Chapter 41: Li Changguo Presents His Plan (Additional Chapter)

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  Tang Taizong's refusal to send troops to rescue the Sassanid Empire was not only a regret for the Tang Dynasty, but also a regret for China!

  If we were to select a few of the greatest regrets in Chinese history, this incident would definitely be included!

  Because of this, Tang Taizong's decision changed the course of world history!

  At that time, the Arab Empire had just risen and its foundation was not yet solid. If the Tang Dynasty sent troops, would the Arab Empire be able to rise again after being hit by the East at a critical moment of its rise?

  It is very likely that the Arab Empire will perish and there will be no more illustrious Arab Empire!

  There wouldn't be deeply rooted Islam in the Middle East!

  Because the Arab Empire only had the energy to Islamize the conquered lands after it stopped its westward expansion due to the An Lushan Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, Islam was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and firmly established in the Middle East.

  Even if the Arab Empire can rise again, the process of its rise will be extremely difficult. Will the territory of the Arab Empire still be so vast? Will its influence still be so great?

  "Ah!"

  Feng Changqing's words brought a sigh, and Li Xian and others were regretting Emperor Taizong of Tang's decision. If Emperor Taizong had decided to send troops, there would not have been the current situation with the large army of Dafei pressing the border, nor would there have been the incident of Dafei sending troops to attack the four towns of Anxi in the third and fifth years of the Kaiyuan era.

  In that case, the situation of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions will be even better, very good!

  It's possible that the Tang Dynasty had already dominated the Middle East!

  "Ah!"

  Gao Xianzhi clenched his fists and let out a sigh, his face filled with regret.

  This is an eternal regret, Li Changguo sighed silently.

  "Emperor Taizong has great talent and wisdom, with brave generals like clouds and strategists like rain. The reason for this decision is that it cannot be helped! " Feng Changqing shook his head, his slanted eyes shaking to who-knows-where: "Although the road to Persia is long and difficult, with mountains high and waters far, making it hard to supply our troops, the western expedition will be extremely challenging. But this is not impossible to overcome! The real reason Emperor Taizong decided not to send troops is that the Western Turks have not been eliminated, and the Western Regions are still under their control. Tang cannot bypass the Western Turkic territory to rescue Persia!"

  For this regrettable event, later generations have often thought that Emperor Taizong of Tang considered the distance between the Tang Dynasty and Persia to be too far, making it difficult to provide supplies, which is one reason, but not the real reason.

  Because it was a request for help from the Persian Empire, as long as the Tang Dynasty sent troops, the Persian Empire would definitely provide supplies, this is not a problem.

  Between losing one's country and being supplied, even a fool knows which to choose.

  The real reason is that the Western Regions, which are a must-pass place for the Tang army to advance westward, are still under the control of the Western Turks. Li Jing made a night raid on Yinshan and destroyed the Turks, but what he destroyed was the Eastern Turks.

  The Western Turks were enemies of the Tang Dynasty and had not yet been destroyed by the Tang Dynasty. This was accomplished during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, by Su Dingfang.

  It was precisely because the Western Turks were blocking the route that the Tang army had to take when advancing westward that Emperor Taizong of Tang decided not to send troops!

  "The great Tang had not yet sent troops, and Persia was already defeated. The Arabs, with the remaining prestige of their hundred battles, launched a large-scale eastern campaign and encountered the great Tang in the Western Regions. From then on, the two countries clashed, and for dozens of years, there was no rest!

  Feng Changqing's head shook even more violently, his tone turned higher, mournful and piercing to the ear, saying: "The Arabs' desire to destroy the great Tang has not died! Therefore, the great Tang and the Arabs will inevitably have a war! There must be a great battle!"

  The Persian Empire was not supported by the Tang Dynasty and soon perished at the hands of the Arab Empire. After destroying Persia, the Arab Empire greatly increased its strength, launched a large-scale eastern expedition, and clashed with the Tang Dynasty in Central Asia. The Arab Empire had long coveted China's wealth and dreamed of entering China, which was known as the "Golden Country". Its Eastern Governor, Yusuf, even told his generals that whoever set foot on Chinese soil first would be made the governor of China.

  It can be seen from this that the Arab Empire's desire to destroy the Tang Dynasty is still not dead!

  The Tang Dynasty and the Arab Empire will inevitably have a great war!

  "In order to solve the problem of Da Yu, the Tang Dynasty sent troops several times to help Ili River recover its country, but it was unsuccessful." Gao Xianzhi took over the conversation and said with a sorrowful tone: "In the later years of the Holy Emperor, the Tang Dynasty had an army that marched westward, fighting all the way to the outskirts of Rey, but due to being outnumbered and far from home, they were all martyred!"

  Borzu was the crown prince of the last Sassanid king, and after the fall of the Sassanid Empire, he came to Chang'an with the help of the Tang Dynasty, which granted him an official position.

  During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Su Dingfang destroyed the Western Turks, and the road between the Tang Dynasty and Persia was opened. The conditions for the Tang Dynasty to operate in the Middle East were ripe. Unfortunately, the best opportunity had passed, and the Arab Empire had become a huge entity, although its national strength was not as good as that of the Tang Dynasty, it was defeated and broken, repeatedly defeated and fought, and resisted the Tang Dynasty's attack.

  In order to contain the Arab Empire, the Tang Dynasty decided to help the Byzantine Empire recover its country. For this reason, the Tang Dynasty dispatched troops several times, including the famous general Pei Xingjian leading an expeditionary force, but ultimately all failed.

  During the reign of Wu Zetian, a small branch of the Tang army marched westward and attacked as far as Rey, which is now a suburb of Tehran, the capital of Iran. Due to the deep penetration of the lone army, it was impossible to replenish supplies, there were no reinforcements, and on top of that, they were not adapted to the local water and soil, so this small Tang army eventually died in battle.

  This is the farthest westward expedition in Chinese history!

  "Although the Arabs are the arch-enemy of the Tang Dynasty, they cannot be underestimated!" Feng Changqing took over the conversation and said: "The Arab army is well-trained, well-equipped, with strict military discipline, and their tactics are not bad. Moreover, they are willing to shed their last drop of blood for the 'Holy War', making them difficult to deal with."

  The army of the Arab Empire had a strong religious belief and was willing to die for their faith, this is "Jihad".

  Although the overall strength of the Arab Empire was inferior to that of the Tang Dynasty, it should not be underestimated and was difficult to deal with. Feng Changqing's words were very insightful.

  "It is indeed, to win this battle, we need more troops, more military equipment, and more food. Fēng Chángqīng's analysis was reasonable, standing up, rushing to Gāo Xiānzhī and saying: "Deputy Commander, please send a general to the imperial court! The general will certainly request His Majesty to dispatch more reinforcements and allocate more military equipment!"

  The Arab Empire is a formidable foe, and going to war with it cannot be taken lightly. It requires careful preparation, more troops, more weapons, and more supplies.

  Feng Changqing's words hit the nail on the head, and the other generals nodded heavily in agreement.

  "Hmm!" Gao Xianzhi wanted to go to war with the Arabs immediately, but he was very clear that the current conditions were not yet ripe. The reasons were manifold, and the most important one was that his military strength was still insufficient, not enough to defeat the Arab Empire.

  Historically, Gao Xianzhi's defeat at Talas was mainly due to insufficient military strength in his hands. Although the Tang army had the upper hand and pressed against the Arab Empire for five days and nights, they could not achieve a final victory, which led to the Arab Empire taking advantage of it and turning Ge Luozu around.

  Gao Xianzhi was sizing up Feng Changqing with a look of appreciation, and was just about to agree to his request.

  At this moment, Li Changguo stood up and said: "Deputy Capital Protector, I have something to say!"

  "Oh!"

  Gao Xianzhi was quite surprised, sizing up Li Changguo: "Li Changguo, you are renowned for your bravery and strategic thinking. However, this matter requires great talent, which is beyond your capabilities!"

  Li Changguo was his beloved, he admired Li Changguo, but did not believe that Li Changguo's insight could be higher than Feng Changqing's.

  Not just Gao Xianzhi thought so, but also Li Siye, who was on good terms with Li Changguo, shook his head in disappointment.