Nanyang Storm 1864

Thinking back to our ancestors, who braved frost and dew, cleared thorns and brambles, to acquire even a small plot of land, their descendants showed it little value, giving it away as if discarding weeds.

The Six States Treatise states: "Today we cede five cities, tomorrow we cede ten, and then we can have a night's rest. But when we rise and look around, the Qin army is already at our doorstep."

After this battle
Colonel Mo Yuanhang, who had been promoted to commander of the Al Ain Cavalry Regiment of the Dubai Royal Family, stood on the hilltop on horseback.

He coldly watched the city of Ibrahim, which was almost burned to ruins, and the large group of local Arab men and women being driven north along the winding mountain roads, and the passage from "The Six Kingdoms" came to mind.

Oman's shortsightedness allowed the invading kingdoms of Dubai, Yemen, and Sarawak to encounter almost no resistance and reap substantial rewards.

Even though some local Arab tribes rose up in resistance, they could not escape the fate of complete annihilation, which greatly enriched the invading army.

Colonel Mo Yuanhang was certain that these backward and ignorant Arabs had never read "On the Six States," which states, "Thinking back to their ancestors, who braved frost and dew, cleared thorns and brambles, to acquire even a small piece of land. Their descendants did not cherish it much, giving it away to others as if discarding weeds."

In the distance, another troop of cavalry, carrying the Dubai royal flag, galloped by, escorting a long procession of prisoners. The wagons, stretching as far as the eye could see, were all packed to the brim, along with a large flock of sheep and horses.

These groups of prisoners were mainly Arab women, with some boys who were no taller than the wheels of a cart. They were responsible for driving herds and carts of cattle and horses northward.

The escort was handled by fully armed Dubai cavalry, though their numbers were not large.

The captured strong Arab tribal men were bound hand and foot with long ropes, dozens of them in a row, and escorted north to the Kingdom of Dubai under the strict escort of cavalry.

Any sign of slackness or resistance along the way will be met with a flash of the blade and immediate execution.

These prisoners had neither food nor water and had to walk north for three days to reach the town of Ain, where they could get a bowl of porridge, be taken to the military camp for a short rest for a day, and then continue their trek north.

This is a very experienced tactic: to exhaust these Arab prisoners, leaving them dizzy from hunger and weak, so that they will naturally have no strength to resist.

Even if they want to escape, they can't get far.

When the cavalry of the Kingdom of Dubai marched south, they destroyed all the Arab tribes they passed through. They took all the tents, cattle, sheep, and tribal men and women that they could carry with them north, and burned everything that they could not carry.

The Arab tribes scattered across dozens or even hundreds of kilometers around Ibrahim, except for a small number who fled into the deep mountains, had their settlements destroyed and turned into ruins.

In the conquest of foreign tribes, there is absolutely no mercy.

Under the pressure of the Dubai Kingdom's military
Even large tribes with tens of thousands of members could not withstand the swarming Dubai cavalry on their own. Under the relentless machine gun fire and artillery bombardment, their limited resistance quickly crumbled.

Those East African mercenaries were very skilled at their work. After the organized resistance of the local Arab tribes completely collapsed, they quickly broke into cavalry units of dozens or even hundreds of men, and like a net, they killed and captured the fleeing Arabs one by one.

"Reporting to the commander, our cavalry unit, which was tasked with rearguard cover, has now returned to Ibli City. Please give further instructions."

"Hmm, have we detected any enemy activity?"

"Reporting to the commander, in the Based Valley, which is more than 40 kilometers away from here, Omani tribal cavalry attempted to spy. After being driven away by our cavalry, they retreated and have not been detected by any new activity."

"Stay vigilant and withdraw in an orderly manner."

"As you command, sir."

The cavalry captain saluted, then turned his horse around and, with his adjutant, galloped swiftly into the distance to carry out a retreat and guard duty.

After Colonel Mo Yuanhang gave the order, he watched as a long convoy of trucks slowly drove out of Ibli, all loaded with supplies piled high, kicking up clouds of dust along the way.

This is the end of the retreat. In recent days, more than 80 trucks have been shuttling between Ain and Ibli, transporting a large amount of captured supplies to the north.

The truck convoy can reach Ain, 160 kilometers away, in just one day.

These tireless iron machines are well-liked by the entire Kingdom of Dubai. 400 trucks and 1500 tractors were recently ordered from the Empire and will soon arrive at Dubai Port.

With these machines, efficiency can be greatly improved in both mining and material transportation.

After the truck convoy left, the ruined city of Ibrahim became exceptionally deserted.

The cavalry company responsible for the rear guard rode into the ruins of the city for a final search. If any survivors were found hiding there, they were executed on the spot. Afterward, they withdrew from the city.

After such a major catastrophe, it will take Ibrahim eight or ten years to recover.

Colonel Mo Yuanhang's cavalry unit was responsible for bringing up the rear, and after the main force had all left Ibli City, they slowly headed north.

He led a battalion of several hundred cavalrymen to hold the line, slowly retreating northward, and soon disappeared into the winding mountain roads north of Ibli.

Not long
A group of Omani cavalrymen, wearing checkered cloths on their heads, rode in. They were all dressed in traditional Arab robes, with leather belts slung across their bodies and Arab scimitars on one side. Most of the Arab cavalrymen carried rifles on their backs.

It's obvious at a glance that these are elite cavalrymen from the Kingdom of Oman.

When they saw that the once prosperous city of Ibrahim had been completely destroyed by the war, with corpses and burnt ruins everywhere, it was a scene of utter desolation, like a living hell.

The Omani cavalrymen's eyes were filled with barely suppressed rage, along with a deep sense of fear.

The legendary Chinese mercenary cavalry were known for their brutality and cruelty, and what I saw with my own eyes today further confirms that the rumors are true.

The leader of the delegation was Chief Habias, a member of a powerful tribe from the capital Muscat and one of the kingdom's elite.

Faced with this tragic scene, Chief Habias frowned deeply, revealing an undisguised look of worry.

The situation is absolutely terrible!

Even now, the upper echelons of the Muscat kingdom are still vying for power and scheming against each other; some of the most incompetent even shamelessly claim...
The statement that "the Chinese kingdom helped to clip its wings and suppress the unruly tribes on the border, which was actually beneficial and without any drawbacks" is utterly absurd.

Throughout the history of the Arab world, visionary leaders have been extremely rare; most have been stubborn and unyielding, clinging to religious doctrines until their deaths.

Chief Habias was seething with hatred, but he couldn't do anything about the tribal nobles in the upper echelons of the kingdom.

The Kingdom of Oman is a loose tribal alliance, where the chiefs of various tribes wield considerable power. Even the King of Oman cannot interfere in the internal affairs of other large tribes; he must go through the tribal alliance's council of elders.

Therefore

More than two weeks after the three kingdoms invaded the Kingdom of Oman, they have begun to withdraw, but the tribal alliance elders' meeting has not yet reached a consensus.

Chief Abiyas gritted his teeth. He had to plan for the long term of his tribe; he couldn't follow the infighting tribal chiefs of the Kingdom of Oman to their doom. So he quickly made a decision.

Choosing one's most beautiful daughter and sending her to the Kingdom of Dubai with a large dowry is the best way for the Arabian Peninsula to show submission and form a marriage alliance.

His tribe was able to gather more than 1300 elite cavalrymen. If the able-bodied young herders who could ride horses and fight were added, they could gather more than 4000 people, which was already a considerable force.

Chief Abiyas had already made up his mind, but a hint of melancholy lingered in his expression.

Even if there were only a slight chance, he would not submit to the heretics and hand over his tribe and traditional pastoral land.

But the situation is stronger than people.

As the great ship of the Kingdom of Oman was about to sink, the tribal chiefs and elders were still scheming against each other, completely unaware of the impending disaster.

Continuing to associate with them won't end well.

The British response was even more disappointing; immediately after the invasion of Oman, they sought mediation from the British.

But the British either made excuses or said they hadn't received authorization from London; in short, they didn't care about the matter and let things slide rapidly into a deterioration.

The upper echelons of Oman all know that the British are unreliable.

But they still harbored illusions and did not immediately implement a scorched-earth policy, evacuate the Arab tribal population in the war-torn areas, and prepare for battle.

Instead, they groveled and begged for mercy, hoping to resolve the issue through the mediation of the great powers.

It's fair to say that it was all wishful thinking.

Today, in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, the influence of the four Eastern countries is growing stronger.

Geographically, the Kingdom of Oman is completely surrounded, and the situation is quite unfavorable.

Once these four Eastern countries grow stronger, they may become one of the destabilizing factors on the Arabian Peninsula, causing unease among their neighboring countries.

This includes the Kingdom of Oman in the southeast, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the central Arabian Peninsula, and the Emirate of Qatar.

A few days later

A grand celebration banquet was held at the Dubai Royal Palace, attended by more than 100 high-ranking military and political figures from the kingdom. The banquet was lively and solemn, filled with a joyful atmosphere.

More than a dozen leaders of East African mercenary groups also attended the banquet, which was a good opportunity for them to cultivate close relationships with the upper echelons of Dubai and help further expand their smuggling business.

Dubai enjoys a unique geographical advantage, allowing it to reach all countries along the Persian Gulf coast within a day by both land and sea, making it extremely convenient.

Among the rewards promised by the King of Dubai was permission to invest in a harbor terminal in Abu Dhabi, in which the mercenary leaders present held shares—a legacy worthy of being passed down to future generations.

These mercenary leaders are not short of money; what they lack is the opportunity to participate in large-scale infrastructure projects.

Once the port terminal built in Abu Dhabi is completed, its own smuggling ships will frequently enter and exit it, making it extremely convenient to transport large quantities of goods to countries along the Persian Gulf, essentially making it a large-scale smuggling base.

Establishing an export warehouse in the company's name and using it as a transit warehouse is a complete chain of maritime smuggling. As long as taxes are paid in accordance with regulations, the company can obtain the protection of the Kingdom of Dubai, greatly increasing security and convenience.

The Kingdom of Dubai promotes a "free port" policy, relying on its convenient location on the Persian Gulf coast to vigorously develop free trade.

The ability to attract capital from East Africa is a real boon for the Kingdom of Dubai, as it can accelerate Abu Dhabi's rapid development and prosperity, and also generate substantial tax revenue and job opportunities.

Whether it's building cities, warehouses, roads, docks, or operating docks and transporting goods, all of these can provide numerous job opportunities and drive urban development.

Dubai's King Chu-Zheng Tao is a man of few words, but he also knows that introducing irregular armed forces from East Africa, along with a large amount of illicit funds, might be difficult to manage.

This will put great pressure on the kingdom's security, along with the black and gray industries such as gambling, opium, prostitution, and human trafficking. Inevitably, violent debt collection and some serious crimes will follow, which are difficult to avoid.

But for the sake of the development of the Dubai kingdom, he had to reach out and pluck this thorny rose.

Everything is for the development of the kingdom. Dubai is not a suitable place for agriculture, and the scattered oases have a limited population carrying capacity, which is an inherent disadvantage.

Only by taking an unconventional approach can one forge a new path.

Fortunately, the Great Chu Empire provided strong food aid for ten years, allowing this small country with only tens of thousands of people to no longer worry about having enough to eat and to focus on development without any concerns.

Compared to the Kingdom of Oman, which has always struggled to make ends meet, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Emirate of Qatar, the Kingdom of Dubai started from a much higher point.

The Victory Banquet at the Kingdom of Dubai doesn't feature many elaborate dishes. It mainly consists of roasted whole lamb, roasted camel, and some vegetables and fruits, emphasizing large portions and filling meals, reflecting the rugged characteristics of the Arabian region.

At the banquet, guests were served beer and date wine to their heart's content. They drank from large bowls and ate meat with gusto, which was truly a delightful experience.

Dubai's King Chu Zhengtao sat on the carpet just like everyone else, showing no airs of royalty, and happily ate a roasted lamb leg.

After eating for a while, he put down the lamb leg, picked up a clean white towel to wipe his mouth and hands, picked up a jewel-encrusted wine glass, and addressed the people around him.

"As your subjects, and our friends from East Africa, we celebrate this victory in my palace today. May everyone eat and drink well."

"Come, let's drink another cup to this victory!"

"It is we who should toast Your Majesty! We wish Your Majesty great success and prosperity for the kingdom! Cheers!" Everyone raised their glasses to express their enthusiastic wishes.

Colonel Guo Yonghuai said, "I wish Your Majesty great military success. Wouldn't it be even better if we could hold a grander victory banquet in Muscat after we destroy the Kingdom of Oman?"

"Hahaha... Well said, cheers!" Dubai King Chu-Zheng Tao laughed heartily, raised his glass and took a big gulp.

A smear of light red wine trickled down his chin, which he casually wiped away with his hand.

This generous and forthright style won unanimous praise from everyone present, and the scene was exceptionally lively.

The Kingdom of Dubai is now experiencing rapid growth and is a newly emerging nation on the Persian Gulf coast.

Although the country is small and its population is limited, its military strength is considerable. Furthermore, it is backed by the powerful East African Governorate and the Great Chu Empire, making it a force to be reckoned with. (End of Chapter)