Chapter 1180 - The Little Ice Age, Invasion!
Chapter 1180: The Little Ice Age, Invasion!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Within the next two to three years after the blizzard, an unprecedented cold wave would sweep down from the north, beginning an unprecedentedly bitter winter.
This was a terrifyingly ruthless winter that occurred every several hundred years. It would not last two or three months, not even five or six months. Rather, it would last for at least ten months.
Beyond the borders of the Great Tang, all the grass and trees would be frozen to death, and hundreds of thousands of livestock would die, barely any of them being able to survive this kind of winter.
And it was precisely this bitter winter that led to an even greater disaster in the future, as well as a string of dark and tumultuous events.
This string of events was referred to in history as the Little Ice Age.
No one except those who had experienced it could possibly understand just how harsh this winter was.
Kaclack!
The temperature plunged once more in the middle of the conversation. Everyone by the door to Wang Chong’s room could hear an enormous crack. The sound of yet another thick layer of ice forming on the walls of Khorasan alarmed everyone who heard it.
Wang Chong suddenly turned his head and said to Gao Xianzhi, “Lord Protector-General, the temperature is plunging very rapidly. You should bring all the soldiers of the Anxi Protectorate army into the underground caves and basements.”
“What!”
Everyone was stunned by Wang Chong’s words. He had even prepared underground caves and basements? But Wang Chong had never mentioned them before.
“I’ve already taken care of everything,” Wang Chong nonchalantly said to the Anxi generals. “If Milord had not come over, Kong Zi-an would have already informed you. In addition, I have already had Banahan, the Gangke King, and Cui Piaoqi deliver woolen and cotton clothes to the soldiers. After putting them on, they should enter the caves and basements. The temperature down there will be much higher than it is up here.”
Cheng Qianli, Xi Yuanqing, Lou Shiyi, and the other Anxi generals gaped in speechless shock. Even Gao Xianzhi appeared rather surprised.
No one could have predicted such a harsh winter, which was why Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, and the others had come to find Wang Chong in such a hurry. But they had not expected that while they were still thinking about how to deal with this winter, Wang Chong had already taken care of everything.
“…In addition, Bahram has probably already sent his men to inform the common people of the city. This winter will be far more terrifying than any of us can imagine, and far more terrifying than what we can see now, and it will last for much longer. It all begins now!” Wang Chong solemnly said.
Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, and the other Anxi generals were speechless. The sages of the past could decide victory through plans made one thousand li away, but Wang Chong had already surpassed them. At this moment, all of them felt incomparable respect for Wang Chong. It was like what was standing before them was not a human, but an unfathomable god.
Gao Xianzhi and his officers quickly departed, and Wang Chong’s orders were swiftly carried out in a disciplined fashion. The howling of the blizzard became louder and louder, drowning out all other noise in the world. And amidst this raging storm, the city of Khorasan became abnormally quiet.
“Lord Marquis!”
Some time later, a voice came out of the blizzard. Li Siye, Cui Piaoqi, Kong Zi-an, the Gangke King, and Su Hanshan swiftly emerged. In this time, the temperature had plunged once more.
The hair, beards, shoulders, and arms of this group were all covered in a thick layer of snow. The temperature had now dropped to around -40. Even Li Siye and Su Hanshan were beginning to feel cold, let alone others.
The Zi Period was when the temperature plunged the most and was also the coldest period of the day. Almost all hailstorms occurred during this time period.
Ordinary soldiers could not resist this sort of harsh winter. Although they could also produce Stellar Energy, this level of Stellar Energy wasn’t able to resist this sort of cold for very long.
All the ordinary soldiers had put on their wool clothes or cotton jackets and retreated into the basements. The only ones who could still move around above ground were the elites.
“…All the soldiers have been gathered and are awaiting your order. Lord Marquis, when will we attack?”
Li Siye stood up straight, his body like a miniature mountain, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
Soldiers were trained for one thousand days to be used in a single moment. This blizzard was simply unprecedented, and everyone had to hide away from its wrath. But this was also an excellent opportunity for the army. The art of war emphasized time, weather, terrain, and the minds of the people. This was a principle that Wang Chong had constantly emphasized, and this sudden blizzard was clearly an excellent chance to attack the Arabs.
Li Siye’s words caused Kong Zi-an, Su Hanshan, Huang Botian, and the Gangke King to all turn to Wang Chong, awaiting his orders. And as they waited, their surroundings seemed to become even quieter. The panicked cries of the Arabs on the other side of the high walls were clearly audible, not even the blizzard able to suppress them.
The Arabs had been too careless. This abrupt blizzard had left them completely dumbstruck. It was clear that the army of hundreds of thousands had made no preparations for this, with those panicked shouts serving as the finest evidence.
According to Wang Chong’s orders, they had gathered a force of the finest soldiers that could be deployed at any time. Taking advantage of this extremely rare weather, they could give the vast Arab army outside a lethal blow.
“There’s no rush.”
To their surprise, Wang Chong waved his hand and rejected the suggestion.
“Wait a little longer. Now is not the time to move out.”
These words were completely different from what they had anticipated, and all of them were struck dumb.
“But, Lord Marquis, from what we can see, this blizzard has the Arabs ready to make a full retreat. If we don’t move out now, we might lose this opportunity and be forced to watch as they run away,” Kong Zi-an argued, a look of extreme reluctance on his face.
A general’s duty was to fight, and if they didn’t use this opportunity to deal with the Arabs now, once the winter had passed, they would come charging back. When that time came, the Great Tang would not have any such opportunity to defeat them.
Although Su Hanshan and Cui Piaoqi said nothing, the two of them showed similarly doubtful expressions in their eyes. Speed was paramount in war, and the more they delayed, the more Arabs would escape.
“It’s not that simple. The Arabs won’t be able to escape!”
Wang Chong’s eyes focused and sharpened, his every movement exuding supreme confidence, as if nothing in the world could escape his grasp.
“Blizzards will ravage everything to the west of Khorasan, and with the land frozen, even if they want to run, they can’t get very far. An army of six to seven hundred thousand soldiers can’t move very quickly, and the more time passes, the more casualties they have, the weaker their ability to resistance will become, and their formation will fall into chaos. That will be the best moment to strike!”
Everyone was amazed by Wang Chong’s words.
“This general will go!”
The officers quickly bowed in agreement. The art of war was about mixing the false with the real, and in this aspect, all of them were still very inferior to Wang Chong.
Li Siye’s group quickly left, leaving Wang Chong alone to silently wait in the blizzard.
……
Time slowly passed. While Khorasan remained silent, in the darkness, the Arab camp was in a state of complete mayhem.
“Milord, this blizzard is too great, and the temperature has plunged too quickly and is too low. The soldiers can’t endure it!”
“All of the supplies we brought with us have been frozen. The warhorses have gone stiff and numb, and ice is starting to form on them!”
“Milord, we can’t hold on!”
The Arab generals roared and bellowed in panic and dismay, but the blizzard muffled and suppressed their voices. This storm had come too quickly and abruptly, catching all of them off guard.
At the very front of the army, the Three Titans of Black Radiance stood side by side. They emitted an invisible barrier of energy that repelled all the wind and cold. The three were silent, and though they attempted to appear as calm as possible, the gloom and dismay in the depths of their eyes revealed their true feelings.
How could it be like this?
As Fadi stared at the imposing city across from them, his eyes flashed and his heart was in turmoil.
All they had needed to do was wait until daybreak to breach this city with overwhelming force and take it back from those infidels. But this unprecedented blizzard had completely upset his plans.
The fierce winds and the plunging temperatures had thrown his army into chaos, and it had lost all its former grandeur. The neighing of horses and the panicked screams of the soldiers filled their ears and made the hearts of the trio bleed. Their expressions became even more unsightly.
“Milord, we request to retreat!!”
“Milord, we request to retreat!!”
The generals bellowed in panic. This was a state of emergency. If this continued, if they did not withdraw, the entire army would be wiped out.
Buzz!
The three stood motionless as they stared at that city, also engulfed by the blizzard but so quiet that it seemed to be dead. Countless thoughts were flitting through their minds.
“Hular, can we try to attack the city?” Fadi suddenly said, his voice tinged with hope.
“Milord, it’s impossible! I’ve already sent men to try, but Khorasan is encased in thick ice. Our ropes can’t pierce through it. Moreover, even the ropes have been frozen, and we can’t unwind them anymore. It’s impossible to attack the city. Our only option is to retreat to Shandar,” Hular said with great unwillingness.
How could Hular not understand what the Three Titans were thinking? The temperature was continuing to rapidly plunge. Tents were simply not enough to resist this sort of freezing weather. The Arabs had thought of every contingency in their strategy, all except for this kind of harsh winter.
Only by sheltering in the houses and buildings of a city could one barely resist this harsh cold. Otherwise, this army of more than six hundred thousand soldiers would be defeated without a battle, suffering an unprecedented wound. At this moment, the closest city was Khorasan. But the thick sheet of ice encasing Khorasan had become a natural barrier that was difficult to overcome, and this wasn’t even accounting for the coalition army of two hundred thousand inside. No one knew if the enemy had already predicted this and was lying in ambush.
It was far too quiet on the other side, far too abnormal!