As one of the few great cities in the world that could rival Constantinople, Cairo, or even Suzhou and Hangzhou in the distant Eastern dynasties,
Baghdad's population might not have been as exaggerated as the "one million" Maqihah had claimed, but if the nearly integrated Ctesiphon was included as well, it truly was not far from that figure.
For Lothar's current forces, bringing such an enormous city—or rather, city cluster—under orderly rule in a short time would be no easy task.
The vanguard's six thousand troops entering it would be like a small stream flowing into the sea.
If he relied on garrisons to stabilize the situation, Lothar would have no mobile troops left to fight the Tatars in the field. Simply holding Baghdad and Ctesiphon would be enough to exhaust his forces.
Unless he was willing to imitate the Tatars of history, raise the butcher's blade, turn this city—a treasure of civilization—into a blazing torch, and slaughter hundreds of thousands. Then all hidden resistance would naturally vanish.
But that was clearly impossible.
Thus, cooperating with the locals became his only option.
Maqihah wore a grave expression. "Your Majesty, my being able to come before you was itself the result of a compromise by the powerful heathens in the city. Otherwise, I should already have been hung from the city walls for all to see."
"Did Sasanian King Bahram give you no orders?"
If not, Lothar felt he truly needed to revise his opinion of this King of Kings, whom he had always somewhat looked down upon.
"Ever since the Sasanian King withdrew his entire Undead Army to Ctesiphon, he has had no control over this city whatsoever. However, I heard that the Sasanian King does not seem to want Baghdad to continue resisting."
Lothar could not help frowning. If