"Marquis, you were looking for me?"
Zhang Shouzhi respectfully bowed in front of Wang Chong.
After two days of battle, the busiest person in the Tang Dynasty army had been Zhang Shouzhi. In the two days of battle, the busiest person in the Tang Dynasty army had been Zhang Shouzhi. He was the highest civil engineer in all of Talas and one of the most formidable in the entire Tang Dynasty. Whether it was the construction of the two steel defense lines or the several hundred steel catapults on the walls of Talas, Zhang Shouzhi had personally built all of them.
From the southwest to the northwest, Zhang Shouzhi's role was only getting more and more important. One could say that even though he didn't know any martial arts, his importance in all of Qixi was probably second only to Wang Chong.
"This is for you. You should strengthen the two defense lines."
As Wang Chong spoke, he took out a blueprint and handed it over. This was a blueprint that he had redesigned after the conclusion of the battle, based on the current situation and the characteristics of the three sides. Other than Wang Chong, Zhang Shouzhi, and a few of his core disciples, no one else could understand these blueprints.
"Relax. Leave this matter to me."
Zhang Shouzhi glanced at the blueprint and quickly nodded. The military situation was urgent, and the lives of more than one hundred thousand soldiers were at stake. Zhang Shouzhi did not dare to tarry. He took the blueprint and hurriedly left.
"Li Siye, I'll leave the matters here to you. Strengthen the defenses and keep an eye on the movements of Ouzan, the Western Turks, and the Arabs. If anything happens, inform me at any time. "
Once Zhang Shouzhi had left, Wang Chong continued to issue orders.
"This general will go!" Li Siye sternly said.
"Xu Keyi, Chen Bin! Hurry up and repair the ballistae! Prepare for battle at any moment! "
"Yes, Marquis!"
The pair loudly replied.
After taking care of everything, Wang Chong passed through the gates of Talas with a wave of his sleeve. Talas had sentries every few steps and all kinds of military fortresses, bazaars, and halls, all constructed of massive stone. Although it was not as luxurious or beautiful as the Great Tang of the Central Plains, it had its own grandeur. Moreover, from the layout of the city, one could faintly see that this strategic economic and military center on the Silk Road of the Western Regions had once been a prosperous city.
"Lord Protector-General, this way, please. Milord and General Wang are already waiting inside! "
Upon seeing Wang Chong, an officer of the Anxi Protectorate army respectfully greeted him.
Wang Chong nodded. "Lead the way."
After passing through the corridors, Wang Chong saw the armored Gao Xianzhi in the main hall of Talas. At his side were Cheng Qianli, Xi Yuanqing, Wang Chong's father Wang Yan, his big brother Wang Fu, and the new Karluk chiefs Guli and Ferghanan.
The moment they saw Wang Chong enter, everyone turned to look at him.
"Haha, Wang Chong, you've come. We were in the middle of our calculations, and everyone else is here except for you! "
Gao Xianzhi had been in the middle of a discussion with his generals, but when he saw Wang Chong, he immediately walked around the model of Talas and went up to welcome him, a relaxed smile on his lips. The others didn't react when they saw this scene, but a brown-bearded man with a powerful aura beside Cheng Qianli had a shocked expression on his face.
Gao Xianzhi had a proud personality, and in the Western Regions, he was known as the Anxi War God. All the tribal chiefs had to lower their heads in front of Gao Xianzhi. He had followed Gao Xianzhi for ten-some years, but he had never seen him so courteous to anyone. No, this was no longer just being courteous.
From the fact that Gao Xianzhi was willing to personally welcome that young man in front of everyone, it was clear that in Gao Xianzhi's mind, this young man was of the same status and importance as him, an existence that Gao Xianzhi viewed as equal.
"I've kept you waiting!"
Wang Chong paid no attention to anything else. After returning a bow to Gao Xianzhi and exchanging some pleasantries, he strode up to the model of Talas in the center of the hall and began to examine it.
This model was completely different from the one Wang Chong had used in Qixi. The details were much more detailed and complete.
Creating a model was a basic ability of a general. Sometimes, it was possible to see through a sandbox and see a general's abilities.
"The Anxi Protectorate army's battle model has been meticulously planned out, from the terrain around Talas, the hills and valleys, to the small ravines and ravines of the battlefield. Everything has been taken into account. From this, Gao Xianzhi truly lives up to his reputation as the wall of the Tang Dynasty, the Anxi War God!
Wang Chong pensively gazed at the model.
"Milord, I'm too polite."
As Wang Chong was examining the model, he suddenly heard a soft voice in his ear. This voice was coarse, deep, and heavily accented. One could tell at a glance that it was a Hu. Wang Chong turned his head and immediately saw a boorish face with a particularly striking brown beard. Wang Chong said nothing, only gave him a questioning look.
"This one is the leader of the Ferghanan, Banahan. Paying respects to Lord Protector-General! In the future, when Lord Protector-General has the time, I hope that you will come to our Ferghanan for a chat. Banahan will definitely be waiting for you! "
Banahan gave a slight bow, an extremely respectful expression on his face.
"It's him!"
Wang Chong hadn't paid much attention at the start, but upon hearing the name 'Ferghanan', a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes. Only with Wanhe Peiluo and the Karluks as the vanguard could the loyalty of an ally of the Tang Dynasty be even more apparent. In the entire history of the Tang Dynasty, Ferghanan and Banahan were extremely rare, loyal allies of the Tang Dynasty. Whether in times of triumph or defeat, they would remain unswervingly loyal to the Tang Dynasty.
Even after the defeat at Talas, they had not wavered in the slightest.
In a place like the Western Regions, where the culture of the Central Plains was uncivilized and the countries liked to sway left and right, this was an extremely rare and precious trait.
Wang Chong instantly had a good impression of him.
"Khagan is too polite!"
Wang Chong faintly smiled, a thought emerging in his mind.
"Since this is our first meeting, this one just so happens to have a gift for Khagan."
"Oh?"
Banahan had originally intended to make a simple greeting, but these words immediately piqued his curiosity.
"I heard that the Khan has a Great Flame Crow Technique, which is a secret technique passed down in the palace. But because of its long history, coupled with the internal strife of the palace and various other reasons, the technique is incomplete, so it is difficult for the Khan to make further progress. I have an incantation that may be able to help the Khan complete the Great Flame Crow Technique and help the Khan break through the bottleneck and reach a higher level."
Wang Chong faintly smiled.
"Lord Protector-General, is this true?"
Banahan's eyes widened at these words, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. He didn't dare to believe his ears.
"There was such a thing?"
At this moment, even Gao Xianzhi couldn't help but lean over.
Wang Chong silently smiled. There was truly no need to doubt the Ferahan's loyalty, but as the chief of the Ferahan Tribe, Banahan's strength was not very famous in the Western Regions. Even Wanhe Peiluo was firmly above him. This could only be described as a pity. Wang Chong had read a few records, so he knew that the crux of the problem lay in the legendary Great Fire Crow Art of the Ferahan Tribe.
This legendary art had become incomplete due to a famous internal conflict within the Ferahan Tribe, resulting in the Ferahan Khagan's accomplishments being extremely limited. This problem persisted until the future great calamity arrived, when all of the martial arts were gathered and mutually verified. Only after everyone's wisdom and experience were gathered was this problem solved.
It was only when Wang Chong saw Banahan's Ferahan Khagan that he suddenly realized this point.
"Whether it's true or not, we'll know once we try."
Wang Chong said.
Calling over a guard, Wang Chong brought over a brush, ink, and paper. He quickly wrote down the mnemonic for the Great Fire Crow Art on paper and gave it to Ferghanan. Banahan treated it like a precious treasure.
After this small interlude, everyone turned their attention back to the sand table.
"Although we've won the battles of the last two days, we still can't let our guard down."
The first to speak was Cheng Qianli. As the Vice Protector-General of the Anxi Protectorate army, Cheng Qianli had a great deal of authority on the battlefield.
"Dalun Ruozan still hasn't retreated, and Abu Muslim still has his main force. Most importantly, he still hasn't personally entered the field. We don't know how many moves he has up his sleeves, or how many soldiers he has in reserve."
The words' soldiers in reserve 'instantly caused the mood in the hall to turn heavy. Everyone knew that the Arabs loved to fight, and Talas was too close, allowing them to recruit soldiers from the rear at any time. In truth, the Arabs had been recruiting soldiers this entire time. This was why, in the two months that the Anxi Protectorate army had been fighting with the Arabs, Abu Muslim's soldiers had only been increasing, not decreasing.
When Wang Chong had arrived at Talas, there were still more than three hundred thousand soldiers stationed outside the walls.
The hall was quiet, but in the end, it was Wang Chong's father, Wang Yan, who broke the silence.
"Although the Arabs have come with a ferocious momentum and the battlefield is closer to them, numbers are not the only things that matter in war. There is also overall strength, training, cooperation, strategy, tactics, logistics, and all other aspects. From these considerations, I believe that there is no need for everyone to worry too much. The urgent task at hand is to discuss how to deal with the alliance between the Ouzan, Western Turks, and Arabs. "
"My opinion is the same as Lord Father's. Abu Muslim has still not retreated. If we don't thoroughly defeat him, this war can't be considered over!"
Wang Chong's big brother, Wang Fu, also spoke up at this moment.
"Abu Muslim is not that easy to deal with. I've fought with him for more than two months, so I have some understanding of him. He likes to constantly test the waters, using high-intensity attacks to assault his opponents like a tide until his opponent's will crumbles and he strikes fear into their hearts. And even if his opponent doesn't lose, he will gradually grasp your weakness through these constant attacks. In the end, he will personally strike and use his overwhelming advantage to deal a fatal blow to finish off his opponent! "
Gao Xianzhi suddenly interrupted. His expression was solemn, and there was a hint of warning in it.
"Moreover, the Arabs worship battle. No matter how many people they lose, as long as Abu Muslim does not give the order to retreat, they will never retreat, much less give up. To the Arabs, as long as they can defeat their opponents and conquer their country, they don't care about the price. In this aspect, they are completely different from the other opponents of the Tang Dynasty. "
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