Chapter 850: The Crisis of Talas! (1/2)
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!”