From the perspective of various aristocratic families, although this canal is convenient, there will not be many businessmen passing through it in the short term.
But in Tang Ping's view, such 10% of income will be an extremely huge figure in the future.
Revenue from the Suez Canal will reach US$8 billion in 2022.
Tang Ping didn't know what the future of Datang would be, but as long as Datang could control this place for a longer time, it would be able to get more benefits from it.
Don't look at these aristocratic families who started to say that digging this canal was like killing their family's life. They all said that they wanted to drain their family wealth.
Waiting for Tang Ping to come up with steam engine technology, he suddenly became active.
Although this kind of thing has not yet signed a contract, it is basically settled based on their status.
Tang Ping's purpose of bringing these people for inspection could be regarded as achieved.
After that, he took these people on a real trip.
Especially after hunting several lions in the North African prairie, these family elders excitedly asked Tang Ping to take some more photos of them.
Then he traveled around Arabia for more than ten days before returning home with satisfaction.
Tang Ping stayed after sending them away, because this time Datang sent new ammunition, and the final attack on Damascus was about to begin.
"You kid, I heard that you had a lot of fun recently with the wealthy locals from the Tang Dynasty!"
Duan Zhixuan no longer uses a wheelchair at this time and can stand up on his own.
He and Tang Ping had a close friendship, so of course they spoke quite casually.
"Old Duan, what you said is unreasonable!" Tang Ping yelled: "You don't know how difficult it is to talk about business with those old foxes. They all talk about being intimate with you, but when it comes to talking about business, then I won’t let go of even a copper penny.”
Li Jing said with a smile: "Okay, I know you have worked hard. Now we have enough food, grass and ammunition, let's prepare to attack the city!"
After being out for so long, the soldiers were naturally homesick, so Li Jing also said that after the attack on Damascus, he would take them back to Datang to celebrate the New Year.
The siege battle meeting was also simple, because with the artillery, the strong walls of Damascus were as if they didn't exist.
Once there were no city walls, the Arab army in Damascus would not be able to match the Tang army, which had a large number of muskets.
Damascus, which had been quiet for several months, finally resumed fighting.
On the first day of the Tang Dynasty, they only fired a few cannons at the city wall, creating a gap in the Damascus wall. Then Tang Ping shouted to the Arab emperor inside to surrender.
Arabia was too far away from the Tang Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty would not leave it to its original emperors and nobles to govern like other subordinate countries.
So he just said that he was willing to surrender and would take him to Chang'an to live a good life.
The emperor of the Arab Empire was naturally unwilling. No one would give up the huge power in his hands.
Especially when this fight is not over yet.
So the next day he organized his cavalry to conduct a breakout.
But the Arab cavalry sweeping across the entire Mediterranean coast was no match for the Tang Expeditionary Force.
The Tang Dynasty had been besieging the city for so long, and it was not that nothing had been done. They built a circle of defensive buildings similar to bunkers outside Damascus, leaving only a small opening toward the city wall for shooting and observation.
The proud cavalry of Arabia charged out, but their bows and arrows were unable to attack the Tang Expeditionary Force inside the bunker.
However, the volley fire of the Tang Expeditionary Force could make waves of Arab cavalry fall on the charging road.
If this kind of bunker uses bows and arrows, there will be great restrictions, but with fire blunderbuss, Tang soldiers only need to extend the muzzle of the gun.
Thousands of Arab cavalry fell on the road, finally letting the defenders in Damascus know that it was impossible to charge out.
As long as there is still ammunition in the fire guns of the Tang Expeditionary Army, they will not be able to charge a single point.
If at the beginning of the siege of the Tang Dynasty, they charged out to fight the Tang Dynasty, even if they could not win, the expeditionary force of the Tang Dynasty would not have a hard time.
But because they only thought about defending the city at that time, they missed the best opportunity to attack.
The Tang Army, which now has fortifications and cannons, can be said to be synonymous with invincibility in this era.
The Arab Empire's charge was pushed back, but Datang had no intention of stopping the attack.
The artillery was directly pulled out again. Yesterday, only more than ten cannons were fired at the city wall. This was to give the Arab Empire a little deterrence. It was not that Datang ran out of ammunition.
Now it seems that this deterrence is not enough, so this time Datang let up the fight and fired hundreds of artillery shells, until a large part of the wall of Damascus collapsed.
The Arab defenders were beaten so hard that they did not dare to climb up the city wall.
What are you doing up there? Anyone who holds a shield will be beaten to pieces. Weapons like artillery are simply irresistible to them. Going up the city wall has no effect except to die in vain.
Then Tang Ping began to use his drone to shout over Damascus.
"Your Majesty, Emperor of the Arab Empire, these people and soldiers are innocent. You said that if you surrender now, the people will be able to live in peace again, and your soldiers will not have to die in vain."
"Look at you, you are defeated again and again. Do you really want to drag the whole city's people and officers and soldiers to bury you with you? You surrender now, and we can meet up for tea and fishing in the capital of the Tang Dynasty when we have nothing to do. , isn’t this kind of life wonderful?”
"You don't know, right? There is a small river in my fiefdom. The fish in it are very fat. If you can catch them, I will ask my little cook to make braised fish for you to eat. You don't know, my little cook... …”
Tang Ping was just like Nacai, muttering to Arabia.
It's like surrendering the Arab emperor... No, the life after retirement is picturesque.
The Arab emperor was naturally furious when he heard this in his palace, but there was nothing he could do about it.
But Tang Ping's words greatly shook the hearts of the soldiers and civilians in Damascus.
Many of these people have been thinking about what others have said. Your life in Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty is so comfortable. Is there anything you are dissatisfied with?
Do you have to have people block the door and bombard you every day, making everyone in the city uneasy?
After being besieged for so long, many residents in Damascus have long been without a source of livelihood, and they all want to end this war as soon as possible.
The Arab soldiers did not want to die in vain. Now that even the city wall has collapsed, how can the Tang army defend it if they want to attack?
Even some Arab nobles began to have thoughts.
Fakhr al-Din and others can continue to serve as officials even after they surrender, so if we also make some contributions to the Tang Dynasty, can we continue to have the status of nobles?
As for how to contribute to Datang now, is there any need to say?
