I came, I saw, I conquered!
After the great victory, Nomudalai struck while the iron was hot, leaving over a thousand men to guard Chalish, and personally led an army of eight thousand eastwards to conquer Turpan.
The vanguard consisted of three thousand surrendered soldiers, and it seemed no force could stop his advance.
"Great Taiji, Turpan is located at the throat of the Silk Road. If we take this place, I'm afraid the Hoshut people to the north and the Yarkand people to the south will not let the matter rest.
It would be better to negotiate peace with the Turpan people and have them cede Chalish," Batu and Tan, Nasutu, and other ministers all advised him to stop while he was ahead.
Nomudalai laughed heartily, "Eating too much can burst your belly, how could I not know this principle?
However, to make the Turpan people obediently cede land, we must maintain military pressure on them.
Rest assured, this is just a trip."
It indeed seemed like a trip. Abudulahaha Khan ordered garrisons from various places to converge on Turpan City, and there were not many troops left in the surrounding towns.
The Mongols captured the three small cities of Kunmishi, Subashi, and Tuokesun without any effort.
A cornered beast still fights. Abudulahaha Khan gathered the garrisons from various places, organized the able-bodied men in Turpan City, and finally assembled another ten thousand soldiers, though most were a disorganized rabble.
Fortunately, his Brother Sultan Sulitang arrived from Liu City with a thousand troops, which somewhat eased his mind.
He silently made preparations for defending the city, awaiting the final moment.
Ibrahim, Babai, Ismail, Anivar, Sadiq, and others came to his side, saying, "Great Khan, the situation is urgent. Why not send someone to negotiate peace with the Mongols?"
"Negotiate peace?"
Abudulahaha Khan frowned, "Wait a little longer. I have already sent someone to Kucha to ask my father-in-law for reinforcements. We'll talk about it after the reinforcements arrive."
Seeing him mention his father-in-law, the Governor of Kucha, Abu Hadi, everyone felt a glimmer of hope and stopped speaking.
Kucha City, the former territory of the ancient Qiuci Kingdom, was known as the "Music Capital of the Western Regions" as early as the Sui and Tang dynasties, and has long enjoyed the reputation of being the "Land of Song and Dance," the "Land of Melons and Fruits," and the "Land of Grottoes."
At this moment, there was singing and dancing in the Governor's mansion.
Six pairs of handsome Uyghur young men and women danced the "Sainaimu" to the melody.
The men's dance was vigorous and powerful, while the women's dance was graceful and flowing. Their every movement and turn possessed a unique charm.
"Sainaimu," also known as "Sailamu," was originally the dance of the Sailan people.
After the Sailan people migrated from Uzbekistan to the Celestial Mountain region, this dance became popular in the Yarkand Khanate.
Abu Hadi, however, found it boring. As a governor, he had seen such dances many times.
"Someone, go fetch Gulisu Ruhe! I want to see her dance," he shouted.
In Uyghur language, Gulisu Ruhe means "rose," and she was indeed very beautiful, as radiant as a rose.
This beauty was a dancer gifted to him by a wealthy Western Regions merchant two years ago. She had long eyelashes, large eyes, red lips and white teeth, and a slender figure. What was even more rare was her fair and delicate skin, which seemed as if it could be broken with a touch.
Since acquiring this 'rose', the Governor had completely forgotten his old wife at home, only wanting to pick flowers daily—no, to appreciate flowers. Nothing was more pleasant than watching this beauty dance!
The soft string sound of the Rawapu (a Uyghur instrument) began, and Gulisu Ruhe, holding ribbons, started dancing the Huxuanwu.
"Huxuan dancer, Huxuan dancer. Heart follows the strings, hands follow the drum. Strings and drum beat once, both sleeves rise, like swirling snow she flutters, like tumbleweed she dances.
Turning left, turning right, never tiring, a thousand, ten thousand turns without end.
Nothing in the human world can compare, a galloping chariot wheel is slow, a swift whirlwind is tardy.
When the music ends, she bows again to thank the Emperor, and the Emperor smiles slightly for her.
Huxuan dancer, from Kangju, came east in vain for ten thousand li." This poem "Huxuanwu" by Bai Juyi vividly captures the posture and expression of the Huxuan dancer.
Gulisu Ruhe danced rapidly to the sound of drums and music, like snowflakes drifting in the air, like tumbleweed dancing in the wind. Even a galloping chariot wheel seemed slower than her, and a swift whirlwind was inferior. Turning left and right without fatigue, she spun non-stop for thousands of circles and ten thousand turns.
Abu Hadi had an illusion, was this beautiful concubine of his a fairy descended to the mortal world?
Suddenly, the beauty's long eyelashes trembled, she gave a captivating smile, the ribbon in her hand flew up, her silk robe was half undone, and a delicate foot playfully kicked towards the Governor, pausing beside his old face.
At this moment, Abu Hadi's heart pounded violently, his eyes fixed on Gulisu Ruhe's delicate foot, forgetting all the troubles in the world.
"Ho!"
He let out a strange cry, left his seat, picked up the beautiful concubine, and was about to return to his room for intimacy.
"Aqimuboke, the Turpan Envoy is requesting an audience outside the hall," an oblivious subordinate interrupted his good time.
"Nonsense, tell him to come back tomorrow."
"The Envoy said he has a matter of extreme urgency and must see you!"
Having his good time interrupted, Abu Hadi was extremely displeased. "Hmph, summon him into the hall. If it's not a major matter, I'll skin him."
The Turpan Envoy Wulu Heji walked into the Governor's mansion. Upon seeing Abu Hadi, he immediately knelt down with a thud, "Respected Aqimuboke, the Great Taiji Nomudalai of the Huit Tribe has led his army south, already capturing Chalish and Iron Gate Pass, and is currently attacking Turpan City.
Abudulahaha Khan sent me to ask for your help."
"What! The Khoshut are here again?" Abu Hadi was startled.
"Aqimuboke, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Please quickly send troops to rescue us," Wulu Heji said anxiously.
Those Mongols are all barbarians, very cruel. If I go to save Turpan, wouldn't I be throwing my life away for nothing? I can't do this!
Abu Hadi's eyes darted, and he declined, "It's not that I don't want to send troops, it's just that Latifu Khan recently gave me an order not to mobilize troops without his permission, and I wouldn't dare disobey the Great Khan's wishes!"
"Aqimuboke, if you don't send reinforcements, Turpan will be finished!" Wulu Heji's voice was tearful.
Abu Hadi waved his hand, "That won't happen. Those barbarians only want to plunder wealth. Once they've taken enough, they will leave.
Envoy, you have traveled far and worked hard. Please withdraw and rest first. Someone, see the guest out."
After speaking, he no longer paid attention to Wulu Heji and left the hall, holding Gulisu Ruhe's hand.
"Great Khan, this humble servant is incompetent. Abu Hadi refused to send reinforcements," Wulu Heji knelt before Abudulahaha Khan, his face covered in tears.
"This is not your fault. My father-in-law has always been timid. This was expected.
It seems we can only negotiate peace with the Mongols," Abudulahaha Khan sighed and asked his ministers, "Who is willing to be the Envoy to negotiate with the Mongols?"
All the ministers remained silent. No one was willing to take on this humiliating task that would cede sovereignty.
Anivar stepped forward tremblingly, "This old minister is advanced in years and doesn't have many years left to live.
Let this old minister handle such a shameful matter."
Abudulahaha Khan's eyes reddened, and he bowed deeply to him, "The survival of Turpan rests upon you, old sir!"
Anivar silently returned the bow and headed towards the Mongol military camp.
Hearing that the Turpan Envoy had arrived, Nomudalai ordered a grand display of armored soldiers to intimidate him.
Swords and spears were like a forest, radiating killing intent.
Anivar, however, seemed not to notice, and simply walked inside, leaning on his bamboo staff.
"Hahaha, have all the warriors of Turpan died? They actually sent a useless old man," the Khoshut general Xi Rimo laughed heartily.
"Ha~ Ha~ Ha~" Everyone laughed.
"The warriors of Turpan would rather die fighting than live ignominiously. They are all sharpening their swords and spears on the city walls, preparing for battle. Only a useless old man like me is willing to negotiate with your army," Anivar replied with neither humility nor arrogance.
"Old fellow, aren't you afraid of our Mongol iron cavalry?" Aledaer Heshokhi asked rudely.
"If your side is an army of benevolence and righteousness, I naturally have no fear; if your side is an army of jackals and wolves, what use is fear?" Anivar asked calmly, "The Great Taiji calls himself a hero, why would he fear a mere old man?"
"Nonsense! This Taiji isn't afraid of a thousand armies and ten thousand horses, how could I be afraid of you, old man?" Nomudalai's beard bristled with anger.
"Since you are not afraid of me, why display so many armored soldiers?"
"Hmph," Nomudalai sneered and ordered the soldiers and armor to be withdrawn.
After a battle of wits, the two sides began negotiations.
At first, Anivar resolutely refused to cede land.
Nomudalai was furious, "This Taiji has traveled a thousand li on a distant campaign, I must gain something.
If your khanate refuses to cede land, I will take it myself."
In the face of absolute power, words are pale and powerless.
Finally, Anivar, representing Abudulahaha Khan, signed the treaty under the city walls: Turpan ceded Chalish, Iron Gate Pass, and the surrounding area to the Huit Tribe, and compensated the Huit Tribe with fifty thousand taels of silver.
Nomudalai ordered the entire army to return to Chalish. Before leaving, he looted the three small cities near Turpan that he had captured—Kunmishi, Subashi, and Tuokesun—empty. The fifteen thousand inhabitants of the cities were escorted to the Yulduz Grassland for agricultural settlement.