Clang!
There was a heaven-shaking clang, and before Wang Chong could react, the Khorasani leader had unsheathed his sword and raised it in the air. At the same time, he lowered his head, his expression solemn.
Wang Chong and all the people behind him were dumbfounded by this sight.
"Milord, he wishes to exchange swords with Milord. This is a custom of the Sassanid Dynasty. An exchange of the most precious sword is a show of courtesy and respect to the most esteemed guest. The people of Khorasani cherish their swords, even more than their own lives, and they rarely use this sort of etiquette. "
They rarely use this custom, "Won Shu-young explained.
The fifty-six-year-old Won Shu-young had begun to travel the world at the age of seventeen or eighteen. At that time, the Sassanid Dynasty had not yet been destroyed by the Arabs, and Won Shu-young had traveled the world. He was well acquainted with many of the customs of the Sassanid Dynasty, and he knew that this custom had an extraordinary significance to them.
"So that's how it is!"
Wang Chong also understood. After a moment of thought, he unsheathed his WuZi Steel sword and offered it with both hands. As all the Tang Dynasty soldiers and Khorasani watched, the two exchanged swords.
Bang! “
The moment the swords were exchanged, all the Angolan Cataphracts and Sassanid Cavalry behind Bahram began to cheer in excitement.
"Druya, Shankuzi Masra …"
At this moment, Bahram spoke once more, his expression one of utmost respect.
"Great General Bahram says that the Arabs are the eternal foes of the Sassanids. Milord has killed their enemy Aybak, Qutaybah, and more than four hundred thousand Arab soldiers. The Sassanids are eternally grateful to Milord. As long as Milord wishes to deal with the Arabs, the Sassanids are willing to serve Milord and become Milord's staunchest allies to the west of the Cong Mountains. "
Won Shu-young translated.
"Great General is too polite!"
Wang Chong quickly replied.
"We've also heard about the plight of the Sassanids. The Arabs are vicious and cruel, delighting in conquest and destruction. In this matter, we share a common enemy. The Tang dynasty is also willing to become the staunchest ally of the Sassanids in dealing with the Arabs. "
Wang Chong said in a deep voice.
"General Wang's words are more than enough!"
Bahram's eyes brightened.
As he spoke, he stretched out his thick and powerful right palm.
"Hehe!"
Wang Chong smiled and extended his right hand as well. Two steel-like hands clasped tightly in the void.
At that moment, no one knew that this simple and forceful handshake had formed the firmest alliance on the continent west of the Cong Mountains. It had also forged the Tang Dynasty's strongest, most loyal, and most reliable ally in the region between Samarkand and Khorasan.
"Hahaha …"
As Wang Chong and Bahram released their hands, the entire Black Forest resounded with the cheerful laughter of the two armies.
With the addition of Bahram and the nine-thousand-some Aswaran Cataphracts, Wang Chong's forces had received a massive boost in strength. Bahram provided an important piece of information.
The Khorasani had learned from the personal guards that Abu Muslim had left in Samarkand that Samarkand had begun to muster the militia. Once Abu Muslim arrived at Samarkand, they would close the city gates and use the thick walls of Samarkand to resist the Tang people.
"General has never been to Samarkand, so perhaps you do not know, but the walls of Samarkand are not much inferior to those of Talas. If they are allowed to retreat into the city and gather a large number of militia, it will be extremely disadvantageous to us. The urgent task at hand is to not give them any time to catch their breath. In addition, the people we left in Samarkand have successfully infiltrated Abu Muslim's army in the rear and taken control of one of the city gates. But Abu Muslim has always been cautious, and there is no guarantee that he will not begin to mobilize the defenses of Samarkand. Thus, we must be fast! Speed is of the essence in war! "
Bahram solemnly said.
"In addition, how long will General remain here in this battle with the Arabs?"
Bahram's eyes were suffused with deep concern.
In order to cooperate with the Tang Dynasty, the Sassanid elites had been mobilized, and even the Aswaran Cataphracts that had been hidden this entire time had been called out by Bahram. This army was more than enough to deal with the remnants of Abu Muslim's defeated army, but once Abu Muslim caught his breath and gathered more Arab soldiers, the Sassanids would suffer grievous losses.
The Aswaran Cataphracts had been able to survive the encirclement of the Arabian Empire because they had always hidden themselves, never revealing a single trace of themselves. But once they were exposed, it would not be so easy to hide them again.
"Haha, Great General, there is no need to worry. This war between the Tang Dynasty and the Arabs is not just a single war, and our goal is not just Samarkand. In the fight against the Arabs, the Tang Dynasty can be the Sassanid Dynasty's firmest backer and ally. General has no need to worry about this. "
Wang Chong knew what Bahram and the Khorasani were worried about, and he immediately heartily laughed as he reassured them.
The aggressive nature of the Arabs foreordained that they would forever be enemies of the Great Tang. If they were not dealt a painful blow this time, they would definitely come back next year and besiege the walls of the Great Tang. Just as the Stone of Destiny had said, one mountain could not accommodate two tigers, and one pool could not accommodate two dragons. It was very difficult for two equally massive empires to exist on the same continent. Just this point alone made it impossible for Wang Chong to easily withdraw his soldiers.
"Wonderful!"
Bahram's face was agitated. He had led his eight to nine thousand Aswaran Cataphracts on this journey, taking such a huge risk, precisely for this promise from Wang Chong.
"General, be at ease. From Samarkand to Khorasan, we know many rebels, all of them descendants of dynasties whose cities and countries were destroyed by the Arabs. I can contact them and organize them so that they can work with General to sweep away the Arabs. The Arabs are perverse and cruel. They are everyone's enemies. General killed the Arab War God Qutaybah at Talas. I am confident that everyone will support General as their leader in resisting the Arabs! "
“！！！”
At these words, Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi glanced at each other, both of them greatly shocked. Although the Tang Dynasty had defeated the Arabs in this campaign, it had also suffered grievous losses. Of its more than one hundred thousand soldiers, only twenty to thirty thousand remained. This time, it had only had eight to nine thousand Aswaran Cataphracts as allies, a force that was still too weak to conquer the Arabs. But now, it seemed that the Tang Dynasty would be able to obtain far more assistance than this. This was definitely a pleasant surprise.
"Great General, this is excellent. Let us proceed according to Great General's plan!"
Wang Chong turned his head and smiled at Bahram.
The Tang Dynasty soldiers were extremely exhausted from the battle, and the war with the Arabs was bound to be long and drawn out. Wang Chong ordered the army to rest for a while, replenish their strength and food, and then work with the Aswaran Cataphracts to set out once more. Speed was paramount in war, and this time, the two armies made no more stops. They passed through the Black Forest and headed toward Samarkand.
About two hours later, a huge city that towered into the clouds like a towering mountain came into view.
"What a massive city!"
Li Siye covered his brow with his hand as he stared at this majestic city, his eyes widening.
The City of Talas was already massive, but this city was even larger and more majestic than the City of Talas. The thick and sturdy walls extended into the heavens. From a distance, one could tell that this city was even more difficult to breach than the City of Talas.
Around Li Siye, Cheng Qianli, Xi Yuanqing, Lou Shiyi, and Xue Qianjun all had similar looks in their eyes. It was clear that this fortress of the east had left an extremely deep impression on them.
"Begin!"
In the distance, Bahram, mounted on his monstrous warhorse, waved a signal banner at the high walls. In the next moment, with a rumble, a huge city gate that was thirty to forty meters tall suddenly opened slowly, revealing a passageway that led to the military town of Samarkand.
The opening of the gate made everyone feel like a heavy stone had been lifted from their hearts, and they instantly felt much more relaxed.
"Kiiiill!" Clang!
With a clang, Wang Chong sat on the White-hoofed Shadow's back and took out the sword he had exchanged with Bahram. The sharp tip of the sword was aimed at the heavens, its cold light reflecting off of it. Rumble! In the next moment, it was as if the mountains were collapsing and the earth was cracking. The two armies and nearly thirty thousand elites surged forward like a mighty tide, charging towards Samarkand.
… …
"Ziyad, listen to my order. Reinforce the defenses and change all the defenses. Increase the number of soldiers stationed at each gate, and increase the number of soldiers stationed at each gate by four to five times. Samarkand's walls are high and thick. This will be our most important tool against the Tang people. As long as we have this city, the Tang people will find it very difficult to break through, not even in a year. "
Within Samarkand, Abu Muslim was pacing back and forth in the domed hall, his expression tense and his eyes brimming with unconcealable worry. If one looked carefully, one would even notice that his eyes were bloodshot.
In the Battle of Talas, the Arabs had suffered an unprecedented defeat. Aybak had been killed, the Mamelukes had been heavily wounded, and Osman had been ambushed and killed by Bahram. Most importantly, even the Governor of War of the north, Qutaybah, had died at the hands of the Tang people, as well as more than four hundred thousand Arab elites. Just the thought of such a miserable defeat would make any Arab governor's scalp go numb.
Even now, Abu Muslim didn't know how he should explain this to the Caliph, nor how he should face the furious Caliph.
"Yes, this general will do so."
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