Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5145 National System
The Tang Dynasty and the Arab Empire were separated into the East and the West, and both were powerful countries at the time, but the two countries were completely different in nature.

The strength of the Tang Dynasty lies in its system. The perfect system enables the empire to function well. There is no need for wise rulers or good generals. As long as there is no internal strife or constraints in the country, this perfect state machine will be able to resist any foreign invasion under its self-operation.

But this is also the weakness of the Tang Dynasty.

What is “system”?
In short, it is "rules".

Everything must be done according to the rules.

The Tang Dynasty could launch an expedition, but it could not last long because the huge consumption of food, fodder and manpower would damage national interests. The greatest significance of the king's existence was to safeguard national interests. Once this was contrary to this, the king's power would be restricted or even subverted.

Continuously waging wars in the Western Regions and Hezhong, or even continuing the Western Region war zone for a long time, would inevitably lead to strong opposition within the Tang Dynasty. The internal constraints would be enough to make the Anxi Army's strategy unsustainable, and even Fang Jun would not be able to suppress the various opposition voices.

"Rules" are a double-edged sword. If you benefit from the rules, you must also be subject to the rules.

Once the rules are broken, the backlash will be enough to turn the world upside down...

But the Arabs were completely different.

Rather than calling it a "country", it is better to call it a "tribal alliance". The Caliph is appointed by the "true God" and obtains the most powerful secular power. He launches conquests with tyrannical military force and promotes his beliefs. At the same time, he seizes wealth and materials through war, conquers foreign races and continues to grow stronger.

It can be said that the operation of the entire Arab Empire depended on the power of the Caliph, and the country was maintained through war.

Grow and grow by destroying, ruining, killing and plundering.

They never build, they only destroy.

As long as the Caliph is willing, he can, to a certain extent, unscrupulously conquer various ethnic groups, form an alliance, and wage an endless war against the Tang Dynasty.

If the Arabs are defeated this time and make a comeback tomorrow, can the Anxi Army still raise enough food and supplies to fight another "War of the Western Regions"?

Would the emperor, ministers, noble families, and aristocratic clans allow an army of tens of thousands of people to be stationed in the Western Regions for a long time and continuously consume food and fodder?

……

Fang Jun nodded slightly: "The great theory is profound and insightful. It is indeed impossible for the Tang Dynasty to maintain a state of war in the Western Regions for a long time. This is a constraint, but it is also because of this that the superiority of the Tang Dynasty system is demonstrated."

Lu Dongzan had to agree.

There is no best system in the world, whether it is a country or a tribe, the most important thing is to adapt to local conditions and learn from local strengths to make up for one's own weaknesses. "Oranges grown in the south of the Huai River are oranges, while those grown in the north of the Huai River are tangerines." The good systems of other countries may not be suitable for one's own country when copied.

But all good systems must have one most basic and important thing in common, that is, the power of the monarch must be limited.

Whether it was the Arab Empire or the Byzantine Empire, their royal powers were indeed restricted, but the supreme "divine power" was unbridled.

And in this regard, the Tang Dynasty did the best.

He had a deep understanding of the system of the Tang Dynasty. Whether it was the Grand Council or the Council of State Affairs, the military and politics were separated, and they were both opposed and restricted to each other, but also coordinated and complemented each other. It would not easily lead to such chaotic situations as civil officials commanding wars and military generals becoming puppets, or military generals holding power and arbitrarily interfering in government affairs.

The military and the political parties each performed their own duties, and the emperor was more like a steward, outlining the main points and balancing all parties, rather than being "tyrannical" or "having his word be the law."

Even the most outstanding individuals can make mistakes, and the decisions made by a professional team will inevitably take into account the interests of as many people as possible and are definitely more reasonable and more stable than individual decisions.

However, no matter whether it was the Arabs or the Tubo, they could not learn the system of the Tang Dynasty.

If it were copied, the power structure on which the country was originally founded would be destroyed in an instant, and the country would fall into chaos and disorder, and fall apart in a matter of days...

Fang Jun sat upright, his eyes clear: "Of course the Empire cannot afford to launch a protracted war in the Western Regions, but for the Anxi Army, this war does not need to be protracted either."

Lu Dongzan was puzzled: "Even if the Tang Dynasty wins this battle, it will only defeat the Arab army. It is impossible to annihilate them completely. If they cannot be annihilated completely, these defeated soldiers will flee back to Damascus and will soon be reorganized and organized. They will continue to attack the Western Regions soon... How should Erlang deal with it?"

Fang Jun smiled and said, "This is a strategic secret, and I cannot disclose it for the time being. However, since Dalun is in the army, he will see it with his own eyes in no time."

Lu Dongzan shook his head, helpless about Fang Jun's tricks, but he still had doubts.

It is not difficult to defeat an army of 200,000, but it is extremely difficult to completely destroy it and prevent it from making a comeback.

In the last "War of the Western Regions", the Tang army won a great victory and even almost kept Muawiyah here. But only a few years later, the Arabs organized an army again and launched an invasion?
Pei Xingjian then asked: "Are we proceeding according to the plan?"

Fang Jun nodded and said, "Tell Xue Rengui not to worry about Hengluo City. His troops should go forward and chase the defeated enemy soldiers to Kesan City. We should oppress the enemy and make them lose their footing. In addition, let's go and see the Arab general Amir. It is said that he led his troops to annihilate all the remnants of Persia last year, making the whole of Persia part of the Arab territory. I don't know what kind of hero he is?"

Pei Xingjian laughed and said, "After being stabbed twice, he immediately revealed his identity and begged for surrender. What kind of a hero is that?"

Fang Jun glanced at Lu Dongzan and said meaningfully: "Of course he is a great man. After all, 'a man who knows the current situation is a great man.'"

Pei Xingjian laughed.

Lu Dongzan couldn't help laughing: "Erlang, are you trying to hit me?"

Fang Jun said: "Why bother to say it out loud if you can just keep it to yourself? If you can see through it but don't say it out loud, we can still be friends!"

Lu Dongzan: “…”

*****
But Sancheng fell into panic.

Although everyone understood that there is no sure win in the world, and they also knew that Amir's battle was more of a test of the Tang army, the fact that they were defeated so quickly and so miserably was beyond everyone's expectations and unacceptable.

Yazid was sitting in the tent and was furious: "Amir misled me! I repeatedly emphasized the strength of the Tang army and asked all units to proceed steadily and not to rush forward rashly. But who listened to me? They all thought that Suiye City was a huge medal of military merit and anyone who went there could easily capture it! In the end, they went there with full confidence, but were defeated and their entire army was annihilated!"

The shadow of the previous disastrous defeat in the "Western Region War" instantly shrouded his heart, and unstoppable fear spread.

Maslama was somewhat dissatisfied. The strategy was formulated by everyone together. No matter what differences existed before, at least it was a consensus among everyone that Amir would lead his army to attack Suiye City. How could they shirk responsibility after encountering setbacks on the battlefield?
"General, although Amir was defeated, he recovered a large number of soldiers. The entire army was not destroyed."

Ye Qide said angrily: "How much is the difference? There are tens of thousands of soldiers and more than half of them trapped in Hengluo City, and less than one-third of them have returned. And you are nitpicking with me?"

Maslama said calmly: "I am not arguing with the Marshal about words, but the battle report back to Damascus must be accurate and realistic."

Everyone assisted Yazid in conquering the Western Regions. In a sense, the Caliph commissioned them to help Yazid, and he also recognized that they would become Yazid's team in the future and gain a share of the "merit of following the dragon", so they had the same position and interests.

But if Yazid puts all the blame on Amir in order to shirk responsibility, one can imagine Amir's future situation in Damascus.

It is inevitable that there is a feeling of being in the same boat.

After all, Amir’s defeat was not a strategic mistake, nor was it a sign of cowardice. Who could have imagined that the Tang army would bury gunpowder underground in the entire city of Henglus?
No matter who takes over, it will inevitably end in a miserable defeat.

Yazid endured it, knowing that the most important thing at the moment was to stabilize the morale of the army rather than to find out who was responsible. However, he still couldn't forget Amir's previous disrespect: "But where is Amir now? When we needed him to gather the defeated soldiers and reorganize the army, where did he go? Could he have been captured by the Tang army?"

Maslama and Auf looked solemn.

A soldier came over quickly, handed over a battle report, and reported: "According to the defeated soldiers in Hengluo City, General Amir is very likely to have been captured by the Tang army!"

Ye Qide took the battle report, read it carefully, snorted angrily, and threw it on the table: "You incompetent people, so stupid! You just defended him, and now he has become a prisoner, let's see how you can defend him!"

The two men read the battle report one after another and sighed.

Defeat in war and being captured are completely different responsibilities. If Amir is defeated in war, he may still be able to rely on the Caliph to regroup and make a comeback. However, once he is captured, Amir's reputation and achievements will immediately disappear, and it will be almost impossible to gain the Caliph's trust again.

The only hope is that his people can spend a lot of money to redeem Amir from the Tang people...

Auf said: "If Amir is really captured, the commander should take the initiative to contact the Tang army, first ensure Amir's safety, and then negotiate with him and spend a large sum of money to redeem him."

Yezid was furious: "I am already being magnanimous by not holding him responsible for the defeat. How can I spend so much money to redeem him?"

Auf said earnestly and earnestly: "Amir is now trapped in the enemy camp and has become a prisoner. His past achievements and reputation have plummeted. He is in the most panic and fear. If the Marshal can lend a helping hand, he will surely be grateful and remember the great kindness. In addition, if the Marshal can show kindness and generosity to a defeated general, others will feel the same way, which will surely make the Marshal gain more support."

Maslama also said: "The Tang people have a proverb, which is 'a thousand gold coins are enough to buy horse bones'. I think it means the same thing."

Yezid hesitated for a while, unwillingly, but had to admit that the two's advice made sense, so he had to accept it with a pinch of his nose: "Then send someone to contact the Tang army later to see if Amir can be redeemed... But now the most urgent task is how to clean up the mess?"