Chapter 1165: The Purpose of War! (1/2)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The problem of rebels had always worried Mutasim III, and he had even lost sleep over the matter. But now that he thought about it, although these Tang had come with a great momentum, they had also succeeded in drawing out all the hidden nobles and rebels. Just as the High Priest had said, he just needed to soothe them until the army arrived and then finish them off in one fell swoop, settling the matter once and for all!

If he could use this matter to wipe out all of them, then even being coerced and threatened for one billion taels of gold by these Tang was not out of the question.

This was truly killing two birds with one stone.

Mutasim III's pupils constricted, and he suddenly fell quiet. His brows twitched as he lowered his head and began to think.

Mutasim III turned to a kneeling and silent governor and asked, ”Hular, how much time will it take for the soldiers from the other areas to arrive?”

'Empire's White Corpse', Hular!

Although he was not as strong or as famous as the Arab War God Qutaybah, he had also forged his reputation through numerous battles. He had gained his name because his skin was so pale that it seemed like that of a corpse.

But even so, in the surrounding countries, Hular was just as infamous as the Governor of Iron and Blood, Abu Muslim.

He was callous, brutal, and bloodthirsty, and in certain aspects, he was even more formidable than Abu Muslim. The majority of his opponents ended up dying very grisly and wretched deaths.

Of all the governors that had been gathered in Baghdad due to Qutaybah's death, the most renowned was probably this 'Empire's White Corpse'.

Hular was undoubtedly the best commander to deal with the two hundred thousand Tang and rebel soldiers in Khorasan. This was also why the Caliph had aimed this question at him.

Hular thought for a while before finally standing up and saying, ”Your Majesty, if we move quickly, the army can be gathered in seven days. But these would all be ordinary soldiers, incapable of posing much of a threat to the high walls of Khorasan. If we want to gather enough elite soldiers and Great Generals to completely vanquish the foe at Khorasan, we need at least fifteen days, perhaps even twenty!”

”Have the soldiers march through the night. In at most ten days, I want all the soldiers to arrive at Khorasan. I cannot permit these eastern infidels to occupy Khorasan for a single day more,” Mutasim III said, his voice brooking no objection.

Hular hesitated for only a few moments before firmly declaring, ”This general will go!”

Time was short and it was almost impossible for Arabia to gather enough soldiers from its various war zones and march them to Khorasan. But though the task was onerous, as long as the soldiers marched through the night, Empire's White Corpse Hular believed the task to not be impossible. All that was required was just a few losses during the march.

This simply wasn't something that Hular was concerned about.

Rumble!

The bitter loss in the east, the death of Qutaybah, the loss of Khorasan, and Wang Chong's threat… all these things enraged the Arabian Empire, causing it to come to life like some giant war machine and swiftly mobilize its soldiers. The stench of war only thickened, rather than weakening.

……

In the domed hall of Khorasan, the Anxi Protectorate army's number four individual, Lou Shiyi, couldn't help but speak his mind. ”Lord Protector-General, the next Arabian city is only several dozen li from us, and its defenses are unmanned. As long as we are willing, our two hundred thousand men can cross the Tigris River and occupy the city without bloodshed. And General Bahram has also said that there are ten-some more cities farther west, and there are no natural barriers between these cities. If we are willing, we can quickly occupy this territory. Why has Milord decided to halt the march and order the army to rest in this place?”

This Arabian palace was gorgeous, and its domed roof was covered in delicate ivy patterns. The smooth and marble-covered floors were also entirely different from the floors of the Central Plains. The ground was even studded with pearls and agate, a level of luxury that left everyone astonished. But at this moment, whether it was Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, Xi Yuanqing, Li Siye, the black-armored guard, Su Hanshan, or Xue Qianjun, no one was in the mood to admire such things. All of them were focused on Wang Chong.

Ten-some Arab cities were there for the taking, but Wang Chong had decided to pause the war. This had left all of them mystified.

”Hah. Let me ask you, why is it that we advanced west, from Talas to Samarkand, and then to Khorasan, losing so many people? Was it purely for the sake of battle?”

Wang Chong faintly smiled.