OBS Chapter 767 Defending the City
Chapter 767 Defending the City
The strong wind carried sand and gravel, mercilessly hitting the broken defense line outside Isfahan, making a whimpering sound.
On the city wall, the mottled cannon marks now look even more desolate under the ravages of wind and sand.
The coalition forces retreated slowly towards Damascus like a defeated snake, and the smoke and dust raised by them covered half of the sky.
In the team, the neighing of war horses, the rumbling of wheels, and the groans of wounded soldiers were heard one after another.
In just one day, the "God's Barrier" that the coalition forces had high hopes for and was said to be impregnable was already crumbling under the fierce attack of the Tang army.
In the early morning, when the first ray of sunlight had not yet fully illuminated the earth, the Tang army's artillery began to roar.
First there were a few sporadic roars, like muffled thunder exploding in the sky, startling the crows perched on the city walls. They fluttered into the sky, making shrill cries.
Soon after, more and more artillery pieces joined in, and soon the sound converged into a deafening wave.
The sound was like the roar of millions of ferocious beasts, or like thunder rumbling in the sky, which made people's eardrums hurt and the ground beneath their feet tremble.
There were too many! The Tang army had too many artillery pieces! Countless artillery pieces were neatly arranged outside the defense line, their muzzles pointed at the defense line.
With each order, flames gushed out from the muzzles, and the hot shells, dragging long tails of flames, streaked across the sky and smashed towards the Arab defense line like meteors.
The earth was shaking violently, and the city walls were constantly crumbling under the bombardment of artillery shells, with bricks and stones flying everywhere.
Huge granite boulders were blasted apart, sending rubble raining down.
Muawiyah rode on a pitch-black warhorse with inky black mane and slowly inspected the defense line.
He wore fine mail, a cape embroidered with gold threads that fluttered in the wind, and a helmet inlaid with jewels on his head.
The leader of the Arab Empire is now facing the most difficult decision of his life.
His eyes swept over the panicked soldiers on the city wall, his brows furrowed tightly, and his heart was heavy.
This battle not only concerns his personal destiny, but also the survival of the entire Arab Empire.
Now he and his 20,000 troops are the only ones left in Isfahan.
These 20,000 soldiers are the most elite force of the Arab Empire and the pride of the empire.
They once followed Muawiyah in his campaigns, crossing scorching deserts and vast grasslands, and conquering one city-state after another.
On the battlefield covered with yellow sand, they brandished their scimitars, like the god of death, and drank the blood of countless enemies.
They rode on their war horses, like a black whirlwind, flattening countless enemy lines and expanding the territory of Arabia to an unprecedented extent.
In the past years, they were invincible and victorious, and were feared by the enemy.
Their heroic deeds spread widely in the Arab land, inspiring one warrior after another.
But now, facing the Tang army's unstoppable offensive like a steel torrent, they were as helpless as newborn babies.
The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, their knuckles turning white, and their bodies trembled slightly uncontrollably.
Some soldiers looked at the Tang army camp in the distance with empty eyes, the scene of artillery bombardment kept appearing in their minds, and their hearts were filled with despair.
Some of them kept wiping the sweat and dust from their faces, trying to calm themselves down, but their hands were shaking uncontrollably.
Their hearts were filled with fear, the fear of unknown forces and powerful enemies.
The confidence and pride they once had collapsed in an instant in the face of the powerful offensive of the Tang army.
Outside the defense line, 500,000 Tang troops spread out densely like a black ocean.
The Tang army's camp stretched as far as the eye could see, and their flags were like a forest, fluttering in the wind.
The soldiers' armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and their neat formations demonstrated strong discipline and deterrence.
They marched in neat steps and shouted loud slogans, the sound of which resounded through the sky, announcing their victory to the Arabs.
And the countless artillery pieces were ready to engulf Isfahan at any time.
Twenty thousand versus five hundred thousand, this huge disparity in troop strength made every Arab soldier feel despair.
Even if the Tang army just stuck their heads out and let these 20,000 elite Arabs chop them down, they would not be able to kill them all.
This huge gap, like a chasm, stood before them, leaving them with no hope of victory.
But Muawiyah had to fight this battle.
If there is no war, the Arab Empire will completely fall, the Arab people will lose their freedom forever, and the glory of the empire will vanish into thin air.
If we don't fight, we really won't have any chance at all.
Regardless of the outcome of this war, he must face the Tang army head-on and fight for a chance of survival for the Arab Empire.
"Bros!"
Muawiyah suddenly pulled the reins, the warhorse raised its head and neighed, its front hooves raised high, and his voice resounded like a bell.
"You have fought against me from north to south, and have never been defeated. Our Arab cavalry was once invincible!"
"We have trodden across scorching deserts and conquered fertile city-states. Our scimitars terrify our enemies, and our fame spreads far and wide!"
"Our ancestors forged the glory of the Arab Empire with their blood and lives. We must never let this glory fade in our hands!"
The soldiers raised their heads one after another, a glimmer of light flashed in their originally dim eyes, as if they were recalling their former glory.
The scenes of bravely killing the enemies on the battlefield and the scenes of cheering and celebrating after victory all emerged in their minds.
"But now, our biggest enemy is outside this line of defense!"
Muawiyah drew the scimitar from his waist and pointed it at the Tang army in the distance. The blade shone with a cold light, "They are standing on our land, our homeland!"
"Every grain of sand and every stone here is soaked with the sweat and blood of our ancestors, and bears witness to the glory of us Arabs!"
"Our parents, wives, children, brothers and sisters all live on this land. We must never allow the enemy to enslave them and destroy our homeland!"
"The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty mobilized all his troops, intending to take over every place he saw and make it his territory!"
Muawiyah's voice was filled with anger and resentment. "They are so ambitious that they want to crush our empire, enslave our people, and destroy our civilization!"
"And we Arabs are the first to bear the brunt of it."
But we are not lambs to be slaughtered. We are Arab warriors and we want to let the enemy know that our land cannot be violated! "
There was a murmur of discussion among the crowd, and indignation appeared on the faces of the soldiers.
They gripped their weapons tightly, anger ignited in their hearts, and hatred for the enemy gradually replaced fear.
"But, to be honest, facing the Tang Dynasty, only our Arab Empire has the strength to fight. The rest of the countries are no match for it."
"We are the last hope of the Arab world and the last line of defense to protect our homeland!"
"If we retreat, the entire Arab world will be plunged into darkness, and our children and grandchildren will live forever under the rule of our enemies."
"We can't let this happen. We must fight for the future of the Arab world with our lives!"
Muawiyah glanced at the soldiers in front of him with a firm and fiery gaze.
"I know that many of you are dissatisfied,"
Muawiyah paused, his tone becoming grave. "What's wrong with me, the Caliph? Why would I allow the coalition forces to retreat first? Why should we cover the retreat of these losers?"
The soldiers' eyes revealed confusion and dissatisfaction, and some of them grumbled softly.
Muawiyah took a deep breath and continued, "But now we need the help of those idiots in the West."
"On our own, we cannot withstand the Tang Dynasty's attack."
"Wherever the Tang army goes, their favorite thing to do is to destroy nations and races, to eliminate their worries."
"They will not spare any Arab, regardless of age or gender, and they will completely wipe out our existence!"
"We let the coalition forces withdraw first in order to preserve our manpower and give our people a chance to survive."
"We are holding on here to buy them time so that they can evacuate safely and wait for the opportunity to retake our homeland!"
"Our people will follow the coalition forces," Muawiyah's voice became soft and hopeful. "They will leave this land temporarily, but one day, they will fight back. This land will still belong to us Arabs!"
"So, we are not covering the retreat for the coalition forces, we are covering the retreat for our Arab people!"
"We must buy them time and protect their way home!"
"As long as we hold this line of defense, our people will have hope, and the Arab Empire will have a future!"
"Caliph! Caliph! Caliph!"
The soldiers' shouts rang out like thunder, wave after wave, echoing between the city walls.
The fighting spirit was rekindled in their eyes, which was the love for their homeland, the defense of honor, and the desire for victory.
At this moment, they forgot their fear and had only one belief in their hearts, which was to protect this land and protect the dignity of Arabia.
Muawiyah looked at the excited soldiers below and waved his hand. His eyes softened, yet held a hint of heartache.
"I see many of our brothers trembling with fear." He smiled, a smile that held understanding and comfort. "There's nothing to be afraid of, and nothing to be ashamed of. No one would be unfazed by an army like the Tang Dynasty's."
“Fear is an emotion that everyone experiences. It is not shameful to feel it. What is shameful is to succumb to fear!”
"We are Arab warriors. Our ancestors never retreated in the face of countless powerful enemies. How can we retreat?"
"I just hope that when you fight, you won't embarrass the Arab Empire!"
Muawiyah's voice became firm and majestic again. "We are the warriors of Arabia. The blood of heroes flows in our veins!"
"No matter how many enemies there are, no matter how great the disparity in strength is, we must let them know that the Arabs are not lambs to be slaughtered!"
"We'll make them pay a heavy price for setting foot on our land!"
"We must hold the scimitars in our hands and let future generations remember that in Isfahan, 20,000 Arab warriors fought to the very end for their homeland and honor!"
"Now, defend the city!"
At Muawiyah's command, the soldiers moved quickly.
Some of them climbed up the city wall, lay in front of the cannon, and looked ahead vigilantly; some carried huge stones, ready to throw them when the Tang army approached. They gritted their teeth and used all their strength to move the stones to the right position.