The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Even if these Arab scouts had undergone special training and were able to keep a tight hold on their secrets, Xu Keyi would be able to at least get something from them.

  The appearance of these Arab spies had triggered Wang Chong’s vigilance and had also completely overturned his understanding of the Arab commander, Abu Muslim. Just when Wang Chong was ready to begin a complete investigation of this matter, a day later, in the evening, when everything was falling quiet, an eagle pierced through the veil of darkness, silently approaching from the distant Western Regions.

  Very few people knew that the news brought by this eagle would be like a crashing meteor, swiftly causing the entire empire to quake and completely disrupting Wang Chong’s tempo.

  “What? Gao Xianzhi attacked the Shi Kingdom, killed its city lord, and stormed the entire region?!”

  Wang Chong had been reviewing the documents of the Qixi Protectorate army when he heard this news, and his entire body trembled as if he had been struck by lightning, the documents in his hand dropping to the floor.

  In that moment, the entire hall was deathly still!

  The Battle of Talas!

  This was the only thought left in Wang Chong’s mind.

  How could this be? The Battle of Talas should have been at least half a year away. Why did it happen so soon!

  Wang Chong’s face was pale, his mind in turmoil.

  To stop this war, he had made all sorts of efforts, even written a letter to Gao Xianzhi thoroughly laying out the pros and cons of such a venture. Wang Chong had originally believed that his letter had been of some effect, at least making Gao Xianzhi a little more wary.

  As long as he was more cautious, he would not so recklessly attack the Shi Kingdom as he had in his last life. The longer the Battle of Talas could be delayed, the more time Wang Chong had to prepare. But contrary to Wang Chong’s expectations, not only had this battle not been delayed, it had been pushed forward six months!

  “…Not only that, after attacking the Shi Kingdom, Lord Gao Xianzhi continued west, his thirty thousand elites preempting the Arabs and capturing the city of Talas.”

  Xu Keyi grimly bowed, sensing the seriousness of this incident.

  “But the Arabs quickly advanced their armies east, sending all their soldiers to besiege Talas. The situation is serious and urgent. The presiding commander of the Four Garrisons of Anxi, Feng Changqing, has already sent a letter requesting reinforcements from us! Lord Marquis, please make a decision!”

  Buzz!

  The moment Xu Keyi finished speaking, a boom shook the entire hall. Xu Keyi glanced up and quickly realized that this was no earthquake, but Wang Chong fiercely standing up from his seat. His entire body was bursting with boundless Stellar Energy, wave after wave filling the hall.

  Even a blind man could tell that Wang Chong’s emotional state was extremely unstable.

  “Lord Marquis…” Xu Keyi blurted out. In his service to Wang Chong, he had always taken his commander to be an incredibly farsighted commander who always had control over the situation. Even in the war of the southwest, Wang Chong had never panicked. This was the first time Xu Keyi was seeing Wang Chong lose control of himself.

  “Bring the letter over!”

  Wang Chong’s voice resounded through the hall.

  “Yes.”

  Xu Keyi stepped forward and respectfully offered the letter from the Anxi Protectorate.

  “I’ve already ordered that all the information on this battle be gathered and sent up before daybreak!”

  This night was bound to be a sleepless one for the Qixi Protectorate.

  In the torchlit hall, Wang Chong paced back and forth, while all the commanders, whether it was Li Siye, Xu Keyi, Heba Ye, or Xu Qiqin, were summoned. By dawn, all the information had been collected.

  Wang Chong had even written a letter to Feng Changqing asking for a detailed account.

  Wang Chong finally understood the truth behind this major incident.

  Gao Xianzhi had led his army on a sudden assault on the Shi Kingdom, killing many of its subjects. He had even crossed the Cong Mountains and advanced farther west, occupying the city of Talas, in the end being besieged by the armies of the Abbasid Caliphate. Behind this series of actions that had shaken the entire western border was a truth that was far more complicated than he had imagined. Wang Chong’s letter truly had been useful, and Gao Xianzhi truly had been much more cautious.

  If all had gone as expected, Gao Xianzhi was not planning on attacking the Shi Kingdom for several months, but he had received a piece of unexpected news that completely upset his tempo, compelling him to launch that series of rapid attacks that ended with his occupation of Talas.

  The King of the Shi Kingdom had been colluding with the Arabs! The two empires were discussing a plan to jointly besiege the Anxi Protectorate in several months!

  This was the news that made Gao Xianzhi change his mind and launch a preemptive strike!

  How could it be like this?

  Wang Chong clenched the letter, speechless.

  A butterfly had flapped its wings, causing a massive storm and mighty waves on the boundless ocean. This was not the version of events that he knew. Wang Chong had always believed that Gao Xianzhi’s sudden attack on the Shi Kingdom was the same as it was in history, a calamity that arose from his greed.

  But after reviewing Gao Xianzhi’s actions, Wang Chong had nothing to reproach him for.

  Wang Chong had no idea that the Shi Kingdom and the Abbasid Caliphate were colluding to attack the Anxi Protectorate. Wang Chong could not determine if it was because this information had been hidden in his last life or this was purely the result of the butterfly effect. But there was one thing that was certain. Once this collusion was confirmed, launching a preemptive attack to strike before the enemy was fully prepared was the best decision.

  There was nothing to be criticized about Gao Xianzhi’s decisions. Wang Chong himself would have done the same.

  And once Gao Xianzhi attacked the Shi Kingdom, the Arabs would definitely send troops to its aid. At this point, rather than passively waiting, it was better to simply attack. One benefit was that it would stop the Arab attack, and the second was that the war would be fought outside the borders, reducing its effects on the Western Regions.

  If things proceeded smoothly, then after the war, the entire Shi Kingdom could be added to the Great Tang’s domain in the Western Regions, with the Great Tang receiving little harm and a great boon.

  And once one crossed the Cong Mountains, the region between Arabia and the Western Regions was flat and level. From a strategic perspective, the most useful area was undoubtedly the city of Talas. As a general who had made his name through swift and decisive battles, Gao Xianzhi would undoubtedly perceive the unique value of Talas, so after attacking the Shi Kingdom, he would undoubtedly march his troops to occupy Talas2.

  This series of actions was sharp, fierce, and straightforward. While giving the Shi Kingdom a vicious blow, it also caught the Arabs completely off guard and forced them into a passive position. This was a thorough display of a Great General’s caliber.

  Not even Wang Chong could fault this move.

  ______________

  1. Abu Muslim was a Persian general who played a pivotal role in helping the Abbasids overthrow the Umayyads. A powerful figure in Iran and Central Asia, he was at odds with al-Mansur, the brother of the first Abbasid Caliph, as-Saffah. When as-Saffah died in 754, al-Mansur was made the second Abbasid Caliph, and he proceeded to reward Abu Muslim for his service by assassinating him, mutilating his body, and having it thrown into the Tigris.↩2. The author seems a bit confused about geography. The Shi Kingdom had its capital in Tashkent, which was located on the foothills of the west Tian Shan mountains. Talas was to the north of Tashkent, along the Talas River, certainly not to the west, and both cities are north of the Cong Mountains, known today as the Pamirs. If the Anxi Protectorate was based in Suiye, as has been noted previously, Gao Xianzhi would have to cr
oss the Tian Shan to attack Tashkent, and then he would essentially be marching back, heading north to Talas.↩

  Chapter 850 - The Crisis of Talas!

  Chapter 850: The Crisis of Talas!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Lord Marquis, what should we do now?”

  The hall was quiet. Everyone turned to Wang Chong, all of them extremely serious and grim, affected as they were by Wang Chong’s mood. In the past, when they believed that Arabia was just a tiny country, they wouldn’t have given this battle a second thought, but after learning all that they had, they well understood the foe they were facing.

  This country was even larger than the Great Tang, had an even larger army, more powerful warhorses, and even greater desire to expand. This was the greatest foe the Great Tang would face on this continent.

  Gao Xianzhi had brought almost ninety percent of the Anxi Protectorate’s soldiers with him to Talas, leaving practically nothing behind. If Gao Xianzhi could not fend off the Abbasid Caliphate’s soldiers in the east, tens of thousands of Arab soldiers would cross the Cong Mountains and occupy the Western Regions.

  And Qixi would be the first target.

  Once Qixi fell, Longxi and the interior of the Great Tang would be threatened.

  Never in history had Arab soldiers been so close to the gates of the Central Plains. Everyone could feel the powerful threat arising from that distant country.

  All of them understood what was at stake through the scenarios Wang Chong had played out on the model.

  Wang Chong said nothing, only closed his eyes and began to think.

  This battle had begun too suddenly, too quickly. He needed to calm down and think. There were still many things that needed to be prepared, as all his plans had been upset.

  After some time, Wang Chong finally opened his eyes, a blazing light burning within them.

  “Li Siye, pass on my order to open up the Qixi Armory…”

  Rumble!

  A few moments later, there was a metallic rumbling as the long-unused doors to the Qixi Armory were opened, allowing the sunlight to seep in, illuminating the insides of this largest armory on the border. After ten-some years, those ballistae built by the Bureau of Works and branded with the imperial seal of the court finally saw the light of day once more, gleaming in the sun.

  “Stop! You can’t do things like this!”

  “Without a decree, no one can go inside! Stop right now!”

  Several of the Qixi Armory guards shouted, but nobody paid them any attention.

  ‘When the general is abroad, he need not accept all orders of the sovereign.’ ‘Matters can be handled according to what is right and proper, but they can also be handled according to what is realistic and convenient.’ These two sayings highlighted the fundamental principle that a commander needed to be flexible. With a war imminent, these ballistae were the finest weapons and could allow the Great Tang to reach its maximum power. The Qixi Protector-Generals, including Fumeng Lingcha, had always kept to the law with these one hundred thousand ballistae, not daring to overstep their bounds.

  But Wang Chong was different. He would not be some diehard that would continue to uphold tired conventions.

  Rumble!

  As Wang Chong led his army into the Qixi Armory, the Stone of Destiny suddenly resounded with its emotionless voice.

  “Special Event: A Choice of Destiny!”

  Light and shadow began to shift and flicker, and a massive wall suddenly sprang from the earth. On one side of the wall were thousands of black banners, and on the other side was a vast sea of yellow dragon flags. The two sides clashed and immediately began to attack each other…

  Wang Chong immediately stopped moving.

  “The wheels of history continue to slowly turn. No matter how many detours one takes, one will eventually return to the original path. A mountain cannot hold two tigers, and this continent cannot hold two massive empires at the same time. This is an inevitable war! Of these two empires, only one can howl from the peak of the world, while the other will rapidly decline, sinking into the ‘Lion’s Twilight Years’!”

  Wang Chong’s body shuddered at these words, but the Stone of Destiny was not done.

  “…A lion that has lost its claws and teeth is like an eagle without wings. Such are the twilight years of the lion, and it is also the choice of destiny!

  “As a Controller of Destiny, user has a single opportunity, a one-time special treatment. With the payment of 8000 Destiny Energy, user can choose to waive this opportunity and withdraw. If user chooses to enter, user will be rewarded with 2000 Destiny Energy.

  “Warning: once user picks this choice, user will soon encounter incredible danger. Upon mission failure, the empire will fall and user will be obliterated!”

  As Wang Chong listened to the voice, a smile crept onto his lips. If he had not exchanged for the Karmic Battle Armor, he might have had the 8000 points of Destiny Energy needed to exempt himself from this choice. But even if he did have that option, would he really have taken it?

  “Confirm!”

  Wang Chong didn’t delay for long, swiftly stepping into Qixi Armory.

  ……

  Flapflap!

  Black eagles flew in every direction. The news about Talas had not only been sent to Qixi, but also to the capital, where it ignited a fierce debate.

  “Your Majesty, we should immediately dispatch troops to reinforce Lord Gao Xianzhi!”

  “Thirty thousand elites besieged is no trifling matter. if the Anxi Protectorate army is defeated, Suiye, Shule1, and the other Four Garrisons of Anxi will be lost, along with the rest of Anxi! We should quickly send reinforcements.”

  Several generals in the court fervently appealed for reinforcements, greatly distressed at this news.

  “Absurd!”

  As these voices spoke up, an important official who had a good relationship with King Qi stood up and harshly rebuked them.

  “Lord Gao Xianzhi is a divine commander, and since he took up his post, no one in the Western Regions has been able to defeat him. The Shi Kingdom has already fallen, and Lord Gao has led his soldiers even further west to occupy Talas. Given Lord Gao’s abilities, he will soon defeat the Arabs, so why are we discussing sending reinforcements? Have all of you lost your senses?”

  Although King Song and King Qi had always had a poor relationship, their two factions often clashing in court, King Qi was not standing opposed for purely personal grudges. In the entire Great Tang, there was no Protector-General or Great General with a more dazzling record than Anxi Protector-General Gao Xianzhi.

  Although he was not as old as the other Great Generals and Protector-Generals, his ability to command soldiers and his astonishing list of feats were not something that any of his peers could match. In the military and the court, Gao Xianzhi had another nickname: The Ever-Victorious General!

  Ever since he had attained the post of Anxi Protector-General, Gao Xianzhi had never lost. In addition, his military strategy emphasized speed, and he was an expert at preemptive strikes. It was precisely because of his superhuman capabilities and the frightening power of the Anxi Protectorate army that their meager army of tens of thousands was able to suppress all the kingdoms of the Western Regions. With him present, all the rulers bowed their heads and the Western Regions was an impregnable fortress.

  It was true that Gao Xianzhi was currently besieged at Talas, but many people believed that this was all part of Gao Xianzhi’s strategy. In the end, Gao Xianzhi would still defeat the Arabs and obtain victory.

  After all, this was not the first time such a situation had cropped up. Gao Xianzhi had always won despite inferior numbers, proving his abilities time and time again. And besides, Arabia was just a ‘tiny kingdom’.

  “But this time is different. The one to request reinforcements was Gao Xianzhi’s deputy general, Feng Changqing. This lowly subject believes that we should treat this war more seriously!” One of the general
s attempted to persuade the court.

  “Lord Xue, be at ease. Lord Gao will be fine!” an imperial censor unconcernedly said.

  This court debate came to nothing in the end, with Feng Changqing’s letter stirring few waves of any significance. Gao Xianzhi was a master of swift and decisive battles, and many people believed that they would soon be receiving news of victory from Anxi. But ten days later, when a request for reinforcements once more arrived from the Western Regions and Gao Xianzhi remained besieged, everyone in the court finally began to pale.

  Even the slowest amongst them could now see that this incident was completely different from the others. Gao Xianzhi, the Spear of the Empire, had encountered an extremely powerful opponent.

  ……

  While the capital was still arguing over reinforcements, Qixi and Wushang were in the midst of preparing for war.

  The Qixi Protectorate army had been divided into units of ten thousand, each unit ceaselessly working on a task. Meanwhile, the five thousand Wushang Cavalry were also getting ready for battle. Bows and arrows, ballistae, sabers, spears, halberds—all of these weapons were carted out of Qixi Armory and distributed through the army.

  A ballista and two hundred ballista bolts were given to every five-man unit, and Wang Chong quickly formed a ‘ballista army’ consisting of two thousand ballista teams. Wang Chong had used a ‘ballista team’ during Dayan Mangban’s night raid on the City of Steel, and this strategy was quickly beginning to show its power.

  Although this army of ten thousand only had 2000 ballistae, the ballista teams could divide the work, swiftly adjusting the ballista and bringing up the firing rate, maximizing the power of this heavy weaponry. These teams could push the ballistae to display five to ten times the normal killing power.