"There's no need!"
Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi stood side by side, gazing at the thick plumes of smoke rising from the walls of Khorasan.
"If someone like Abu Muslim wants to escape, it will be very difficult for us to find him in such a large city. Moreover, our next step is not to fight or kill a single person, but to consider the overall situation. General Cheng, have you prepared the letter I told you about? "
"It was prepared a long time ago. With Shiyi holding the brush, it can be sent to Baghdad by the Arabian hunting falcons at any time. "
A voice came from behind. Cheng Qianli tapped lightly on the top of the city wall and quickly caught up.
A top-class Great General would always consider the outcome of a battle, but Wang Chong did not just consider the situation on the battlefield, but also the overall situation outside the battlefield. His vision and plans were enough to make the other Great Generals of the continent pale in comparison. This was also why Cheng Qianli admired him.
The army quickly surged in. Without Abu Muslim and Ziyad to guard the city, the tens of thousands of soldiers collapsed and were wiped out faster than ever before. Only four hours had passed from the opening of the gate to the entrance of the army. Wang Chong and his army had completely taken over this strategic city at the western end of the Silk Road.
"This is the Tigris River?"
On the western side of Khorasan, on the high walls, Wang Chong, Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, Li Siye, Won Shu-young, and Bahram all ascended to the top of the walls. Standing on the eastern wall of Khorasan, Wang Chong could see at a glance that a vast and vast river was surging through the city.
This river was fifty to sixty zhang wide and extremely deep. Although the water flowed rapidly, it was not as turbid as imagined.
For the first time in Wang Chong's life, he saw one of the two most famous rivers of the Sassanid Dynasty west of the Cong Mountains, the Tigris and the Euphrates.
This was the source of the Sassanid Dynasty's civilization and also the most important river of the Arabian Empire.
"This is only a tributary of the Tigris River. The main branch of this river is even wider and grander than what you see. Our Sassanid people were able to nurture several thousand years of history and become the strongest country on the coast precisely because of these two rivers. But now, they have both fallen into the hands of the Arabian Empire. They have even imposed heavy taxes on anyone who crosses these two rivers. Our Sassanids cannot travel east or west without these two rivers. Every year, they take an incalculable amount of wealth and send it to the Arab treasury. "
Bahram sighed.
Wang Chong silently listened, a few thoughts flitting through his mind, but he quickly calmed down.
History had changed significantly from what Wang Chong remembered. At the very least, in Wang Chong's memories, there were no tributaries of the Tigris River outside Khorasan. Wang Chong's gaze paused on this famed river of the west and Arabia for a few moments, and then he slowly raised his head and gazed into the distance. Wang Chong could faintly 'see' an enormous capital. This was the center of the Western Continent's politics, power, culture, and military.
"Baghdad!"
This thought flitted through Wang Chong's mind.
Abu Muslim had wanted to break through Talas and occupy the Western Regions. Ironically, in the end, Abu Muslim had not been able to threaten Chang 'an. Instead, Wang Chong had marched westward, penetrating deep into Arabia and following the Silk Road to reach Khorasan, the city at the end of the Silk Road.
"General Cheng, begin!"
Wang Chong continued to look forward, not even turning his head.
"Yes!"
A few moments after Cheng Qianli spoke, an Arabian hunting falcon soared into the sky, flying toward the capital of the Arabian Empire, Baghdad.
More than 2,200 kilometers, this was already a very close distance …
Starting from Khorasan, crossing the Tigris River and Euphrates River, and traveling west for another thirteen hundred kilometers, one would reach the core of the Arabian Empire.
This was a majestic city, its towers and domed palaces so densely packed together that they reached into the heavens. This small place was home to many soldiers, millions of civilians, and countless merchants. The economy, culture, and politics were all extremely developed.
This was Baghdad, the largest center of the Arabian Empire.
On the western border, it had another resounding name: 'Sleepless City'! Everyone in this city celebrated day and night, and it was called the Sleepless City.
Creee!
Suddenly, a shrill cry came from the sky. An enormous Arabian hunting falcon spread its wings, its feathers trembling as it descended from the sky like an arrow. Wrapped in a gust of wind, it flew into the Imperial Palace at the highest point of Baghdad.
Rumble!
But unbeknownst to anyone, this Arabian hunting falcon's descent into the Imperial Palace was like a boulder crashing into the ground, sending massive waves through the empire.
"Bastard!!"
A thunderous roar resounded through the Imperial Palace at the highest point of Baghdad, causing countless governors, generals, and nobles to kneel on the ground, their bodies trembling in fear.
At the highest point of the palace, seated on a golden throne, the Caliph of the Arabian Empire, Mutasim III, dressed in a white robe of silver silk and wearing a golden crown, his eyes spitting out thunderous flames.
As the sovereign of the Abbasid Caliphate, Mutasim III was hailed as the greatest sovereign in the history of the Abbasid Caliphate. Under his rule, the Abbasid Caliphate had destroyed countless factions, and the empire's territory had been expanded to an unprecedented level of prosperity.
Countless famous ministers, generals, and ministers, millions of elite cavalry, and powerful armies were all waiting for him, ready to conquer the world for him at any time.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was one of the most powerful rulers in the world.
But at this moment, all this glory and glory had vanished into thin air.
The Behemoth Army had been destroyed, the Skyquaking Army had been dealt a heavy blow, Qutaybah had been killed in battle, Aybak had been killed, Osman had been killed, the Mamelukes had been destroyed … he had heard far too much grievous news in this period.
Mutasim III had originally held great expectations for this eastern campaign, hoping to use his enormous army to conquer the east and unify the continent, accomplishing an unprecedented feat.
But now, all his hopes had been shattered. Not only that, a Great General of the eastern infidel had arrived at his gates and threatened his Baghdad.
Moreover, this enemy had put forth an extremely excessive demand.
This was a terrible humiliation that Mutasim III could not endure.
"Your Majesty, these Tang people have only given us three days to reply, but carrier pigeons require two days. If we do not receive a reply or refuse their demands, they will immediately take action. They will cross the Tigris River and head west to capture even more cities. This will cause the entire empire to panic, which will be extremely detrimental to the empire. "
An Arab minister dressed in jewels and jewels kneeled on the ground and fearfully spoke.
"Useless thing! We have so many soldiers, so many governors and generals! Would we be threatened by a single infidel? Pass on our decree! Exterminate these Tang people and the remnants of the dynasty! "
Mutasim III was like an enraged lion, his voice ringing with fury.
Bzzz! The hall was deathly still, everyone kneeling on the ground, their heads bowed to the ground.
"Why aren't you speaking? Speak! We have so many soldiers and generals! Are we incapable of exterminating a trifling army of two hundred thousand? "
Mutasim III angrily rebuked.
"Your, Your Majesty. In the previous battles, we sent all our soldiers to Talas in Cairo, the north, and the east, totaling nearly five hundred thousand soldiers. After the defeat at Talas, we were almost completely wiped out. Right now, our entire eastern region has no soldiers to use. "
An Arab general stammered.
"Not only that, Qutaybah and Abu Muslim have always been the strongest governors of the empire. The number of people in the empire that can compare to them can be counted on one's fingers. Even if we send soldiers now, we will find it very difficult to defeat them. Moreover, gathering soldiers is not something that can be done in three to five days. But if we do not immediately agree to the demands of those infidels, they will immediately cross the Tigris River and attack all the other cities, perhaps even … Baghdad! "
Another general mustered up his courage and said.
Crack!
Just as the two of them finished speaking, a crisp sound suddenly rang out in the hall. Mutasim III's five fingers tightened, and the armrest of the throne in his right hand was instantly crushed to pieces. His originally fair face became extremely red.
As the strongest monarch in the history of the Arabian Empire, this was the first time he had been forced into a situation where he had no soldiers to use.
"One billion taels of gold, one billion taels! Do all of you mean that We should agree to that madman of the east, accept his extortion, and give them so much wealth!? "
Mutasim III's expression was furious, his eyes gloomy.
One billion taels of gold!
Even though Arabia was as wealthy as a country, having plundered the treasures of countless kingdoms and factions over the past several hundred years, accumulating an enormous amount of wealth, this was still an enormous sum to the Arabs.
"But Your Majesty, if we do not agree, we will lose far more than one billion taels of gold. They can advance east from Khorasan and conquer many territories. With two hundred thousand soldiers and those skilled eastern Great Generals, we won't be able to resist them in a short time! In the end, even if we drive them out of the empire, we will still suffer grievous losses. "
"Your Highness," an Arab noble said in a trembling voice.
The cities of the east were in peril, but the two hundred thousand soldiers had remained in Khorasan, waiting to move out. This was even more shocking than a true attack. Using several dozen cities of the Arabian Empire as a threat and using the name of war reparations to demand a price of one billion taels of gold was simply unprecedented. Not even in the Arabian Empire's endless conquests had such a thing been heard of.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
