Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5166 Difficulty in Crossing the River
Seeing his father's hesitation, Fu Human said quickly, "At this critical moment of life and death, father should make a decision early and be as firm as iron. How can you hesitate and make up your mind? Once the two sides start a war around Aludi City, the entire Kang Kingdom will be destroyed! Only by secretly helping the Tang army so that they can quickly defeat the Arab army can we save our people from suffering and preserve Aludi City!"

Tong'e also knew that this was not the time to hesitate. As the king of Kangguo, he must show courage and make a decision.

He gritted his teeth and said, "In that case, you should sneak out of the city, secretly cross the river to the north, and negotiate with the Tang army. The other conditions don't matter, but you must ensure the survival of Aludi City and the lives of all the people in the city."

After a pause, he added: "If the city is not spared in the end, the Tang Dynasty must agree to help Kangguo rebuild the city!"

The war was fierce and dangerous. With nearly 100,000 troops on both sides, the consequences of a melee would be unpredictable. The Tang army could not save Aludi City just because they promised to save it. Aludi City was a top-notch fortress in the Central Asian region, but it was like tofu that broke apart at the touch of a button in a melee, so it was highly likely that it would be difficult to save.

If Kangguo wanted to rebuild its capital after the war, it would be extremely difficult. But if the Tang Dynasty came to help, it would be easy.

When it comes to city building, the Tang Dynasty is second to none in the world...

"Don't worry, father. I'll go get ready and leave the city tonight in the dark!"

Fuhuman turned around and strode away.

Watching her son's strong figure disappear at the door, Tong'e took a sip of tea, shook her head and sighed.

Although he had to succumb to the threat of the Arabs and betray the Tang Dynasty, he was not wholeheartedly loyal to the Arabs. Even when he received the order from the Caliph to send troops north to assist Suiye City, he only sent out two thousand miscellaneous troops as a show and was unwilling to get involved in the struggle for supremacy between the Arabs and the Tang Dynasty.

But who could have thought that this bastard Yazid would suffer a great defeat before the battle officially started, and he didn't dare to flee all the way back to Damascus, but instead came to Kangguo in a detour and tried to stop the Tang army with the city of Aludi...

It was truly a sudden disaster.

He was also worried about his son going to contact Tang Jun.

Although this is the best way to solve the situation at the moment, once the Arabs find out, they will probably order a massacre of the city immediately...

*****
The Tang cavalry followed all the way to the north bank of the Sabao River. Xue Rengui rode his horse to the river bank and looked across the wide river to the city in the south. He pondered for a moment and ordered, "Send out the scouts to keep a close eye on the river bank. The rest of the troops should camp on the spot and take a short rest."

There was a cheer behind me.

Xue Rengui forced a smile and scolded, "Why, we chased the enemy like a stray dog, killing thousands and tens of thousands of people along the way, but one or two of them are complaining? What a loser!"

Upon hearing this, the officers complained.

"We are not made of iron. We have run as far as the enemy. They will be tired, and so will we!"

"That's it. Even if it's chasing a group of pigs, it's tiring!"

"Especially now that it's the rainy season, it's really difficult to travel all the way through the grassland!"

Xue Rengui waved his hand: "Alright, alright, you're still complaining about suffering? If anyone feels it's suffering, just ride your horse back to Suiye City now!"

"Haha, it's just a few complaints, why do you take it seriously, General?"

"We also know the significance of this battle, and we will definitely follow the general to chase the enemy and achieve great success!"

"Since ancient times, our Chinese have never had military might over this place. Now our Tang cavalry is galloping in the river. This is an unprecedented feat!"

"After this war, there will probably be a hundred years of peace, right? No matter how hard and tired we are now, it is worth it. We will fight for a vast space for our children and grandchildren, so that they can study, become officials, farm and do business in the future!"

More than 10,000 people set up camp on the north bank.

Xue Rengui also took off his armor and walked from camp to camp with the military doctors, treating and comforting the wounded soldiers, sometimes soothing them with warm words and sometimes encouraging and supporting them. The huge camp was filled with laughter and morale was high.

Returning to his tent, Xue Rengui soaked his feet in the boiling hot basin and let out a long breath.

Although the results were impressive, the Tang army also suffered heavy losses. After all, they had been chasing the enemy all the way. The one who was beaten was tired, and the one who beat the other was also tired...

Now that the enemy is occupying the city of Aludi and the vast and mighty Sabao River is difficult to cross for the time being, perhaps both armies can get a rare chance to catch their breath.

But it is a good thing to rest for a while. If we cannot cross the Sabao Water for a long time, that will not be a good thing.

Although the rule of the Arabs in Transoxiana was not long, it was extremely brutal. Many tribes suffered from their killing and looting, and feared them like a tiger. If the Tang Dynasty had been unstoppable and won battle after battle, it would have uprooted the rule of the Arabs in Transoxiana. However, if the offensive was unfavorable and a stalemate occurred, those tribes would have been forced to support Yazid continuously due to the brutality of the Arabs.

By the time Yezid recovers his breath and regains his strength, it will be extremely disadvantageous to the Tang army.

After running long distances for many consecutive days, considering strategies and tactics, and paying close attention to the morale of the army, even Xue Rengui, who had a physique far superior to that of an ordinary person, was already exhausted. He was still thinking about various things in his head, but as soon as he touched the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep in a short while.

The next morning, after washing up and having breakfast, Xue Rengui rode his horse with his personal soldiers to the bank of Sabao River. He looked at the surging waves in silence.

The scouts came back one after another, reporting the situation on the entire north bank of the Sabao River.

“All herders have been forcibly relocated to the south bank, and there are no people or animals left on the north bank!”

Obviously, the enemy implemented a policy of clearing the countryside and leaving nothing for the Tang army to supply.

"All boats were taken to the south bank, and no means of crossing the river were found on the north bank."

Xue Rengui frowned.

The most difficult thing on the grassland is crossing the river. These rivers are often wide and full of water, making it difficult to swim across. There are no trees on the grassland, so it is impossible to cut down trees to make river crossing tools. The nearest mountain is more than a hundred miles away...

Just as he was thinking about how to cross the river, a captain came riding up at full speed: "Report! Deputy General Wang Xiaojie is leading the armored cavalry!"

Xue Rengui took a look at the surging river, pulled the reins, turned his horse around, and returned to the camp.

……

"How much baggage are you carrying on this trip?"

When he entered the commander's tent, he saw Wang Xiaojie, who had been traveling all the way, sitting there in a helmet and armor. Without any greeting, Xue Rengui asked directly.

Wang Xiaojie quickly stood up and saluted, then said, "There is little food left, but there is a lot of meat. Although smoked horse meat tastes bad, it can be stored for a long time. Besides, no matter how bad it tastes, it is still meat. It can quickly replenish physical strength."

They chased the enemy all the way, and either killed or released the prisoners. The captured horses were all made into smoked meat to make up for the shortage of food and fodder.

To be honest, Xue Rengui was sure to win this battle. There was no way the Arab army could turn the tide. The only concern was insufficient supply - the march was too fast, even Wang Xiaojie's armored cavalry could not keep up, let alone the transport team from Suiye City?

We can only support war by fighting.

After Wang Xiaojie sat down, he took a sip of hot tea and asked, "General, do you have any idea how to cross the river?"

Xue Rengui shook his head: "Not yet. The enemy has implemented a strategy of clearing the countryside and fortifying the city. There is not even a piece of wood on the north bank."

Wang Xiaojie also scratched his head: "How about we send out scouts to search upstream and downstream along the river, looking for a narrow place in the river, and swim across the river?"

This is the last resort if you cannot find a way to cross the river.

Xue Rengui thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry. The army has traveled a long distance and needs to rest for a few days. Otherwise, not only will there be more casualties, but it will also have a huge impact on the morale of the army. We have to be cautious."

Swimming across the river is very dangerous. The Sabao River has a gentle course and excellent visibility. The enemy only needs to deploy scouts along the river to patrol back and forth, and they can easily discover the swimming army. At that time, they only need to deploy heavy troops on the opposite bank to shoot with bows and crossbows, and the Tang army will suffer heavy losses.

Here, you have to abandon your heavy equipment when swimming. Even if you succeed, you will be stuck in a tough battle with the enemy due to insufficient equipment...

This is inconsistent with the purpose of this war.

In this battle of pursuit and killing, the strategy formulated was to fight quickly, chase and kill the enemy at close range, wait for an opportunity to annihilate the enemy, and never fight to the death.

If every city had to be involved in a life-and-death battle, the Tang army would not be able to advance faster or further even if it had more troops...

Wang Xiaojie said angrily: "King Kangguo has been indecisive. He was rewarded by Emperor Taizong in the past, but now he has surrendered to the Arabs and is willing to give his capital to the Arab army to garrison. Otherwise, how would Yazid dare to escape here? After crossing the river, we must raze the city of Aludi to the ground and let him know the consequences of betraying the Tang Dynasty!"

Xue Rengui smiled and drank a sip of water, saying: "It's not entirely Tong'e's fault. The Tang Dynasty is too far away, and under the attack of the Arabs, he had no choice. But as you said, the majesty of the Tang Dynasty cannot be offended. No matter what the reason is, if you betray the Tang Dynasty, you must be prepared to bear the consequences."

People can have compassion, but countries cannot.

Between countries, interests come first.

Since Kangguo accepted Yazid and became an enemy of the Tang Dynasty, it must bear the price, regardless of whether Kangguo could afford it or not.

However, that very night, scouts captured Fuhuman who had swam across from the south bank, tied him up, and took him to Xue Rengui's tent.

Xue Rengui looked at the tall and handsome young man, holding the teacup and asked: "How do you prove your identity?"

Fu Human said: "I have the king's seal in my arms."

A captain beside him brought the seal that he had searched from him to Xue Rengui. Xue Rengui put down his teacup and picked up the seal. He carefully identified it under the candlelight and was stunned: "Is this the national seal of your Kang country?"

"hold head high!"

Fu Human responded, "If it weren't for this, I'm afraid it would be difficult to gain the general's trust."

Xue Rengui was speechless: "Aren't you afraid that this thing will be lost, or that I will keep it and not return it?"

This guy looks kind of smart, but not much...