The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 726: Wan La, We Became Junggar
Outside the city of Samarkand, the Western Army camp.

Chen Guangyao was holding a high-quality river blanket and handed it to Li Xianwen, the Grand Marshal of the Western Army.

The former Hanchuan Governor, Huating Earl Chen Qiuze, who was almost exiled from Hanchuan Province, was also in the room.

He is now the military ambassador of the Western Army, and all the logistical supplies of the Western Army are deployed and managed by Chen Qiuze.

Except for Chen Qiuze, most of Li Xianwen's staff officers were also present.

Some of these people were transferred directly from the Inner Court Staff Officers Office and the Hanlin Academy, and some were officials transferred from the Privy Council (Five Military Commissioners' Office), the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, etc.

With their assistance, Li Xianwen was able to control the Western Army with ease in this era of rapid military change.

Of course, from another perspective, this is also a means for Emperor Mo Zibu to control the army.

Although Li Xianwen was the Grand Marshal of the Western Army, at least half of his staff officers and logistical administrative personnel were sent by the emperor.

As for the Western Army Military Law Department, it was also mainly composed of officers and officials stationed in the Western Army by the Privy Council Military Law Department and the Ministry of War of the Outer Court.

"This carpet is exquisitely crafted, made of high-quality materials. The embroidered flowers and birds are vivid. Although the colors are crude, they also have an exotic charm. If shipped to the Central Plains, it will surely be worth a fortune."

Hearing what Chen Guangyao said, Li Xianwen also took it and looked at it carefully, and the officials around him also turned their heads away.

Pan Shien, the top scholar in the 1793th year of Guangzhong () and the current Western Army Gunpowder Ambassador, a native of Suzhou, nodded frequently as he watched and even touched it with his hand.

"This knitting technique is considered top-notch even in my hometown of Suzhou."

However, after touching him, Pan Zhuangyuan's throat twitched slightly, and his vision became a little blurred by the sudden outflow of tears.

However, it wasn't that Pan Shien was moved by anything, but that the blanket was so damn smelly, like a shroud.

Chen Guangyao laughed heartily upon seeing Pan Shien's expression, "There are too many vulgar people in the army. They wouldn't recognize such a treasure. They spread this blanket on the ground and piled it over the heads, hence the unbearable stench.

I had it washed three times, otherwise it would have been even more smelly. Please forgive me, Mr. Zhuangyuan, please forgive me."

Pan Shien dared not accept Chen Guangyao's praise, and immediately bowed and saluted, saying: "The soldiers in the army are loyal to their country and do not fear arrows and stones. They do not care about luxury and treasures. It can be seen that they are all wholeheartedly serving the country.

We in Dayu owe it all to Your Majesty's grace and Your Excellency's ability to command the army, and only then have we had such elite soldiers and powerful generals.

This is not a fishy smell, but the spirit of loyalty and bravery. It is because I was born in the water town of Jiangnan that I lack experience. "

"Hahahaha." Chen Guangyao laughed and said to the people around him, "He is indeed the top scholar. He does his job well and speaks well. He will become a great man in the future!"

Li Xianwen also joined in the joke, then put the blanket on the table, pondered for a long time, and then said:
"Have you noticed, my friends, that the Muslim religion has been spreading eastward since the end of the Tang Dynasty? The Buddhist kingdoms of Wanli, the Li family of Khotan, the Uighurs of Gaochang, and others once fiercely resisted it, but it was all in vain.

When the Mongols conquered the world, Temujin's descendants became the Khans of the various tribes in Central Asia, but they were no match for the culture and elegance of these tribes.

By the time of the Qing Dynasty, the Han people had lost their country and their families, and no longer had the prestige they once had. This evil trend from the West spread freely, as if it had entered a no-man's land, and even provoked our bloody internal strife. How lamentable!

Li Xianwen's words revealed an important reason why the Muslim sect was able to continue to advance eastward since the middle and late Tang Dynasty.

That is, since all the elite troops of the Anxi Army returned to the Central Plains to participate in suppressing the Anshi Rebellion, the sky over this piece of cultural heritage in Hezhong has changed.

Because when the Tang Dynasty's power was declining, the Muslim world happened to experience a great cultural development.

At that time, Chinese culture entered the era of war and killing in the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, and had basically no time to look west. Needless to say, European Christian civilization had already entered its darkest period.

Only Muslims were open, civilized, inclusive, and innovative during this period, becoming a beacon of civilization from the Western Regions, Transoxiana to Europe.

Under the influence of this powerful culture, the Arab culture, with Islam as its carrier, quickly became the top trend and became the civilization that most tribes yearned for.

This was the important reason why the various tribes on the grasslands west of China were quickly converted to the Muslim religion, and it was also the period when the Muslim religion's combat effectiveness was quite strong.

Even though the Arab culture was brutally cut in half by the Mongols, Western European Christian culture was even worse, and China was simply conquered by the Mongols. Instead, the small amount of remaining essence of the Arab culture was brought back to the river by the Mongolian expeditionary force and continued to survive.

Therefore, around this period, the Pan-Turkic culture in Hezhong, with Islam as its cultural bond, began to develop rapidly.

Various writers, poets, politicians, and scientists emerged like mushrooms after a rain, not only consolidating their own roots, but also leading the Mongols who ruled them astray.

In the end, the Mongols were even more enthusiastic than the other Pan-Turkic peoples. They took up their butcher knives and forcefully promoted Muslimism.

To put it bluntly, Anxi and Hezhong turned completely green because the shrinking Han civilization could not affect these places.

At the same time, the Pan-Turkic ethnic group has basically no civilization, so they always have to find a father. If the father in the east is not enough, then they will look for one in the west.

It was under such needs that they converted to the Arab culture, and one after another raised the banner of Islam as their own, and at one point they even created hybrids such as the Seljuk Turks and the current Ottoman Turks.

"Your Majesty once said that if you don't occupy the cultural heights, others will definitely occupy them. This is true!" The top scholar Pan Shien was very knowledgeable. He sighed and said:
"The Turks, Mongols and other steppe tribes lack their own systems. When the Han Dynasty's kingly way fades, other kingly ways will come to regulate them.

The difficulties we face today, the tragedy in the northwest, were actually sown when the Anxi Army returned home and the Tang court abandoned the Western Regions."

What is the kingly way?

It is actually not a so-called virtuous or benevolent government, but a principle.

From the small things like how we behave in our daily lives to the big things like building a national system, the only way forward is to integrate these things.

To promote the kingly way and educate the barbarians is actually to make the barbarians follow the Han principles, from personal character to society and system.

In later generations, the West, led by the United States, promoted so-called freedom, democracy, human rights, votes, etc., which were full of double standards from beginning to end and even they themselves could not achieve, but this was indeed part of the kingly way.

"Fortunately, it's not too late now. We are back. These barbarians in the river will soon continue to bathe under the kingly rule of China." Someone said confidently.

"No, there's no need for that!" But someone quickly came out to object. The commander of the Yangwu Army of the Beijing Camp, General Huang Han Dong Jinfeng, walked to the front with a smile.

"My Han family has lost its cultural highland in Hezhong for nearly a thousand years. It is too slow to implement the kingly way to reverse it. It is not in line with this rapidly changing era.

Therefore, compared to the kingly way of slow cooking, we should use the tyranny of raging fire and fierce oil. If we have the time to gently persuade them, we might as well use swords, spears and muskets to save them!"

“General Dong, the millions of people in this river are just an old goose. Without culture and slow cooking, they are hard to chew.”

Even though the tone had been set, there were still people within the Western Army who disagreed with Dong Jinfeng's massacre policy.

Of course, this is normal and a good thing. If the Dayu army were really full of bloodthirsty butchers, the country would be in trouble.

Therefore, there are still some people who advocate taking it slow and not resorting to the most brutal means when encountering problems.

This was not the first time Dong Jinfeng had heard this. He chuckled and said, "Mr. Dong has a good appetite, and the men of the Western Army have an even better appetite!
Fan Kuai could eat raw pork at the Hongmen Feast, but now that I have the upper hand, how come I can't eat goose meat fried in high heat?"

Li Xianwen coughed lightly, attracting the attention of everyone in the room. He displayed the authority of a great marshal and a great king, and said in a deep voice:
"The strategy for pacifying Hezhong was formulated by this king and has never been changed from the beginning to the end. You should all take this as your goal and work together with one heart and one mind. There is no need to discuss anything else."

After saying that, Li Xianwen glanced at his second son Li Xingtai.

Li Xingtai saw his father's look and immediately stood beside Dong Jinfeng and shouted at the generals and officials in the room:

"Your Majesty is benevolent and willing to win over the distant barbarians, but those of us on the front lines know that this is impossible.

As a pillar of the country, shouldering the expectations of His Majesty and the people, we must be responsible and determined to eliminate worries for our descendants.

I, Li Xingtai, tell you again that from today onwards, anyone who is indecisive, goes against the army's strategy, or speaks nonsense will be punished.

Execute him immediately without mercy!"

Li Xingtai is qualified to say this. He is the prince of Xia, an invincible general, and the emperor's nephew. He is the only one who can speak on behalf of all parties.

Everyone in the room shuddered at Li Xingtai's words, especially those who had been critical of the army's brutal raids. Dong Jinfeng, on the other hand, was incredibly excited. For the first time, everyone from the emperor to the Grand Marshal to the majority of the generals and officers agreed with his plan.

"Are you the Grand Marshal or am I the Grand Marshal? Step back!" Li Xianwen stood up at this time and pretended to scold his son Li Xingtai.

Then he said in a final tone: "It is now July, the scorching hottest month. The army has retreated to the cool and shady places in the mountains to set up camp. The ice stored in the winter cellars and the fruits and vegetables brought in by the Hui and Zhun tribes should be transported here as soon as possible.

We waited in the mountains for two months, firstly, until the Qarlugs (Uzbeks) gathered enough troops and came to our door, and secondly, until the scorching summer heat passed.

If by the end of September the Qarlugs still don't dare to fight me, I will unleash all my artillery, capture Samarkand, and prepare to march to Bukhara next year for the final decisive battle!"

"We will obey the orders of the Grand Marshal!" This time, no one said anything strange anymore. The people's hearts and the army's morale were completely united, just waiting for the war to come.

. . . .

In the city of Samarkand, seeing the Dayuxi Army slowly withdrawing, leaving only about a few thousand cavalrymen looking at the city of Samarkand, the Governor of Samarkand, Prince Hassan Hussein, the third son of Emir Murad, let out a long sigh.

“Governor, our cavalry went out of the city to investigate. Almost all the cities, including Zhuma, were breached by the Taohuashi people. The cities were looted, and at least 150,000 people were killed. The rest of the women were also captured.

The Peach Blossom Stone Man is so hateful. This Yu Kingdom is completely different from the Qing Kingdom. They are here to kill people. They are devils!

The adjutant was about to cry, his eyes were red from gritting his teeth, and he couldn't stop cursing. Of course, there was a hint of fear in his curses.

"What's different? Bullshit! Didn't the Qing people kill people? They are the same."

Prince Hassan Hussein suddenly cursed a few words in annoyance, and then muttered softly.

"Damn it! These Yu pagans are treating us like Junggars and the Bukhara Khanate like the Junggar Khanate."

After all, the prince was the governor of a province and had some knowledge, so he quickly figured out what Dayu thought of them.

But Prince Hussein could not understand why Junggar was targeted because it could threaten the safety of the Qing Dynasty.

But the Bukhara Khanate cannot pose the same threat to Taohuashi as the Junggar Khanate. What is going on?

. . . .

In Bukhara, Emir Murad had already fallen ill.

Emile, who was born in 1741, is years old this year. He has never been in good health. After being stimulated by such a big event, his body immediately showed signs of collapse.

The third leader of the Manjit tribe was actually a good person, a good person in every sense of the word.

In terms of politics, he tried his best to promote secularization in this Khanate where religion completely controlled every aspect.

He forbad the chanting of his name during the Khutba and the printing of his portrait on silver coins, as such practices in Bukhara often carried a strong religious tone.

In the military, after he officially seized power in 1785, he had been fighting against separatist forces, successfully unified the Bukhara Khanate from all aspects, and recovered a large amount of lost territory from neighboring countries.

In his life, Emir Murad was extremely frugal, and his food, clothing and other expenses were not even as good as those of a small nobleman. Therefore, he was called the Innocent Emir by the Bukhara people.

What this means is that although he seized the country of the Qarluk people as a Nogai and seized the court of the Bukhara Khan as a minister, he was completely innocent and even meritorious because of his simple style and effective governance of the country.

But Emir Murad was very unlucky. He now had to face a behemoth like Dayu and had to take full responsibility for the damage caused by the continuous missionary work to the east over the past few hundred years.

"Haidar, my son, my body is no longer able to bear this responsibility. The burden will fall on you."

In the Emir's Palace in Bukhara, Emir Murad called his eldest son Haidar Tulla to his bedside.

The Emile leaned against the head of the bed, and as he spoke, his eyes became a little moist.

"The Shivans are too weak. They can only send out 8,000 people to support us at most, and their combat effectiveness is very poor. It's hard to say what effect they can have.

As for the Durrani family, they can't stop killing each other, and they can't unite and fight until the last moment."

"Father, what should we do?" Although Haidar Tulla is the eldest son of Emir Murad, he is very young and will not be twenty years old for another three months.

Looking at his son who seemed somewhat at a loss, Emir Murad sighed deeply in his heart. His son was too young and could not bear such a heavy responsibility.

"Do what you have always wanted to do, do what the leaders of the religious groups and the preachers in the mosques want you to do." Emir Murad said slowly.

Unlike Murad who tried desperately to secularize himself, his eldest son Haidar Toula was completely fooled by religion and was a devout believer. He even went to the great mosques in Bukhara and Samarkand as a prince to participate in the Khutba many times.

Therefore, many people in Bukhara are still betting on Haidar Tulla, waiting for the death of Emir Murad and Haidar to come to power to "set things right".

"But...but father, we are Nogai. If we completely relax the restrictions on the cult, we will soon be treated as outsiders."

Haidar Tulla still looked like he was about to cry, but what he said made Emir Murad's eyes light up.

"So... so my son isn't... I knew it, the future king of the Manjit tribe would be wise."

Emir Murad was extremely happy and almost said, "It turns out my son is not a fool."

After taking a deep breath and calming himself, Emir Murad took his son Haidar's hand and said to him solemnly: "Before the Peach Blossom Stone Man came, our most important task was to suppress the sect and maintain the royal power.

But now, the Taohuashi Yu Kingdom regards us as Junggars and wants to wipe us out just like the Qing Dynasty wiped out the Junggars forty years ago.

So, at this moment, our most important task is to unite everyone we can to jointly deal with the threat posed by the Peach Blossom Stone Man."

Haidar Tula nodded, seemingly understanding, but still worried. "But father, once the Peach Blossom Stone People are driven away, this country may no longer belong to us."

Amir Murad had a look of confusion on his face, and he reached out and touched Haidar's cheek.

"My child, Taohuashi is not comparable to any country you have ever seen. Now that they are here, they cannot be driven away easily.

Don't think too much about it. Let's discuss everything after we defeat the Peach Blossom Stone Man."

The father and son talked for a few more words before Haidar Tula left the palace. As soon as he left the palace, he was surrounded by a large number of high-ranking monks.

Haidar Tula looked at them and said slowly, "The Emir is ready to send Kurchi to St. Petersburg to ask for assistance from the Tsarist Russian Empire.

Mirza Sadiq Monsi will also be sent to Istanbul to meet His Majesty the Caliph. I believe that His Majesty the Caliph's guards will soon come to defeat the Peach Blossom Stone Man.

And I will soon assist the Emir in governing the country, and when that time comes, I will restore this country to its traditional form."

Kurchi was the most important diplomat of the Bukhara Khanate and a minor nobleman with a small amount of Russian ancestry.

Mirza Sadiq Munshi was the most famous historian and poet in the Bukhara Khanate at that time. He could speak fluent Persian and Arabic.

"May Allah bless the prince!" The high-ranking monks cheered excitedly. "The Emirate will finally return to its former state. We will immediately gather our warriors. Prince, we will all be loyal to you."

What was the original appearance of the Bukhara Khanate? It was nothing more than a fanatical religious era. This has always been the reason why these religious people support Prince Haidar.

Because the Bukhara Khanate has always been the most religiously fanatical place, more fanatical than Persia, Afghanistan, and even many Arab regions.

This is also the reason why they sent people to contact Li Xianwen in the first place, hoping to use Dayu to get rid of Emir Murad.

Of course, Li Xianwen rejected these high-ranking monks from Bukhara because he wanted to kill these guys more than Emir Murad.

Prince Haidar breathed a sigh of relief. As long as everyone in the Emirate supported him, he should be able to drive away the Peach Blossom Stone Man.

(End of this chapter)