Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5208: Both soft and hard tactics
As Wang Xiaojie dragged Maslama by her hair to the shore, hundreds of Tang soldiers jumped into the surging river, searching for Auf's whereabouts. Although the enemy army had been completely annihilated in this battle, capturing the enemy commander alive meant different levels of merit. Whoever could pull Auf out of the river, even if he was dead, would secure the rank of captain, so they were naturally very excited and motivated.

"it's here!"

"Hahaha! Gotcha! Oh, coughing, there's gas!"

"Get him up here quickly! This is a huge achievement; if he dies, the credit will be halved!"

One of the soldiers dove into the water and pulled Auf out of the water. He was overjoyed and shouted with delight. Only after being reminded by his comrades did he quickly and carefully bring Auf ashore.

Seeing that Auf was pale and unconscious, many soldiers rushed over and surrounded him to treat him.

Wang Xiaojie threw Maslama to the ground, ordered his personal guards to tie him up, glanced at Auf, and said, "This guy is faking his death, ignore him. Pull off his pants, tie his hands, and tie him to the back of the horse with a rope, so he can just run back to Suyab like this!"

"puff!"

While unconscious, Auf spat out a mouthful of water, his chest heaving violently as he coughed repeatedly.

The surrounding Tang soldiers burst into laughter.

Even after Auf stopped feigning death, Tang soldiers still approached and stripped him of his armor, searching his clothes inside and out, even his anus, for fear that he might have hidden a weapon and take his own life when no one was looking. Although this man had no intention of dying, otherwise he would have fought to the death instead of throwing himself into the river.

Ke Aofu is of high status. Escorting him alive to Chang'an and presenting him as a prisoner at the Imperial Ancestral Temple would be a tremendous achievement. If he dies, the effect would be greatly diminished...

"Report!"

A scout rode up from afar and shouted as he approached Wang Xiaojie, "Reporting to the general, cavalry is coming from the upper reaches of the Wuhu River along the river channel. I estimate there are no fewer than several thousand cavalry!"

The joyous atmosphere suddenly fell silent, and everyone's expressions turned serious.

Wang Xiaojie immediately ordered: "Tie the hands of these two prisoners and put them on the back of the horse. Keep a close watch on them and absolutely no accidents are allowed!"

"Here!"

"Everyone, form ranks and defend against the enemy!"

Although he had annihilated the defeated army of Of and Maslama, achieving a great victory and making outstanding contributions, Wang Xiaojie's next goal was to go downstream along the Wuhu River to reach Mulu and join Xue Rengui, and continue westward across the Persian Plateau to attack Damascus. At this point, he would naturally not retreat north of the Iron Gate Pass because of the sudden danger.

Moreover, within the territory of Tokharistan, the invading cavalry could only be the former Turkic Khan, Yugushe.

Although Yugushe was an enemy of the Tang Dynasty back then, the Tang army has now swept through the Transoxiana region and its military might can directly threaten Tokharistan. Does Yugushe still have the courage to openly start a war with the Tang Dynasty?

"Here!"

The three thousand cavalrymen immediately formed a defensive formation.

"Armored cavalry, don your armor!"

Although it was suspected that Yugushe would not dare to be an enemy of the Tang Dynasty, they had to make the worst-case scenario plan. If Yugushe launched a full-scale attack, they would have to rely on armored cavalry to break through the encirclement, turn back north of the Iron Gate Pass, and send the news back to Suyab.

"Here!"

Hundreds of soldiers, each riding two horses, dismounted, opened the packs on the back of their other warhorse, donned suits of armor, and then clad their horses in armor before mounting themselves again. Armored men and horses, exuding a murderous aura, formed the invincible armored cavalry of this era!
These soldiers and warhorses were selected from the best of the best among the tens of thousands of soldiers in the Anxi Army. Although their numbers were only a few hundred, even an enemy ten times their size could not stop their breakout and charge.

In the distance, the Hu cavalry, like a flood sweeping across the grasslands, slowly approached, forming a crescent-shaped encirclement from the east and north along the Wuhu River, dark and overwhelming, like the clouds before a storm.

But the Tang army showed no fear; on the contrary, they were all full of fighting spirit and high morale.

War is the best whetstone. Even the most ordinary soldiers can be tempered into proud characters through victory after victory. Death is nothing to fear, and the world's strongest armies are not to be trifled with.

So what if they are ten times my size?
Killing one is enough to break even, killing two is a profit!
Three thousand Tang soldiers lined up to meet the enemy. A gentle breeze fluttered the banners, and the men and horses stood solemnly and steadily as a rock.

Ahead, a large banner fluttered in the wind, with a huge wolf head waving and changing on it. Wang Xiaojie held the reins, spurred his horse forward, and slowly rode ahead.

Behind him, three thousand Tang soldiers stood with resolute faces, waiting for either Wang Xiaojie's order or for Wang Xiaojie to fall under enemy arrows before launching a charge and fighting to the death!

On the opposite side, more than 10,000 Hu cavalrymen watched as a Tang general stepped out from the crowd, riding alone. His fierce and fearless aura spread across the grassland. The man and his horse, with their imposing presence, came crashing down on them like Mount Tai.

When they were within an arrow's reach, Wang Xiaojie reined in his horse, stood still, and shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying far: "Wang Xiaojie, Deputy General of the Anxi Army of the Great Tang Dynasty, has pursued the enemy to this point. Is that Yugushe over there?"

"presumptuous!"

"How dare you! How can you address the Khan by his name?"

"General Tang is courting death!"

The Hu cavalrymen shouted and yelled, their anger reaching its peak.

A rider broke through the crowd, and the fifty-year-old man on horseback raised a hand, causing the shouting to abruptly cease.

Then, the man rode forward and stopped a zhang away from Wang Xiaojie. His broad, red face had a prominent aquiline nose, and his deep-set eyes, which shone with a green luster like glass, stared straight at Wang Xiaojie. He exuded arrogance and cruelty, like a wild wolf that would pounce and devour its prey at any moment.

Wang Xiaojie showed no fear and shouted, "What is the Khan's purpose in leading his people here?"

"What do you intend to do? Heh."

Yu Gushe sneered, speaking in Chinese but with a slightly strange tone: "This is Turkic territory. The Tang people entered without permission and wantonly killed people. I want to ask you what your intentions are?"

Looking at the other man's face, which clearly inherited the features of the Ashina family, Wang Xiaojie said without backing down, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king! The Anxi army pursued the enemy and swept through Hezhong. Wherever they went, it was all part of our Great Tang territory. How can you say that it is Turkic territory? Whether it is the Eastern Turks or the Western Turks, they have long been destroyed by our Great Tang cavalry! If the Khan has any reverence, he can submit to the Great Tang and be enfeoffed by our Great Tang emperor. If he insists on going his own way, then the line of succession will be cut off in the near future!"

Yu Gushe flew into a rage, drew his curved sword from its sheath with a clang, pointed the tip at Wang Xiaojie, and roared, "Insolence! I am Yibi Dulu Khan of the Turkic Khaganate, descended from my ancestors and commanded by Heaven! How dare a mere Tang general be so arrogant and rampant before me? Believe me or not, with a single command I can annihilate your several thousand men right here!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaojie felt reassured.

If Yu Gushe truly wanted to avenge the Tang Dynasty's expulsion of him from the Altai Mountains, why would he need to resort to threats?

Clearly, Yu Gushe feared the strength and ferocity of the Tang people and dared not slaughter his Tang army here, lest he suffer retaliation from the Anxi army.

Wang Xiaojie was not a reckless man. Since he was already certain that Yu Gushe would not dare to launch a reckless attack, why should he provoke the other party in order to show his toughness?
He sat upright on his horse, smiled, and threatened in a calm tone: "Khan, you are divinely inspired and your power is unparalleled. What is there that you wouldn't dare to do? However, I left soldiers in the north of the pass when I crossed the Iron Gate Pass. If anything happens to me, I will immediately return to Suyab to report. The Anxi Army will then mobilize its elite forces to seek revenge. At that time, the Khan's people will pay a bloody price for your current arrogance... The Khan has already lost the Altai Mountains and the Tian Shan Mountains. Are you going to lose this last piece of land where your people can survive and thrive? You have always been known for your benevolence towards your people and have won the support of many Turkic people. I don't think you would risk the extinction of your people for your own selfish courage."

Yu Gushe put down his curved sword, his green eyes flickering uncertainly.

Wang Xiaojie said, "The Arabs have invaded Suyab and raided the border. Even if they go to heaven or earth, they will still have to bear the wrath of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the Khan should be able to understand why I led my troops into Tokharistan to annihilate this defeated Arab army."

Yu Gushe struggled with this thought for a long time before finally letting out a helpless sigh.

The stability of Tokharistan signifies the prestige of the Khan. If outsiders are allowed to come and go at will and kill indiscriminately, who will care about him, the Turkic Khan who has lost his ancestral land?
If people's hearts are lost, it will be difficult to lead the team.

However, he was even more unwilling to clash with or even go to war with the Tang army.

Having finally escaped the Tang army's intimidation and fled to Tokharistan, how could they possibly want to have any further dealings with the Tang army?

In particular, the complete annihilation of the 200,000-strong Abbasid army by the Tang army demonstrates that the Tang army was even more formidable than before...

After pondering for a long time, he exhaled and nodded: "Since it was the Arabs who invaded the border of the Tang Dynasty, it is only reasonable for the general to lead his troops to pursue and annihilate them... However, the dignity of the Turks cannot be violated. You can take your troops and leave, leaving the Arab prisoners behind."

Although the Abbasid Caliphate was defeated by the Tang army, the Hezhong region is vast and fertile, so who knows if the Abbasid Caliphate will not make a comeback in the future?

Today, the Abbasid general was captured by the Tang army in Tokharistan. Given the Abbasids' brutality and barbarity, they will surely seek him out for accountability when they arrive in the future.

If these two prisoners can be treated with courtesy and sent back to the Arab world, all future troubles will naturally be eliminated...

Wang Xiaojie shook his head and refused: "How could that be? There are only two prisoners left from the Abbasid Caliphate, and they are the commanders of the army. I will definitely bring them back to Chang'an and present them in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Their blood will comfort the soldiers and civilians of the Great Tang who sacrificed in this battle and restore the might of the Great Tang! Whether to fight or make peace, whether to stay in Tokharistan peacefully or wait for the Anxi army to come to this place to take revenge, all depends on the Khan's decision."

Having said that, he ignored Yu Gushe's ugly expression, picked up the reins, turned his warhorse around, and headed back towards the main camp.

Thousands of Anxi soldiers immediately changed their rear guard to the vanguard and slowly moved downstream along the surging Wuhu River.

Yu Gushe was furious. A mere deputy general of the Tang army had used both soft and hard tactics to make him hesitant and afraid to turn against him!
But when he saw the direction in which the Tang army was retreating, he was immediately taken aback.

(End of this chapter)