Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5401 The Indigenous People Are Fierce

Chapter 5401 The Indigenous People Are Fierce

Abul's expression turned grave: "Is it possible that the Tang army is secretly providing assistance to the indigenous tribes?"

Sheikh had a splitting headache, and he shared this suspicion. The reason he was able to remain in the position of governor of Ctesiphon after losing the city of Merv, suffering a crushing defeat, and even being betrayed by Prince Yezid was primarily because his mission was to "atone for his crimes" by monitoring the Chinese and preventing them from supporting the indigenous tribes of Mesopotamia.

"These rat-like creatures have survived the sieges of the Romans, Persians, and us for thousands of years without even a decent weapon, yet they have still managed to survive tenaciously. Their abilities should not be underestimated. In the past, when we blocked them out, they could only dig a hole in the grasslands, deserts, and mountains to hide and cautiously eke out a living. If they were to actually obtain equipment from the Tang army, that would be disastrous."

Abul thought for a moment, then asked with some doubt: "But if it really was the Tang army that gave the equipment to these native tribes, then it would inevitably lead to war and turmoil in Mesopotamia, which would be a major blow to their trade. Why would they do such a stupid thing?"

Sheikh sat back down in his chair, looking worried, and sighed, "Why would they give away weapons and equipment to those native tribes for free? They'll definitely sell them at a high price! Weapons are already extremely profitable, and those native tribes are begging them for money, so the price must be astronomical! The profit will certainly far exceed that of silk, glass, porcelain, and paper—it's a sure-fire way to make money!"

Moreover, the beneficiaries of ordinary trade are the powerful families, gentry, and merchants of the Tang Dynasty, while the beneficiaries of arms sales are the state. Is there any need to hesitate about the choice?

The purpose of the Tang Dynasty in establishing concessions in Mesopotamia was not trade, but to turn the region upside down!

Abul was convinced that the Tang people were behind this, and said angrily, "Let's go to the concession to protest! The ink on the treaty between the two countries is still wet, and the Tang people have already torn it up. This is simply outrageous!"

Sheikh pressed his throbbing temples and said irritably, "Keep your voice down! It's giving me a headache!"

He grabbed a nearby bottle and gulped down a large mouthful, not caring that the liquor dripped down his beard and onto his lapel: "How are you going to protest? How can you prove that the Tang people sold weapons to the indigenous tribes?"

Abul shouted, "We Arabs have already determined that the Tang people are the ones causing trouble, what evidence do we need?"

"Shut up!"

Sheikh was getting more and more troubled.

"That's the Tang Dynasty! Not Persia, nor Byzantium! Do you want the war that just ended to reignite? Believe me, even if you go to the concession now and argue with the Tang people and get killed, Damascus will not only not start a war, but will also throw mud at you, causing your whole family to suffer."

The reason why the Caliph had to sign a treaty, surrendering national sovereignty and swallowing his pride, even when faced with the Tang Dynasty's sudden invasion of Mesopotamia, was due to the strategy of "pacifying the country before resisting external aggression."

Even if the Tang Dynasty was powerful, it was still tens of thousands of miles away and could not shake the foundation of the Abbasid Caliphate.

The situation was entirely different with Byzantium, which was right next to their borders. The two countries had been at war with each other for over a hundred years, fighting dozens of battles. Their hatred for each other ran deep, and they were locked in a life-or-death struggle. This was the true threat to the Abbasid Caliphate.

If the Abbasid Caliphate could conquer Constantinople and destroy the Byzantine Empire, it could encompass most of the Mediterranean, integrate the population and resources within its vast territory, and become the most powerful country in the world. What would the Tang Dynasty have to fear?

For the sake of this strategic goal, anything can be tolerated.

His task as governor of Ctesiphon was to maintain stability in Mesopotamia as much as possible while remaining patient, ensuring that this vast source of tax revenue could continuously support the empire's wars against Byzantium.

For whatever reason, if the two countries resume war and damage the empire's tax revenue, the Caliph will immediately target him as governor!

Sheikh sighed deeply: "It's difficult!"

He is now walking on a tightrope, trying to maintain stability in Mesopotamia while avoiding a direct confrontation with the Tang army. The slightest mistake could lead to a deterioration of the situation, and he would be punished for multiple crimes, possibly even being hanged by the Caliph!

Abul also felt troubled: "We can't just ignore it, can we?"

Sheikh pondered for a long time and said, "Those native tribes will never flee far away after a successful attack. Their goal is to inflict a major blow on us, so they will definitely attack again whenever they have the chance! The Mesopotamian region is too vast. Whether it is the high mountains in the north or the mountains, deserts, and grasslands in the south, our defenses cannot be impenetrable. Rather than passively taking a beating, we should lure them out of their hole!"

"Good idea!"

Abul's eyes lit up: "Continue patrolling along the previous route, with the main force following behind?"

Sheikh gritted his teeth and said, "If those native tribes resort to their old tricks again, we will wipe them out in one fell swoop! Then we will seize their weapons and equipment and see how the Tang people try to deny it!"

Even if the evidence is conclusive, we cannot wage war against the Tang people. However, since they are in the wrong, they will definitely restrain themselves in the future, and that is enough.

"I will carry it out myself!"

"We must not be careless. The Tang army's weaponry is extremely sophisticated, which will greatly increase the strength of the indigenous tribes. And what if the Tang people also supply them with firearms...? That's unlikely, as firearms are the Tang army's top secret and they won't give them away easily. But we must be careful. If we try to steal a chicken and end up losing the rice instead, we'll all be finished if the Caliph is furious!"

"Rest assured, Governor, I will act with utmost care!"

"Go do it!"

The two agreed that Abul would bow and take his leave.

Before he even reached the door, a series of loud bangs erupted, startling him so much that he exclaimed, "The Tang army has broken in?"

He was all too familiar with that sound; it was almost identical to the sound of Tang soldiers firing their firearms!

Sheikh suddenly got up, went to the window, and pushed it open.

Winters in Mesopotamia are not as cold as those in the Persian Plateau, and there is less rain, but the temperature is relatively low at night. A cold wind blows in your face, and the pitch-black night sky seems to be lit up by the gods, bursting into colorful fireworks.

Abul quickly walked to Sheikh's side, peeked inside, and breathed a sigh of relief, but still felt a lingering fear as he said, "Today seems to be some kind of 'Lantern Festival' for the Tang people? They're celebrating this festival."

He then clicked his tongue and exclaimed, "It is said that the raw materials for these fireworks are quite similar to those for firearms. That is a miracle that is unique in the world. They actually use them to set off fireworks... Tsk tsk, how extravagant."

Sheikh's face was grim as he stared intently at the fireworks that continued to rise and bloom in the night sky.

The Caliph had already assembled hundreds of skilled craftsmen in Damascus to reverse-engineer the gunpowder obtained through secret channels, hoping to determine its composition and proportions for imitation. However, the small, dark granules of gunpowder remained undetected, as if by magic; no matter how they tasted, decomposed, or ground it, their composition remained completely unidentifiable.

Firearms are like a steel knife hanging over the neck of the empire; if it cannot be countered, it cannot claim to have defeated the Tang Dynasty.

But if it takes ten or a hundred years to decipher and replicate it, and the Tang Dynasty can come and go as it pleases across its vast territory, wouldn't the Abbasid Caliphate be forever dominated by the Tang Dynasty?

"Stop talking nonsense and get to work!"

"Yes!"

Abul dared not say more and quickly took his leave.

……

Two days later, Abur, who personally led the "bait" to wander around the desert and sandy areas south of Mari City in an attempt to "lure the snake out of its hole," still could not find any trace of the indigenous tribes, and the Arab army that had been blocking the city of Ctesi suffered another heavy blow.

A convoy of Arab troops transporting military supplies was ambushed 30 miles south of the Fris River. The supplies were all burned, and most of the 300 soldiers were killed or wounded, with the rest fleeing.

Upon hearing the news, Sheikh flew into a rage. He stripped the fleeing soldiers of their clothes and whipped them mercilessly in the square outside the governor's mansion.

Although the destruction of military rations pained him, there was finally good news.

The fleeing soldiers described the physical characteristics of the attackers...

"Amorites?"

Inside the governor's mansion, Sheikh sat in a chair, frowning, and questioned the military officer in front of him who was escorting the military supplies.

The military officer, shirtless and covered in whip marks and blood, knelt before Sheikh, enduring the pain: "It must be an Amori! I have participated in several campaigns against the Amori, and I have taken no fewer than ten Amori lives. I am absolutely certain!"

The fact that the murderer was an Amorite did not surprise Sheikh; after all, it must have been one of the ancient indigenous tribes of Mesopotamia.

He was more concerned with something else: "Can you see clearly what kind of weapons those people are carrying, and whether they are wearing armor?"

He values ​​armor more than weapons!

In such an era, armor is not just about having an extra life; having armor or not makes a world of difference!

Once the indigenous tribes are equipped with the heavy armor like that of the Tang army, they will be invincible in their charges and impervious to swords and spears, becoming a nightmare for the Abbasid army!

"They all carried scimitars, just like before, except that there seemed to be more of them. Also, their iron scimitars were exceptionally sharp, and our leather armor couldn't stop them at all... As for armor, there was some, but not many, and it was very simple, just a few pieces of iron to protect the vitals."

Sheikh was somewhat unsure: "Not a horizontal sword? Not heavy armor? Could it be that I've wronged the Tang people, and they aren't secretly supporting these natives?"

However, he only hesitated for a moment before he understood.

"Damn it! This must be a scheme by the Tang people to cover up their true intentions!"

How did the Abbasid Caliphate's army manage to sweep across the peninsula and Mesopotamia, and destroy the once invincible Persian Empire?

Aside from their strong military, the most important factor was their advanced iron smelting technology! Although somewhat backward compared to the Tang Dynasty, they held an overwhelming advantage over the indigenous tribes of Mesopotamia, who were still in the Bronze Age!

The indigenous tribes were not incapable of iron smelting, but their technology was backward. Not only was their scale extremely small, but the iron they produced was of very poor quality. Pig iron was hard and brittle, while wrought iron was soft and easily deformed. The swords and knives they forged were all inferior products, and their quality was not even comparable to bronze weapons made of copper and tin.

When will they be able to forge excellent iron scimitars?

With such a small amount of iron production, how could they possibly afford to forge armor in a luxurious way?

(End of this chapter)