The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Although the three hundred thousand soldiers had tried again and again to counterattack, Wang Chong would always strangle their attempts in the cradle. He seemed to practice an entirely different art of war to the one Bahram knew.

  When the Empire’s White Corpse Hular was fleeing for the last time, Bahram had been able to clearly see the helplessness on his face. This was a despair that not even being defeated in martial combat could create.

  ‘Seek knowledge, even unto China!’ The Tang’s art of war seems to be stronger than that of both the Sassanids and the Arabs. Perhaps this Great Tang of the east is the true ally that we’ve always been waiting for!

  As Bahram gazed at Wang Chong’s profile, he made up his mind.

  This was his first time truly fighting alongside the Great Tang. Even Bahram would have found it very difficult to defeat one hundred thousand with twenty thousand. Wang Chong’s unfathomable art of command and his formidable Wushang Cavalry had left an indelible mark on his mind.

  Unaware of what Bahram was thinking, Wang Chong drew his gaze back from the horizon and nodded. “It’s about time. We should quit while we’re ahead. Withdraw!”

  This preemptive attack had served an excellent lesson for the Arabs, thoroughly intimidating them. Moreover, the one hundred thousand men the Arabs had lost meant that the final army they could eventually gather would be smaller by that much, placing much less pressure on his own men.

  Rumble! A few moments later, all the Wushang Cavalry, Aswaran Cataphracts, and other rebel soldiers withdrew to Khorasan, getting clean away.

  “Bastard! We will tear your corpse to shreds!”

  In the distant Baghdad, the Caliph of Arabia furiously bellowed upon hearing of what had happened in Shifan. All of Baghdad seemed on the verge of being torn apart by this roar.

  An extremely stern letter was quickly sent from Baghdad to Khorasan.

  But to everyone’s surprise, Mutasim III, the Caliph of Arabia, soon received an even more sternly-worded letter.

  In this letter, Wang Chong bluntly accused the Arabs of treachery. On the surface, they had appeared to be conducting peace talks with the Great Tang, but they had secretly been preparing for war. Hular’s actions this time had been an enormous offense. Wang Chong had directly stated in his letter that if the Arabs did not express their apology through an additional two hundred million taels of gold in compensation, the Great Tang would engage in a full-out offensive and take all the surrounding Arab cities.

  “Bastard!”

  Upon reading Wang Chong’s letter, Mutasim III felt like his belly was about to explode from the anger he felt at Wang Chong’s outrageous demands.

  “Just who do these bastards think they’re talking to? Do they think that our Arabia is like those other weak countries and can be plundered as they please? Two hundred million taels? Impossible! Absolutely shameless!”

  But even so, three days later, two hundred million taels of gold was delivered to Khorasan with astonishing speed. Delivered with it was a letter with a much softer tone.

  “Hahaha…”

  In Khorasan, Wang Chong, Gao Xianzhi, Bahram, the Gangke King, Banahan, Li Siye, Su Hanshan, and the others had all gathered together. They couldn’t help but laugh at the Caliph’s letter.

  “The Caliph of Arabia probably wants to kill someone by now.”

  Cheng Qianli placed the letter back on the table and chuckled.

  “They have to endure. They’re no longer just worried that we might attack their cities, but that we might continue pursuing them, just like what happened after Shifan. Over the last few days, the skies of Khorasan have been covered by hunting falcons. The Arabian Empire has probably sent all their hunting falcons to observe our actions. They’re really frightened this time!” Zhang Que couldn’t help but note, his lips twitching. This had been the most relaxed and pleased he had ever been in his time with Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong was playing around with the Arabian Empire, and even though the Arabs were infuriated, they were forced to send piles of gold to him. Such a feeling was impossible to describe, and that oppressive and menacing pressure that used to be exerted by Arabia had long ago been dispelled.

  “Milord, why don’t we think of a way to clear the skies of those hunting falcons!”

  Zhang Que looked at Wang Chong, aching to try.

  “Zhang Que, don’t mess around. Those Arabian hunting falcons are not something we can recklessly touch. And besides, we’ve achieved what we wanted. There’s no need for us to deploy our soldiers!” Xu Keyi said.

  “General!”

  At this moment, the silent Great General Bahram suddenly spoke, his words immediately making him the center of attention.

  “This one has a proposal. At the same time, this is the desire of all the other leaders. We hope to become allies with the Great Tang, creating a long-term coalition headed by the Great Tang to resist Arabia!”

  Bahram’s words instantly cast the room into silence. The eight-thousand-some Aswaran Cataphracts and the nearly two hundred thousand soldiers gathered from all around represented an enormous force.

  Just like how the Arabs had wanted to use the Tibetans to deal with the Great Tang, if the Great Tang wanted a steady foothold in Khorasan, they needed the help of these people. At the very least, this force was unmatched in its ability to gather information.

  There was no precedent for this kind of alliance, and everyone knew that this was no laughing matter. All of them turned to Wang Chong. Wang Chong said nothing, but his eyes held a hint of almost imperceptible shock. He then turned to Gao Xianzhi, who gave a nod, indicating that he would leave this decision entirely up to Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong turned to Bahram and solemnly said, “Great General Bahram, are you serious?”

  Chapter 1172 - Coalition with the Great Tang!

  Chapter 1172: Coalition with the Great Tang!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  An alliance and a coalition led by the Great Tang were two completely different concepts. The Great Tang could not be subject to any other faction, so if there was a coalition, it would have to be led by the Great Tang.

  But this matter required the willingness of Bahram and the other rebel leaders. Wang Chong had never expected this. Even if Bahram and the other rebels had agreed, he had believed that this topic would be brought up only after they had completely overcome Arabia and weathered this crisis. It was truly surprising for Bahram to bring up the proposal of a coalition led by the Great Tang.

  Bahram said nothing, but his mind was buzzing with countless thoughts and ideas. The matter of the coalition with the Great Tang had been circling around in his mind for some time. Bahram had also been thinking about whether he should only bring up this topic after they had weathered the Arab assault.

  After all, if they couldn’t hold Khorasan and force back the Arabs, any coalition would be meaningless. But after repeatedly considering the matter, Bahram had made up his mind.

  He had personally witnessed the power of the Tang. If there was any country in the world that could resist Arabia and assist him in reestablishing the Sassanid Dynasty, it could only be the Great Tang. Now, and probably for the next several hundred years, the Sassanids’ only chance of surviving the attacks of the Arabs depended on assistance from the Tang.

  Moreover, in this period of time, the character, intelligence, daring, and courage that Wang Chong had shown had left a very deep impression on Bahram. This was a true genius, a saint of the art of war, completely different from a god of battle like Qutaybah.

  The astonishing talent displayed by a mere youth of seventeen had won Bahram’s heartfelt admiration. This was also why Bahram had brought up such an important decision so early.

  Rather than saying that Bahram had chosen the Great Tang, it was better to say that he had chosen Wang Chong, that he believed in Wang Chong!

  Bahram stared at Wang Chong and simply stated, “We believe in General!”

  Boo
m! These words seemed to possess abnormal weight, causing the entire hall to fall silent. Not even Bahram could have realized that when he said those words, the structure of the world from Samarkand to Baghdad was utterly transformed.

  This was the firmest coalition on the continent, and the Sassanids would become Wang Chong and the Great Tang’s staunchest allies. Starting from now, they pledged to be ever-faithful.

  One day later, Wang Chong, Bahram, Gao Xianzhi, and the other rebel leaders swore an oath in blood to be allies, creating in Khorasan a powerful coalition led by the Great Tang.

  ……

  Time slowly passed, and the weather of each day was colder than the last. During the day, many places in Khorasan were covered in thick layers of white frost. Even the surging Tigris River was covered in a thin sheet of ice in the early dawn.

  As winter arrived, the world turned bleak. From the Cong Mountains to Baghdad, pedestrians were few and far between. Those people that had once thronged the prosperous Silk Road and the markets of the Arabian Empire all went into hibernation.

  Five to six hundred li from Khorasan was a place that stood in stark contrast to the otherwise desolate and somber world. Here, under the overcast sky, the silhouettes of people packed the earth, extending for hundreds of li into the distance. And in the middle of this sea of human beings, tall black banners stood in every corner, almost blocking out the sun.

  “Has everyone arrived?”

  Outside a massive tent, amidst the frigid winds, the Empire’s White Corpse Hular coldly spoke from atop a white warhorse. His eyes flitted like lightning bolts as he scanned the earth. Everywhere he looked, he could see strong Arabs and mighty warhorses. After expending so much time, Arabia had finally gathered its army.

  Powerful auras soared out of the army. Many governors and generals had been gathered in this region, enough to make anyone shiver in fear.

  One of Hular’s personal aides bowed as he respectfully said, “Milord, the last person, the Governor of Canaan, has arrived. All the armies are present and awaiting orders!”

  Buzz!

  A sharp light erupted from Hular’s eyes, and they became countless times brighter than before. But Hular quickly managed to calm back down.

  “Hular, is it ready?”

  At this moment, a majestic voice came from behind him, suffused with supreme authority and dignity, a voice that came from on high. Hular shivered and turned his head.

  “Milord, all seven hundred and fifty thousand soldiers have arrived, as have all the governors. We are ready to set out for Khorasan at any time to do battle with those rebellious remnants!”

  Hular lowered his head and bowed.

  All was quiet. Three figures stood in a row, looming over the earth, with mountainous auras rising from their bodies. Although Hular was a mighty governor of Arabia, he appeared much shorter than this trio, like a child in front of adults.

  The Three Titans of Black Radiance!

  There were many formidable governors in the history of Arabia, and before Abu Muslim, the most renowned were the Three Titans of Black Radiance. At the time, they had been the strongest governors of the empire’s east, until they eventually retired from the army. It was only after they retired that Abu Muslim and Ziyad had a chance to forge their reputations in the east, that Abu Muslim could gain the title of Governor of Iron and Blood.

  Although they had retired from the army, the Three Titans still wielded enormous prestige in the military. Not even Hular could compare to them.

  With Qutaybah, Aybak, and Osman all having been killed, and even Hular having been defeated, there was practically no one left in the Arabian Empire that could oppose the Great Tang and Wang Chong. There was no choice except to request that these three veterans leave retirement.

  “Then set off!” the Head of Black Radiance, Fadi, declared.

  “Leave those top-class Great Tang commanders and Bahram to us,” the Blood of Black Radiance, Firas, added.

  “Once the walls are breached, kill all the Khorasani! Leave not one alive!” the Blade of Black Radiance, Imron, announced. “Those who dare to collude with those eastern infidels must prepare to face death. Khorasan requires a true cleansing.”

  The trio spoke calmly and emotionlessly. With just a few words, they had decided the fates of the hundreds of thousands of people in Khorasan.

  Boom!

  With this order, the army set out. More than seven hundred thousand soldiers, accompanied by countless governors and generals, marched with a mountain-toppling momentum toward Khorasan, shaking the entire world.

  ……

  In the distant Khorasan, countless people were gathered on the western walls, all of them looking toward Baghdad solemnly. Even though there was no one to be seen, all of Khorasan was tense in anticipation of a coming battle.

  Whoosh!

  Without the slightest warning, the broad Tigris River began to shake. As if its tempo had been broken, ripples and waves began to break out without any rhyme or reason. Rumble! A powerful energy came from underground, and everyone on the walls could clearly sense that Khorasan was shaking.

  “What’s going on?”

  Everyone on the walls looked around, clearly uneasy.

  But this trembling only intensified, like some invisible giant hand was down below, constantly shaking the foundations of the city.

  “Look over there!” a tall and muscular Khorasani called out in alarm as he pointed into the distance.

  Everyone followed that person’s gaze and clearly saw a black line emerging on the horizon, rushing toward Khorasan.

  It was as thin as a thread at the start, but rapidly transformed into a surging wave sweeping toward Khorasan.

  “Careful!”

  “It’s the Arabs!”

  Horns blared from the walls, shattering the calm of Khorasan. War drums thundered, and the mood of Khorasan further intensified. In the distance, as if response to the calls of alarm, the enormous black Arab war banner was slowly raised up and began to flap in the wind.

  “Kill!”

  As they approached the towering walls of Khorasan, the vast sea of Arab cavalry suddenly unsheathed their scimitars and began to charge at Khorasan in a torrent of steel.

  “Finally here?”

  Wang Chong, wearing the Heavenly Mandate Battle Armor, looked down on the approaching army with a faint smile on his face.

  Even before the first tremor, he had ascended the walls. The vast sea of Arab soldiers had come with such grandiose momentum that anyone who saw it would experience immense psychological pressure. It was like the entire world was crushing down, engendering deep dread.

  But Wang Chong had long ago predicted this scene.

  “Xu Keyi, Xue Qianjun, is it ready?” Wang Chong said without turning his head.

  “Milord, everything is ready. The inspection of all the weapons and equipment has been finished!” the two replied in unison.

  “Remember, as long as we can hold for half a day, as long as the Arabs can’t break the city gates for half a day, we don’t need to worry about anything else!” Wang Chong nonchalantly said, his expression calm and confident. He exuded a powerful aura that made others want to believe in him.

  “Understood!”

  The two bowed and quickly withdrew.

  “General, are you truly sure that we only need to be able to hold for half a day to weather the Arab attack?” Bahram asked.

  The Arabs had been gathering strength for a long time, and the thunderous momentum they had come with alarmed even someone of Bahram’s strength.

  Chapter 1173 - Surrender?

  Chapter 1173: Surrender?

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  It wasn’t that Bahram doubted Wang Chong, but Wang Chong seemed so self-assured, as if this Arab assault posed no threat to Khorasan whatsoever. However, other than telling everyone that they only needed to resist the Arabs for half a day, Wang Chong had divulged nothing else. Bahram truly couldn�
��t understand why Wang Chong was so confident.

  “Haha, you’ll understand when the time comes!”

  Wang Chong grinned. There were some matters for which explaining too much was detrimental. The more people that knew, the greater the possibility of the secret being leaked and the higher the chance of failure would become.

  “Su Hanshan, get ready!”

  “Yes!”

  Su Hanshan bowed and quickly withdrew.

  Kaclack!

  A few moments later, following Su Hanshan’s order, the walls of Khorasan began to creak with the turning of gears.

  After so many days of constant labor, Zhang Shouzhi’s craftsman team had managed to repair thirty thousand ballista bolts gathered from the battlefield of Talas. In addition, there were twenty-thousand-some damaged bolts. These no longer had the power of regular ballista bolts, but the fifty to sixty percent that they could exhibit could still play an enormous role on the battlefield.

  The walls fell silent. Wang Chong, Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, Wang Yan, Wang Fu, the Demonic Emperor Old Man, the Wushang Village Chief, and the rebel leaders all stood in a row as they observed the opposition.

  The world was gray and overcast, the only sounds the bleak howling of the frigid winds and the quaking of the earth.

  Neigh!

  The almost metallic neighing of a horse came from the distance, and in the blink of an eye, a black warhorse charged up, leading tens of thousands of Arab cavalry to Khorasan. This surprising action immediately captured everyone’s attention.

  “The Tang and Sassanid remnants on the wall, listen well! This is your last chance! Open the gates and immediately surrender. Otherwise, when the city falls, all of you will die!” the brown-bearded Arab general on the black warhorse loudly called out, his tone extremely stern and vicious.

  Creeaak! The Arab general suddenly retrieved a golden bow from his back, nocked an arrow, and loosed it at the walls of Khorasan.