"Marquis, what should we do next?"
The hall was quiet as everyone stared at Wang Chong. Under Wang Chong's influence, all of them had extremely solemn expressions. In the past, they would have believed that Arabia was just an insignificant country and wouldn't have cared much about this battle, but as people who had personally experienced it, they were well aware of just what sort of enemy they were facing.
This country had an even vaster territory than the Tang Dynasty, an even larger army, stronger warhorses, and a valiant ambition to expand its territory. This was the Tang Dynasty's strongest foe on this continent.
Gao Xianzhi had already led nearly ninety percent of the Anxi Protectorate army into the City of Talas, and behind him was a vast expanse of land. If Gao Xianzhi could not stop the soldiers the Arabian Empire had deployed to the east, tens of thousands of Arab soldiers would soon cross the Cong Mountains and occupy the entire Western Regions.
Qixi would bear the brunt of this assault.
Once Qixi fell, all of Longxi and the interior of the Tang Dynasty would be threatened.
For the first time in history, the Arab army was at the gates of the Central Plains. Everyone would feel the intense threat of this distant country.
All of them had clearly understood this point from Wang Chong's calculations on the sand table.
Wang Chong said nothing, only closed his eyes and began to think.
This battle had occurred too suddenly and too quickly. He needed to calm his mind and think. There were still too many preparations that had not been completed, and the sudden outbreak of the Battle of Talas had completely disrupted his plans.
"Li Siye, pass on my order. Open the Qixi Armory …"
After some time, Wang Chong finally opened his eyes, which were bursting with a dazzling light.
"Boom!"
After a while, with a roar of steel, the long-sealed Qixi Armory suddenly opened. Sunlight shone down and finally shone into the largest armory at the border. The ballistae, forged by the Ministry of Works and stamped with the imperial seal of the Imperial Court, finally saw the light of day after ten-some years of being covered in dust.
"Stop! You can't do this! "
"Without a written order, no one is allowed to enter! Stop right now! "
…
Several guards of the Qixi Armory shouted, but no one paid attention to them.
As the saying goes, "When a general is outside, the ruler's orders are not to be obeyed", "Things can be done according to tradition, but they can also be done according to authority", as a general, one should be able to adapt to circumstances. Now that the war was imminent, these ballistae were the best weapons of war, able to maximize the power of the Tang Dynasty. In the past, the successive generations of Qixi Protector-Generals, including Fomonlința, had all scrupulously abided by this rule, not daring to violate it.
However, Wang Chong was different. He would not rigidly adhere to the old rules.
"Boom!"
As Wang Chong led his army into the Qixi Armory, the Stone of Destiny's cold voice resounded in Wang Chong's mind.
"Special Event, Destiny's Choice!"
With this voice, light and shadow began to shift. Rumble! A massive city began to rise from the ground, with this city as the boundary. On one side were tens of thousands of black war banners, and on the other was a vast sea of yellow dragon banners. The moment the two sides met, they immediately began to fight … Translated by: DXHaseoXD Edited by: DXHaseoXD
Wang Chong's heart paused, and he immediately stopped.
"The wheels of history slowly turn. No matter how many tributaries it passes, it will eventually return to its original course. One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, and the same continent cannot have two massive empires at the same time. This is a war that cannot be avoided! Of the two empires, only one can proudly roar at the summit of the world, while the other will rapidly decline, falling into the twilight years of a lion!! "
Upon hearing these last words, Wang Chong's entire body trembled. But all of this was far from over.
"… A lion that has lost its claws and teeth is like an eagle that has lost its wings. This is the twilight years of a lion, and it is also the choice of destiny!"
"As the controller of destiny, host has one and only special treatment. By paying 8000 points of Destiny Energy, host can choose to exempt himself and withdraw, or host can choose to enter of his own accord and receive 2000 points of Destiny Energy as a reward. "
"Warning: if host chooses to enter of his own accord, host will face tremendous danger. If the mission fails, the empire will fall, and host will be obliterated!"
… …
As Wang Chong listened to the voice in his mind, a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 8000 points of Destiny Energy. Thus, during the battle of the triangular gap, if he had not exchanged for the Karmic Battle Armor, he could have been exempt. But even if he had this chance, would he really withdraw?
"Confirm!"
Wang Chong faintly smiled. Without the slightest reluctance, he instantly stepped into the Qixi Armory.
… …
Flap flap flap!
The black eagle flew over the mountains, scattering in every direction. The situation at Talas had not only reached Qixi, but also the capital, where it sparked a fierce debate in the Imperial Court.
"Your Majesty, we should immediately send out soldiers to reinforce Lord Gao Xianzhi!"
"Thirty thousand elite soldiers trapped is no small matter. If the Anxi Protectorate army is defeated, Suiye, Shule, and the other Four Garrisons of Anxi will also fall, and all of Anxi will fall! We should immediately send reinforcements to Anxi. "
… …
In the Imperial Court, several generals were passionately complaining about the severity of the situation.
"Absurd!"
Just as they finished speaking, a minister on good terms with the Prince of Qi immediately stepped forward and sternly rebuked them.
"Gao Xianzhi is a godly strategist. Ever since he joined the army, Lord Gao has won almost every battle in the Western Regions. Now that the Shi Kingdom has fallen, Lord Gao has led his army west and smoothly occupied Talas. With Lord Gao's abilities, it won't be long before he defeats the Arabs. What need is there to talk about sending troops now? Have all of you lost your minds? "
Although King Qi and The King of Song had always been on bad terms, and the two factions had always argued in the Imperial Court, neither side willing to give in to the other. But this time, it was not a purely personal grudge. Of all the Protector-Generals and Great Generals of the Tang Dynasty, none had achieved more dazzling feats than Anxi Protector-General Gao Xianzhi.
Although he did not have the most seniority and could not compare to the other Great Generals and Protector-Generals, the military skills he displayed and his astonishing feats on the battlefield far surpassed those of the other Protector-Generals and Great Generals. In the military and the Imperial Court, Gao Xianzhi even had a nickname: the Ever-Victorious General!
Ever since he had taken the position of Protector-General, Gao Xianzhi had never suffered a defeat. Moreover, his tactics were swift and unpredictable, and he was extremely skilled at taking the initiative. It was precisely because of his extraordinary abilities and the terrifying fighting power of the Anxi Protectorate army that he had been able to suppress the kingdoms of the Western Regions with a measly army of tens of thousands, forcing all the other kingdoms to bow their heads and allowing the Western Regions to remain impregnable.
This time, although Gao Xianzhi's soldiers had been trapped in the City of Talas, many people believed that this was Gao Xianzhi's strategy. In the end, Gao Xianzhi would still defeat the Arabs and emerge victorious.
After all, similar situations had occurred before, and they were not rare. Gao Xianzhi had always defeated the strong despite being outnumbered, proving his ability. Moreover, Arabia was just a 'trifling' country.
"But this time is different. This request for reinforcements was sent by Gao Xianzhi's deputy general, Feng Changqing. This lowly subject believes that this war should be treated with even greater importance!"
One of the generals continued to try to persuade the crowd.
"Lord Xue, be at ease. Lord Gao will be fine! "
An imperial censor indifferently said.
In the end, this debate came to an end. Feng Changqing's request for reinforcements did not cause much of a ripple in the Imperial Court. Gao Xianzhi was skilled in blitzkrieg tactics, and many people believed that it wouldn't be long before another report of victory came from Anxi. But ten days later, when a request for reinforcements came from the Western Regions and Gao Xianzhi's soldiers were still trapped in Talas, everyone finally paled.
Even the slowest of people could tell that this time was different from the past. Gao Xianzhi, the 'Spear of the Empire' of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, had encountered an extremely powerful foe.
… …
While the capital was still debating how to respond to Anxi's request for reinforcements, all of Qixi and Wushang were on the brink of war.
All the soldiers of the Qixi Protectorate army were divided into units of ten thousand, and they trained day and night. As for the five thousand Wushang Cavalry, they were also preparing for battle. Bows, ballistae, sabers, spears, axes, and halberds were being shipped out of the Qixi Armory and distributed to the entire army.
The entire Qixi Protectorate had a ballista and two hundred ballista bolts in units of five, quickly forming a 'ballista army' of two thousand ballistae. The 'ballista squad' tactic that Wang Chong had used in Dayan Mangpoje's night raid was rapidly revealing its edge and becoming a fighting force.
Although an army of ten thousand was only equipped with two thousand ballistae, this unique ballista squad tactic allowed for clear division of labor, rapid adjustment, and frequent firing of ballistae to maximize the power of these heavy weapons of war of the Tang Dynasty. In terms of lethality, they were five to ten times stronger than they were in the past.
This was a new tactic that Wang Chong had created for ballistae!
"Marquis, Lord Feng Changqing has sent another request for reinforcements. How should we reply? Should we still refuse? "
In the hall, where Wang Chong's subordinates had gathered, Xu Keyi bowed to Wang Chong, a letter in his hand.
"Tell Lord Feng to give me two months. Two months later, I will definitely send an army to Talas to assist Lord Gao."
Wang Chong sternly said.
With Talas in danger and Gao Xianzhi trapped, Feng Changqing's requests for reinforcements continued to pour into Qixi like snowflakes. In just ten short days, Wang Chong had received at least twenty or thirty letters. Feng Changqing was Gao Xianzhi's deputy general and his left and right arms. The two of them were known as the 'Twin Walls of the Empire', and although Wang Chong had never met this famed general renowned for his logistics and administrative abilities, Feng Changqing had left an extremely deep impression on him.
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.
