The time is again returned to August of the 16th year of Jianye, two days after Lan Zhen and others returned to Beijing.
"Did I see your uncle yesterday?" Yun came to Yong'an Palace in the evening, chatted with Siqi for a while, and asked after thinking about it.
"Yeah." Siqi agreed.
"He doesn't have any injuries on his body, does he?" Yun said with a smile, "He doesn't have any serious illness, either."
"No. My uncle is in good health. I was worried, so I asked the imperial doctor to come and check my uncle. The imperial doctor also said the same thing." Siqi replied subconsciously, but then he realized and said angrily: "Cousin!"
Yun smiled and changed the subject: "Did your uncle tell you about the war in India?"
"Of course I did." When Yun mentioned this, Siqi immediately forgot what he had just said and said with great interest: "Fighting outside is really exciting. When my uncle mentioned it at the time, I wished I was on the battlefield at that time.
Draw the sword and chop the seal."
She added: "I really envy my fourth cousin for being able to go to India to fight. It would be great if I could also lead troops to fight in India."
"You were completely led astray by Min'er." Yun said with his hand on his forehead. He remembered how well-behaved and obedient a girl Siqi was when she was young, but after spending a long time with Min'er, she turned into a
so.
"Hehe." Siqi smiled but said nothing. She was born in a family of military generals. Even if she grew up without Min'er to play with her, she would probably become a woman who likes martial arts. She envied the eldest princess of Huainan for being able to lead troops to fight. However,
There is no need to say this to him.
"It's impossible to go out and lead troops to fight. Don't talk about you. Even I have never left the capital since I returned to Beijing at the end of the sixth year of Jianye, let alone lead troops to fight. But we can discuss the war at home on paper.
Fight." Yun said again.
"What's the point of talking about war on paper?" Siqi said. But before Yun spoke again, she added: "But it's much better to be able to talk about war on paper than not being able to talk about war on paper."
"That's right." Yun smiled.
Siqi rolled his eyes at him again and asked, "Cousin, will the Ming Dynasty still send troops to fight outside?"
"Not in the near future. As for expanding the territory, apart from exploring new places where no one or few people live, we will not send troops to fight. There is only one place, and we will definitely send troops to fight in a few years."
Yun said.
"where?"
"Egypt." Yun took out a map, pointed at Egypt, and told Siqi about the covenant he had agreed with the envoy from Castile.
"My cousin actually carries a map with him? Do he carry it with him everywhere?" Siqi said, then looked at the position of Suez on the map and said: "This place is indeed very important, but it is too far away from the Ming Dynasty. Even if it is captured,
We can’t defend it, so we can only hand it over to Castile. Cousin, why do you want to send troops to attack this place?”
"My cousin has his own plan." Yun said, "Didn't you ask where we want to fight? The only one is here."
"Well." After hearing this, Siqi no longer asked why troops were sent to attack Suez. He just stared at the map and asked a few questions about the local population and country. After thinking for a while, he said: "The Mamluks who occupied this place
The country has a population of about ten million, but it is not just in Egypt, but also includes Palestine and Syria. Egypt alone has a population of only five to six million. However, the land of Suez is located in the middle of the Mamluk country, and it is very important.
The monarch must defend with all his might and will never give up Suez unless he is completely defeated."
"But this country must have declined. My cousin remembers hearing from somewhere that Timur, who was at his peak more than ten years ago, led his troops to defeat the Mamluks in Syria, occupied part of the Mamluks' land, and took this place
Everyone was killed. Although Timur later withdrew his troops and the Mamluks recovered their lost territory, their national strength was also greatly reduced."
"And it is said that this country is very chaotic. It is similar to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in the Central Plains. There were many strong and powerful people in the area. The king would be overthrown after only a few years and replaced by another man with strong soldiers and horses."
"So it is difficult to defeat this country, and it is easy to say it. Even if the Mamluk powerful forces want to join forces to fight against the enemy, there is no one who can command the heroes. Everyone wants to protect themselves as much as possible with a few soldiers.
Horses are enough to defeat the coalition forces. According to my estimate, 100,000 horses are enough to defeat the local coalition forces alone and occupy Suez."
Halfway through Siqi's words, Yun became surprised. After all, Siqi had grown up with him. He would sometimes talk to Xiyao about political affairs in Kunning Palace, and sometimes talk about anecdotes from various places, so he knew that the Mamluk Kingdom was
It is normal for Tamerlane to defeat him, and it is not surprising that she can roughly analyze the important position of Suez. But it is unusual for her to know that this country is very chaotic and its national power is weak. She only learned about these things after reading some documents recently. She
How do you know that? 'Could she have been caring about Egypt? But what did she care about Egypt for?'
At this time, Siqi mentioned the final estimate that 100,000 soldiers and horses could ensure the capture of Suez. Yun put aside his thoughts and said: "There is no need for 100,000 soldiers and horses. Our Ming soldiers have been fighting outside the Central Plains recently, so we have to mobilize the people to fight against them."
The people's strength was too damaged, so the soldiers had to transport the food and grass themselves, which required more soldiers and horses; if it was just a war, there would be no such many people available."
"Isn't Egypt also outside the Central Plains?" Siqi asked.
"Egypt is indeed outside the Central Plains, but there are allies in this war. After joining forces with Castile, even if you pay to buy grain and grass from Castile, it will be more economical than transporting it from India to Egypt.
Money, not to mention saved manpower. Fifty thousand soldiers of the two countries' coalition forces are enough."
"I plan to send out 20,000 troops and another 20,000 civilians in the early stages of the war. I will leave 10,000 civilians after we join forces with the Castilian troops."
"In this way, the scale of this battle is not large." Siqi said. Including the auxiliary troops, the total strength of both sides is only a few hundred thousand people. The battle between Yiwu and India has been so eye-catching.
For Siqi, who is tall, it's nothing.
"No matter how small the text is, it's just a piece of cake. Don't look down on it." Yun said with a smile: "Since we want to talk about war on paper, you should talk about how to fight this battle and who to appoint as the general."
"Well." Si Qi looked at the map seriously and said after a while: "Appoint Uncle Cao Xing as the general. I remember my uncle mentioned it once when we were talking at home. Although Uncle Cao Xing lost an arm, he can still fight in battle.
But he is very brave and has never flinched. Moreover, his uncle also said that big battles are about the ability to command troops, while small battles are about decisive battles and soldiers who are not afraid of life and death to gain the upper hand. If the attack on Suez requires more than 100,000 troops,
Uncle Cao Xing is not suitable; but if it is a small battle, he is very suitable."
"Cao Xing." Hearing this answer, Yun took a breath. This answer was not beyond his expectation, but it was not the answer he wanted to hear.
Of course Siqi didn't know what Yun was thinking, and didn't look at his expression, so she continued to talk about how to fight this battle. But just as she was about to speak, she suddenly thought of something and said, "It is said that Egypt is very short of water?"
"As for the whole of Egypt, there is no shortage of water. But Egypt only has water near the Nile River. There are very few rivers and lakes in the nearby places, so it is very short of water."
"Cousin, are you teasing me on purpose? Since only the Nile River has water, of course we must choose a place close to the Nile River to land, then quickly reach the Nile River, and then go north along the river." Si Qi pouted and said.
"I didn't expect it, and I'm not teasing you." Yun said with a smile. But although he was telling the truth, Siqi didn't believe it and still looked at him with a pout on his face and dissatisfaction. Yun could only step forward to comfort him.
"Okay, I believe you didn't expect it, cousin." Siqi accepted his comfort.
"But there's nothing more to say. Since we have to march along the Nile River, and Egypt doesn't have many mountains and hills, many tactics can't be used. How this battle will be fought depends on how the Mamluks respond." But she added.
Said so.
"Then let's not talk about it. It's getting late and it's time to have dinner." Yun said with a smile.
"It's really time to have a meal." Siqi turned his head and saw that it was already getting late and said.
She immediately ordered someone to bring the meal. Yunze walked to the table, folded the map and put it away, ready to put it in his sleeve.
"It's strange. This map looks very familiar to me just now. Have you seen it before?" At this time, Siqi took the map from his hand and said again.
"What difference can there be in the map? I had people draw it based on the same map." Yun said.
"No, no." Siqi turned the folded map over at will while speaking. At this time, she suddenly saw a stain on the back of the map and immediately said: "I know, this map is placed on
It was on a table in the dormitory where you lived in Qianqing Palace. This stain was accidentally put on it by me again."
"So, cousin, you brought this map here on purpose?" She turned to look at Yun again: "Cousin, what's the reason for this? Is it because you want to talk to me on paper?"
"That's all, cousin, I won't hide it from you." Yun said, "I brought this map just to mention the battle against Egypt, and then ask you who you want to send as your general."
"Ask me who I want to send as a general?" Si Qi was very puzzled. "Ask me what to do? How can I choose a general better than the current general in charge of the army?"
"Actually, I want to know who your uncle thinks is more suitable. But as he is an official in the court, he has many worries, and it is a small war like attacking Egypt, so he may not tell the truth. So I ask from your side." Yun said.
As an official, there are too many things to consider. Sometimes when Yun asks for advice, what he proposes may not be the optimal solution, but is just a general solution with conditions attached. But if Yun wants to know the optimal solution, he may not tell the truth to Lan Zhen.
In this case, the only way to ask is from the side.
"That's it." Siqi said. She immediately thought of something. Although she didn't say it out loud, her eyes rolled around a few times and she thought to herself: "My cousin asked me about this matter today. It happened that my uncle was with me yesterday."
We mentioned who is suitable to lead how many troops. Could it be that my uncle also expected that my cousin would ask me this question and used me to tell my cousin?'
"Siqi, what are you thinking about?" Yun asked, seeing her standing there as if thinking about something.
"It's nothing. I just miss you, cousin, you are so cunning." Siqi smiled.
"Haha." Yun said with a smile: "My cousin is not cunning. There are many people who are more cunning than my cousin."
"But I can't meet those people. Among the people I have met, my cousin is the most cunning." Siqi also responded with a smile.
At this time, the food had been delivered, and Yun pulled Siqi to sit at the table and began to eat. While eating, Yun thought of something else and said: "When you mentioned Cao Xing just now, you were talking about Uncle Cao Xing? This can't be done.
If you say this, wouldn't it mean that I have been downgraded and am one generation younger than Cao Xing? I can't say that again in the future."
"My father, my uncle and Cao Xing are the same generation, and cousin you are the same generation as me, so my cousin is a generation younger than him." Siqi said with a smile.
"You have forgotten that Jiang Du is married to Cao Xing's younger brother Cao Che, so he should be my equal. You are my equal, and of course you are Cao Xing's equal. It is wrong for your uncle to have friendship with him." Yun Ye.
Said with a smile.
"I forgot that I have this level of relatives." Siqi smiled and said, "So, next time I see my uncle, I should tell him that Cao Xing should call him uncle."
"Yes, you should tell your uncle like this next time you see him." Yun said with a smile.
…
…
"According to my experience, we can reach India in one day." Just as Yun and Siqi were talking, a person on a ship sailing in the waters west of India said.
"We are finally going to India." The person standing next to him breathed a sigh of relief.
"Actually, you don't need to be in such a hurry. Just let the envoy from the Ming Kingdom wait a few more days." The person who started to speak said again.
"No. The Ming Dynasty was able to seize India so quickly, which shows that the Ming Dynasty is stronger than I expected. We should still respect a strong country. And rushing to the meeting place as early as possible is one of the respects for the Ming Dynasty. Of course I
We must rush there as soon as possible.”
This man was Alonso de Quijano. After Yun learned that the Delhi Sultanate had been destroyed, he immediately sent people to the Qin Dynasty in the northwest, trying to get businessmen who were doing business with the Ming Dynasty to send messages back. Just at this time, Castil
The Kingdom of Castile sent a person to the Qin Dynasty as a permanent representative. After learning about it, he thought it was very important and returned to Castile in person to deliver the message. On the way, he met Alonso de Guiha on the island of Crete.
No, I told him quickly.
Quijano was also surprised by this, and asked the permanent representative to continue to the mainland, asking him to send a message to the king to let him serve as the envoy. Of course, the king of Castile agreed, and Quijano crossed the Mediterranean with his entourage.
I found a boat in Egypt and headed for India.
"This time the Ming Dynasty took the initiative to ask our country to send an envoy and meet in India, most likely to talk about the fulfillment of the covenant. However, our country of Castile is temporarily unable to fulfill the covenant and can only find ways to shirk it. But most of it will have to be paid.
Some price. Hey, I don’t know what conditions Ming will put forward.”
