Chapter 1915: Arabias Treasury! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”An excellent woman worthy of respect! Withdraw!”
Wang Zhongsi dismissed the two generals.
Whether foreigner or Tang, any person with this sort of bearing was worth respecting.
”You should leave!”
Wang Chong couldn't help but chuckle.
”The Great Tang is not a country like Arabia. His Majesty has no reason to humiliate your Imperial Father, nor do I.”
”Is that true?”
Alia raised her head.
”Of course!”
Wang Chong stepped forward.
”But after all that he's done, emerging completely unscathed is also impossible!”
Wang Chong placed a hand on Mutasim III's body.
Bang!
As Wang Chong spoke, he sent a surge of Stellar Energy into Mutasim III's body, shattering his meridians and dantian.
While Mutasim III was no weakling, he was far inferior to the Subtle-realm Wang Chong.
With Mutasim III's cultivation crippled, he immediately crumpled to the ground, but Alia breathed a sigh of relief. If Wang Chong was willing to cripple her father's cultivation, it also meant that her father was really allowed to live.
”Mutasim III, my emperor has decreed that you are to be King of Arabia, but I still must offend you for a while!”
With a wave of his hand, Wang Chong had several experts come forward and escort Mutasim III away.
Wang Chong was not a cruel and unreasonable man, but he was also not soft and merciful. The Arabian Empire had yet to be pacified, and Mutasim III was still the reigning sovereign. Killing him might stir up a new wave of unrest, and if he wasn't killed, others could use him. He needed to be under the Great Tang's control.
”Princess Alia, if you are still uneasy, you may accompany your Imperial Father. If you would!”
After taking care of Mutasim III, Wang Chong ordered his army of more than one million soldiers to finally enter the illustrious capital of the Arabian Empire.
Upon seeing the Tang coalition army, all the Arab nobles lowered their heads in fear and respect.
This was the first time a foreign army had ever conquered Arabia and marched into Baghdad!
This was undoubtedly the darkest day in the history of Arabia, but the brightest for the Great Tang!
After passing through more than half of the city, Wang Chong entered the resplendent royal quarter, and when he seated himself on the Caliph's throne, the entire Tang army erupted with cheers.
At this moment, they had finally achieved true victory in this western expedition.
This was an unprecedented campaign, the first time in the history of the Central Plains that an army had gone past the Western Regions, marched over the Cong Mountains, passed through Samarkand and Khorasan, and conquered the western world.
Not even the Qin Emperor or Wu of Han had ever accomplished such a feat.
This was a massive victory that was more than worthy of entry into the annals!
”Pass on my order! Distribute rewards to the army!”
Bang!
The thunderous cheers of the army could be heard throughout Baghdad.
……
The next day, as all the surrounding countries were still shocked by Arabia's surrender and as the Tang army was still celebrating its occupation of Baghdad, a surprising piece of news arrived.
In the Imperial Palace of Baghdad, Wang Chong, Wang Zhongsi, and Zhangchou Jianqiong were examining a map of Arabia and discussing how the empire was to be administered and where soldiers should be deployed. It was at this time that Zhang Que rushed in with excitement on his face.
”Milord, we've found the Arabian treasury!”
Buzz!
The hall fell silent as everyone turned toward Zhang Que.
”Where is it?” Wang Chong suddenly asked, not trying to hide anything from the others.
The war of the northwest and the following western expedition had been extremely taxing on the Great Tang. The money and supplies needed for the war effort, put together with the compensation paid out to the families of the bereaved, totaled together into an enormous sum.
While the Great Tang was prosperous, fighting a powerful empire like Arabia had still been extremely exhausting on its finances.
Moreover, Wang Chong had always followed the principle of using war to pay for war. After paying such a great price and obtaining such great success, he could not permit himself to return empty-handed.
Arabia was a powerful country known for its ferocity in battle, but Wang Chong also knew it to be a country of immense wealth.
In its ascendancy, Arabia had conquered countless countries and taken their wealth as its own. Fortunes that had been built up over the centuries had all fallen into Arabia's hands.
This was an unimaginable wealth. After the Battle of Khorasan, when Wang Chong had demanded one billion taels of gold, it had been swiftly delivered.
It was only then that Wang Chong had realized that Arabia was even wealthier than he had imagined.