"Great Khan, we have arrived at Turpan City," General Mansuer Boke reported respectfully to Prince Abudullahaha. He seemed to smell the scent of war, his expression solemn, his hand tightly gripping the hilt of his saber.
"Oh really? I seem to smell the scent of grapes," the young prince said humorously, his demeanor calm and unperturbed.
Instantly, Mansur felt boundless confidence and strength surge through him, and he asked with a hint of eagerness, "Great Khan, shall we enter the city now?"
"No rush. When the Great Khan of Turpan enters the city, how can there be no one to welcome him?" Prince Abudullahaha said with a half-smile.
Soon, over a hundred welcoming people emerged from the city, all wearing official robes. The person leading them was the old minister Aqimuboke Anivar from the time of the previous Khan.
The old man was nearly seventy, leaning on a bamboo staff, trembling slightly. Upon seeing Prince Abudullahaha, his expression became agitated. "Please, Great Khan, enter the city and take charge of the situation!"
"Great Khan? Prince is of meager virtue and dare not ascend this throne. This return, Prince only wishes to pay respects to Father Khan, and that is enough!" Prince Abudullahaha's eyes turned red, and even a man of iron shed tears, after all, it was his own father.
Power is a strange thing; the more you say you don't want it, the more others want to give it to you.
"Your Highness, only you in this world have the ability to resolve the chaos in Turpan. For the sake of the common people, please enter the city and inherit the throne. Do not refuse!" Anivar's old tears flowed freely, and he knelt down with a thump.
"Yes, by Allah, only Your Highness is the master of Turpan. Please follow us into the city and inherit the throne," another old minister from the era of Prince Abudureyimu, Ishaga Bek Sadiq, also knelt and pleaded.
"Please, Your Highness, enter the city and inherit the throne," the welcoming crowd knelt one after another. Their feelings were sincere; in these days, Turpan City had been terribly ravaged by the subordinates of the three princes. The soldier masters didn't care what rank of Bek you were or how high an official; if they wanted to rob, they would rob, and if you dared to disobey, you'd get a knife. They urgently hoped for a strong figure to end the chaotic times.
Thus, the hundred officials escorted Prince Abudullahaha towards the royal palace. He weakly struggled, "reluctantly" being supported by the crowd and ascending the Khan's throne.
Although the civil and military officials and the regional Emirs (tribal leaders) all acknowledged him as the Great Khan, his three younger brothers who held military power did not come to pay homage.
In the northern city of Turpan, the military camp of the Fourth Prince Babai was heavily guarded, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Babai was fully clad in military attire, armored and holding a blade, standing upright at the camp entrance, followed by elite guards.
"Fourth Brother, what are you doing? Having just lost our father, do you wish to lose your brother as well?"
With a loud shout, Abudulahaha Khan appeared before him, bringing no troops, only the loyal General Mansuer Boke.
Among the three princes, the Fourth Prince Babai had the best relationship with him. Although they were half-brothers, they were no different from full brothers. Therefore, he first came to Babai's military camp without bringing a single soldier. This was a gamble; if he won, the throne would be stable; if he lost, he would be cut into pieces by random blades.
He won the gamble. Seeing his elder brother come alone, Babai was deeply moved, and scenes of their past brotherly affection surfaced in his mind. In fact, ever since the news came that his elder brother had been enthroned as Khan by the important ministers, Babai knew he no longer had a chance to inherit the throne. If his elder brother died in his camp, it would only make him a target for everyone, benefiting the other brothers instead.
"Brother!"
Babai suddenly embraced Abudulahaha Khan and burst into tears, and Abudulahaha Khan also held him tightly, his face streaming with tears. With this cry, there was no longer any estrangement between the two brothers.
After a long while, Babai knelt before Abudulahaha Khan, saying, "Please, Brother—no, please, Great Khan, follow me into the camp and take command of the army."
"Fourth Brother, your subordinates will still be under your command. I appoint you as the Aqimuboke of Hami, and you shall bring me the head of King Mu Hanmaitixia of Hami."
"Yes, Great Khan!"
After subduing his Fourth Brother Babai, Abudulahaha Khan, leading his five thousand soldiers and Babai's two thousand five hundred soldiers, surrounded the military camp of his youngest brother, Ismail.
The young Prince Ismail had only two thousand subordinates. Having been protected by his father and brothers since childhood, he was not very courageous. Upon seeing the vast armies of his two elder brothers covering the mountains and plains, the young prince chickened out. Without a word, he immediately swore allegiance to Abudulahaha Khan by pointing to the sky.
"Younger Brother, you and I, as brothers, should henceforth stand together, revitalize Turpan, and must never harm each other! Otherwise, how can Father Khan's spirit rest in heaven?" Abudulahaha Khan embraced Ismail, just as he had embraced Babai, weeping profusely.
The Third Prince Ibrahim was a tough nut to crack. He was a military talent, governing his army strictly, and his three thousand five hundred soldiers only took orders from him alone. Abudulahaha Khan, along with Babai and Ismail, combined their forces and surrounded him. Yet, he showed no fear, defending his camp in an orderly manner.
Defeating him was possible, but it would severely damage Turpan's vitality. Abudulahaha Khan was unwilling to do so and sent the two old ministers Anivar and Sadiq to negotiate with him.
Soon, the two old men returned, bringing Ibrahim's condition: "The Third Highness said he wants to be the Aqimuboke of Turpan."
Upon hearing that he actually wanted to be the Governor of Turpan, Abudulahaha Khan frowned. If Third Brother became the Aqimuboke of Turpan, would the civil and military officials listen to Your Majesty, the Great Khan, or to him, the Aqimuboke?
"Great Khan, this old minister believes Your Majesty might as well agree for now. Once the titles of ruler and minister are settled, then order the Third Highness to guard the border passes in the name of Aqimuboke," the astute old Anivar advised.
Abudulahaha Khan pondered repeatedly, finally nodding slowly. He picked up a brush and wrote on a small piece of paper: "Third Brother may be the Aqimuboke of Turpan."
Seeing this small piece of paper, Ibrahim came out of his camp happily to welcome his brother.
It was still a familiar scene; Abudulahaha Khan embraced his Third Brother and wept bitterly for a long time.
Without expending a single soldier, he successfully settled matters with his three younger brothers and legitimately became the Great Khan of Turpan. Abudulahaha Khan's heart was filled with joy. What made him even happier was that after incorporating his brothers' subordinates, he had thirteen thousand soldiers under him, greatly increasing his strength. Allah was truly good to him; news came from his Brother Sultan Sulitang in Bican City that the Turpan army had defeated the ten thousand strong army of King Mu Hanmaitixia of Hami below Bican City. In this battle, they annihilated four thousand enemies, captured countless supplies, and suffered only slightly over three hundred casualties. More importantly, they crushed the morale of the Hami army, ensuring peace in the eastern frontier for the next few years.
Thinking of this Mu Hanmaitixia, Abudulahaha Khan's anger flared up. In those years, his father, Prince Abudureyimu, led his army to subdue the seven small states in the Hami region. Although it was only a nominal surrender, merely having these petty states symbolically pay some taxes, it was still a remarkable victory. As a result, this Mu Hanmaitixia went to Hami. Despite his surname being Borjigin, he insisted on claiming to be a descendant of a saint and subjugated the seven states of Hami. Ever since this person became the King of Hami, he no longer paid taxes to Turpan. Utterly despicable, Your Majesty swears to kill him!
While Abudulahaha Khan was grinding his teeth in hatred towards Mu Hanmaitixia, a bolt from the blue came from the west: The Oirat Mongol Khoshut Great Taiji Nomudalai led troops south to invade, capturing Chalish and Iron Gate Pass.