Wang Chong's foresight was truly astonishing!
Wang Liang still had no idea that he had never left his home, never sailed the sea, never even seen a seagull. How could he have known that there was so much Meteoric Metal exposed on an island several thousand li away? This point was truly miraculous, and at the same time, puzzling.
But even so, there was one thing that Wang Liang was certain of.
The Meteoric Metal exposed on those islands was far too precious. Just the thought of so much Meteoric Metal exposed on those undiscovered islands on his way back was unbearable to Wang Liang. And there was no telling when those clans with ulterior motives would take it away.
Thus, after careful calculations, Wang Liang had changed the waterline of the fleet, greatly increasing the ship's capacity. Wang Liang had used a single trip to transport the goods that would have required at least two trips.
This was also the true reason why his fleet had only reached the Tang Dynasty of the Central Plains so long behind schedule.
"Roooar!"
The call of the fleet resounded through the docks, and then the crew, working together from inside and outside, began to hurriedly unload the goods!
… …
Bang!
When the news that Wang Liang had brought the Meteoric Metal to the Central Plains was sent by a carrier pigeon to Wushang, the entire City of Steel was abuzz with excitement. The final part of Wang Chong's plan had finally been completed. With the Meteoric Metal, Wang Chong could forge a large quantity of indestructible armor, and the last weakness of Wushang's cavalry would be completely repaired.
"Pass on my order. Have all the great clans of the capital work together to transport the Meteoric Metal to the City of Steel as quickly as possible, day and night. Time is of the essence, so the forging of the Meteoric Metal need not be done in the capital. It will all be done in the City of Steel! "
In the City of Steel, in Wang Chong's residence, Wang Chong was invigorated by Wang Liang's news. An eagle flew through the window like an arrow, vanishing in the direction of the capital.
Following Wang Chong's order, the cement road from the capital to Wushang was suddenly filled with countless specially made carriages. These carriages were loaded with small mountains of Meteoric Metal as they traveled day and night to the City of Steel. Along the way, they were escorted by countless cavalrymen. On the Silk Road, there were also countless bandits and horse bandits. They were not there to rob, but to protect the meteorites.
Wang Chong's second brother, Wang Bei, had subdued a large number of mountain bandits and horse bandits on his journey to the west. At this moment, he was finally showing his worth.
At this moment, Wang Chong's plan was finally complete. The City of Steel was like an invisible vortex, into which countless resources, steel, and soldiers were surging.
"Roar! Ha! "
The sounds of the army training continued day and night, echoing into the heavens. With the City of Steel as the center, sixty thousand mercenaries from the tribes of the Western Regions, eight thousand Gangke people, and twelve thousand regular soldiers from Greater and Lesser Balur had been gathered in the region of Qixi. In addition, the Tang Dynasty had gathered twenty thousand soldiers from the Qixi Protectorate, five thousand fully-armored Wushang cavalry, twenty thousand elite infantry and cavalry led by Wang Chong's father Wang Yan and big brother Wang Fu, eight thousand elites from the Annam Protectorate who had fought in the war of the southwest, and ten thousand regular soldiers sent by the Imperial Court. An army of one hundred and forty-three thousand was gathered in the City of Steel.
In addition, Wang Chong had used the ten million taels of gold given to him by the Imperial Court to buy large amounts of cattle and sheep from the tribes of the Western Regions to replenish his supplies.
In addition, all kinds of provisions, armaments, and steel modules were piled high in the City of Steel!
The City of Steel had become a true war machine. At this moment, even the people of Ouzan in the distant Western Regions could sense the thick aura of war in the City of Steel.
A battle was about to begin!
Time slowly passed, and the time for the army to depart got closer and closer. Meanwhile, from Qixi, beyond Anxi, past the Cong Mountains, seven to eight hundred li, one could see the distant city of Talas. This famous fortress of the Silk Road was now surrounded by a dense mass of cavalry and infantry.
Countless cavalry and infantry formed an endless flood of steel that surrounded the City of Talas, so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through.
The army was silent and did not make a single sound. The oppressive atmosphere was suffocating.
"Milord, today is the seventh time the Arabs have attacked. It's been almost two months, but not only have their numbers not decreased, they've only increased. It seems like there's no way to kill them all. The soldiers won't be able to hold on for much longer!"
The magnificent walls of Talas were famous throughout the Western Regions, but at this moment, they were covered in smoke and fire. The walls were crisscrossed with scars of battle, and on the walls, a stalwart general stood next to Gao Xianzhi, a look of deep concern and unease on his face.
"I understand."
Gao Xianzhi indifferently said, his long hair fluttering in the wind. His expression was cold and aloof as he stared down at the vast sea of Arab soldiers. After nearly two months, Gao Xianzhi's face was covered in frost. If they hadn't seen it for themselves, no one would have believed that this was that handsome and refined War God of the Western Regions who had claimed to be invincible and undefeatable in every battle.
As the most famous Great General of the Tang Dynasty's northwestern border and one of the strongest warriors of the Central Plains, the peak Saint Martial Gao Xianzhi had slain countless powerful foes. Even after this fierce battle, Gao Xianzhi's clothes were not stained by a single drop of blood.
In this world, the number of people that could threaten an Imperial Great General like Gao Xianzhi could be counted on one hand.
But now, not only were Gao Xianzhi's hair and clothes stained with blood, even the breastplate protecting his chest had been shattered. The nearly indestructible 'Cloud Swallowing Divine Armor' that had been bestowed by the Holy Emperor had been struck by an even sharper weapon, leaving behind countless cracks and fissures. And dark red blood was flowing out of these cracks!
If even the commander-in-chief of the army, Gao Xianzhi, was in such a state, one could easily imagine the intensity and cruelty of the battle that the Anxi Protectorate army had experienced in these last two months.
In his ten-some years of campaigning and defeating countless foes, Gao Xianzhi had never imagined that here, to the west of the Cong Mountains, he would encounter the strongest foe he had ever encountered in his life, Abu Muslim and his Arab army!
"What are the casualties of today's army?"
Gao Xianzhi's voice resounded over the walls, making it impossible to sense the slightest emotion in his voice.
"All kinds of armaments have been damaged, and all our ballistae have been used up. In addition, the Ferghan Tribe has lost eight thousand soldiers, the Karluks six thousand, and we have lost six thousand. Of our seventy thousand soldiers, only thirty thousand remain. In addition, a considerable number are wounded. Milord, we won't be able to last much longer. We need reinforcements!! "
The general anxiously said.
"Is there still no news from Anxi?"
Gao Xianzhi calmly said.
"Yes!"
The burly general clenched his teeth.
"In the last two months, we've been constantly requesting reinforcements from Anxi, sending letters like snowflakes every day. General Feng has replied that he's already doing his utmost to request reinforcements from the Imperial Court, but even now, no reinforcements have arrived. Milord, your subordinate will write another letter to General Feng and press for news! "
"There's no need."
To the general's surprise, Gao Xianzhi waved his hand and refused.
"Milord …"
Hearing this, the general was dumbfounded, and he was completely dumbfounded.
"Pass on my order. Starting today, there's no need to send any more letters requesting reinforcements! Because … we have no more soldiers to use. "
Gao Xianzhi indifferently said.
Hearing this, the subordinate next to him was dumbfounded, unable to say a word.
Gao Xianzhi said nothing, but a complicated look flitted through his eyes. His gaze slowly swept over the earth, into the endless distance. Gao Xianzhi knew that he had made a mistake. In truth, they had already lost this battle, and the Anxi Protectorate army had no hope left to speak of.
He had always advocated a quick and decisive battle, and in this battle, whether it was the attack on the Shi Kingdom or the assault on the City of Talas, Gao Xianzhi had believed that his strategy had been flawless. His only mistake had been underestimating his opponent.
A mountain cannot hold two tigers. I didn't think that there would be an opponent as powerful as the Tang Dynasty on this continent! …
Gao Xianzhi's mind was in turmoil.
The Tang Dynasty was the strongest empire in the world. Whether it was Goguryeo, the Turks, the Ouzan, or the kingdoms of the Western Regions, none of them could contend against it. This was a belief that had been deeply ingrained in Gao Xianzhi's mind. In his many years of campaigning in the Western Regions, this belief had never changed. As an Imperial Great General and Anxi Protector-General, Gao Xianzhi had once investigated Arabia, and he was well aware that Arabia was far stronger than the other kingdoms of the Western Regions. It was his strongest opponent in the Western Regions.
Gao Xianzhi had never underestimated Arabia, but only when he truly clashed with them on the battlefield did Gao Xianzhi truly understand just how powerful his opponent was.
From two hundred thousand soldiers at the start, it had grown to more than three hundred thousand, and this number was still growing, as if it would never end … This opponent was far more terrifying and powerful than he had imagined. This was not an opponent that was just a little stronger than the kingdoms of the Western Regions or on par with the Ouzan Empire.
This was a colossus that was just as terrifying as the Tang Dynasty!
Defeating such a powerful opponent was not something that the Anxi Protectorate could do.
At the start of the two-month stalemate, Gao Xianzhi had hoped that he could rely on his superior equipment and the sturdiness of the City of Talas to resist the Arab assault and finally receive reinforcements from the Imperial Court. But now, Gao Xianzhi was beginning to understand that this was impossible.
The Tang Dynasty had no soldiers to use!
Longxi, Beiting, Annan, Andong … as the Anxi Protector-General, no one understood better than him what sort of opponents these four regions faced. The Arabs were too fortunate, because they simply didn't have that many opponents. And the Tang Dynasty was too unfortunate, because it had far too many opponents around it.
The Tang Dynasty had hundreds of thousands of soldiers, but because it was surrounded by so many enemies, it couldn't muster many people.
Feng Changqing had truly sent a letter saying that the Imperial Court had agreed to send troops as soon as possible. But Gao Xianzhi understood that this was just empty talk. The Imperial Court had no soldiers to fear!
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