Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5318 Encircling Two, Missing One
As the son of the second Caliph of the empire, Dudumula was once incredibly close to that supreme position, but unfortunately, Ali's assassination completely robbed him of that possibility, and he was even once in grave danger, his life hanging by a thread.

Mu'awiyah, the cleric, led his troops to quell Ali's rebellion and seized the throne. Although the cleric trusted and relied on him, he was still merely a subject. When the cleric died, his cousin Yazid would succeed him.

But now, according to Sheikh, Yazid disappeared into the wilderness amidst the wind and snow. Given the terrible weather and the difficult journey, what were the chances of him safely returning to Damascus?

If Yeqid dies en route and is unable to return to Damascus, wouldn't the position of crown prince be vacant?
You should know that Uncle Muaviye only had this one son.

With Yeqide's death, Dudumula returned to the line of succession to the empire!
If he could then decisively defeat the Tang army in Tiberian, achieving great merit and gaining immense prestige, and if his father's former officials were to clamor about it in Damascus, it wouldn't be impossible for Mu'awiya to conveniently appoint him as crown prince...

Just thinking about that situation made Dudumula shudder.

He slapped his thigh hard and said to Xie He, "Don't just sit idly by. Gather your troops and bring them all to the city wall. We don't expect you to fight in the field, but you should at least participate in the defense. We'll wait for the Tang army to attack. Once they've been besieging the city for a long time and their morale has been low, I'll personally lead the cavalry out of the city and crush them in one fell swoop!"

Sheikh was startled and quickly dissuaded him, saying, "With the city lord's protection, I should naturally lead my men to defend the city to the death, but you must not go out into the open to fight!"

It's questionable whether the city can even be defended, yet you still want to go out into the open to fight.

The Tang army was invincible in open field battles!
Dudumullah was filled with ambition for the crown prince position and wouldn't listen to any advice.

"Don't boost the morale of others and diminish our own. The Tang army is indeed powerful, but after a long march of ten thousand miles, they are exhausted and their horses are worn out. They are now relying on their last breath. Once that breath is gone, they will be no different from sheep on the grassland. I will finish them off in one fell swoop!"

Sheikh shook his head and smiled bitterly, feeling uneasy.

Seeing that Dudumula could not be persuaded, he could not be bound to Tiberian City. Instead, he should make plans in advance so that he would have a chance to escape if the city fell.

"My soldiers have been fleeing all the way, and they are not only exhausted but also demoralized. Let them guard the west gate for now, and they can rest and participate in the defense at the same time. Otherwise, if they are attacked by the Tang army while defending the east or north gate, it will be troublesome if they cannot hold on."

"That's good, I can concentrate my elite forces on defense."

Dudumullah had little hope for the remnants of Sheikh's army, and it was just as good that Ximen, whose defensive pressure was much less, was there so that he wouldn't not only fail to help but also cause trouble.

……

The Tang army set up camp twenty miles east of Tiberistan, facing a flowing river and backed by mountains to the north, making it a strategically advantageous location for both offense and defense.

Inside the central command tent, battle reports from the front were relayed back. Xue Rengui sat in the center, discussing strategies for breaching the city with his officers.

A map of Tiberistan was placed on the table, and everyone gathered around to look at it.

Looking at the map, which clearly depicted the entire city, including the height and thickness of the city walls, the geometry of the city gates, and even the location of many wells within the city, Wang Xiaojie couldn't help but marvel at it.

"Could it be that they have maps of every city of any size in the world? The Ministry of War is practically omnipotent!"

He knew that Xue Rengui always carried a large box full of maps with him, but maps were a highly confidential military secret, and no one was allowed to covet them without the general's permission.

Xue Rengui said calmly, “Since the Grand Commandant took over the Ministry of War, he began the task of ‘surveying the world.’ For the maps, terrain, culture and other information of all places in the world, he used every means possible, whether it was infiltration or bribery. The manpower, material resources and financial resources he spent were countless. It was known as one of the two biggest ‘money-devouring beasts’ in the Tang Dynasty’s government offices, along with the ‘Foundry Bureau’. If it weren’t for the Grand Commandant’s unparalleled ability to amass wealth and open up many avenues of revenue for the Ministry of War, no one could afford to spend so much.”

After taking a sip of tea, seeing everyone's keen interest in hearing these secrets that were usually difficult to access, he continued, "After Minister Cui took office, he followed the old rules and was as dedicated as ever. Before he set off from Mulu City, a court report was sent along with the supplies, mentioning the transfer of officials in the court. Minister Cui has already gone to Liaodong to serve as the Grand Protector of the Liaodong Protectorate, and is in charge of a region."

"I thought Minister Cui would be appointed as the head of the three provinces, but it turns out he was sent to a remote post."

"Although he has not entered the three provinces, the position of Grand Protector of Liaodong is not small. After completing his term, he can rightfully enter the three provinces after returning to the capital."

"I don't care about that, I only care about who will succeed as Minister of War?"

"A new broom sweeps clean; will our current strategy change?"

"Will this affect our performance evaluation?"

Inside the tent, discussions rose and fell, creating a noisy and bustling atmosphere.

How could these officers not care when their superiors' official positions changed?

If a civil servant were to succeed him, everyone's interests could be harmed.

Xue Rengui raised his hand and waved. After the tent quieted down, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone. The successor is Liu Rengui, the former Vice Minister of War... Well, you may not be familiar with him because he has always served in the navy. But he comes from the family of the Grand Commandant and has accumulated merits over the years to reach this position step by step."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"So you're one of the Grand Commandant's confidants, then there's no problem!"

"As long as the Ministry of War remains under the control of the Grand Commandant, no one will embezzle our war achievements, and the rewards will be guaranteed."

"So we still have to follow the Grand Commandant. The rewards and benefits are top-notch. Even if we lose our lives, our parents, wives and children will receive the best care."

Xue Rengui smiled and stopped the discussion: "I'm telling you this just to put your minds at ease. Leading an army to conquer a country and making a long-distance raid, I can't guarantee that I'll bring every one of you back alive, but I can guarantee that even if you die for your country, you will receive the same treatment as everyone else!"

"With the general's words, we can rest assured!"

"If I am ordered to do something, I will die without hesitation!"

"As long as I can achieve the merit of 'dying for my country,' what is there to fear in death!"

The officers and soldiers inside the tent were in high spirits and their morale was soaring.

Since the troops set out from Suyab, the military commander has tirelessly worked to educate the entire army, explaining the strategic intent of this battle. As a result, everyone understands the significance of this long drive into the heart of the enemy's territory.

This is fighting for the country, using the lives of these soldiers to usher in a century of peace!

Since ancient times, "dying for one's country" has been the most noble military achievement for soldiers. They die for the empire, so that their parents, wives and children can live in a prosperous world and no longer have to worry about the calamity of war.
"Alright! Let's come up with a plan to remove this obstacle in our path!"

After reassuring Xue Rengui, he carefully examined the map.

A group of officers gathered around him, observing intently. After a while, one of them frowned and said, "Tiberistan's high and thick walls are not a problem. Our 'powder packs' are powerful siege weapons. Even the strongest walls will be blown down! But this city is backed by mountains and has a sloping terrain. After we break through the city, we will have to attack uphill all the way in. Moreover, there are not many residents in the city. It is more like a large military camp. The enemy only needs to occupy advantageous terrain and advance step by step. Even if we win in the end, we will suffer heavy casualties."

Everyone remained silent.

The purpose of this battle was to launch a long-distance raid and strike Damascus directly to shock the Abbasid Caliphate and force it to restrain its friction with the Tang Dynasty. Its strategic significance was clearly greater than its tactical results; the conquest of cities and territories was not the objective.

If they win every city in a bloody battle, how far can their small force go?
Wang Xiaojie said, "The most difficult thing is that once we launch a full-scale attack, the enemy will have nowhere to escape after the city falls. They can't just run up the mountain like tigers and leopards, can they? So once the city falls, the enemy will fight like cornered beasts, and the battle will definitely be extremely difficult."

The fierce are afraid of those who are not afraid of death. Once the enemy has no way to escape, they can only engage in a deadly battle, which is increasingly disadvantageous to the Tang army.

Xue Rengui asked, "What good plan do you have?"

Wang Xiaojie humbly replied, "I dare not call it a brilliant strategy. It's actually very simple: surround two sides and leave one side undefended."

Xue Rengui instantly understood: "Suppress the east and north gates, leave the west gate open, and give the enemy a way to escape?"

If there were any other way to survive, who would be willing to risk their life?

The disadvantage of "surrounding two sides while leaving one open" is that it cannot completely annihilate the enemy, but the advantage is that after the city falls, the enemy will most likely not put up a stubborn resistance, but will escape through the open west gate.

Fortunately, the Tang army's objective was not to conquer cities and territories or slaughter countless enemies, but to break through layers of obstacles as quickly as possible to reach the Mesopotamian region, and, together with the navy sailing upstream along the Frisian River, to give Damascus an unparalleled shock.

This perfectly aligns with our strategic objectives.

After careful consideration, Xue Rengui made the decision: "Let's do it this way! Send down the order for the entire army to light fires and cook, rest for the night, and assemble the army first thing tomorrow morning to capture Tiberistan in one fell swoop!"

"Here!"

The officers and soldiers inside the tent responded with a resounding roar.

That night, all scouts were dispatched to guard against enemy attacks. The Tang army enjoyed a good meal and a good night's sleep in the camp, which relieved the fatigue of their long march.

The following morning, as the dawn painted the eastern sky white, the Tang army, having assembled, marched toward Tiberistan amidst the resounding war drums and fluttering banners.

Dudumula, fully armed and wielding a greatsword, stood atop the city wall, gazing eastward. He saw over ten thousand Tang soldiers spreading out and advancing slowly, their banners fluttering across the mountains and plains. Light cavalry had arrived at the city wall first, patrolling back and forth. Standing on the city wall, one could even see the red tassels on the Tang soldiers' helmets, which appeared to be gilded in the morning sun.

Even though he had been full of confidence before, Dudumula couldn't help but swallow hard and feel nervous when he saw the Tang army's overwhelming strength.

When the main force of the Tang army arrived, more than 10,000 troops spread out below the city. Without hesitation, without looking around, and without even probing, the legendary "demolition experts" charged towards the city wall with their large shields to the sound of war drums.

Dudumula was somewhat taken aback. Were the Tang army really this fierce and reckless?