After seeing off Rishit, Sengge sat with his brother Chechen Taiji and enjoyed delicious food. The retired dancer also appeared in front of the brothers again to dance to cheer him up. Since the death of their father Baturhun Taiji, the two have never been so harmonious. Sengge suddenly said: "Chechen Taiji, I didn't expect that there is such a wonderful thing here."

Chechnya Taiji immediately stood up, stopped the dancer and said to Sengge: "Khan, these dancers were exchanged for cattle, sheep, and sand from Tibet. I won't give them to you."

Seeing that Chechen Taiji looked stingy, Sengge burst into laughter, inserted a piece of meat, and said, "I'm talking about the spices applied to this. It's not these women. I'm Dahan and your brother. How could he compete with you for women?"

Chechen Taiji looked at Sengge suspiciously, but hurriedly asked the dancers to go down to avoid being coveted by Sengge. Obviously, he did not believe Sengge. Chechen Taiji said, "Then let's have a good meal. Since you have reconciled with the empire, more spices will be given to your account in the future."

Sengge shook his head helplessly: "I really don't want your dancer. To prove this, I can select the ten most beautiful women from my tribe to send them to you. How about it?"

"Really?" Chechnya widened his eyes, looking eager.

"Of course it's true, I'll send it to you within three days!" Sengge patted his chest and promised.

Chechnya stood up in a moment of joy and said, "Okay, since Khan is so generous, I also have a gift for Khan. Come and send that box."

Soon, the guards brought a box, but after opening it, it was a human head. The smell of rotten smell instantly filled the entire tent. Sengge took a look and couldn't recognize who it was. He looked at Chechnya in confusion.

"This is the head of the Kazakhs!" Chechen Taiji said. He sent the guards away, lowered his voice and said, "The merchants of the empire are doing business in my tribe. I found that the Kazakhs were hiding in it, sneaking. I spent money to bribe one person to know that these dogs were envoys sent by the Kazakh Khan to the Central Plains. That guy wanted to learn from our Junggar and become a vassal of the Great Emperor. How could I let them succeed? I sent people to follow them secretly, and went to the territory of the Hoshuote and killed them quietly!"

"You actually dare to kill the Kazakh messenger..." Sengge was surprised.

Chechnya said, "What's that? No one knows that I killed it. Khan. Just now, Sit said that we would not interfere in the affairs of Yarkand. We can fight the Kazakhs in the Qihe River Basin, the land in the river. But you think, if Kazakhs become a vassal of the empire, will the Lifanyuan allow us to fight? If Kazakhs cannot fight Kazakhs, we can only find trouble for the Russians north. What are those guys? It's so difficult to fight in the castle? As Khan, can you watch our cattle and sheep without pastures and our children without slaves?"

"Okay, what you said is right, what you did is right!" Sengge felt it was reasonable when he thought about it.

After a quiet moment, Sengge asked the most difficult question today: "Taiji, Chechen, you and my brother have always had a bad relationship and have met each other. Why do you do everything for my own good?"

"In the past, we fought wars because I didn't want you to be a khan. I was afraid that if you become a khan, you would kill me and annex my tribe. But you didn't. Even if I drew a sword at you, you didn't kill me!" Chechen Taiji said emotionally, then sighed, slapped his thigh, and sighed: "Actually, I also know that even if one day the empire opposes you and wants to change a hegemon on the south road of Tianshan, they wouldn't choose me. Your elderly father-in-law Orchitu Khan is more suitable to support the weak, suppress the strong, and let Khshuote and Junggar kill each other. From ancient times to the present, don't the Han emperors in the Central Plains like this? Since that's the case, why should I help them murder their brothers?"

Sengge also sighed and said, "In the past few years, you and my brothers have fought each other and have been used by others, and they have also made people laugh! I am so stupid."

Chechnya Taiji grabbed Sengge's hand and said, "The Khan doesn't need to say that. We Mongolians have always been like this, and no one has to blame anyone."

"This time you gave me this gift. How should I repay you? This way, attack the Kazakhs, and you will be the first to choose the female slave you get!" Sengge said emotionally.

Chechnya smiled and said, "That's the future. Who knows whether it's one year or ten years later. I may not have the chance to enjoy it. Khan, if you don't dislike it, this time I go to Yarkand to cut the heads of Bales and Apak, just take me with me, I can send out two thousand cavalry!"

"Okay, let's share the money and food we get, and the women we stolen are all yours!" Sengge said happily.

The two of them expressed their feelings to each other and drank a lot of wine. Sengge was carried to rest. Sengge left, and Rishite came to the tent. Chechen Taiji kicked away the box containing the heads and said, "How about Rishite, how do I play? Do you look like a foolish lord who only loves beauty?"

"At least Sengge believed it, otherwise he would not agree to you go south with him." Risht said.

"That's good, Rishit, what does King Cheng want me to do? Give me 400 mattress guns. In the future, all the guns will be 80% discount. What a big deal!" Chechen Taiji asked, and he thought for a while: "Why would I cut his head while Sengge was fighting with the Yarkand people. How about it?"

"Not really! Sengge dies, Tianshan North Road will be in chaos. Orchitu, the leader of the Khan Khan and Weirat of the Hoshuote tribe, cannot control the situation because he is not a Junggar. He is too weak. You and Zhuotbabatul will fight together. There is no overlord on Tianshan North Road. The Kazakhs in the west, the Russians in the north, and the Qing court in the east will intervene. If you don't want to lose money in the Western Regions, the Empire can only increase its investment, and the war will last for three or even five years. This is not in line with the empire's grand strategy of the Northern Expedition!" Rishit hurriedly curbed Chechnya's strange idea.

Seeing that Chechen Taiji was still not satisfied, Rishit said: "Don't worry, Chechen Taiji, just stay by Sengge's side. There may not be a chance for you to cut off his head in the future."

"Okay, then don't talk about this. Rishit, we have discussed sending troops south the day after tomorrow. You have heard that, what do I need to do when I arrive in Yarkand?" asked Chechnya Taiji.

Risht said: "I will pretend to be a soldier in your camp, and everything is to follow my instructions."

Aksu.

The Aksu River, which originated in the Tianshan Mountains, flowed through a gentle place to form a large oasis. I don’t know that the river was named after the city, nor did I know that the city was named after the river. Aksu and Aksu River have accompanied each other in the past thousand years, and have experienced one master after another.

The city is east of the river, and the pontoon bridge connecting east and west has been demolished. When spring comes, the army led by Chen Duan meets with Sima Yiboke's army and first breaks the surrendered Kuche. Sima Yi killed all the traitor leaders in the city and sold the remaining people into slaves before continuing to advance westward. The army merges more than 30,000 people. When it reaches nearly fifty miles from Aksu, Apak and Zhuo give up the siege of the city and retreat to the west of the Aksu River. Aksu, who was trapped for a winter, welcomes the old master Sima Yiboke. After a simple rest, the attack was put on the agenda.

"Mr. Chen, have you believed the Lord Cheng? When......" Sima Yiboke almost rushed into the office, trying to ask a question he had asked for a month and when to launch an attack, but he saw a few Yarkand people standing in his office, but he didn't know any of them.

"Take them down and treat them well." Seeing Sima Yi coming, Chen Duan ordered his men. When there was no one else, Chen Duan explained: "That was sent by Apark and Bars."

Sima Yi was afraid of this, so he kept instigating a rapid attack in order to make the imperial army fight with the rebels as soon as possible. As long as the fight starts, the empire has no choice.

"What are they here to do?" Sima Yi said angrily.

Chen Duan smiled and said, "Please advise me to kill you and support the Khan of Barstang Yarkand. They promised to bear all the costs of the Western Expedition. Not only Hami and Turpan, but also Kuche and the land east of Kuche and the east can be given to the empire. Oh, by the way, Apak said, if I can accomplish this, I will give me 50,000 taels of silver as a reward. Look, these gems are just set for money. I think it sounds good, at least worth three to five thousand taels."

As he said that, Chen Duan opened the box on the table, shining brightly, and Chen Duan just glanced at Sima Yi and put it in the drawer.

Sima Yi subconsciously touched his waist and touched the knife handle with the sword. But when he looked up again, he saw Chen Duan still having two pistols ready to be fired. Sima Yi knew that this thing had only 80% chance of firing, but the probability of firing two at the same time was less than half a percentage.

So what if you kill Chen Duan? Can you still walk out of this office by yourself?

"You didn't agree to Apak and Zhuo, right?" Sima Yi asked, forcing herself to calm down.

Chen Duan nodded, turned off the two pistols, put them in the drawer, and said, "Of course, otherwise, you would have died long ago. By the way, Sima Yiboke, you rushed over in a hurry. Is there anything wrong?"

Sima Yi immediately said, "Since you have not agreed to Apak, please send troops to cross the river immediately. I have received the news that Sengge personally led 3,000 Junggar cavalry and will be here this afternoon!"

"Is that so fast!" Chen Duan smiled on his face and said, "That's time to prepare soon. Sima Yiboke, please go back and prepare a thousand good dancers who do not have night blindness to attack the enemy camp at night."

"Night attack? At that time, the Junggar cavalry arrived." Sima Yiboke reminded.

Chen Duan smiled: "Of course, because they will also launch attacks. Like your target, they are all rebel camps!"

The camp of Junggar is located on the north side of the west bank of Aksu, four or five miles away from the army of the Yarkand Khanate. Although both sides are allies, the Junggars have a record of looting. Apakhezhuo and Bals do not trust these grassland robbers at all. In the afternoon, Sengge and Chechen Taiji led cavalry to arrive. Chechen Taiji turned over and dismounted, rubbed his fat butt, and kicked his guards cursingly: "Go, boil hot water, I have to wash it well. This body of smelly sweat, damn it, my butt is swollen!"

"Haha, Chechen Taiji, I can't stand it after such a long journey. You have been so comfortable in the past few years." Sengge, as usual, took Chechen Taiji's hand intimately and entered the big tent. Seeing that there was no one in the tent, Sengge said: "Don't enjoy the hot bath first, go and prepare immediately, we will do it in the evening!"

"So fast?" Chechnya Taiji didn't expect it.

Sengge said, "Just accident, I divided the cavalry into front and rear teams, and the rear team arrived at night. And I had sent envoys to find Apak and Bals in advance to ask them to come to the camp for military discussions..."

"Khan, they may not necessarily come! Bales is timid and Apak is cunning. These two guys will definitely let you go to his camp on the grounds of greeting you." Chechnya interrupted him.

"Even so, the messenger will bring the two of them to the exact location, so that you and I can find the right target to prevent accidents!" Sengge said proudly.

Chechen Taiji laughed: "No wonder you can sweat a lot. You are so smart. Why don't you change your names? You call Chechen and I call Sengge!"

(Checchen Tongchechen means wisdom.)

Sengge patted Chechen Taiji's hand and was about to sit down and speak when the messenger entered the tent: "Khan, Apak Hezhuo said that he had already set up a welcome banquet. Please go to the camp to enjoy it and discuss how to deal with the enemy."

"Haha, it seems we don't need to change our names. You are also very smart. Chechen Taiji is as famous as his name!" Sengge and Chechen Taiji blew each other and said to the messenger: "Send someone back to Apak Hezhuo, I settle the troops and let him prepare fine wine and beauty."

After the messenger went out, Sengge said: "Taiji, Chechen, it seems that we must attack at night, but the rear team cannot be without a headman. I hope you can command for me, how about it?"

"It's simple. Give me your knife, otherwise the fools under your command wouldn't believe me." A strange thing flashed in Chechnya's eyes, but there was no hesitation in his words.

Chechen Taiji originally wanted to send out two thousand troops, but in the end, he knew that Sengge did not fully trust him and was afraid that guests would bully the master. But not only that, Sengge also prepared a back team, but he didn't know that there was still a back team. Not only that, he also asked himself to command the back team and detain his own army. Obviously, this was also a test.

Sengge removed the sword and handed it to Chechen Taiji, reminding him: "Remember one thing, don't issue a killing order, and capture Bals and Apakhezhu alive."

Chechen Taiji was stunned: "Why, didn't that little prince in the Central Plains want the heads of them?"

"Brother, don't be stupid. After this incident, Tianshan South Road is our rear. Bals and Apak Hezhuo have a deep prestige in Yarkand, especially Apak Hezhuo, which is equivalent to the Buddha in Tibet in the Yellow Sect. If we kill him, how can we deal with the Yarkand people again? In the future, we will use military forces to the West. If we buy food and iron tools from Yarkand, and kill their religious leaders, it will be difficult to deal with. Think about it, why didn't the Han people go to kill, just because they are afraid of taking this infamous reputation and let us Junggars do it. Humph, how could I let them do it!" Sengge said angrily.
Chapter completed!