Byzantium can't be counted on for a while, and Su Chen certainly hopes that the more people around him will oppose the Great Eclipse, the better.
Both Belus and Yils got what they wanted from the Tang army and went back to make business deals happily.
Su Chen sent a team of marines to follow Iers to visit the Lachem people.
First, let’s evaluate the specific situation of the Lachem people.
Second, let’s carefully explore the terrain along the Euphrates River.
The land does not have to be at sea. The Tang Navy fleet is invincible at sea, but if you are not careful on land, there is a possibility that the ship will capsize in the ditch.
Su Chen felt that he did not necessarily have to go north along the Tigris River. If the Lachem people could provide greater help, going north along the Euphrates River would also be a good option.
Just after the Lachemites left, the second batch of Byzantine envoys arrived in Basra.
The last time we exchanged Greek fire and cannon-casting technology with Byzantium in Borajan, most of the Byzantine envoys went back, and two remained to follow the Tang army.
This time Byzantium sent envoys over again,
It just so happened that Su Chen had many questions to ask them. Su Chen had already captured Basra for many days. What was the situation with the Byzantine side?
Regarding Su Chen's questions, the Byzantine envoy regretfully told Su Chen:
The war in Damascus is not going well. The cannibals set up artillery at the top of the city. The Byzantine army suffered heavy losses. It may be difficult to capture Damascus in a short time!
Su Chen was very disappointed after hearing this answer, and at the same time, he felt that Elsa's suspicion might be true.
After meeting Li Chengqian and Su Chen, the Byzantine envoy hurried down to find their former colleagues to learn about the situation.
Su Chen also wants to discuss with everyone what to do next.
Regardless of whether Byzantium intended it or not, it was unrealistic for them to come to the north and south of the Mesopotamia to attack the Great Eclipse.
Unexpectedly, the Byzantine envoy came to see Li Chengqian and Su Chen the next day and proactively said:
"I heard that His Highness and the Marshal are a little disappointed with the progress of our army?"
Su Chen glanced at the Byzantine envoy, "Aren't you talking nonsense?"
"Indeed, I also look forward to meeting your army in Ctesiphon as soon as possible!"
"Your army is hesitant to move forward in front of Damascus. It seems there is little hope."
The Byzantine envoy said: "The war situation in Damascus is indeed regrettable,"
"But Commander, don't be discouraged. His Majesty the King has sent another army. I think it won't be long before they reach the Two Rivers area."
Su Chen was stunned: "His Majesty Heraclius also sent a second army?
Do you want to leave Damascus aside and come directly along Euphrates?"
The envoy smiled slightly and said: "Your Majesty really wants to leave the difficult Damascus behind and come to join the commander-in-chief as soon as possible."
"But the army did not come from the west, but came south from Atlopatny in the east."
Su Chen was a little confused by the Byzantine envoy's confusing place names, so he asked someone to get a map.
The Byzantine envoy pointed on the map, and Su Chen understood.
Heraclius, an old man who was cunning enough, actually sent an army from the east coast of the Black Sea, heading south from the Caucasus to the upper reaches of the Tigris River.
Su Chen shook his head, why did he forget this place?
In history, Heraclius took this route to defeat Persia.
This time he switched to eating a lot of food, and Heraclius walked along the old road again.
Su Chen frowned and said, "Since your army has this plan, why didn't you implement it earlier?"
Su Chen did not believe that it was only after Heraclius was blocked in Damascus that he thought of attacking from the east.
The Byzantine envoy replied: "Because the elite of our army are all along the western route and we cannot mobilize enough troops at the moment, your Majesty invited the Khazar cavalry to go south, so it was delayed for some time."
Su Chen looked at the map, was stunned for a moment, and then glared: "You invited the Khazars from the north of the Caucasus Mountains to go south?"
The Byzantine envoy nodded and said: "Yes! The main force in the east is the Khazar cavalry."
Su Chen glared at the Byzantine envoy and wanted to curse!
The Khazars were called the West Turkic Khazars in the Tang Dynasty.
In fact, they have a very distant relationship with the Western Turks, and they are only nominally subordinate to the Western Turks.
After all, they live west of the Caspian Sea and north of the Caucasus Mountains, which is already European territory. The actual area controlled by the Western Turks is not that wide, mainly in the Western Region and Central Asia.
Now Heraclius wants to invite the Khazars to the Mesopotamia. I really don’t know what An’s intentions are.
Seeing that Su Chen looked unhappy, the Byzantine envoy continued: "Commander, you don't have to worry, the Khazars are my loyal allies of Byzantium!"
Su Chen helplessly said to the Byzantine envoy: "I hope so!"
The Khazars do seem to have a good relationship with Byzantium, but they used to deal with the Slavs further north in the Caucasus Mountains.
By leading them to the Mesopotamia, Heraclius was not afraid that it would be easier to invite the gods than to send them away?
After sending away the Byzantine envoy, Su Chen summoned everyone to discuss the new situation and sent someone to find Lapu Pasu.
South of the Caucasus Mountains, you still have the Black Sea, which was also a place that Persia and Byzantium fought over repeatedly in the past.
It used to be the territory of Greece, but it was taken away by Byzantium for less than ten years. Now it is a buffer area between Byzantium and the Great Eclipse.
Rappasu and other Persians may be familiar with the place, as well as the Khazars. The Persians should also be familiar with it. It seems that the Khazars helped Heraclius defeat Persia last time.
Sure enough, as Su Chen expected, the Persians hated the Khazars very much.
Rappasu said angrily: "More than ten years ago, it was indeed the Khazars who followed Heraclius and went south once,"
"That time they almost plundered northwest Persia!"
"This time Heraclius actually wanted to lure the Khazars to Ctesiphon, with extremely vicious intentions!"
"No matter what the final result is, the arrival of the Khazars will definitely be a disaster for the Mesopotamia and Mesopotamia. They will rob everything they see!"
Su Chen and others can probably understand the Persians' hatred of the Khazars. The Turks also burned, killed, and looted in the northern area of the Tang Dynasty.
In most cases, when nomads arrive in prosperous farming areas, they rob! rob! rob!
It's good to be a cannibal. Although they are also nomadic in desert areas, they also attach importance to farming and other industries, not to mention the nomadic people on the grassland.
Compared with the nomadic peoples in the north, the cannibals are considered to be more civilized.
Su Chen said: "Heraclius was indeed very cunning. He faced off against the main force of food in Damascus in the west, and quietly lured the Khazars southward in the east."
"As far as I know, the cannibals don't have any heavy troops north of Nineveh, right?"
Rappasu shook his head: "The Great Ogre and Byzantium mainly competed in the Levant region, where both sides did not deploy many troops."
"Now that the cannibal's troops have been attracted by the commander, the entire northern defense should be empty."
