Chapter 1230: Even the Princess Wept

"Your Majesty Alamgir, Khujand is not close to Samarkand. If we must also cross the Turkestan Mountains and bypass the Jizzakh oasis, at the marching speed of the Uzbeks and Turkmens, it would take eight to ten days, would it not? The Turkmens are easy enough to deal with — give them a few more rupees and they will certainly take the risk. But will the Uzbeks agree? Would Anusha Khan take such a risk?"

The one who raised the question was Shaysta Khan. Frowning, he said, "And to penetrate so deep behind enemy lines — if the operation fails, I fear they would not even make it back to the Khwarezm oasis. If I were Anusha Khan, I would certainly not agree."

Aurangzeb laughed. "But you are not Anusha Khan. You are Shaysta Khan. You are only my wazir, not the ruler here in Transoxiana!

So you cannot understand Anusha Khan's ambition. He too is a descendant of Batu Khan, so how could he be content to remain merely the master of the Khwarezm oasis? Besides, Transoxiana is far too small a place — it cannot hold two fierce tigers!

Although I bear the title of Emperor of the Timurid Empire, my foundations are after all in India, and I cannot remain long in Transoxiana. Whatever the outcome of the Battle of Samarkand, I will return to India.

So the one who will remain here in Transoxiana to contend with him for supremacy is none other than Sengge of the Dzungars. And the Battle of Samarkand will directly determine whether he or Sengge becomes master of all Transoxiana!"

Aurangzeb did indeed deserve the appraisal of "full of stratagems." Although his army was not much good at fighting, that did not mean his wisdom was lacking.

He saw the present situation in Transoxiana very clearly, and he could also see through Anusha Khan's mind.

He continued, "If Sengge successfully takes Samarkand, then the Khanate of Khiva, which holds only the Khwarezm oasis and Bukhara, will sooner or later be destroyed by Sengge's Dzungar kingdom.

Conversely, if Sengge is defeated in the Battle of Samarkand, then Samarkand will quickly fall into the hands of the Khanate of Khiva. Anusha Khan will be one step closer to his dream of becoming the overlord of Transoxiana."

Shaysta Khan frowned and said, "But if Anusha Khan suffers too heavy losses in the raid on Fergana, I fear he will die all the sooner. Even if he wins, he will gain nothing!"

"You are right!" Aurangzeb nodded, then turned to look at his bravest general, Singh. "Singh, you must also make the journey with Anusha Khan. Bring your Rajput cavalry."

The big-bearded Singh was startled by Aurangzeb's order. His face, which looked quite brave, immediately crumpled into misery. "Your Majesty Alamgir, my — my army has suffered heavy losses."

Aurangzeb smiled and reassured him, "You need not worry. With the Uzbeks and Turkmens moving together with you, there will be no great problem. And if anything should go wrong, I have already thought of a way to save your life. You will not lose too much."

Shaysta Khan still shook his head. "I fear it is still not enough!"

Aurangzeb's brows knitted slightly. "If it is still not enough, then I have one more trump card! No — two trump cards!"

One of Aurangzeb's two trump cards was, of course, his most beautiful and most favored daughter, Princess Nisa. Who knew where Prince Alim, son of Anusha Khan, had gotten the gall of a bear and the courage of a leopard, daring to contend with the Emperor of the Celestial Empire for a woman!

And this woman, in the eyes of Prince Alim's father Anusha Khan, was not at all good. Not that she was not beautiful enough, but that she carried a gloomy, melancholy air inherited from Aurangzeb, along with a bookishness that people found disagreeable.

Such a woman might be suited to a palace in the Ottoman Empire or Persia, but to marry into the Khanate of Khiva, a desert-oasis state, was really a bit too lofty for her.

But Aurangzeb had another trump card — Samarkand!

"Your Majesty the Khan, I have been away from India too long, so long that the petty villains on the Deccan Plateau are stirring again! Therefore, after this Battle of Samarkand is over, I shall return to India. After I leave, Samarkand will be handed over to a brave and wise Governor-General to rule. I hope that this Governor-General will be my son-in-law, the husband of Nisa! Alim, are you willing to inform Samarkand on my behalf?"

How could Prince Alim be unwilling?

The succession system of the Khanate of Khiva was "succession by fratricidal strife." In this age, all the Islamic states followed this pattern — when the old khan died, his sons would by custom fight it out among themselves!

So if Prince Alim could marry Princess Nisa and gain the territory of the Samarkand oasis, his position as heir to the Khanate of Khiva would be secure, and his life would be insured as well!

But he was not entirely without brains. This matter had to first obtain the support of his father, Anusha Khan, because in the Islamic camp, "succession by fratricidal strife" did not necessarily have to wait until the old man was dead to begin. Sometimes even while the old man still lived, the sons would still fight it out!

Therefore Anusha Khan might also oppose this matter.

But seeing the smile on Anusha Khan's face, Prince Alim was finally at ease! A beauty in hand, the throne secured, and his life insured!

Anusha Khan nodded and asked, "Then when will the wedding be held?"

"It will be held as soon as the Dzungars withdraw!" Aurangzeb said with a smile. "With you serving as Regional Commander, leading a coalition army of sixty thousand on a roundabout raid against Fergana, the Dzungars will surely withdraw."

The sixty thousand coalition troops Aurangzeb spoke of included thirty thousand Uzbek cavalry from the Khanate of Khiva, fifteen thousand cavalry from the Turkmen tribes, and fifteen thousand Rajput cavalry led by Singh.

Aurangzeb continued, "If Your Majesty the Khan agrees, I will immediately have Prince Alim lead twenty thousand Uzbek cavalry into the city and make him Governor-General of Samarkand at once!"

"And what of Her Highness the Princess?" Anusha Khan was still uneasy.

"She will of course remain within the city of Samarkand!"

"Good! Then it is settled!" Anusha Khan finally relented. "Tomorrow we begin moving camp, and at the same time announce the betrothal of Princess Nisa and Alim!"

"Good, good!" Aurangzeb nodded repeatedly. "Let everyone know of this happy event. Every officer and soldier of the coalition shall receive ten silver rupees because of this joyous occasion!"

Anusha Khan was completely reassured.

If the Emperor of the Timurid Empire in India still cared at all about his face, this marriage could not fall through! And Samarkand would also be in hand. The only remaining question was how to deal a heavy blow to the Dzungar army outside Samarkand.

As long as they could be defeated, the Khanate of Khiva — no, it should be called the Uzbek Khanate — could be revived!

"Great King, Great King, terrible news!"

Outside Samarkand, in the center of the Dzungar army's bastion fort, Sengge was inside a golden-domed great tent, flipping through the classic work "The Cushion." Suddenly he heard someone crying that things had gone wrong, and reflexively hid the classic under his backside. He had just hidden it when he saw the Pearl Lama push aside the curtain and enter.

Sengge let out a breath. "Pearl, what are you making such a fuss about? I thought Anu had come!"

"Great King, a great matter has occurred!" The Pearl Lama stamped his foot. "Samarkand has sent out troops! Fifty or sixty thousand cavalry have left the fortress, crossed the river fifty li to the west, and are now heading toward the Turkestan Mountains!"

Sengge stared blankly at Pearl and said, "That is nothing. They are most likely going to strike at Fergana. With Hu Zhongyong guarding it, there will be no great trouble. Besides, Anu still holds a large force in hand. By the way, has Anu really not come?"

Sengge had brought only thirty-three thousand troops and fifteen thousand laborers south to Samarkand. After completing the bastion fort outside Samarkand, he had already sent the laborers back. He had come to wear down the enemy's troops and provisions, so of course he could not bring too many troops himself — otherwise, before the people inside the city starved to death, those outside would collapse from hunger first.

The Pearl Lama shook his head. "The Khatun truly has not come. You had better look at this!"

As he spoke, the Pearl Lama handed a letter written in Persian to Sengge.

Sengge took the letter, opened it, and understood nothing at all.

"What does it say?" he asked.

The Pearl Lama said, "The letter is from that Shaysta Khan. It says that Anusha Khan of the Khanate of Khiva is forcing Aurangzeb to marry Princess Nisa to his son Alim!"