The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 356 The Submission of Regional Military Governors and the Unification of the World

After a moment's thought, Su Ming dismissed his idea. While Wu Zetian was indeed the chosen one after the twin dragons, the current Wu Kingdom was far stronger than the Tang Dynasty, and the Song Clan's foundation was much deeper than the Li Clan's. Wu Zetian's influence would be much smaller. At the very least, in this timeline, even if she could shatter the void, she could not become the first female emperor in history.

That’s all, I don’t want to think about it anymore.

Su Ming shook his head, putting these matters out of his mind. Things would work themselves out. He had spent decades in the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes before achieving his goal, and he had only been in the Tang Dynasty for a few years. There was no point in rushing things.

Compared to these, the only things that interested him most in the Tang Dynasty were the Jingyan Palace and the War God's Manual inside, the most mysterious of the four extraordinary martial arts, which he couldn't miss.

Xu Ziling's voice came from outside the door, "Master, Li Jing has arrived."

"Come in."

Li Jing pushed open the wooden gate of the courtyard and walked in. Facing the sunlight, he saw Su Ming sitting cross-legged under the tree. The dim sunlight shone on him, making him look like an immortal descending to earth, detached from the world.

"Li Jing pays respects to his martial uncle."

Before Li Jing could speak, Su Ming, without even opening his eyes, said calmly, "You're looking for me because of the Turks, aren't you?"

Upon hearing this, he paused for a moment, then nodded. "Uncle-Master is incredibly resourceful, Li Jing admires him. His Majesty conquered Guanzhong and destroyed the Zhou Kingdom, but the He Shi Bi has disappeared. It is said that the Yuwen clan took the He Shi Bi into the grasslands. This item is a symbol of emperors throughout history, and His Majesty will never allow the He Shi Bi to fall into the hands of the Turks."

"Given time, my Wu Kingdom will surely send troops to attack the grasslands. Pursuing the fleeing enemy and sealing the wolf's lair is the dream of military strategists throughout history, and Li Jing is no exception. I beg my uncle for help."

Su Ming opened his eyes. "Are you worried that if Brother Song leads the army in person, you will have no chance to use your skills?" In the world, when it comes to military strategy and the art of killing, Song Que is undoubtedly the best. Coupled with his Grandmaster-level martial prowess, no army in the world can defeat him on the battlefield.

Logically speaking, after Song Que pacifies the world, he should sit in the capital and govern the country, instead of leading his army beyond the Great Wall. Li Erfeng, who was known in history as having the appearance of a dragon and phoenix and the countenance of the sun and moon, was so fierce that once he became emperor, he was just an emperor. But no one can be sure what Song Que is thinking.

Li Jing's visit also served as a way to probe the waters.

"Uncle-Master, you are wise."

"Don't worry, Brother Song won't compete with you. Whether it's conquering the Turks or reclaiming the Imperial Seal, these things are important, but they can't compare to the world. The war on the grasslands will definitely need you, Li Jing."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing let out a long breath, a smile appearing on his heroic face. "Thank you for your guidance, Uncle-Master."

Looking at Li Jing's settled state of mind, Su Ming said, "Back then, I transferred my skills to you and forcibly raised your level. Now that you want to take another step forward, it will be quite difficult."

Li Jing revealed a carefree expression, "It's alright, reaching the Grandmaster realm is enough. I am dull-witted, and if it weren't for my uncle's help, I don't know when I would have been able to break through. As for the rest, I'll just leave it to fate."

"Your Majesty, with the momentum of a great victory, may be able to conquer the north without bloodshed and unify the world. At that time, war will surely be quelled and the world will be at peace. This is also the long-cherished wish of us military strategists: to quell the chaos of the world with war."

……

Taiyuan in the north.

After Song Que took control of the Taiyuan Palace, various forces sent people to pay homage. The Li and Dugu clans had already submitted, and the Hedong gentry and forces of all sizes had no choice but to bow their heads. Faced with the overwhelming trend, any action was futile.

The spacious and magnificent palace is the Taiyuan Imperial Palace, which was built under the supervision of Li Yuan and Yang Guang. Now it has benefited Song Que. It has to be said that the legacy left by Yang Guang is truly abundant.

"Your Highness," a figure bowed to Song Que, "Kong Deshao, attendant of the King of Xia, greets Your Majesty." Song Que sat upright in his seat, his voice calm, "Does Dou Jiande have anything to say?"

Kong Deshao took out a letter of state from his sleeve and held it above his head. "Your Majesty, my king cannot bear to see his brothers quarrel and start fighting again. He wishes to submit the entire country to the Great Wu."

As soon as the words were spoken, Li Yuan, Li Shimin and the others felt a sense of unreality. Even though they had expected it, they did not expect Dou Jiande to surrender so easily, without even mentioning any conditions.

Dou Jiande was very popular in Hebei and was a powerful warlord in the north, yet he surrendered just like that. Li Yuan and his son exchanged a glance, a bitter look flashing in their eyes. If they had known this would happen, why would their Li clan have been pushed around by Buddhism and fallen to this state?

King Dou Jiande of Xia surrendered his forces to the State of Wu. In return, the State of Wu would grant him at least one hereditary marquis. As long as he did not cause trouble in the future, he would be able to enjoy a wealthy and peaceful old age without any problem.

In contrast, the Li clan is an old force from the previous dynasty, and they are also in cahoots with the Buddhist sect to attack Sichuan. Even if they surrender, it is unlikely that they will receive the same treatment as Dou Jiande, and whether they can inherit wealth and status in the future is a question.

Song Que had no time to consider other people's thoughts, and his steady voice couldn't help but reveal a bit of excitement, "Good, Dou Jiande has abandoned darkness and turned to the light. I will not treat him unfairly. In the future, the Dou family line will share the fate of the country."

Kong Deshao was delighted and immediately bowed in gratitude, saying, "On behalf of the King of Xia, I thank Your Majesty for the reward."

The news of Dou Jiande's surrender quickly spread throughout the north. The remaining warlords, such as Liu Wuzhou and Liang Shidu, were all terrified. These border warlords had all colluded with the Turks and even served them as their masters.

In the Battle of Luoshui, Wu's army annihilated the elite Turks and captured Jieli Khan. Now that Song Que has arrived, will they have a good outcome?
In the following days, Song Que ordered his vanguard to take over Dou Jiande's territory in Hebei. At the same time, Dou Jiande himself went to Taiyuan to pay homage to Song Que. If nothing unexpected happened, he would never be able to return to his hometown in Hebei again.

……

Inside the pavilion, Song Que sat facing another person, with a chessboard between them.

The two casually placed their pieces, and after a moment, Song Que remarked with a sigh, "Brother Dou, it seems there aren't many truly intelligent people in this world."

Sitting opposite Song Que was Dou Jiande. "War, power, wealth, and glory—how many people in this world can truly give them up? As far as Your Majesty is concerned, their refusal to surrender is merely a waste of effort. They are nothing but a bunch of worthless chickens and dogs."

Speaking of these people, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. At this point, they still dared to try to negotiate with Song Que. It was simply wishful thinking! With two Grandmasters in charge, who in the world could rival their power?

"I have no intention of using force. If I could unify the world without bloodshed, fewer people would die. It's a pity they couldn't see the situation clearly." With that, Song Que placed a piece on the board and stood up.

"Send word to Kou Zhong, ordering him to lead a large army north to attack Liang Shidu and Liu Wuzhou. In addition, have him inspect the border on my behalf. If he encounters any Turks, he need not be polite."

"As ordered!"

A hint of seriousness and amusement flashed in Dou Jiande's eyes. "General Kou is a tiger general. With him here, the north will be pacified."

Song Que chuckled lightly, "Haha, my brother, you flatter me. Let's see how this junior defeats the enemy."

A few days later, Kou Zhong's army marched north, capturing cities and strongholds along the way. In less than a month, they defeated Liu Wuzhou and captured him alive. The following month, he led three thousand elite cavalry north to launch a surprise attack and annihilate Liang Shidu's forces.

The successive defeats of Liang Shidu and Liu Wuzhou terrified the remaining warlords. Half a month later, Li Gui of Liangzhou and Luo Yi of Youyan sent people to surrender and pledge allegiance to the Great Wu. Thus, all the warlords in the north were destroyed, and the world was unified.

(End of this chapter)