Chapter 108: Leave No Worries to Your Descendants

"Your nephew originally said Shule is the shell on the giant tortoise's back. Without that shell, our Golden Kingdom, this giant tortoise, would be utterly defenseless."

Before the map, Zhang Zhao was still analyzing the situation with Li Shengtian.

"But there's only ever a thousand days of being a thief, never a thousand days of guarding against thieves. No matter how hard or thick the shell is, if someone hammers at it at any time and any place, it will still crack! So we also need to shore up another shortcoming — the head of this giant tortoise!"

As Zhang Zhao spoke, he tapped heavily on Mar'ernang again, and Li Shengtian, oddly enough, let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness — the tortoise's head did not mean himself.

"Uncle, look. If we can now occupy the entire Mar'ernang Basin, then we only need to build a single fortified city here to seal off the valley mouth.

It would be like possessing the natural defenses of the Xiao and Han passes. When we are strong, we can stretch our head out of the valley and strike at the decrepit Persian Samanid state.

When we are hard-pressed, we can pull back, hold the pass, and recuperate, awaiting Heaven's timing. Only in this way can the Golden Kingdom, this giant tortoise, endure for a thousand years."

The valley mouth Zhang Zhao was pointing at was Khujand, in what later ages would call the Fergana Basin.

Now, the Fergana Basin is truly a treasure of a place. The Syr Darya runs through the basin, and the river brings convenient transport and nourishes the land on both banks.

The surrounding snow mountains, with their high-altitude meltwater, make it supremely suited to agriculture.

Moreover, the terrain inside the basin is flat, convenient for travel in all directions, and can form a self-contained agricultural economic cycle.

At the same time, the snow mountains thousands of meters high on all sides are the basin's natural city walls, completely cutting off any route by which outside enemies could enter.

Because an army that could cross those snow mountains and still retain fighting strength would have to wait at least until Napoleon's Old Guard and the Russian strongman Suvorov's "gray cattle." The armies of this era shouldn't even dream of it.

So as long as a strong city is built at Khujand, it can stand on its own. Relying on the basin's ample agricultural resources, as long as there is no internal disorder, no enemy can hope to fight their way in.

Li Shengtian's eyes lit up. With trembling hands, he reached out and stroked the map over Mar'ernang — once the territory of the Great Tang's Xiuxun Prefecture Area Command, now occupied by the Karakhanids.

"Basin" — the word really was apt. High mountains on all sides protecting a flat valley floor, truly like a basin.

This is a treasure of a land! Li Shengtian suddenly felt the place was familiar. Wasn't Mar'ernang simply the Guanzhong Plain of Anxi?

Li Shengtian could not help but feel heat surge through his whole body. If the Great Golden Kingdom could possess this place, then just as Zhang Erlang said, in strength it could scheme against the Persian Samanid state, and in retreat it would be enough to preserve itself.

In history, was not Qin able to destroy the six states precisely by relying on the Guanzhong Plain and the natural defenses of the Xiao and Han passes?

Indeed, only with this place could the Great Golden Kingdom endure for a thousand years!

"Then does Uncle know what will happen if the Karakhanid state's Satuq Bughra Khan fully digests Mar'ernang?"

Zhang Zhao was still pressing Li Shengtian further!

"The Karakhanids could use Shule to wear us down on one side, while on the other they sit enthroned over the Mar'ernang Basin, ceaselessly drawing nourishment from the decaying Persian Samanid state.

At the same time, he still has the Land of the Seven Rivers, and through Balasagun and Mar'ernang he can keep using money to draw more holy warriors of the Heavenly Square faith to the East.

When that time comes, even if we can defeat them five times, ten times, he can bear it. But if we lose just once or twice, we will immediately be ruined, our persons dead and our state destroyed!"

Zhang Zhao suddenly roared, startling Li Shengtian, who had still been immersed in the beautiful vision of expanding his realm on the map, into icy coldness all over.

Right! If the Karakhanid state gained Mar'ernang, it would become a mighty Qin!

Then what would his own Great Golden Kingdom be? The states of Han and Wei, able only to resist to the death? Or Zhao, slowly bled dry until it perished?

"May I ask Uncle — do you think Cousin Congde can compare to you?" Seeing that Li Shengtian now understood the stakes, Zhang Zhao decided to deliver the final blow to his spirit.

The "Cousin Congde" he spoke of was the crown prince of the Golden Kingdom of Khotan, the eldest son born of Cao Yuanxin, currently studying the Dharma at his maternal uncle's house — Li Congde, who in history was known as Yuchi Sura.

Li Shengtian shook his head, clearly realizing the purpose of Zhang Zhao's question. His face pale, he said in a low voice,

"Congde is benevolent, generous, and good, well versed in the scriptures and principles of the Dharma. He can treat people well and can govern a state, but compared to me, he is still considerably lacking!"

At these words, Zhang Zhao immediately seized Li Shengtian's sleeve and shouted sternly.

"Your nephew has heard that a loyal and brave minister does not let his lord fall into danger, and a loving father always leaves the best to his children and grandchildren.

The Great Golden Kingdom's present situation is like climbing a snow mountain halfway — slack off, and there is the danger of tumbling down; strive with all your might, and you will stand atop the highest peak!

Uncle! Right now Satuq's great army is bogged down at Balasagun. He has not yet fully recovered either Mar'ernang or the Land of the Seven Rivers. This is a chance that comes once in a thousand years!

How can we hesitate at such a moment? At this juncture of life and death, the men should fight, the women should carry supplies, all six armies should march forth, and one battle will settle Anxi!

Uncle! If even you cannot accomplish this great undertaking, your descendants will surely be slaughtered to the last by the rising Karakhanids!

Uncle! Leave no worries to your descendants!"

Zhang Zhao's outburst frightened the palace guards, inner officials, and serving maids in the Tonghe Hall into trembling. The king of seven hundred thousand people! When he flew into a rage, people died!

But beyond everyone's expectations, Li Shengtian seemed to have fallen into a nightmare. He paced in circles without stopping, muttering under his breath, "Leave no worries to your descendants! Leave no worries to your descendants!"

Suddenly! After repeating it countless times, Li Shengtian, cold sweat streaming down, abruptly seized Zhang Zhao's hands.

"Erlang, within two months can you blast open the walls of Shule? Satuq has already been at Balasagun for four months. If we move too slowly, I fear it will be too late!"

As expected, he was still a heroic ruler who could see the stakes clearly — even if he was only the lord of a small Western Regions state, and fond of luxury and face.

But at the most critical moment, he could still make the right decision, and with considerable decisiveness.

"I can!" Zhang Zhao gritted his teeth and agreed in one breath.

"Your nephew has long since sent men to survey the area around Shule, and Shi Chongmin has already selected the spot for digging the tunnel!"

"Good! I grant you full authority — full authority to call up all the miners of the East River Prefecture coal works. Whoever dares disobey, even if it is my own son, kill them all the same!"

As he spoke, Li Shengtian took off the Buddhist prayer beads he often wore at his chest and hung them around Zhang Zhao's neck, his face filled with grim severity. It seemed he did know what Zhang Zhao had done at the coal works.

"And this — these are the contact methods for all the hidden Buddhist factions from Ya'erkan (Shache) to Pianzhou City (Yengisar), Yandu Prefecture, and Artux.

I appoint you General Who Pacifies the North. Lead one thousand of your own troops and five hundred of my palace guards, gather the Buddhist monk-soldiers and believers as the vanguard, and besiege Shule for me!"

Uh! Zhang Zhao was somewhat unclear about Li Shengtian's intent. With this paltry force of his, even adding five hundred palace guards, he still couldn't go besiege Shule!

It was, after all, the capital of a state, garrisoned with over seven thousand troops, with tens of thousands of people in the city besides.

As for the Buddhists and temple warrior-monks north of Shache that Li Shengtian mentioned, Zhang Zhao had already completely disregarded them.

They sounded like a rabble, and they wouldn't fully cooperate with him either. Never mind their combat strength — these people might well be a net negative.

All chapters have been cached for you. Download the APP to view them.