"In truth, I feel that the Tang Dynasty is no weaker than the Arabs in terms of fighting power. Lord Gao Xianzhi only has seventy thousand soldiers, but he was able to hold back the Arabs at Talas for more than two months. Not even Abu Muslim was able to do anything. To the best of our Ferghanians' understanding of the Arabs, this sort of war has never been fought before. And there's also this Milord. In yesterday's two battles, although the Arabs had the absolute advantage in numbers and even gained a new ally, they were still no match for this Milord. In these two battles, more than one hundred thousand people died while the Tang Dynasty's losses were extremely limited. If this news were to get out, the countries conquered by Arabia would find it hard to imagine.
"Of all the countries on the continent, probably only the Tang Dynasty can defeat the Arabs. In the eyes of us mercenaries, the Tang Dynasty is the strongest country, which is why we are willing to fight alongside the Tang Dynasty. "
The Ferghanan Chief Banahan suddenly spoke, his expression one of utmost sincerity.
The Anxi Protectorate army had always had two major allies: the Karluks and the Ferghanans. The Karluk leader Wanhe Peiluo was dead, so the only mercenary who could speak to Gao Xianzhi was Banahan.
Banahan's words surprised everyone in the hall. No one had expected that this Ferghanan Chief would have such a strong faith in the Tang Dynasty. The heavy mood in the hall instantly vanished, and even Wang Chong couldn't help but smile.
The Ferghanans truly were the most loyal allies of the Tang Dynasty.
"But we're currently surrounded by enemies. No matter which side we attack, we'll be attacked by the other side. If we don't resolve this problem, we'll still lose."
At this moment, a voice suddenly interrupted. Before his voice faded away, the atmosphere that was eased by Banahan instantly vanished. Everyone's gazes turned to look at Gu Li, who was deep in thought beside the sand table, unaware of the changes in his surroundings. Perhaps it was because the surroundings were unusually quiet, but Gu Li finally sensed something. He raised his head and realized that he had misspoken. His expression changed immediately.
The Karluks had colluded with Arabia, and now that Wanhe Peiluo had been exposed and killed, the Karluks were in a crisis of trust. If they were to do anything out of line at this time and anger the Tang dynasty, the Karluks would truly be unable to recover from this setback.
"Guli is correct. Being attacked from the front and rear is a major taboo in the art of war. If we don't resolve this problem, we'll find it very difficult to concentrate on dealing with the Arabs."
Just as Gu Li was feeling uneasy and full of despair, a sonorous voice suddenly rang out in the hall. Wang Chong suddenly spoke.
"Lord Protector-General!"
At this moment, Gu Li felt like he had found a life-saving straw, and his entire body instantly calmed down. Those who didn't know Wang Chong's background would only see that he was sixteen or seventeen, but those with some understanding would know that this young Protector-General's status in Talas was not one bit inferior to Gao Xianzhi's, perhaps even higher. After all, he was the commander of the more than one hundred thousand soldiers outside the city.
"But this matter isn't too difficult to resolve. Although Abu Muslim can get an endless stream of soldiers from the Arabs, the same can't be said for the other side."
As Wang Chong spoke, his eyes were as firm and unwavering as a boulder. It was like there was no difficulty in the world that could defeat him, and anyone who saw his eyes would be infected and filled with confidence in him.
"Ouzan and the Western Turks have a total of one hundred and twenty thousand soldiers. In the first battle, they've already lost more than forty thousand soldiers, leaving only around seventy thousand. From now on, Dalun Ruozan will be extremely cautious. He won't take as many risks as he did before. With every soldier he loses, he loses a soldier. And if I remember correctly, the Mutri Great Cavalry are the force guarding the royal capital of Ouzan. Nothing has happened to the royal capital, but the Mutri Great Cavalry have appeared in Talas. If my guess is correct, this is an army that Dalun Ruozan has privately gathered against the will of the Tsenpo! It's impossible for him to recruit any more reinforcements from Ouzan. "
"Buzz!"
Everyone was stunned by Wang Chong's words. Even Gao Xianzhi's eyes widened, a pensive look on his face. In this war, many people were only paying attention to what was going on, not what was going on outside the war. Even Gao Xianzhi was no exception.
The Anxi Protectorate army had far too many matters that required his attention. It wasn't that he couldn't sense it, but Wang Chong was far more sensitive to strategic considerations than any of the other commanders here, including himself.
"You mean to say that this is a war started by one person?"
Gao Xianzhi said, a pensive look on his face.
"I can't be wrong!"
Wang Chong indifferently said, his profound gaze seemingly able to see through everything.
"Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huizang were defeated in the southwest, and Dusong Mangpoje was defeated at the triangular gap. The three of them had lost almost all of their troops. No matter how open-minded the Tsenpo is, he would never send more soldiers to them in such a short time. Moreover, if it really was the Tsenpo's idea. It's definitely not just seventy thousand soldiers. In addition, although Duwusili is known as the Celestial Wolf Great General and possesses great strength, he only has forty thousand soldiers under his command. But he only had forty thousand men under his command. The rest were the giant wolves that the Western Turks had brought from the steppe. I believe that Ishbara Khagan's probing has already made his intentions clear. "
"The Western Turkic Khaganate won't send any reinforcements!"
The one with the most calculations in the temple would win while the one with the least would lose. As a Great General, one not only had to consider what was in front of them and what they could see on the battlefield, they also had to calculate what they could not see on the battlefield. This included logistics, soldiers, supplies, politics, and so on. In this battle, Wang Chong was not only paying attention to the battlefield, but also to those outside.
Whether Dalun Ruozan was willing or not, Wang Chong had already obtained what he wanted from this battle. In this battle, Dalun Ruozan had staked everything on one throw. His situation was far from being as glorious as it seemed.
In a few sentences, Wang Chong had clearly analyzed the situation they were facing. For a moment, the hall was eerily silent, all of them having pensive looks on their faces. Wang Chong's explanation of the complicated situation, one that was extremely disadvantageous to them, gradually became clear in everyone's minds.
"As for Arabia, although Talas is closer to Arabia, don't forget that we are not fighting alone. Standing behind us is the entire Tang dynasty. As long as we can hold out for a while, our reinforcements will continue to come! In this aspect, we are completely different from the Western Turks and the Arabs. "
Wang Chong's voice was resounding and resounding.
The moment Wang Chong spoke, the mood in the hall relaxed, and Banahan and Guli felt energized. It was true that Abu Muslim was backed by the massive Arabian Empire, but the Anxi Protectorate army was also backed by the massive Tang dynasty.
The power of the Tang dynasty was renowned throughout the Western Regions. This was also why so many mercenary tribes of the Western Regions were willing to fight alongside the Tang dynasty against Arabia.
"Lord Protector-General speaks the truth. I am confident that no matter what, the Tang dynasty will win in the end. Our Karluk Tribe will pledge our lives to follow!"
Guli gave Wang Chong a grateful glance and seized the opportunity to express his loyalty. If not for Wang Chong's words just now, he would have become the target of everyone's criticism. Guli was gradually gaining more and more admiration for this new Qixi Protector-General.
"Okay, we can talk about these things later. Let's first discuss tonight's problem. If everything goes according to plan, Abu Muslim and Dalun Ruozan will definitely move tonight."
Wang Chong's eyes quickly focused on the model in the center of the hall.
"Ah?"
Guli froze for a moment, then asked in confusion.
"Milord, we're not fighting in the afternoon?"
Wang Chong, Gao Xianzhi, and Cheng Qianli immediately began to laugh. Although Guli had succeeded Wanhe Peiluo as the new leader of the Karluk Tribe, he was still very lacking in terms of military experience and strategy.
"Relax. If Abu Muslim planned to fight in the afternoon, he wouldn't have retreated in the morning."
Wang Chong waved his hand and faintly smiled.
"In addition, he'll need to clean up the aftermath of the battle. He can't possibly start two battles in such a short time. Even if he's willing, Dalun Ruozan will never agree. All his energy will be focused on the night raid! "
After losing a battle during the day, all generals would consider attacking at night. This was because compared to the day, there were more advantages at night. For example, the opponent would not be constantly alert. The more intense the battle during the day, the more sleepy they would be at night.
Moreover, the cover of the night would make it easier for the army to approach the enemy, and at the same time, it would greatly weaken the power of the archers and ballistae, making it even harder for them to aim.
"This truly is the case. Based on my understanding of Abu Muslim, he's an extremely aggressive person who will never let go of a chance at night. In addition, Dalun Ruozan will definitely be prepared, so the risk at night is no less than that of the day. But this is also an opportunity for us. "
Anxi Protector-General Gao Xianzhi also spoke up at this moment.
"All is fair in war. Although we don't have as many soldiers as the Arabs, the Western Turks, or the Ouzan, we have two major advantages: the steel walls and the City of Talas, which Abu Muslim doesn't have. The Arabs can attack us at night, but we can do the same to them. In addition, we can use this opportunity to gather some information. "
A faint smile appeared on Wang Chong's lips at these words. Many people knew that Gao Xianzhi was a godly strategist, that his attacks were swift and fierce, and that he would often appear in places his enemies would not expect, but few people knew that Gao Xianzhi had another trait: all was fair in war.
He had used this move to conquer countless countries in the Western Regions.
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