Diqin Designer

Chapter 554 Borrowing 10,000 Troops

After hearing what Aiger said, the middle-aged man said, "So those people aren't much of a threat to us?"

"That's exactly right!" said Aiger.

The middle-aged man said, "Send someone to the Parthians. No matter where these people come from, make them hand them over. If they don't, they'll be my enemies."

Aeger did not try to dissuade the middle-aged man, because he thought the same thing.

Regardless of who those people came from or why they clashed with Fitalos, it was wrong of them to kill Fitalos and his companions!

Even if Fitalos was wrong, he was still one of their own. How dare those people kill Fitalos and cut off his head...

If they show no remorse after their own people are killed, where will they put their face? What will other countries think when they find out about this?
You Seleucids always look down on this and despise that, considering yourselves the legitimate rulers of the Macedonian Empire, yet you dare not retaliate when bullied by an unknown force. I think you are really nothing special!
Therefore, even for the sake of face, the middle-aged people had to make some gestures, otherwise they would not only be laughed at by other countries, but also cause more people to disregard their Seleucid heritage.

The middle-aged man wanted to use this incident to tell others that anyone who dared to insult the Seleucids, regardless of their origin or how far away they were, would be retaliated against.

Three days later, a Seleucid army of several thousand men entered Parthia and headed straight for the Parthian border.

Upon advancing to the Parthian border, the Seleucid army discovered that the Parthians had already made preparations for defense, seemingly anticipating their arrival.

The Parthians' attitude also suggests that they are connected to that mysterious force.

A Seleucid cavalryman arrived outside the city and shouted to the Parthians on the city wall, "Listen, Parthians, we have come here to find a group of people."

"That group of people numbered over a thousand, with black hair and yellow skin, dressed in different clothing and armor than us..."

After recounting all the characteristics of the Qin delegation he knew, the Seleucid cavalryman added, "Those people committed serious crimes in our country. If you don't want to be our enemy, hand them over. We know you are connected to them!"

Upon hearing the Seleucid cavalryman's shout, the Parthian general on the city wall thought to himself, "These Seleucids have indeed come for the Qin delegation!"

Indeed, it's normal for the Seleucids to send someone to demand the handover of their people; it would be abnormal if they didn't. If they were the Seleucids, they would definitely send someone to pursue the Qin delegation, or at least make a show of it.

The Qin delegation had really done something too outrageous. It happened within Seleucid territory, and the Qin delegation had actually slaughtered a squad of several hundred Seleucid cavalrymen. This was tantamount to slapping the Seleucids in the face.

Not only the Seleucids couldn't stand it, but few other countries could either.

Who could tolerate their own army being wiped out by a Qin delegation within their own country's borders?
Regardless of whether your own army was at fault first, no matter how wrong it was, it is not your right, Qin people, to run wild and kill people on our territory!
Unfortunately, the Seleucids are unlikely to regain this face.

The Qin delegation has already gone to Nisa to request troops from His Majesty, but it is unknown whether His Majesty will agree.

But the Qin people have borrowed troops from His Majesty. Can they lead their troops to defeat the Seleucids?
The Seleucids were no pushovers!
As the Parthian general pondered these thoughts, he addressed the Seleucid cavalry outside the city: “Go back and tell your general that if you want to fight, then fight; but we certainly won’t hand over the men.”

After receiving a reply, the Seleucid cavalryman retreated, and the Parthian general watched him leave.

According to the Parthian generals' own estimates, this battle is unlikely to actually break out, and even if it does, it will only be a minor skirmish.

The Seleucids sent troops to salvage their reputation after being defeated by the Qin delegation, not to start a real war. At most, they would launch a feigned attack, but a major war was unlikely to break out.

Just as he expected, despite his clear statement that he would not hand over the people, the Seleucids did not launch a major attack, but instead set up camp.

The Parthian general deduced: 'In the next few days, the Seleucids will likely launch small-scale attacks, after which they will retreat…'

At this moment, Wang Ling and his entourage were on their way to Nisa, the capital of Parthia.

After traveling for more than half a month, Wang Ling and his party arrived at the capital of Parthia once again.

Upon entering the city, Wang Ling immediately requested to see Arsak I.

This was Wang Ling's deliberate act, to make the Parthians think that they were very angry with the Seleucids!
Upon entering the familiar Parthian palace, Wang Ling led Li Shiqi and others to bow to Arsak I: "Wang Ling, the envoy of Great Qin, greets Your Majesty!"

After returning the greeting, Arsak I glanced at the royal tomb a few times and said, "It has been more than a month since I last saw you, Your Excellency. You seem to have lost a lot of weight. Did you not eat well or sleep well on the journey?"

Wang Ling replied, "I am filled with anger and cannot calm my mind, so naturally I cannot eat or sleep well. I have come to Your Majesty's place again today because I have something I wish to ask for Your Majesty's assistance with!"

The king went straight to the point, and Arsakh I knew why they had returned, so there was no need to hide anything.

"We have brought back a gift for Your Majesty, and we hope Your Majesty will be satisfied."

Arsak I said, "How could I be dissatisfied with the gift the messenger sent?"

Some Parthian ministers, who were not well-informed, were completely bewildered by the conversation between the two. What were the king and the Qin envoy talking about?
Wasn't the Qin envoy on a mission to Seleucus? Why has he returned? What matter does the Qin envoy need Your Majesty's assistance with? What gift does the Qin envoy wish to present to Your Majesty?

Several large boxes were carried into the palace. When the boxes were opened, the Parthian ministers inside saw that they contained human heads.

The gift the Qin people presented to the king was several boxes of people. The king was not displeased at all; on the contrary, he seemed quite happy.

The head had been processed and didn't smell. Some bold Parthian ministers gathered around the box to examine it, recalling that the Qin delegation was on a mission to Seleucus...

Could these boxes contain the heads of Seleucids?

When the Qin people were sent as envoys to the Seleucid Empire, they clashed with the Seleucids, killing hundreds of them and bringing back their heads.

In other words, did the people of Qin become enemies with the Seleucids?

The matter of the Qin envoy seeking the king's assistance must also be related to the Seleucids!

Wang Ling used the same words he had used with the Parthian prince: "The Seleucids are rude and dare to insult Great Qin and Your Majesty. Great Qin has a saying: 'If the father is insulted, the son shall die; if the ruler is insulted, the subject shall die.' As citizens of Great Qin and subjects of Your Majesty, how can we stand by and do not retaliate against such insults?"

"We wish to borrow 10,000 troops from Your Majesty to avenge the Seleucids' humiliation of Great Qin and Your Majesty. We humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

Upon hearing Wang Ling's words, the Parthian ministers, who were not well-informed, were all shocked: What? The Qin people want to borrow 10,000 soldiers from them to take revenge on the Seleucids?

Why should they lend troops to the Qin people, just because the Qin people were humiliated by the Seleucids? Just because the Qin people sent a few boxes of heads? If they really lend troops to the Qin people, wouldn't that be using their soldiers' lives to avenge the Qin people?
This is absolutely unacceptable, unless the Qin people can offer them something that will tempt them, commonly known as, they have to pay more!
Arsak I shared the same sentiment. He wasn't stupid; why would he lend troops to the Qin unconditionally unless the Qin offered him something in return?

Arsak I said, “I deeply regret the encounter of the envoys in the Seleucids. The Seleucids have always been arrogant and domineering, regarding themselves as a civilized nation and other nations as barbaric foreigners.”

"Given the friendship between our country and your esteemed nation, I should lend troops to you envoys, if..."

Although they couldn't understand what Arsak I was saying, Wang Ling and the others could guess what he was talking about from the troubled look on his face.

"Recently, our country's military strength has also been insufficient, and I'm afraid we will be unable to lend troops to you all!"

When the translator translated Arsak I's words, Wang Ling was not surprised at all. If the Parthian king had agreed to lend troops immediately, he would have suspected something was amiss.

This is about borrowing 10,000 soldiers, not 10,000 catties of grain. Especially for a country like Parthia, whose military strength is already limited, losing 10,000 soldiers would be a painful loss for a long time.

In the world depicted in certain TV dramas, one could casually kill tens of thousands of one's own cavalry without batting an eye, and maintain hundreds of thousands of cavalry without straining the national treasury.

Wang Ling and his group had anticipated and prepared for the various reactions that the Parthian king would make.

Today, they're determined to borrow these soldiers!
Wang Ling calmly said, "What if we can defeat the Seleucids with these 10,000 soldiers and capture several Seleucid cities for Your Majesty?"

Arsak I and the Parthian ministers in the palace all looked towards the royal tomb: This Qin envoy is so confident, what makes him think they can defeat the Seleucids and seize the Seleucid cities? Just because they are Qin people?

The Qin people were indeed very strong, but their methods in the East might not be applicable here. The Seleucids, for example, knew the Macedonian phalanx.

The Qin people couldn't possibly break the Macedonian phalanx; phalanxes can only fight each other in their own way. Unless the Qin people sent them their legendary cannons, the Seleucids certainly wouldn't be able to deal with them.

No, the Qin envoy knew that the Seleucids knew the Macedonian phalanx, yet he still dared to claim that he could defeat them.

If the Qin envoy wasn't exaggerating, wouldn't this mean they possess a way to break the Macedonian phalanx without using artillery?

The Macedonian phalanx was considered invincible, a consensus among Western nations. When one side deployed the Macedonian phalanx on the battlefield, the other side had to respond with its own phalanx.

The only thing that could stand up to the Macedonian phalanx was another Macedonian phalanx. The outcome on the battlefield depended on whose phalanx collapsed first due to attrition!

However, if the Qin people possessed a method to break the Macedonian phalanx without using a phalanx formation, releasing it would undoubtedly change the course of war among the states.

His peaceful passing may give him the opportunity to surpass other countries and grow stronger!

At this thought, Arsark I's breathing became erratic. As the founder of the Parthian Empire, he naturally possessed a long-term vision and could easily see the impact of a method that could break the Macedonian phalanx.

If the Qin people really had this method, he would seriously consider whether or not to lend troops to them.

This could very well be a great opportunity for them to rise to prominence, and he had to consider whether this was an opportunity that would be unique to him and to him in his lifetime.

All countries are currently using the Macedonian phalanx. Whoever masters the method to break the Macedonian phalanx will have an advantage over other countries. Weak countries can use this to become stronger, and small countries can become larger.

As a result, powerful nations will become weak, and great powers will decline!

Arsace I was right; this was one of the reasons why Rome rose to prominence in history. The Romans had mastered more advanced tactics than other countries, while the other countries remained stagnant.

Arsak I understood the meaning behind the king's words and asked earnestly, "Do you really have a way to defeat the Seleucids (do you really have a way to break the Macedonian phalanx)?"

Wang Ling said, "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. We are able to defeat the Seleucids, even if they have several times the number of men."

We have a way to break the Macedonian phalanx, and we can win even when outnumbered.

Wang Ling pointed to the human heads in several boxes and said, "These people are Seleucid cavalry!"

This statement seemed to come out of nowhere, and while many were still pondering it, some ministers had already grasped its meaning.

There must have been several hundred heads in these large boxes, all of them cavalrymen, while the Qin cavalry only numbered around three hundred.

In other words, the Qin delegation defeated a larger Seleucid cavalry force despite being outnumbered.

The people of Qin are too strong!
However, this incident also suggests that what the Qin envoy said might be true; they did have a way to break the Macedonian phalanx.

Just because the Qin people had mastered the tactics to break the Macedonian phalanx, they should be given troops.

The Qin people clearly meant the same thing: lend us troops, and we'll personally lead them to demonstrate how to break the Macedonian phalanx.

Al-Shaq I had already made his decision, but then Wang Ling added another benefit: "If Your Majesty agrees, we will send you another three hundred sets of Qin armor in the future."

Arsak I was even more tempted. He had already witnessed the superior quality of the Qin soldiers' armor, but the quantity sent by the Qin envoy was a bit too small. He should have given at least a thousand sets.

Although he had already made his decision, Arsak I did not immediately agree. He said, "I understand the envoy's meaning, but this matter is of great importance and I cannot agree to it for the time being. The envoys must be exhausted from their return. Why don't you rest for a while?"

The Parthian king had already agreed in his heart, but he still pretended to be saying, "I need to think about it more carefully."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ling said, "Then we will await Your Majesty's good news!"

After the king and his entourage left, Arsak I did not consult with his ministers. He allowed them to stay in the hall for a while before dismissing them, leaving only the Parthian prince behind.

Arsak I looked at the Parthian prince and asked, "Ardaban, do you think we should grant the Qin envoy's request?"

This Parthian prince, whose real name was Ardaban, was the second Parthian monarch in history. He was quite accomplished during his reign, laying the foundation for Parthia's later rise to power.

When Ardaban heard Arshak I ask him this question, he knew it was a test from his father. He dared not be negligent and carefully considered which answer his father wanted.

(End of this chapter)