'It is better to pursue a cornered enemy with the remaining courage than to seek fame as a tyrant.' Abu Muslim and Ziyad had transferred all their energy to the dead Qutaybah, and their strength was severely weakened, so they could only choose to flee. If we wait for them to recover, this battle won't be so easy. "
"Let's go!"
Gao Xianzhi was even more straightforward than Wang Chong. With a single order, all his soldiers began to rush in the direction of Abu Muslim's retreat.
"Milord, the Black Forest is up ahead. After passing through the Black Forest, Samarkand is just a few hundred li away!"
After traveling for several dozen li, a voice suddenly sounded. Banahan was riding on a maroon horse, pointing to the front.
Few of Wang Chong's subordinates had ever been to Arabia before, so they didn't know much about the route, but Banahan was different. As the leader of the Ferghanan Tribe of the Western Regions, Banahan had made several trips to Samarkand in his youth. Although it had been so long that he couldn't remember the exact route, he still remembered the general location.
Creee!
As they were speaking, a shrill cry came from the sky. The group of people raised their heads and saw a huge rock eagle spreading its wings in the sky, drawing strange patterns over and over again. After repeating this a few times, it quickly turned around and flew forward in a huge arc.
"Milord, there's a report from the front. There seems to be a battle taking place in the direction of the Black Forest!"
On the side, Zhang Que looked away from the sky, rode his horse forward, and bowed to Wang Chong.
The rock eagles trained by Zhang Que's Eagle Team all had their own special code words, with different flight paths representing different meanings. The rock eagle just now had said 'there's a battle up ahead'.
"But how is that possible? The Arab territory will soon be up ahead. Other than us, who else can fight with the Arabs! "
Xi Yuanqing was the first to speak, his eyes filled with shock.
There was no need to doubt the strength of the Arabs west of the Cong Mountains, and almost no faction could contend against them. All the factions that could pose a threat to them had been uprooted long ago. Who else could stop Abu Muslim?
Even Gao Xianzhi had a pensive look on his face.
"Heh, not necessarily!"
A light flashed in Wang Chong's eyes. He seemed to have thought of something and suddenly said.
"Have you forgotten that there is another Khorasani?"
As soon as Wang Chong's voice fell, it was like a sudden clap of thunder. Everyone was startled at first, but they quickly revealed a look of understanding.
Before this battle, the Khorasani had sent a message expressing their goodwill to the Tang dynasty. The Khorasani had sworn that as long as the Tang Dynasty could defeat Abu Muslim and his enormous Arab army at Talas, they would send their strongest cavalry to work with the Tang Dynasty to stop the Arabs on their retreat.
"Aswaran Cataphracts!"
In a flash, the same thought suddenly appeared in everyone's mind.
"Go!"
Gao Xianzhi squeezed the horse's abdomen and led the group forward. The twenty-thousand-some Great Tang soldiers followed closely behind him, filling the sky as they advanced toward the Black Forest.
When the group arrived at the edge of the Black Forest, it only took a moment for a dozen heavily armored cavalrymen to form a neat formation and gallop towards the group. The physique, appearance, and armor of these people were similar to those of the Arabs, but they were also very different.
"It's the Khorasani!"
Xi Yuanqing and Lou Shiyi exclaimed in delight.
The two of them had personally received the Khorasani when they were lingering at Talas, so they could tell at a glance that the Khorasani were very different from the fierce and warlike Arabs.
"Great General Wang Chong is up ahead!"
When the Khorasani was still several hundred paces from the group, a hawk-eyed and high-nosed Khorasani suddenly spoke in the language of the Tang Dynasty.
"That's me!"
Wang Chong's eyes flashed as he waved a hand behind him.
"Someone, go to the back and invite Won Shu-young and Sir Yuan over."
One of Wang Chong's personal guards quickly left. A few moments later, Won Shu-young rode up from the rear on a Turkic horse with a glossy white coat.
Knowing that the situation was unique, Won Shu-young and Wang Chong exchanged a few words before stepping forward to converse with the Khorasani cavalry. Although he seemed weak and cultured, when it came to language, Won Shu-young immediately became high-spirited and brimming with confidence. It was like he had become a different person. Gallop!
Gallop, gallop, gallop. In just a moment, Yuan Shusong spurred his horse back to the camp.
"Milord, the Khorasani say that they learned of Milord's victory and, in accordance with the oath they made to Milord, attacked the retreating Arab army in the Black Forest and even captured Governor Osman of Cairo. The leader of the Khorasani, Great General Bahram, has sent word that he wishes for Milord to meet with him and discuss how to deal with the Arabs! "
Won Shu-young excitedly said.
"What!"
The Khorasani soldiers were overjoyed.
"Wonderful!"
Only Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi glanced at each other in surprise.
Although the Arabs' strength had been greatly reduced, their morale and morale at rock bottom, they still had tens of thousands of soldiers, and they also had several top-class armies that possessed considerable strength. This sort of army was not something that any faction could defeat.
The Khorasani had been able to defeat them and even kill the heavily injured Osman. This sort of strength had left a deep impression on them.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Khorasani shouldn't be hostile!"
Wang Chong turned his head to Gao Xianzhi.
"Mm, let's go and take a look! We've suffered great losses and don't have many soldiers left. If we can obtain the help of the Khorasani, we'll be of great help in suppressing the Arabs. Moreover, they're more familiar with the Arabian Empire than we are. With them as our guide, we'll be able to avoid a lot of trouble. "
Gao Xianzhi said after a few moments of thought.
The appearance of the Khorasani at a time like this was truly unexpected, but it was definitely good news.
Ten-some Khorasani led the way while Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi brought up the rear. Around half a cup of tea later, Wang Chong's group arrived in the depths of the Black Forest, where the Khorasani army had already concluded its battle.
In the Black Forest, in between the rubble and collapsed statues of gods, the corpses of Arabs were strewn all over the place. Warhorses were strewn across the ground in various postures, their blood freely staining this famous trade route of the Silk Road with blood.
In the center of these corpses was an army of around eight or nine thousand soldiers cleaning up the mess.
The armor worn by this army was very uniform. The armor was extremely thick, and it gave off the smell of raging fire and fresh blood. Anyone who saw this army would be able to sense the steely and well-tempered aura exuding from them.
This aura was extremely similar to that of the Wushang Cavalry of the Tang Dynasty and the Mamelukes of the Arabs, but it was even thicker.
This was the aura of an extremely ancient army with an extremely long legacy.
The Angolan Cataphracts!
This thought emerged in Wang Chong's mind.
This was the origin of the Mamelukes and the target of their emulation. The Angolan Cataphracts were undoubtedly the strongest army in the region of one thousand li to the west of the Cong Mountains.
This army had single-handedly forged the power and glory of the Sassanid Dynasty. Even after the fall of the Sassanid Dynasty, several decades later, this army still exuded an inspiring strength that had not been diminished by the passage of time.
Upon seeing this army, Wang Chong finally understood why the Arabian Empire and the Mamelukes were so apprehensive of this remnant army of the Sassanid Dynasty.
As these thoughts flitted through his mind, Wang Chong quickly came back to his senses and fixed his gaze on the golden-armored figure at the front of the army, the Khorasani leader riding a monstrous warhorse and exuding a lofty and unfathomable aura.
His expression was solemn and serene, his eyes as bright as the sun in the sky. The warhorse he was riding was also extremely intimidating, its muscles knotted and brimming with explosive power. It was at least three times the size of an ordinary warhorse. It was stopped in the middle of the road and was extremely eye-catching.
"Asai, qisi yaliqalu!"
Before Wang Chong could speak, the golden-armored Khorasani leader immediately turned his head, his gaze sweeping past Gao Xianzhi and Wang Chong before settling on Wang Chong.
"Milord, this should be Khorasani Great General Bahram. He's asking who Great General Wang Chong is!"
Won Shu-young rode forward and whispered into Wang Chong's ear.
"As expected!"
Wang Chong nodded. As he looked at this Great General Bahram, Wang Chong more or less understood why Abu Muslim had been defeated by several thousand soldiers and why Osman had been killed.
In terms of strength, this Great General Bahram was at least on the same level as Abu Muslim at his peak. Even if he was lacking, it wouldn't be by much.
Moreover, this Great General Bahram gave off an extremely valiant feeling. He was definitely a veteran of many battles, a top-class general who had experienced mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
The Sassanid Dynasty had been destroyed by the Arabs several decades ago, and the younger generation of generals simply couldn't possess this sort of aura. It was obvious that this Great General Bahram was a senior general of the Sassanid Dynasty. Given his strength and the fact that Abu Muslim had been greatly weakened, he was naturally no match for him.
"Sir Senior, come with me!"
Wang Chong called out to Gao Xianzhi and urged his horse forward.
"Great General pays his respects!"
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