This had always been Mutasim III's greatest worry, and there were even times when he found it hard to sleep at night. But now that he thought about it, although the Tang people had come with a fierce momentum, they had succeeded in drawing out all the hidden rebels and survivors. Just like the High Priest had said, as long as he could pacify them and wait for the army to arrive, he might be able to wipe them all out in one fell swoop!
If he could use this opportunity to wipe them out, then even if the Tang people seized his weak point and extorted one billion taels of gold, it would still be acceptable.
This was truly killing two birds with one stone.
Mutasim III's pupils constricted, and he instantly fell silent. His eyebrows moved slightly as he lowered his head, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.
"Hular, how long will it take for the soldiers to arrive?"
The Caliph of Arabia, Mutasim III, suddenly turned his head to look at the steel-like Arab governor kneeling on the ground. He had not said a single word this entire time.
The Empire's White Corpse, Hular!
Although he was not as powerful or as famous as the Arab War God Qutaybah, he had forged his reputation through battle after battle. His skin was so pale that it made him seem like a corpse.
But even so, in the eyes of the Arabian Empire and the surrounding countries, Hular's reputation was no less than that of the Governor of Iron and Blood Abu Muslim.
From a certain perspective, he was even more ruthless and bloodthirsty than Abu Muslim. Most of the opponents who had fallen into his hands had died horribly.
Now that Qutaybah had died in battle, the most famous governor that had been summoned to Baghdad was probably the Empire's White Corpse.
If they wanted to deal with the two hundred thousand rebels and Tang soldiers in Khorasan, Hular would be the best commander. This was also why the Caliph Mutasim III had subconsciously asked him this question.
"Your Majesty, if we are fast, we can gather the army in seven days. But these are all ordinary soldiers and cannot pose much of a threat to the thick walls of Khorasan. If we want to gather enough soldiers and top-class Great Generals to completely destroy the enemy army in Khorasan, we will need fifteen to twenty days! "
Hular thought for a few moments before finally standing up.
"We'll march through the night. In ten days at most, the entire army must reach Khorasan. I will not permit these eastern infidels to remain in Khorasan for another day."
The Caliph of Arabia, Mutasim III, turned his head and spoke in an unquestionable tone.
"Yes, sir!"
Hular only hesitated for a moment before saying without the slightest hesitation.
Time was short, and it was almost impossible to gather enough soldiers from the other Arab war zones to reach Khorasan in time. Although the Empire's White Corpse Hular was pressed for time and the mission was arduous, as long as the army marched day and night, it was not impossible. Moreover, it would only require a few casualties.
Because to Hular, these were not his concerns.
Rumble!
The bitter defeat in the east, the death of Qutaybah, the fall of Khorasan, and Wang Chong's threats … all of these events had enraged the Arabian Empire and caused it to mobilize its soldiers. Not only did the atmosphere of war not weaken, it became even more intense.
… …
"Lord Protector-General, the next Arab city is only several dozen li from us, and the defenses there are weak. As long as we are willing, our two hundred thousand soldiers can cross the Tigris River and occupy that city without shedding a single drop of blood. General Bahram also said that if we go west from there, there are ten-some cities, and the land between the cities is flat with no natural defenses. If we want to, we can quickly occupy these Arabian territories. Why has Milord stopped at this time and ordered the army to rest? "
In the domed hall of Khorasan, the fourth commander of the Anxi Protectorate army, Lou Shiyi, couldn't help but ask.
The palaces of the Arabs were magnificent, their domed roofs covered in all sorts of delicate vine-like carvings, and their marble floors were completely different from those of the Central Plains. There were even many pearls and agate embedded in the floor, a luxurious sight to behold. But at this moment, whether it was Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, Xi Yuanqing, Li Siye, the black-armored guard, Su Hanshan, Xue Qianjun, or anyone else in the hall, all of them focused on Wang Chong.
If they were willing, they could take over ten-some Arab cities at their fingertips, but Wang Chong had stopped at a time like this. None of them could understand why.
"Haha, let me ask all of you, we've been marching west from Talas to Samarkand, and then to Khorasan, suffering so many casualties. Just why? Is it just for war? "
Wang Chong faintly smiled.
Everyone in the hall was stunned by these words. No one had expected Wang Chong to ask this question. Most of the people in the hall were generals. As generals, weren't they born for war? Wasn't the purpose of their existence to win this war?
At this moment, everyone couldn't help but feel somewhat confused.
Wang Chong silently smiled as he took in everyone's reactions. War was an art. It was a method, not an end. In every battle, one had to understand its goal and meaning. This was how one considered war on a strategic level. Judging from the reactions of the people in the hall, this concept of war clearly surpassed that of this era.
"The duty of a general is to win the war, but we've already defeated the Arabs, so do we still need to continue fighting? We've already lost more than one hundred thousand soldiers. Do we need to fight to the last man? "
Wang Chong swept his gaze over the crowd.
Everyone was momentarily speechless at Wang Chong's words. Although the war between the Tang Dynasty and Arabia had ended with the Tang Dynasty's victory, even pushing all the way to Khorasan and into the heart of the Arabian Empire, not far from the imperial capital of Baghdad, directly threatening this massive empire, the Tang Dynasty had also paid an enormous price. A general should lead the army to victory. If this wasn't the duty of a soldier, what else could it be?
The goal of war was not to kill, nor was it to fight for the sake of fighting. Everything was for profit. Only when there was profit to be gained could a war continue, could it be of use to the people of the country and not become a burden.
Throughout history, it was precisely because wars were purely about killing that they were criticized for being overly aggressive and even dragging down the entire country. Emperor Wu of Han fought in the north and south, his accomplishments in both administration and martial arts unparalleled in the world. He was hailed as the Eternal Emperor, but in his later years, he was criticized for his shortcomings, resulting in the weakening of the country.
"War involves many aspects, and it is extremely vast. Manpower, resources, weapons, soldiers, and rations are all extremely costly, so the Confucians have attacked in every possible way. This is the reason why it is said that civil and military officials despise each other and that civil and military officials do not get along. If a war does not bring benefits to the empire, no one will support it. "
Wang Chong sternly said to the people behind him.
The conflicts between the civil and military officials had existed for a very long time, spanning through history and dynasties. Each time they erupted, the Imperial Court would be shaken, and even an empire might collapse. If one carefully examined the issue, the root cause was not the difference between the civil and military officials, nor was it because the civil officials were refined while the military officials were crude. The root cause was that a war could not bring any benefits to an empire.
It was not just the civil officials. In the eyes of everyone else, war was a kind of consumption. It consumed warhorses, livestock, rations, and countless lives. Everything about it was negative. Once a war broke out on the border, the generals would go on a long expedition and launch a defensive counterattack. In the end, they would defeat the enemy and obtain victory, but they would not lose points, not gain points.
On the whole, the army and war would always give people a negative impression, always accompanied by death. Or to put it another way, once a war began, it meant that soldiers and rations were being wantonly collected, causing panic among the people.
But if war could bring benefits, enormous benefits that benefited the common people, then everything would be different.
If this problem was not addressed at its root, the conflict between civil and military officials would never end, and war would again and again reach a dead end.
The hall was eerily still, everyone silent. Even Gao Xianzhi had a pensive look on his face.
Not even Gao Xianzhi had ever considered Wang Chong's words. Soldiers were already used to war. Once they had the upper hand, the most important thing to do was strike while the iron was hot and continue to expand their gains. They were not like Wang Chong, who clearly had the power to break through ten-some cities, but chose to restrain the army and prepare for battle.
Instead, he was proposing peace talks with Arabia, using ten-some Arab cities as leverage to demand compensation for the war.
Let alone the several thousand years of history of the Central Plains, such a form of war had never been seen before in the entire history of the continent. It had to be said that Wang Chong always had many new and interesting things to think about.
"But, Wang Chong, one billion taels of gold is such an enormous sum. Will the Arabs really agree to it?"
Cheng Qianli couldn't help but ask, his brow slightly creased.
He had personally drafted this letter, and Lou Shiyi had written it. He had read it and sent it, so he knew all of its contents. One billion taels of gold was a sum that even he had been flabbergasted when he first saw it. If this much gold was piled up, it would truly be a mountain, enough to buy a large number of cities. Would the Arabs really agree to such a sky-high price?
At the start, Cheng Qianli had believed that this was just one of Wang Chong's strategies, for the sake of some larger strategy, but it now appeared that he was completely serious.
"Hahaha, why not?"
Wang Chong looked at the people in the hall and confidently said.
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.
