Chapter 840: Sword Pointed at Arabia! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”Are the Arabs really this formidable?” Cheng Sanyuan muttered in shock.
”Arabia is even stronger than all of you can imagine!”
Wang Chong finally spoke.
”In a part of Arabia near Anxi, there is a place called Samarkand. Two hundred thousand Arabian soldiers have assembled there, all of them the most formidable cavalry. All of you have seen the Tibetan and Turkic warhorses. The Arabian warhorses are even taller, more muscular, and have an even greater charge. Not only that, although you've seen the Arab merchants, the majority of them plump and useless in battle, the true Arabs are natural warriors, honed by their environment to be tall and sturdy. Thus, once a war begins, the Arabs can summon its people to form an army without even needing to train them, immediately expanding their army to more than four hundred thousand, each of the soldiers on par with a regular soldier. And this is only the army the Arabs have stationed on their eastern border. If they need to undergo a full mobilization, the Arabs could probably command an army of nigh unimaginable size.”
The entire room was quiet, everyone listening in shock to Wang Chong's words. This was their first time getting to truly know the Arabian Empire, and all of them felt an intense danger.
”…But that statement at the start was right. At the very beginning, the Arabian Empire was just a tiny country, even smaller than Goguryeo. They were only able to develop to such a massive scale, growing even larger than the Great Tang, because they spent many years training their soldiers for war and battling surrounding countries. All of you fought with Dayan Mangban's White Braves and know how powerful they were. The Arabs have their Mamelukes1, a force even stronger than the White Braves of Ü-Tsang. In Arabia, all the Mamelukes start training at the age of seven or eight. From the very beginning, they are made to fight amongst themselves, with only the fiercest and most savage of the children being able to survive. As these children grow, they receive the harshest military training, maturing through actual battle and blood until they become true Mamelukes. At that time, each of them will have become the most lethal weapon, imbued with rich experience in killing and battle.”
Wang Chong's voiced echoed through the room, acting as a sort of baptism to everyone within. This was Wang Chong's goal. If even his closest subordinates did not recognize the strength of the Arabs, there would be no need to talk about defeating them. Change happened drop by drop. The Great Tang could no longer remain entranced by the Central Plains and its periphery. It needed to raise its head and see the true face of the world.
This change would happen from the people nearest to his side.
In the future, if every Tang could relinquish their obsession with their homeland and open their eyes to see the world as it really was, a whole new Great Tang would be formed.
”Lord Marquis, if every Arab is as formidable as you say, how can we fight against them? Can we still defeat them?” Cheng Sanyuan suddenly spoke, his shocked gaze on Wang Chong. The words spoken today had completely altered his impressions of that distant country.
”Cheng Sanyuan, I've never met a true Arab warrior, nor do I know what you mean by defeating them, but I can tell you that the Great Tang did not reach its current status through luck!” Li Siye suddenly said, his expression grim and each of his words seeming to thump against the floor. ”Goguryeo, Mengshe Zhao, Ü-Tsang, the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates, and the kingdoms of the Western Regions—all of these countries added together do not dare to recklessly make war against the Great Tang. Only the Great Tang is capable of relying on its solitary strength to suppress these surrounding countries and make them lower their heads. Arabia might be very strong, but the Great Tang is definitely not weak! If Arabia dares to covet the Central Plains, it will come to learn of the true strength of the Great Tang, a lesson it will never forget!”
”That's right!”
Wang Chong gave a knowing smile upon hearing Li Siye's words.
”Arabia truly is very strong, but our Great Tang definitely isn't weak. The Arabian cavalry is very formidable, but their crossbow bolts and other equipment can't compare to ours. Our Great Tang's ballistae are unrivalled throughout the world. No matter what sort of cavalry or how thick their armor, none of them can stop the piercing power of a ballista bolt. Moreover, in terms of infantry formations as well as strategy and tactics, Arabia is far inferior to the Great Tang. They have no such thing as formations, only simple arrangements of soldiers, and they certainly have no idea of strategy and tactics.”
Wang Chong was not at all boasting. The strategy texts of the Central Plains were developed over a long history of frequent and large-scale conflicts. This was something the Arabs lacked.
Everyone nodded their heads, motivated by Wang Chong's words. Yes, Arabia might be a massive alligator, yet the Great Tang was no sheep, but a mighty lion. Who was stronger and who was weaker could only be found out through battle.
”Lord Marquis, what do you need us to do?!”
”No matter what it is, as long as we can be of aid to the Great Tang in opposing the Arabs, we would even walk through seas of fire and mountains of blades!”
”That's right! Those who offend my Great Tang will all be punished, no matter how far away they are! Lord Marquis, give us your orders!”
The officers began to excitedly sound off. Against foreign foes, all of them were of one mind. Whether or not they wanted to admit it, their honor and duty as people of the Great Tang had bored into their bones. Wang Chong mentally nodded at this sight, greatly relieved. Regardless of what it was like elsewhere, as long as the people at his side shared his vision, their wills could form an impregnable stronghold that allowed Wang Chong to complete any task he set out to do with confidence.
”A mountain cannot hold two tigers! The Arabs are pugnacious people who are bound to clash with the Great Tang one day. Although I can't be sure of the actual time of this war, we can start preparing for it now. Xu Keyi!”
Wang Chong turned his head to his right.
”Your subordinate is here!”
Xu Keyi hurriedly lowered his head and bowed.
”Starting from now, I need you to put your focus elsewhere. Your mission will be to select as many elite scouts from the army as possible, teach them Arabic, and then dispatch them to the Arabian Empire. In addition, the Arabs are very xenophobic, so you can't choose Han, only Hu, or else hire merchants from the Western Regions. I need you to use these people to gather as much information on the Arabian Empire as you can,” Wang Chong said.
”Your subordinate understands!” Xu Keyi immediately answered.
”Chen Bin!”