Chapter 406: Bloodshed and Search in Fire

During the Tang Dynasty, Khwarezm was merely a small state in the Aral Sea delta, far from becoming the vast empire that spanned the Aral and Caspian Seas as it would later. When 30,000 Tang troops appeared at the gates of its capital, the city of Khiva, this ancient kingdom immediately teetered on the brink of collapse.

Khiva was a magnificent city rising from the desert, with a population of over 100,000—nearly half of the country’s total population. Its city walls were 10 zhang high and 4 zhang wide, wide enough for horses to run on, and were built entirely of huge stones, making them extremely sturdy. Even the most powerful trebuchets could not move them an inch. Yet, despite such formidable defenses, the city only had 6,000 soldiers to protect it.

Khwarezm had a population of over 300,000. If one soldier were drawn from every ten men, its normal military strength should have been around 30,000. In reality, however, it had only slightly over 7,000 soldiers. Adding 3,000 Arab troops brought the total to just over 10,000—a severe shortage of troops. This was due to the Arabs’ strategy of exploiting the region to the limit: the ordinary people were forced to bear heavy taxes, and most of the grain produced was taken away, leaving Khwarezm unable to afford more military expenses. Meanwhile, the Arab governor, in order to maintain the army’s size, did not allow Khwarezm to recruit more local soldiers.

The 30,000 Tang troops set up camp five li away from Khiva. Their deadly-looking tents, illuminated by the setting sun, appeared as if stained with blood, filling the defenders in the city with fear.

Khwarezm’s governor, Ben al-Sa’i, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, staring intently at the Tang camp. Although he had not participated in the Battle of Talas, he knew that an army that could defeat Abu Muslim was certainly beyond his ability to resist. Yet, he still held onto a glimmer of hope—reinforcements. 100,000 troops led by Haman were on their way to rescue them at full speed. If they could hold out until then, he would become a hero among the Arabs.

The Tang troops remained silent after setting up camp; they did not rush to attack. But as massive trebuchets were assembled, a powerful sense of murderous intent began to emanate from their camp. As night fell, 20 huge trebuchets began to roll toward the city walls. The north wind howled, carrying cold winds from the Aral Sea that stirred up clouds of dust.

The trebuchets moved step by step toward the city with the wind, and when they were still six hundred paces away, they stopped and prepared for attack. These were the largest trebuchets in the Tang army, each standing two zhang tall and capable of throwing boulders weighing a hundred jin up to eight hundred paces away. It took two hundred men to operate each machine.

A cold wind swept across the desert, raising another cloud of dust. At that moment, the Tang army’s heavy trebuchets came into action, emitting harsh creaking sounds as they were pulled back. Several Tang soldiers placed a giant spherical object into the launching bag. The defenders on the city walls immediately panicked. There were also catapults on the walls, but their range was only four hundred paces, far inferior to that of the Tang army. Faced with this massive threat, the bells in the city rang, and many soldiers screamed in terror; some even fled toward the lower parts of the city.

With a loud “boom,” five giant spheres were thrown high into the air at a very strange angle—not straight at the city walls but along a high arc, aiming to fly over them. Just as the spheres reached the height of the city walls, they suddenly exploded with a “bang!” Thick black smoke billowed out as the spheres split in two. From them flew out a mass of paper pieces, which quickly turned into thousands of sheets that rolled through the air and drifted into the city with the wind. Tens of thousands of these paper pieces released by the five spheres landed on the city walls, and almost every soldier picked up one.

The paper pieces were written in Sogdian, Arabic, and Khwarezmian, stating: “The king has returned. Arslan, son of King Asant, will rebuild an independent Khwarezmian kingdom free from Arab control. The light of the supreme god Ahura Mazda will shine upon Khwarezm once again.”

As a large number of leaflets drifted into the city, the news spread throughout the town in moments. Chaos began to arise in Khiva, with many Zoroastrians rushing out in celebration. The bells in the last remaining temple rang loudly as people rejoiced at this historic moment. Meanwhile, Muslims walked with gloomy expressions, hurrying along. This was not merely a religious conflict but also a struggle for interests. The Arabs imposed severe oppression on the Zoroastrians to force them to convert to Islam, seizing most of their property and taking away the food they had earned through hard work, leaving them only a meager amount to survive. For years, they lived like ants—without wealth or dignity, in dark, small stone houses resembling caves—while performing the hardest tasks. Yet if they converted to Islam, their taxes would be greatly reduced. Despite this, those who remained loyal to Zoroastrianism preferred poverty. Even after 54 years under Arab rule, more than half of the Zoroastrians refused to change their faith.

The extreme inequality in wealth distribution divided the Khwarazmian kingdom into two hostile classes, separated by religion and incompatible with each other. Arslan had maintained connections with the Zoroastrians for many years and had become their hope for renewal. Today, Arslan had finally returned—how could this not fill the Zoroastrians with joy?

Yet the soldiers guarding the city remained calm. All of them were Muslims; Zoroastrians were not allowed to serve in the army. They all breathed a sigh of relief. For them, ten thousand leaflets were not as effective as a single heavy stone.

In front of a massive catapult, Li Qing’an gazed at the towering city walls in the distance. It was already dark, with stars filling the sky. Their light illuminated Khiva, casting a faint white glow over it. The desert, the stars, and the towering spires of the castle gave Li Qing’an an illusion of traveling through time, as if the Tang Dynasty was not only far in space but also in time. For a moment, he became lost in thought.

“General, may I disturb you?”

Li Qing’an was slightly startled. Turning around, he saw Li Fei Yuanli approaching, his smile somewhat forced, and fear evident in his eyes. Li Qing’an inwardly sighed. As his power grew stronger, so did his authority. Even his comrades who used to joke around with him no longer dared to be rude in his presence, not even rough men like Li Fei Yuanli.

Sometimes, Li Qing’an also missed the days when he could drink and have fun freely with everyone in Kucha. But he knew such days would never return, just as one could never go back to childhood. The environment changed one’s mood, and he no longer longed for the past, focusing instead on a brighter future.

“What’s the matter?” Li Qing’an asked with a slight smile.

Li Feiyuanli walked over slowly, looking a bit embarrassed. “I haven’t told you yet—I have a son now. He’s already one year old.”

Li Qing’an was stunned, then filled with guilt. He had only cared about his own wife and child, only concerned about when his son would be born, while ignoring the affairs of his subordinates. Li Feiyuanli’s son was already one year old, yet he hadn’t known anything about it.

He quickly said with a smile, “Lao Li, congratulations! Once we capture Khiva tonight, I’ll give your son the crown of the Khwarazmian king as a gift.”

“The crown… it’s not that important.”

Li Feiyuanli seemed to want to say something but couldn’t bring himself to speak. Li Qing’an sensed his thoughts and said with a laugh, “Go ahead! What do you want? Speak up!”

“Could the general please speak to the court on my behalf? I want a title—not for myself, but for my son.”

Li Qing’an laughed and patted his shoulder. “You guy! Even if a father hopes his son will succeed, there’s no need to rush so much. He’s only one year old—why the hurry? Alright! I promise you—I’ll secure a title for him first. After this battle, I’ll ensure he’s made a county duke. Besides, I’ll still give your son the crown of the Khwarazmian king as a gift—my personal gift to him.”

Li Feiyuanli was overjoyed and grinned, showing his teeth. “Then I’d like to take the queen of Khwarazm’s private jewelry for my wife.”

Li Qing’an burst into laughter and punched him on the shoulder. “You kid, you’re insatiable! That won’t do. It has to be shared with the brothers.”

Li Feiyuanli rubbed his shoulder, which hurt from Li Qing’an’s punch. Suddenly, he realized something and exclaimed in surprise, “Does the general mean we’ll capture Khiva tonight?”

Li Qing’an nodded, his expression turning serious. “I just received news that an advance force of the Abbasid army, about ten thousand men, is less than a hundred miles away from us. They’ll arrive by dawn at the latest. I thought their main force wouldn’t arrive until four days later, but it seems the Abbasids sent out an advance force—they must realize we’re planning to attack Khwarazm.”

“Then let me go and intercept that advance force.”

“No!”

Li Qing’an shook his head and said, “If the enemy has only a few thousand men, it wouldn’t be a problem. But their forces are also substantial, and I’m worried there might be another large army behind those ten thousand. We can’t take that risk.” After saying this, Li Qing’an pondered for a moment before adding, “There’s another task I need you to carry out.”
“General, please give your orders!”
“Immediately lead your troops to the Aral Sea Delta, thirty li away. That’s Khwarezm’s agricultural area. Drive all their people there, seize all their food, and burn anything that can’t be taken. If they refuse to leave, it doesn’t matter, but the food must be burned—nothing must be left behind. This is extremely important. I demand you return by dusk tomorrow.”
“Yes! I will surely complete the task.”
Li Fei Yuanli turned and left. Li Qing’an watched his retreating figure and faintly heard him shouting loudly, ordering his soldiers to assemble. Soon, a large army of horses rushed northward toward the agricultural area.
At that moment, Li Qing’an suddenly turned back, stared at the dark city walls, and firmly ordered, “Pass my command—begin the siege!”
The thunderous drums of the Tang army sounded again, and twenty giant trebuchets were activated. Each trebuchet resembled a monstrous beast in the darkness. This time, the Tang army brought a special unit of just five hundred men, who pulled along more than a dozen carts covered tightly with oilcloth, carrying some mysterious items. The soldiers lifted the oilcloth and began working busily, carefully lowering large wooden boxes—one after another. There were as many as two hundred such boxes. They placed ten boxes in front of each trebuchet, pried them open, and took out flat, round objects made of cast iron, extremely heavy. These were the Tang army’s most deadly weapons: the Thunderous Thunder.
Originally, Li Qing’an hadn’t intended to use such devastating weapons in Khwarezm, but sudden changes forced him to alter his plans. Li Fei Yuanli had taken ten thousand men away, leaving him with only twenty thousand. The enemy’s defenders numbered six to seven thousand, plus the sturdy city walls. Under these circumstances, without gunpowder, it would be difficult for him to capture Khiva before dawn.
The drums of the Tang army alarmed the defenders of Khiva. They grabbed their weapons and rushed to the city walls, standing at the battlements and anxiously watching the Tang army’s camp, where torches had been lit in the distance.
In the darkness, the governor of Khwarezm, Alsa’i, could be heard shouting loudly, “Prepare the trebuchets, prepare the bows and arrows! Do not panic!”

The trebuchets on the city walls were also ready to fire. Their trebuchets were clearly much smaller than those of the Tang army—only twenty men were needed to operate them, and their range was less than four hundred paces. By then, the Tang army’s trebuchets had their strings tensioned, with a range set at six hundred paces and the angle adjusted precisely to target the city walls. Two Tang soldiers placed the thunder bombs into the throwing bags; one lit the fuse. White smoke rose as it began to burn steadily at a very consistent rate. This timed fuse, developed over two years by the gunpowder craftsmen of Tuozhi City, was designed to ensure the gunpowder burned evenly. Such long-range explosive attacks were extremely difficult to control—if thrown too late, they would explode in midair; if thrown too early, the enemy could cut the fuse or break it against the city bricks. To overcome this challenge, in addition to ensuring even burning for timing, one craftsman invented a double-shell design, wrapping the fuse inside an iron shell, adding another thin layer between it and the gunpowder. This way, the fuse burned inside the iron shell and could not be broken against the city walls or cut by humans, unless extinguished with water. A Tang soldier watched the burning scale anxiously. When the fuse reached the edge of the iron shell, he suddenly waved his flag and shouted, “Fire!” Two hundred soldiers released the ropes at the same time. With a deafening boom, the long arms of the trebuchets swung out, launching the dark, smoke-emitting thunder bombs high into the air. They traced an arc and flew precisely toward the city walls. The cast-iron thunder bombs struck the walls and exploded violently. The explosion was thunderous, with flames bursting forth, bones flying everywhere, and rocks soaring through the air. Almost all the Tang soldiers covered their ears, while their warhorses reared up in panic. Soon after, the second and third thunder bombs also exploded, some of them beneath the city walls, scattering debris and filling the city walls with thick smoke. The continuous explosions sounded like the heavens collapsing. Even the thousands of Tang soldiers operating the trebuchets were terrified and could hardly control themselves. They hugged their heads and knelt on the ground, waiting for a long time after the explosions stopped, their ears still ringing. Almost everyone in the Tang army’s camp was stunned. Even the explosions during the Battle of Talas were not as terrifying as these. They felt as if the world itself would cease to exist. The three thousand soldiers of the Crimean army lay prostrate on the ground, pleading for forgiveness for the wrath of their supreme god, Ahura Mazda.

Not even Li Qing’an, the commander of the Tang army, had expected that twenty Thunderous Explosives in succession would have such immense power. His heart was equally shaken, and he slowly knelt down, staring blankly at the city walls shrouded in smoke. Even he felt that such weapons violated the harmony of heaven and earth, were acts against nature, and would provoke the wrath of the heavens.

As the thick smoke gradually dissipated, the city walls still stood, but they were riddled with holes. The entire three-mile-long northern city was almost reduced to rubble. More than forty catapult platforms were shattered to pieces, leaving no trace. Over two thousand defenders had completely disappeared.

“General, send someone to blow down the city gates with Thunderous Explosives!” Bai Xiaode whispered behind Li Qing’an.

“No! Thunderous Explosives violate the harmony of heaven and earth. Do not use them unless absolutely necessary.”

Li Qing’an sighed inwardly and firmly ordered, “Follow the original plan—use the siege ram!”

“Woo—”

The sound of horns rang out as an enormous siege ram, just assembled, appeared. The wooden frame of the ram was three zhang high and ten zhang long, with forty huge wooden wheels at the bottom. In the middle of the frame was the ram’s body—a eight-zhang-long giant tree with a diameter of one zhang. It was an ironwood unique to riverine areas, with dense wood and extreme weight. Five hundred Samarkand blacksmiths spent half a year forging three hundred-zhang-long iron chains to suspend the tree in the hollow of the frame. A bladed iron head was also attached to the front, giving it immense force upon impact. This siege ram was named “Pojun” and required a thousand Tang soldiers to operate. Yet, what pulled it forward was not warhorses or camels, but fifty adult war elephants—secret troops brought by the Jujianti Tang army. A total of one hundred war elephants were brought on this campaign against Khwarazm, with fifty of them being strong adult elephants.

Elephant handlers rode on their backs, directing the elephants forward. The fifty elephants pulled the massive siege ram forward with a rumbling sound, gradually approaching the city gates.

When only twenty steps remained from the city gates, defenders finally appeared on the northern city walls. At that moment, reinforcements came from other walls. They were terrified by the explosions of the twenty Thunderous Explosives; many even fainted from shock. These Khwarazm soldiers, who had not experienced war in two generations, had weak hearts. And yet, the world’s most violent weapons were unleashed on a large scale for the first time right before these soldiers with weak hearts, beyond their capacity to bear.

When their terror subsided slightly, they scattered in panic, fleeing into the city to protect their families. In an instant, there were less than two thousand Persian soldiers left on the city walls. Their commander, the Khwarazmian governor Al-Sa’i, had been shattered to pieces in the explosion; the soldiers only found one of his arms, still clutching a broken sword.

When the soldiers cautiously climbed onto the city walls, the sight before them stunned them—a colossal battering ram was approaching the city gates step by step, pulled by monsters they had never seen before. These Persian peasants, recruited from Armenia and the Caspian coast, were ignorant and had never even seen elephants.

Frightened beyond measure, they knelt down, praying to Allah for protection. Just then, with a deafening crash that shook the earth, the city walls trembled violently. The iron gates let out a sound like the roar of an ancient demon, a sound so terrifying that the Persian soldiers collapsed to their knees, screaming in fear. Yet the eight-zhang-tall iron gates withstood this devastating impact.

The high level of civilization of the Khwarazmians was evident in their architecture. They not only had the strongest city walls but also gates that were unmatched in the world. Standing beneath these eight-zhang-tall iron gates, people appeared minuscule; only a battering ram with immense force could break through them.

Another cry went up from the thousand Tang soldiers. Using the momentum from the previous strike, they pulled the ram again, causing another thunderous crash. The gates could no longer hold; cracks appeared in the surrounding walls, and the iron bolts at the entrance were about to break.

With one more fierce impact, the gates let out a pained scream—the bolts finally broke, and the gates burst open.

Seeing that the battle was won, Li Qing’an raised his sword and shouted, “Charge into the city! Anyone who resists shall be killed!”

“Kill!” Twenty thousand Tang soldiers charged forward like a tidal wave toward the city of Khiva.