Everyone had witnessed Qutaybah's strength. A single bolt of Sword Qi was enough to send thousands of steel walls flying and was completely capable of opening a gap for the army. Thus, he still had a very good chance of defeating the Tang Dynasty.
"Okay!"
Qutaybah's entire body was covered in golden armor, making it impossible to see the expression on his face. Just when everyone believed that he would refuse, the Arab War God gave a rare nod.
"However, none of you are allowed to touch that black-robed elder of the Tang people. That person can only die at my hands! "
Everyone was dazed for a moment, but they quickly understood. Qutaybah was hailed as the strongest governor of Arabia, with even Abu Muslim finding it very difficult to contend against him at times. But this time, he had actually encountered someone at Talas who could match him and block his attacks, the elder of the east. This was something that the proud Qutaybah would never be able to accept.
Thus, rather than saying that Qutaybah had agreed to Abu Muslim's request, it was more accurate to say that Qutaybah wanted to kill that mysterious old man of the Tang Dynasty. But at a time like this, no one was stupid enough to point this out, much less oppose him.
"There's one more thing."
At this moment, Ziyad suddenly spoke up, immediately drawing everyone's attention. Abu Muslim, Aybak, Osman, and the others all turned to look in shock.
"The Ouzan and Western Turks can't continue like this. In this war, they only sent one army each and didn't send much else. In this campaign, our Arabian Empire has already lost more than two hundred thousand soldiers, while the Ouzan and Western Turks have only lost twenty thousand. Since they want to ally with our Arabia and enjoy the fruits of our conquest, they can't continue to hide behind us like they are doing now. If you want to reap the rewards, you must pay the price. The Ouzan and Western Turks must appear on the front lines! "
Ziyad met everyone's gazes with a solemn expression. As the Deputy Governor of the East, Ziyad had long been dissatisfied with Ouzan and the Western Turks. In the first phase of the battle, if Ouzan and the Western Turks had worked with the Arabs to attack from the rear, the Tang Dynasty would have been attacked from the front and rear, and the current situation might have been completely different. Ziyad and Abu Muslim might have already entered the City of Talas.
Abu Muslim said nothing, a pensive look in his eyes.
"Inform them! We'll do as you say! "
Abu Muslim sternly said, finally coming to a decision.
As long as he could win, Abu Muslim didn't care about anything else.
…
"The Tang people are so powerful. It seems that the emperor of the Tang dynasty has also noticed this place. He has even sent out the Luo Iron Cavalry. If he takes another step forward, I'm afraid he will personally lead the army!"
Far away from the Arabs, Dalun Ruozan, Huoshu Huizang, Dusong Mangpoje, and Duwusili had also gathered. When speaking of the Holy Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, a deep apprehension appeared in Huoba Sangye's eyes.
In the Tang dynasty, the Emperor was not just the Emperor. Even Huoba Sangye knew that the number one expert of the Central Plains was not an Imperial Great General, nor was it an expert of some hidden sect. It was precisely the Holy Emperor hidden deep within the Tang Dynasty's Imperial Palace. Just the name 'Holy Emperor' was enough to show his status in the Central Plains and the entire eastern world.
After all, the most powerful era of the Tang Dynasty had been created by none other than the Holy Emperor!
If both of them had appeared at Talas, the outcome of this war would have been completely different.
"There's no need to worry about these things. A sovereign cannot lightly step onto the battlefield. In the southwest, if not for Gelofeng risking her life, we would not have been defeated so quickly! Mengshe Zhao would not have been reduced to this state, completely submitting to the Tang Dynasty and paying enormous reparations. The urgent task at hand is to think about how to deal with this war! "
Huoshu Huicang suddenly said in the tent.
"Prime Minister, I feel like the Arabs are very likely to vent their anger on us after this crushing defeat!"
With these last words, Huoshu Huizang turned to Dalun Ruozan, his eyes brimming with concern.
Dalun Ruozan said nothing, his eyes revealing the same concern as Huoshu Huizang. On this point, he and Huoshu Huizang were in complete agreement.
Ever since Qutaybah and the two Arab Great Generals had arrived at Talas, the alliance between Ouzan and Arabia had slowly become more complicated. Moreover, Dalun Ruozan could keenly sense that the authority to command this battle had shifted from Abu Muslim to the Governor of War, Qutaybah.
This meant that the alliance between Ouzan and Arabia was no longer as firm as it had been before, and many variables had been added to the mix.
"Now is not the time to think about these things. Only by winning this battle will our alliance with the Arabs have any meaning. Otherwise, in the future, Ouzan will lose all ability to contend against the Tang people in the east. "
Dalun Ruozan sternly said. No matter how complicated the situation was, Dalun Ruozan would always be able to sort out the most important and crucial information from the tangled web of information.
"I don't know if any of you have realized, but in this war, Arabia's greatest advantage, its greatest strength, is actually not its elite soldiers, but that Governor of War, Qutaybah. All the soldiers of Arabia are subservient to him, and this is the source of Arabia's morale. But Qutaybah seems to have met his match! "
With these final words, Dalun Ruozan turned to Dusong Mangpoje, a profound look in his eyes.
No one knew the background of these two elders, but this was not the first time Dalun Ruozan had encountered them. The two sides had already interacted with each other when they were attacking the Tang Dynasty reinforcements led by Su Hanshan. As for Dusong Mangpoje, this was probably his third meeting with these two people!
Dusong Mangpoje said nothing, but his brow imperceptibly twitched as a hint of pain flashed through his eyes.
He knew what Dalun Ruozan was talking about. In the battle of the triangular gap in the northeast corner of the Ouzan Plateau, it was precisely because of these two people that Dusong Mangpoje had suffered a crushing defeat, losing almost all of his soldiers. This had also left the Ouzan without soldiers in the north, completely incapable of contending against the Tang Dynasty. All they could do was watch as the Tang Dynasty continued to invade the plateau.
And according to the latest news, Dusong Mangpoje had even heard that the Tang Dynasty had built a massive horse farm there to raise warhorses. As the proud Eagle of the Plateau, this was a disgrace that Dusong Mangpoje would never be able to erase for the rest of his life.
"Leave that person to me to deal with. At that moment in the future, no one will be able to stop Qutaybah. "
After a long while, Dusong Mangpoje regained his composure and finally spoke.
Tap tap tap!
At this moment, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps came from outside the tent, breaking the silence in the tent. A voice in Arabic quickly resounded in his ears.
"Prime Minister of Ouzan, is Dalun Ruozan here?"
This voice had the unique trill of an Arab voice.
"Come in!"
Dalun Ruozan grimaced as he immediately said.
An Arab guard with thick hair, hawk-like eyes, and a deep nose quickly walked in.
"Prime Minister, Lord Governor has ordered that in tomorrow's battle, Ouzan should mobilize its soldiers and cooperate with us!"
The Arab guard got straight to the point.
Buzz!
Dalun Ruozan's expression darkened, and he grimaced.
"What did this Arab say?"
Duwu Sili, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up.
Dalun Ruozan did not hesitate and immediately relayed the Arab guard's intentions. In a flash, the mood in the tent changed, and even Huoshu Huicang showed a hint of anger on his face. He had known that the Arabs would vent their anger on them, but he hadn't expected it to be so fast. Moreover, it seemed like the Arabs wanted Ouzan to be the vanguard and serve as cannon fodder.
"These bastards are going too far!"
Before Dalun Ruozan could say anything, Dayan Ersongrong couldn't help but interject.
Whether it was Dalun Ruozan, Dusong Mangpoje, Huoshu Huizang, or Duwusili, they were all supreme existences to the young elites of clans like Dayan Ersongrong, truly important personages. But it was precisely because of this that they found the Arab demand even harder to accept.
"Hahaha, Prime Minister, do you need me to kill him?"
The Brigadier General of the Yarlung Royal Lineage, Dama Trimo, patted the golden Buddhist saber on his waist and heartily laughed. His eyes were as sharp as swords as they constantly scanned the Arab guard like he was a piece of meat on the chopping block.
"Bastard! What do you think you're doing! "
The hairy, hawk-eyed, and deep-nosed Arab guard angrily said. Although he didn't understand Ouzan, Dama Trimo's eyes clearly expressed his intentions.
"Dama Trimo, stop!"
Huoshu Huizang harshly said.
Even he had heard of Dama Trimo's murderous nature, but now was not the time for internal strife.
"Haha, since the Great General has spoken, I'll reluctantly let this reckless scoundrel go."
Dama Trimo wickedly chuckled.
Huoshu Huizang and the Yarlung Royal Lineage's Great General Namri Songtian had an extraordinary friendship, and Huoshu Huizang's loyalty to Ouzan was well-known throughout the plateau. Although Dama Trimo had an extremely murderous nature, he also deeply admired and respected this loyal Great General.
Dalun Ruozan quickly waved his hand, ordering the Arab guard to withdraw. The tent instantly fell silent, all eyes focused on Dalun Ruozan.
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