Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 646 Marching into the Western Regions

At the beginning of July, Meng Jun returned to Xi'an from Yinshan Mountain. Yang En led the officials of Xi'an and went out of the city for several miles to welcome the emperor.

Inside the city, on the ten-mile-long street, countless guards stood on both sides of the street, guarding the emperor's carriage. Around the emperor's carriage, a large group of brave soldiers followed and escorted Meng Jun back to the government office.

When Babaksu, the exiled prince of Yarkand, learned that the emperor had come to Xi'an again, he found Lin Shiqi, requested an audience with the emperor, and expressed his willingness to present the map of Yarkand.

Lin Shiqi agreed to help him ask the emperor. Lin Shiqi felt that the emperor would be happy to meet Babaksu. After all, the army was about to march into the Western Regions, and Babaksu could be considered a rare treasure.

But what surprised Lin Shiqi was that the emperor did not seem to be as he had imagined and did not approach Babaksu immediately.

In fact, Meng Jun didn't particularly want to meet the prince of Yarkand. He could easily guess what the prince wanted from him. He was 100% asking him to help him restore his country.

But how could Meng Jun agree to this? He had spent so much energy and taken such a big risk, only to help Yarkand restore its country.

However, Meng Jun thought again. Now that the Dzungar Khanate has not been defeated yet and the army is marching westward, the prince of Yarkand should still be of some use. After all, once the army advances deep into the Western Regions, with this prince, they should be able to get some supplies in the old place of Yarkand.

Therefore, Meng Jun finally decided to meet Babaksu. In the temporary palace, Babaksu walked into the hall under the guidance of Lin Shiqi.

He was wearing a plain robe, had a high and deep nose, and had a traditional Central Asian appearance. Although he looked a little shabby, he still had a noble demeanor. There was an interpreter accompanying him.

Babaksu bowed and said, "I, Babaksu, a citizen of a fallen nation, pay my respects to His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor. May His Majesty live forever!"

Meng Jun looked at Babaksu calmly and said, "Get up. I heard that you always wanted to see me. You also said that you have something that can help the imperial court's westward expedition?"

Babaksu said respectfully: "Your Majesty, I have long heard that your virtues are widespread and your reputation is resounding throughout the world. Now I hear that Your Majesty is raising a large army to march west to Dzungar, so I have come to seek an audience with you. I would like to present a detailed map of Yarkand and a guide to help guide the royal army."

Meng Jun nodded slightly, and then said: "Since you have this intention, I am very pleased."

Babaksu was stunned. He didn't expect that the emperor didn't even ask him what he wanted. But the scene became a little awkward for a moment.

Babaksu hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered up the courage to say: "Your Majesty, Yarkand has unfortunately suffered a disaster, and the country has been destroyed and the family has been ruined. I beg Your Majesty to consider the merits of presenting the map and restore the homeland of Yarkand after the Western Expedition is completed. After the restoration of the country, Yarkand is willing to submit to the Qian Dynasty for generations and be a vassal forever."

"I can reward you for your contribution, but I don't want to restore your country! My dynasty has been established for nearly ten years, but Yarkand has turned a deaf ear to it. Now that their country is destroyed, they actually think of me, the emperor, again?"

Meng Jun's words made Babaksu feel a little embarrassed. When Yarkand occupied the Western Regions, they were afraid that the Central Plains dynasty would turn its attention to the Western Regions again, so they wanted to stay away from the Central Plains.

But now Meng Jun's meaning was very straightforward. He didn't do anything to help on weekdays, but only sought help at the last minute. A map and a few guides were important and unimportant. Why should the Qian Dynasty devote a lot of manpower and material resources to restore the Kingdom of Yarkand?

Babaksu looked anxious and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, the people of Yarkand have suffered for a long time from the Junggars. If they can restore their country, they will be grateful to Your Majesty. I also have some reputation in Yarkand. After the army goes deep into the Western Regions, the people of Yarkand will see me and my return and will surely help me enthusiastically. This will be of great benefit to Your Majesty's great cause of the Western Expedition."

Meng Jun looked at Babaksu with deep eyes, and after thinking for a moment, he slowly said: "Although what you said makes some sense, the matter of restoring the country will be discussed after the Western Expedition is over. However, since you said that you are quite famous in Junggar, I will send someone to follow the Western Expedition Army."

Babaksu was delighted and kowtowed again to express his gratitude, speaking endlessly of words of loyalty until Meng Jun waved his hand. Only then did Babaksu slowly retreat at Lin Shiqi's signal.

Meng Jun asked Babaksu to join the army because he was moved by his last words. Since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the power of the Central Plains had long since left the Western Regions. Meng Jun was also worried that the army would encounter hostility from everyone when entering the Western Regions. Therefore, using this exiled prince of Yarkand as a banner might be beneficial to the army's westward expedition.

On the way out, Babaksu could not hide his excitement. Being able to return home with the army meant that half of his strategy had already been accomplished. In fact, Babaksu knew in his heart that it was indeed a luxury to use a map to impress the Emperor of the Qian Dynasty to help him restore his country.

However, if he could follow the Qian Dynasty's army on the Western Expedition, then perhaps he could use the Qian Dynasty's banner to build up his own power in Yarkand. The Western Regions had already been separated from the Central Plains dynasty for hundreds of years. Perhaps the Qian Dynasty emperor would think that the Western Regions were difficult to rule, and out of respect for him, he might allow him to restore his country.

As for the current situation, Babaksu and Meng Jun each get what they want, but as the war progresses, perhaps the relationship between the two sides will become different.

………………

By the middle of September in the ninth year of Zhaowu, 40,000 elite infantry and cavalry of the Qian army had been assembled in Jiuquan behind Jiayuguan, including 30,000 infantry, more than 10,000 cavalry, and more than 70 artillery pieces of various types.

In order to transport artillery and various supplies, the number of able-bodied civilians accompanying the army from the time they left the border had reached more than 60,000. These 60,000 civilians were selected from various provinces and were the people who would immigrate to the border in the future.

On September 26, Meng Jun personally went to Jiayuguan to review the Western Expedition Army and ordered Shen Congwen to write the "Proclamation to Punish the Rebellious Dzungars".

After receiving the order, Shen Congwen immediately wrote this manifesto in a fluent and elegant manner. In short, the content of the manifesto was to say that the Dzungar tribe was ambitious, defied the will of heaven, and disregarded moral principles.

He also cursed Sengge in the manifesto, saying that he was stupid and cruel, indulged his followers, harmed lives, robbed merchants of their wealth, and destroyed the houses of border residents.

Finally, he said that the Western Regions had been under the rule of the emperor for a long time and had been the homeland of the Central Plains since the Han and Tang Dynasties. The Dzungars coveted the sacred artifacts and attempted to annex them and establish their own territories. They also repeatedly threatened the tribes south of the desert. This was a great disrespect to the Celestial Empire and a contempt for the Great Khan Tengri.

To sum up, the Junggars had wicked ambitions. After they had taken Long, they wanted more. After they had taken the Western Regions, they also had their eyes on the south of the desert. Although the sages said that soldiers are dangerous tools, the Celestial Empire had no choice but to send troops.

Meng Jun personally recited the manifesto written by Shen Congwen in Jiayuguan, and then set up an altar in Jiayuguan to worship the heaven and swear to march west. With 40,000 soldiers and 60,000 civilians, it was said to be an army of 200,000. The morale of the soldiers was high, and the flags covered the sky. The army marched towards the Western Regions in an overwhelming manner.