Chapter 1823 - Return to the Northwest!
Chapter 1823: Return to the Northwest!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Putting aside the Confucian Sect for now, Wang Chong was finding that the cement road he had worked together with the great clans to build was proving critical.
The cement roads throughout the Great Tang were like the blood vessels of the empire, and at every moment, soldiers, weapons, and supplies were traveling along these roads to the northwest.
The turning of wheels was constant. Wang Chong’s goal of saving time for soldiers marching to the northwest had truly been realized.
An endless stream of supplies and soldiers in open-top wagons drawn by numerous warhorses traveled from the capital to Qixi, and the entire realm was gripped by a somber air.
……
At this time, winds howled across the triangular gap, and thousands of warhorses stood atop the Tibetan Plateau, facing north.
Plumes of thick smoke and gouts of flame were rising from the northeast. Thousands of craftsmen were hard at work, and in front of them, rows of steel walls formed a long defensive line to protect the Great Tang.
This firm defensive line appeared like a grandiose ‘dam’, extending for a length of several hundred li.
Past those bright silver walls, far to the northwest, the rumbling of warhorses could be heard.
Far on the horizon was a massive, domed fortress, built in the Arabian style.
At the top of this fortress was a massive black banner depicting a crescent moon, exerting a massive pressure upon all who looked at it.
In front of this fortress was a force of tens of thousands of Arab cavalry, all of them wrapped in black armor, drawn up in a long line and ready to charge.
It had been some time now since the Arabs had defeated the Anxi Protectorate army. More and more soldiers were arriving, and the sharp neigh of horses had almost become background noise.
Even though the war had yet to begin, the entire region was on a hair trigger, the tension so thick that it could be cut with a knife. No one knew when the Arabs would attack and thus when the next war would begin.
At the front of the tens of thousands of soldiers arrayed at the triangular gap, Su Hanshan suddenly asked, “Has His Highness sent his order?”
A young man came out from the rear and said, “Milord, His Highness has ordered you to hold back for now and await further orders.
“However, his Highness has also said that as long as it’s not a direct clash, Milord can do as you please. In addition, there are no restraints with regards to the Shi Kingdom Prince and the other kingdoms of the Western Regions who yielded to Arabia.”
Su Hanshan seemed to understand something, and a smile formed on his lips.
“Kong Zi-an, you heard His Highness’s order, yes?”
“Your subordinate understands!” Kong Zi-an sternly said.
While they couldn’t engage in a direct clash, they could still raid and harass. And while the Arabs might be powerful, the same could not be said for the Shi Kingdom’s forces.
They could use this chance to make a night raid. This could both restrain the Arabs and intimidate the kingdoms of the Western Regions. They needed to do as much as possible to tip the balance in the Great Tang’s favor, and if possible, it would be best if they could lure the Arabs to the triangular gap.
The triangular gap was already watertight, and no matter how many soldiers the Arabs sent, they would find it hard to accomplish much.
Gallop!
After taking one last glance at the massive, domed fortress on the horizon, Su Hanshan led his men away. He had more important matters to handle.
Boom!
A few moments later, there was a massive boom. The Qixi Armory, the only armory in the northwest and the largest in the realm, rumbled open.
With the entire process overseen by numerous grounds, numerous ballistae, swords, sabers, spears, and suits of armor were brought out.
As the armory of the imperial household, it could only be opened on orders of the Sage Emperor.
In the Battle of Talas, Wang Chong had only dared to utilize a portion of the resources within, but this time was different. All of the weapons within, particularly the numerous ballistae, were taken out and transported to the triangular gap or the City of Steel.
When he had last taken inventory, Wang Chong had found there to be at least one hundred thousand ballistae in the armory. This was a number that the Sage Emperor had achieved through thirty-some years of constant production and accumulation, all in preparation for a war like this.
Even though the tribulations of time had left some of the ballistae damaged, and some of them had been sent back from various areas to be repaired, even after deducting these, there were still seventy thousand ballistae that could be used in battle.
This was an immense and influential power on the battlefield.
……
Ten-some days went by in the blink of an eye. More than one million Arab soldiers had now arrived in the northwest, with more on the way.
Arab Governors and Deputy Governors began to arrive in the fortress, radiating vast pillars of energy into the sky.
At present, the Arabs still showed no signs of attacking.
But in the northwest, the atmosphere of war was getting thicker and thicker.
The Ü-Tsang Empire, the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, the Western Turkic Khaganate, and the distant Goguryeo Empire and Mengshe Zhao were all watching this imminent and unprecedented conflict between the Great Tang and Arabia.
Though it was still a latent conflict, numerous messenger birds flew here and there across the skies of the northwest, delivering and receiving intelligence reports.
To the southeast, not far from where the Arabs were garrisoned, horses neighed and smoke boiled into the sky. Each day, more and more soldiers were arriving.
The soldiers of the Qixi Protectorate had already completely withdrawn to the City of Steel. Meanwhile, an endless stream of soldiers was coming in from the capital and the interior.
While Arabia had gathered more than one million soldiers in the Western Regions, more than two hundred thousand had gathered at the City of Steel. Together with the seventy-thousand-some soldiers at the triangular gap, there were nearly three hundred thousand soldiers gathered, and more were on their way.
All of the soldiers who had been relieved of duty in the militarist-Confucian conflict had already been reinstated and sent over according to the Sage Emperor’s decree. Moreover, more than one hundred titled generals of the Great Tang were converging on this location, Wang Chong’s father amongst them.
This was a force unprecedented in the history of the Great Tang.
Whoosh!
Ten days later, amidst howling winds, Wang Chong arrived on his White-hoofed Shadow. As he led his forces into the City of Steel, a massive cheer resounded across the northwest.
“The King of Foreign Lands!”
“The King of Foreign Lands!”
“The King of Foreign Lands!”
Thunderous cheers came from the City of Steel as the crowd spotted that familiar figure. The heavy and oppressive mood that had hung over the northwest for many days was instantly swept away, and the entire army was invigorated.
Wang Chong sat tall upon his horse, his mind in turmoil as he looked around at the vast army and the majestic walls of the defense line.
It had been more than half a year since the Confucian Sect had stripped him of his military authority and called him back to the capital. Finally, he had returned to the northwest.
That familiar scent in the air sent ripples through Wang Chong’s heart.
“Paying respects to Milord!”
Su Hanshan, Kong Zi-an, Zhang Shouzhi, and the many titled generals all came forward and bowed to Wang Chong.
After the various incidents, topped by the Rebellion of the Three Princes, Wang Chong’s prestige in the empire was truly like that of the noon sun. Even those titled generals who had never met Wang Chong before were all brimming with respect for this young commander.
“Thank you for your service!”
Wang Chong didn’t spend much time on pleasantries. He rode forward, leading Li Siye, Guo Ziyi, Young Master Qingyang, and his other subordinates through the crowd.
“What’s the situation in the northwest?”
“Your Highness, the Arab commander, Khatabah, will arrive in the Western Regions in about ten days. In addition, the Mamelukes have already arrived. From what we’ve learned, these should be the reserve members of the Mamelukes. Although they’re somewhat weaker, they are far more numerous, reaching thirty thousand in number. There are also five thousand regular Mamelukes with them.”
The speaker was none other than the former Lord of Talas, Yang Hongchang.
The cunning Arabs had planted insiders in the city who had helped them in taking Talas. Yang Hongchang had only managed to escape by using a secret passage.
Nevertheless, Yang Hongchang’s many years operating in Talas had been enormously useful. Even though he had already returned to the City of Steel, the spies he had left back at Talas were still working.
Wang Chong slightly frowned upon hearing this.
The Mamelukes had been known as the number one cavalry force in the previous timeline. Even though they had been defeated by the Wushang Cavalry, their strength could not be taken lightly.
The Mamelukes had suffered a heavy blow in the last war, but just like the Wushang Cavalry, they had their ways of getting new blood.
The Mamelukes should be mobilizing everything they have this time. If I can defeat them, they won’t be able to stage another comeback.
Wang Chong turned pensive at this thought.
“Who is the current commander of the Arab camp?” Wang Chong asked.
“It’s Abu Muslim. He arrived a few days ago. There are also several other Arab Governors and Deputy Governors with him. We were ready to do battle with them, but to our surprise, even though the Arabs had the overwhelming advantage in numbers, the first thing Abu Muslim did was to gather his men and focus even more on building fortifications, making their camp watertight!” Yang Hongchang said.
Wang Chong immediately raised an eyebrow in surprise.