Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5257 The Airborne Plan
Xue Rengui put the map aside, suddenly stood up, grabbed a cloak from the side, and strode out of the military tent, braving the cold wind and heavy snow as he hurried toward the camp gate.

Amidst the swirling snow, a cavalry force wound its way from east to west. Their hooves shattered the ice and snow, their banners were tattered and billowing. Every soldier bore the marks of frostbite and wore a weary expression, yet their figures on horseback remained upright, their bright eyes untouched by the wind and snow, always sharp as blades.

Broken, exhausted, and weak were the outward signs of this army.

But anyone can see that even if war breaks out the next moment and this army enters the battlefield, it will surely sweep across the battlefield, kill generals and capture flags, and be invincible!
"dismount!"

The first man shouted and jumped off his horse. He stumbled as he landed, and the soldiers behind him followed suit, dismounting and kneeling on one knee to salute.

"See General!"

Xue Rengui strode forward, reached out and helped the leading general up. Looking at the young face covered in frostbite, he patted the other's broad shoulders hard, then pulled him into his arms and patted his back hard, his voice choked with emotion.

"Well done! You have lived up to the Commander-in-Chief's trust and upheld the prestige of the Anxi Army. The pursuit across a thousand miles was a great victory. I will earnestly request the Grand Protector to recommend you for commendation in the name of the Anxi Protectorate and the Anxi Army!"

From the summer when they set out to pursue the fleeing Arab army, chasing them for over a thousand miles to the Iron Gate Pass where they annihilated the enemy, and then traveling another thousand miles to reunite at Mulu City, behind their achievements that are enough to make them proud of the world are the hardships and dangers they have encountered along the way. The difficulties and hardships they have endured are beyond description.

Wang Xiaojie laughed heartily, his words ringing out with resounding force and boundless pride: "I have successfully completed my mission!"

As soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, we should shoulder the mission of protecting our homeland and expanding our territory. Whether we are wounded or die on the battlefield, as long as we fulfill the mission of soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, all merits, honors, disgraces, life and death, victory and defeat are ultimately contained within these four words.

This is the ultimate achievement that Tang Dynasty soldiers pursued, disregarding life and death—to fulfill their mission!
……

After settling the arriving troops, Wang Xiaojie took a hot bath, had his frostbite and wounds treated by the army doctor, changed into a set of cotton clothes, and then went to the military tent to meet Xue Rengui to discuss the next steps of the march.

Several small dishes were laid out on the table. Xue Rengui took the wine pot out of the hot water and watched as Wang Xiaojie poured the warm wine into a cup and drank it all in one gulp. He felt a pang of heartache and exclaimed, "You can drink slower! The heavy snow has blocked the roads and the supplies from the north haven't been delivered for a long time. This little bit of wine is what I usually save up, and you'll finish it in two days if you drink it like this!"

"hiss!"

Wang Xiaojie smacked his lips, burning from the strong liquor, and exhaled with satisfaction: "It has to be the Grand Commandant! How did he come up with this distillation technique? Such strong liquor is not favored by those poetic ministers in the court, but it is the favorite of us soldiers!"

Soldiers value decisiveness and ruthlessness, and crave thrills beyond material desires. They crave large gulps of wine and meat, and intense stimulation is the best. Mild yellow wine is only suitable for leisurely sipping under the moonlit flowers, or for chatting with a beautiful woman on one's lap. It has no trace of the fierce spirit of conquest...

Xue Rengui nodded, took a sip of wine, and asked, "How many soldiers died in battle?"

Wang Xiaojie's mood instantly sombered, and he lowered his head, speaking in a low voice: "A total of 1,763 soldiers died in battle... Not to mention those who died on the battlefield, dying on the battlefield is an honor for us soldiers, but since we annihilated the enemy in Tokharistan and came westward, 94 of them drowned or froze to death along the way. I have no face to face them."

From Tokharistan, the army marched westward along the Uhu River. The riverbanks were swampy and there were no roads. Soldiers and horses would often sink into the swamps and drown instantly. If rescue was not timely, they would disappear without a trace. The journey was extremely difficult, which slowed down the army's pace and prevented them from reaching Merv before winter arrived.

As winter approached, frequent blizzards buried the riverbeds under snow, and soldiers often broke through the floating ice and fell into the river...

Wiping his face and taking a swig of wine, Wang Xiaojie forced a smile and said with great emotion, "Even a clay pot is bound to break by the well, and a general is bound to die on the battlefield... Even if I am buried in a foreign land and die in a foreign land, if I can create an unprecedented victory in the history of China's expedition, I will have no regrets in death!"

After saying this, he patted his cotton-padded coat, his face full of joy and praise: "I must say that our commander is farsighted and resourceful. Back then, when we planted cotton, spun the seeds, and wove cloth, everyone thought that the Grand Commandant was just trying to make money. But now we know that cotton cloth and cotton-padded coats are simply life-saving artifacts in this cold winter. If it weren't for the fact that we received these cotton-padded coats among the last supplies from Kesan City when we were resting in Tokharistan, I'm afraid that few of my several thousand men would have made it here alive."

Throughout history, even at the height of Chinese dynasties, none of them ever truly conquered the land of the North Sea, nor did they ever expand their territory westward or northward beyond the Tianshan Mountains. The reason for this was that they could not withstand the severe cold and could not maintain a permanent presence. Even a genius like Huo Qubing could only retreat after a single attack.

But now, with clothing filled with cotton, one can maintain body temperature even in icy and snowy conditions, making it no longer a pipe dream to stay permanently in the far north.

Xue Rengui nodded: "The Grand Commandant's usual behavior seems to leave no trace, and may even appear whimsical and unpredictable, but it is often only after a short time that one can discover his foresight and that he has already completed a certain plan without anyone noticing. In this respect, no one in the court or the country can compare to him."

His army also had an ample supply of cotton clothing. Along the way, countless members of the Abbasid army froze to death in the heavy snow of winter, their corpses littering the roadside. However, very few soldiers of the Anxi army froze to death due to the cold.

Even the most luxurious fur coat isn't as warm as a cotton-padded coat!
Who could have imagined that the white sesame seeds, which were once scattered throughout the Western Regions and ignored by everyone, would one day become an indispensable strategic material for the army?
Fang Jun's brilliance lies in his ability to turn the mundane into the extraordinary.

Wang Xiaojie put down his wine cup, saw the map beside him, reached out and picked it up, examined it carefully, and looked up to ask, "General, do you intend to attack Mulu City?"

Xue Rengui nodded and said, "It's only the beginning of the twelfth lunar month and the weather is already so cold. It's not conducive to continuing the long march before spring. But can our more than ten thousand men endure the whole winter in the freezing cold? Food is a problem, but water is an even bigger problem. So the best scenario is to capture the city of Merv and spend the winter there. We can rest and recuperate for two months, build up our strength, and then march out of Merv next spring and head straight for Damascus. We will definitely turn the entire Abbasid Caliphate upside down and achieve unparalleled glory!"

Huo Qubing's long-distance raid and the sealing of the wolf's lair were only a little over two thousand li, yet it was enough to make him famous in history and leave a lasting legacy. If the Anxi army had successfully marched all the way to Damascus, it would have shattered a powerful nation that could rival the Tang Dynasty and advanced more than ten thousand li!

This would be an achievement that will be remembered for generations to come!

If future generations build a temple to worship the "Martial Saints" and "Gods of War" of all ages, Xue Rengui will surely have a place based on his achievements!
What are official titles and noble ranks, what are gold and jewels compared to this?!

Looking at the map, Wang Xiaojie was not optimistic: "Although Mulu City has no natural defenses, it has high walls and thick walls. It will take a huge price to take it down because we are running out of gunpowder."

The entire city of Merv is nestled in the heart of the Mare Oasis, surrounded by shifting sands. The city boasts fertile land, with a major river flowing into it from the south and branching out into hundreds of canals to irrigate the land, providing a solid agricultural foundation for the city and attracting a population of over 100,000.

Furthermore, the city of Merv was high and spacious, with a well-maintained city wall. As the capital of Khorasan, it was guarded by the Abbasid Caliphate's Eastern Route Envoy, demonstrating its important military position.

The Arab world's emphasis on the city of Merv was also reflected in its city defense construction. The city of Merv was surrounded by iron gates on all four sides, and its walls were high and sturdy, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

If there were enough gunpowder, it would be nothing, but now both his troops and Xue Rengui's main force have very little gunpowder due to insufficient supplies, which is not enough to blow up the city walls. If they want to capture Mulu City, they can only launch a direct assault.

Siege warfare is the most resource-intensive type of combat...

Xue Rengui, however, remained calm and smiled, saying, "Gunpowder is certainly not enough to destroy the city walls, but the army still has several hot air balloons, which are usually used to observe the direction of the enemy's retreat. Now they can play a great role."

Wang Xiaojie was puzzled: "How many people can a hot air balloon carry? Even if we parachute into the city and open the city gates, the enemy will have plenty of time to organize enough troops to seal the gates in time. We may not have enough time to break in."

Destroying a city gate and opening it are entirely different things. The former means the city's defenses are damaged, and the breach cannot be filled. If the Tang army is brave enough, they can break into the city through the breach. The latter means that most of the city's defenses are intact. As long as enough troops are quickly organized, the Tang army can be blocked outside the city. After all, how wide can a mere city gate be? No matter how brave the Tang army is, it will be difficult to break through the enemy's defenses.

Xue Rengui stood up and pointed a finger at a certain spot in Mulu City: "This is the City Lord's Mansion. Ye Qide is a playboy who is extravagant and dissolute, so he must live here."

He then pointed to the North Gate and said, "This is the North Gate... What do you think? If we fill all the hot air balloons with elite troops and launch them, then fly over Mulu City at night and split into two groups, one to raid the City Lord's Mansion and the other to fly over the North Gate and open it, wouldn't that cause the enemy to panic, become confused, and lose their order in a short period of time, thus giving us enough time to rush into the North Gate?"

Wang Xiaojie was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: "Beheading?"

Xue Rengui nodded: "That's right!"

The team that raided the city lord's mansion took advantage of the night to parachute in and kill Ye Qide with lightning speed. It would be best to also take down the host envoy Xie He. Without a leader, the Arab army in the city would inevitably fall into chaos. At the same time, another force flew to the north gate, repelled the defenders, and opened the city gate... In just half an hour, it would be enough for thousands of Tang soldiers to break into the city.