"How about this? The court has purchased all of your goods and will pay you on time every month. You will be our guide for the time being."
After listening to Chen Liu's words, Cheng Chuliang felt that this person was of great use. After all, he was very familiar with the surrounding situation and was someone we could trust. If we asked someone else to be our guide, we would have some guesses in our minds that this person would definitely not harm us.
"General, what are you talking about? Although I have been in the Western Regions for so long, my parents are still in Gansu and Shaanxi, and the graves of my ancestors are still there. If I want to contribute to the court and ask for money, what's the point? My two sons and I are very familiar with this generation, so please feel free to use it, General."
Chen Liu quickly waved his hand. In fact, after the court drove these people away, they could do business with peace of mind. Although there were some thieves in the Western Regions before, the number of these people has become fewer and fewer under the crackdown by the Tang Dynasty court.
Now that people from the Arab Empire have arrived, their business is becoming increasingly difficult. These people are always robbing, so after driving them away, the merchants from the Western Regions will of course set off firecrackers to celebrate. Now that they can contribute a little to this job, what else do they need money for?
"This is the court's policy. Don't refuse. Come and take a look. This is our marching route. Are there any changes? We plan to capture Shiguo City in the next few days."
The sand table next to it showed how to attack. Of course, it was impossible to tell the people used in each route and the various weapons and equipment. We had to keep some things in reserve for everyone. This was also one of Cheng Chuliang's basic principles in life. The people in front of him could be trusted. What if he got drunk and went out to talk nonsense? Wouldn't that leak our military secrets?
According to the strategy of the Tang army, they will bypass the mountains to the east of Shiguo City, and then attack from the left and right.
"General, this is a good plan, but the Arab cavalry is very fast. There are also people in my caravan who ride very fast horses, but they couldn't outrun them when they were delivering my letter. Their horses have been specially trained and can run at an extremely fast speed. Moreover, these people don't shoot arrows from their horses. They ride fast horses and harvest people's heads with scimitars."
When thinking of this scene, Chen Liu shuddered all over. That was the fastest horseman in his caravan. He rode his horse just to make them run faster, but in the end he was killed by the people of the Arab Empire. Those people rode on their war horses as if they were flying.
"What this brother said is true. The last time we fought them, they almost rushed into our camp. Fortunately, our crossbows were quite powerful."
Thinking of the last battle, Li Chengyi and General Moren nodded. If they were to split their troops into two groups this time, they must not stretch the front line too long. If they did, it would give them an opportunity.
"So you mean we should attack all the way?"
Cheng Chuliang had originally decided to attack from two directions, but this would disperse our forces to attack from one direction. Although the defense would be strong, there would be no way to surround and intercept the enemy during pursuit. In fact, it was impossible to pursue the enemy because our speed was not on the same level as the enemy.
Li Chengyi and General Moren both nodded. They both remembered clearly the scene of the black-robed knights' attack last time. If we hadn't worked together, we probably wouldn't have been able to stop them. These guys were definitely very powerful. Just as His Highness said, these people were the formidable enemies of our Tang Empire. At least no one had ever made us so embarrassed before.
"I've heard some things in the city. The countries they conquered were actually quite powerful, but the Arab Empire's cavalry was fast. Once they saw they couldn't win on the battlefield, they would immediately flee. They wouldn't fight us and would look for an opportunity to sneak attack us. So when we come into contact with them, we should try to defeat them in one go, otherwise it would be difficult to find another opportunity in the future."
Chen Liu suddenly thought of what some people said during the chat. These people originally had their own countries, which came from places further west and south, but now they have been occupied by the Arab Empire. Thinking of how the Arab Empire fought, these people were still scared.
This is indeed a headache. When they can beat you, they will rush forward. When they can't beat you, they will prepare to escape. So we have to make preparations for both situations. They will definitely not be able to beat us in the first attack. Whichever direction they escape to, we have to send someone to hold them back.
"Which country in the Western Regions has the fastest cavalry?"
The Tang Dynasty cavalry were all wearing heavy armor. It was simply impossible to expect them to chase the cavalry of the Arab Empire.
"It should be the Shule Kingdom."
When General Moren said this, everyone in the tent rolled their eyes. "The entire tribe has been wiped out. What's the point of this? Are we going to pull them out of hell?"
"The next is the people of Loulan. They are also very fast, but there are only 2,000 Loulan cavalry in our team, and more than 500 of them are riding camels."
When fighting in the desert, if they only had war horses, they would not be able to hold out. They would have to bring a large number of camels. These camels not only last longer, but most importantly, they can carry more things.
"Go get their general."
Cheng Chuliang was busy arranging battle plans, while the Governor-General's Office in Anton was still enjoying itself. From His Royal Highness the Prince down, many people did not feel the danger at all. They thought that even if the Tang army came, it would be next year. How could they march so fast in the wilderness?
What's more, Chang'an City is so prosperous. In their opinion, the Tang army must be accustomed to it. If you want to expect them to fight on the battlefield, forget it. The reason why they can conquer so much land is purely because their comprehensive national strength is relatively strong, which is useless in such a bitter and cold place.
Influenced by the above, the soldiers in Shiguo City did not have so much time to patrol the surrounding areas. They usually just strolled around twice. They were more keen on enjoying themselves in the city.
It was on a night filled with bonfires, singing and dancing that the Tang army arrived fifteen miles away from Shiguo City.
