Mixed with salted fish in Hongwudang

Chapter 665 Bayezid’s choice!

Although Ali Muad and others were not angry when they heard this, they did not dare to ask too much and could only plead aggrievedly.

"Then where do you plan to bury our Majesty?"

Qitai stood in the military camp and looked around blankly, and suddenly saw a mountain dozens of feet high nearby.

"what?"

"This mountain is nice, why not bury Timur here."

Chang Sheng was stunned when he heard this. Where did the mountains around his military camp come from?

However, when he followed Qi Tai's gaze and saw Qi Tai staring at the rockery he had built, he felt bad.

Isn't it a bit harmful to do this?
"Master Qi, this mountain was temporarily built for the purpose of attacking Baghdad. I'm afraid it's not appropriate for you to bury Timur here. Can Timur's ministers agree?"

When Qi Tai heard this, he also felt that he was going a little too far, but he thought about it and came up with a solution.

"I think it is most appropriate to bury Timur here. Although this mountain was built to attack the city of Baghdad, now Timur and the Ming Dynasty have turned their war into friendship. This mountain just serves as a witness to the friendship between the two countries!"

"I think His Majesty Timur knows the truth and will also like it here!"

When Chang Sheng heard Qi Tai's words, he was surprised that he could stuff a duck egg into his mouth.

Isn't this guy very good at talking?

No wonder my father always told us when he was alive to stay away from the civil servants in the court, otherwise we would have to pay them if we were sold by them one day!

It can be seen that my father was sold by them many times back then...

After Qitai deceived Chang Sheng, he presented this rhetoric to Ali Mouad and others.

Ali Muad was opposed to it at first, but after Qitai secretly told him that he could be given a high-ranking position in Kangdu, Ali Muad immediately agreed and was responsible for persuading other ministers and Aqi who came to preside over the Muslim funeral.

While Timur's funeral was proceeding in an orderly manner, Chang Sheng's Western Expeditionary Army had already embarked on a journey to take over cities and land in various regions of Timur's empire.

Compared with the previous siege of the city, this time it was much simpler.

Chang Sheng first sent officials from Timur's empire to lobby. If the lobbying failed, he would send troops to attack.

Although there were not many who dared to resist, and many surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, there were always a few conspicuous ones who wanted to show their loyalty to Timur.

Then, Chang Sheng ordered people to give them a thunder blow and asked them to go underground to find Timur to be loyal.

While Chang Sheng was busy accepting the legacy of Timur's empire, various Western countries were also waiting and watching.

The tragic situation in Baghdad has long spread to various city-states in the West as the refugees fled.

The Ottoman Empire's caravan passed by the city of Baghdad. After seeing the ruins of Baghdad and the tragic scene of various beasts and birds devouring the corpses in the city, they immediately withdrew from the city and then walked around the city.

When they returned to the country, they were immediately received by His Majesty Bayezid of the Ottoman Empire.

"I heard that you just came back from Baghdad?"

"Yes!"

"Can you tell me what's going on there?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the city of Baghdad is gone, and now there is only ruins..."

"What about the people in Baghdad?"

"died!"

"The vast majority of them died, some died from artillery fire, some died from poisonous smoke, some died from the plague..."

"The villain didn't dare to go in when he passed by Baghdad. He just took one look at the city gate and ran away, for fear that he would be infected with the plague in the city if he escaped too late..."

"This……"

Bayezid fell into silence after hearing this.

He thought that the Timur Empire could withstand it for a few years, but he didn't expect that in just a few months, the huge Timur Empire, a powerful opponent that he had to withdraw from Constantine, would just... Easily defeated by Ming Dynasty.

Bayezid sent these merchants away and ordered Crown Prince Murad to be called over.

"Murad, do you think we should surrender to the Ming Dynasty?"

Murad said without thinking after hearing this.

"Father, do we have any other choice?"

"Just look at what happened to Timur's empire. The Ming Dynasty has long been unstoppable."

"I believe that the Ming Dynasty will sweep across the entire west like the Mongolian cavalry. During this period, many countries will decline or even perish."

"But as long as we survive this wave, we may not have no chance of making a comeback in a few years."

"Oh?"

Bayezid had long been in despair and never thought there would be a chance to make a comeback.

"Tell me in detail, how can we do it all over again?"

"Father, this is what my teacher told me."

"My teacher said that although the Mongol Empire was powerful, they had a small population and could only rely on local people for governance."

"Therefore, their strength only lasted for a few decades. When the areas they conquered learned gunpowder and trebuchets and became familiar with their tactics, they could no longer remain strong."

"Now the strength of the Ming Dynasty is only in firearms and equipment. As long as we persist for decades and endure and survive under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, after a few decades we have learned their technology, we may not have no chance of driving them out!"

Bayezid nodded upon hearing this.

"So that's how it is..."

"You go down first and ask Teacher You to come tomorrow. I want to talk to your teacher."

"Yes!"

The next day, Bayezid Pasha was ordered to come to the palace.

Bayezid did not receive him where he was conducting government affairs, but chose to receive him in a beautiful garden.

"Dear Bayezid Pasha, I should have talked to you a long time ago."

Upon hearing this, Bayezid Pasha quickly bowed and saluted.

"Dear Your Majesty, I don't dare to call you that, so just call me Pasha."

"Okay, Mr. Pasha, how do you think I should survive under the iron heel of the Ming Dynasty?"

Bayezid Pasha thought for a moment after hearing this.

"Your Majesty, Wei Chen doesn't know how to answer your question, but Wei Chen likes to observe and has observed many interesting things."

"Weichen once observed a fallen tree. The trunk of that tree was as strong as two people surrounding each other, but it was blown down by a hurricane." "Weichen observed next to the fallen tree, only to find that it was The grass around the tree is safe and sound.”

"Wei Chen is puzzled to understand. Logically speaking, big trees are a hundred or a thousand times tougher than grass. Why is it that when a hurricane comes, the weak grass is fine, but the hard trees are broken?"

"Later one day there was a hurricane, and Weichen went outside to watch it in person. He found that when the hurricane came, the grass would be blown down by the hurricane, and the body would be blown very low. And the big trees on the side would be blown down when the hurricane came. Constantly resisting, trying to block the hurricane with my own body."

"When Wei Chen saw this, he immediately realized that it wasn't the grass that was so tough, but that the grass just lowered its body to protect itself, while the big tree couldn't..."

Bayezid easily understood the Pasha's metaphor. The old man was using the story of the big tree and the grass to persuade him not to go against the Ming Dynasty, but to surrender to the Ming Dynasty and lower his attitude.

"Mr. Pasha, it's not that I don't want to lower my posture, but I don't know how low I should lower my posture?"

"What if Da Ming takes advantage of me, keeps asking for more, and keeps testing my bottom line?"

Pasha smiled bitterly upon hearing this.

"Since Your Majesty can ask such a question, it means you haven't properly positioned yourself yet."

"Now it is not a question of whether we surrender or not, but that only by surrendering can we preserve the empire, preserve our race, and preserve our culture and language."

"Wei Chen has been paying attention to the Ming Dynasty's rule over Kangdu in the past few years. Generally speaking, the Ming Dynasty's rule is quite benevolent. Even if Shaharul, the fourth son of Timur, attacked Kangdu last time, the Ming Dynasty not only did not blame the people of Kangdu , but instead compensate them with money so that they can resume production better."

"It can be seen that the Ming Dynasty was not a cruel and murderous person. It was fundamentally different from the Mongol Empire."

"But this is also the most terrifying thing about the Ming Dynasty. They kill not because of the body, but because of the intention to kill."

"After the Ming Dynasty ruled the Kangdu area, it did not abolish the local religion, language, and writing on the surface, but in fact every decree was aimed at these."

"For example, they founded Kangdu University, allowing local officials and the sons of local leaders to study there, and they also established schools across the country to teach Ming culture. Official documents from the government are all in Ming characters, and officials also try to use Ming Mandarin when communicating. Anyone who cannot speak Ming Dynasty Mandarin will not be promoted or reused."

"It won't take long, just a few decades, and the people in the Kangdu area will gradually forget the language and writing of the past, speak fluent Ming Dynasty Mandarin, and only know how to write Ming Dynasty characters."

"Your Majesty, just imagine, if the people can only speak and write Chinese characters, will anyone still believe in the Quran?"

"This……"

Bayezid was confused again after hearing this.

"Then what should I do?"

Pasha shook his head helplessly after hearing this.

"Your Majesty can only lower his body as low as possible, and then observe silently, spread the Quran silently, and pass on the Quran."

"As long as the time is right, when the Ming Dynasty declines, we can revive the people's memory in the name of revitalizing the Quran, and we can naturally restore our glory!"

While Bayezid was discussing with Pasha what would happen decades later, Byzantine Emperor Manuel II and Queen Jelena were looking for a new city building location on the map.

"Your Majesty, I like the sea. Let's choose a place near the sea."

Manuel II felt a little unhappy when he heard this. He didn't like the sea, and even hated it.

If Constantinople had not been close to the sea and prospered through the profits brought by maritime trade, thereby neglecting force and controlling the interior territory, their Byzantine Empire would not have been reduced to the point where there was only one city left.

Therefore, when choosing a fiefdom again, Manuel preferred to go inland and avoid major traffic roads. He just wanted to find a remote spot with enough room for development.

"It's not good to be close to the sea. There are strong waves on the sea, and the sea breeze will corrode the city walls and make the house we live in damp."

"So, let's choose a place far away from the ocean."

Jelena felt a little unhappy after hearing this, but in order to take care of her husband's emotions, she reluctantly agreed.

"Then how about we choose this place?"

Jelena pointed at an open space to the west of Constantinople, where there was only one city market - Adrianople.

Originally, Jelena just chose a desolate place out of anger, but unexpectedly, Manuel II was very interested in this land.

"Queen, do you like it here too?"

"I……"

Jelena didn't know what to say when she heard this.

"What does your Majesty mean by this? Does your Majesty also want to choose this place?"

Manuel nodded after hearing this.

"Of course!"

"I've been eyeing this place for a long time."

"Although there are endless mountains to the north and west of Adrianople, there are indeed plains to the east and south, and there is a river."

"And the population here is not large now. If we ask for this land, Ming Dynasty will definitely agree."

"As long as we govern well, it may not be impossible to restore Byzantium to its former glory within a few generations!"

When Jelena heard her husband's words, her eyes were filled with little stars.She never knew that her husband, who seemed cowardly and weak, actually had such ambitions in his heart.

"Your Majesty, do you really think so?"

Manuel II smiled and nodded when he heard this, and touched Jelena's belly.

"Of course!"

"I not only have to think about us, but I also have to think about our children."

"This land is enough to support us and our children, and it is very close to Constantinople. We can also trade with Constantinople and sell the output of our land to the Ming Dynasty or other countries. People, develop our fiefdom bit by bit."

Upon hearing this, Jelena fell into her husband's arms.

"His Majesty……"

The next day, Manuel II sent an envoy to the Ming Dynasty, bringing with him a defense map of Constantinople and a military distribution map.

Zhu Yunxi warmly received Manuel's envoy in Kangdu, and promised on the spot to donate Adrianople to Manuel II as his permanent hereditary fief.He also promised to allow him to take away the things in the palace calmly, as well as all the people in the city who were willing to follow him.

Manuel II received the canonization edict from Zhu Yunxi, completed the canonization ceremony according to the Ming Dynasty's understanding, and left Constantinople with his followers that day, giving up the entire city to the Ming Dynasty fleet that came to receive it.

There were hundreds of carts accompanying Manuel when he left Constantinople. These carts contained the treasures accumulated by the Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years, which were the basic guarantee for his future life.

The impact of Manuel II's surrender without taking possession was greater than the death of Tamerlane and the destruction of Baghdad.

The entire West was shocked. No one expected that Manuel II would surrender so quickly, even without fighting a battle.

After Manuel II surrendered, pressure instantly came to the Ottoman Empire.

Emperor Bayezid of the Ottoman Empire knew that he had only one way to surrender, but he still wanted to struggle. He neither accepted the Ming Dynasty's persuasion to surrender nor dared to declare war blatantly against the Ming Dynasty.

But the Ming Dynasty could not allow him to remain ambiguous, so he immediately sent troops to the city to force Bayezid to make a choice.

(End of this chapter)