"you shut up!"

Seeing that Bian Lingcheng was making a fuss, Li Xuan pointed at his seat and shouted at him, very rudely.

He was afraid that Bian Lingcheng would cause trouble in Qiuci City, so he forced him to accompany the army to provide security in the rear.

When Li Xuan was around, Bian Lingcheng did not dare to solicit bribes openly.

Except Li Xuan, no one can suppress Bian Lingcheng's greed.

The main reason is that Li Xuan is afraid that Bian Lingcheng will ruin his plans. But now Li Xuan cannot kill Bian Lingcheng, so he needs to establish merits before controlling him.

"I am the military supervisor appointed by the saint. Even if you are the commander-in-chief, you cannot insult me. Are you committing the crime of deceiving the emperor?"

After hearing Li Xuan's scolding, Bian Lingcheng's pale face turned the color of liver.

Before Li Xuan arrived in the Western Regions, Bian Lingcheng could get whatever he wanted, and even Gao Xianzhi had to accommodate him.

His wealth was fully demonstrated in the Western Regions.

Since ancient times, eunuchs have had extremely distorted psychology and are very self-righteous due to the loss of certain body parts.

They believed that the power granted by the emperor was above all else.

At critical moments, the emperor would also choose himself.

Especially eunuchs like Bian Lingcheng who are all-powerful.

"I am the governor of Anxi. I am sent by the emperor. So what if I am the military supervisor? Can I take over the emperor's job? Who is guilty of deceiving the emperor?"

Li Xuan sneered and said sarcastically to Bian Lingcheng.

It has been a custom since ancient times that when the army sets out, military supervisors follow.

This is also the rule set by Li Longji.

However, Bian Lingcheng could not bear the hardship of marching, so Li Xuan forced him to follow the army, which only made Bian Lingcheng resentful and he did not dare to tell Li Longji.

He is sure that Bian Lingcheng can't stand him!
The last time Bian Lingcheng reported him, Li Longji did not take any action.

Once Li Xuan wins the battle, with Yang Yuhuan and Gao Lishi at his side, Bian Lingcheng will not be able to harm him.

"I entered the palace when I was young and was chosen to be the Saint's attendant. I regard the Saint as the God. How could I deceive the Emperor? It is obvious that you have ulterior motives..."

Bian Lingcheng, whose defense was broken, started to curse.

He used his own background to show that he was a close confidant of the saint.

During the Tianbao period, all of the Tang Dynasty's military supervisors were, without exception, young eunuchs who grew up with Li Longji and were deeply loved by Li Longji.

Li Longji believed that he was a superior emperor and father in the eyes of the little eunuchs, so he gave them the important task of supervising the army.

However, due to Li Longji's mysterious self-confidence, problems with military supervision arose one after another.

In front is Niu Xiantong, and behind is Guo Quan.

Just because they haven’t committed any crime doesn’t mean that the other eunuchs supervising the army are clean.

"My loyalty to the Tang Dynasty is evident to all heaven and earth. I have captured the Turkic Khan and the Tibetan king, and now I am in the Western Regions, trying every possible way to defeat the Arabs. I have been trusted by the Saint to manage and control the Western Regions, but you actually question the Saint. What is your intention?"

Li Xuan continued to retort.

Bian Lingcheng was purely self-righteous. When Li Longji killed Niu Xiantong, he didn't even blink an eye.

It’s just that compared to princes and ministers, Li Longji trusted eunuchs more.

Once you betray Li Longji's trust, Li Longji will feel that he has been deceived and will be angry and humiliated.

"I have lived in the frontier fortress for a long time and have some strategies in mind. Gao Xianzhi must listen to my opinions. This is allowed by the saint. I think Li Duhu missed a good opportunity. As a frontier commander, Li Duhu can't even tolerate such an opinion?"

Bian Lingcheng argued speciously.

He knows nothing about military affairs and relies entirely on his own conjectures.

He believed that when the Arab coalition forces were attacking Suiye City, the Tang army could easily win by launching a surprise attack with large numbers of cavalry and engaging in direct combat.

Doing this may indeed lead to victory!

But there will definitely be unnecessary losses.

In Li Xuan's view, a good general should avoid unnecessary losses.

If a general ordered his soldiers to attack a fortress that had no strategic value for the sake of merit, Li Xuan would definitely kill him.

"If we supply the army with food from thousands of miles away, the soldiers will be hungry; if we temporarily collect firewood and cut grass to cook, the army will often go hungry. Our army will be patient and slowly defeat the enemy, and we will surely win a great victory."

"If the abilities of generals are ranked, the Central Army must be at the bottom of the list. Stop showing off your so-called strategies, or you will be laughed at."

Li Xuan still had a bad face towards Bian Lingcheng.

"Generals, listen to my orders. The cavalry will attack the Arab camp tonight. This is also a good strategy..."

Bian Lingcheng continued to persist, becoming even more outrageous in the big tent.

He thought he was Yang Sixu.

When Li Longji was young, Yang Sixu became friends with Li Longji, who was still the Prince of Linzi. Later, because of his contribution in suppressing the Jinglong coup, he was appointed as the Supervisor of Internal Affairs, participated in suppressing the rebellion of Empress Wei, and was appointed as a general.

Because Yang Sixu was brave, fierce, strong, cruel and bloodthirsty, Li Longji put him in charge of military affairs.

At the beginning of the Kaiyuan Prosperity, Lingnan was not at peace. Yang Sixu was ordered to quell the rebellions of Mei Shuluan in Annan, Tan Xingzhang in Wuxi, Liang Dahai in Yongzhou, and Chen Xingfan in Longzhou, and made great military achievements. He was promoted to General of the Cavalry, Shang Zhuguo, and Duke of Guo.

When Yang Sixu was alive, Gao Lishi had to be courteous to him.

Li Longji valued Yang Sixu more, which can be clearly seen from his title of lord.

Because Yang Sixu was a favored general, military supervisors like Bian Lingcheng mistakenly believed that they could also become a person like Yang Sixu.

"That's enough! When Zhuang Jia missed his deadline, Sima Rangju beheaded him. Do you think you are higher than the military supervisors in ancient times? If you dare to be so presumptuous again, I will behead you!"

Li Xuan interrupted Bian Lingcheng.

She kept whining and butting in when he was discussing important military matters, which made Li Xuan even more disgusted.

This touched Li Xuan's bottom line.

Otherwise, Li Xuan would not have humiliated Bian Lingcheng in public.

"you……"

Bian Lingcheng was so angry that he couldn't speak, and pointed at Li Xuan with trembling hands.

He is the military supervisor!

Being insulted in front of so many generals, officials, and generals from various countries in the Western Regions was a huge loss of face for him!

It's no use for him to be angry.

Because he really couldn't do anything to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan restricted him in every way, making it impossible for him to find an opportunity to impeach Li Xuan.

Just as Bian Lingcheng thought, at this moment, all the generals, subordinates, and generals from various countries in the Western Regions in the big tent were laughing in their hearts.

They had long disliked Bian Lingcheng, but they had no choice but to tolerate him.

Now they felt very relieved when they saw Li Xuan scolding Bian Lingcheng.

In this respect, Gao Xianzhi is far inferior to Li Xuan.

As for Bian Lingcheng's order for them to "attack at night", they turned a deaf ear to it.

At this time, they only obeyed Li Xuan's orders.

Including the Anxi Army and the Beiting Army, they also recognized Li Xuan's charm and strength.

They were also happy that they no longer had to endure Bian Lingcheng’s bullying.

Bian Lingcheng is too presumptuous.

Li Xuan was the King of Tianshui, had served as the de facto chief prime minister, and had outstanding military achievements.

Such disrespect to Li Xuan made everyone in the tent despise him.

"Everyone, my vanguard army is mainly responsible for holding on to the Arab coalition forces. Whether the Arabs are stationed at Suiye River or they have moved their camps, we must hold on tightly to buy time for the Kucha Army and the Hanhai Army. No one is allowed to take the initiative to attack and ruin our plan. Those who disobey will be killed!"

"As long as the Arab-Arab coalition forces are all kept in the Tang Dynasty, the military merits of the soldiers will be indispensable. The thirty-six countries in the Western Regions can also be exempted from taxes for one year and receive rewards from the court..."

Li Xuan no longer paid attention to Bian Lingcheng who was turning his head away and unable to speak, but spoke to his subordinates, generals, and generals of various countries in the Western Regions in the big tent.

"I obey your command!" Everyone responded in unison.

They all knew that the Kucha army, the Hanhai army, the Qarluk cavalry and others had arrived at the Suiye River.

Even without a major battle, it was very difficult for the Arab coalition forces to withdraw.

"General Li, according to intelligence, the Arab coalition forces include Bukhara and Sogdia. After our army arrives, we can send people to persuade the soldiers of Bukhara and Sogdia to surrender, making our victory easier."

Feng Changqing made another suggestion to Li Xuan.

He often took care of Anxi affairs and knew that countries like Bukhara respected the Tang Dynasty.

Submission to the Arabs was a last resort. Now that the Tang Dynasty has drawn its sword, Bukhara and the Sogdian states should follow the trend.

"What Judge Feng said is correct. When the armies of Kucha and Hanhai arrive, we will persuade Bukhara, Sogdia and other countries to surrender, and deal a blow to the morale of the Arab coalition forces."

Li Xuan nodded, agreeing with Feng Changqing's suggestion.

If possible, a counterattack by Bukhara and the Sogdian states within the Caliphate would accelerate its defeat.

However, Li Xuan guessed that the Arab general would not place Bukhara and Sogdia in weak places.

The situation is now clear. It is obviously Li Xuan's strategy to lure the enemy and let the Arabs take the initiative to attack the Tang Dynasty.

Bukhara and the Sogdian countries became a hidden danger to the Arab coalition forces.

Another half an hour later, the military meeting in the big tent was over, and Bian Lingcheng immediately walked out of the tent. His face was ashen and hatred was written all over his face.

When he passed by his subordinates and generals, the generals and his subordinates deliberately turned a blind eye to him.

This made Bian Lingcheng grit his teeth.

He will definitely find an opportunity to work together with Yang Guozhong to completely take down Li Xuan.

……

Seven days passed by in a flash.

Under the leadership of Yuchi Sheng, the coalition forces of the Western Regions had already arrived in the area of ​​Suiye City and set up camp to confront the Arab coalition forces.

"kill!"

"Pfft!"

In an open area several miles away from the two military camps, accompanied by bursts of shouts and screams, Hun Yu rushed left and right, killing a team of dozens of Arab cavalry without leaving a single soldier behind.

Hun Yu led more than twenty personal guards wearing the Mingguang armor of the Tang Dynasty.

During these seven days, the Tang cavalry and the Arab cavalry clashed no less than fifty times on the front lines of the two armies.

They were all small-scale conflicts, with the largest involving no more than a hundred people.

However, these insignificant conflicts made Ziyad ibn Sari frown.

Because most of these conflicts ended in the defeat of the Arabs.

Ziyad ibn Sari just wanted to test the combat effectiveness of the Tang cavalry, and even sent several fierce generals, but they all died on the battlefield.

From generals to soldiers, from weapons to armor, the Tang army was far stronger than the Arab coalition forces.

Ziyad ibn Sari also did not forget to guard against attacks from the Tang Dynasty at all times, but the Tang Dynasty was able to endure it and only sent scouts and elite cavalry to patrol.

At the closest point, they were showing off their might at a distance of a hundred feet from the Arab cavalry camp.

This is to challenge the Arabs.

After dozens of attacks, the Arab coalition forces only won a few, which dealt a huge blow to the morale of the Arab army.

For the first time, they realized the power of the Tang Dynasty.

The soldiers sent by the Tang army were all wearing the Ming Guang armor of the Tang Dynasty. Even if one team was defeated, it would be impossible to kill them all.

However, the Tang generals were fierce and brave, and they often wiped out the whole army.

"Li Xuan wants to fight a protracted war with our army. Our army has traveled thousands of miles across mountains and hills, and needs a constant supply of food and grass. We can't outlast the Tang army. If we keep wasting time, our army's morale will become increasingly low, so we should take the initiative to attack."

Adul suggested to Ziyad ibn Sari.

They were not qualified to confront the Tang Dynasty in Anxi.

Now they all knew why Li Xuan chose to fight the Arabs in Anxi.

Because the advantage is too great.

Small-scale cavalry conflicts do not mean anything. Once the real war comes, Adu swears that he will lead the Khorasan cavalry to victory.

Adu just realized that there is always someone better than you, and they had underestimated the Tang Dynasty before.

The weapons and armor alone were enough to make them suffer.

"What a great general, forcing us like this. Huh! The Tang army has many cavalrymen, General Adu, you have a great responsibility."

Ziyad ibn Sari took a long breath. Now there was no way to retreat, and he could only take the initiative to attack the Tang Dynasty.

Otherwise, with the Tang army's determination, if they continue to waste time, they will not be able to hold out for long.

"General, I will defend the Arabs and my lord until my death."

Adu is determined.

"Report... General, a large number of Karluk cavalry were spotted a hundred miles to the north. When our scouts went to inquire, they killed our scouts and hung them on the wolf-head banner."

At this moment, the messenger ran into the tent and reported to Ziyad ibn Sari.

"The Qarluk have indeed colluded with the Tang Dynasty and plotted against the Arabs. Once the Arabs occupy the Western Regions, the Qarluk will have no place to stand on the grasslands."

When Ziyad ibn Sari heard the news, he was furious.

He has been thinking about this possibility these days.

So what seemed unexpected was actually expected by Ziyad ibn Sari.

He was mentally prepared and could complete the deployment in the first place: "General Adu, send 10,000 cavalry to the north to deter the Qarluk."

Ziyad ibn Sari did not dare to send elite cavalry to raid the Qarluk cavalry.

Because there were no secrets around the Arab coalition forces at that time, if they rashly sent cavalry to leave the coalition camp, they would most likely be surrounded by the Tang cavalry.

At the same time, we should think twice about attacking the coalition forces of the Western Regions.

They were afraid that when the Arab-Arab coalition forces attacked the Tang army, the Qarluk cavalry would launch a surprise attack.

"As ordered!"

Adu had no choice but to obey the order.

Ziyad ibn Sari patted Padu on the shoulder and prepared to write a letter to the Governor of Khorasan to inform him of all the war situations.

To ask for a strategy!
However, a few hours later, more news came to Ziyad ibn Sari like a bolt from the blue.

More than 20,000 Tang cavalry appeared dozens of miles to their west at some point.

The west is their retreat.

As rumored, a large number of Tang troops entered the Western Regions.

The Tang army completed the surprise attack without any intention, and the Arabs had no time to react at all.

Now that the Tang army has completed the encirclement on all sides, the Arabs have no choice but to fight back at Suiye River.

Adu requested a battle and first used the Khorasan cavalry to defeat the armies of Kucha, Hanhai and others that blocked their retreat, but Ziyad ibn Sari directly refused.

Because the Tang army's Jinglüe Army cavalry and the Great Wall Army cavalry had already started moving and were targeting the Arab cavalry.

As soon as the Arab cavalry moved, they would immediately follow in a roundabout way.

The Arab cavalry would inevitably be attacked from both sides.

Ziyad ibn Sari was a famous general, but he was hesitant and lost sight of the big picture, which was a common mistake made by generals.

Because Ziyad ibn Sari wanted to win and occupy the Western Regions so much.

As a result, the Arab coalition forces were in a dilemma...

When the dust of the Tang army's iron cavalry fell into the eyes of Bukhara and Sogdia, everything changed...

(End of this chapter)