Chapter 376: Crisis Approaches

Whether in modern times or 1,300 years ago during the mid-Tang Dynasty, intelligence was always crucial in warfare. As the saying goes, “Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.” Yet, the vast distances in time and space made it extremely difficult to obtain such intelligence.

The Tang army’s actions in Bactria were precisely the case for Damascus. The people in the Damascus palace were still basking in the relief of having just quelled the rebellion led by Ali the Elder, unaware at all of the impending battles in the distant East.

After Mansur ascended to the throne, internal conflicts within the Abbasid Empire immediately emerged. Abu Muslim gathered troops in Khorasan, while Ibn Ali assembled his forces in northern Syria to openly defy Mansur. With such a formidable force, Mansur was forced to temporarily move the capital to Kufa.

The crisis of rule prompted Mansur to abandon his attack on Spain and sign a ceasefire agreement with Ahmad the Green. He needed to focus on dealing with his internal enemies.

In Khorasan, he seized Abu Muslim’s military power by bribing his general, Ziyad, and then killed him. He had once promised never to kill Abu Muslim, so he orchestrated an accident—causing Abu Muslim’s death due to a collapsing building.

Next, Mansur turned his sword against his uncle, Ali the Elder. Without mercy, without negotiation or persuasion, he immediately dispatched his army to launch a fierce attack on Ali’s forces. At the same time, he appealed to the people and soldiers of Syria, saying, “It was I who freed you from the Tang army’s mines. How can you be ungrateful?”

Mansur’s appeal had a tremendous effect. Ibn Ali’s army collapsed overnight; Syrian soldiers refused to fight for him and fled in droves. Out of over 40,000 troops, fewer than 10,000 remained loyal to him. Mansur personally led 70,000 troops in a fierce attack on Ali, defeating his forces in one battle. He personally beheaded his hated uncle and sent all those loyal to Ali to the gallows, massacring over 10,000 rebels who supported Ali the Elder in the cruelest manner possible.

Mansur then turned his attention to Egypt, where troops still supporting Ali the Elder were rebelling. After months of bloody suppression, he completely quelled Ibn Ali’s rebellion and returned to Damascus.

He became somewhat arrogant, neglecting state affairs for over a dozen days, locking himself in the palace to indulge in fine wine and beautiful women, savoring the sweetness of victory.

By this time, Khalid had been waiting outside the palace all afternoon under the scorching sun, which filled him with anxiety. Although the empire was at peace internally, enemies surrounded it on all sides—romans and Ghassanids to the north, remnants of the Umayyads to the west with irreconcilable hatred, and the aggressive Tang Dynasty to the east. Was Mansur already starting to enjoy himself so soon?

“Go and see if His Caliphate has finished his lunch!”

He shouted loudly. Anger made Khalid extremely impatient; he was almost losing his sanity, and the two black eunuchs fled in terror.

Inside the palace, Mansur lay among several beautiful women, with various delicacies and sweet grape juice before him. A group of dancers performed before him, their graceful movements conveying tender words of love. It had been nearly half a year since Mansur ascended to the throne, and only in these past few months had he truly experienced the luxurious life of a king. He felt tired and needed to rest for several months.

In reality, however, half a month of unrestrained indulgence had visibly made Mansur thinner, with swollen eyelids and dull eyes, no longer as sharp as before. Instead of restoring his health, he had ruined his strong physique.

Suddenly, he heard a soft rebuke. Turning around, he saw the palace supervisor scolding an eunuch at the door.

“What’s the matter?” he asked irritably.

The supervisor hurried forward and said, “Your Caliphate, the vizier has come again, asking to see you outside the palace. I told the eunuch not to disturb you again.”

Mansur thought for a moment before waving his hand. “No! Let him in. Take him to my map room.”

“Yes! I’ll go right away.”

The supervisor left, and Mansur sat up, feeling dizzy. He quickly steadied himself and said to the concubines behind him, “You all may leave!”

He was annoyed. He had just turned forty—how could his health be in such poor condition…

Khalid followed the supervisor through one gate after another. His anxious mood gradually calmed down as he walked, thinking about how to persuade His Caliphate to regain his strength.

When they reached a thick door, the supervisor whispered, “Your Caliphate is inside. Please go in, sir!”

Just as Khalid pushed the door open, the supervisor suddenly whispered behind him, “Perhaps making His Caliphate feel threatened could be a good idea.”

Khalid froze. Turning around, he saw the supervisor standing there with an expressionless face. He nodded and pushed the door open.

The hall was dimly lit, with various maps hanging on all four walls. Mansur stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from the door. Khalid entered the hall, placing his hand on his chest and bowing deeply, “Your Majesty the Caliph!”
“How is the construction of Baghdad progressing?” Mansur asked in a low voice.
“It’s still under construction; more funds are needed.”
“How much tax revenue have we received from various regions?”
Mansur’s question filled Khalid with joy, as it showed that the Caliph still cared about the empire and wasn’t solely focused on pleasure. However, the tax revenue was indeed poor. He replied somberly, “This year’s tax revenue isn’t good. Only 30 million dirhams were collected in the first half of the year, five million less than last year, mainly due to a sharp decline in trade taxes.”
“Why?” Mansur turned around abruptly.
“I’ve heard that the Tang Dynasty and Rome have reached a direct trade treaty. Large quantities of goods are now transported directly from Samarkand to Constantinople, bypassing our intermediaries.”
“When did this happen? Why didn’t you report it to me earlier?” Mansur’s voice grew stern. He was well aware of the consequences—once the Tang Dynasty traded directly with Constantinople, it would mean Arabia would lose its central role in East-West trade and be marginalized.
“I learned of this ten days ago. I’ve tried to see Your Majesty three times, but I couldn’t meet with you.”
“I understand. What else?”
“There’s also… Cyprus.”
Khalid’s tone was hesitant; in fact, this was what he had been eager to report today.
“What about Cyprus? Have the Romans taken it?”
“No, it’s still in our hands, but…”
“But what? Explain clearly!” Mansur’s tone grew annoyed.
“Yes! The Romans launched a small-scale attack on Cyprus the day before yesterday. It was clearly a probing attack. Although our defenders fought bravely, the outcome was poor—over 700 of our soldiers were killed by their crossbows.”
“What?”
Mansur’s eyes widened in shock. “Crossbows? Do you mean they also have crossbows?”
“That’s right. Moreover, their range is greater than ours. Their crossbows are identical to those of the Tang army. I’m sure they bought them from the Tang army.”
“By Allah! How could this happen?”

Man Sul was somewhat at a loss. They had created their own crossbows by imitating the Tang army’s crossbows. In the last battle for Cyprus, they used these powerful weapons to defeat 20,000 Romans who attempted to invade the island, even killing one of their princes. Unexpectedly, the Romans had acquired Tang army crossbows so quickly, which filled Man Sul with fear. They couldn’t fully replicate those crossbows, and their crossbows were clearly less powerful than Tang crossbows. Now that the Romans had crossbows similar to theirs, and perhaps even better weapons, could they still compete with them?

“Your Majesty, our crisis is extremely serious now—both in terms of trade and military affairs. We cannot just sit idly by.”

Man Sul sat down dejectedly. After a long silence, he sighed and said, “Then tell me, how should we respond?”

“Your Majesty, what worries me most is whether the Tang Dynasty might form a military alliance with the Romans to fight against us.”

“Would they do that?” Man Sul’s eyes were filled with suspicion; it was the outcome he feared the most.

Khalid, however, sighed inwardly. The Caliph was indeed blinded by wine and women—couldn’t he see such obvious things?

“Your Majesty, since the Tang Dynasty is willing to sell weapons to them, the possibility is quite high.”

Silence filled the palace. Neither of them spoke. This terrifying conclusion weighed heavily on their hearts, making it hard for them to face it.

“What should we do then?”

“Prepare in advance and accelerate military preparations. I believe the Romans will launch a major attack on Cyprus soon. But no matter what, Your Majesty must stop indulging in wine and women. You must rally your strength to deal with the impending trade and military crises.”

“I don’t need you to remind me. I know my limits.”

……

Juwantiji, now known as Leninabad in Tajikistan. This place was a hub of the Anxi waterway network, located at the confluence of the Pearl River and the Yao Sha River. It had excellent transportation links—by water, one could reach Khwarezm to the west and Samarkand to the east. To the north was Tuozhi City, the capital of the Shi Kingdom, while to the south lay the silver mining center of Anxi, the Silver City of Bosi Mountain. It was also the closest city in Anxi to Turfan. Three hundred miles south from here, across Bosi Mountain, lay the Jiesu Kingdom of Turfan. Merchants from all over gathered here.

But the strategic significance of Juzhan Ti lies in its role as a transit hub for freight and supplies. Its massive docks can accommodate hundreds of large ships berthing simultaneously for loading and unloading, with a vast amount of supplies being distributed here. Hundreds of huge warehouses on the docks reflect the city’s importance.

More than a month has passed since the alliance with Artil City, and the Tang army’s combat readiness has reached a critical stage. Over ten thousand Han soldiers from the Shi and Ningyuan kingdoms have arrived in Juzhan Ti, along with over twenty thousand Tang soldiers from Juzhan Ti itself, who are also fully prepared.

The Tang soldiers in Juzhan Ti are not Han soldiers but Sogdians from the River Region who practice Zoroastrianism. They were originally slaves in Yin City and were freed by the Tang army. Most of these slaves joined the Tang army, and over time, half of them retired and returned home, leaving behind young warriors who, after rigorous training, have become fierce Sogdian soldiers.

The current Tang general commanding troops in Juzhan Ti is Li Guangbi. He followed Li Qingan north to Artil City and took on the important task assigned to him by Li Qingan—serving as the commander of the western front in the war against Turfan. Leading thirty thousand troops, he captured Turfan. Meanwhile, Li Guangbi’s western front also served as the logistical backbone for the entire southern campaign. After entering Turfan, they would provide logistical support to Li Qingan’s forces in the central front.

In the past few days, a convoy of ten thousand camels from the Gasa Kingdom has begun arriving in Juzhan Ti one after another. Li Guangbi is extremely busy, as the arrival of these camels signifies that the war is about to begin.

On the docks, thousands of camels gather together, restless and moving around. The air on the docks is filled with a pungent stench. Over a hundred Gasa people who came with the camels are busy directing them, following the instructions of the dock workers to take the camels away in an orderly manner.

Initially, the king of Gasa promised Li Qingan that he would send two thousand camel soldiers to assist the Tang army. In reality, this was a form of sending troops into battle. Controlling camel soldiers does not require such a large number; two hundred professional camel handlers are sufficient to take care of ten thousand camels.

Khan Bulan is a smart man. To win over the powerful Tang Dynasty as a neighbor, he used a more direct method to show his sincerity. He sent a force of two thousand camel soldiers along with ten thousand camels to Juzhan Ti, without delaying the war. This proves that Bulan understood the true purpose of these ten thousand camels—not for trade but for war.

Protected by dozens of personal guards, Li Guangbi rode to the docks. At that moment, a ferry loaded with camels was creaking as it approached the shore. As soon as it berthed, the boat owner, covering his nose, hurriedly urged the camels to get ashore quickly.

“Can’t you control your camels so they don’t defecate on my ship?”
The shipowner, furious, stamped his feet and cursed at the Gasa people who couldn’t understand him and the hundreds of camels that likewise couldn’t understand him.
Li Guangbi rode over and asked the shipowner loudly, “Sirat, are there troops arriving on the other shore? I’m not referring to the Tang troops, but those Gasa people wearing tall hats and leather armor—they must be soldiers.”
“It seems so! I saw thousands of strange soldiers on camels on the other shore! They seem very afraid of boats, quite timid. General Li, it’s better to do without those troops; they’ll only hold you back.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Go and bring them over quickly.”
“One boat isn’t enough. I’ll call for more boats to transport them all over.”
Li Guangbi nodded and said to one of his guards, “Wait here. Once everyone is gathered, take them to the warehouse to see me.”
After giving those orders, Li Guangbi turned his horse and rushed toward the Juzhanti warehouse.