Several days later.
Tibbis, the exiled king of Wusun, finally arrived in Baghdad, the capital of the Arab Empire, accompanied by Batel.
After entering Baghdad, one of the most prosperous cities in the world today, Tibbes and his party were also shocked by the unprecedented prosperity of the empire before them.
At that time, Baghdad, the capital of the Arab Empire, was one of the most prosperous cities in the world, comparable in prosperity to Nanjing, the capital of the Central Plains dynasties, and Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
Baghdad was the largest commercial and trade center of the Abbasid Caliphate, boasting unprecedented economic prosperity and a highly developed culture.
Walking into Baghdad, one can see magnificent buildings everywhere. Palaces and temples are scattered throughout the city, all demonstrating the superb architectural and artistic level of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Despite being the king of a nation, Tibis, the ruler of a tiny country in the Western Regions, seemed somewhat naive and inexperienced upon entering the capital of this vast empire spanning Asia, Africa, and Europe. Like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden for the first time, he was overwhelmed by the sights.
According to the accompanying Abbasid envoy, Batel, the population of the Arab Empire's capital, Baghdad, alone exceeded one million, more than the entire population of the Wusun Kingdom.
After witnessing firsthand the strength and prosperity of the Arab Empire, Tibbis felt that his trip was worthwhile.
If he had known that there was such a powerful empire to the west of the Western Regions, he would have been out of his mind to have chosen to submit to Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an.
If they had submitted to the Arab Empire earlier, they wouldn't have ended up in this state of national ruin and family destruction.
Fortunately, God gave him another chance.
This time, Tibbis was determined to cling to the Abbasid Caliph's coattails and serve as the vanguard for the powerful Arab Empire on its eastward expedition, aiming to crush the Tang Dynasty in one fell swoop, wipe away the humiliation, and avenge his defeat!
Under the arrangement of special envoy Batel, Tibbs finally met with the legendary emperor of the Arab Empire and the founder of the Abbasid Caliphate, Caliph Safah, in the royal palace located in the center of Baghdad!
The Abbasid Caliphate was the second hereditary dynasty of the Arab Empire and a theocratic feudal dynasty.
The 40-year-old Abbasid Caliph (successor) Safah has a very similar experience in the process of establishing the Abbasid Caliphate to Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, who raised an army in his fiefdom to quell the rebellion and eventually established the Tang Dynasty. They are also comparable in political skills and military capabilities.
Safah seized power and established the Abbasid Caliphate at the end of the Umayyad Caliphate, the preceding dynasty of the Arab Empire, through a series of coups and military actions.
After becoming the Caliph, the supreme ruler of the Arab Empire, Safah began a frenzied expansion and consolidation of his territory, transforming the Abbasid Caliphate into a super empire spanning Asia, Africa, and Europe, with a territory roughly the same size as the Tang Dynasty and a population tens of millions larger.
With such a powerful and prosperous national strength, coupled with Caliph Safah's personal experience and governing philosophy, the Abbasid Caliphate's eastward expedition was a foregone conclusion, and a war with the Tang Dynasty was inevitable sooner or later.
Now that the Wusun Kingdom has been destroyed by Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi of the Tang Dynasty, and that Queen Aliya has committed suicide due to unbearable humiliation, it has become the perfect pretext for the Arab Empire to launch an eastward expedition against the Tang Dynasty.
Inside the magnificent palace, Abbasid Caliph Safah, the ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate, sat on his throne, holding a scepter forged from pure gold, looking down at Tibbes, the King of Wusun, who was kneeling in the hall.
Tibbs, with tears streaming down his face, pleaded, "Your Majesty the King (hereafter, the title 'King' will be used to refer to the Caliph)—"
"Please, you must save the people of Wusun who are living in dire straits! We, the people of Wusun, are His Majesty's most devout followers!"
"Yet, the Great Tang Dynasty is currently leading its troops to trample our homeland and slaughter our people at will. We beg Your Majesty, the King, to avenge our Wusun Kingdom..."
Inside the main hall, Tibis continued to denounce the atrocities committed by the Tang army;
In the main hall, Tursun, the prime minister of the Abbasid dynasty, bent down and approached King Safah, recounting to him the information he had regarding the Wusun Kingdom and the Tang Dynasty, the super empire to the east.
The latter's expression remained calm, but he nodded repeatedly in acknowledgment.
Finally, Tibis, kneeling in the hall, promised: "Your Majesty, if Your Majesty sends troops to the Western Regions this time, Tibis is willing to serve as the vanguard of the Arab Empire's eastern expedition and to serve the army in conquering the kingdoms of the Western Regions."
"From this day forward, our Wusun Kingdom will acknowledge the Arab Empire as its suzerain state, and the two countries will forge an alliance to maintain lasting peace!"
Almost simultaneously, Tursun, the prime minister of the Abbasid Caliphate, also reported all the intelligence he possessed to Safah.
In fact, this was just a formality!
The Arab Empire's eastward expedition against the Tang Dynasty was something that had already been agreed upon by Caliph Safah, Chancellor Tursun, and Batel, a remnant of the Turkic tribe residing in the Arab Empire.
The reason for having Tibis, the deposed king of the Western Regions, perform a accusation against the crimes of the Tang Dynasty in the palace hall;
However, this was merely an excuse to bring the matter of the eastern expedition against the Tang Dynasty to the forefront, in order to give an explanation to the other powerful and influential people in the Abbasid Caliphate.
Furthermore, it is emphasized that this Arab Empire's eastward expedition was "justified."
Um!
On his throne, Caliph Safah nodded and said, "Since the Wusun Kingdom has already acknowledged my Arab Empire as its suzerain state, then naturally my Arab Empire cannot stand idly by while the Tang army tramples on Wusun's homeland and slaughters its people."
"Furthermore, most of the countries in the Western Regions, which were actually controlled by the Tang Dynasty, shared the same faith as our Arab Empire, yet they suffered greatly from the bullying of the foreign Tang Dynasty."
"It is the bounden duty of the people and military of our Arab Empire to liberate the Western Regions from the clutches of the Tang Dynasty."
With that, Safah glanced around the hall and asked the assembled Abbasid officials and generals, "Gentlemen, what are your opinions and suggestions on this matter?"
The civil and military officials of the Abbasid Caliphate naturally had no objections.
Safah then said, "In that case, I will issue an order in the name of the Abbasid Caliph—the Empire will launch an eastern expedition against the Tang Dynasty!"
"Turhong—"
"Your subordinate is here!"
A powerful and valiant general of the Arab Empire immediately stepped forward to accept the order after hearing the instructions from Caliph Safah.
Safah said, "In the name of the Caliph, I formally grant you the authority of Grand General of the Eastern Expedition, giving you full responsibility for all matters related to the Empire's eastern expedition against the Tang Dynasty."
"From this moment forward, lead an army of 800,000 to conquer the Western Regions and rescue our compatriots who have suffered under the oppression of the Tang Dynasty from its clutches. There must be no mistake!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
......
The 17th day of the fifth month in the first year of the Zhaowu reign of the Tang Dynasty.
At the height of its power, the Arab Empire, under the direction of Abbasid Caliph Safah, sent Turhun, the Arab Empire's greatest warrior, to lead an army of 800,000 (combat troops, excluding supply troops and laborers) on an eastern expedition against the Tang Dynasty.
A thrilling and brutal showdown between two superpowers is about to erupt!
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