"Your Highness, if they really retreat, should we follow them?"
Chang Sun Ze saw that Li Xiang didn't speak for a long time, and he also knew that there might be difficulties. He had been training in Annan for such a long time, so of course he had some understanding of the strength of the Tang Dynasty.
Conquering a huge empire is not just about defeating it militarily. If you don't handle it well, a series of problems may arise. Don't underestimate these problems, as they may bury you at any time.
Take some people for example, they think that military warfare is the most important thing. Of course, this does not mean that military warfare is not important. If you win a military war but lose in the subsequent work, then this is really unfair.
It can be seen from the Kingdom of Annan that it is very easy for us to win a military war, but if there is any slight mistake in the subsequent series of actions, it will bring trouble to the entire Tang Dynasty, and this trouble cannot be solved in a short time.
When Chang Sun Ze asked this question, the others also pricked up their ears. You know, they didn't know how far the war against the Arab Empire would go, but they knew how to fight on the battlefield. As for grasping the subsequent general direction, they still needed people like Li Xiang. In fact, this is the different division of labor. If you want to do everything, it is simply impossible. What if the civil servants in the rear find out, will you be able to survive?
Looking at everyone's anxious eyes, Li Xiang knew that he had to talk to them about this problem. He always mobilized so many troops, but Li Xiang really had never thought about invading the heartland of the Arab Empire, because these were two completely different wars.
On the land of present-day Afghanistan, Li Xiang can fight a war with the Arab Empire. Even if the scale is a little larger, we are not afraid at all. Even if we are defeated, it will not have much impact on us.
After all, we are a mobile force and can retreat quickly without suffering too much loss. But if we were to charge into the heart of the Arab Empire right now when they have hundreds of thousands of troops, Li Xiang would not dare to make the decision.
The last time we occupied the jurisdiction of the Anton Governor's Office, it was because all of their armed forces had been almost wiped out by us, leaving only some unimportant local armed forces, and these people were exploited by the tribal leaders and could not survive, so we were able to occupy such a large area at one time.
But even so, we have never been stable internally. Just look at the memorial sent by Xiao Shougui. We have taken away most of their young and middle-aged people, but these people still don't know how to be content. Over the years, they have done all kinds of rebellious things behind our backs.
Compared to the Arab Empire, the Western Regions were like lions and ants. Even the ants were restless, so how could you expect a lion to comfort them? Even if Li Xiang wanted to conquer the Arab Empire, it wouldn't be a matter of one or two wars. He would have to weaken them through successive wars, leaving them without the strength to stand up. Only then would Li Xiang consider attacking their heartland. It was clearly not the right time now.
"That's a good question. We're all family, and I've never hidden anything from you. I can tell you this very clearly: if their entire army withdraws, then we'll probably have to retreat as well."
After hearing Li Xiang's words, there was not much light in the eyes of those present. They all wanted to come out to fight a big battle, at least everyone would have to make a big contribution. But now, except for Li Chengyi, the others had almost nothing. They had mobilized so many troops for so many days, was it just to march quickly in such a desert?
Li Chengyi also felt a little uncomfortable. Although he had made contributions, we should have pursued the victory. While they were defeated and most of the troops had no combat effectiveness, we should have continued to attack south. If we just went back like this, it seemed that we had wasted a lot of opportunities.
However, what Li Xiang said was very reasonable. It was completely different from here. It was the economic heartland of the Arab Empire, just like Chang'an and Jiangnan in my country. Its defenses were definitely the strongest. The land we are standing on now was expanded by the Arab Empire later, just like the Xueyantuo and Turks in my country. It was not that important.
The Tang Empire can occupy this place, but it cannot move forward. For the Arab Empire, occupying this place is acceptable, but if it continues to move forward, the two sides may have to fight to the death, and going deep into the other side's country will also cause the other side's people to fight to the death. This is what the Annan Kingdom did, but the strength of the Annan Kingdom is too weak, and it is not at the same level as us. No matter what method they use to fight to the death, they can't stop the advance of our Tang army.
The situation is different on the Arab Empire side. It cannot be said that all their people are soldiers, but as long as they are physically strong, they can mount a horse and serve in the army. So in this case, we must eliminate a large number of their manpower abroad. Obviously, this is not enough at the moment. Rushing in under such circumstances would be irresponsible to our army.
When Li Xiang put forward all these reasons, several generals began to nod their heads. They had not considered the issues comprehensively enough just now, so they urged Li Xiang to charge in. Now it seems that what Li Xiang said makes sense. If we only want to seize the opportunity in front of us and ignore the future development, we will drag the Tang army into the abyss.
"I understand what you all mean. This opportunity is truly rare. Although I said we won't attack their economic heartland, we can still fight in the border areas. From this moment on, we must change our tactics. Since we can't engage in a decisive battle with their main force, we must aim to inflict maximum damage to their remaining forces. After you return, quickly explore their border cities and find a way to eliminate as many of their troops as possible."
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Xiang also temporarily changed their strategy. Of course, there will be opportunities for temporary changes next time. After all, the battlefield is ever-changing and nothing is fixed.
