Chapter 241: Crisis at the Temple

With a “crack!” Abu Muslim drew his sword and slashed through the table. Filled with rage, he kicked over the small table, causing all the scrolls piled on it to roll to the ground.
“Pass on my orders!” he roared over his shoulder. “Destroy all the statues that have appeared in various places. Anyone in the army who dares to discuss this matter will be executed!”
The statues built by the Tang army in different regions had caused him great trouble. Zoroastrian believers flocked there in large numbers to worship them. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t have dared to attack, but now they feared nothing—just because those were statues built by the Tang people. What angered Muslim even more was the instability within the military. The Zoroastrian soldiers abandoned their training to worship the sun, showing respect for the enemy. Could this war still be won?
After issuing the orders, he regretted it immediately and sent people to revoke them. Anger made Abu Muslim restless as he paced back and forth in the room, hands behind his back. Though he ordered the destruction of the statues, he knew it was unwise—it would only make the Sogdians more hostile toward him. Li Qing’an had exploited religion to strike at his weak point, leaving him at a loss.
At that moment, a messenger reported from the door, “Prince Mansur has arrived.”
The defensive weaknesses in Hedong left Abu Muslim frustrated. He nodded and said, “Let him in.”
“Governor Muslim, have I come at an inconvenient time?”
Mansur entered the room with a mocking tone. He glanced at the scrolls scattered on the floor, bent down to pick them up, dusted them off, and smiled. “It seems this Tang army commander really understands us well. Unlike that General Gao last time, who kept doing foolish things that benefited us. Governor, I’m here to ask how you plan to handle this situation.”
Muslim had calmed down completely. He understood that blocking the floodwaters was impossible; only by diverting them could the problem be solved. Only by showing greater sincerity than the Tang army could he earn the Sogdians’ loyalty. He sighed and said, “Prince Mansur, for the sake of maintaining military morale, I intend to grant the Sogdians’ request and temporarily lift restrictions on their visits to temples and statues.”
“Absolutely not!”
Mansur turned hostile instantly. He had come to stop Muslim from yielding to the Sogdians, only to find that he actually intended to do so.

“The Islamic faith is the state policy of the Caliphate. No matter what happens, we must never compromise on this. On the contrary, since the Tang Dynasty supports Zoroastrianism, we must impose even stricter restrictions on it. To compromise on the beliefs of the Sogdians is an insult to Allah. Muslim general, if you dare to compromise on this matter, I will have the Caliph remove you from your position as governor.”

Manzur’s tone was firm and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. The Muslim general sighed inwardly. He wanted to ask what to do if morale among the troops declined, but his lips moved without uttering a word. As Manzur had said, everything could be compromised except for the Islamic faith.

Manzur snorted heavily and said, “I will handle this matter myself. Since we have conquered Transoxiana, we must act like conquerors. Any weakness or retreat is an insult to our Abbasid dynasty.”

……

Under Manzur’s firm stance, the Caliphate’s forces, led by Syrian troops, marched toward the countries of Transoxiana. They destroyed the statues erected by the Tang army and the temples built by Zoroastrians secretly. They searched house by house for Tang spies as well as Zoroastrian artifacts such as small statues, scriptures, and replicas of sacred objects. A massive campaign of spiritual suppression was carried out across Transoxiana.

The Zoroastrian temple in Samarkand, the last spiritual haven of the Sogdians, was on the verge of destruction. Manzur’s harsh measures to suppress the Sogdians’ religious aspirations reached their climax with the demolition of this temple.

Five thousand fully armed Syrian soldiers stood in neat rows in the square in front of the temple, each holding an iron rod, radiating murderous intent as they waited for their commander’s orders.

In front of the temple, over a thousand Zoroastrians, led by two of their elders, desperately tried to protect their homeland with their own bodies. Two months earlier, their main statue had already collapsed, and now it was their temple’s turn. The Zoroastrians looked up at the sun, silently praying for their deity to appear.

Manzur stared coldly at the temple with a history of nearly six hundred years. Two months ago, the temple’s elders had deceived him with lies to temporarily save it. Today was the day their lies would be punished.

“Begin!” Manzur’s icy lips uttered the order to destroy the temple.

Five thousand soldiers set off slowly, carrying iron rods as they marched toward the temple. The believers faced them fearlessly, using their bodies to block the army’s advance, only to be met with brutal blows. Their heads bled, bones broke, and muscles torn; the believers were thrown to the ground, and the soldiers trampled over them as they moved forward. Two elderly elders were also knocked down, blood streaming from their faces. Several priestesses rushed to help them aside. They cried out to the heavens, lamenting to the sun, “Oh, Ahura Mazda! Save your temple!”
At that moment, a gasp went up in the square, and the army stopped. On the temple platform appeared a young priestess dressed in a white robe, holding high a red gem from which faint flames seemed to rise.
“Oh! The Eye of Ahura Mazda.”
All the believers in the square knelt down, worshiping the suddenly appearing sacred stone. The two elders stared in shock—how had she returned?
Manzur felt excited and unconsciously stepped forward a few steps. He saw the sacred stone the caliph had demanded. For this very stone, he had already been reprimanded by the caliph.
The square fell silent. Kuran took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
“Let Prince Manzur step forward to respond!” Her loud voice carried to every corner of the square on the wind.
Manzur slowly stepped forward, his face dark. “I am Manzur. Speak!”
Kuran’s beautiful eyes fixed on him as she said slowly, “I am the twelfth priestess of the Samarkand Temple. The sacred object in my hands is the Eye of Light. In the name of Ahura Mazda, I order you to cease the destruction of this temple.”
A faint smile appeared on Manzur’s lips. “What if I refuse?”
“If you refuse, you will not get the Eye of Light.”
At that moment, an official from Samarkand whispered something to Manzur. Manzur nodded and smiled slightly. “So you are Princess Kuran of Tashkent. Think carefully—your life will be lost for this.”
“Even before I lose my life, the Eye of Light will be shattered!” Kuran retorted fiercely.
Manzur’s expression changed, and he said coldly, “How dare you threaten me!”
Kuran didn’t flinch. She bit her lip, stepped back, and raised the flaming gem high. Under the sunlight, it emitted a dazzling glow, causing gasps among the crowd.
Manzur’s eyes flickered, and he smiled. “Very well! I agree. I will stop the destruction of the temple immediately.”

“No! I demand you swear that for the rest of your life, no one will ever destroy the Sacred Temple of Samarkand.”
Mansur’s expression changed drastically. As a Muslim and heir to the caliphate, how could he simply make such a vow?
“You’re dreaming!” Mansur snapped through his teeth.
Kuran drew a sharp dagger from her waist. Years ago, when Li Qing’an and she were surrounded by the Turkic tribes in the Stone Forest, Li Qing’an had given her this dagger for self-protection. Over the years, she had kept it close to her heart, and now it was pointed at her chest.
“If you don’t swear, I’ll shatter the Eye of Light!”
At that moment, the air in the square seemed to freeze, time itself stopping. Tens of thousands of eyes watched as this beautiful, sacred woman stood in the sunlight.
Mansur’s face turned pale, his gaze fierce as he stared at her. Kuran, unafraid, returned his gaze coldly. It was a battle of wills and determination.
“I’ll count to three. If you don’t agree, I’ll shatter the Eye of Light right away—one!”
The square was dead silent. Mansur showed no expression, as if unmoved, but Kuran’s dagger had already pierced her chest, blood staining her white robes.
“Two!”
She raised her arm higher, strength gathering in her hands. Mansur saw in her eyes a resolve to sacrifice herself completely.
“Very well! I agree to your terms,” Mansur finally conceded.
He slowly turned around and declared in a deep voice to everyone in the square, “From this moment on, the Sacred Temple of Samarkand before me will be preserved forever. Neither I nor my descendants will ever destroy it. This is the vow of Mansur, heir to the Abbasid Caliphate.”
The square erupted in excitement. Believers hugged each other in joy, and two elders couldn’t help but weep together. The temple was finally saved.
Mansur turned to Kuran and said, “Princess of Tashkent, you have won!”
A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes as well.
Kuran let out a soft sigh of relief. She knelt in front of the sun and prayed silently, “Most Sacred Ahura Mazda, to save the temple, I had to hand over Your sacred relic to the enemy. But my heart is pure, free from any disrespect toward You. O Lord, I accept any punishment You impose. Please bless Your believers!”
She stood up, turned to Mansur, and extended her hand. A red flame gem shone brightly on her palm.
“Take it!”
“No!”
Mansur shook his head slowly. “I want you to personally present the gem to His Majesty the Abbasid Caliph!”

…
Among the Nine Sogdian Kingdoms, the one closest to the Kingdom of Shih was not the Kingdom of Kang, but the Kingdom of Dongcao. It was a small kingdom among the Nine Sogdian Kingdoms, with a population of less than 100,000. It too was conquered as part of the Abbasid expansion to the east.

The Tang army’s western advance was marked by the Yaocha River as a boundary. The areas east and north of the Yaocha River came under Tang control, while the areas west and south fell under Abbasid rule. The Kingdom of Dongcao was located within the Abbasid-controlled region right beside the Yaocha River and served as a necessary route from Samarkand to the Kingdom of Shih. Additionally, in the Boshan Mountains south of Dongcao lay the famous Boshan silver mines of the Umayyad dynasty, which produced 20% of the silver used to mint Umayyad coins.

When the Abbasid dynasty replaced the Umayyad dynasty, these silver mines became an important source of revenue for them. Thus, the Abbasids built a city at the foot of the Boshan Mountains, which the locals called Boshan City, while the Abbasids referred to it as the Silver City. Two thousand Abbasid soldiers were stationed there to oversee nearly 50,000 slaves who mined silver for them.

When the Tang-Abbasid war broke out, to protect this vital silver mine, Abu Muslim sent another 3,000 troops to the Silver City, raising its total military strength to 5,000.

On the day of the Harvest Festival, the Kingdom of Dongcao also received a gift from the Tang army: a statue of the god Ahura Mazda. However, it was soon destroyed by Abbasid soldiers.

This experience of gaining something only to lose it soon caused great suffering to the people of Dongcao. For several days in a row, tens of thousands of citizens gathered in front of the palace, protesting in silence against their king’s surrender to the Abbasids.

Inside the palace, the king of Dongcao, Sutina, was receiving two special guests: Fern, the brother of King Teli of the Kingdom of Shih, and Bai Xiaode, a high-ranking Tang general. Fern had been sent by King Teli to persuade Sutina to surrender to the Tang dynasty.

“Your Majesty, you must have seen that your subjects have been gathering outside your palace for three days now. They are expressing their anger toward the Abbasids and their dissatisfaction with you. My brother hopes that you will follow the example of the Kingdom of Shih and pledge loyalty once again to the Tang emperor. This is your chance— the Tang dynasty will forgive your past disloyalty out of its magnanimity.”

Before the Abbasid expansion, the Kingdom of Dongcao was actually a vassal state of the Kingdom of Shih. The first thing the king had to do after ascending the throne was to go to Tuozhi City to pledge loyalty to the king of Shih. Although Dongcao broke free from Shih’s control after the Abbasid expansion, historical ties still gave Shih significant influence over it.

Sutina was nearly sixty years old today. Growing old had made him even more timid; he feared the Arabs deeply, a fear so deeply rooted in his heart that neither his subjects’ protests nor Fearn’s persuasion had any effect. He kept his head lowered and said nothing.

At this moment, Bai Xiaode, who had remained silent until then, saw the stubbornness in the old king’s heart. Not wanting to say anything more, he stood up and said to Fearn, “Since the king refuses to surrender to the Tang Dynasty, there’s no point in forcing him. Let’s go back and report.”

Fearn sighed and couldn’t help but persuade him again, “Your Majesty, this is your last chance. Repent!”

Sutina slowly shook his head and said in a humble yet firm tone, “My army has already pledged loyalty to Samarkand. I have no choice left. Go away!”

Sutina’s final refusal led to a different outcome for the Dongcao Kingdom. Two days later, 20,000 Tang troops arrived at Juzhanti, another small kingdom about 150 li away from Dongcao. The king of Juzhanti surrendered without a fight. The 20,000 Tang troops crossed the Yaoshawa River from Juzhanti and marched boldly toward Dongcao. Meanwhile, Qiyad, the general leading the Arab forces, also arrived at Dongcao with 30,000 mixed troops from Samarkand.

The first battle of the Tang-Arab war was about to erupt.