By the time everyone returned to the camp, the sky had turned completely dark. The entire camp was brightly lit, and the soldiers slaughtered cattle and roasted sheep and sang loudly to celebrate the victory of the first battle.
Compared with the excitement in the Tang camp, the city of Tancha Shiluo, the capital of Jiantuoluo Kingdom, was in a gloomy and gloomy mood at the moment. During the day, the Anxi Army defeated the Dashi Jihadists who were several times their size with almost no effort.
Xiang Aimin and a group of civil servants and generals stood on the city wall and almost witnessed the entire process. As the black battle flag representing the cannibal fell down, the last glimmer of hope in everyone's hearts was completely shattered. Everyone knew that Tancha Shiluo City had been breached.
It's a matter of time. Even if the angel comes in person, I'm afraid there's nothing he can do to save it.
However, the nobles headed by Ai Min are all believers of the Tianfang Sect. Over the years, they have only relied on the support of the Big Cannibal to oust their king and firmly control the domestic political situation. In order to please the master behind them, they
All other religions in the country were banned by force. Monks were forced to return to secular life, temples were demolished, and Buddhist statues were destroyed. Zoroastrian believers were driven away, and Brahmin priests were thrown into the river and drowned alive. Almost everyone's hands were stained with the blood of pagans.
If the city is broken, the Prime Minister Ai Min, who advocated the enemy of the Tang army, will certainly not escape death, and other important civil and military ministers will probably be torn to pieces by the various pagans who swarm forward.
What's more, this generation of kings has reached the age of twenty. According to the tradition of the Tang Dynasty, there is no reason not to support a king with authentic blood and continue to let powerful ministers control the government. It can be said that whether Kaicheng surrenders now or
If they continue to resist stubbornly, what awaits Prime Minister Ai Min and everyone else is a dead end. The only difference is whether only a few people in power will die, or they will drag the innocent people in the city to bury themselves together.
Of course the civil servants clamored to fight to the end, but the generals knew clearly that by now, the soldiers probably no longer had the courage to fight the Tang army. Not to mention forcing them to continue to resist with swords in hand, they wanted to ensure that the Tang army would attack the city next time.
There is no possibility unless everyone disperses in a hurry. Therefore, you, the powerful ministers who are usually well-dressed, accuse me of being incompetent, and I complain that you are short-sighted, cry, and make a mess of yourself.
Prime Minister Ai Min was so confused by the quarrel that he had to show his usual dignity again and shouted loudly. "Didn't the Tang people start to attack the city yet? Let's wait until they start to attack the city! Let's go back to each house first and make arrangements for ourselves.
If God needs us to prove our loyalty tomorrow, what's the use of us arguing?"
After all, both his family and himself have been in charge of the government for many years, and have formed a certain degree of prestige in the hearts of everyone. After a shout, the quarrel immediately stopped. Civil and military ministers, you looked at me, I looked at you, and sighed helplessly for a while
Angry, he shook his head and dispersed one after another. After everyone's backs were gone, Prime Minister Ai Min slowly walked back to his mansion. After entering the door, he first ordered someone to call his two grandchildren.
They each gave them a sum of gold and ordered them to hide in a shop they knew well in the city. They would remain anonymous from then on and were not allowed to mention anything related to the family. Then he called his son, daughter, son-in-law and other close relatives of the family to come over and replace them one by one.
Arrange a way out to prevent the city from being destroyed. Finally, he called for the steward Hassan, sighed and ordered, "Bring me the bottle of peacock gall that I have treasured! After so many years of preparation, it's time to drink it!"
"Master!" After hearing this, the housekeeper Hassan immediately cried. He stepped forward and hugged Ai Min's legs, refusing to let go, "You don't have to do this. Hasn't the city not been conquered by the Tang Dynasty yet?
Even if the city is destroyed, you can still be appreciated by the people of the Tang Dynasty based on your status. Why do you have to take this road and you will not have peace after death?"
"Father--!"
"grandfather--!"
Aimin's children and grandchildren had already guessed that something was wrong and had been hiding outside the door without leaving. When they heard the housekeeper's cry, they immediately rushed in one after another, pulling their arms, and pulling their thighs.
Under no circumstances was Amin allowed to commit suicide by taking poison. The men and women burst into tears.
"Silly children!" Listening to the cries of his children and grandchildren, Prime Minister Ai Min felt like a knife was cutting through his heart. "When the Tang army enters the city, will it be possible for me to die so honorably? They are competing with the cannibals for this area.
I have been fighting to the death for decades to control my power. I am absolutely not allowed to tolerate a man-eating eagle dog like me. I already know the outcome, so why do I have to endure the final suffering?!"
"Yes, but there are still many soldiers loyal to you in the city. Master Manla also promised that he will mobilize all devout believers to fight to the end for Allah!" Amin's son, who is also a civil servant, held his hand and cried loudly.
"No matter how powerful the Tang people are, they can't fly up the city wall. As long as we can defend for another three months or so, we will definitely be able to wait for the second wave of reinforcements!"
"The second wave of reinforcements. Aren't you talking in your sleep?" Ai Min shook his head, with tears streaming down his face, "I have served the Great Eaters for so many years, and I still don't know their habits? I always use them when I need them.
You treat it as a treasure, and when it is no longer needed, you kick it away like a dog. What treasure does our Tancha Shiluo have that is worthy of the cannibal? We gave away one army and quickly added another? Besides, those Manla,
Who is not braver in what he says than in what he sings, and when he really needs to fight, he immediately hides behind others? Let's all leave quickly, don't delay any more. Just hide first as I said. No one in the Tang Dynasty massacres the city.
Tradition will not chop a knife on your head. You should first spread out and hide, and then quietly sneak out of the city. In another thirty to fifty years, our family will definitely be able to thrive again!"
"But, how can you know if it doesn't work if you don't try? Even if the city is attacked, you still have a chance to put on makeup and escape?!" Several juniors still refused to let go, crying and continuing to give Emin advice.
"Nonsense! I am also the Prime Minister of Gandhara after all!" Ai Min glared and scolded. "Do you think our family has enjoyed the people's worship for so many years, and it can be for nothing? For every bite of food, we get a piece of gold.
, the angels can see it clearly! Now, it is time to repay the debt. Why do you have to owe thousands of lives even though you know that the situation is irreversible? Why not dedicate yourself to bear witness to Allah?
Be faithful so that when the Day of Resurrection comes, you will not be burned by the fire of hell.”
Tianfang Religion, like Cross Religion, pays attention to the end of the world, hell and heaven. Next to Allah, the Supreme God, there are four angels who are responsible for conveying oracles, revealing scriptures, taking charge of worldly affairs, presiding over death and blowing the trumpet of doomsday judgment. If someone is in
Those who commit sins on earth will be sent to hell to suffer when the day of resurrection comes. But good people and loyal believers will be admitted to heaven and enjoy happiness forever.
The Amin family has believed in Tianfang Sect for many years. Although it contains too many utilitarian elements, they dare not question the theory of the end of the world. Now that Prime Minister Amin has laid out the reasons for his choice to take poison, his children and grandchildren can no longer
Continuing to dissuade them, they had no choice but to stand up with tears in their eyes, support each other and leave.
Only the old butler Hassan refused to obey the order, lying on the ground crying bitterly. Amin sighed, reached out to help him up, and comforted him in a low voice: "Go get the bar. Then he opened the warehouse, took a bag of gold and left.
.Tang Jun has always had strict military discipline, so he probably won’t hurt you, an old man with gray hair!"
"Master!" Hassan howled hoarsely, his head hitting the carpet with a thud, "You can't do this. You can't! Allah has said that suicide is also a sin!"
"Compared to dragging thousands of people to die together, the crime is lighter after all!" Ai Min sighed again, reaching out to pick up the old housekeeper from the ground, "For so many years, I have never treated you as an outsider. You
You should know my temper. I will never give in unless I have to. But this time, I really have no choice. Go ahead, finish your drink early, and I can still sleep peacefully!"
"Master, Master, listen to me!" At this time, the old butler Hassan could no longer care about the disparity in status between the two parties, "It's not that far. It's not yet. The big cannibal just ate
After a defeat, the entire army has not been wiped out. How can the Tang army safely attack the city if they are not completely wiped out?"
"Ah!" Ai Min was stunned, and suddenly sat upright. But soon, his waist hunched down again, "But isn't that a matter of time? The 120,000 Eastern Expeditionary Army, and the 30,000 Tang Army
None of them have been beaten. Now the remaining ones are only a small half at most, what other tricks can you come up with?"
Hassan gritted his teeth and said viciously: "But what if you dedicated Tancha Shiluo to the Tang people before the Eastern Expeditionary Army was destroyed? After all, it would be considered a crime and meritorious service, right? Even if it was just to show the leaders of other countries
, the Tang people have no reason to kill you again. Besides, the lives of those Manla are still in your old hands at this moment. Wouldn't it be another great achievement to tie them up and sacrifice them!"
"Nonsense!" Amin stood up suddenly, trembling with anger, "I am a believer in Allah, how can I kill my brother? Shut up now, otherwise I will not forgive you again!"
"But even if you don't kill them, after the Tang army enters the city, they will be dead. How do their actions over the years conform to the teachings? They are just committing crimes in the name of Allah. If
Speaking of betrayal, they are the real betrayers. By killing them, you are just cleaning out the moths for Allah."
"You, you..." Ai Min was so angry that he couldn't even speak properly. However, a voice in his heart told him clearly that everything the old housekeeper said was true. Since the last two generations accepted the Tianfang Sect,
, his family has a lot of knowledge about scriptures. In private, he slowly discovered that the original teachings are not as strict as what the missionaries said. In fact, Tianfang Sect is very particular about peace and tolerance, and requires believers to
Loyalty, but does not exclude the coexistence of other faiths. Rather than insisting on burning the temples of other faiths and killing all the believers and priests of other gods like Gandhara, Dabolu and other countries are doing now.
Someone must be deliberately distorting the meaning of the scriptures! Emin knows this very well. However, when the fanaticism in most people's hearts exceeds their reason, only by showing more fanaticism than others can they get the greatest support. Otherwise, they will definitely be
Become an alien and lose everything you own.
"Does the sutra say that people should destroy Buddhist temples? Does the sutra say that heretics must be put to death? Does the sutra say that you can occupy other people's property and land at will? The sutra once says
, can you raise a knife to your neighbor?" The old housekeeper also took the risk and looked into Ai Min's eyes and shouted, "Among the Six Faith and Five Skills, which one is war merit? Why do some people insist on forcing us to do something about our past?
Friends and neighbors use knives? Only the seeds of kindness will bear the fruit of kindness. Using knives to promote scriptures and sow hatred is all sowing. How can it be possible to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth?"
"You, you damn old guy. Why don't you die quickly!" He had never heard anyone ask him a question in such a tone. Amin was furious. However, his soul slowly came out of despair.
The words of the old steward are correct. Those who try to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth through killing have already betrayed Allah. Selling them should not be a crime, but rather upholding justice for Allah and allowing the true teachings to return to the world!
"But, but what should I explain to the Caliphate?" Thinking of this, he sat down involuntarily, "After all, this matter cannot be hidden from everyone!"
"All believers who are in good health must make a pilgrimage to Mecca in their lifetime!" The old housekeeper thought for a while and reminded in a deep voice. "The Caliph is seriously ill, and the Caliph's younger brother and the Prime Minister are fighting for control of the entire country. If you send someone to
Pilgrimage, by the way, in order to stabilize the situation in the East, you have to bear the humiliation and bear the burden. I think everyone can understand your difficulties. Moreover, it is impossible to organize a second Eastern Expedition Army in a short period of time, and resume exchanges and peace with the Tang people.
From trade, for big food countries, they gain far more than they lose."
As the saying goes, a word awakens a dreamer, and Ai Min's eyes immediately brighten. The caravan leader under the family name once reported to him that in several countries west of the Great Food, all goods from the Tang Empire can be sold at sky-high prices.
In order to obtain more benefits, marching eastward and occupying the origin of goods is of course the best choice for the Food Kingdom. But in the event of the failure of the Eastern Expedition, keeping the trade routes to Datang open would be the best option.
It has become a top priority. Otherwise, if nothing else, just losing these two items, tea and silk, would be enough to make the lives of many wealthy nobles boring.
In this way, his status as the Prime Minister of Gantuoluo became even more important. He communicated with the two empires of the East and the West, conveyed news to the warring parties, and turned Tancha Shiluo City into a distribution center for Eastern and Western goods, thereby seeking greater benefits for the family.
Benefits! Thinking of this, the gloom in Aimin's heart was swept away. She grabbed the gem-encrusted waist knife and walked to the door. She shouted at the outside at the top of her lungs, "Come here, come here, ring the big bell at the entrance of the palace for me."
.I want to summon the ministers to discuss the matter. I want to show everyone a clear path! Come, summon all the palace guards, don’t rush away. I am not dead yet, everyone has hope of getting through this safely..."
"Dang, Dang, Dang..." The bells rang soon, breaking the long night that shrouded the capital of Gandhara, the former holy land of Buddhism, and Tancha Shiluo City. The bright starlight filled the sky.
The eyes of everyone who is looking forward to it.
