The deafening roar of artillery shook the earth, and billowing smoke covered the battlefield.
Hundreds of siege mortars were lined up, and dense shells bombarded the gates of Baghdad like a meteor shower.
This city, known as the "Gift of God," has been struggling to hold out for a month under the offensive of the Ayyubid Empire, serving as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate.
As more than two thousand shield vehicles and tens of thousands of soldiers advanced again, the battlefield, which had been silent for a moment, was once again filled with the sounds of gunfire and shouts.
On a low mound 1,500 meters from the city gate, thousands of cavalrymen guarded a majestic middle-aged man wearing a white turban. The man silently observed the situation of the war without uttering a word.
In the distance, a general clad in Maranhma chainmail galloped at full speed, shouting excitedly, "Great Caliph! All-powerful Saladin! The enemy can't hold on any longer!"
Saladin, nearing fifty, did not resemble the legendary "invincible war god" who had swept across the battlefield. Instead, he looked more like a scholar who had long been immersed in academia and books. Upon hearing the general's shout, he showed no smugness or joy as others might expect. Instead, his expression was solemn, and his eyes were sharp.
Saladin glanced at the waning resistance on the city walls, stroked his gray beard, and said to the approaching general, "Isam, send another delegation to persuade the nobles in the city to surrender."
The general, known as Ilam, reined in his horse, his eyes wide with disbelief, and asked, "Go and persuade them to surrender again?! Caliph, if I may be frank, the war has progressed to this point, there is absolutely no need for persuasion anymore..."
“Tell the nobles in the city that the condition I offered for their surrender this time is that they can leave Baghdad with all their property and servants.”
"Allowing them to take all their possessions and servants?! Saladin, did I hear that right?! The first time you tried to persuade them to surrender, you made them offer up all their wealth, sparing only their lives; the second time, you allowed their heads of households to take gold equal to their weight; and now, you're even allowing them to flee with all their possessions?!"
"Caliph! I don't understand why the more advantageous the battle is for us, the more generous the terms you offer for surrender?!"
Saladin laughed loudly, cracked his whip, and lashed Ilem's mount, shouting at the receding figure, "Remember my conditions! Just do it!"
Half an hour later, the delegation that was trying to persuade them to surrender entered the city, and the entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence once again.
Half an hour later, the delegation returned to the central army and reported back to Saladin.
"Your Majesty, the Abbasid nobles have learned of your proposal and have split into two factions. One faction has decided to leave Baghdad with their wealth, while the other has sworn to protect the coffin of the Abbasid Caliph and the royal family with their lives. These people intend to abandon the outer city and retreat to the inner city."
Saladin looked at the smoke-filled city and asked in a deep voice, "How many soldiers are left guarding the inner city?"
“Three thousand men, one thousand of whom are the royal guards of the Abbasid Empire.”
Issam tightened the reins and whispered to Saladin, "The last army in the inner city is not to be underestimated. Moreover, the terrain there is easy to defend and difficult to attack, with countless corner towers and fortifications. This will be a tough nut to crack."
Saladin stroked his beard and laughed, "Even the hardest bone can't escape being smashed one day."
The Ayyubid army retreated ten kilometers, and Baghdad opened its city gates, with the Abbasid flags on the city walls slowly being lowered.
Saladin, mounted on his horse, looked at everything before him and nodded slightly.
As Ilem gazed at the noble caravan slowly making its way out of the city, imagining the wealth it carried, he bit his lip in anguish and sighed deeply.
Saladin unscrewed the kettle, took a big gulp of water, looked at Ilam and shook his head, saying, "You need to broaden your horizons."
“Caliph! We have 70,000 troops and 170 cannons. Baghdad is like fruit on a tree to us; we can reach it by standing on tiptoe!” Ilam said with great distress. “Although there is still royal wealth in the inner city, the wealth of these nobles is no less than that! And now, so much wealth has slipped away right under our noses! If we can intercept this money, we can build an army of 100,000… no, 200,000. At that time, no one in the world will be able to stand against you!”
Saladin saw the other man's expression and smiled as he repeated his earlier words: "Ilam, broaden your horizons."
Ilam turned and looked around, then whispered to Saladin, "Caliph, why don't you give me a cavalryman? I'll order those soldiers to take off their uniforms and hide their flags. We can follow those nobles and launch a surprise attack at a suitable location, and no one will know..."
Saladin waved his hand, dismissing the proposal with a single sentence: "Before God, my promise is as unshakeable as a law!"
After waiting for a full six hours, the Baghdad nobles' convoy finally disappeared from the army's sight.
Saladin led his army into this ancient southern city with a history of over a thousand years.
The traces of war are everywhere in the city. Trees have been cut down, houses are covered with the marks of artillery fire, and the cries of women and children can be faintly heard from the closed doors.
"Pass down the orders! First, no soldier is to commit atrocities in the city; second, the medical corps is to immediately go and treat the wounded and sick in the city; third, order Ameni to lead the Overseer's Legion to maintain order in the city!" After Saladin finished speaking to the scribe, he shouted to Ilam, "Before we go and attack that tough nut in the inner city, let us first see the true treasures of this city!"
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