Chapter 1820: Arabias Offensive! (1/2)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Khatabah had not come purely for revenge, nor was he planning to retreat once he had conquered the Tang Empire or spend only a few additional years conquering Ü-Tsang and the Western Turkic Khaganate.

Arabia had fully mobilized this time, and its true goal was to completely conquer the eastern world and bring it all under one rule.

”Has there been any movement from that Tang man?” Khatabah asked.

From the moment Khatabah left Hamuhad, all of the empire's Governors, Deputy Governors, soldiers, militia, spies, and scouts had come under his command. If the Arabian Empire were compared to a web, then Khatabah was at the center of the web.

The Arab general bowed and said, ”Your Holiness, from what we have learned, that Great Tang commander called Wang Chong has already been restored to power. If all goes as expected, he will quickly gather an army and head toward the Western Regions.

”But our spies also report that the Confucian Sect's reduction of the army has done significant damage to the Great Tang. Their armies do not exceed three hundred thousand, and recruiting soldiers will take time.

”Moreover, the Tang Empire is farther from the Western Regions compared to our Baghdad. We estimate that it will be at least twenty-five days for the Great Tang to finish gathering its armies and reach the Western Regions!”

Long before this operation, Arabia's spies had been gathering as much information as they could about the Great Tang. This was how they were able to reach such an exact estimate as twenty-five days.

”Taimamu, how long will our army need to reach the Western Regions?”

Khatabah continued to read his book as he questioned another Arab general.

The general called Taimamu bowed and deferentially reported, ”The two million soldiers dispatched first will arrive in around eighteen days, but as the army overall is slowed down by supplies, catapults, and the Behemoths, twenty-one days will be needed for all our forces to arrive.

”However, if our initial army advances, we should be able to occupy Qixi before those eastern infidels are able to gather their army, threatening their Longxi and perhaps even their imperial capital!”

”There's no need. Let them gather their army!”

Khatabah finally raised his head, his eyes cold and intimidating.

”Defeating them one by one will waste too much time. By letting them gather their army, we can wipe them out with a single strike!”

”Yes!”

All the generals in the tent got down on one knee and assented.

The High Priest had remained silent this entire time, his thoughts inscrutable behind his black robe.

……

War drums rumbled from east to west. As the Arab army marched to the Western Regions, a somber atmosphere gripped the eastern world.

On the Tibetan Plateau, countless messenger birds flew to and from the royal capital of Ü-Tsang.

At this moment, the royal capital was fraught with tension.

Though this war was between Arabia and the Great Tang, as one of the nearby empires, and one of those whose welfare was linked to the conflict, Ü-Tsang found it very difficult to remain unconcerned.

”Imperial Minister, are we really not joining with the Arabs in their offensive?”

Incense smoke curled in the main hall, where all the generals of Ü-Tsang had gathered. In front of all these generals was the Great General of the Yarlung Royal Lineage, Namri Songtian, who had been the one to break the silence.

The Great Tang was the Ü-Tsang Empire's eternal foe. This empire of the plateau that had once intimidated enemies on all sides was now almost bereft of elites and forced to hide like a turtle in its shell. The Great Tang had played the most critical role in bringing them to this point.

An army of several hundred thousand soldiers, including the Mutri Great Cavalry, had been almost wiped out by the Tang.

In Namri Songtian's view, now that Arabia was mobilizing all of its forces, advancing on the east with an army of 3.8 million, this was the best opportunity to deal with the Great Tang.

But to his surprise, Dalon Trinling, who had always wanted to deal with the Tang, had repeatedly refused the Arabs and had given up on this wonderful opportunity.

To tell the truth, even though Namri Songtian deeply respected Dalon Trinling, he found it hard to understand the decision.

”Is that what all of you think?”

Dalon Trinling was seated on a raised platform, his expression calm as his wise eyes slowly swept over the generals. The generals were silent in response to Dalon Trinling's words, lowering their heads. Their thoughts on this matter were obvious.

The Great Tang was a mortal foe, and many Tibetan generals wished to mobilize.

Dalon Trinling only shook his head at this sight, completely expecting this reaction.