Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 554 Uncontrollable Rage
Damascus.

A Arab man wearing a white turban crawled into a magnificent mansion and knelt in front of a fat man in fear and anger.

The fat man sat on a huge gold-covered bed, wearing a silk robe as white as snow, and was surrounded by eight beautiful women. It was a lively and lively scene.

"The Grand Chancellor..."

The Arabs panicked and said, "The Tang thieves are heading for Mecca."

The fat man was the chief judge of the Arab Empire, Jafar Harun. The Arab Empire was a theocratic country, and their general system was based on the governor, tax officials, and judges. The governor was responsible for local military and political affairs, the tax officials were in charge of wealth, and the judges were naturally responsible for criminal law.

Due to different national conditions, as a country with a combination of religion and politics, these three positions must be held by devout believers of the Arab law, especially the Chief Justice, who must obtain the status of Grand Imam to be eligible for the position.

The so-called great imam is analogous to the great Confucian scholars of China. He is well versed in the holy book "Quran" and all the teachings of the Arab world and is the most devout believer of the Arab world.

Jafar Harun is a descendant of Umar of the Quraysh tribe, one of the earliest and most loyal followers and close comrades of the Prophet Muhammad.

When he heard that the Tang army was heading towards Mecca, he jumped up from his bed and ran towards the royal palace in Damascus without looking back.

Jafar's mansion was not far from the royal palace, just across a busy long street.

The long street is seven meters wide, bustling with people, and extremely prosperous.

Damascus is known as the Garden on Earth and the Paradise on Earth. It is indeed blessed with unique advantages in the Mediterranean region. As a gathering center for commerce, the streets are filled with a wide variety of goods, including raw food, cooked food, grain, leather, wood, lacquerware, gold, silver, copper, iron, camels, horses, sheep, and even silk, tea, silverware from the Central Plains. It is a dazzling and bustling city.

Jafar had no time to spare. He rode his tall camel and, with everyone giving way to him, he arrived at the center of Damascus, where the royal palace was located.

At this time, the royal palace was discussing the issue of sending troops to retake the port of Siraf. The person who chaired the meeting was Muawiyah's cousin Cassio ibn Affan, the youngest son of Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph of the Caliphate. He was also one of Muawiyah's most trusted people, and entrusted his hometown to him.

When Cassio learned that Jafar was coming, he felt overwhelmed and went to greet him.

Cassio was not prepared for the surprise attack by the Tang army. The power of the Arab Empire came from trade, and the Arab merchants were spread all over the East and the West. He did know that there were many routes to the Tang Dynasty, but he never thought that an army would come from afar across the sea, so he lost the initiative.

Cassio quickly integrated the intelligence of the Tang army and began to dispatch soldiers, intending to retake the port of Siraf.

Compared with Xue Rengui's Tang army that was heading straight for Mecca, Cassio knew that Liu Rengui in Siraf Port was the key to victory.

At the most critical moment of the war in the Western Regions, the economy of the Arab Empire and the transportation of grain and grass were inseparable from water transportation. Letting Liu Rengui control the port of Xilafu and threaten the maritime economic transportation route would be fatal.

But Cassio also knew what Mecca meant to their Arab Empire.

He ordered to temporarily ignore Xue Rengui's troops, and thus received no pressure, but he himself was under tremendous pressure.

Jafar was undoubtedly the one who put the pressure on.

"Duke Cassio, what are you still discussing? Do you have to wait until the filthy pagans burn our holy places and defile our God before you order the troops to go out?"

Jafar had no intention of greeting Cassio. He turned around and started scolding him.

Mecca is more than just a religion for Jafar. Why is Mecca the birthplace of the culture of the Arabs?
That was because of the historical environment. The weakening of the Byzantine Empire led to rampant pirates in the Red Sea and the closure of the sea trade route. The Sassanid Empire imposed heavy taxes and was disturbed by the war between Rome and Sassanid, so the land trade route was also cut off.

Mecca, a precious land not affected by war, became a center for cultural and economic exchange, gathering a large number of businessmen and scholars, thus giving rise to the nobility and new cultural ideas.

The Arab law was based on these nobles and scholars. The Arab Empire was able to dominate Asia, Europe and Africa because its core nobles were mostly talents emerging from Mecca.

This is just like the massacre of Pei County in the early Han Dynasty and the massacre of Fengyang in the early Ming Dynasty.

Who can bear this?
Digging up the ancestral graves!

Jafar was born into a Meccan noble family. How could he sit idly by and watch his ancestral land and the place where his soul rests be slaughtered?

Cassio said earnestly, "Chancery, don't worry about the bandits. They lack resources and supplies, so it's best to leave them alone. The port of Siraf is our lifeline, and we must take it back."

Jafar's eyes turned red with anger. He said angrily, "What lifeline? Someone is blaspheming Allah and trying to destroy the holy land. Without the holy land, the Arabs will not survive. Can't you tell the difference between the important and the unimportant? Why don't you let all the believers of Allah judge for themselves? In the eyes of the Duke, is the holy land really no more than a port?"

"The port is lost, but we can take it back. But the holy land is destroyed, how can you, Cassio, face God?"

Cassio didn't know how to respond for a moment.

At this time, a message came from outside, "Duke, it's bad. General Afar led his troops to attack Xue Rengui's bandits, saying that he would leave it to the Duke to deal with him after he returned victorious. He couldn't just watch the pagans desecrate the holy land."

Cassio was so angry that he didn't know how to speak.

Jafar shouted, "This is a true believer of Allah, who is not afraid of sacrifice in order to protect Allah. Only such a devout believer can return to the truth and be in the presence of Allah after death. Can you be sincere if you can ignore the humiliation of Allah?"

This is a question from his soul.

In the Caliphate, having one's faith questioned was a grave sin.

Not only Jafar, but other nobles who heard the news gathered at the palace and put pressure on Cassio.

Just when Cassio could no longer withstand the pressure, Afar, who disobeyed military orders, had already led his followers and soldiers to attack Xue Rengui in anger.

After two days and one night of rapid travel, Afar spotted the Tang army in a desert.

"Finally caught up!"

Afar licked his cracked lips and said loudly: "The pagans who intend to defile our holy land are right in front of us. Servant of Allah, take a good rest and let these filthy people feel our anger."

The fanatical believers and soldiers were as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood. They shouted loudly, as if it was a great honor to be the servants of Allah.

Just as they sat down to rest, a cloud of dust rose up in front of them, covering the sky. The sound of horse hooves like war drums came from far away and reached everyone's ears.

Afar was not surprised but laughed: "These pagans are rushing to die, let us help them!"

(End of this chapter)