My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 400 The Power of the Tang Dynasty

With the sacrificial ceremony imminent, a turbulent atmosphere was brewing in Chang'an.

The King of Jin had his own plans, and the King of Wei had his own schemes.

Li Shimin did not intend to take action at the altar.

Li Chengqian also felt that Li Shimin would not do such a thing, but he still made some extra preparations.

"How are the King of Wei and the King of Jin doing lately?"

Li Chengqian asked Du He.

In other words, these two are prone to causing trouble. He had a feeling that they would definitely make a scene during this sacrificial ceremony.

However, Li Chengqian, who commanded a large army, was not too worried.

Du He thought for a moment and said, "I haven't heard much from the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Jin recently."

"The King of Wei has few troops at his disposal, but the King of Jin, with Li Ji's support, might have some ambitions."

After a pause, Du He said, "It is said that Prince Jin has been visiting the palace frequently recently."

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Li Chengqian knew that Li Zhi had gone to the palace to see Wu Meiniang.

After thinking for a moment, he instructed, "Father should not make much of a fuss about this sacrificial ceremony, but we must be wary of Li Ji."

Du He nodded: "Please rest assured, Your Highness, we have people in the Left Golden Guard. If there is any unusual activity, they will be alerted."

After careful consideration, Li Chengqian realized there wasn't much to worry about.

As long as he himself doesn't get into trouble, nothing else matters.

Even if surrounded by tens of thousands of soldiers, three thousand soldiers can break through the encirclement.

Then he thought of the news that had come from the Western Regions.

It is said that the Arab Empire is about to invade the Tang Dynasty.

However, the distance was too great, and even with urgent dispatches, it would take at least half a month to receive the news.

Fortunately, the Tang Dynasty's border troops are strong and well-equipped, so even if the Arab Empire makes any moves, it won't have much of an impact.

This is also why Li Chengqian always avoided going to war with Li Shimin to establish a separatist regime; otherwise, the tragedy of the white-haired soldiers of the Protector-General of Anxi would have occurred sooner.

Historically, after the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty transferred 15,000 elite troops from Anxi, Beiting and other places back to the Central Plains in order to quell the rebellion. This left the Western Regions vulnerable, and the Tibetan Empire took the opportunity to continuously attack the Hexi and Anxi regions of the Tang Dynasty.

Guo Xin was ordered to inspect and govern Hexi and Anxi, and later served as the garrison commander of the Four Garrisons of Anxi. Soon after, the Tibetan Empire cut off Anxi's connection with the Tang Dynasty's interior, leaving Anxi isolated. Guo Xin and his Anxi troops began a difficult defense.

Guo Xin led the Anxi army to repel Tibetan attacks on multiple occasions despite being isolated and without support.

When the Anxi envoys arrived in Chang'an, they learned that the late emperor had passed away and Emperor Daizong of Tang had ascended the throne.

Then the Tibetan army besieged the city of Kucha. At this time, the Western Regions had been isolated from the Tang Dynasty for more than forty years, and the soldiers guarding the city had long since turned from boys into white-haired old men.

The elderly Guo Xin led several thousand white-haired soldiers on the city wall, ready to die for their cause. The people inside the city also spontaneously joined the battle. After a day and night of bloody fighting, Guo Xin's blood was spilled on the city wall, and all the white-haired soldiers in the city died in battle. The Tang army in Anxi was completely annihilated, and the Western Regions completely fell.

If Li Chengqian and Li Shimin were to occupy Luoyang and Chang'an respectively and fight each other, it would be inevitable that troops would be transferred back to the Central Plains from the border.

The Xuanwu Gate Incident was one thing, but that was naturally part of the An Lushan Rebellion. You
This is also why Li Chengqian consistently avoided large-scale wars and confined the struggles to small areas.

Although Li Shimin was unaware of the An Lushan Rebellion that would later occur, he was unwilling to see the Tang Dynasty, which had finally begun to recover, thrown into turmoil, and he shared the same sentiment as Li Chengqian.

At this very moment, war broke out in the Western Regions.

Before the morning mist of Hot Sea had dissipated, three thousand Arab light cavalrymen had already swept across the red willow thickets on the north bank of the Julan Lake like a black tide.

Abdul's chainmail gleamed coldly in the morning dew. He raised his hand to stop the vanguard, his gaze fixed on the earthen-yellow Tang army fortress on the opposite bank.

The Xuanjia Army's banners fluttered in the morning breeze atop the fortress's arrow tower, the golden wolf heads embroidered on their corners seemingly overlooking the land soon to be stained with blood.

"Prepare the catapults!" Abdul's shout startled the seagulls in the lake.

Twenty camel-borne, disassembled catapults were rapidly assembled behind the sand dunes, their oak frames creaking and groaning.

When the first pottery jar coated with oil whistled as it smashed against the earthen wall of the fortress, the Tang army, having prepared in advance, instantly extinguished the flames with wet cotton blankets, and rows of gleaming swords immediately emerged from behind the battlements.

"Fire arrows!"

A unified shout rang out from the Arab army, and two thousand arrows swept across the water like a swarm of locusts. However, the Tang army's fortress had cleverly designed loopholes; most of the arrowheads were embedded in the rammed earth walls, and only a few penetrated the observation holes, only to be easily blocked by the shield bearers inside.

Guo Xiaoke stood in the watchtower of the main fortress, his fingers lightly tapping the wall: "Have Su Nongda Gan lead five hundred Mo Dao soldiers out of the west gate. Remember, only defend, do not attack."

When Abdul saw the wall of blades, gleaming with a cold light, slowly emerge from the fortress gate, his pupils contracted sharply. Five hundred Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) warriors stood shoulder to shoulder in a square formation, their eight-foot-long Mo Dao pointing diagonally to the sky, their blades reflecting a blinding light in the rising sun.

Unable to contain themselves, the Arab cavalrymen, numbering over a hundred elite soldiers, spurred their horses into a charge, their hooves shattering the thin ice at the edge of the pool with a crisp cracking sound.

"Hold on!" the captain of the front rank of the Mo Dao squad roared. When the warhorses were thirty paces away, the entire row of Mo Dao suddenly sank, the blades tracing a half-arc along the ground.

The leading Arab cavalryman felt his horse's front legs suddenly lighten, and the next second he and his horse plunged into the icy water, the sharp blades even cutting through the horse's bones.

The cavalrymen in the rear couldn't rein in their horses in time and crashed into the formation of swords. The swordsmen flipped their wrists, and the blades rose from the bottom up. The chainmail armor was like paper in front of the swords, and blood mixed with icy water splashed all over the lake in early spring.

Abdul gritted his teeth, never expecting the Tang infantry to be so formidable.

"Aim the catapults at the blade formation!"

Abdul roared, but then saw more than ten riders suddenly rush out from the Tang army formation. They carried longbows on their backs and rode on their horses as if on flat ground. When they reached the edge of the marsh, they suddenly turned around and shot arrows accurately at the winch of the catapult.

After a few sharp cracks, the ropes of the two catapults snapped, and the huge counterweight box crashed to the ground.

"retreat!"

Abdul knew that after the initial defeat, continuing the fight would only increase casualties.

The Arab cavalry retreated like the tide, leaving dozens of corpses of men and horses floating on the water, turning the dawn over the Juran Lake a dark red.

Three days later, the ice on the upper reaches of the Suyab River shattered amidst the hammering of the Tang army. Guo Xiaoke stood on the makeshift pontoon bridge, watching five thousand Mo Dao soldiers constructing breastworks in the icy water.

The river water was icy cold, and the soldiers' armor was covered with icicles, but their movements remained perfectly synchronized, as if they felt no cold.

On the opposite bank, Khalid's main forces were gathering, and black military flags were planted all over the hills on the north bank, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Guardian, the Arab catapults have advanced into range."

The deputy general spoke up, and Guo Xiaoke nodded.

On the opposite bank, hundreds of catapults were adjusting their angles, and thousands of shield-wielding infantrymen were lined up nearby.

"Tell the Mo Dao Battalion to prepare for slingshot attacks, and have the Flying Cavalry Battalion flank and harass their supply lines."

His voice was calm, as if he were discussing the weather. The first wave of stones whistled in, striking the ice with a dull thud. The Tang army was prepared, having constructed their breastworks in an arc shape. Most of the stones were deflected into the river, with only a few hitting the breastworks and sending up a shower of ice shards.

The Arab infantry seized the opportunity to advance, their heavily armed infantrymen wielding long spears and shields, forming dense square formations, and gradually approaching the pontoon bridge.

"Fire arrows!"

The Tang army's ballistae roared deafeningly, and the thick bolts pierced the shields of the front-line Arab soldiers, pinning them to the ground.

But the Arab army was well-trained and quickly filled the gap, continuing its advance.

When the two sides closed the distance to within a hundred paces, horns suddenly sounded in the Arab army, and thousands of light cavalrymen charged out from the flank, bypassed the pontoon bridge, and rushed straight towards the left flank of the Tang army.

"Su Nongda Gan! Take your men and stop them!" Guo Xiaoke shouted sternly.

Sunongdagan, who could no longer contain himself, immediately led two thousand cavalry to meet the attack upon hearing this.

The two sides clashed fiercely on the frozen surface of the Suyab River, their lances and scimitars clashing, their battle cries shattering the thin ice on the river.

The Arab cavalry were extremely fast, and they were skilled at shooting while on the move; their arrows constantly pierced through the armor of the Tang army.

But Sunongdagan's cavalry were no ordinary men; they were elite troops handpicked from the Shuofang army, and their warhorses were all fine steeds from the Hexi Corridor. He brandished his long spear and charged into the enemy ranks, the tip of his spear piercing several Arab cavalrymen in succession.

The Tang cavalry followed closely behind, forming a wedge formation that forcefully tore through the Arab cavalry's ranks. The two sides clashed repeatedly on the ice, the river stained red with blood, and countless corpses floated on the ice floes.

Meanwhile, the Arab heavy infantry had approached the pontoon bridge. Guo Xiaoke ordered the pontoon bridge to be set ablaze, and the raging flames instantly blocked the enemy's path.

But the Arab soldiers were fearless, with hundreds of them charging into the fire with shields on their heads, trying to extinguish the flames.

The Mo Dao (陌刀) warriors had been waiting for a long time. When the Arab soldiers rushed across the line of fire, they were met with a dazzling flash of blades.

"kill!"

The Mo Dao (陌刀) warriors roared in unison, their blades advancing like a wall.

The Arab soldiers' shields were no match for the long-handled sword.

The stench of blood filled the air above the Suyab River. The Arab army's offensive was finally halted, and they retreated slowly back to the north bank, leaving behind thousands of corpses.

Just as the fierce battle of Suyab was raging, in Talas, the capital of the Kingdom of Stone, Shi Fuyanchuo was pacing anxiously in the palace.

The news of victory brought by the Arab envoy and the warning from Li Xuance, the Tang envoy, kept tug-of-war in his mind.

Hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and Arslan rushed in, covered in blood: "Your Majesty! The catapults the Arabs promised us were fake! They failed to raid the Tang army's supply lines last night and were instead surrounded by Guo Duhu's cavalry. Now they've sent envoys to force us to send troops!"

Shi Fuyanchuo's face turned deathly pale. He suddenly drew his sword from his waist and slashed at the bronze lamp beside him: "It really was a trap! Quickly, pass on my order: close the city gates tightly and forbid any Arabs from entering the city!"

Before the words were finished, shouts of battle suddenly came from outside the palace. Hundreds of Arab assassins had taken advantage of the chaos to sneak into the city and were heading towards the palace.

"Protect the King!" Arslan drew his sword, a gift from the Tang army ten years ago. He led his personal guards out the door, only to run into the Arab assassins.

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle in the palace corridors. The Arab assassins were all fearless, brandishing their scimitars and charging left and right.

Just then, the back gate of the palace was suddenly smashed open, and a troop of Tang cavalry descended like divine warriors. The leading general was none other than Li Xuance, who, sword in hand, shouted, "Your Majesty, do not be alarmed! We have come to your aid on the orders of Protector-General Guo!"

It turned out that Guo Xiaoke had already anticipated that the Arabs would pressure the Kingdom of Shi, and secretly sent Li Xuance to lead 500 cavalry to lie in ambush outside the city.

Upon seeing the Tang army arrive, the Arab assassins were thrown into chaos. Li Xuance took the lead, his longsword slaying several men in quick succession, followed closely by the Tang cavalry, who swiftly wiped out the Arab assassins.

Looking at Li Xuance, who was covered in blood, Shi Fuyan knelt down with a thud: "Thank you for saving my life, Tang Envoy. Shi Kingdom is willing to submit to the Great Tang for eternity!"

Li Xuance quickly helped him up: "Your Majesty, there is no need for such formalities. It is our alliance's responsibility to jointly defend against foreign enemies. Currently, the main Arab force is confronting our army at Suyab River, and their rear is in the hands of your country."

Shi Fuyan immediately ordered the mobilization of all national forces to cut off the Arab army's retreat.

When he learned of the defection of the Kingdom of Shi, Khalid was pacing anxiously in his central command tent on the north bank of the Suyab River.

Urgent reports from scouts arrived like snowflakes: the Shi Kingdom's army had cut off their supply lines.

Tang cavalry are attacking their supply lines.

Even more frightening is that Guo Xiaoke's main force of 10,000 men has already outflanked them from the flank and is about to encircle them.

“Impossible! How could Shiguo…” Abdul’s face turned pale. He finally realized that he had underestimated the influence of the Tang Dynasty.

Khalid closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and ordered the entire army to contract their defensive lines and prepare to break out.

He knew that the battle was lost.

On the battlefields of the Middle East, the Arab Empire's army was invincible, which made the Arab Empire's soldiers extremely confident.

But when they faced the Tang army, they realized that it wasn't that they were too strong, but that their former enemy was too weak.

Even in wars where they had a numerical advantage, they would find it difficult to defeat the Tang army.

When the number of soldiers on both sides was roughly equal, the Arab Empire's army proved as vulnerable as the enemies they had previously fought.

As night fell, a cold wind howled across the Suyab River.

The bugle calls of the Tang army came from all directions. Guo Xiaoke stood on the high slope, looking down at the besieged Arab army.

"Pass on my order: the Mo Dao Battalion will advance from the front, while the Flying Cavalry Battalion will flank from the left and right. We must annihilate the enemy!"

As the bugles sounded, the Tang army surged forward like a tidal wave. The Mo Dao (陌刀) warriors formed dense square formations, gradually shrinking the Arab army's living space.

Although the Arab soldiers were elite, their morale had long since collapsed under the Tang army's encirclement from all sides. Khalid brandished his scimitar, attempting to organize a counterattack, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the shouts of battle.

Abdul led several hundred personal guards in an attempt to break through the Tang army's left flank. Upon seeing this, Sunongdagan immediately led his cavalry to meet the attack.

The two met on the battlefield, their lances and scimitars clashing fiercely, sparks flying everywhere.

After dozens of rounds of fierce fighting, Sunongdagan spotted an opening and thrust his lance forward, striking Abdul squarely in the chest.

Abdul screamed and fell from his horse. The Arab cavalry, having lost their commander, were thrown into chaos and routed by the Tang cavalry.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Khalid let out a long roar, swung his sword and cut down several Tang soldiers who rushed at him, and attempted to commit suicide.

But Guo Xiaoke had already given the order to capture him alive. Several Mo Dao soldiers rushed forward, knocked his curved sword away with their long-handled Mo Dao, and then captured him alive.

The battle raged until dawn. When the first rays of sunlight touched the Suyab River, only the remnants of the Arab army remained on the battlefield. The Tang army swept the battlefield, seizing countless weapons and supplies, and capturing thousands of Arab soldiers.

Several days later, a grand surrender ceremony was held in Talas, the capital of the Kingdom of Stone.

Guo Xiaoke, dressed in bright armor, sat in the main seat, and Khalid was brought before him.

"General Khalid."

Guo Xiaoke slowly spoke: "The sandstorms of the Western Regions are not something your Abbasid Caliphate can withstand."

(End of this chapter)