Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 478 The Arabs' Trump Card
Shortly after his defeat to Su Dingfang, Bai Tu received a summons from Damascus, ordering him to return and explain the reasons for his defeat.

The Abbasid Caliphate has always been known for its clear system of rewards and punishments, and Bai Tu had already anticipated that a transfer order would be issued.

He then entrusted all military affairs to Hadza, ordering him never to engage in battle with the Tang people again, and led several dozen cavalrymen back to Damascus.

A month later, Bai Tu returned to Damascus, and soon after entering the city, his heart sank.

Just as he suspected, Damascus had implemented information control, and the people in the city were completely unaware that he had suffered a defeat.

The news that the people in the city knew was that his Lion Legion was engaged in a fierce battle with Su Dingfang, the Tang army's number one general, and had gained the upper hand.

At a critical moment, the Persian Suoman led the Sacred Deer Legion to defect, which led to the unfavorable outcome of the battle.

Despite this, he still managed to annihilate the treacherous Holy Deer Legion and lead his army back to Great Bolu without suffering significant losses.

As a result, the people in the city naturally believed that the Abbasid army was stronger than the Tang army, and they cursed Suoman for being despicable, shameless, and fickle. The Persians in the city were also affected and dared not go out.

In addition, Bai Tu also saw the city's patrol team arresting several merchants on the grounds that they were spreading false information, claiming that Suoman had not betrayed them and must be foreign spies!

Bai Tu was regarded as a hero by the people. When someone recognized him, people surrounded him and cheered for him.

Seeing this scene, Bai Tu felt even more depressed.

The people of the Arab world are united by religion, and every believer firmly believes that under God's guidance, they will be invincible.

If the people knew that they had suffered such a crushing defeat, it would surely shake their devotion to God.

Therefore, information control was implemented after each defeat.

That being said, he, the defeated general, was praised by the people, while Suoman, who saved him, was despised by them, which made him feel uneasy.

He had indeed looked down on the Persians before, but Suoman had earned his respect by taking the lead in covering his retreat.

Upon meeting the Caliph, he felt compelled to legitimize Suoman's name, and with this in mind, he quickly arrived at the palace.

As soon as he entered the palace gate, a soldier greeted him, saying, "General Bai Tu, you must be tired from your journey. Please follow me."

Before long, he passed through several palaces and was led to a spacious hall.

There were three people sitting in the hall, but Muaviyeh was nowhere to be seen.

The three people reacted differently upon seeing Bai Tu.

Unlike ordinary people, they knew the true situation of the war and that White Tu had been defeated.

A short, stocky, brown-skinned man chuckled and exclaimed, "Look! Our hero is back!"

Bai Tu ignored him, walked to a chair and sat down, his face ashen.

The short, stocky man didn't let him off the hook, squinting as he said, "The Lion Legion and the Holy Deer Legion, my two elite forces from the Abbasid Caliphate, were defeated by 50,000 Tang soldiers. Bai Tu, what right does your Lion Legion have to steal the second position among the Four Holy Legions?"

Bai Tu didn't even look at him, and said coldly, "Karen, if you want the second place, take it. I've never bothered to compete with you for such an empty title."

The short, stocky man was none other than Karen, the commander of the Holy Shield Legion. Upon hearing this, he was immediately enraged.

"What do you, a defeated general, have to be arrogant about?"

Bai Tu glanced at him sideways and said coldly, "You think I'm arrogant, but that just reflects your inferiority complex. Karen, you've always felt inferior to me, haven't you?"

Karen was furious and about to retaliate when another man suddenly spoke up: "General Bai Tu, is the Tang army really that difficult to deal with?"

He was a well-proportioned, handsome man, around forty years old, with bronze skin and muscles that exuded explosive power, as if he could leap off his chair and pounce on someone at any moment.

Bai Tu treated this person with much more respect, and said in a deep voice, "It was my carelessness, otherwise we wouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat. But the Tang people are indeed formidable, unlike other enemies, especially their cavalry!"

The bronze-skinned man was Zeppelin, the commander of the Holy Sword Legion, who led the only cavalry legion in the Abbasid army.

Upon hearing that the Tang army's cavalry was powerful, his eyes lit up with a fierce fighting spirit, and he asked, "How do they compare to my cavalry?"

Bai Tu was silent for a moment, then said, "It's a close contest."

In truth, he felt that the 5,000-strong Tang cavalry was even more terrifying, but if he said it, people might think he was afraid of the Tang army, so he had to revise his statement.

Zeppelin smiled faintly and said, "Interesting. I hope they won't disappoint me, just as you say."

Bai Tu suddenly turned his gaze to the last person in the hall.

He was a strong, dark-skinned man with empty, lifeless eyes, staring blankly into the void, as if he hadn't heard their conversation.

This man was not a black slave from Egypt, but a pure Arab. His skin was so dark because he had been training hard under the scorching sun for many years.

Outsiders all believed that the most powerful legion in the Abbasid Caliphate was the Holy Sword Legion.

However, no one knew that there was a secret legion within the Arab world, known as the "Saints".

These saints were not easy to train; they were all war orphans carefully selected by the second Caliph.

They grew up in a mosque in the mountains, isolated from the world. During their childhood, they spent half their time praying and the other half exercising.

This made them the most devout believers and the most valiant warriors, and they were only deployed when the Abbasid Caliphate faced the most urgent situations.

Because he never failed in any battle, he was given the title of saint.

They seemed to be no ordinary beings, able to ignite their bodies without hesitation and charge at the enemy. Even with their limbs severed, they could still crawl on the battlefield and bite off the enemy's throat with their teeth.

This was an army that even Bai Tu feared. The dark-skinned man before him was the leader of the Saints' Army, named Omar.

This is not his name, but the name of the second Caliph. Anyone who becomes the leader of the Holy Army will become Umar.

They abandoned their own personalities, forgot everything about themselves, and all transformed into the identity of Omar, dedicating everything to missionary work.

Umar was a mysterious figure; few knew of him, and even fewer had ever seen him. This was only the second time Baitu had met him, and he couldn't help but feel a chill: "Does the Caliph intend for the Holy Army to fight against the Tang army?"

Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly heard footsteps. Turning around, he saw Mu'awiyah striding in, surrounded by a group of people, with Ibn following behind.

Everyone stood up and bowed to him with their hands on their chests.

Muaviyeh walked to the head of the table and sat down, gesturing for everyone to rise and sit down to talk.

Only Baitu did not sit. He knelt on one knee, bowed his head and said, "Your Excellency Caliph, Baitu failed to defeat the enemy on the battlefield and is willing to accept all your punishments."

Mu'awiya gazed at him and slowly said, "God tells us that every setback is a test from God. Some people can learn from their mistakes and succeed in the test, while others are foolish and cannot see God's instructions, and ultimately fail. Tell me, Baitu, which one are you?"

Bai Tu said, "I now know where I went wrong, and I will definitely be able to defeat the Tang people next time!"

Muaviyeh said, "Then share your experience with everyone."

Bai Tu said, "First of all, I underestimated the enemy, which was the biggest reason for my defeat."

Mu'awiya said in a deep voice, "God says, 'Do not turn your face away from those who despise you, and do not walk on the earth with smug pride.' I thought you understood this long ago!"

Bai Tu bowed his head and said, "This subordinate is ashamed."

Muaviyeh said, "Go on."

Bai Tu said, "I'm not making excuses, but the Indian army is a major reason. I have commanded more than a dozen foreign legions, and I have never encountered an army with such low morale as the Indian army. I suggest that the Indian army should not be allowed to participate in any important battles in the future!"

Mu'awiya nodded and said, "Su'oman once advised me that the Indian army should not be relied upon, and it seems he was right."

Upon hearing the name "Su Aoman," Bai Tu's heart skipped a beat. He said, "Your Excellency, I was able to lead the Lion Legion in retreat thanks to Su Aoman's desperate rearguard action. Please, vindicate him!"

Muaviy's face turned cold, and he rebuked, "Foolish!"

Bai Tu was stunned.

Mu'aviye said in a deep voice, "Su'aoman has been captured by the Tang people. Do you think he might betray us and defect to the Tang Dynasty?"

"This..." Bai Tu was covered in sweat.

Karen sneered, "He was able to betray the Persians and join us back then, so of course he can betray us and join the Tang people too. Do you really need to think about that?"

Bai Tu remained silent. Once someone becomes a traitor, it is difficult for them to regain the trust of others. He truly could not vouch for Suoman.

Mu'aviye said, "If we clear his name, what terrible consequences will it have when the news of his betrayal and defection to the Tang Dynasty gets back? The current approach is the best choice, don't you think?"

Bai Tu took a deep breath and said, "Your subordinate understands."

Mu'awiya said, "Considering your many past merits, I will not punish you this time. Get up."

Bai Tu said, "Thank you, Your Excellency!" He then rose and returned to his seat.

Muaviyah's gaze slowly shifted as he said, "I now have three things to announce."

Upon hearing this, everyone stood up and awaited his command.

Mu'awiyah said, "First, from this day forward, Ibn will serve as the commander of the Holy Deer Legion and will reorganize the Holy Deer Legion!"

"Secondly, the Lion Legion and the Holy Shield Legion will be transferred to Tokharistan to deal with the Tang army's attack."

"Third, the Holy Sword Legion will immediately launch a surprise attack on the Khazars Khanate, while the Saints' Army will attack the Byzantine Empire!"

Everyone was taken aback by these three orders.

Bai Tu asked, "Your Excellency, if my legion leaves the Great Bolu Kingdom, does that mean we have given up on attacking the Tang Dynasty?"

Mu'awiya said, "Since the attack is not going well, we should naturally adopt a defensive posture. I need to observe the strength of the Tang people further before deciding on the future strategy of our Abbasid Caliphate."

Zeppelin said, "Your Excellency, the Tang people are not easy to deal with. If we are going to fight them, why do we also take the initiative to attack the Khazars Khanate and the Byzantine Empire?"

Mu'aviye said, "This defeat has already spread to all countries, and they are already eager to make a move. While we are fighting the Tang army with all our might, they will definitely launch a sneak attack. In that case, we might as well deal with the trouble first, teach them a lesson, and then focus all our efforts on dealing with the Tang people!"

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed that it made sense and had no further objections.

Just as Mu'awiya had guessed, news of the Abbasid Caliphate's defeat had indeed spread throughout the Western Regions.

With the embellishment of the Khazars and Byzantines, the Arab army suffered heavy losses in this battle. Both the Holy Deer Legion and the Lion Legion lost more than half their strength, Baitu was seriously wounded, and Suoman was captured alive.

The Western Regions had long suffered under the Abbasid Caliphate, and upon hearing of their defeat and devastating loss of strength, they indeed began plotting against them.

Unexpectedly, before they could even take action, new news arrived.

The Arab army's Holy Sword Legion decisively defeated the Khazars on the northwest shore of the "Thunderbolt Sea".

The Khazars, who were originally stationed at Leizhuhai, could only retreat northward and could no longer threaten the Abbasid Caliphate.

In addition, the Byzantine army also suffered heavy losses from the Arabs.

Ankara was attacked by a mysterious Arab army. All 30,000 defenders in the city were killed and all the civilians were slaughtered!
The Byzantine Empire was constantly attacked by the Abbasids and could only defend itself by relying on the strategic terrain of Constantinople.

These 30,000 troops were a small force they had painstakingly accumulated during the internal strife in the Abbasid Caliphate, but they were easily defeated by the Abbasids.

Upon hearing the news, the Byzantine emperor ordered all troops to retreat to Constantinople and remain holed up in the city, clearly terrified of being attacked.

As soon as these two pieces of news came out, the countries that were originally eager to make moves all quieted down.

They finally understood that the reason the Tang people were able to defeat the Arabs was not because the Arabs had become weaker, but because the Tang people were too strong.

Many countries west of the Abbasid Caliphate began to send delegations to Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, to pay tribute to this powerful Eastern nation.

(End of this chapter)