Chapter 694: Li Siyes Problems! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
At Yang Hongchang's words, Wang Chong's eyes instantly brightened in surprise.
”Sa'id?”
This was the first time Wang Chong was hearing this name.
On the future battlefield between the Great Tang and the Abbasid Caliphate, in that clash between the two great empires of the east and west, several names played extremely critical roles that altered the course of the battle. And one of these names was that of the Lord of Talas.
Although Gao Xianzhi was a foreigner, he was also the Anxi Protector-General, the elite Great General holding down the empire's northwest, one of the Twin Jades of the Empire. His strength was indisputable.
Wang Chong had once researched his accomplishments. Gao Xianzhi's most unique trait was his preference for cavalry. Soldiers valued speed, and an army that could quickly march one thousand li would often appear in a place the enemy would not expect.
But even the wisest man would have a flaw in his plans. The greatest defeat in Gao Xianzhi's life resulted from his underestimating the opponent. In the limited time available to him, he was unable to occupy Talas first.
This made it so that his tactic of a surprise assault across a thousand li became a protracted siege. And the one in Talas who resisted the Anxi Protectorate army, and delayed and tired Gao Xianzhi, was the Lord of Talas.
One misstep would lead to several more. Gao Xianzhi was a master of raids, but siege battles were his natural weakness. In the final analysis, it was precisely the battle with the Lord of Talas that led to Gao Xianzhi and the Anxi Protectorate army's ultimate defeat. As a result, the Great Tang lost more than three million square kilometers of territory and the centuries of effort it had invested into the Western Regions.
Few people knew about the Lord of Talas, and this was the first time Wang Chong had learned of his name.
”In your interactions with Sa'id, what did you think of him as a person?”
Wang Chong's brows rose as he voiced this question.
”This person has a superb reputation in the Western Regions and great prestige. I heard of a certain incident related to him in the Western Regions. Sa'id was doing business with someone and promised him a certain batch of goods. But later on, the person he had made the promise to died from illness. When Sa'id learned of this, he began to investigate the man, spending two whole years until he found the man's family and delivered the goods to his widow and son. He even left some money for the bereaved family.
”Because of this incident, Talas and the nearby merchants have a great deal of trust in him. They know that he always keeps his promises.”
Yang Hongchang paused for a moment and then moved on.
”But in my interactions with him, I learned that the Lord of Talas is far from as simple as he seems. His rule is extremely harsh, and anyone who defies the law is never treated lightly. The number of maids, servants and merchants who have been executed in Talas… is simply uncountable, so many people speak of him with both fear and respect.
”To take the Silk Road from the Great Tang to the Abbasid Caliphate requires crossing more than ten thousand li and many countries. As a result, many merchants choose to try and avoid any fees and taxes. But in Talas, all the Hu merchants turn in their taxes on time and without any prompting. No one dares to try avoiding the taxes. As a result, the area is very safe. This is extremely rare in a place as disorderly as the Western Regions.”
Wang Chong said nothing, but his brow slowly creased.
The incident that Yang Hongchang had spoken of was certainly not good news for the Great Tang. A person like Sa'id would present a great disadvantage to the Great Tang in the upcoming war.
”Yang Hongchang, I want you to help me with something,” Wang Chong suddenly said. ”Are you willing?”
”Lord Marquis, please speak.”
Yang Hongchang immediately bowed his head.
”I want you to take some people and enter Talas to help me watch the movements of the Abbasid Caliphate and Talas. No matter what happens, even if it’s the wind blowing the grass, I need you to promptly report it to me, especially if you see any strange movements amongst the Arabs,” Wang Chong sternly said.
”This… Lord Marquis, we Han look different from the Hu and are very obvious in a crowd of Hu. It's easy for us to be noticed, and in that situation, I'm afraid that it will be very difficult for us to gather any news. Moreover, if someone notices us and grows suspicious, it might even be difficult to preserve our lives,” Yang Hongchang said, a distressed look on his face.
”Haha, the Hu have seventy-two kingdoms, so not all of them can be of one mind. Since Han are more liable to rouse suspicion, just find a few Hu. Sir Yang, you've done business in the Western Regions for so many years, so you should at least be able to hire some Hu, right?” Wang Chong said with a hearty laugh.
”This, even if it's Hu, they might not be of one mind with us. And it's often the case where they take the money and don't do the work,” Yang Hongchang said doubtfully.
Wang Chong only grinned. He did not argue any further with Yang Hongchang, only gave a sum.
”Ten thousand taels of gold!”
”This…”
”Twenty thousand taels of gold!”
”But…”
Wang Chong raised two fingers and said, ”Add to that an additional twenty percent to your quota of tea leaves and the waiving of taxes when your Yang Clan embarks for the Western Regions.”
”Lord Marquis is wise and brave. This lowly person would definitely do his utmost to oversee the Hu and have them work for the Great Tang to watch Talas and the Arabs. The slightest movement, this lowly one guarantees, will be reported to Lord Marquis at the first opportunity. However, this lowly person's clan has recently been going through difficulties. If Lord Marquis adds an additional twenty percent for porcelain, this lowly one would truly be eternally grateful,” Yang Hongchang said with a face full of 'sincerity'.
Wang Chong inwardly smiled. Merchants valued profit, and as this was a business deal, Yang Hongchang was frankly confessing that he didn't want to work for free. The Silk Road was the Road of Gold, and what Hu merchants bought the most of in the capital was silk and tea ware.