hiss--
Even Liu Ziyu, who prided himself on his extensive experience and knowledge of warfare, was taken aback by Batel's remarks and couldn't help but gasp.
If, as Batel said, there exists such a vast empire west of the Western Regions, and this empire is already eyeing the Western Regions and the Tang Dynasty covetously, about to send 800,000 troops eastward for an expedition, then Liu Ziyu really dared not imagine who would emerge victorious in a war between these two super-powerful empires.
But that wasn't all; something even more shocking to Liu Ziyu was yet to come.
Batel continued, "General Liu, do you know that the fighting power of the Abbasid Caliphate army is no less than, and perhaps even more formidable than, the Dragon City army under Chen Huai'an's command?"
"Back then, my father Khan fought against Chen Huai'an's Longcheng cavalry in the north, and was defeated because his cavalry was inferior in equipment to Chen Huai'an's Longcheng Iron Pagoda and Xuanjia Army;"
"However, the Abbasid army also had a large number of armored cavalry (heavy cavalry)!"
At this point, Batel began gesturing wildly as he spoke, "The Abbasid cavalry wasn't just ordinary cavalry; they also included camel riders and Persian war elephants."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Ziyu asked in astonishment, "Then, the Abbasid Caliphate actually trained camels and elephants as cavalry?"
Liu Ziyu had heard of war elephants.
After the fall of his kingdom, Mu Rongfu, a king of a different surname from the previous dynasty who established the Nanzhao Kingdom, went to the neighboring Pyu Kingdom to seek help from its elephant cavalry.
Ultimately, the elephant cavalry of the Pyu Kingdom was defeated by the southern expeditionary army led by Duke Chang Yuchun of Wei.
The camel cavalry of the Abbasid Caliphate that Batel mentioned struck Liu Ziyu as quite novel. He wondered to himself, when could camels be trained as cavalry to fight on the battlefield?
Um!
Faced with Liu Ziyu's question, Batel nodded heavily and said solemnly, "General Liu, to be honest, when I led the Guli tribe across the Pamir Mountains and first arrived in the territory of the Abbasid Caliphate, I fought a battle with their camel cavalry."
"It was that battle that completely changed my understanding of cavalry—"
As Batel began to recall the past, a look of pain appeared on his fleshy face.
Clearly, it was the Abbasid Caliphate's camel cavalry that caused him considerable psychological trauma, to the point that he still feels lingering fear when he talks about it now.
Batel told Liu Ziyu that the Abbasid Caliphate trained camel cavalry mainly to utilize the camels' endurance and speed to fight in desert and arid regions. Their combat effectiveness was the highest among all cavalry units in the Abbasid Caliphate, except for special cavalry.
The terrain and climate of the Western Regions made it a natural home ground for the Abbasid Caliphate's camel cavalry.
Despite the might of Lan Yu, the Marquis of Anxi of the Tang Dynasty who guarded the Four Garrisons of Anxi, and the fact that his Guan Ning Iron Cavalry could now swagger around in the Western Regions, if they were to actually face the camel cavalry of the Abbasid Caliphate, they would only be able to get beaten and run for their lives.
Not to mention, the Abbasid Caliphate also had Persian war elephants to assist them.
Neither Batel nor Liu Ziyu had ever witnessed the fighting power of the Persian war elephants on the battlefield. They only knew that the war elephants were enormous and could not be attacked by ordinary people or weapons.
On the battlefield, it is an invincible weapon used to charge enemy cavalry and battle formations.
Seeing that Batel spoke with such certainty and as if it were true, Liu Ziyu couldn't help but wonder: if the Abbasid Caliphate was so powerful and had gathered 800,000 troops to prepare for an eastern expedition, why didn't they send troops directly to the Western Regions instead of having this kid Batel come to him?
Liu Ziyu didn't readily believe Batel's one-sided account, but instead asked with suspicion, "Bater, you've revealed the Abbasid Caliphate's trump cards to this general;"
"Aren't you afraid that I'll turn around and sell you out, then hand you over to Emperor Zhaowu to claim credit?"
Before he finished speaking, Liu Ziyu drew his sword from the wall of the study without hesitation and placed the gleaming blade against Batel's neck.
It must be said that Batel was quite a character. He remained unfazed even when Liu Ziyu held a cold blade to his neck, and even had the leisure to pick up a teacup and sip his tea.
He said calmly, "General Liu, I, Batel, dared to come to your residence alone today to pay my respects, but I had no intention of leaving alive."
"but--"
Batel changed the subject and said with a smile, "I, Batel, may die on my return to the Central Plains, but I will definitely not die at the hands of General Liu!"
Liu Ziyu stared intently at Batel, his expression shifting between light and shadow.
After a moment, he finally sheathed his sword and calmly said to Batel, "Tell me, what exactly does King Safah of the Abbasid Caliphate mean by sending you to see me?"
Batel stood up and whispered something in Liu Ziyu's ear.
After a long silence, Liu Ziyu finally asked with a grim face, "Bater, do you know that if I were to get involved in all of this, my entire family would be executed!"
Ha ha!
Batel laughed loudly, shrugged, and said nonchalantly, "General Liu, we've been dealing with each other for so many years. In all those dangerous dealings, which one didn't involve risking your entire family?"
"Back then, when you followed Chen Huai'an, who was then the heir apparent of the Prince of Jin, in raising an army to rebel, wasn't that also an act of exterminating nine generations of your family?"
"you--"
Batel's words left Liu Ziyu speechless.
However, given the gravity of the matter, Liu Ziyu had to proceed with caution.
He did not reply to Batel immediately, but said to him, "Bater, this matter is of great importance, and I cannot give you an answer now."
"Furthermore, all of this is merely your side of the story. How would this general know if you've simply fabricated some Abbasid Caliphate to deceive me?"
"Until I have witnessed the true strength of the Abbasid Caliphate as you claim, I will absolutely not agree to cooperate with you."
"unless--"
Liu Ziyu hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Batel immediately smiled and continued, "Unless the general personally witnesses the power of the Abbasid Caliphate, right?"
hehe!
Batel said calmly, "General Liu, I wonder if the Marquis of Anxi Lan Yu of the Tang Dynasty and his Guan Ning Iron Cavalry are enough to convince you of the strength of the Abbasid Caliphate?"
Um?
Upon hearing this, Liu Ziyu raised an eyebrow and immediately promised, "Bater, if the Abbasid Dynasty you speak of truly has the power to make Lan Yu suffer, then this general will believe you!"
A gentleman's word is his bond!
"What's done is done!"
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