Chapter 4840: No Warning

Chapter 4840: No Warning

As the most loyal subject of the Caliph, Abu Awar was well aware of Muawiyah's ambitions. The internal disputes in the Arab Empire had seriously hindered his lofty ambitions of expanding territory and creating a prosperous era. Therefore, declaring war on the Eastern Roman Empire and eliminating internal conflicts had become the most important national policy at the moment, and no one was allowed to disobey or obstruct it.

Therefore, no matter how the officials exploited farmers and merchants in various places and how they squeezed them dry, as long as they paid taxes and grain, they could do whatever they wanted.

But if a war were to break out with the Tang Dynasty, this would absolutely not be allowed.

When Muawiyah led his army to conquer the Western Regions, he was defeated by the Tang army. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were thrown into chaos and fled thousands of miles away. He was already full of fear of the Tang Dynasty, which was also an important reason for setting the war target on the Eastern Roman Empire.

The purpose of launching a war is to neutralize the interests of all parties and eliminate internal conflicts through victory. However, if a defeat is achieved, not only will all the goals fail, but the conflicts will be completely aroused, and at that time, it may even trigger a civil war, and the position of the caliph will be in jeopardy...

However, although the Tang Dynasty's navy was rampant in the East Ocean, the fleet of the Arab Empire was also dominant in the West Ocean and the Mediterranean. Even the fleet of the Roman Empire could only temporarily hide in the Mediterranean and dared not show its head. If we could defeat the Tang Dynasty navy in a head-on battle, we would not need to destroy it, but only need to achieve a slight victory to force it to retreat. Wouldn't our reputation be greatly enhanced by then?
Moreover, the Tang Dynasty built a port in Meixun to control the entrance to the Persian Gulf, which would have a huge impact on the economy and military of the Arab Empire in the long run. I think the Caliph would be willing to remove this nail.

The Tang Dynasty's fleet that sailed across the ocean to the Persian Gulf probably had less than 200 ships, a large portion of which were modified armed merchant ships with limited combat effectiveness. The port of Shirov and the port of Uchi at the mouth of the two rivers could mobilize more than 300 warships. Most importantly, the hydrology of the Persian Gulf has always been in the hands of the Arab Empire. Even Persia did not have detailed hydrological information about the Persian Gulf in the past...

Abu Awal estimated it in his mind, and his original fear gradually disappeared, replaced by excitement. He felt that he could defeat the Tang Dynasty navy.

The taboo of going to war with the Tang army was not to offend the superpower far in the East, but to disrupt the Caliph's plan to conquer the Eastern Roman Empire. However, if the Tang army was defeated and the opportunity was taken to negotiate with it to increase the commercial tax on Tang merchant ships entering the Arab Empire, there would be more money to support the Caliph's war plan. The Caliph would be so happy that he would not be able to blame anyone.
Of course the most important thing is to win and never lose.

After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Abu Awal summoned his generals and officials to the Governor's Palace to discuss countermeasures.

"A Tang soldier fell into the water and drowned, and he insisted that it was caused by our ramming of his ship. I'm afraid there's no way to explain this. The Tang people will definitely not give up. The worst case scenario is that more than a hundred warships will come to the port and force us to surrender. Should we stand up straight and fight to maintain the prestige of the empire, or should we be patient and pay compensation to appease the anger of the Tang people? Please give me some advice."

Someone trembled in fear: "The Tang navy has never been defeated in the ocean. Not only are their ships faster and more solid, but they are also equipped with firearms. The Tang army is invincible! If they are defeated, the Caliph will definitely hold them accountable. Who can bear such a responsibility? Governor, think twice!"

This is a firm supporter of the "Tang Army Invincible Theory".

"Firearms are powerful, but naval warfare is more about the draft of the ship, the bravery of the soldiers, and the logistical supply. We have advantages in all these aspects, so we are ready to fight."

These are the people who believe in the "Imperial Might Theory". They think that the myth of the Tang army's "invincibility" is only because they have never encountered a truly strong opponent. But now the Arab Empire is a truly strong opponent and will surely burst the bubble of the Tang army's "invincibility".

Everyone was talking at once, no one could agree on a single thing. Abu Awal was a little annoyed, and he gave an order: "Keep an eye on the Tang fleet at Meixun Port, and report any movement immediately. Mobilize the warships at Wuqi Port as well, and make sure to defend them no matter what. Also send someone to Damascus by land and sea to ask for the Caliph's opinion."

Everyone agreed that whether it was war or peace, they had to have the Caliph's order, and then they had to make good defense first, which would make them invincible.

However, just as the crowd dispersed, a guard came to report: "The Tang army sent someone to meet with the governor."

Abu Awal stroked his curled beard and nodded, saying, "Bring the man here and see what he says."

Although he did not think that the Tang navy could pose a threat to the port of Shirov after a long expedition and with insufficient manpower, the country was after all preparing to conquer the Eastern Roman Empire. A large-scale naval battle at this time would inevitably affect the Caliph's overall plan, so it would be better to be safe and avoid war.

But if the Tang army was aggressive, he would not mind fighting with all his strength. As long as he could win the battle, it would not only not affect the Caliph's combat plan but would also test the combat effectiveness of the Arab navy and lay a solid foundation for the conquest of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Once the decision to go to war with the Eastern Roman Empire was made, the Arab Empire's navy in the Persian Gulf would be transferred to the Mediterranean to participate in the war. After all, the Eastern Roman Empire's navy was much larger than the Arab Empire's navy, and the Caliph had to concentrate all his forces to fight...

Not long after, the guards brought in a Tang army general wearing a helmet and armor. The well-made Shanwen armor on his body covered all the vital parts, making it convenient and quick for him to move around without any hindrance. It was far better than the plate armor equipped by the army of the Arab Empire. It is said that in the Tang Dynasty, "plate armor" could only be used as equipment for the lowest-level soldiers, and all officers above the rank of captain would be equipped with Wuchui armor, Shanwen armor or even Mingguang armor.

It's really eye-catching...

This Tang army general was no more than twenty years old. His face was dark from being exposed to the sun, but his eyes and brows still revealed a youthful and tender air. He was short in stature with broad shoulders and looked brave and good at fighting. His expression was neither humble nor arrogant. He was neither submissive in front of the governor of a place, nor arrogant as a Tang army general.

He clasped his fists and saluted respectfully, handed over a document first, and then said in a loud voice: "I am Fu Yulong, the captain of the Tang Navy, and I am here to say hello to the governor on behalf of Yang Zhou, the general of the Tang Navy. The Tang Dynasty is a country of etiquette, and has always had free trade and common prosperity with the countries in Southeast Asia and the West. However, the governor first increased the taxes of the Tang merchants for no reason, which led to the interruption of trade between the two countries. Then he wantonly slaughtered and looted the Tang merchants who had objections, causing damage to the reputation of the Tang Dynasty. Today, he even drove a warship to hit a Tang ship, causing two naval soldiers to drown. Such rebellious and brutal behavior not only provokes the national prestige of the Tang Dynasty, but also makes the Tang army hate the same enemy. If the two countries go to war, the responsibility will be on your country. Any consequences will be borne by your country. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

After the interpreter translated these words, Abu Awal looked unhappy. According to his temper, then let's go to war. Could it be that the Arab Empire was afraid of the Tang Dynasty?

However, for the sake of the overall situation, he was still cautious and asked, "What does the Tang Dynasty want to do?"

Fu Yulong straightened his back and said loudly: "First, your country must publicly apologize for the killing of Tang merchants and the death of naval soldiers. Post a notice in Shirafu Port to let all merchants and travelers from various countries know about it. Second, compensate the dead Tang merchants and naval soldiers. Third, withdraw the order of temporary tax increase. Fourth, your country recognizes Tang as a strategic trading partner and grants Tang 'most-favored-nation treatment'. Fifth, guarantee that similar incidents will never happen again from now on."

Abu Awal looked confused and looked at the interpreter.

The interpreter was also a little confused, but everything else was fine. What is "most-favored-nation treatment"?

He asked anxiously, "Could you please explain clearly what 'most-favored-nation treatment' means?"

Fu Yulong held the double-buckle belt at his waist with both hands, and said with great vigor: "The Tang Dynasty and the Arab Empire are friendly countries. The trade exchanges between the two countries are increasing day by day and the ties are close. In order to promote diplomatic relations and strengthen trade cooperation between the two countries, we should reduce the commercial taxes on each other. For example, the commercial tax levied by the Tang Dynasty on merchants from India and other countries is 30%, so after signing the contract with the Arab Empire, the commercial tax levied on merchants from the Arab Empire will be 100%. Only in this way can we promote the prosperity of the business of the two countries and deepen close cooperation."

The interpreter immediately translated it to Abu Awal.

Abu Awal's eyes widened. The other points might be debatable. After all, he didn't want to go to war now. But this "most-favored-nation treatment" was simply going to kill him!
The country with the strongest trade on the sea now is the Tang Dynasty. Although there are merchants from the Arab Empire who trade directly with the Tang Dynasty, most of them are middlemen from countries like India. The number of merchant ships from the Arab Empire to the Tang Dynasty is less than one-tenth of that from the Tang Dynasty to the Arab Empire. Once this so-called "most-favored-nation treatment" is signed, it seems that the conditions of both parties are consistent and fair, but the Arab Empire's losses in commercial taxes will be dozens of times.

If this continues, the profit deficit that Tang merchants earn from the Arab Empire will become a bottomless pit, which may directly drain the Arab Empire's wealth...

The most important thing is that he, the governor of Shiraf Port, makes a living by collecting taxes. He has to pay huge amounts of taxes to the Caliph every year to keep this position. If the tax on Tang Dynasty merchants is reduced from the current 10:5 to 20:1, where can he collect taxes?

Merchants from the Tang Dynasty are the biggest customers of the Port of Shilafu!

Not to mention that the Caliph could not agree to it, even he, the governor of the port of Shiraf, could not agree to it!

He suppressed his anger with a sullen face and said in a cold voice: "This matter is of great importance. I cannot make the decision. I still need to report it to the Caliph for a decision. Your country may as well go up to the first class."

Fu Yulong nodded and said, "Your country has damaged the prestige of the Tang Dynasty first. If you cannot give the Tang Dynasty a compensation plan that satisfies it and give it enough respect, then the Tang army will use warships and swords to take it themselves! At that time, what to take and how much to take will not be decided by your country itself."

After a pause, he repeated the most important sentence: "...Don't say I didn't warn you!"

Abu Awal was a little confused. Could it be that this sentence had some special meaning and needed to be emphasized again?