Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5127 Dashi Strategy
Preparations for the war were in an orderly manner. Countless supplies were transported from Guanzhong to Luntai, and then after transiting through Luntai, part of them were stockpiled on the spot and part of them were transported to Gongyue City. The 50,000 Anxi troops also gradually gathered in Gongyue City. This was actually very dangerous, because after the Anxi troops were drawn from all over the place and gathered in Gongyue City, the place where they were originally stationed was empty of troops, and they could only rely on the local Hu people to maintain public order for a short period of time. If these Hu people were unwilling to give up or were bewitched and rebelled, the entire Western Regions would fall into turmoil, and even directly affect the situation in Guanzhong.

But because Fang Jun was in charge of Gongyue City, no one dared to do so.

The Tang Dynasty has never been friendly to the Hu people. Fang Jun is tyrannical, Pei Xingjian is cunning, and Xue Rengui is cruel. With these three men in charge of the Western Regions, who would dare to act rashly?

It seems that all the military forces in the entire Western Regions have gathered in Gongyue City, preparing for the war that is very likely to come in the early spring, resulting in a shortage of troops in various places. But who knows if this is a conspiracy of Fang Jun and Pei Xingjian, just waiting for some unlucky guy to jump out and launch a "counterattack"?
Even if you have different thoughts and are eager to act, you can only wait patiently.

Wait for the war to end and then decide the outcome of the war.

If the Tang Dynasty wins, they will never have any other thoughts and will honestly rely on the Tang Dynasty and be obedient.

If the Tang Dynasty is defeated, it will not be too late to rebel then...

*****
The harsh winter is coming to an end and spring is far away.

It is already March, but the Persian Plateau is ravaged by snow and wind, with no sign of spring at all...

There is a flat land outside the city of Tus, which became a temporary stop for the Arab army on their way to the east. There are huge tents standing here, stretching endlessly in the wind and snow. It is dinner time, and wisps of smoke rise up and disappear into the wind and snow.

The core of the military camp was in a small village called Sanabad. At this moment, Yazid was leading several generals to inspect the camp and returning. When he looked up, he saw the towering mountains stretching across the sky in the north. He was filled with emotion for a moment and stopped his horse.

This place is located at the northernmost part of the Persian Plateau. To the north, across the Kopet Mountains is the desert. The Kopet Mountains, which stretch from east to west, isolate the cold wind from the far north. Therefore, although there is heavy snow in Tus City, there is not much wind, and the temperature is slightly higher than that of the entire Persian Plateau.

Behind him, Auf rode his horse closer and said worriedly, "I'm afraid this heavy snow won't stop for a while. If we can't get through the mountain pass as soon as possible, we may be delayed."

The long expedition from Damascus to Suiye was a long journey with many dangerous mountains and rivers. The difficulty was not only whether the main force of the Anxi army could be defeated in Suiye, but every step along the way was difficult and dangerous, and no mistakes were allowed.

But such a long journey, affected by road conditions, climate, etc., is not likely to be smooth sailing...

Ye Qide said nothing. He stretched out his palms to catch a few falling snowflakes. The chain mail on his body made a slight "rustling" sound, and his bearded face showed a solemn expression.

After a moment, he said, "You don't know how powerful the Tang army is. It's better to go slower on the way and make sure that we are fully prepared before arriving at Suiye City, rather than marching hastily and causing morale to be weakened."

The previous battle of Suiye left him with too many nightmares.

The power of Tang army's firearms, as well as the means that came from the sky, dealt a heavy blow to his confidence. It was for this reason that Muawiya once again asked him to lead the army to conquer the Western Regions, striving to win the battle in one go, break the nightmare and rebuild his confidence.

How could the successor of the empire harbor demons and lack confidence?

Yezid also knew his father's expectations, so he had already made up his mind that he must follow the rules and advance step by step in this battle and never take any risks.

On the other side, Amir, who was appointed as the "deputy commander" on this trip, also came forward and expressed his different opinion after hearing the words: "We must gather troops in Damascus, and it is inevitable that we will not escape the investigation of the Tang spies. Now that this 100,000-strong army is attacking Suiye, the news will surely reach the ears of the Tang army soon, and they will certainly make corresponding arrangements. But our real killer move is that the Caliph ordered the Hu people in Dayuezhi, Turkic, Kangju and other places to prepare war horses and weapons and rush to Kesan City to assemble. The news that the Tang army has received is that we have 100,000 people, but after assembling in Kesan City, the force will reach 200,000 or even more. At that time, a sudden attack will be launched, and the unprepared Suiye City can be taken down in one go... But if we delay too long on the way, causing the troops of other tribes to arrive at Kesan City first but unable to launch an attack, the news will be leaked, and there will be no effect of the surprise attack."

As a general under Muawiyah and a famous commander of the empire, he had just led his army to conquer the eastern part of the Persian Plateau and expand the territory of the empire. As a result, he gained Muawiyah's trust and was able to board the carriage of the eastern expedition to the Tang Dynasty.

Although this battle is dangerous, if won, the achievements will be enough to make the empire proud, so Amir is extremely enthusiastic.

Auf also said: "When an army marches and fights, the most important thing is to march quickly and attack sharply. If you are afraid of the enemy and shrink back, you will lose the initiative."

Yazid became irritated, his eyes widened under the brim of his helmet, and he tried his best to suppress his anger: "I know you laughed at the failure of the last empire's attack on the Western Regions, and regarded the Caliph and me as the main reasons for the failure, but I still want to remind you that the Anxi Army is much stronger than any country or tribe we have conquered in the past! Facing them, even if we imagine the difficulties to be ten or a hundred times greater than expected, it is not an exaggeration."

No one understood the brutality and strength of the Tang army better than him.

The might of thousands of cannons firing at the same time and divine soldiers descending from the sky is enough to destroy the heaven and the earth!
Now, every time I wake up in the middle of the night, I see the flames rising from the foot of Tianshan Mountain, and hear the thunderous explosions that shake the earth and the sky...

When setting out for the expedition, the Caliph's words of advice were still fresh in his mind: If we can win this battle, that would be the best; if we cannot win, being able to confront the Tang army at the front line of Suiye City would also be considered the fulfillment of our strategic intention.

After all, in order to stabilize its rule in the Western Regions, the Tang army had to transport military equipment and supplies from all over the country to the front lines. The losses on the way and the consumption in the army would be astronomical. No matter how rich and powerful the Tang Dynasty was, it would be difficult to persist for a long time.

Especially when the war started and the Silk Road was cut off, the Tang Dynasty suffered huge losses, while the Arabs did not suffer much. Whether it was the Arabs, Persia, or even Kangju, they all lost money on the Silk Road trade, as all the money was earned by merchants...

But it was different for the Arabs. The Caliph's holy sword was held high, and the tribes in Persia, Kangju and other places all converted to the sacredness. Even if it meant exhausting the last bite of food for their people, they would still support and participate in this war without hesitation.

As long as the stalemate continues, the Western Regions will inevitably fall into chaos. How can the various Hu tribes under the military rule of the Tang army miss this opportunity?
The Western Regions will surely be in the hands of the food giants.

However, if they act recklessly and greedily, it will most likely lead to another major defeat, which will directly shake the Caliph's rule and must not be allowed to happen.

This eastward expedition to the Tang Dynasty was not only to eliminate the trade deficit between the two countries, but also to consolidate the Caliph's rule and establish his position as successor.

In short, this battle has to be fought, and we can only win, not lose!

The three men were arguing. In the distance, another famous Arab general, Maslama, did not participate. He just looked up at the mountains in the north that were looming in the wind and snow, and felt worried.

Yazid is the son of the Caliph and nominally the future heir to the Arab Empire. However, neither his talent nor his prestige can overwhelm Amir and Auf, who have made great military achievements and have a respected status. The reason why the Caliph sent these two people to fight together was not only because of their own abilities and the strength of their armies, but also because he hoped that Yazid could conquer these two people through this war, get their assistance, and lay the foundation for the successor to the empire.

It is a little difficult. With Yezid's ability, it is not easy to achieve this.

But if we can't even subdue these two people, how can we talk about the successor to the empire?
Even if he becomes the caliph one day, he will still face endless rebellions.

……

After some arguments, the two sides parted unhappily.

A few days later, the heavy snow stopped and the army set out.

An army of one hundred thousand crossed the mountain pass and plunged into the boundless desert. Without the mountains to block their way, the cold wind from the far north raged in the empty desert. The vast white snow covered the gravel, and everything was pale as far as the eye could see. In the ice and snow, no matter how well prepared they were, it was inevitable that the number of soldiers would continue to decrease.

Cold, hunger and fatigue were like demons clinging to the heads of this expeditionary force. Their gods hid in the thick lead-gray clouds and were unwilling to show any mercy. Wherever they passed, the corpses of humans and livestock were discarded at will and then eaten clean by roaming wolves.

After arriving at Mulu City in the desert, we got supplies and rested at the oasis and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, by the time they reached this point, the expedition was only halfway completed.

Ahead, we have to cross two mountain ranges and cross a desert before we can reach Kesan City, which is located on the banks of Yaosha River.

Even if we reach Kesan City, it is still hundreds of miles away from Suiye City...

Inside the tent, Yazid took off his heavy, cold mail armor, and sat in a circle around the fire with Amir, Auf, Maslama and others. They drank the hot date wine, which drove away the coldness in their bodies, and they all breathed out comfortably.

Aof held the golden cup filled with jujube wine, feeling the scalding temperature, and said, "We just received news from the Yuezhi people in Lanshi City. They have gathered an army of 5,000 people and have arrived at the Tejan Oasis. They requested to join us and go north together. I wonder if you can agree to it?"

The Dayuezhi, which once destroyed Daxia and attacked the countries in the Western Regions, is now in decline and has retreated to the vicinity of the Lan City. It no longer has the power to attack as fast as the wind and can only rely on powerful tribes in various places to survive and allow themselves to be driven around.

Before Yazid could speak, Amir shook his head again and again: "No, we cannot agree to this. If we go with them, we will have to be responsible for their food and fodder, which will only increase their burden. We should order them to go north and gather at Kesan City."

Yazid frowned: "The Yuezhi sent troops under the order of the Caliph. They share the same aspirations as us. How can we ignore them?"