Chapter 2125 - A Letter from the Central Plains! (1/2)

“Same as last time, about the alliance?” Ishbara Khagan asked, his expression calm and unperturbed.

“Yes!”

The general nodded. They had already received many such letters, but Ishbara Khagan had suppressed all of them, causing them to vanish like stones into the ocean.

“I see,” Ishbara Khagan indifferently replied, saying no more.

In the tent, First Prince Irbis Shiyun shared a glance of mutual understanding with Wunu Shibi.

Irbis Shiyun stood up, made a hand salute, and firmly said, “Imperial Father, we can’t continue to delay.

“Time will not wait for us. An Yaluoshan and the other countries have invited us again and again, and now is the best moment for us to join. Moreover, the Great Tang is abundant with resources, with far greater stockpiles than ours. Attacking the Great Tang is the best way to get through this trial.”

Next to First Prince Irbis Shiyun, Great General Wunu Shibi came forward. “Your Majesty, though the First Prince is young, this general believes he is right on this matter. To not make a decision when decisiveness is called for is certain to sow chaos. Moreover, the alliance of the countries is now set in stone, making this the best time to deal with the Great Tang. And has Your Majesty forgotten the previous humiliations?”

One was the future Khagan and the other was a Great General. Their words combined carried an entirely different weight.

The final comment in particular made Ishbara Khagan’s eyes twitch.

In the border incident, Wang Chong had sent a letter threatening that he would hunt with Ishbara Khagan on Mount Sanmi, forcing Ishbara Khagan to withdraw his million-man army. All of the surrounding countries knew about this incident and joked about it, and Ishbara Khagan had marked it as a lifelong disgrace.

Moreover, even without this incident, the Western Turkic Khaganate and the Great Tang were old foes. Over the course of several hundred years, the two sides had clashed countless times. It was impossible to count the number of Turkic braves who had died to the Tang.

As the sovereign of the Great Steppe, Ishbara Khagan had been born with the ambition to expand his borders, desiring to bring the Western Turkic Khaganate to its apex. But the Tang forever remained an obstacle.

That the Western Turkic Khaganate was still confined to the ‘small region’ that was the Great Steppe was in large part due to the Great Tang.

Deep down in the hearts of Ishbara Khagan and any other Western Turk was a deep loathing for the Great Tang, though it was not a hatred normally brought up.

But the Great Tang…

Ishbara Khagan’s eyes flickered, and he stopped deliberating.

“Your Majesty, you must not!” Another Western Turkic general suddenly spoke up, his eyes filled with worry.

Any Western Turk had thoughts of vanquishing the Great Tang, but that was then and this was now. Everyone had seen how the Arabs had ended up.

“The Arabs gathered an army of two million, six hundred thousand elites, had a powerful expert in Khatabah, and summoned many of their Governors, the Ifrit, and the Behemoth Army. But despite all this, they still lost to the Tang, and their capital of Baghdad was taken and their country vanquished.

“Everyone, ask yourselves: can our cavalry compare to Arabia’s cavalry? Is our army as strong? And in this situation, what if we were to fail? Even Arabia was vanquished! What do we have that can oppose the Tang?

“Moreover, if we join the alliance army and attack the Great Tang, we could succeed or fail, but if we fail, we might suffer such devastating losses that our children might be enslaved by the Tang, our people forced into servitude for the rest of time!”

Numerous generals in the tent paled.

The Tang were arrogant, yes, but this arrogance was founded on strength. With examples of the past to look to, they understood that defeat would lead to unimaginable consequences.

“Absurd!”

Wunu Shibi’s voice erupted in the tent, his gaze as cold and sharp as a blade.

“The cold wave is imminent. If we don’t join the alliance, must we feign civility with the Great Tang?

“Countless livestock and shepherds in the empire have frozen to death, and you speak on behalf of the enemy? This general must question your intent! Talk! What did you receive from the Tang, that you would speak up for them?”

With a clang, Wunu Shibi drew his saber halfway out of its sheath, causing its bright surface to flash with a savage light.

“Great General!”

Everyone paled in alarm and came up to stop Wunu Shibi. Meanwhile, the Western Turkic general whose words had incited this reaction paled.

Suddenly, from a corner of the tent, behind all the other generals, Celestial Wolf Great General Duwu Sili spoke, his voice cold as ice. “Hmph, Great General, as long as you can say that you simply need to grab your saber and mount your horse to take Wang Chong’s head, I am sure that all the people of the Western Turkic Khaganate, including this Duwu Sili, would support you in joining the alliance.

“I am sure that with Great General’s ability, this should be as easy as lifting a hand, yes?”

Wunu Shibi narrowed his eyes and coldly replied, “Such impudence! Duwu Sili, you defeated general, do you have the right to speak here? In the Battle of Talas, the Celestial Wolf Cavalry were wiped out, and you still have the face to speak here?!”

“Bastard!”

Duwu Sili exploded in rage, his fists clenching.

In the Battle of Talas, he had fallen for Wang Chong’s fake formation phenomena and his army had been routed back to the west. In the Western Turkic Khaganate, his status had also taken a fall into the abyss. This could be seen from how he, a Great General, had been placed at the very back row for such an important meeting.

As the two quarreled, Ishbara Khagan’s impatience grew, and finally, with a roar, he stopped the two of them. “Enough!

“All of you, shut up!”