Chapter 240: The Strategic Weapon of Winning Hearts

After returning from an inspection of Talas City, Li Qing’an plunged into intense preparations for war. Wang Changling brought 500 armorsmiths from Beiting, further strengthening his preparations. The Tang army built an armory camp behind the main camp and assigned 3,000 strong soldiers to assist in crafting ballistae, producing ten crossbows, and secretly formulating gunpowder charges. The armory camp was bustling with activity, with strange muffled noises occasionally coming from the depths of the forest, scaring away many animals—these were the Tang army testing the effects of gunpowder.

Soon, Shi Sanniang also arrived in Tuozhi City with 200 female guards. They established a general logistics hospital in the city, but 200 was still too few. The Tang army then recruited 300 young and strong women from the local tribes to join as female guards. After undergoing intensive training, they too joined the efforts to save lives.

There was a small incident at first: when the Tang army posted recruitment notices in the city, few people applied. The people of Shi Country thought they were recruiting military prostitutes. Even after increasing the salary, no one showed interest. Eventually, Li Qing’an asked Prince Hassan to clarify that these were women recruited to assist in treating wounded soldiers, not prostitutes. Prince Hassan even had some of his concubines join the female guards, which dispelled the concerns of the people of Shi Country. The recruitment site quickly became crowded. The Tang army’s generous offers attracted many women from Shi Country, and within a day, all 300 capable female guards were recruited.

Realizing they were now on the same side as the Tang army, the people of Shi Country also made great efforts to assist with preparations. Needless to say, they provided food, cattle, and sheep. Since Shi Country was rich in cotton, they offered all their stored cloth, and even emptied their wine cellars full of strong liquor. Additionally, nearly a hundred workshops of various sizes in Tuozhi City took on the task of manufacturing arrows for the Tang army—almost the entire Shi Country was mobilized.

That morning, Li Qing’an accompanied Prince Hassan to inspect the general logistics hospital, which was located in the former palace of the deputy king of Shi Country. After the deputy king left Tuozhi City, the palace had served as the headquarters of the Arab commanders and was now unused, making it perfect for the Tang army’s logistics hospital.

The palace covered a large area, with over 100 rooms. Several unused noble residences adjacent to the palace were also temporarily requisitioned. The walls were removed to create one large complex that could accommodate 3,000 wounded soldiers at once. In addition to the female guards, there were 50 Tang army doctors, and even dozens of skilled Sogdian doctors from Tuozhi City were hired.

The two walked around the hospital, where the newly recruited Hu women soldiers were being trained. A few older soldiers who spoke Turkic language demonstrated how to disinfect wounds with alcohol, clean them, stop bleeding, apply medicine, and wrap the wounds with strips of white cloth. It wasn’t actually that difficult; the key was proficiency. They also explained some special precautions, such as not moving if pierced by a spear but lying still to prevent internal bleeding.

Hasan listened for a while before smiling at Li Qing’an and saying, “I heard that when the Tang Dynasty was founded, Princess Pingyang was no less talented and brave than men. Today, the general using female soldiers to care for the wounded will surely become a famous story.”

Li Qing’an smiled and replied, “The idea of using female soldiers to care for the wounded came to me during the battle of Shibu City. At that time, we rescued a group of Tang women captured by the Tubo people. Most of them had no homes. Since we were short of manpower, we asked them to help take care of the wounded soldiers. The results were excellent. Women can take better care of the wounded not only because of their tenderness and skill but also because they can calm the soldiers, reducing their tension and fear—things men cannot do.”

At this point, Li Qing’an grew emotional and sighed, “I still remember the first battle at Suiye. We lost over a thousand men. In the past, at least half of them would have died, but in the end, only dozens died from serious injuries, and the rest survived. That was thanks to the female soldiers. In fact, on the battlefield, most deaths occur from injuries—either from a severed head or a pierced heart. If treated promptly, at least half could be saved. That’s why logistical support in war is extremely important.”

When Li Qing’an mentioned the first battle at Suiye, Prince Hasan blushed slightly. He quickly changed the subject and said, “The general has fifty thousand troops, plus ten thousand from Bahuan, and another twenty thousand from our Shi Kingdom. In total, that’s eighty thousand troops. I’m worried we might not have enough strength.”

Li Qing’an glanced at him and smiled, “Don’t worry. Winning a war isn’t just about having more troops. Often, strategy is needed. War is an art of deception, and using surprise tactics is also a key factor in victory. For example, the task I entrusted to you before I went to Talas City was my surprise tactic.”

Hasan suddenly remembered and asked worriedly, “I wonder how they are now?”

Li Qing’an looked south and said to himself, “I think they should be able to complete their mission successfully.”

Starting from Merv, the capital of Khorasan, and traveling east for over 800 li, crossing the vast Gobi Desert, one reaches the Amu Darya River. After crossing it and continuing northeast for another 500 li, one enters the region of Transoxiana and arrives at the first of the nine Sogdian kingdoms, Anju. The Arabs called it Bukhara, which was also the capital of Anju.

Continuing east along the Amu Darya River, one passes through Dong’anju, Heju, and Xicaojue, eventually reaching Samarkand, the capital of Kangju. There was also a southern route, passing through Xiaoshiju, Shiju, and Mi, which also led to Samarkand. The main route taken by the Arab army for this campaign was the northern route, as it allowed for the mobilization of more troops.

Along the northern route, there were vast armies of Arabs along with various supply caravans of camels. Nearly 10,000 camels carried countless military supplies. Columns of Khorasan infantry and cavalry marched forward confidently; among them were light cavalrymen in black clothes with leather armor, most carrying long spears and bronze shields. There were also heavy cavalrymen, both on horseback and in armor, who moved slowly at the rear.

In the middle was an infantry unit clad in iron scale armor, wielding long spears. They also carried small round shields, but their spears were extraordinary—up to three zhang long, equivalent to six meters today. This was the famous Macedonian phalanx, composed of 8,000 men, including heavy infantry, light shield bearers, support troops, and cavalry. These were the finest and most battle-hardened soldiers selected by Abu Muslim, trained by the Persian general Khalid al-Barmak.

Abu Muslim had pledged before the caliph to completely defeat the Tang army and drive them back to Suyab. To this end, he made thorough preparations, mobilizing almost all of Khorasan’s military resources. Of his 50,000 troops, 10,000 were led by Ibrahim to Sindh, while another 10,000 remained to defend Khorasan. He also recruited 20,000 soldiers from the surrendered Umayyad forces, bringing the total number of troops sent to Transoxiana to 50,000. This was still not enough, so he ordered that another 50,000 troops be gathered from various regions in Transoxiana, bringing his total force to 100,000.

The vanguard commander was Ziyad, the governor of Samarkand, who was responsible for gathering troops, collecting food, and recruiting laborers in Transoxiana.

Abu Muslim had no way to retreat, as Mansur, leading 30,000 Syrian troops, was also marching toward Samarkand from the southern route.

The capital of the Kingdom of Kesh, Nishapur, was a city rich in gems. Merchants would bring these gems from here to sell in the distant Tang Dynasty, reaping huge profits. As a result, it became a gathering place for Sogdian merchants, especially those from Samarkand, numbering in the thousands. They were active in Nishapur and the surrounding mines, taking the abundant gems to various places.

Before the Arabs expanded eastward, nearly 90% of the population in Nishapur practiced Zoroastrianism. At the height of Zoroastrianism, the city was filled with nearly a hundred temples of various sizes, and statues of Ahura Mazda could be found everywhere—even in every household. But after the Arabs expanded eastward, the Kingdom of Kesh was hit hardest. Almost all the temples in Nishapur were destroyed by the Arab armies, all the statues were smashed, and the people were forced to convert to Islam. Those who refused to convert were subjected to heavy taxes. Decades later, less than 40% of the population in Nishapur still practiced Zoroastrianism. They continued to hold onto their faith; without temples, they worshipped the sun.

However, a crackdown on a Shiite uprising resulted in the killing of over ten thousand people in Nishapur, nearly twenty thousand were captured and sold as slaves across the Amu Darya River, and every household was plundered. The once-prosperous gem city began to grow quiet.

Nishapur was not on the Silk Road but connected via a branch road, about sixty miles away from it. These days, Nishapur was very peaceful. The Arab armies had left, and the remaining two thousand soldiers had also been taken away. The entire city was defenseless.

The warm sun shone over Nishapur, and nearly thirty thousand people gathered in the square at the city center. Today was the harvest festival of Zoroastrianism. The believers gathered in the square, kneeling and praying silently to the warm sun.

There used to be a huge temple in the square, second only to the main temple in Samarkand, along with a statue in front of it. These were once the most sacred places in the hearts of the people of Nishapur, but the temple and statue were destroyed twenty years ago, leaving only ruins. These ruins still stand to this day. Thirty thousand believers knelt before them, their voices chanting scriptures, filled with anger toward the Arabs.

At that moment, a caravan of over three hundred people slowly approached from the northwest. Among them was a wooden flatbed cart pulled by five camels, carrying a large object wrapped in thick cloth.

These three hundred people dressed no differently from ordinary Sogdians, wearing loose robes and headscarves. They looked just like the merchants commonly seen along the Silk Road.

But many of their faces clearly were not those of Sogdians or Turks, but rather Easterners—they were the special task force sent by Li Qing’an to carry out an important mission. The guides were several Sogdians from the Kingdom of Shi, who were very familiar with the terrain of the Transoxiana region. They avoided the guards of the Abbasid forces and entered Nishapur through the northern gate. The defenders of Nishapur had already left, and there were only a dozen old and weak gatekeepers at the entrance; it was almost an undefended city. The arrival of this group initially went unnoticed by the believers, who were wholeheartedly praying to the sun under the leadership of their elders. Suddenly, a commotion arose among the believers behind them, startling everyone, who turned to look. Many were shocked. The Tang soldiers had taken off their Sogdian-style long robes and headbands, revealing their Tang armor and showing their true identities. “It’s the Tang soldiers!” Suddenly, a few merchants from Samarkand recognized them and exclaimed. The news of the Tang soldiers’ arrival spread quickly, and soon over 30,000 believers knew they had arrived. The square was filled with chatter, and everyone was astonished—there had been no news of battle, so how had the Tang soldiers arrived? The Tang soldiers pulled huge flat carts around the crowd and stopped in front of the ruins of the destroyed temple. No one knew what they intended to do, but no one dared to ask, filled with confusion. At that moment, the Zoroastrian elder of Nishapur stepped forward and said, “May I ask what brings you here?” The leading Sogdian replied respectfully, “Honorable elder, we come from the Kingdom of Shi. The Tang soldiers wish to help us restore our faith. There is no disrespect toward the supreme god—let them do their best!” He whispered a few words in the elder’s ear, who exclaimed, “My supreme god!” He knelt down in front of the huge object, and the square was filled with speculation—no one knew what was happening. Then, the Tang soldiers together exerted force to slowly lower the huge object from the cart and stand it upright. A few Tang soldiers untied the ropes binding it, and as the covering was pulled away, a wave of astonishment swept through the square. Everyone knelt down and worshipped devoutly. In front of the ruins appeared a stone statue of the god of light, Ahura Mazda, with his hands raised to the sky, calling upon the sun to bring light to the earth. The statue was lifelike—this was the first statue of the supreme god to appear in Nishapur in nearly twenty years. Many people were moved to tears as they laid themselves on the ground, silently calling upon the holy god of light.

At that moment, a Sogdian from the Stone Kingdom shouted in Sogdian, “All people of the God of Light! We come from Tokuz City. The armies of the Great Tang support our faith; they build temples for us and restore statues of the gods. Let us pray together for the return of the Lord of Light to Nishapur!” Amidst the prayers of thirty thousand believers, three hundred Tang soldiers quietly left Nishapur and the Small History Kingdom. The incident of the Tang soldiers restoring the statue of the God of Light, Ahura Mazda, did not occur only in Nishapur on the Zoroastrian harvest festival; similar major incidents took place simultaneously in small garrison towns in Sogdian countries such as the Kingdom of Kang, the Kingdom of An, the Kingdom of Mi, the Kingdom of He, and the Eastern Cao Kingdom. These events swept through the countries along the River like a storm, causing tremendous upheaval among the Sogdian nations.