Chương 708: Reporting Intelligence

After finishing the Rome story, everyone took a while to process it.

Four hundred thousand professional soldiers sounds intimidating, but their equipment is a generation behind, and they are scattered across thousands of kilometers of defense lines. In a real battle, it would simply be a matter of picking them off one by one. As long as they don't underestimate the enemy or act rashly, there shouldn't be any major problems.

"After discussing the toughest of the westernmost Roman empires, let's talk about the Parthian Empire sandwiched in between."

Lu Bing opened the second volume of secret reports, his tone becoming more casual.

"This country is sandwiched between Rome and Kushan, and things are not going well for them. They are struggling to survive and are being bullied by both sides."

"The current king is named Vologases VI. He has only been on the throne for less than two years and hasn't even warmed his seat yet. He has a younger brother named Ardaban, who has troops and territory and is secretly winning over the nobles, plotting to seize the throne."

According to the intelligence network of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, within three to five years, these two brothers will have to tear each other apart and start a civil war, plunging the country into chaos, more chaotic than a marketplace.

Among the civil officials, Fang Xuanling shook his head slightly and exchanged a glance with Xun Yu beside him, both of them understanding... Internal strife within the imperial clan and the weakening of the central government have always been omens of national ruin; many powerful states in history have fallen apart in this way.

Jia Xu narrowed his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips... Countries in such internal strife are the easiest to manipulate; just give them some weapons and some money, and they'll wear themselves down.

"Why does the younger brother dare to challenge the older brother? Because this Parthian state doesn't have a proper central army at all." Lu Bing's tone was somewhat disdainful.

"There is no standing army in the country. Wars are fought entirely by nobles who must gather private troops. The king himself only has about 20, 000 elite troops. The rest of the military power is in the hands of the four hereditary noble families."

"The four noble families?" someone asked curiously, the voice coming from the back row.

"Yes, four large families that have been passed down through generations, such as Suren, Kalin, and Mihran. They have been officials and soldiers for generations, and their fiefdoms are hereditary, just like the feudal lords of our Zhou Dynasty."

The most formidable of these was the Suren family. Crassus, one of the Roman Triumvirate, led 40, 000 elite troops to attack Parthia, but a young general from the Suren family named Surena led tens of thousands of cavalry and annihilated them all. Crassus's head was even cut off and used as a wine jug, achieving legendary status in that battle.

Several gasps of surprise rang out from inside the hall.

The complete annihilation of 40, 000 elite Roman troops is a feat that can be boasted about for a lifetime.

Xu Da nodded and commented, "Using cavalry to control infantry and luring the enemy deep into your territory by taking advantage of the terrain, he's a skilled strategist, not a reckless brute."

Lu Bing curled his lip: "How powerful is this family? The coronation of the king must be presided over by the head of the Suren family, otherwise it doesn't count; the commander-in-chief of the national cavalry has been a member of their family for generations, and even the king can't remove him."

To put it bluntly, this Parthian king was just a noble leader, much like the Zhou emperor during the Spring and Autumn period. Whether his subordinates listened to him or not depended entirely on their mood when a real problem arose.

Xun Yu stroked his beard and slowly began to speak: "This situation is remarkably similar to the former Jin state where the six ministers held absolute power. Their power has grown too great to be controlled, and internal strife is inevitable. Although their territory appears large, it is in reality a disorganized mess that could be scattered by the slightest breeze."

Lu Bingdao said, "Wenruo is absolutely right, that's exactly the point. I also thought the same way when I was gathering intelligence in the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"At most, the total number of troops that can actually fight nationwide is only around 40, 000 to 50, 000," Lu Bing continued, referring to troop strength.

"The main force is cavalry, with heavy armored cavalry at its core. Both the rider and the horse are covered in scale armor, and they carry a four-meter-long lance. When they charge, they are like moving iron lumps. One lance can pierce two infantrymen, and their impact is quite fierce."

There were also light archer cavalry, incredibly skilled riders. If they couldn't win, they'd run, then suddenly turn around and fire an arrow at you—a move called the "Parthian Shot"—a master of ambush. Crassus was worn down and killed by this tactic.

"What about their infantry?" Yuchi Gong interjected in a muffled voice. He had the utmost contempt for countries that only had cavalry and believed that an army without infantry was not an army at all.

Lu Bing scoffed: "Infantry? They're just there to make up the numbers. They're all just villagers temporarily grabbed from the countryside. They're sent to the battlefield with a spear and a broken bow. They're okay for defending a city, but they'll scatter as soon as a field cavalry charges. They're utterly useless."

Moreover, they didn't know how to build proper siege equipment. They could besiege a fortified city for years without success, and they were locked in a stalemate with Rome for over a century, neither side able to completely conquer the other.

"To put it bluntly, their cavalry is the only real strength; the rest are complete pushovers," Zhang Fei summarized in a loud voice.

"I think their heavy cavalry would be blown to smithereens by our artillery; no armor would be of any use."

Everyone nodded... In the face of flintlock muskets and cannons, even the thickest armor is useless. Times have changed; iron armor can't stop lead bullets.

"The distribution of troops is also easy to remember: the king's direct line guards the capital Ctesiphon in Mesopotamia, which is the plain between the two great rivers. It is extremely wealthy and makes a living entirely from trade routes; the Median Plateau is the stronghold of the nobility, which hides more than 10, 000 private soldiers, which even the king cannot control."

The western border fortress, bordering Rome, was guarded by about ten thousand men, constantly on guard against Roman attacks; the eastern frontier, defending against the Kushans, also had eighteen to ten thousand men. The two sides were outwardly friendly but inwardly hostile, constantly wary of each other.

"The important city, the capital Ctesiphon, together with the Greek old city of Seleucia on the other side of the river, formed a twin city. It was the most prosperous place in the country, with countless caravans and camel caravans that could block the city gates."

Ecbatana, the summer capital, was located in the mountains, where it was cool in the summer. The king would go there every summer to escape the heat, much like the Chengde Imperial Palace in China. There was also a fortress called Hatra, which was incredibly tough. The Romans besieged it several times but couldn't take it, like a stubborn holdout.

Finally, Lu Bing concluded: "To put it bluntly, this country is so poor that all it has left is money. All the caravans on the Silk Road pass through here, and they collect tolls until their hands are sore, making them incredibly wealthy."

The problem lies in the flawed system. Despite its large territory, it's a paper tiger. If a real war breaks out, the nobles will each have their own agendas, and the system will crumble at the slightest provocation.

"If we really want to advance westward, Parthia is the best entry point... Once internal strife breaks out, we can take advantage of the situation and push forward. I reckon we won't even need to fight much; they'll fall into chaos on their own."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Everyone understands the principle of picking the softest persimmon, and Anxi was that soft persimmon.

"Finally, let's talk about the one closest to us, the Kushan Empire." Lu Bing opened the last volume of secret reports, his tone much more relaxed.

"Everyone is familiar with this, especially those from the Western Theater Command. Back then, General Su Lie and his men annihilated 50, 000 enemy troops, which terrified them and kept them in line for more than a decade."

The people below laughed.

Back then, the Kushan king sent an army of 50, 000 eastward, hoping to take advantage of the chaos, but they were soundly defeated by the Han army and completely annihilated. From then on, the Kushans were very docile...

"The current king is called Vasudeva I, or as we Han Chinese call him, Bodhi. This king is a believer in both Hinduism and Buddhism, and he tries to maintain a balance between the two without offending either side."

However, things have changed in recent years. His vassal states in Central Asia have become increasingly disobedient, with many seeking independence, which he cannot control, and the country's strength is clearly declining.