On the steppes north of the border between Parthia and Arabia, lived an ancient nomadic people called the Beindu.
(Bedouins, later the founders of Islam!)
This ethnic group, with a population of nearly 200,000, comprised hundreds of tribes of varying sizes. However, at this time, they had not yet created their own religion and culture.
Therefore, these Bedouin tribes have been independent and self-governing for many years, remaining in a state of ignorance and uncivilized development.
It was precisely because of this situation of the Bedouin people that Ma Teng and Gongsun Zan chose to develop their careers here.
However, their personalities made them incompatible, so Ma Teng led Huang Zhong and others westward, while Gongsun Zan went eastward.
After several years of conquest, the two conquered all the Bedouin tribes and became the chieftains of their eastern and western parts. They also invited missionaries from the Taiping Religion to spread the doctrines of Taiyi to the Bedouin people.
The Taiping Religion's comprehensive mythological system and rich doctrines were undoubtedly very attractive to these uncivilized Bedouins.
In just a few short years, thanks to the efforts of the missionaries, this nation, still in its cradle, has become the most loyal follower of the One God.
Ma Teng and Gongsun Zan were sent by Taiyi to lead them in proclaiming the glory of the gods.
The Bedouin people, who are already fierce and highly aggressive, are naturally incredibly powerful in combat, especially when their faith is strengthened.
In the following years, Ma Teng and Gongsun Zan continued to organize the tribes they conquered to harass and plunder the northwestern region of the Parthians, turning the Bedouin into a warrior race where everyone was a soldier.
This meant that while the Parthians were defending against the Persians, Romans, and Han troops, they also had to allocate troops to defend against them.
Therefore, the Parthians have never been able to develop over the years, and the two of them have put in a lot of effort.
Although they were thousands of miles away from the Han Dynasty and had become local emperors wielding military power, neither Ma Teng nor Gongsun Zan ever harbored any improper thoughts. Their only thought was to complete their mission as soon as possible, return to the Han Dynasty, and reunite with their wives and children.
Therefore, when Liu Cheng's messenger arrived with the emperor's token, the two men did not hesitate to gather their men together.
After years of development, the two men's combined cavalry numbered as many as 50,000.
This force is enough to push the already crumbling Anxi into the abyss.
Inside the central command tent, Gongsun Zan, Ma Teng, Huang Zhong, and a host of military advisors and officers gathered together.
More than a decade of hard work in a foreign land has left its mark on everyone's faces.
Ma Teng looked at Gongsun Zan and couldn't help but sigh, "Time really flies! In the blink of an eye, twenty-seven years have passed since His Majesty ascended the throne!"
Gongsun Zan gave a bitter smile: "Yes, we were so full of vigor back then, but now we're both old!"
"I haven't even said anything yet, what are you all sighing about? Although we are old, our swords are still sharp, and we can still serve His Majesty!"
The oldest among them, Huang Zhong, said loudly that he was already fifty years old this year, and his temples had turned gray.
"Haha, Brother Hansheng is right. Just like those students said, as long as we are alive, we should burn our last bit of light for the Han Dynasty!" Ma Teng laughed and echoed.
"The Kushan Empire produced figures like Lü Bu, Zhao Yun, and Zhang He, and Parthia is where we made our name!"
The speaker was Gongsun Zan. Ever since he heard a few years ago that Lü Bu had been awarded the title of Marquis of Champion for his victory against the Kushan Empire, he had felt resentful.
Now, after fifteen years of hard work, I have finally waited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Ma Teng, Huang Zhong, and the other generals nodded silently after hearing Gongsun Zan's words.
Although their ambitions remained, they were getting on in years. The emperor sending the crown prince to Yizhou was clearly paving the way for the next generation.
Therefore, everyone regarded this attack on Parthia as their last chance to make a name for themselves.
After exchanging pleasantries, the group arrived at a huge sand table and began discussing their next steps.
"Gentlemen, His Highness has ordered us to send troops to cooperate with the Persian uprising. His purpose is to divert the Parthians' attention and buy a few years for the Yi region to develop!"
Before the sand table, Gongsun Zan held a baton and pointed to a city called Anlia: "Therefore, our objective in this operation is to break through the defenses here, penetrate deep into the Parthian territory, and prevent them from coordinating their efforts!"
Ma Teng said in a low voice, "There are 50,000 Parthian troops stationed here, and they have been building walls and fortifications for years. Our troops are all cavalry, so it won't be easy to break through the city!"
Gongsun Zan narrowed his eyes: "Then let's find a way to lure them out of the city and then wipe them out!"
"How do we lure it?" Ma Teng asked, puzzled.
Gongsun Zan smiled, then moved the baton in his hand westward, pointing to the border between Parthia and Rome: "This place was originally a pass used by the Parthians to defend against the Romans. Since the last Roman invasion of Parthia, they have occupied this place and incorporated it into the Arab province."
Now, the Arab province has become Sun Wentai's territory. We can send a detachment to bypass this area and invade the heart of Parthia.
"At that time, the nobles and officials living in the heart of Parthia will surely demand that the Anria garrison leave the city to pursue and kill them. Once they leave the city, we can annihilate them."
"What about logistics and supplies? If a detachment goes deep into enemy territory and runs out of supplies, it will be too dangerous!" Ma Teng asked with a worried expression. Although Gongsun Zan's idea was good, it was far too risky.
"Supplies are everywhere in the heart of Parthia, aren't they?" Gongsun Zan glanced at Ma Teng, somewhat doubting why the other would ask such a stupid question.
Ma Teng said solemnly, "If it were before, it would be fine, but now His Majesty intends to annex Parthia and has even sent the Crown Prince to Yizhou."
If we do that, it will inevitably incur the hatred of the Parthians, which would be bad if it affected the prince's plan to annex Parthia!
Gongsun Zan waved his hand: "Brother Shoucheng, you are overthinking it. Since His Highness the Crown Prince has given us the order to cooperate with the Persians, he must have already considered everything."
Furthermore, scavenging from the enemy doesn't necessarily mean robbing ordinary people; our primary targets are the noble lords and lords within Parthia.
Huang Zhong nodded in agreement: "Bo Gui's idea is good. Those nobles and landowners have done a lot of harm to the Parthian people. If we just rob them, we can not only force them to put pressure on the Parthian garrison, but also win the hearts of the Parthian people. It's a win-win situation!"
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