The third day of the sixth month in the first year of the Zhaowu reign of the Tang Dynasty.
This was destined to be a day that would be recorded in history. The Anxi Iron Cavalry of the Tang Dynasty, a super empire from the East, and the eastward expeditionary army of the Arab Empire, a superpower spanning three continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe—finally met unexpectedly in a place called Talas on the vast land of the Western Regions.
This was a direct clash between the Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate (also known as the Black Caliphate), and also a direct confrontation between two superpowers in the world at that time.
On the Tang Dynasty's side, Marquis Lan Yu of Anxi led 50,000 Anxi cavalry into battle;
On the Abbasid side, the Arab Empire's Grand General of the Eastern Expedition, Turhun, led an army of 800,000 (of which 300,000 were vanguard troops and 500,000 were ambushed in other small kingdoms in the Western Regions).
It is worth mentioning that when the two armies were facing off against Talas, Guo Dingfang, the Minister of War from Jinling, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, was dispatched to deliver an imperial edict.
Zuo Liangcai, the Marquis of Changxin of the Great Tang Dynasty, who succeeded Lan Yu as the Deputy Military Governor of the Anxi Protectorate (Northern Prefecture), also arrived in Talas with a messenger team of more than 100 people to join forces with Lan Yu.
After a heated discussion among the civil and military officials in the court, Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an finally made the decision on the handling of Marquis Anxi Lan Yu: retain Lan Yu's title of Marquis Anxi, strip him of his official position and military power as Deputy Military Governor of Anxi Protectorate (Northern Prefecture), and order him to return to the capital immediately to await further judgment.
Zuo Liangcai, the Marquis of Changxin, who came from the Longcheng Polu Army, was appointed to take over the position of Deputy Military Governor of Anxi Protectorate (Northern Prefecture).
Guo Dingfang, the Marquis of Zhenxi of the Tang Dynasty, a high-ranking official of the second rank, and concurrently the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, assisted Zuo Liangcai and Huo Qubing in the reconstruction of the regimes of Xiaowan and Wusun, which had been destroyed.
When the two groups of men joined forces, it should have been the time for Guo Dingfang, the Vice Minister of War, to read the imperial edict to Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi, and the generals of the Anxi Protectorate in public.
Unfortunately, they encountered the overwhelming force of the Arab Empire's eastward expedition.
Even Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai, who were responsible for delivering the imperial edict and taking over the reins, only managed to break through the encirclement of the Arab Empire's eastern expeditionary army and reach the Tang army camp under the cover of scouts under Lan Yu's command.
This unexpected turn of events caught Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai completely off guard.
At this moment, Marquis Lan Yu of Anxi was gathering his generals in the central command tent to discuss strategies for defeating the enemy, and had not yet found time to meet with Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai.
The two men, temporarily placed in a side tent in the army camp, stared at each other wide-eyed at the imperial edict in their hands, unsure of what to do.
On the one hand, these two were carrying out an imperial decree. If they did not read the imperial edict to Marquis Lan Yu of Anxi and a group of Tang army generals, they would be committing the crime of deceiving the emperor and committing treason. If investigated in the future, they would be executed along with their entire family.
On the other hand, if the contents of the imperial edict were read aloud as they were, it would be tantamount to changing commanders on the eve of battle, which is a major taboo in military strategy.
Moreover, facing the 300,000-strong Arab army already assembled in Talas, and with only 50,000 troops on their side, neither Guo Dingfang, Zuo Liangcai, nor any other Tang generals were confident of defeating them!
If things go wrong, these 50,000 Tang Dynasty Anxi cavalry could be completely annihilated at Talas!
In this way, Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai were truly put on the hot seat.
Whether to prioritize one's own official position and the well-being of one's entire family, or to consider the 50,000 Tang soldiers before him and the Silk Road in the Western Regions that the Tang Dynasty had so painstakingly established, this was indeed a difficult question to answer.
Inside the side tent, Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai stood silently, their faces grave.
a long time.
The two of them spoke at the same time:
"Master Guo!"
"General Zuo!"
Then, both of them paused for a moment, before making the same gesture of invitation: "You go first—"
Hahaha!
Finally, through their unspoken understanding, the serious and solemn atmosphere in the military tent was broken, and smiles appeared on their faces.
Finally, it was the elder, Guo Dingfang, the Vice Minister of War, who spoke first: "General Zuo, after careful consideration, I still feel that now is not the best time to read the imperial edict."
"Right now, the most important thing is to stabilize morale in order to defeat the invading enemy;"
"Judging from today's situation, the Abbasid Caliphate's eastern expedition against the Tang Dynasty was a long-planned affair. The Battle of Talas was the first battle fought by our Tang Dynasty against a powerful external enemy in the Western Regions since its founding."
"In this battle, we can only win, we cannot afford to lose. If we lose, those fence-sitters in the Western Regions will certainly side with the Abbasid Caliphate immediately."
"Once we lose the hearts of the people, it will be incredibly costly and a great sacrifice for our Great Tang Dynasty to regain control of the Western Regions and restore the prosperity of the Silk Road."
After a pause, Guo Dingfang said firmly, "Therefore, I have decided to keep this secret and wait until after the Battle of Talas."
"As for whether the Emperor will investigate in the future and decide to behead me or exterminate my entire family, I, Guo Dingfang, will have no complaints."
"Compared to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions, and compared to the control and influence of our Han people on the Silk Road, the head of Guo Dingfang and his nine generations of relatives are truly insignificant!"
"Master Guo——"
Moved by Guo Dingfang's heartfelt words, Zuo Liangcai made his own decision, saying, "That's exactly what I was thinking too."
"only--"
Zuo Liangcai changed the subject, saying, "This grave crime of deceiving the emperor cannot be borne by you, Lord Guo, alone. If you are to be beheaded or have your entire family executed, I, Zuo Liangcai, will accompany you!"
Eh—
Upon hearing this, Guo Dingfang sighed deeply, shook his head helplessly, and said, "General Zuo, why are you doing this to yourself?"
"Report—"
"Reporting to Marquis Zhenxi and Marquis Changxin, the General requests your presence!"
At this moment, a messenger's voice came from outside the tent, announcing that Marquis Anxi, Lan Yu, had finished his pre-battle troop deployment and finally had time to meet with two colleagues who had come from the capital.
Inside the side tent, Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai exchanged a smile, then walked out of the tent with an open and honest demeanor, and instructed the messenger outside, "Lead the way!"
"My lords, this way please!"
Soon, Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai, guided by messengers, arrived at the central command tent and met Anxi Marquis Lan Yu.
At this moment, Lan Yu, with the assistance of his personal guards, was putting on his armor. Upon seeing Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai, he greeted them warmly, saying, "Lord Guo, General Zuo—"
"You two have come all the way from the capital, the imperial city. You must have had a long and tiring journey. As is customary, I, the general, should extend the hospitality of a host and host a banquet to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."
"But, as you have probably seen, that son of a bitch Abbasid Caliphate actually dared to extend its fangs into the sphere of influence of my Great Tang Dynasty. They really are taking me for a sick cat just because I haven't shown my teeth yet!"
As they were talking, Lan Yu had already put on the Bright Light Armor, and then took a few steps to the two of them and shook hands with them warmly.
He continued, "Lord Guo, General Zuo, you should rest in the camp for a while while I lead my troops out to dampen the enemy's morale."
"Tonight, I will host a banquet in the central command tent to welcome you both and wash away the dust of your journey. We shall drink until we are completely drunk!"
With that, Lan Yu waved his hand and ordered, "You there, make sure Lord Guo and General Zuo get a proper rest."
"Left and right guards, follow me to meet the enemy!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Inside the central command tent, Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai watched Lan Yu's hurried departure and breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, he also began to silently pray for Lan Yu and the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty's Anxi Iron Cavalry who were going to war.
In fact, Lan Yu, who was gathering his generals to discuss strategies to defeat the enemy after the scouts rescued Guo Dingfang and Zuo Liangcai from the encirclement of the Arab army and brought them into the Tang army camp, had already guessed the purpose of their visit. He believed they had come on the emperor's orders.
It's just unknown what imperial decree these two brought on their trip.
In order to avoid affecting the morale of the army before the big battle, Lan Yu pretended to be in a hurry, not wanting to give the two of them time to deliver the imperial decree.
Everything depends on whether he leads his troops to thwart the Arab Empire's attempt to conquer the east!
On the vast plains of Talas, the Tang Dynasty's Anxi cavalry and the Persian cavalry, who were the first to engage in battle, faced each other from a distance of several thousand paces.
In June, the western regions are shrouded in yellow sand, the sun blazing down, and the azure sky and the yellowish horizon intertwine to create a magnificent and breathtaking scene.
On the ancient and mysterious land of Talas, the iron cavalry of two super-empires, East and West, are about to engage in an epic battle that will shake the world for the honor of their nations and peoples and for control of the Silk Road in the Western Regions.
In the Great Tang Anxi Iron Cavalry formation, General Lan Yu sat firmly in the central command tent, while his two deputy generals, Tan Li and Luo Quan, each commanded 10,000 elite cavalry, positioned on the two flanks of the central army.
The predecessor of the Anxi Iron Cavalry was the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry, which followed Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin in his conquest of the Western Regions and was renowned for its prestige. The soldiers were equipped with gleaming armor, wore eagle-feather helmets, and were ready to go with long spears and sharp blades.
These Anxi Iron Cavalry soldiers are all super elite warriors produced by the [Born to Be an Emperor] system. You can tell from their sharp, victory-hungry eyes that the Anxi Iron Cavalry is an elite force.
On the other side, the Arab Empire's eastward expeditionary army was led by elite Persian cavalry. These Persian cavalrymen, equipped with colorful battle robes, wearing tall crowns, and wielding scimitars and spears, stood out against the azure sky and yellowish horizon.
Behind the Persian cavalry was a second echelon composed of Persian camel cavalry and Persian war elephants, who were watching the Tang Dynasty's Anxi cavalry menacingly from the sand ridges outside the battle zone.
Turhun, the general in charge of the Arab Empire's eastern expedition, sat firmly in the central watchtower, with a large, gleaming falcon perched on his arm.
In this battle, Turgun first ordered 100,000 Persian cavalry to fight, with another 200,000 Arab troops in reserve. The 500,000 Arab troops that were lying in ambush in several small cities in the Western Regions had also received orders and were heading towards Talas.
The Tang army on the other side numbered only a mere 50,000 men.
For Turhong, the first battle in the eastern expedition against the Tang Dynasty was a battle with a huge troop advantage of sixteen to one. Even if the Tang cavalry was well-equipped, it would probably be difficult to withstand the onslaught of the Arab Empire's eastern expeditionary army.
Even if each of these 800,000 troops spat out a single drop of saliva, they could drown a mere 50,000 Tang cavalrymen.
Therefore, Turhong, who sat calmly on the central observation platform, had a calm expression on his bearded face, and even seemed to want to open the wine to celebrate the victory ahead of time.
quack--
Suddenly, the falcon perched on Turhong's shoulder seemed to smell blood and began to bark excitedly.
Turhong grinned, then gently shook his arm. The falcon perched on his arm understood and flew off in a flash.
Immediately, the bugle call for attack sounded within the ranks of the Arab Empire's eastern expeditionary army!
Thump, thump, thump—
Woohoo—
Almost simultaneously, war drums and horns sounded in the Tang army's ranks, issuing the order to attack.
Clang, clang, clang!
In an instant, the sound of horses' hooves stirred across the vast plains of Talas, like rolling thunder.
The 20,000 Tang Dynasty Anxi cavalry, who were on high alert, advanced towards the oncoming Persian cavalry in a wedge formation under the command of two deputy generals, Tan Li and Luo Quan. Every shout of the soldiers was filled with an invincible domineering spirit. The 20,000 elite cavalry were like two moving torrents of steel, carrying a devastating force.
On the other side, 100,000 Persian cavalry also began to move.
Taking advantage of their superior numbers and the agility of their warhorses, they constantly moved around the battlefield, encircling 20,000 Anxi cavalry.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
The Persian cavalry launched the first attack, using their bows to harass the Tang cavalry.
Clang, clang, clang!
Countless arrows struck the charging Tang cavalry, but most of the arrow attacks were blocked by the bright armor they were equipped with. The iron arrowheads and armor collided, producing a series of clanging metallic sounds.
The two deputy generals of the Tang army and 20,000 Anxi cavalrymen remained unmoved in the face of a hail of enemy arrows, maintaining their dense charging formation.
Accelerate, accelerate again, until you squeeze the stamina of your warhorse to its limit!
boom--
A moment later, a deafening roar erupted – the sound of two fast-moving cavalry units colliding unexpectedly in the open field.
"Kill them!"
In an instant, shouts of battle erupted from all sides.
Faced with the massive charge of 20,000 Tang Dynasty Anxi cavalry, the devastating impact instantly pierced a huge gap in the Persian cavalry's formation.
Under the relentless onslaught of the Tang Dynasty's Anxi cavalry, the gap left by the Persian cavalry was continuously widened and torn apart until it was completely breached and destroyed.
The encirclement of the Tang Dynasty cavalry by the Arabs, which was formed by their numerical advantage, was quickly broken by the well-equipped and fierce Anxi cavalry. The two sides' cavalry then engaged in a fierce battle.
Close-quarters combat between cavalry was the tactic that the Anxi Iron Cavalry excelled at.
In the fierce horseback combat, the superior equipment, tenacious fighting spirit, and skillful battlefield tactics of the Tang Dynasty's Anxi cavalry allowed the 20,000 Anxi cavalry, despite being outnumbered, to gradually gain the initiative on the battlefield. Facing an enemy force several times their size, they not only did not show signs of fatigue, but instead began to overwhelm the enemy in terms of momentum and pressure them to fight!
These elite soldiers, born with the destiny of emperors, have 100% loyalty to Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, and 100% fighting spirit on the battlefield. Even if they suffer more than 90% casualties, they can still maintain their tenacious fighting spirit and will never be defeated.
However, for the Persian cavalry, despite their formidable fighting prowess, morale and fighting spirit gradually began to decline in the face of heavy casualties.
Tang army deputy generals Tan Li and Luo Quan keenly noticed the changes in the enemy's morale on the battlefield. They immediately turned their horses around, their swords pointing directly at the central army of the Arab Empire.
The two generals shouted sharply, "Left and right guards, listen to my command! Follow me in a surprise attack on the enemy's central army and seize their banner!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
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