand idly by and watch their nephew, Xia Qin, be bullied by outsiders!
Nakashgar even told Maliksha that if the Peach Blossom Stone Emperor were to become angry, he might sever the Silk Road and ban the export of all silk, tea, and porcelain.

Even maritime trade will be cut off!
Kashgari's words left Maliksha hesitant and doubtful.

To be honest, Maliksha isn't afraid of soldiers or horses.

Throughout his life, he fought in battles across the north and south, and was invincible!
The Byzantines trembled at the mention of his name, the nobles of Medina shuddered at the sight of his banner, the Persians of Khorasan prostrated themselves at his feet, and the scholars of Baghdad, Damascus, Konya, and Mosul worshipped him, praising his deeds on Fridays as if they were praising the Caliph.

Wherever his army went, whether it was the Byzantine army or the troops of the heretical Fatimid dynasty, they could only flee.

He was personally appointed by the Caliph as the King of the East and the West, the Lord of Armies, and the King of Kings!
Who have I ever been afraid of?

Even if the Eastern Ma Qin Khitan and Peach Blossom Stone are really strong.

He'll only know after he's tried it!

However, he was genuinely afraid that the "Peach Blossom Stone Emperor" intimidated by Kashgar would cut off the export of silk, porcelain, and tea, completely sealing off and blocking the Silk Road!
This will severely damage the Seljuk economy!
Without the profits from Silk Road trade, neither the Seljuk army nor his academies and scholars in Baghdad and Damascus could be sustained.

At the same time, it may also anger those states and feudal lords who rely on trade for their livelihood.

There was no way around it, whether it was the Umayyad Caliphate, the Abbasid Caliphate, or the current Seljuk Sultanate.

The profits from Silk Road trade were a crucial support for their rise.

If trade between East and West were to be severed, even with his current prestige, he would find it difficult to withstand domestic criticism.

"Ugh……"

"It's a pity my vizier isn't here!"

"If Vizier were here, he would surely be able to offer me advice!"

Vizier Mullek was his teacher and also his regent.

When he was still a prince, Mullek had already been appointed as his teacher and Seljuk vizier by order of the former Seljuk king Arslan.

For the past twenty-odd years, whenever Maliksha had a question, Mullek would help him resolve it.

However, this time, the vizier needs to stay in Baghdad to monitor the various forces that are making moves.

Especially those Abbasid scholars who were dissatisfied with the Seljuks.

The key figure was the Assassins, anti-Seljuk militants led by Hassan al-Sabah.

As Malik Shah hesitated, a scholar who had accompanied him on the expedition suddenly stepped forward and bowed: "Great Sultan, are you troubled by the threat of Peach Blossom Khan?"

Maliksha looked at the man and asked, "Honorable Scholar Ansari, what advice do you have?"

The scholar named Ansari respectfully patted his chest and said, "Great Sultan, why are you troubled by the intimidation of Peach Blossom Khan?"

"The great prophet once said: Even if the truth is far away in the East, go forth and seek it!"

"Since you are confused, why not follow the prophet's teachings and send your messenger to the Peach Blossom Stone in the east to meet with the Peach Blossom Stone Emperor?"

"I believe that if the emperor of Peach Blossom Stone is wise, he will certainly not make things difficult for you!"

"After all, the silk, tea, and porcelain from Taohuashi also require your, the great Sultan's, consent before they can enter Damascus, Baghdad, or even Constantinople!"

Upon hearing this, Maliksha's eyes immediately lit up, and he said enthusiastically to Ansari, "Scholar, you are right!"

"I will immediately send an envoy to Peach Blossom Stone in the East..."

"but……"

"How can we control the land through Taohuashi Khan?"

“Great Sultan, you may select some merchants who have been to Peach Blossom Stone and order them to travel there in batches, carrying your letter…”

"It's impossible for Taohuashi Khan to stop every merchant!"

"As long as one person reaches Peach Blossom Stone in the East, meets the Emperor of Peach Blossom Stone, and expresses your greetings and respect to them, your problem will naturally be solved!"

Maliksha listened and nodded, saying, "Respected Ansari, you are indeed the wise one by my side!"

"If this succeeds, I will appoint you as the rector of Nietzschemi University!"

The scholar named Ansari, upon hearing Maliksha's promise, immediately prostrated himself in fear and kissed the ground at Maliksha's feet.

For a scholar, there is nothing more glorious than taking charge of Nietzschemi University.

(End of this chapter)