Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5143 Civilization Core
Although Amir was prepared to endure torture, the pain still made him scream, but he remained silent when facing Wang Xiaojie's interrogation.

"Hey! Are you pretending to be tough in front of me?"

Xue Rengui was watching from the side. Wang Xiaojie felt a little embarrassed and could not help but get angry. He kicked Amir again and turned him over, facing up on his back. He lifted the hem of his chain mail with one hand and held a dagger with the other: "First, I'll castrate your two balls. If you don't say anything, I'll cut off your rod as well!"

The dagger slashed and cut open the pants under the skirt. A cool breeze blew in. Amir shouted, "I say! I say! I am Amir, the commander of this attack on Hengrus!"

Wang Xiaojie was delighted: "What evidence?"

"Seal! Seal in my arms!"

Wang Xiaojie stepped forward to untie the chain mail, and indeed took out a small pouch from his arms. He opened it and took out a seal, but the crooked Arab language on it was unrecognizable. He held it with both hands to Xue Rengui and said, "General, can you recognize Arab language?"

Xue Rengui took the seal, looked at it carefully, patted Wang Xiaojie's shoulder heavily, and said enviously: "My God! This guy is really Amir, you are so lucky, I wish I could trade with you!"

Wang Xiaojie grinned with joy, not knowing what to do.

This is the enemy commander!
He was also one of the main generals of the Arab Empire's invasion, and his status was second only to the commander-in-chief Yazid!

"It was all thanks to the general's good command. We followed the general and fought bravely. That's why we were lucky enough to get such a small merit. We are so lucky, haha!"

Still couldn't help but laugh.

Who understands this feeling of sudden wealth?
Xue Rengui also laughed: "You are a good talker, you have a bright future!"

He is the main general, and he has a share in any achievements his subordinates achieve. Why should he be jealous?

Furthermore, Xue Rengui is an upright person and would not do such an immoral thing as embezzling the meritorious service of his subordinates...

"Come here, tie up Amir tightly, treat his wounds and stop the bleeding first, then send him to Suiye City immediately and hand him over to the Marshal for custody. He is going to be escorted to Chang'an to offer the captives at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. There must not be any accidents, otherwise you will be beheaded!"

"Here!"

Dozens of personal soldiers rushed forward, and a military doctor gave Amir a simple treatment of his wounds, which were not fatal and just stopped the bleeding. Then he tied him up more comfortably, found a carriage, moved him onto it, drove out of the city, and headed straight for Suiye City.

……

Almost all the buildings in Hengluo City were destroyed and razed to the ground by gunpowder explosions. Wherever the kerosene splashed, flames raged, burning everything that could burn. The huge city was in ruins. The Tang army poured into the city like a tide. The heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and infantry coordinated forward and advanced steadily, chasing after the fleeing soldiers and launching a mop-up operation.

Tens of thousands of Arab troops fell into chaos and disorder the moment the Tang army entered the city. Their commander was missing, their command failed, and they could not organize any decent counterattack. In an instant, their morale collapsed and they were defeated on all fronts. Countless soldiers were running around in the city. At first, some soldiers threw away their weapons and squatted on the ground waiting to be captured by the Tang army. However, when they saw the Tang army holding up their sharp swords and slashing at them unscrupulously, they woke up from their dreams and fled in fear.

Outside the west gate, an armored cavalry had already been prepared to kill the fleeing enemy troops.

There was no taboo such as "disturbing the harmony of nature". The Tang army had limited manpower and could not take in more prisoners. Only by killing as many enemy troops as possible and eliminating the enemy's manpower could they make up for the gap in manpower between the two sides in this war and gain more initiative.

The flames of the city of Hengluo illuminated the night sky.

When the dawn broke in the east and the sky gradually brightened, the fighting in the city was over. The raging fire burned everything that could burn, and thick smoke rushed straight into the sky. The blood flowing on the ground had been evaporated, leaving only pools of black and brown marks. Corpses were piled together, doused with kerosene and ignited, and the air was filled with a nauseating smell.

This great city in the Transoxiana region and an important town on the Silk Road seems like a ghost town.

Life is nothing more than a number in the face of war. Under the insatiable ambition of some people, countless young and strong people leave their homes to invade another country, placing themselves in a high position and looking down on all living beings, believing that other races are nothing but lowly and despicable slaves who can only serve the gods and themselves, the gods' servants.

Their bodies turned to ashes in a foreign land. I wonder if their gods above them will give them a better life as promised?
Death can be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.

Those who infringe upon others’ living space deserve death.

……

Inside Suiye City.

The morning light is just breaking, and the warm spring day shines obliquely into the house from the window. Tiny particles of dust are clearly visible in the sunlight. There is a pot of tea and a chessboard on the coffee table in front of the window, and Fang Jun and Lu Dongzan are playing chess.

Fang Jun was wearing a round-necked Hu suit and a fu hat. He had a dark complexion and a handsome face. If it weren't for the short moustache on his lips that made him look a little more mature, he would have looked like just an ordinary young man. How could he have the dignity of a provincial governor or the top official of the dynasty?

People with dark skin look old when they are young, but look young again when they are old...

Lu Dongzan was in a dispirited state. Although his eyes were still bright, he no longer had the mighty power he once had. He was old and had little energy.

On the chessboard, the two players were equally skilled and the game was very close.

Meanwhile, Pei Xingjian sat at his desk, news from the front lines pouring in like snowflakes...

Lu Dongzan was multitasking, concentrating on the chessboard while listening to the battle reports from the other side. He heard that Xue Rengui had led his troops to the outside of Hengluo City in the early morning and was about to launch a general attack. Looking at Fang Jun who was frowning and thinking about the chess game in front of him, he couldn't help but ask, "Erlang, are you really not worried at all?"

Fang Jun still stared at the chessboard with a frown, holding a chess piece in one hand and stroking his short mustache with the other. He said nonchalantly, "The army was well prepared before the battle, and we are united. We have a good strategy and high morale. What else do we have to worry about? If we cannot win this battle, we will just retreat to Gongyue City and leave the entire river to the Arabs."

After saying this, he made a move, raised his head and said with a smile: "Da Lun has always been resourceful and has always looked ahead ten steps. Why is your confidence so shaken now? I wonder if you have no confidence in the Anxi Protectorate, or if you hope that the Arabs can win this battle, so that you can ease the frustration caused by being taken hostage?"

Lu Dongzan stared at the chessboard for a while, shook his head, and resigned.

He straightened up and sighed, "When things don't concern me, or when I'm far from life and death, I can naturally stay out of it and make decisions. What does winning or losing matter? If I don't dwell on things, I can perform exceptionally well. But this battle is not only related to the Tang Dynasty's strategy in the Central Plains, but also to the defense of the Western Regions, and also to the life and death of the Gar Tribe. I have concerns in my heart, so I can't help but worry about gains and losses."

Fang Jun took the kettle and poured two cups of tea. He placed one cup in front of Lu Dongzan and took a sip of the other cup. "The Arab Empire seems to be a vast country with strong fighting power, and it is a superpower that can compete with the Tang Dynasty. But in my opinion, whether it is the Arab Empire or Tubo, they are not comparable to the Tang Dynasty in essence."

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

Lu Dongzan asked for advice humbly.

Everyone knows that in today's world, Tang Dynasty and Caliphate are the only two superpowers, but why Fang Jun doesn't take Caliphate seriously at all?

Fang Jun put down his teacup and asked, "What does Dalun think of 'civilization' and 'country'?"

Lu Dongzan thought for a moment and said, "A 'country' is a temporary product. It comes into being due to the situation, the weather, and other factors, and it will naturally perish because of it. 'Civilization' is the foundation for a group of people to survive, and it will not perish with the demise of a 'country'."

Fang Jun said: "But 'civilization' will also perish."

Lu Dongzan remained silent.

He subconsciously believed that the "country" would perish, but "civilization" would last forever. Now he realized that the reason for such "subconsciousness" was because he inadvertently used the Tang Dynasty as a reference.

From the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties, the Han Chinese dynasties changed and dynasties rose and fell, but "Huaxia" never disappeared. But what about other ethnic groups?

The Quanrong and Western Qiang in ancient times, the slightly earlier Xiongnu, and the present-day Turks... In fact, all tribes have risen and fallen in the long river of history, and only "Huaxia" has lasted forever.

Why is this so?
Is it that the Han people are too powerful and the rest are vulnerable?

It doesn't seem to be.

Whether it was the Quanrong, the Western Qiang, the Xiongnu, or the Turks, they all had the glory of invading Han territory and even the Han capital during their heyday. However, no matter how powerful these tribes were in their heyday, they disappeared once they declined. On the other hand, "Huaxia", even if the country was in decline and the country was overturned, no matter how weak it was, it could always retain its vitality and then rebuild its glory on the ruins.

Why not other races?
Why is it that only "Huaxia" can be reshaped?
He looked at Fang Jun.

Fang Jun drank his tea leisurely: "There are many reasons for this, and it would take three days and three nights to explain them all. But if we summarize them, there are roughly two points: one is the text, and the other is the system."

"The First Emperor's 'standardization of the wheel gauge and writing system' is just a short sentence in history books today, but its effect is unprecedented. When people in the world write the same characters, read the same books, and have the same world view, values, and outlook on life, it will produce unparalleled cohesion. Even if foreign races become powerful and China is submerged one day, so what? Anyone who comes to this land can only actively integrate into the 'Huaxia', speak Chinese, write Chinese characters, and eventually be assimilated by the 'Huaxia'. What is the difference between 'Huaxia' and 'foreign races'? If you don't do this, you will be out of tune and will eventually be lost in the vast ocean of people."

Lu Dongzan thought thoughtfully: "What about the system? Is it the so-called 'county system'?"

Fang Jun smiled and said, "The view of the great theory is a bit shallow. The 'county system' is only external. The real system lies in the spiritual core... It is 'Confucian theory and Legalist system', and even more so 'the king's power is granted by heaven, respect heaven and follow ancestors'!"