For a time, the central command tent was filled with the voices of Tang generals offering their advice.
To anyone, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an's acceptance of the challenge from Turhun, the Grand General of the Arab Empire's Eastern Expedition, was an act unbecoming of an emperor.
Even if the emperor wanted to use this method of killing enemy generals on the battlefield, the Abbasid Caliph Turhun, the number one warrior of the dynasty, to deter the Arab Empire outside the Western Regions, so that it would not dare to launch an expedition to the east again and covet the Western Regions and the Silk Road under the actual control of the Tang Dynasty.
There's absolutely no need for someone of his caliber to engage in a one-on-one duel on horseback with a mere warrior from the empire!
Among the fierce generals of the Tang Dynasty present, apart from Zhenxi Marquis Guo Dingfang and Changxin Marquis Zuo Liangcai whose martial prowess was slightly weaker, the others were either Champion Marquis Huo Qubing, Anxi Marquis Lan Yu who had recovered from his injuries, or the Imperial Guard commander Zhao Zilong who had just made a name for himself in the army.
Anyone who stepped forward would be fully capable of fighting Turhun, the greatest warrior of the Abbasid Caliphate and the general in the eastern expedition, on horseback.
Furthermore, even if Zhao Zilong, Huo Qubing, Lan Yu and others were no match for them, the 200,000 enemy soldiers remaining in Turhong and Black Tiger City would not be able to escape the Tang army's encirclement.
Even if Turgun, who was known as the greatest warrior of the Abbasid Caliphate, was a formidable fighter, could he withstand a volley from 300 cannons?
Can he withstand a charge of 100,000 Xuanjia soldiers?
Or is it that he can withstand the combined might of 500,000 Tang soldiers outside Black Tiger City, one man and one sword?
Therefore, from the perspective of the Tang generals present, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an's decision to accept the challenge from the enemy general Turhong and agree to a duel outside Black Tiger City at Shenshi (3-5 PM) was a very poor strategy, the worst possible strategy!
On the throne, Emperor Zhaowu of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Huai'an, remained unmoved on his young and heroic face when faced with the advice of his generals. He continued to eat the whole roasted lamb in front of him, occasionally taking a few sips of the grape wine in his luminous cup.
He even had the leisure to invite the generals in the main tent to enjoy the food together: "Come on, have some too. The whole roasted lamb is quite good today. It's absolutely delicious with this fine wine!"
"emperor--"
Inside the tent, no one was in the mood for roasted whole lamb or wine; they practically had "Your Majesty, please reconsider" written all over their faces.
"Alright, my mind is made up. There's no need for you to try to persuade me further!"
Finally, Chen Huai'an waved his hand, wiping his mouth with a white towel as he addressed the assembled generals, "You all know my temper. Once I've made a decision, there's no need for further discussion!"
"Do you want to eat this whole roasted lamb? If not, I'll have it taken away!"
"eat!"
Marquis Huo Qubing was the first to step forward. He casually tore off a piece of roasted lamb leg and stuffed it into his mouth. He knew that the Emperor would definitely have something to say next.
Seeing this, the other generals hesitated for a moment, then followed the example of Marquis Huo Qubing and began to share the roasted whole lamb on the table.
Ha ha!
Upon seeing this, Chen Huai'an couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.
He stood up and paced back and forth in the tent, as if to digest his meal, and did not forget to explain to the aggrieved and helpless generals of the Tang Dynasty why he insisted on personally leading the battle.
"Very well, I'll be frank with you all right now. The reason I insisted on personally going to fight the enemy's commander-in-chief, Turhong, on horseback is not because I'm fond of grand achievements."
As he spoke, Chen Huai'an took out a stack of intelligence about Turhun, the first warrior of the Abbasid Caliphate, from behind the screen in the central military tent. This intelligence had been collected and compiled by his Tang Dynasty intelligence agency, the Longcheng Inner Guard, over the past few months, who had personally traveled to dozens of cities in the Arab Empire, including the capital Baghdad.
Chen Huai'an casually handed the intelligence to the generals present, saying, "You can read it while you eat, and it will be clear to you after you finish reading it!"
Um?
Upon hearing this, the generals, who were enjoying their meal with greasy mouths, were first taken aback. Then, without even wiping their hands, they took the intelligence from Emperor Chen Huai'an and quickly scanned it.
Gradually, as the generals delved deeper into the contents of the intelligence report, their expressions grew increasingly solemn.
It turns out that the intelligence collected and organized by the Dragon City Guards included, on the one hand, the discovery of the growth trajectory of Turhun, the first warrior of the Abbasid Caliphate;
On the other hand, there was a public opinion poll regarding the Abbasid Caliphate's large-scale eastward expedition against the Tang Dynasty.
Let’s first talk about the growth trajectory of the enemy’s commander, Turhun. He was born into a poor noble family in the late Umayyad Caliphate of the Arab Empire. He and his elder brother, Tursun (Prime Minister of the Abbasid Caliphate), studied literature and martial arts separately from a young age. Before they reached adulthood, they entered the army and the officialdom respectively to gain experience.
Just as the Abbasid Caliph Safah, the founder of the dynasty, raised an army against the Umayyad Caliphate, which was in its darkest hour, Turgun began his legendary military career as a company commander (equivalent to the lowest-ranking officer in the Tang Dynasty army, in charge of a ten-man squad).
Turgun's famous battle was during the "rebel army's" attack on Samarkand. At that time, the rebel army had been besieging Samarkand for a long time without success. Hundreds of the generals of the army, including those of the hundred and thousandth rank, had died in battle. The Umayyad dynasty's army to suppress the rebels was about to arrive, and the rebel army was about to be completely annihilated under the walls of Samarkand.
It was Turhun, who was only twenty years old, who led twelve elite soldiers to launch a surprise attack on Samarkand under the cover of night and in the rain. During the night raid, he beheaded seventeen enemy generals of the rank of centurion and above, and personally killed the enemy commander. This enabled the rebels to achieve a great victory in Samarkand, laying a solid foundation for overthrowing the Umayyad Caliphate.
After this battle, Turhong, who was only twenty years old, was promoted to vanguard general of the rebel army.
After that, Turhun's military career was like a cheat code. Whether it was the conquest of Cairo, the assault on Cordoba, or the invasion of Baghdad, even as a general, Turhun always took the lead in every battle and made great contributions to the establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Especially in the Battle of Damascus, Turgun, who was then the general of the rebel army, single-handedly fought against 27 enemy generals and above on horseback in a single day under the city of Damascus, causing the Umayyad garrison to be terrified and surrender without a fight!
For this reason, after the first Abbasid Caliph, Safah, ascended the throne, the first person he bestowed a title upon was Turhun, who was named the first warrior of the Abbasid Caliphate and given the rank of general.
It is no exaggeration to say that Turhun's influence in the Abbasid army was no less than that of Chen Polu, the father of Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an and a prince of the Great Xin Dynasty.
If Turhun could be defeated in a fair one-on-one duel during the Battle of Black Tiger City, it would have an immeasurable and far-reaching impact on the morale and fighting spirit of the Abbasid Caliphate.
On the other hand, there was the attitude of the people within the Abbasid Caliphate towards the expedition against the Tang Dynasty.
According to intelligence gathered by the Dragon City Guard, the Abbasid Caliphate's people are generally enthusiastic about the empire's eastern expedition and are ready to accept the dynasty's call to become reinforcements for the expedition.
The current Abbasid Caliphate has only been established for a little over twenty years, and it is currently at the height of its power.
Moreover, the Arab Empire during this period was a nation of martial spirit, and in the process of constantly expanding its territory, the entire population enjoyed the enormous benefits brought about by conquering other countries.
Otherwise, the Abbasid Caliphate could not have become the super-empire that spans three continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe—it is today.
If Chen Huai'an had used any method other than a "fair duel" to execute General Turhong, who enjoyed unprecedented prestige within the Abbasid Caliphate, it would have inevitably aroused the hatred of the entire Abbasid Caliphate and given the Abbasid Caliphate a legitimate reason for its second eastern expedition.
This is not what Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an wanted to see!
It's not that Chen Huai'an was afraid of war, nor that he lacked troops.
In reality, Chen Huai'an, who had just quelled the rebellion in the Western Regions, still needed time to digest the new policy of "separation of military and political power" implemented in the Western Regions, and it was difficult for him to free up time to deal with the Abbasid Caliphate's second eastern expedition in a short period of time.
Furthermore, Chen Huai'an did not want to place the main battlefield in the Western Regions in the next direct confrontation with the Abbasid Caliphate, but rather within the territory of the Arab Empire.
At this point, choosing to accept Turhong's challenge and kill him on horseback in a way that Turhong himself would be proud of, and even that the entire Abbasid Caliphate's military and civilian population would be proud of, would undoubtedly be the optimal solution.
This move would not only destroy the morale and belief of the Abbasid army and people, but also leave them with the impression that the Tang emperor was incomparably brave and powerful.
The next time Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an raises an army to conquer the Arab Empire in the west, perhaps a scene will repeat itself, just as in Damascus when the enemy's commander-in-chief, Turhun, subdued the enemy without a fight.
Regarding this clash with Turhun, the first warrior of the Abbasid Caliphate and the general of the Eastern Expedition, Chen Huai'an hoped to use this opportunity to tell the Abbasid Caliph Safah.
The Tang Dynasty's attitude towards the Arab Empire: Submit to the Tang Dynasty, and you will be spared a proper burial!
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