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Chapter 1364 Frequent Battle Reports 2
"Hmm, launching attacks simultaneously from the south and the north... Let's make a bold guess: at this very moment, the ports of Fao and Suez have most likely also been attacked. The battle reports should be on their way and will arrive in the next few days. Oh yes, and Hormuz Island too; the Persians probably won't be left behind."

As Zhou Jiaqing chanted in a rhythmic, cadent style, Wang Chengen climbed the ladder with a pen and ruler and marked the corresponding positions on the map wall. Seeing the two red arrows, one above the other, representing an approaching enemy, Hong Tao seemed to think it wasn't exciting enough, so he also joined the map wall and pointed with his pointer at the eastern coast of the Mediterranean.

"Does Your Majesty believe that these battles were all pre-arranged?" Without marking anything on a map, Tan Buming could form a concrete picture in his mind. If what the emperor said was true, then it was no accident.

But does a European coalition truly possess the capability to launch simultaneous attacks from multiple locations thousands of miles apart? This requires not only ample manpower and robust logistics but also a coordinated and unified command system—a task of immense difficulty. Clearly, a hastily assembled European coalition should not possess such capability.

"Don't underestimate the enemy. Europe also has military geniuses, and they are very courageous. Come on, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, predict the enemy's main direction of attack based on my assumptions."

Don't feel pressured, just say what you think. I've known that since you were little; you're not a military genius. Nor do you need to be one. Call all the staff officers together, let's use our collective wisdom and see if we can outshine the European geniuses!

However, Hong Tao believes this is no coincidence; it must have been a deliberate and purposeful troop deployment. The general troop deployments and operational objectives of both sides are now largely clear, and there's no time to change them.

From this moment on, the outcome of the battle has little to do with the strategists in the rear; it depends entirely on the on-the-spot performance of the generals and soldiers at the front. The only thing that can still be of some use is to treat the war as an exercise, giving the staff a real drill to test their abilities.

"Your Majesty, there's been activity in Suez and the port of Fao!"

Tan Buming sent Ma Huateng back to the General Staff Headquarters to summon people, but instead of the staff officers, he was met by Wang Datou, who looked hurried. Upon entering the hall, he revealed that he too had come to deliver a battle report.

As for why the advisory office's battle reports arrived before the navy's, Tan Buming didn't even want to ask. Wang Datou had extensive connections in West Asia, which led to the advisory office's rapid development there, allowing them to always be the first to know about anything.

"...There's movement in Suez and Fao Port, but what about Hormuz Island?" The advisory office, which he personally managed, was making such a public appearance, but instead of the emperor being pleased, he frowned.

"The Persian army did not march south, but instead chose to advance eastward to Kandahar. My subordinates have contacted Guoli Khan in Abbas, who said he was going to quell the rebellion, but his specific movements and intentions are still unclear."

Wang Datou was probably also puzzled by the movements of the Persian army, but since it had indeed happened, he couldn't lie about it. He could only describe the process verbatim, without adding his own opinions.

"Kandahar... that Safi Shah, he missed several opportunities to turn the tables and suppress his sworn enemy. This time, he simply sent Persia to hell with his own hands. He is a traitor to the country and deserves to die!"

Hong Tao could understand if the Persian army didn't make a move. After all, the war had just started, and Safi Shah, who was already hesitant and caught in a dilemma, wanted to observe the strength of both sides before deciding which side to side with in order to maximize his own interests. That was only human nature!
However, after much deliberation, he became overwhelmed and chose the route most disadvantageous to Persia. He actually intended to take advantage of the conflict between the Ming Empire, the European coalition, and the Ottoman Empire to completely seize the Kandahar region he had always coveted, thus avoiding offending either side and playing a very cunning trick. If the European coalition won, he could argue that attacking Kandahar was also a form of eastward expansion to threaten the Ming Empire. In fact, this was indeed the case; heading north from Kandahar would allow access to the Western Regions via the Wakhan Corridor, which would later become known as the Western Regions.

Moreover, it was not easy for the Ming Empire to deal with an attack from this direction, because the area was all high plateau at an altitude of 4 to 5000 meters, and ordinary soldiers would not be very effective in combat.

If the Ming Empire had gained the upper hand, he could have argued that he had not participated in the European coalition's eastward expedition at all, and that he had resolutely refused to allow the Ottomans to use Persia as a route to attack the Ming. Not only would he have been blameless, but he would have also made a small contribution.

At first glance, it does seem like a good strategy that allows for flexibility, but in reality, the highest level of skill is to remain neutral when two strong forces are vying for power, as it's unlikely to leave room for maneuver. Thinking and acting this way treats everyone else as fools, and in the end, you'll likely end up pleasing neither side.

Of course, it's not entirely impossible. If the Ming Empire and Europe were to fight to a standstill for a considerable period without a clear victor, then there would be a possibility of playing both sides.

"If His Majesty had dared to send troops westward when he personally led the army all the way to Damascus, he might already be the master of Anatolia. This is for the best, so that the navy will no longer have to escort Hormuz Island. I just wonder what the situation is like in Suez and Fao Port?"

Tan Buming also harbored deep resentment towards Safi Shah's performance. Back then, the General Staff had sent many people to Persia to negotiate with local tribal leaders, using various incentives to bribe them to petition Safi and urge him to launch an attack on the Ottomans.

If the Persians had actually sent troops, they wouldn't have needed many—just ten or twenty thousand would have been enough to tie down some of the Ottomans' resources.

Then the emperor's western expeditionary army would likely not head south to Damascus, but instead turn north in Baghdad. It would not be easy to wipe out the Ottoman Empire in one fell swoop, but it would not be difficult to compress its sphere of influence to the western side of the peninsula.

In this way, the Ming Empire would not have to worry about the smooth flow of trade routes for many years to come, and the Persian Empire would be even more at ease. As long as it kept a close eye on the remnants of the Ottoman Empire, it could also reach the Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia.

However, just like this time, Safi Shah seems to have a special ability to pick the least favorable path from several options. With a leader like that, deep cooperation is out of the question; the first thing to do when resources are available is to deal with him!
"Don't worry, Deputy Chief of the General Staff. The navy has invested a lot of manpower and resources in the two ports in recent years. As long as the sea transport logistics are not cut off, it is more than enough to deal with the land attack. In addition, I think the Ottomans should also be careful and will not commit all their elite troops."

Wang Datou gave a firm answer to Tan Buming's concerns, while also explaining the situation to the emperor. At this time, the ports of Fao and Suez were impregnable, and with the navy providing supplies, theoretically, they could continue fighting indefinitely.

(End of this chapter)