"The combat effectiveness of the Ming army is not weak, as long as the regular army increases to about the same as our army, even if it cannot defeat our army, they have an advantage on the defensive side, and it is likely to drag the war into a stalemate, if the war is dragged into a stalemate, there is little hope for our army to win this battle."

Timur didn't elaborate on what happened next, but none of the people present were rice buckets, and of course they knew that the army of their Timurid Khanate was far from the rear, and they were already at a disadvantage, and if the war entered a stalemate, they would definitely be dragged down in the end.

"With the blessing of Allah, the Great Khan will be invincible in all battles, and will definitely be able to defeat the Ming army and capture Hami." A general suddenly snapped his ass.

"Allah teaches us that when we fall into a state of pride and complacency, we are closer to failure. While faith in Allah will make us more courageous in the face of our enemies, we should not think that enemies are useless. "Timur did not accept his sycophants this time.

After saying this, he didn't pay attention to the sycophant general, but asked again: "Generals, do you still have any questions?" ”

Seeing that no one answered, Timur stood up and said loudly: "In this Eastern Crusade, 200,000 main soldiers were mobilized, 300,000 people who maintained logistics along the way, and waited until they arrived in the Eastern Chagatai Khanate, which could also be used as cannon fodder, a total of 500,000 troops. ”

"This is already the largest force used in all expeditions, and no one can resist it. My dear generals, go down and prepare, prepare for the victory we are about to achieve. ”

"Allah bless the Great Khan." The crowd stood up and saluted, and then left in twos and threes.

Timur sat down again and cried out, "Pil Mahama, don't go yet, I have something to tell you." ”

But when most of them had left, he found that there were three people who had not left the main hall, and they had no intention of leaving, so he looked at the two people who had not left behind and asked, "Yesb, Shahru, what are you two going to do when you stay here?" ”

"I have something to report to the Great Khan." The two of them said in unison.

"If you have something to tell me, go to the house where I usually deal with things." Timur spoke, got up, and walked out through the small door he had just entered. The three of them hurriedly followed.

Shaharu followed behind Piermahama, staring closely at his nephew's figure. He was not surprised that Timur would determine an heir before the Eastern Expedition to the Ming Kingdom. Timur is 70 years old this year, although he seems to be relatively healthy, but the eastern expedition is far away, according to Timur's personality to personally go to the battlefield to command, these will greatly consume his health, although everyone dare not say, but whether Timur can see the Ming army is something that no one dares to guarantee.

But 'why is Pier Mahama the heir!' Shaharu thought to himself. In his opinion, Pier Mahama was not outstanding and not at all worthy to be the ruler of this vast country.

'In this crusade, I must perform well, win a few more battles, win more battles, and win the support of more generals, so that my father can see my talents, and let him have the idea of making me his heir; Even if this plan fails, it will be useful as long as it can get the support of more generals. ’

As he was thinking, he suddenly felt much darker, and when he looked up, he found that he had come to a very small room, with only a desk, a chair, and a sofa, and a map of the Mediterranean Sea in the west and Qinghai on the winter solstice was pasted on the south wall. There are a few books neatly placed on the desk.

The eunuch saluted Timur, hurriedly lit the lamp to make the room much brighter, then brought two more chairs, and walked out in small steps.

Timur sat down on the sofa and said to them: 'Sit down.' ’

When everyone had sat down, he asked his fourth son in a deep voice, "Shaharu, what do you want to tell me?" ”

Shaharu saw that at this time they were all his own people, and the only outsider, Yesb, was also a general that Timur trusted very much, so he said: "Father, is the goal of this crusade really the Ming Kingdom?" ”

Timur paused for a moment and did not answer, Pir Maha turned sideways and said, "Fourth uncle, what stupid words are you talking about?" Grandpa has already said in front of everyone that he wants to go east to conquer the Ming Kingdom, how can it not be? ”

Timur still did not answer, but turned his head and asked Yesbu again: "Is this also the same thing that you stayed to talk to me?" ”

"Great Khan, I have two things to say to the Great Khan, one of which is this question." Jesbou replied.

Timur smiled and said, "The ultimate goal, of course, is to destroy the Ming Kingdom, a country composed of Khitans, just like Xue Chan Khan (Kublai Khan) did back then. ”

"But father, I carefully asked people who had been to the Ming Kingdom, the northwest of the Ming Kingdom was barren, it was impossible to provide food for hundreds of thousands of people to cross the border, and the cattle, sheep and horses of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate might not be able to capture all of them, if they didn't bring enough food, I am afraid that the army would collapse because of the lack of food before it arrived in Lanzhou." Shaharu said hurriedly.

He had carefully studied the situation in the northwest of the Ming Kingdom, and knew that the Hexi Corridor was even more barren than the Eastern Chagatai Khanate, and the total population of military households was not much, and they had always relied on transporting food from further east, but fortunately they also had rivers to help with transportation. But it was clear that the places they occupied would not have access to food from the east.

"I didn't say I was marching along the Hexi Corridor." Timur said with a smile: "You recall what I said, I just said that I would take Hami, and I never said that I would attack the Ming Kingdom from the Hexi Corridor. "What Shaharu knew, he knew earlier than Shaharu, how could he possibly make a battle plan to march from the Hexi Corridor.

"Don't take the Hexi Corridor?" Shaharulen paused for a moment, recalled the situation in the east, and said, "Marching from the Mongolian steppe? Or march from the Qinghai grasslands? ”

"My idea is that after conquering Hami, I will rest there for a while, then go north to the Mongolian steppe, subdue the local Mongols, and let them go south with our army to attack the Kaiping Wei of the Ming Kingdom, and after capturing the Kaiping Wei, break through the Great Wall of the Ming State and occupy the city of Beiping."

"Beiping City has always been a strategic place for the Khitan country in the north, once they seize it, they have no danger to defend until the Yellow River, but at this time the Yellow River has been diverted and went south to seize the mouth of another river called the Huai River."

"Our army will quickly occupy Hebei and Shandong. These two provinces are not very rich in the Ming Kingdom, but they are enough for our army to get a full rest. After that, he crossed the Yellow River in the south, captured Huainan, and then crossed the Yangtze River in the south, and won the battle after capturing the capital of the Ming Kingdom. Timur said confidently.

If a civil and military official from the Ming Dynasty heard Timur's words, he would definitely loudly reprimand him for his delusional thinking, and the Ming Dynasty would never be defeated by him so easily; The three people present were all people who firmly believed that Timur was the world's best in leading troops to fight, and would not doubt that Timur could win easily.

Still, questions have been raised. "The Great Khan, with the strength of the Mongols who stayed in the Mongolian steppe, is definitely not the opponent of the Great Khan, but in the vast steppe, there are so few Mongols, and everyone rides horses, they can escape, and our army is a mixed army composed of infantry and cavalry, and it is very likely that the Mongols will not be found in the steppe. Our army must not delay much in the Mongolian steppe, otherwise it will be more difficult for the Ming army to go south and seize Beiping City after the Ming army strengthens its guard on the Great Wall they built to defend against the northern nomads. ”

"Of course, no one can compare with the Great Khan's use of soldiers, but no matter how clever a cook is, there is no way to make a flatbread in the absence of wheat, after all, the Ming army is a local battle, it is easy to replenish soldiers, and it is difficult for our army to win the final victory if it falls into a meat grinder-like war." Jes sermoned.

"That's why I have to subdue the Mongols, who are the best cannon fodder."

Jesb was about to continue, 'But how can we make the Mongols willing to be cannon fodder,' when Timur said: "Of course I know your doubts, Jesbu. If before, I was not sure that the Mongols would voluntarily fight, but now, I am sure. ”