Chapter 1849: Tactical Planning! (2/2)
”The steel walls, the ballistae, the giant ballistae… I will deal with all of this. Tomorrow, the entire army will mobilize, and we must destroy this eastern empire. Anyone who dares to retreat tomorrow will be executed without question!” Khatabah coldly proclaimed to the people in the hall.
”Yes!”
Everyone immediately lowered their heads.
”Now! We will begin planning for tomorrow's battle!”
Khatabah suddenly took several steps forward and pulled away a long Arabian carpet, revealing the intricate model beneath.
Everyone immediately gathered around the model.
Around an hour later, the conference ended. All the Governors and Deputy Governors dispersed, leaving behind only Khatabah and the High Priest.
All fell quiet.
The High Priest suddenly turned to Khatabah and profoundly asked, ”Have you made up your mind? Tomorrow, must we use that thing within the cauldron?”
”Mm! As long as we have that beast, we can sweep over the eastern world and complete that grand aspiration that no one on the continent has ever achieved! This time, I plan to leave behind no regrets,” Khatabah firmly said, his voice unwavering.
”Mm.”
The High Priest gave a slight nod, his black robes concealing any emotion he might have shown.
”I merely wish to warn you that this fiend annihilated an ancient civilization by itself. Using it will require a certain price, and once the east is pacified, you must watch out for any side effects.”
Khatabah's face froze for a moment. He clearly understood what the High Priest was saying, but in the end, he resolved himself.
”All of this… can wait until after we conquer the eastern world!”
The hall fell silent once more. This time, the High Priest said no more, and everything was concealed under the veil of darkness.
……
Meanwhile, in the City of Steel, the six Great Generals and King Song had gathered together for their own conference. The mood was exceptionally grim.
”Tomorrow will be a fierce battle. The Arabs will send everything they have. Even with the steel walls and the ballistae, those two million soldiers will place immense pressure on us,” Gao Xianzhi said, his face grave.
In front of him was a massive model upon which everyone was focused. The model had been reworked to express in excruciating detail the current terrain and situation.
Abusi spoke up. ”I also feel this way. Even though they've already mobilized their Behemoth Army, the Arabs undoubtedly have even more moves to be used.”
His brow was creased and his hands slightly clenched as he examined the model.
Though he did not possess as profound a grasp of the art of war as Zhangchou Jianqiong, An Sishun, or Gao Xianzhi, he was still a Great General who had participated in his fair share of battles, and he still had the intuition of a Great General.
”Moreover, in today's battle, the majority of their cavalry died to our ballistae. We can be sure that they'll think of some way tonight to deal with the steel walls and the ballistae!”
Abusi's words cast a solemn mood on the room.
The impregnable steel walls that could hold against a cavalry charge and the sharp and unstoppable ballistae were the Great Tang's shield and spear in this war.
Without these two things, the Great Tang's battle against Arabia would have never been so easy. It was like Arabia without its Behemoth Army.
”It's not that simple. Did you see all those armored giants in the back of the enemy army? They remained in the rear throughout the entire battle. If the Arabs didn't commit them to battle, they must have greater plans for them,” Zhangchou Jianqiong said, his brow tinged with worry.
Zhangchou Jianqiong had made a significant contribution to today's victory, and because he had been in the front line, he had noticed many small details. As an influential commander, Zhangchou Jianqiong was never one to focus solely on the battle around him.
In that battle, Zhangchou Jianqiong had swept his gaze over the entire battlefield, including the rear of the Arab army, where the Arabs still had forces they had not committed.
”Our enemy is Khatabah, a legend of Arabia. He must have certain extraordinary traits that allowed him to obtain this reputation. But I'm not particularly concerned about any hidden moves they might have,” Wang Chong said, his expression calm and unperturbed.
The Great Tang was at its peak state, and he had his dream army. The steel defense line, the ballistae, the giant ballistae, six Great Generals, the Divine Martial Army, the Tongluo Cavalry… No matter who his opponent was or how strong they were, the Great Tang could deal with them. Moreover, Wang Chong himself had yet to make his move.
”There's one other matter!”