Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5150: Civil War in the Arab Empire
Gao Deyi looked at Helu with a blank expression: "Khan and the Tang Dynasty have fought and made peace with each other, and they understand each other. You should know that in the Tang army, among the countless military disciplines, the first one is 'obeying orders'. Wherever there is an order, even if there are mountains of swords and seas of fire ahead, we must move forward bravely."

Helu was shocked. He knew that the Tang army had strict discipline. If anyone violated it, even officers would be punished. However, as the Khan of the Turks, he was now looking at the military discipline from the perspective of the Tang army, and for a moment he was unable to put himself in their shoes...

He quickly said: "I am not disobeying orders, I am just expressing my concern."

"There's no point in worrying! Once the order is issued, there is no room for negotiation. If there's life ahead, go forward without hesitation. If there's death ahead, don't turn back!"

Helu was sweating a little and said seriously: "Yes!"

A Luohan also said: "As long as there is an order, I will obey it!"

Gao Deyi's expression eased, he glanced at Helu and explained, "I am well aware of your concerns, but please rest assured, when we arrive at Kesan City and start the attack, General Xue will start the attack on the north bank of Yaosha River to cooperate with us. The so-called natural moat of Yaosha River cannot stop the Tang army at all, and the strong city walls of Kesan City are vulnerable to the Tang army!"

Helu and A Luohan nodded repeatedly. The Tang army was extremely powerful and invincible, but what frightened the enemy the most was its siege skills. Any so-called strong city in the world was as fragile as a piece of paper in front of the Tang army's firearms and would be broken with a single poke.

Since the emergence of gunpowder, the mode of warfare has quietly changed. It is difficult to keep out powerful enemies with strong city walls. Siege warfare is about to disappear in the strategic deployment of the Tang army, and will be replaced by more field battles and street fighting.

In field battles, the Tang army had powerful artillery, strong crossbows, and armored cavalry that was feared throughout the world.

In street fighting, the Tang army's armor was unmatched in the world. Whether it was the officers' Ming Guang armor, Shan Wen armor and other armor, or the soldiers' simple and low-cost plate armor, as well as firearms such as muskets and thunder bombs, they all had a huge advantage.

In a sense, as long as the logistical supplies can keep up, the Tang army will be invincible.

A thought suddenly occurred to A Luohan: "Faced with an army armed to the teeth like the Tang army, the Arabs were too busy trying to avoid it, so why did Muawiyah take the initiative to challenge it?"

*****
"I have never really thought it through. It hasn't been long since the last battle in the Western Regions. The Arabs have not yet recovered from their defeat. Why are they so eager to attack again? Moreover, the equipment and combat power of the Tang Dynasty are unparalleled in the world. Why didn't Muawiyah wait a little longer, mobilize more troops, and make better preparations before fighting again?"

In Suiye City, Lu Dongzan asked this question.

He held the wine glass, puzzled: "The trade deficit between the Arabs and the Tang Dynasty is indeed too large, and too much wealth has flowed into the Tang Dynasty. But the Arabs are not producers. They rely on mergers and plunder. Even if they occupy the entire thinking line, can they still produce luxury goods such as silk, porcelain, glass, and paper to reverse the gap? They can make a lot of money just by imposing heavy taxes on merchants. Why do they need to make a big fuss and start a war again at the risk of shaking the country's foundation?"

War exists with the origin of life. It has never stopped from ancient times to the present. The reasons for war are also varied, but the ultimate purpose is actually not much. Either to fight for living space, or to plunder wealth and population...

No matter how you look at it, the war launched by Muawiyah was not worth it.

Pei Xingjian glanced at Fang Jun and saw that he was drinking. He knew that there was something he didn't need to keep secret from Lu Dongzan, so he smiled and said, "Muawiyah has deeply felt that the position of the caliph has been impacted, because Ali's son Hussein is now recruiting troops in Medina and gradually growing stronger. He has escaped calmly from Muawiyah's stranglehold several times, and his reputation is getting higher and higher. Many tribes in the Arab Empire are yearning for him... After all, Ali is the true king of the Arab Empire."

If Ali had not been assassinated, he would be the current Caliph of the Caliphate.

Ali's death was unclear. Although there was no evidence that it was Muawiyah's fault, everyone in the Caliphate believed that Muawiyah had something to do with it. Ali's supporters naturally did not want to support Muawiyah sincerely, but they had to bow their heads due to the situation.

The rise of Ali's son Hussein gave these people hope, and they were ready to make a move...

Fang Jun put down his wine glass and said, "So the tribes that Muawiyah recruited this time were all those who had close relations with Ali in the past. His idea was nothing more than to capture the Western Regions and threaten the Tang Dynasty while also consuming these tribes on the battlefield in the Western Regions."

Even with Lu Dongzan's cunningness, he couldn't help but be shocked at this moment.

The most important thing is not only that the Tang army can see through Muawiyah's thoughts and the court movements in Damascus, but also that Fang Jun is in the Tang Dynasty. How can he know the situation in Medina thousands of miles away?
No matter how invincible the Tang Dynasty navy was, and no matter how widespread the Tang Dynasty merchants were, they could not penetrate deep into the land. How could they know so much about Hussein in Medina?
He took a deep breath and asked, "How can we ensure the authenticity of this news?"

Fang Jun smiled and said, "Because Hussein has been accepting our assistance, his real-time strategy and actions were all discussed with us."

The strongest fortress is often breached from within. Instead of organizing an army of hundreds of thousands to march into the Arab world and wasting countless manpower and resources to fight an arduous war, it is far better to drive a wedge into the enemy's interior and let them kill each other.

Lu Dongzan was incredulous: "You started planning against the Arabs very early?"

Fang Jun nodded and said, "As the Art of War says, if you know yourself and your enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger! After the founding of the Arab Empire, the Arab Empire has expanded rapidly. The recent caliphs have been warlike and aggressive. The essence of their country is built on plunder, which is naturally contrary to a country like the Tang Dynasty that relies on self-reliance. Sooner or later, there will be a war, so we must plan early and take the initiative."

In fact, meeting Hussein was just a coincidence, but he didn't mind pretending to be sophisticated in front of Lu Dongzan and leaving the other party with the impression that he was in control of the situation.

When I mention Hussein, I can't help but think of that beautiful, pure and innocent girl, and my heart is touched...

But no one knows where Yu Mingxue is now, who disappeared for no reason?

Now that I think about it, there was no sign of that girl's departure, and for some reason Fang Jun always felt that it was quite strange...

Lu Dongzan was shocked and admired. He thought he was one of the smartest people in the world, and few could match his ability to strategize and control the country. However, the Tang Dynasty's layout against the Arabs was so far-reaching and the design was so ingenious that he was still amazed.

To some extent, this is the destiny of the country.

When the country is prosperous, famous ministers and generals will emerge, pushing the country's civil and military achievements to the peak. On the contrary, when the country is declining, there will be treacherous ministers and tyrants, who are rebellious, violent, and perverse, and the country will deteriorate and fall into decline.

He shook his head and sighed, "I boast that my ability to govern a country is unparalleled in the world. I am often proud of assisting the Zamp to unify the plateau and work hard to govern the country. I don't think highly of those famous generals and meritorious ministers who founded the Tang Dynasty. Now I realize that I am just a frog in a well and a firefly. I am ashamed of myself."

After sighing for a while, he showed curiosity: "I have always known that Erlang is good at using troops in an unconventional way. Now Maslama has led his army to stop at the north bank of Yaosha River, but Sancheng can provide support at any time. I wonder what strategy the Tang army has to defeat Maslama and force a crossing of Yaosha River?"

In this battle, the focus of the situation has shifted from the city of Hengluo to the Yaosha River, which is exactly what the Tang army had envisioned before the war. It has been realized. Next, the two sides will fight over the Yaosha River. If the Tang army successfully crosses the river and attacks the city of Kesan, the Arab army will most likely be shaken, morale will collapse, and they will be defeated without a fight.

On the contrary, if the Arabs can hold the Yaoshashui defense line, they will buy more time, and those tribal reinforcements that are still waiting and waiting on the road will speed up to reach Kesan City to join them. The Arab army with superior manpower will gradually advance and spread the war throughout the Seven Rivers Basin.

By then, the Tang army would have lost its strategic initiative and would inevitably consume more manpower, food, and supplies, and the Tang court might also change.

As long as the Arabs can drag out this war and prevent the outcome from being decided too quickly, then even if they are at a disadvantage for a while, they will eventually have a chance to turn the tables.

Now Yezide has deployed more than 100,000 troops along the Yaosha River. They have both forward horns and entrenched cities. The two major groups rely on each other. How can the Tang army break through their defense line?
Fang Jun took the pot and poured wine, took a sip, and said with a smile: "Is Da Lun confused? In front of the Tang army, no strong city can stop the advance, and no defense line can withstand the galloping cavalry! The Tang army may not be invincible, but it is definitely unstoppable!"

Lu Dongzan suddenly realized: "Firearms? But as far as I know, because the Arabs suffered a great defeat in the last battle in the Western Regions, they are very afraid of firearms. After returning to Damascus, Muawiyah ordered the army to conduct targeted training. The main purpose is to prevent soldiers and horses from collapsing under the fire and sound of firearms... The power of firearms is more about deterrence, and the real lethality is not enough to support victory in a war."

Fang Jun did not quibble, but nodded in agreement.

Due to the power of gunpowder, the power of muskets, cannons and thunder bombs is extremely limited. They rely more on the fragments produced by the explosion of projectiles to kill the enemy. In addition, the production capacity is limited and the supply is extremely difficult. It is impossible to use firearms throughout a war involving hundreds of thousands of people.

If the Arab army really eliminated its fear of firearms, the power of firearms would naturally be greatly reduced.

However, he was still confident: "Since the great theorist mentioned the last battle in the Western Regions, have you forgotten how the Tang army defeated the enemy at that time?"

Lu Dongzan was stunned at first, then he recalled the last battle in the Western Regions and looked puzzled...