Chapter 4 Social Rat (Mikami)

"What, what, what........" Rao is well-informed, Ai Kailamu and the others couldn't stand Xiao Ali being so unbelievable, and couldn't help but interrupt loudly, "You said we defeated **?" Who would believe that?! ”

"Of course some people will believe it." Xiao Ali glanced at everyone, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, "Among us, who knows what the strategic intentions of the Anxi Army were?" Does the Caliph know? Does His Highness Mansur, Lord of the Overseers, know? Does the magistrate know? Does the emir know? Do the congregations in China know? Since no one knows, it is a very brilliant result to block the ** halfway. No worse than the results of Talas back then! ”

"You ......" everyone was simply angry. With an absolutely superior force, it is shameful enough to be defeated by **. I didn't expect that now I would have to fabricate war exploits and cover up defeat into victory, "Do you think the people around the caliph are fools?" Can't hear the truth at all? Let us keep it to our mouths! ”

"It depends on which caliph it is!" Xiao Ali sneered and shook his head, his face showing a calm that was extremely incommensurate with his actual age, "I'm afraid it's thousands of miles away from Kufa here, and any news may be unrecognizable if it comes back." Why do people over there believe the rumors and not our report? Besides, which is the truth, is it really important? I don't think it matters at all. The most important thing is who will be the next caliph and which truth he likes to believe! (Note 1)

A series of rhetorical questions shocked everyone. They suddenly find that they are really old enough to live to be dogs. Not even a young man in his early twenties? Hidden in the eyes of young people, there is such a deep world. It was a world completely different from everyone's daily cognition, made up of the wisdom of the Adi family that had stood for hundreds of years, enough to turn black and white upside down and turn lies into facts.

At present, how fierce the power struggle within the Great Food Country is, Aikailamu and the others actually know it. The days of the Great Caliph were numbered, and his younger brother, Mansour, the vizier of the Prison State, snooped on the throne of power and had no intention of letting a few princes get their hands on the crown. The prime minister, the magistrate, and the great emir relied on the lineage formed in the process of overthrowing the Umayyad dynasty, and each of them formed a faction, each with its own support goals. The selection of several major generals of the Eastern Crusade Army this time is the result of the trading and compromise of several forces. It's just that no one expected that the Eastern Crusade would suffer a defeat, and it would be defeated so quickly and completely.

If the defeat was reported to the Kufa City side, no matter who promoted him in the first place, Akairam would definitely die. And the rest of the core generals, even if they can escape the punishment of the teachings, this life will be completely ruined, and the future will be bleak from now on. But really as Xiao Ali pointed out, if you insist on saying that the fiasco is a big victory that 'has paid an astonishing price to block the ambition of ** westward', you must meet two prerequisites to have any hope of success. First, the generals in the Eastern Crusade Army abandoned their personal prejudices and thoroughly united to speak a unified voice. Second, put the bet on the person who is most likely to hold the power of the state in the future, and collectively cast a secret service to him.

The first prerequisite is not difficult to achieve, after all, from the coach Akairam to the volunteer commander Gharib, in the strict sense, they are no longer pure military generals. The pure military general Abu *** has been poisoned by the Caliphate, and it is said that al-Mansur is behind the ghost. Many other high-ranking generals who participated in the Battle of Talas also died, and stood aside. There are very few people like Aikailam who can stay and be reused to a certain extent. Naturally, I will no longer take the honor of any military commander seriously in my heart.

However, it is difficult for everyone to agree on the choice of allegiance. This is not to say how loyal they are to the proprietor behind them, but the current situation within the Great Food Country is really misty. Mansour, the Minister of Prison, was indeed the most vocal in his succession, but the others were not easy to deal with. If you make the wrong bet, you're going to lose so much that you can't afford to wear the shroud.

"This ......." As the descendant of the Religious Judge, the Holy War Commander Amr hesitated for a moment, and was the first to confess his thoughts to everyone, "In fact, it is not impossible for several elders in Kufa City to compromise with each other right now. Take, for example, the Judge of the Church, who has always taken power lightly. The support for the second prince was only entrusted by the princess, and he had to be perfunctory! ”

"Yes, the elders don't really fight. Otherwise, wouldn't the remnants of the Umayyad family take advantage of them? Volunteer leader Gharib added with a smile, as if he had never deliberately dragged coach Akelam back.

Seeing that everyone's minds had loosened, Ai Kailamu no longer hesitated, smiled, and said in a low voice: "We have all lived and died together, of course, we must take care of each other in the future." On the side of several elders, it is estimated that the same is true. Disputes are inevitable, but at the same time, I also care about the feelings of righteousness back then. Therefore, there is no need to take the contradictions between them too seriously at the moment. As for which elder we choose to follow in the future? ......" he smiled and turned his gaze to little Ali again, "Actually, no matter who you follow, the purpose is to be loyal to Allah. In my opinion, let's take a look at what the Adi family has specific plans?! ”

In the end, it is a person who has gone through strong winds and waves, and he has a very unique vision of looking at the problem. For a while, several generals who originally didn't admire Aikailam Mu turned their eyes one after another, and the wrinkles on their faces were full of admiration.

"The Adi family has always been fair and has never intervened in the power struggle within the country!" Little Ali smiled and explained in a low voice.

These words can also be used to coax three-year-olds. Who doesn't know that the Adi family is the best at doing business? When the Caliph led the people in a bloody battle against the Umayyad army, the Adi family once bet on both sides. In view of the current situation, the Adi family may have sent all the leaders of the younger generation out and secretly colluded with several major forces. No matter which side wins in the end, the Adi family will not lack a spokesman for their own interests by the side of the new caliph.

Thinking of this, Aikailamu and the others turned their eyes to Xiao Ali again, looking at him with a smile and a smile. Being stared at by everyone's eyes and his face was a little hot, Xiao Ali shook his head and said, "Okay, I admit that the Adi family is betting on the bulls." But personally, I value His Highness Mansur even more. People are smart enough, ruthless enough, and decisive enough in decision-making. And, more importantly, he knows how to weigh the weights, and he doesn't cling to the minutiae for the sake of what is on the surface! ”

The so-called minutiae is, of course, the reality of the defeat of the Eastern Crusade Army. According to Ali Jr., if the group collectively pledged allegiance to His Highness Mansour, the lie would also be treated as reality. But where does little Ali's confidence in His Highness Mansur come from? Could it be that he didn't know that most of the military generals in the country, because of the tragic death of General Abu.***, have always been cold to Mansour?

As if guessing the doubts in everyone's hearts, Xiao Ali smiled and continued to add. "I know that the military has a prejudice against His Highness Mansour. Of the several forces, His Highness Mansur also has the smallest force in his hands. However, don't forget, it is precisely because of this that our remnants are more and more important in his eyes. As far as ** is concerned, we are already unbearable to fight again. But for Kufa's side, what we have in our hands at the moment is the authentic Khorasan elite. At that time, it was unrivaled in the whole country! ”

"This ......" everyone blinked their eyes, and it took a lot of effort to completely digest Xiao Ali's remarks. If the Crusade Army collectively issued a statement at a critical moment to support His Highness Mansur to quickly take over the position of caliph and stabilize the domestic situation, it could indeed play a role in upsetting the balance of several major forces in one fell swoop. Especially for the teaching judge and the great emir, it's like a salary from the bottom of the kettle!

With an axe hanging from his neck that could fall at any moment, Akelam had no time to take pity on others. After a little consideration, he gave the final choice, "Contact the Lord of the Prison and show him that the matter of surrender is completely left to you!" Please, Ali. If this succeeds, you will be the lifesaver of all soldiers. I and a few of them will always be grateful to you! ”

"Well said, well said." Little Ali waved his hand, as if talking about something that was caught by his hands, "The Adi family has a warehouse in this city. Hurry up and write a letter, sign your names and surnames, and hand it over to the Adi family to take back to Kufa City secretly and hand it over to Lord Mansur. I believe that Lord Mansur will be very happy! ”

"I'll be able to write it right away!" The commander of the Crusade Army, Ai Kailamu, finally breathed a sigh of relief, and in an instant, he felt a little sore. "When the hourglass is deflected the next time, it's ready to be written. Don't be in a hurry to leave, and when I'm done, sign together. Then split up to find more people to sign it. The action must be fast, if you still can't see the situation clearly, you have to drag everyone to die together. Sighing, Akailam added in a very low voice, "Just assume he's dead!" I'll ask for mercy on behalf of his family! ”

"Yes!" , the leader of the holy war, Amur, the leader of the volunteers, Gharib and others responded in unison, and they all felt very weak in their hearts. Only little Adi is always methodical in his speech and deeds, "On Kufa's side, I can mobilize the power of the Adi family to thread the needle for everyone." But what about the Carblos side? How many generals have a countermeasure in mind? ”

"Hmm!" There was a grief in the nostrils of the crowd. Indeed, now the question of whom to pledge allegiance and to whom to speak of the rout as a pyrrhic victory. New problems are in front of everyone. That is, how can you stop **? Otherwise, all the plans just now will become a castle in the air.

Fighting, it's definitely not going to work. With the current military spirit and combat effectiveness, even if the turtle cannot be retracted, at most it can only delay the fall of the city of Gapoli until the end of spring next year. After next spring, it is estimated that even if Aikailam and the others decide to continue to carry it to the death, the soldiers will disperse in a hurry.

"I'll listen to you. We, the people, will fight with others! Akelam was disheartened and simply pushed everything to little Ali and let him do whatever he wanted.

"Come on, let's listen!" Several other generals also knew that if they played conspiracy, all the people on their side combined might not be Xiao Ali's opponent. He smiled and whispered. Xiao Ali was waiting for this opportunity, and immediately took the sovereignty in his hands. "In that case, you're welcome. Don't think I'm overstepping my authority, I have to do it! ”

"Whatever you want! We all listen to you. Akelam grinned bitterly again, his face full of sadness.

Xiao Ali smiled and nodded slightly, "I've heard that the Tang Empire, like our Great Food Empire, has a large population and a vast area. The problems existing within the Tang Empire must be not much different from our Great Food Country. In addition to a great caliphate, there are several forces fighting each other, maintaining a delicate balance. If the Anxi army keeps winning battles, I'm afraid the balance will be destroyed. I don't know if there will be any elders on the side of the Tang Empire who can realize this in advance! ”

"You said that you bribed the important ministers of the Tang Dynasty and asked them to order the Anxi Army to stop?!" Ai Kailamu was taken aback, and lowered his voice to remind, "From here to the capital of the Tang Empire, it is said that there are more than three thousand miles. Even if the bribery is successful, when the envoy arrives at the front line, a few of us will already become minced meat under the knife of others! ”

"It's not a bribe, it's a please. Ask for a peace treaty to end the war! Little Ali shook his head and smiled to point out the key. Of course, bribery is also a must. But that was after our envoy arrived in Chang'an. What we have to do now is to send an envoy in the name of the caliphate, admit defeat, and ask for a peace treaty with the Tang Dynasty! ”

"You really want to die. It's not enough to cheat once, you have to cheat a second time! "The leader of the jihad, Amur, could not believe his ears and protested loudly.

"Shh Little Ali put his finger to his lips and made a silent cue. "Don't say it so ugly? The Sage once said that deceiving your enemies does not count as deception. Datang is so far away from Kufa, who can tell if our envoy is from the city of Kabula or from the city of Kufa? Judging from past experience, the Tang Empire only likes to enjoy the feeling of conquest, and does not care much about the amount of offerings. It is also very preferential for the subject countries that go to take refuge. If we send an envoy to Anxi**, saying that it is on behalf of the caliphate, we will ask the Tang Dynasty for submission. Do you think that the commander of the Anxi Army dares to bring the envoy back directly? ”

Of course not. The answer is self-explanatory. This also had the advantage of not daring to disrupt the coming peace, and the Anxi army would have to stop its westward advance. The city of Gapoli was certainly spared. However, after the conclusion of the treaty, the Tang people will certainly send envoys to Kufa to express their appeasement, and everything will definitely be exposed to the sun.

In the blink of an eye, everyone's faces changed. A series of questions were shot at Little Ali like arrows. "What if the Tang people send envoys back? What if the truth is revealed? What if the followers of Allah feel humiliated? How many lives have we been killed? ”

"Deception, we are just doing strategic deception! The sage said that against the enemy, all means can be used. Little Ali put his finger in front of his eyes and reminded in a low voice. Our biggest reason now is that this place is very far away from Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, or Kufa, the capital of Dashi. So no matter what we do, it will be difficult to detect the truth for a while. And as long as the current difficulties are overcome, the other problems will be at least a year away. By that time, the situation in the country had stabilized, and you and I had made great contributions to the smooth succession of His Highness Mansour. Who would dare to accuse us lightly? Besides, we are deceiving the enemy, and we are deceiving the infidels! What is the violation of Allah's words?! If you have to be an honest person, just say nothing. Anyway, I'm just a missionary Imam, and I can leave here at any time! ”

"That's right, after the treaty was signed, it was originally for tearing up! Even if Lord Mansur made his own decision, I am afraid it would not be much better than this! Akelam had no choice but to accept Ali's suggestion in its entirety.

The Holy War Commander Amr nodded in agreement, and then quickly threw out the next question, "But who will be the messenger?" Who can guarantee that Anxi Jun will be able to deceive him? ”

"Of course it's me!" Without waiting for everyone to speak, Xiao Ali took the initiative to ask.

"You?" Everyone was taken aback, no one expected that this little guy who was full of lies would have such courage.

"Of course! I came up with the idea, and no one was better suited than me. Xiao Ali nodded and solemnly added, "In addition, I also want to see what kind of heroes can beat us to such a miserable field!" ”

"Good!" Forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, the commander of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, Ai Kailamu, responded in a deep voice, "What you need as a gift, you can list it at any time." I will do my best to help you prepare! ”

"I need fifty pure white dromedary. a hundred fine horses and forty pounds of pure gold. If possible, I will need fifty guards, twenty female slaves who can sing and dance. It's all virgins who have never served anyone, but know how to serve men. It has to be good-looking, and full of seductive smell. At the same time, it is also required to be physically strong and able to withstand the long journey, at least to make it to Chang'an alive......"

Note 1: Kufa, the capital of the Abbasid dynasty. In present-day southern Iraq.

Note 2: The name of the Great Cannibal for the commander of the military. It is equivalent to the generalissimo of the world's soldiers and horses.

Note 3: According to information, on the eve of the Anshi Rebellion, the black-clothed Dashi once sent envoys to Chang'an to pay tribute. In the Arab literature, there is no such record. Therefore, it is highly likely that the envoy is impersonating.