Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5267 Market Exchange
"Wealth and honor are sought through danger?"

Ye Qide muttered to himself.

Along with the unparalleled military might of the Tang Dynasty, which swept across the world, lay the wisdom accumulated by the Chinese people since ancient times. This wisdom was distilled and refined from the perils, hardships, and difficulties experienced along the way, from the earliest days of eating raw meat and drinking blood to slash-and-burn agriculture, and finally to the glorious golden age.

These wisdoms were passed down orally in ancient times, forming proverbs full of life wisdom.

In the Arab world, people worship Chinese proverbs as if they were deities, regarding them as supreme gospel and following them without question. They are not something that ordinary commoners or slaves have the right to know or follow...

After weighing the options in his mind, he nodded firmly: "Then fortune will be found in danger!"

This defeat at Kesan and the fall of Mulu not only forced him to bear the blame for the defeat, but also severely damaged his prestige. Rather than being trapped in the Tang army like a pig or a dog, or being cruelly slaughtered by Sheikh, he would rather die on the way back to Damascus.

At the very least, the word "glory" will be used to describe it, and even if the Caliph is furious, he will likely treat his wife and children well because of it...

Xue Rengui clearly admired him: "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. A temporary victory or defeat has nothing to do with the overall situation. Your Highness has such a tenacious and fearless ambition, which is the foundation for laying a grand future! In the future, when Your Highness inherits the throne and takes charge of the Abbasid Caliphate, I may also have the opportunity to go to Damascus to admire the demeanor of a great ruler!"

"Haha! Today we fight for our respective masters and are engaged in battle, but this will not damage our friendship. I admire your bravery and strategy, General, and I truly consider you my friend. If one day I am able to inherit the great cause, I will definitely invite you and the Grand Master to Damascus, prepare a banquet, and welcome you with open arms!"

Yezid's pent-up frustration vanished, and he seemed to foresee himself overcoming numerous obstacles to return to Damascus, receiving a hero's welcome, and rebuilding his lost prestige...

Lu Dongzan smiled approvingly and said, "Your Highness is indeed no ordinary person. You are able to remain steadfast and patient in the face of crisis and go against the current. You will surely achieve great things in the future. I wish Your Highness success and dominance over the region!"

……

Sheikh had almost completely confiscated the gold coins in Nisa, but still could not gather 100,000 gold coins. He had no choice but to reluctantly part with some of the meager provisions he had brought from Mulu. He estimated that it would be enough, and immediately contacted the Tang army in Mulu to arrange a date for the exchange of money and people.

He managed to raise the money, but the city of Nisa was filled with wailing and lamentation.

The loyal troops who followed him to Mulu City were forced by him to spend most of their savings, causing their years of savings to be wiped out in one fell swoop. How could they not feel heartbroken?
That's one thing, money is just an external thing after all, but Xie He also took half of the city's grain and fodder to make up the difference, which is a very serious matter!

Although Nisa is backed by mountains, has abundant snowmelt, and is surrounded by oases, what will the people eat and the horses chew if the food and fodder are taken away in the freezing winter?
They wouldn't actually kill horses and eat meat every day, would they?

Despite repeated advice from his officers and generals, Sheikh remained unmoved. It wasn't that he was confused, but rather that Yazid was of paramount importance and needed to be firmly in his grasp. He now possessed "evidence" of Yazid's collusion with the Tang army, with both witnesses and physical evidence. All he needed to do was bring him back to Damascus, hand him over to the Caliph, and explain the facts. In return, Yazid would not only be blameless but also meritorious.

Most importantly, the Caliphate did not only have Yazid as his son; his other sons were also eyeing the Caliphate. By possessing Yazid's "evidence of crimes," he could "sell it for a high price."

The Arab world did not have the same "primogeniture system" as the Tang Dynasty. Moreover, even the Tang Dynasty, which had a well-established succession system, still had the "Xuanwu Gate Incident" where the Tang Dynasty usurped power.

Everything lost today will be returned tenfold, or even a hundredfold, once Yezid is brought back to Damascus.

Since we can completely reverse today's decline and make huge profits in terms of money and politics, what is there to be stingy about?

Soon, the Tang army's reply arrived in Nisa City, agreeing to exchange hostages at Shawoji, twenty miles south of Mulu City, on the 20th of the 11th month...

"Shawoji?"

Sheikh served as the host envoy and guarded the city of Merv for many years, but he lived a life of luxury and indulgence in pleasure within the city and rarely ventured out to expose himself to danger. Therefore, he was not familiar with the areas slightly beyond the city walls.

A captain nearby said, "Shawoji is located south of Mulu City. It is a relatively remote and poor market town. A small river flows into the Muerjiabu River. The surrounding area is covered with sand dunes, which is not conducive to large-scale cavalry operations."

Sheikh nodded, remaining silent in thought.

Did the Tang army choose this location as the exchange point out of fear of a sudden attack by the Abbasid cavalry?
I'm afraid not, because what we fear more is him. The Arab cavalry against the Tang cavalry, regardless of the quality of their armor and protective gear, simply has no chance of winning due to the difference in the range of their bows and crossbows...

The Tang army must have some ulterior motive, but he racked his brains but couldn't figure out what it was.

He wanted to suggest to the Tang army that the location be changed, but he knew that the Tang army would definitely not agree, so there was no need to bother.

One general worried: "What if the Tang army goes back on its word? What if they send a large army to seize the gold coins when we arrive at Shawoji with them, but refuse to release the prince?"

"It's unlikely. The Tang army has always had a good reputation, and the prince is of no use to them except for exchanging for ransom. They wouldn't escort him to Chang'an to be presented as a captive in front of their ancestral temple, would they? Obviously, it would be better to exchange him for 100,000 gold coins."

Sheikh thought for a moment and decided it wasn't a big problem: "Get ready, we'll set off for Shawoji tomorrow!"

The officers and soldiers in the tent responded listlessly, all looking dejected.

*****
On the 20th of the eleventh lunar month, the well-equipped Tang cavalry, fully armored and well-prepared, slowly entered Shawoji from the north side of the road through the heavy snow. This place was just a market town in the mountains and hills, with no more than thirty households and no more than one hundred people. There was an open space in the center of the market town used for trading when people went to the market. The houses were scattered around and were simple and dilapidated, and at first glance, it looked very poor.

Ye Qide rode his horse behind Wang Xiaojie, nervously looking around.

Wang Xiaojie, sitting on his horse with a whip in hand, laughed and said, "Prince, there's no need to worry. Everything is ready and there's no chance of anything going wrong."

Yeqid grinned, but the smile was quickly replaced by a worried expression: "Nisa is a place where Persia has been raising horses since ancient times, and the horses produced there are famous throughout the world. Now that the Sheikh has occupied the land, he has naturally gathered more warhorses. Although he has suffered some losses in manpower, his strength has not diminished. I'm afraid that the horse I'm riding can't outrun the Sheikh's pursuers!"

"To get to the southeast, all we need to do is run as fast as we can. We will help intercept Sheikh's pursuers. As long as the prince does not deviate from the route or stop along the way, Sheikh will never be able to catch up."

Wang Xiaojie dismissed Ye Qide's concerns.

While the bloodlines and qualities of horses may vary greatly, their running speed is not necessarily drastically different. As the saying goes, "It's not the slowness that's scary, it's the stopping." Once a horse stops halfway, it's easy to catch up, but if it keeps running, it becomes extremely difficult to catch up.

"General, the people from Nisa City have arrived!"

"Alright, stay alert. If necessary, don't worry about the gold coins; preserving your own safety is the most important thing!"

Despite Wang Xiaojie's dismissive attitude toward Ye Qide's tension and worry, he dared not let his guard down when facing the enemy. Compared to countless gold coins, his mission was to bring his soldiers back unharmed.

Even if Sheikh takes the gold coins back to Nisa, the Tang army will eventually capture the city, and all the gold coins will still be in the Tang army's hands...

"Here!"

Upon receiving the order, the captain immediately rode up to relay the command to the troops: archers should occupy advantageous terrain, and cavalry should assemble within the market area. They could either launch a surprise attack on the enemy or retreat in an orderly manner to protect themselves. They stood ready for battle amidst the heavy snow.

North of Shawoji, Xiehe left two thousand soldiers to cover the rear and provide support at any time. He then personally led three thousand cavalrymen in dozens of carts loaded with gold coins and provisions into the market. Upon seeing the Tang army flags fluttering in the heavy snow, he quickly ordered a halt to the advance and sent an interpreter to contact the Tang army.

Shortly after, the interpreter returned: "The Tang people said that in order to avoid suspicion between the two sides, they sent people to check the money and the people. After confirming that there were no problems, they both withdrew outside the market. People were released while money was exchanged. After the transaction was completed, they dispersed."

Sheikh thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Then let's do it that way."

He was afraid that the Tang people would take the money and not release the people, while the Tang people were afraid that he would take the people and not pay, or that there was simply no money on the carriage at all...

He sent men into the Tang army camp to verify Ye Qide's identity, and the Tang army also sent a captain to check the ransom in each carriage.

After inspecting each of the dozens of carriages, the Tang army captain approached Xie He and questioned, "The amount of gold coins brought by the city lord is incorrect, and even if we use grain to make up the difference, it is still insufficient."

Sheikh said, “This is all the gold coins in Nisa City. Although it is still not enough after adding grain and fodder, it is almost enough. The Tang army is known for its generosity and magnanimity. I don’t think they would be so stingy. Go and report to your general. If he does not agree, then we can discuss it further.”

"it is good."

The Tang army captain nodded, rode back to his own lines, and told them that the ransom amount was incorrect and what Xie He had said.

Wang Xiaojie waved his hand casually: "We don't care about his measly little bit of money, let's exchange them quickly."

"Here!"

Upon receiving the order, the captain gestured for Ye Qide to follow him into the market town.

On the other side, dozens of large trucks slowly entered the market...

Sheikh gripped the reins tightly, watching Ye Qide enter the market in the distance. He was extremely nervous. He felt that the Tang army's choice of this place as the exchange location concealed some unfathomable conspiracy. What if the Tang army tricked him and he not only failed to get Ye Qide back but also lost all the gold coins?

As Ye Qide drew closer and the carts carrying the gold coins receded into the distance, Xie He's heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, was about to be put at ease when suddenly a deafening roar echoed through the heavy snow. A burst of flame erupted beneath the feet of his personal guards on the left, followed by a volley of snowflakes shooting into the sky and scattering in all directions. A large number of men and horses fell amidst screams of agony.

At the same time as the deafening roar, Ye Qide, who was walking in the market, suddenly turned his horse around and ran eastward. Hundreds of Ye Qide's personal guards in the Tang army also rode after him, galloping away amidst the heavy snow and deafening roar.

Sheikh cursed loudly, for the more he feared something going wrong, the more something went wrong!