The feud between Tibis, the King of Wusun, and Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi of the Tang Dynasty, was already common knowledge throughout the Western Regions. Tibis had been seeking an opportunity to avenge the murder of his wife and the destruction of his kingdom.
In the Battle of Talas, Tiberius had the opportunity to personally kill his enemy, Jade.
Unfortunately, his plans were ultimately disrupted by Huo Qubing, the champion of the Tang Dynasty, who suddenly arrived on the battlefield. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as his enemy, Lan Yu, slipped away right under his nose.
Now, two full months have passed since the Battle of Talas. Tibis, who has restored his kingdom with the help of Turhun, the general of the Arab Empire's eastern expedition, is constantly seeking an opportunity for revenge.
Now, his enemy, Lan Yu, is right in front of him, guarding Princess City with a mere 30,000 troops, while Tibis can only rely on a full 300,000-strong army of the Arab Empire's eastern expedition, along with advanced siege weapons and cannons.
How could Tibbs possibly miss this perfect opportunity for revenge, the chance to personally kill his enemy, Blue Jade?
Turhun, the Arab Empire's general in the eastern expedition, was happy to do a favor by handing over the position of vanguard commander in the attack on Princess City to Tibis, the king of Wusun. This was also a way for him to win over the people.
Therefore, upon hearing Tibis's request, Turhun, seated at the head of the table, immediately waved his hand and ordered, "Since the soldiers of Wusun and King Tibis are willing to serve as the vanguard of the army to attack the princess city;"
"Then, this general will grant your wish!"
With that, Turhong addressed the assembled generals in the tent with an air of dominance: "Gentlemen, in that case, I will entrust the vanguard of this battle, as well as the opportunity to deal with the enemy soldiers and Uyghur rioters in the city after its fall, to King Tibis."
"Do any of you have any objections?"
"No!"
"No!"
"No!"
With General Turhun having spoken, how could the Arab Empire's generals on their eastern expedition possibly have any objections? They immediately raised their hands in approval of the General's arrangement.
Turhong immediately announced, "Very well, I hereby order that King Tibis of Wusun shall lead the vanguard of the army and attack Princess City at dawn tomorrow!"
"Thank you for your kindness, General!"
Tibis immediately stood up, clenched his right fist and placed it horizontally in front of his chest, and then bowed to General Turhong in the main seat to show his respect.
Then, he addressed the assembled Arab generals, saying, "Gentlemen, I am fortunate to have received the Grand General's approval to serve as the vanguard of this army's siege."
"I hereby promise you all that after the fall of Princess City, neither I nor my Wusun soldiers will take a single penny of the city's wealth, provisions, or women; all such possessions will be entirely at the disposal of the Commander."
"All I want is the head of Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi of the Great Tang Dynasty. I hope you will grant my request!"
After saying that, a rare fierce glint appeared in Tibis's blue eyes, as if he wished he could devour the blue jade in the princess city alive.
At the same time.
Inside the Princess City, in the joint military camp of the Tang Dynasty's Anxi Iron Army and the Uyghur garrison.
With a major battle imminent, Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi of the Tang Dynasty and the commander-in-chief of the city's defense, ordered all his generals to gather in the central command tent to discuss strategies for defending against the enemy.
Outside the city, news of the approaching 300,000-strong Arab Empire army had already spread throughout the Princess City.
Furthermore, the news that the Tang Dynasty had only sent a thousand cavalrymen to assist in the Western Regions uprising had already spread like wildfire in the Uyghur Khanate, which led to low morale in Princess City at this time.
The morale of the Uyghur soldiers, especially those inside the city, was extremely low.
Even his two deputy generals, Luo Quan and Tan Li, had reservations about Anxi Marquis Lan Yu's initiative to inform the Uyghur Khanate of the true situation of the reinforcements before the great battle.
The two men believed that with a major battle imminent, morale was of paramount importance, and that informing the Uyghur Khanate's ruler and his ministers of the true situation regarding reinforcements at this time was a very poor strategy.
In response, Lan Yu simply replied to the two men: "This general has not yet reached the point where he needs to coax friendly soldiers into going to the battlefield. They are merely bandits from the Arab Empire. Even without reinforcements, the Anxi Protectorate's military strength can still rout their army!"
Of course, this is just Lan Yu's official explanation.
In fact, he had received a secret edict from Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, instructing him to truthfully inform the Uyghur Khanate's rulers and ministers that the reinforcements numbered only a thousand cavalry.
Lan Yu also knew that among the thousand cavalry reinforcements was Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, who was personally leading the expedition.
Although Lan Yu did not know what the Emperor's purpose was in doing this.
However, he remained steadfast in his decision to carry out the emperor's edict.
As for the rest, Lan Yu didn't want to think about it, nor should he.
All he could do was ensure that the Princess City would not fall into enemy hands before the Emperor arrived!
"Report—"
"Reporting to the General, we have investigated and found that the enemy forces besieging the Princess City number over 300,000, and are being led by the Abbasid Caliphate's Eastern Expedition General."
Inside the central command tent, Tan Li, a deputy general under Lan Yu, reported to Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi, seated in the main seat, and the assembled commanders of the allied forces defending the city: "Furthermore, King Tibis of Wusun has gathered over ten thousand Wusun bandits to assist in the siege."
"The three cities of Black Tiger, Meijian, and Khatun are also besieged by more than 200,000 Arab troops on their eastern expedition. The siege is imminent!"
hiss--
Upon hearing this news, all the generals present in the central command tent, especially the Uyghur Khanate's general Mawlani, gasped in shock, their eyes filled with fear.
Only the young commander of the Uyghur Khan's royal guard, Aba Baikli, the nephew of the mighty Khan, showed no fear whatsoever on his young face. Instead, his shrewd eyes revealed a hint of eagerness.
Lan Yu, who was temporarily appointed as the general of the Princess City garrison by order of the valiant Khan, waved his hand to signal his deputy, Tan Li, to step down.
Then, with a calm expression, he addressed the generals in the main tent: "Gentlemen, just as we predicted before the battle, Princess City will definitely be the enemy's main target."
"The Abbasid Caliphate sent an army of 500,000 to conquer the Uyghurs in the east, with 300,000 of them heavily fortified around this Princess City. One can imagine how eager the rebel general, Turhun, was to capture the Princess City so that the Arab Empire's army could advance unimpeded and reach the Uyghur capital, Harabalqas."
After a pause, Lan Yu continued, "I'm sure you've all heard the rumors that the Tang Dynasty's western expeditionary reinforcements number only a thousand cavalry."
"That's right, the reinforcements that came from the Tang Dynasty in the Central Plains this time only numbered a thousand cavalry..."
As Lan Yu spoke, he glanced at the reactions of the generals in the tent out of the corner of his eye, his resolute face still revealing his confident expression.
"but--"
Then, Lan Yu changed the subject, saying, "Within the Anxi Protectorate's northern and southern prefectures in Shule and Khotan, there are still 100,000 Tang Dynasty Anxi Iron Army soldiers ready to fight."
"Therefore, our Princess City, and indeed the entire Uyghur Khanate, is not fighting alone. The Great Tang Champion Marquis Huo Qubing and his 100,000-strong Anxi Iron Army will stand with you all and with the Uyghur Khanate in this battle."
"As long as we can hold the four cities of Princess, Black Tiger, Meijian, and Khatun, we can create an opportunity for Marquis Huo Qubing to lead his troops to cut off the enemy's supply lines and thus relieve the siege of the Uyghurs."
With a major battle imminent, Lan Yu finally decided to have a frank discussion with his two armies.
This was also a strategy he had previously devised with Marquis Huo Qubing, Marquis Guo Dingfang, and Marquis Zuo Liangcai to defeat the enemy. Lan Yu would personally oversee the defense of the city in the Uyghur Khanate, while the three of them would each lead a surprise attack on the supply lines of the Arab Empire's eastern expeditionary army, hoping to lift the siege of the Uyghurs without a fight.
However, Lan Yu still concealed the fact that Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, was personally leading the expedition.
call--
After hearing Lan Yu's words, the Uyghur general Mawlani in the main tent finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his solemn expression eased somewhat.
Although 100,000 reinforcements are few, they are better than nothing.
If Huo Qubing, the champion of the Tang Dynasty, could really lead a surprise attack on the supply lines of the Arab Empire's eastern expeditionary army, then this battle would still be fought.
Mawlani's idea represented the thoughts of most people, including Moyanchuo, the valiant Khan of the Uyghur Khanate.
It was precisely because of the existence of the 100,000-strong Anxi Iron Army of the Tang Dynasty's Anxi Protectorate that they have persisted to this day without bowing down to the powerful Arab Empire, choosing instead to continue fighting alongside the Tang Dynasty.
However, Mawlani couldn't help but wonder how long the 30,000 garrison inside the princess city could hold off the 300,000 enemy troops outside the city.
So much so that he somewhat regretted agreeing to the decision of Marquis Lan Yu of the Great Tang Dynasty to transfer 30,000 of the original 50,000 Uyghur troops from Princess City back to defend the capital, Harabalgas.
If those 30,000 troops hadn't been transferred away, the chances of victory would have been even higher with the 60,000 allied troops inside the princess city facing the 300,000 enemy troops outside.
Just as Mawlani was lost in thought, General Lan Yu, who was in the main seat, spoke again.
Lan Yu said, "General Mawlani, General Ababakri, listen to my command—"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Um?
After a moment of stunned silence, Maurani finally snapped out of it when the young commander of the royal guard, Abba Bakri, answered him.
He hurriedly stood up, cupped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Your subordinate is here!"
Lan Yu continued, "In this battle, our Great Tang Anxi Iron Army will be the main force defending the city, while the 20,000 Uyghur soldiers under your command will serve as the reserve force."
ah?
Upon hearing this order, both Mawlani and Abba Bekri were taken aback.
In particular, the young general Abbabekli, who was eager to make a name for himself on the battlefield, looked at General Lan Yu in disbelief.
The latter's face darkened, and he said with an air of authority, "What, do you two not understand my orders?"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Finally, it was the older Uyghur general, Mawlani, who was the first to react and hurriedly told Lan Yu that he had accepted the order.
Young Abbabekri wanted to say something, but was stopped by Mawlani's eyes. With a major battle imminent, the army must ensure that orders are obeyed without question.
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Seeing this, Abba Bekri stopped insisting and reluctantly accepted the order to leave.
Lan Yu nodded in satisfaction and continued issuing orders, saying, "Deputy Generals Tan Li and Luo Quan, listen to my command—"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"This general hereby appoints you two to each command a separate force..."
Orders were continuously relayed among the allied forces within Princess City. The soldiers moved about the city in an orderly fashion, carrying all the necessary equipment for the defense of the city to the top of Princess City like ants carrying loads.
The Battle of Princess City, destined to be a fierce and brutal war, is about to erupt.
The next day.
King Tibis of Wusun got up very early, and with the help of his attendants, he put on a heavy suit of golden armor, rode a large white horse, and carried a powerful falcon on his shoulder. He arrived outside the city of Princess City with a menacing aura.
At this time, the 50,000-strong Arab Empire's eastern expeditionary army had already assembled here and was making final preparations before attacking the city.
Tibis led 10,000 soldiers of the Wusun Kingdom, who naturally became the vanguard of the attacking army. They were preparing their weapons, waiting for King Tibis's order to immediately charge towards the city walls of the princess city.
Meanwhile, atop the walls of Princess City, ten thousand of the Tang Dynasty's Anxi Iron Army had been working tirelessly through the night, ready to defend the glory of the Tang Dynasty on the Western Silk Road with their lives and blood.
Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi of the Tang Dynasty, stood proudly atop the city wall of Princess City, clad in bright armor and with a ring-pommel sword at his waist, his fearless gaze fixed on the enemy army outside the city, which outnumbered him several times over.
Today, the city of Princess is quiet, with only the howling wind and the rustling of the battle flags fluttering in the wind.
Enemies meeting each other are bound to be filled with hatred.
King Tibis of Wusun rode his horse to a point a thousand paces from the princess city and called out in broken Chinese to the city, "You dog Lan Yu, are you on the city wall?"
snort!
On the city wall, facing Tibis's provocation, Lan Yu coldly replied, "Who do we have here? It's Tibis, the tail-tucking king of Wusun!"
"What, now that you've found a new master in the Abbasid Caliphate, you can't wait to come before this general and show off your power?"
"Blue Jade—"
Outside the city, Tibis, riding on horseback, instantly turned grim and roared at Lan Yu on the city wall: "Lan Yu, you shameless and lewd scoundrel, today I will personally kill you to avenge my queen and the Wusun subjects who died tragically under your blade!"
"Guards! Prepare to attack the city!"
After making those harsh words, Tibbis immediately shook his shoulders. The falcon on his shoulder understood immediately, let out a shrill scream, and then spread its wings and flew straight towards Blue Jade on the city wall of Princess City.
For the past two months, Tibbs has been training his falcon with a portrait of Blue Jade and raw meat, hoping that one day the falcon will tear off a couple of ounces of raw meat from Blue Jade in his place.
Guided by the falcons in the sky, Tibbes finally gave the order to attack the city. Squads of neatly arranged Wusun and Arab soldiers, under the cover of chariots and shields, advanced step by step, heading straight for the princess city.
On the walls of Princess City, Lan Yu still wore that cold expression.
Watching the black falcon's afterimage flash like lightning as it hurtled straight toward him, he calmly took a strong bow from the soldier beside him and drew the bow and nocked an arrow in one swift motion.
The next moment, without even glancing at the falcon hurtling towards him in mid-air, Lan Yu raised his hand and fired an arrow.
Swoosh—
The arrow left the bowstring and struck the falcon that was within arm's reach.
At almost the same time, the archers from both sides engaged in a volley of fire inside and outside the princess city.
In an instant, arrows rained down inside and outside the princess city.
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