pappabearbooks Chapter 5400 Transaction Completed
Chapter 5400 Transaction Completed
Chapter 5400 Transaction Completed
The seventh year of Renhe, the third day of the first month.
After three consecutive days of market closures from New Year's Eve to the second day of the Lunar New Year, shops in the concession finally reopened. Impatient merchants from all over flocked to the concession, almost sweeping away all the goods stockpiled there. The Fritz River waterway, which had almost come to a standstill, became busy again.
Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the river rippled and shimmered with golden light, and merchant ships shuttled back and forth. An inconspicuous cargo ship sailed upstream and turned into a tributary more than ten miles away from the Taixi Fengcheng Wharf.
The winter north winds swept over the Zagros Mountains and raged across Mesopotamia. The billowing sails provided the boats with ample power, propelling them upstream until they reached a valley nestled between two low hills, where they anchored on a flat riverbank with a campfire burning.
The tall Elan was the first to leap out of the darkness, quickly ran to the riverbank, and by the light of the fire, he could see Xi Junmai standing on the gunwale. He breathed a sigh of relief, put his fingers to his lips and whistled a few times. More than a hundred strong young men nimbly ran out from the woods on one side and came to the riverbank to meet him.
Xi Junmai stood at the bow of the ship, clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "We encountered two groups of Arab soldiers checking us on the way, so we were a little late. Please forgive us."
Elan laughed heartily: "Who doesn't know that the Tang people are known for keeping their word and valuing their integrity above all else? Since you've said you'll come back, we firmly believe you will!"
In other words, the Tang army could move freely through this network of waterways. However, if he were to lead a group to pick up goods, it would be troublesome if they encountered the Arabs. Not only would they not be able to bring back the goods, but they would also not be able to return.
The "door-to-door delivery" service offered by Tangren is such a thoughtful touch...
Xi Jun smiled and asked, "We're brothers, so we should keep clear accounts. Did you bring the money?"
"Of course!"
Elan stepped aside to make way for a tall, thin elderly man behind him, and introduced him, "This is our chief!"
Xi Junmai jumped off the deck, took a few steps forward to the old man, and greeted him, saying, "So it's the chief in person, my apologies!"
In the firelight, the old man was thin but tall. His loose linen robe swayed as if hanging on a bamboo pole. His narrow face was covered with wrinkles, his white beard was thick and bushy, his nose was aquiline, his eyes were deep-set and his brow bones were high. His eyes, hidden in the shadows, shone brightly in the firelight.
The old man returned the greeting with clasped hands, and spoke in a halting tone in his Arabic: "I dare not, my name is Irum."
With a wave of his hand, more than a hundred young men behind him stepped forward, took the baskets woven from wild vines off their backs, placed them in front of them, and opened one of the lids. Under the light of the campfire, the baskets gleamed with golden light.
"Please verify."
"it is good."
Xi Jun stepped forward and bent down to inspect the gold in the basket on his back.
Most of them were gold coins, wine vessels, and other items whose age was indistinguishable, as well as some broken gold artifacts whose original condition was no longer discernible...
With just one glance, Xi Junmai could roughly figure out where the gold came from; it looked as if it had been buried deep in the ground for a long time.
If the guess is correct, it should be a descendant of the ancestors of the Amorites.
There was no way to weigh such a large amount of gold precisely. He just made a rough estimate and thought it was about right, so he nodded and said, "We Tang people are always generous, so we won't weigh it. Men, unload the goods!"
"Here!"
Using the firelight on the shore, the soldiers on the ship carried boxes of military equipment to the shore.
Xi Jun said, "Please!"
Irum took a deep breath, stepped forward, randomly found a wooden box, and tore off the hemp rope binding it with his hand. Inside were neatly wrapped curved knives in waterproof tarpaulin. He took one out, untied the tarpaulin, and held the handle in front of his eyes.
The firelight flowed across the curved blade like ripples on water, the edge gleaming coldly. With a gentle drag on the blade, the oilcloth was easily sliced in two without any resistance.
Irum's eyes gleamed, and he blurted out, "A fine knife!"
Xi Junmai proudly declared, "The steelmaking techniques of the Tang Dynasty are unparalleled in the world, and this batch of scimitars is even more exquisite, capable of cutting hair in two and slicing iron like mud!"
"it is good!"
Irum put the scimitar back into the box, then opened a square wooden box and took out the plate armor inside, examining it closely. The plate armor was forged from iron plates, unlike the elaborate mountain armor or bright armor. The chest, back, shoulders, and arms were all made of a single piece, connected by leather, and gleamed silver in the firelight.
Irum stroked the plate armor, feeling the coolness and toughness of the iron. His beard trembled slightly as he nodded repeatedly, "Good! Good! Our Amorite warriors no longer have to use their flesh and blood to withstand the bandits' swords and arrows!"
More than a hundred young men and women were all excited and their eyes were shining.
How could their homeland, where they had lived and multiplied for thousands of years, be repeatedly trampled by bandits, causing their people to dwindle and their bloodlines to thin under the onslaught of killing and siege? It wasn't that they weren't brave; it was simply that the bandits' weapons and equipment were too superior, leaving them powerless to fight back!
Now, with the weapons provided by the Tang army, they can also slaughter the Arabs just like the Tang army, leaving corpses strewn across the fields and not a single piece of armor left!
Xi Jun smiled and asked, "Is the chief satisfied?"
"Satisfied! Of course satisfied!"
Irum was overwhelmed with emotion, tears welling in his eyes.
Xi Junmai clasped his hands in a fist salute: "In that case, I shall take my leave. I wish the Amorites success in driving out the bandits and restoring their homes! If you need anything in the future, just send someone to the Taixi Feng concession to see me. Although the Great Tang is powerful and unparalleled in the world, it has always respected every tribe and is willing to help tribes in various places resist tyranny and build their homes."
"The Amorites will always remember the profound friendship of the Tang Dynasty. As long as there is one Amorite left, they will forever remember the help of the Tang Dynasty! If one day the Amorites are able to overthrow the tyranny and restore the glory of their ancestors, they will be willing to repay the Tang Dynasty in some way."
He wasn't stupid; he understood that the Tang people were selling weapons to the Amorites not just to make money, but also to arm the Amorites to fight against the Abbasids, with the aim of stirring up conflict and instability in Mesopotamia.
Both sides share the same needs and make mutual use of each other.
Xi Junmai smiled and nodded, then hinted, "Our Grand Commandant of the Tang Dynasty has a wise saying that I think should be enlightening for the chieftain's current situation."
"Please enlighten me!"
"The Grand Commandant once said that the road to victory is full of thorns, but if you can make more friends, you will naturally achieve twice the result with half the effort."
"Ok?"
Irum's eyes flickered, and he quickly understood the implication: "Is...this alright?"
"Of course! We in the Great Tang Dynasty have a proverb, 'A friend of a friend is also a friend.' You Amorites are friends of the Great Tang Dynasty, so the friends of the Amorites are also friends of the Great Tang Dynasty. If a friend of a friend needs help, the Great Tang Dynasty is willing to do its utmost!"
How can it be enough for just the Amorites to rebel against the Abbasids?
How many people do you have, and how many knives do you have?
The only way to achieve this is to unite the ancient indigenous tribes of this land who have also suffered oppression from the Arabs. The Akkadians, the Aramaians, the Canaanites, the Assyrians... When these indigenous tribes unite and help each other, they can stir up conflict in Mesopotamia, forcing the Arabs to focus on one thing at a time. This is the only long-term solution.
Otherwise, how many days could a single indigenous tribe hold out against the overwhelming forces of the Arabs?
Irum understood immediately and nodded emphatically: "I have some prestige among the tribes in this land. When I return, I will definitely spread the benevolence and righteousness of the Tang Dynasty and gather like-minded people to resist tyranny!"
Countless civilizations have been born on this land over thousands of years, and each civilization has its direct descendants. These tribal descendants are scattered across the fertile land of Mesopotamia, multiplying and passing on their heritage, and even under the oppressive rule of the Arabs, they persisted in their resistance.
Previously, everyone was a disorganized bunch, but now, if they can be armed together by the Tang Dynasty, they will naturally be a force to be reckoned with. They may not be able to confront the Abbasid army head-on, but they can easily overwhelm the Abbasids with sneak attacks, harassment, and mobile attacks.
Xi Jun was extremely satisfied. Not only could he expand the destructive power of these tribes in Mesopotamia, but he could also make a fortune by selling military equipment.
Although these indigenous tribes, whose lineages have spanned thousands of years, have declined and weakened, they all appear to have inherited wealth from their ancestors and are quite rich...
*****
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Inside the Governor's Mansion in Taixi City.
After negotiating with the Tang Dynasty, Sheikh, who had been appointed Governor-General of Taixi, sat in a carved chair, holding a golden goblet filled with fine wine. He looked at his deputy, General Abul, in astonishment: "What did you say?"
Abul's expression was grave as he said in a deep voice, "The news that just came in is that one hundred of our cavalrymen were ambushed while patrolling in the mountains south of the city and were wiped out."
"how is this possible?"
Sheikh put down his golden goblet, in disbelief.
Although the Abbasid Caliphate defeated the Persians and occupied Mesopotamia, this land was home to many ancient, tenacious, and brave indigenous tribes, and no single tribe had been truly eradicated in the past twenty years. To prevent these tribes from growing stronger and threatening Abbasid rule, elite Abbasid troops were stationed in cities such as Ctesiphon and Mari.
In particular, the cavalry that the Abbasid Caliphate relied on to make a name for itself were brave and skilled in battle, each one capable of fighting ten men. How could a hundred-man cavalry unit be ambushed and wiped out?
How could those indigenous tribes, dressed in hemp clothing, wielding bronze swords and axes, and using bronze arrowheads, possibly possess such fighting power?
Abul said, "Absolutely true!"
Sheikh abruptly stood up, horrified, and said, "Could it be that the Tang army broke the agreement and attacked us in secret?"
Abul shook his head: "I have been ordered to monitor the Tang army, and their every move is under surveillance. There is absolutely no way they could send troops to infiltrate the mountains without my knowledge. Besides, even if the Tang army did manage to deceive me, what would they gain from going to the mountains to slaughter a troop of cavalry?"
"Not Tang soldiers?"
Sheikh paced back and forth on the ground: "That's a huge problem!"
The Arab army had an elite cavalry unit of one hundred men, whose fighting power was extremely strong. It might be possible to defeat them, but to annihilate them would be no easy task.
What force possesses such ferocious combat power?
(End of this chapter)