The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 739: Millennium Soft Egg - Persia
Things in the world are unpredictable, and any situation will deviate from the original assumptions.

However, the deviation of the Dayu Western Army was not that big and was basically within the controllable range, while the estimates of the Bukhara Emirate and the Persian Qajar Dynasty deviated too much from the facts.

First of all, although Navoi is a big city, it cannot be used as a blocking point because it is built on the bank of the Jinsha River (Zerashanf River).

It was almost summer, and the Zeravshan River, which was originally only knee-deep, had reached a depth of about two meters.

This allowed the Dayu Western Army to use small wooden boats to transport the bulky fourteen-pound cannons to various locations. Although the cannons certainly could not be fired on board, they could be quickly deployed and maneuvered to bombard the defenders from all corners.

Therefore, Li Xingtai led 6,000 vanguards and captured the city of Navoi, which the Bukhara people were preparing to defend, in just six days.

Unfortunately, the approximately 200-kilometer waterway from Samarkand to Navoi took a full month and a half to clear the riverbed of sunken ships and rocks.

In mid-June, the snow on the mountains began to melt, and the water level of the Jinsha River rose sharply. In addition, the Bukharans had previously destroyed all the reservoirs and diversion channels along the river.

As a result, the river water rushed everywhere, not only was it impossible to sail in the river, but the two sides of the river were also turned into mud, making it extremely difficult to pass through.

Therefore, this distance of nearly 200 kilometers can only be transported entirely by manpower. If we take into account the fact that manpower is also needed to cross the mountains to transport goods from the Dayuan Basin to Samarkand, the logistical pressure is extremely great.

Even a brave general like Li Xingtai who liked to fight and charge hard had to stop in Navoi and follow the deployment of his father Li Xianwen to build the city into a logistics base for the next stage.

"General, our Western Army has been on the expedition for five years. The three to five years originally planned by the imperial court to conquer the three Khanates has already exceeded the time limit.

This is our shame. If we still cannot conquer the three Khanates next year, how will we face Your Majesty and the people of Dayu?

These words were spoken with such passion that I thought it was spoken by some general who was loyal to his country. If it wasn't Yue Fei, then it had to be Lian Po, who was still able to make a living.

It’s a pity that although the person who said this was tall and handsome, he was a bannerman and the younger brother of Heshen, the vice president of Fuxing Company.

"Yes, the people of the entire northwest, including Anxi, support us with their bare hands. Every bite of our military rations is the blood and sweat of the people. General, how can we just sit back and watch at this point!"

Another person with a loyal expression on his face was none other than Yamamoto Morihito, who was born in the Niihara clan (Satsuma clan).

"General, that's true. How can we let the Kazakhs go deep behind enemy lines and turn the enemy upside down?

"Not to mention whether they can complete the mission, even if they can, we can't let them go. Wouldn't that make our Han family seem like we have no one left!" Dong Shixing, who was from Guyuan, Gansu, also shouted to Li Xingtai.

What they were discussing was Chen Guangyao's suggestion to send 15,000 cavalry behind Bukhara, cutting off the Persians' supply route from the Turkmen area to Bukhara and completely disrupting their rear.

Li Xingtai stood up and looked at the passionate generals in front of him. He himself was also excited. If it were not for the heavy responsibility, he would have wanted to lead the troops himself.

"This is my Han man!" Li Xingtai was very impressed, and then looked at Fu Kangan, "Fu Yaolin, you are the general leading the troops this time, tell me your opinion."

"General, I also agree to select the best soldiers and generals to carry out this mission." Fu Kangan was very smart. He agreed loudly first.

The commander-in-chief Li Xingtai praised him as "a true man of the Han Dynasty", so how could he possibly go against his will?

But then, Fu Kangan added, "However, according to the Grand Marshal's order, the only troops that can be sent to Navoi City are these 35,000, of which 15,000 are light cavalry to go out of the city and directly into the enemy's rear, and 20,000 are to defend the city.

This is the limit of what the logistics can support, and according to the arrangement, it is impossible to provide much supplies to these 15,000 light cavalry.

If a general wants to select elite soldiers and generals to march out of the city and into the enemy's rear, there are two issues to consider.

First, if the direct attack behind enemy lines fails, there must be a way to support it. Second, if the direct attack behind enemy lines succeeds, the enemy will attack Navoi fiercely, and the general will use a small force to defend the city. Can he hold it?

"Hahaha, you're trying to deceive me. Let me tell you, let alone the 10,000 Kazakhs helping to defend the city, I, Li Xingtai, can hold on even without them."

This is not because Li Xingtai thinks highly of himself, but because he has more than 40 artillery pieces and a strong city, and the Bukhara people on the opposite side have weak siege methods. If he cannot defend it, then he is not worthy of being the commander of these 35,000 people.

Upon hearing what Li Xingtai said, Fu Kang'an stopped refusing and cupped his hands, signing a military order. "General, rest assured. If I, even with ten thousand elite cavalrymen, still can't complete the mission, please chop off my head!"

. . . .

Although the city of Bukhara and the city of Navoi fell faster than anyone expected, the suggestions of fortifying the city and blocking the Jinsha River still worked.

The Persian King Agha Muhammad Shah secretly calculated that he had 10,000 elite Turkmen red-headed cavalry, and Bukhara and Khiva could organize 50,000 cavalry. These 60,000 people were enough to control half of the oasis in the lower reaches of the Jinsha River.

So he made the final wrong decision, "Continue to fortify the city and clear the countryside, making the area between Navoi and Bukhara a no-man's land. I must provide logistical supplies to wear down the last of the Han army's morale."

Bukhara Emir Haidar was heartbroken. If they continued to pursue a policy of scorched earth and clearing the countryside, there would be nothing left of the Emirate of Bukhara.

Because the core of the emirate is between Samarkand and Bukhara. After Bukhara, there are deserts and deserts everywhere, and there is not much living space at all.

"Shahshah, if you keep going like this, we will soon have no food to eat." But Haidar was too timid to object directly, so he cited the lack of food as an excuse.

"It doesn't matter. We can evacuate some of the people to the Turkmen land, and the Shah will provide the rest of the food." The Persian king waved his hand and took on the responsibility in a seemingly very generous manner.

Only a few people, including Grand Imam Ali, showed shocked expressions. They all felt that the Persian king wanted to completely control Bukhara.

After a part of the people were sent to Turkmenistan, these Bukharans would be completely absorbed and assimilated, because the king himself was not Persian, but a member of the Qizilbash tribe of Turkmenistan.

Persia, a very famous symbol in history, has been completely turned into a soft egg by various forces. The Persians have long been unable to have any decisive influence on Persia.

The current Qajar dynasty was founded by Turkmens, the previous Afsharid dynasty was also founded by Turkmens, the previous Safavid dynasty was founded by Georgians, and the founder of the Aq Qoyunlu dynasty before Safavid dynasty was also a Turkmen.

The once glorious and powerful Persian Empire, ever since the fall of the Sassanid Empire at the hands of the Arabs, and the rise of Peroz's son, Ninersh, as General of the Left Guard of the Tang Dynasty, who presented the title of Shah Shah to Emperor Zhongzong, has seemed to have lost its soul, becoming a weakling in the Middle East, at the mercy of others for centuries. Ahmed Hakim, the general of the Bukhara Guards, looked even more gloomy. To him, the Persian king's promise of food was less a generous provision than a noose around the necks of the Bukharans.

Once Bukhara is short of food, then when, where, how much, who can get the food, and at what price will the food be supplied will all be decided by the Persian king. The people of Bukhara can only follow the king's orders. This is like being preyed upon by others!
The Persian King Agha Muhammad Shah looked around and saw only the anxiety on the face of the Guards General Ahmed Hakim. He smiled coldly.

"General, my nephew Baba Khan will arrive in Ashgabat soon. I hope the nobles of Bukhara will go to greet him, your son..."

The Persian king held up two fingers and said slowly, "Can both of your sons attend the welcoming ceremony?"

The heart of the general of the Royal Guard suddenly tightened. His son was being taken as a hostage!
"Yes, Your Majesty Shah Shah, both my sons will go to Ashgabat to greet His Excellency Governor Baba Khan."

The general of the Royal Guard had no choice but to send his son as a hostage in public.

The Persian king nodded with satisfaction. The Royal Guard General Ahmed Hakim had only two sons. As long as they were controlled, there was no need to worry about them causing trouble.

. . . .

On a dark and windy night, the Royal Guard General Ahmed Hakim, escorted by several trusted aides, disguised himself and came to the hidden dungeon where the Han envoy was imprisoned.

The Persian king had not yet been able to fully control Bukhara, and there were many things that the self-important Shah Shah did not understand.

"Sir, I want to know why His Majesty the Emperor refuses to accept our surrender?"

General Hakim kept a very humble attitude. He looked at the man from Taohuashi who was sitting on a high-end blanket opposite him, enjoying a pot of tea and a piece of cake with gusto, and said with lowered eyebrows.

Li Gengyun slowly raised his head. A year in prison had severely damaged his health. He had only had some good days in the last six months, and these good days were given to him by the person who was questioning him.

So Li Gengyun looked at this obviously worried and anxious Karluk man and said with some compassion:
"I see you're quite sensible and treat me well, so I might as well tell you the reason. His Majesty the Great Emperor deeply resents the damage you've caused to the Eastern Land by your missionary work, so he intends to leave not a single Karluk man behind!"

General Hakim was stunned after hearing this. He couldn't help but explain, "It wasn't us who were spreading the religion eastward. That was done by the Naqshbandi sect and other religious groups. Only the Khojas they supported were qualified to spread the religion eastward."

Li Gengyun did not answer and continued to look at General Hakim with compassion.

General Hakim understood the meaning in Li Gengyun's eyes and sighed, "I think that should be the case. The Great Emperor Taohuashi doesn't need to judge who is right or wrong. He only needs to order his warriors to destroy this place.

It's like a giant crushing an ant on the ground. There's no need to distinguish between good and bad. It's just a matter of moving your feet."

There was a long silence. Just when Li Gengyun thought that this guy had accepted his fate, General Hakim suddenly said, "Sir, you must be a big shot in Taohuashi. If I rescue you, can His Majesty the Emperor accept me?"

Li Gengyun's heart skipped a beat. Although he was not afraid of death, who would want to die when they could live?

Trying his best to suppress his pounding heart, Li Gengyun pretended to be calm and thought for a moment before saying, "If it's limited to you and your family, I don't think it should be a big problem."

General Hakim fell to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly to Li Gengyun. "Please, my lord, save me. The King of Persia wants to take my two sons to Ashgabat as hostages. I must leave Bukhara."

Li Gengyun looked at this guy in surprise. The fact that he could say the four words "Celestial Empire" meant that he knew something about the East.

"I heard that the Persian king is very generous. He just wants your son to be a hostage. Why don't you agree?" Li Gengyun asked his last question.

"Even if you want to be a dog, you have to choose a strong master, right?" General Hakim replied immediately.

Li Gengyun shook his head. "No, that's not what you really think. The East is too far away from here. Our strength is not necessarily much stronger than that of the Persians."

General Hakim was silent for a moment, and finally said in a deep voice: "I think you Taohuashi people need a good dog more than the Persians.

The Qizilbash tribe, like us, are Khorasan. They have the legal right to rule Bukhara, so they can completely control it themselves. The Peach Blossom Stone Empire needs us even more."

Li Gengyun laughed heartily and pointed at General Hakim's nose, "You are so self-righteous and think you are so smart. Let me tell you, we don't need any dogs to level this area.

However, I can give you a chance. I can use my merits to exchange for the lives of your entire family. Let your family convert to the White Lotus Sect. This is your only chance to survive."

At the last moment, Li Gengyun was still a little scared. Between credit and life, he chose the latter.

General Hakim fell silent again. After a while, he slowly knelt down again.

A month later, a simple but important map appeared in Fu Kang'an's hands.

This map, provided by the recently defected General Hakim, roughly marks the oases southwest of Bukhara, the basic topography of the Turkmen region, and the approximate deployment and characteristics of the Persian Qajar army.

"You guys should be smart and do your job well. If you make a contribution, you may be able to go to Afghanistan and become a Burke in the future." Yamamoto Shengxian pushed and shoved a few Qarlug people over.

"They're quite quick." Fu Kangan took a sidelong glance and saw that these Karluk people had already shaved their heads, and some of them even had burnt marks on their heads.

"Who is so wicked? The White Lotus Sect doesn't observe those precepts at all, so naturally there is no need to burn the precepts." Seeing these bald heads, even Dong Shixing, who always disliked the believers of the Tianfang Sect, chuckled.

Fu Kangan waited until they finished laughing before he ordered the officers above the rank of captain to be gathered. "With this map and a guide, it will be easier for us to fight.

I ordered that the whole be broken down into smaller units, with a cavalry regiment of a thousand men as the organizational unit and a cavalry battalion of three hundred cavalrymen as the operational unit.

They were dispersed throughout Turkmenistan, killing anyone they saw, burning any house they found, looting any supplies they found, and destroying everything they could not take away on the spot, with a focus on attacking the supply teams from Turkmenistan to Bukhara.

The King of Persia wants to fortify his walls and clear the countryside, so let's help him. Before the decisive battle begins next year, we will starve the King of Persia and his army, along with all the Karluks in Bukhara, until their eyes turn green!"

(End of this chapter)