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Chang'an, Daxing Palace.

Luoyang fell, the Prince of Qin was captured, Tongguan was breached… a series of urgent reports, like death knells, crashed down on the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Chang'an, already somewhat weakened by Li Jing's eastern expedition, was instantly plunged into extreme panic and chaos. Commander Li Jing, far away in Henan, was powerless to reverse the situation. His trusted Buddhist monks, the Turkic allies, and even the mysterious evil king… all suffered utter defeat! And that terrifying "Nameless," along with his ferocious Song Que, had already reached their doorstep!

"Father! The troops in Guanzhong are scattered, and the garrison in Chang'an is less than 50,000, and the people are in a state of panic! The Song Dynasty can send 80,000 elite troops at any time! The only plan now is... the only plan is to temporarily avoid the enemy's advance, to tour the west to Longyou, or to go north to Lingwu, relying on the natural defenses of the mountains and rivers, and to plan for the future later!"

Crown Prince Li Jiancheng's voice trembled, his face filled with fear. At this moment, he no longer had any intention of vying for power with Li Shimin; he only thought about how to save his life.

Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, was already terrified and completely lost his composure. He repeatedly echoed, "Brother is absolutely right! Father, let's go quickly! It will be too late if we delay any longer!"

Some ministers also spoke out, suggesting moving the capital or fleeing.

However, some veteran officials, such as Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda, wept bitterly and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty! Chang'an is the foundation of the nation and the location of the ancestral temples! How can it be abandoned so lightly? We should summon troops from all directions to defend the capital and fight the enemy to the death! If we abandon the capital, we will lose the hearts of the people, and the Tang Dynasty... the Tang Dynasty will truly perish!"

Chaos reigned in the imperial court. Opinions on war and flight were locked in endless debate.

Li Yuan sat on the dragon throne, looking at the chaotic officials below, and listening to the faint sounds of commotion and cries coming from the streets outside the palace. His heart turned cold. He knew that Xiao Yu and the others were right; abandoning the capital and fleeing would be tantamount to announcing the end of the Li Tang dynasty.

But... war? With what? The Battle of Luoyang had already extinguished the last vestiges of the Li Tang dynasty's spirit and its most powerful forces. The world knew of Song Que's formidable military might, and now, riding the wave of a great victory, with a well-rested and formidable army at his command...

"Report—!!! Urgent military intelligence! Song Que's vanguard cavalry has crossed Ba Bridge! They are less than thirty li from Chang'an!" A scout covered in blood crawled into the hall, bringing with him the final death warrant.

The hall fell into a deathly silence. Even the old ministers who advocated fighting to the death collapsed to the ground, their faces ashen.

Thirty li! For cavalry, that's a blink of an eye!
Li Yuan slumped back onto the dragon throne, as if his spine had been ripped out. After a long while, he trembled as he raised his hand, his voice hoarse as a broken gong:
"Issue...Issue the decree...Close...close the city gates tightly...All...all troops, ascend the city walls...and defend..."

Before he could finish his command, a deafening commotion and even clearer cries of panic and fleeing erupted outside the palace. News of Song Que's army's imminent arrival spread like wildfire throughout Chang'an, plunging the once-prosperous capital into apocalyptic panic and chaos. Officials abandoned their posts, wealthy families absconded with their money, the common people wailed, and routed soldiers roamed freely… From this moment on, the very idea of ​​defending the city became a joke.

Autumn, September 27th, 623 AD.

Song Que personally led an army of 80,000 to the Chunming Gate east of Chang'an. Banners blotted out the sun, swords and spears were like a forest, and siege weapons such as catapults, siege towers, and ladders were densely arrayed in front of the formation, creating a chilling atmosphere that soared to the heavens.

Although Chang'an's city walls were high and the garrison still numbered in the tens of thousands, the commander lacked fighting spirit, the soldiers had no will to fight, and the people lived in constant fear. Moreover, undercurrents were already surging within the city. Many officials who were disappointed with the Li Tang dynasty, aristocratic families attracted by the policies of the Heavenly Alliance, and even generals who had already been infiltrated by the "Shadows" were all secretly watching and even preparing to "surrender the city."

Song Que did not rush to attack the city. Instead, he first sent an envoy to the city walls to read a proclamation, listing the failures of the Li Tang dynasty (mainly the incessant warfare and the failure to pacify the country in time, leading to widespread suffering), and promoting the policies of the Heavenly Alliance (equal land distribution and tax reduction, water conservancy projects, and clean governance). He declared his intention to "only punish the ringleaders, not those who were coerced, and to open the city gates and surrender to preserve the lives of the people." At the same time, he widely disseminated the news that Li Shimin had already surrendered in Luoyang.

When the proclamation and news reached the city, the already crumbling will to resist completely collapsed.

That night, the commander of Chunming Gate (who had already been secretly turned against the city) quietly opened the gate, allowing Song Que's elite troops to enter. At the same time, similar situations occurred at other city gates, either due to inside collusion or the collapse of the defending troops.

September 28th, early morning.

Fierce street fighting broke out in several areas of Chang'an, mainly by a portion of the imperial guards and generals still loyal to the Li Tang dynasty. However, the tide had turned, and the resistance was quickly suppressed by the well-equipped and highly motivated Heavenly Alliance army.

Upon hearing news of the fall of the city gates and the entry of enemy troops into the city from within the Taiji Palace, Li Yuan knew that all was lost. Surrounded by a few loyal ministers, including Xiao Yu, and his guards, he hastily fled through the north gate of the palace (Xuanwu Gate), attempting to reach the Forbidden Garden and then seek an opportunity to flee north.

However, Song Que's military strategy was flawless. He had already deployed elite troops in ambush along the key routes of the imperial garden.

Li Yuan and his entourage had barely left Xuanwu Gate when they were ambushed. The guards fought to the death, and Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and some of the concubines and princes were all captured. Only a few members of the imperial clan managed to escape in the chaos, hiding among the common people or fleeing to the northwest, but they no longer posed a significant threat.

From the 29th of September to the 5th of October.

Song Que took control of Chang'an and quickly stabilized the order. He dispatched troops to take over the treasury and government offices, quelled the remaining enemy forces, pacified the people, issued proclamations to reassure them, announced the abolition of some of the oppressive taxes levied by the Li Tang dynasty, measured the land around Chang'an according to the new laws of the Heavenly Alliance, and opened granaries to provide relief to the poor who had suffered losses due to the war.

Members of the Li Tang imperial family and loyal ministers who stubbornly resisted were successively arrested and captured. Officials who were willing to surrender were initially screened and retained according to their abilities. After the initial panic, Chang'an quickly restored basic order, and the city was even more orderly than in the later period of the Li Tang dynasty.

October 6th.

Song Que held a simple yet solemn surrender ceremony in front of the Taiji Hall (formerly the main hall of the Sui Dynasty's Daxing Palace) in the Chang'an Imperial Palace.

The captured Li Yuan, Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and other key members of the Li Tang imperial family and core civil and military officials were brought before the palace. Li Yuan's hair and beard were disheveled, and his expression was blank; he had long lost his imperial majesty. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were ashen-faced and trembling.

Song Que, dressed in military uniform, accepted the ceremony symbolizing the end of the Li Tang regime on behalf of Yi Huawei. The Li Tang imperial seal, maps, ceremonial regalia, and other items were formally handed over.

Song Que publicly announced: The Li Tang regime has come to an end, and its ancestral temples will be abolished. Li Yuan, his immediate family, and major war criminals will be escorted to Luoyang to await the final judgment of the leader of the Heavenly Way Alliance. The remaining surrendered soldiers, officials, and commoners will return to their livelihoods, and the Heavenly Way Alliance will surely bring a new order and peace.

Although the ceremony was brief, it was of great significance. It marked the formal demise of the last powerful separatist regime in the Central Plains since the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, and also proclaimed the decisive victory of the Heavenly Alliance's Northern Expedition, making the unification of the world an unstoppable trend.

………………

The news of the fall of the Tang Dynasty, marked by the change of flags in Chang'an, swept across the entire north overnight.

When this shocking intelligence, confirming the dramatic changes in the political landscape, finally reached the Xia Prince's residence in Leshou, Hebei, Dou Jiande locked himself in the Chongde Hall for an entire day.

Outside the hall, the pro-war generals, led by Liu Heita, were filled with righteous indignation, vowing to fight the Southern Barbarians to the death and wash away their past humiliations. Meanwhile, opportunists like Gao Kaidao and Xu Yuanlang were filled with anxiety, their clandestine contact with the Heavenly Alliance's "Shadow" faction becoming increasingly apparent. Xu Kaishan and others from the Great Ming Sect appeared calm on the surface, but were clearly also plotting their escape. When Dou Jiande opened the hall doors again, this former outlaw hero seemed to have aged ten years, but his eyes burned with an almost obsessive determination.

"Though the Tang dynasty has fallen, Hebei still stands! The soldiers of our Great Xia are not cowards! Order all prefectures to fortify their defenses and scorch the fields, and gather all troops and provisions along the line of Leshou, Xindu (present-day Xingtai), and Qinghe! Relying on the Yellow River and the Zhang River, construct three lines of defense! Liu Heita!"

"The general is here!"

Liu Heita, his single eye bloodshot, took a step forward.

"I hereby appoint you as the governor of the Qinghe defense line, which is the first gateway for the southern bandits to advance north! I want you to turn Qinghe into a meat grinder, so that Song Que will pay a bloody price for every step he takes!"

"Rest assured, Your Majesty! As long as Heita is here, Qinghe is here! We will make sure Song Que never returns!" Liu Heita roared, clasping his hands in a fist.

"Cao Zhan and Cui Dong, you two will assist in the defense of Xindu and Leshou. Gao Kaidao and Xu Yuanlang,"

Dou Jiande coldly swept his gaze over the two men: "Your units are mobile forces, ready to be deployed at any time. If there are any unusual movements..."

Before he could finish speaking, the cold glint in his eyes sent chills down their spines.

After arranging the military affairs, Dou Jiande looked at Xu Kaishan, who had a cryptic expression, and said, "Master Xu, at this critical moment of life and death, your sect and my Great Xia are of one heart and one mind. Song Que must have the demoness Yin Kui accompanying him. Your sect's secret arts experts are the perfect weapon to restrain them. I humbly request your full assistance, Master."

Xu Kaishan smiled and stroked his beard, saying, "King Xia, rest assured, the rise of demons and the decline of the righteous path will determine the survival of the righteous. Our sect will do everything in its power to resist foreign aggression."

Behind him, the benevolent mother Shafang's eyes flickered, while Wu Mingzi and the others exuded a deep and composed aura, revealing little about their true nature. Only the Persian saintess Cynthia had ethereal eyes, as if she were detached from worldly affairs.

Dou Jiande felt somewhat relieved, unaware that Xu Kaishan had already begun his calculations. In his view, the collapse of the Tang Dynasty, the decline of Buddhism, and the weakening of the righteous path presented the perfect opportunity for the rise of the Great Ming's Venerable Sect, and even for it to seize the Heavenly Alliance! If he could severely cripple or even eliminate the main force of the Yin Kui Sect in this battle, and then seize Hebei... at that time, he, Xu Kaishan, might very well become the new ruler of the North!
However, both Dou Jiande's tragic and resolute decision and Xu Kaishan's ambitious calculations underestimated the Heavenly Alliance's determination and efficiency in pacifying the north, and even more so, they underestimated the methods of the alliance leader who was stationed in Luoyang and had begun to set his sights on a wider territory.

Luoyang, Ziwei City.

Yi Huawei did not linger after the victory in capturing the two capitals. Members of the Li Tang imperial family and key officials were successively taken to Luoyang for custody. Government affairs were handled jointly by surrendered officials such as Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, along with the original civil service system of the Heavenly Alliance, quickly restoring order and implementing new policies. Militarily, Su Dingfang's troops, who had launched a surprise attack on Guanzhong, had returned to rest and reorganize, while Xu Shiji's forces maintained a strong presence in the northwest around Tongguan.

At this moment, Yi Huawei's gaze had turned to Hebei.

"Dou Jiande is like a cornered beast, fighting desperately; Liu Heita is fierce and skilled in battle; the Ming Dynasty's Zunjiao sect is entrenched among them; and the Turks may also be making moves. This battle must be swift and decisive, sweeping away their strongholds with lightning speed, and not allowing them to become a chronic problem."

Song Que clasped his hands in a fist and said, “Alliance Leader, rest assured, Dou Jiande’s army is in disarray and its fighting strength is no longer comparable to ours. The only thing to worry about is the terrain and the weather. It is deep winter and Hebei is bitterly cold. The rivers may be frozen, which will be advantageous for our cavalry’s maneuverability, but we also need to guard against the wind and snow that may hinder our movement.”

Zhu Yuyan smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in her eyes: "Leave those demons and monsters of the Great Ming Venerable Sect to me. I have long wanted to experience Xu Kaishan's tricks. I will take this opportunity to completely remove this cancer from the North and let my Holy Sect have some peace and quiet."

Yi Huawei nodded: "Very good. Brother Song will be the Grand Commander, overseeing the entire campaign against Xia. Yu Yan will be the Supervisor, specializing in dealing with the Great Ming Zunjiao and gathering intelligence. We will allocate 50,000 elite troops to the two of you, including 20,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry, all battle-hardened soldiers with ample weaponry and provisions. Furthermore, the situation in Bashu is now stable for Wanwan; she can be ordered to send some of her Yin Kui experts north to be under Yu Yan's command."

"There's no need for a full-scale assault. Dou Jiande's three lines of defense appear tight, but in reality, his forces are scattered and he can't defend both ends. Liu Heita will definitely hold Qinghe to the death, drawing our main force. Brother Song can lead the main force to launch a feigned attack on Qinghe, making a show of a decisive battle, thus diverting the attention of Liu Heita and Dou Jiande."

The finger moved north, landing on a bend in the Yellow River at a ferry crossing: "At the same time, send Su Dingfang with 10,000 elite cavalry and 5,000 infantry, carrying simple river-crossing equipment, to cross the Yellow River where the ice is thicker, bypass the Qinghe defense line, and strike directly between Xindu and Leshou! The purpose of this surprise attack is to cut through Dou Jiande's defense line, shake its foundation, and create chaos. Yuyan, you will lead the Yin Kui elite troops to accompany this surprise attack. Your primary objective is to find and destroy the core stronghold of the Great Ming Zunjiao and kill its leader!"

"We must employ a two-pronged approach, combining orthodox and unorthodox methods. If Dou Jiande is overwhelmed by one issue and internal strife arises, then the area north of the Yellow River can be pacified in one fell swoop," Yi Huawei concluded.

Song Que and Zhu Yuyan exchanged a glance, both seeing the understanding and fighting spirit in each other's eyes.

"I will obey the Alliance Leader's command!"

...............

In the late tenth month of winter in 623 AD.

Song Que and Zhu Yuyan led 50,000 elite troops of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, claiming to number 100,000, on a northward march from Luoyang after a pledge. Banners fluttered, and morale soared. The massive army marched in a mighty procession to the north bank of the Yellow River, its advance aimed directly at Qinghe.

Meanwhile, a surprise force of 15,000 men, led by Su Dingfang, carrying a large number of sheepskin rafts, simple pontoon bridge components, and winter supplies, silently disappeared under the cover of night, flanking the main army and heading upstream towards the pre-arranged crossing point. Zhu Yuyan, along with Wen Caiting, Danmei, Bai Qing'er, and other elite members of the Yin Kui Sect, as well as dozens of skilled fighters sent by Wanwan to provide support, all mingled among this army.

In early November, at Jieqiao in Qinghe County.

Liu Heita assembled 30,000 elite Xia troops here, fortifying the area with deep trenches and high walls, ready for battle. Learning from the defeat at Zhangshui, he no longer easily ventured out of the city for open battle. Instead, relying on the strategic importance of Jieqiao Bridge and the shallowness of the river in winter, he constructed a solid defensive system, determined to make Song Que suffer a crushing defeat here.

After Song Que's main force arrived, he did not rush to attack. He first used a portion of his troops to launch probing attacks, probing the weaknesses in the Xia army's defenses. At the same time, he carried out large-scale felling of trees and construction of siege equipment, putting on a show of preparing for a long siege and a frontal assault. Every day, the war drums thundered and the shouts of battle were constant, but most of it was more bark than bite, keeping Liu Heita's attention firmly focused on the front line at Jieqiao.

Small-scale skirmishes continued between the two sides, resulting in casualties on both sides, and the battle seemed to have reached a stalemate. Liu Heita felt slightly relieved to see that Song Que's offensive was not as fierce as he had imagined, but he also became more vigilant and dared not relax his guard in the slightest, constantly requesting reinforcements and supplies from Dou Jiande.

Just as the standoff at Jieqiao was intensifying, Su Dingfang's surprise force, after a difficult journey, successfully crossed the Yellow River swiftly on a snowy night in a narrow section of the river a hundred miles upstream where the ice was thick.

After crossing the river, Su Dingfang immediately destroyed some of the crossing equipment, leaving only a few guards. The main force, traveling light and without delay, followed the remote roads on the north bank of the Zhang River, day and night, heading straight into the heart of Hebei! (End of Chapter)