My father, Li Shimin, requests Your Majesty to become the Retired Emperor.

Princess Wencheng's expression softened slightly upon hearing this: "Your Highness, if that's really the case, that would be wonderful. My father would have far fewer troubles."

As for the matter between my father and Zhang Shigui, I've already told you.

But he wouldn't listen.

Since Zhang Meiren arrived, my mother has been neglected.

If it weren't for Zhang Meiren, how could things have turned out this way?

Su Wan smiled slightly: "Princess, I understand how you feel."

but,

This is your father's decision, and you can't stop him.

"After our martial arts examination is over, we will have the Crown Prince escort you to Tibet to marry Songtsen Gampo."

Princess Wencheng blushed: "Logically speaking, you and my brother should get married first, and then it will be my turn. There is an order of seniority."

Su Wan waved her hand: "You can't say that. It's not absolute."

If your elder brother never marries, does that mean you won't get married either?

"How is that possible?"

"Didn't you two just... you know?"

Upon hearing this, Su Wan blushed and said, "Who told you to come at such an inopportune time?"

Princess Wencheng smiled and said, "You're right. The key issue is that I didn't know beforehand."

If I had known beforehand that you were there, I would have arrived a little later.

"You two can continue after we leave."

"Continue what?" Su Wan paused. "Your Highness, why don't you stay here and wait for news?"

Princess Wencheng, Lord Wei, and I will first return to Chang'an to gather information. We will inform you once we are certain that everything is safe and sound in Chang'an.

"That's fine too." Li Chenggan nodded in agreement.

Then, Su Gui led her imperial guards away from the Yuelai Inn, escorting Wei Zheng, Su Wan, and Princess Wencheng back to Chang'an.

After everyone left, Li Chenggan breathed a sigh of relief.

So much has happened recently that he is exhausted and heartbroken.

Li Chengan got onto the couch, and as soon as his head touched the pillow, he fell asleep.

I don't know how much time passed.

Li Chenggan felt as if someone was shaking his body.

Li Chengan opened his sleepy eyes and looked around the room.

Standing before his bed was a man, none other than Qin Ying.

"Your Highness, you're finally awake."

Li Chengan frowned when he saw his panicked appearance.

Li Chengan sat up and asked, "What happened?"

"Something's happened!" Qin Ying was covered in sweat.

"What happened?"

"Many troops have arrived outside Luoyang and have already engaged in fierce fighting with the Tang army stationed in Luoyang."

"What? Such a thing could happen?" Li Chenggan immediately jumped off the couch.

"Yes, it seems that Luoyang is probably doomed."

"Could it be that the Five Nations Alliance is attacking Luoyang?" Li Chenggan felt his head suddenly spin three times larger.

"It's still dark, so you can't see very clearly."

"How many casualties did our Tang army suffer?"

"I don't know yet, you should go and check on it."

"Where is Consort Xue Ren?" Li Chenggan asked.

He went out in the middle of the night, I don't know what he did.

Could it be that he saw you were in trouble and therefore ran away?

"These days, there are so many people you can't rely on," Qin Ying muttered.

Li Chengan dressed himself neatly: "Rengui is not that kind of person."

"Oh dear, Your Highness, you've only known him for a few days! You can only know a person's face, not their heart."

Don't be fooled by his handsome appearance; he might be a cunning and scheming man at heart.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan's face darkened: "Qin Ying, you are not allowed to speak ill of Xue Rengui. I believe he is a virtuous gentleman."

"Fine, fine, then just pretend I didn't say anything."

at this time,

Xue Rengui walked in from outside, looking travel-worn: "Your Highness, I'm back."

"Rengui, it's good to see you back." Li Chenggan looked relieved.

Qin Ying seemed a little embarrassed, because he wasn't sure if Xue Rengui had heard what he and Li Chengan had just said.

In fact, Xue Rengui heard it, but pretended not to know.

Li Chengan poured a cup of hot tea, handed it to Xue Rengui, and asked, "Where did you go just now?"

Xue Rengui took the teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and then placed the teacup on the table: "In the middle of the night, I was sleeping when suddenly I heard the clatter of hooves in the distance. I sensed that a large army was approaching."

then,

So I went out and investigated.

"Your hearing is excellent," Li Chengan praised. "How did you find out?"

"Now, the entire city of Luoyang is surrounded by the remnants of the Turkic forces."

Moreover, the leading general appears to be Ashina Jieshe.

I've heard that Zhang Shigui has already sent someone to report to the court that you are colluding with the Turks and plotting a rebellion.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan's heart pounded: "What are you talking about?"

How could I possibly oppose my father?

I know nothing about this matter.

"Your Highness, I completely trust you and understand your feelings."

but,

Some say you are colluding with the Turks from within and without.

Not only that, but they also said that you intentionally lured the armies of five kingdoms with the aim of capturing Luoyang and Chang'an, forcing your father to abdicate, and making yourself emperor.

Upon hearing this, Li Chenggan thought to himself that he was just sitting at home when disaster struck. He had only taken a nap, yet so many things had happened.

Just then, the sounds of shouting and neighing of horses came from outside the inn, as if an army had arrived.

Li Chenggan opened the window and looked outside.

Sure enough, Zhang Shigui and his four sons returned with 2000 men and surrounded the Yuelai Inn.

"Surround it! Surround it!"

Zhang Shigui rode his precious Xue Long horse, brandishing his spear, and commanded his soldiers.

This Snow Dragon Steed has a history. Back then, Zhang Shigui fought against Wang Shichong and won the battle. Li Yuan bestowed the Snow Dragon Steed upon him as his mount.

Two thousand soldiers immediately surrounded the Yuelai Inn, making it impossible to pass through.

Zhang Zhilong spurred his horse forward, looked up, and shouted loudly, "Li Chenggan, come out quickly, my father wants to talk to you."

Li Chengan straightened his clothes and was about to go out.

Qin Ying reached out and stopped him: "Your Highness, don't be so impulsive. Zhang Shigui already has ill intentions towards you. If you go to see them like this, won't you suffer a loss?"

Li Chenggan waved his hand: "It's alright, let's listen to what they have to say first."

then,

Qin Ying and Xue Rengui escorted Li Chenggan to the outside of the inn.

Faced with this sudden change, Li Chenggan felt somewhat flustered, but on the surface he remained calm.

He remained calm and said loudly, "General Zhang, why have you returned?"

Zhang Shigui sneered: "Li Chenggan, I never expected you to be so treacherous!"

You colluded with Ashina Jieshe to lure the Turkic army here.

At this moment, the Turkic army had already surrounded Luoyang.

The rebel army numbered at least 100,000 men, a formidable force.

If it weren't for you, how could the Turkic army have arrived so quickly?

The facts are undeniable, are you still going to try to deny it?

Li Chengqian was also puzzled and asked, "Is Ashina Jieshe also in the Turkic army?"

"Li Chenggan, you're quite the actor. Who doesn't know that you've bribed the three great assassins?"

Ashina Jieshe is extremely fierce; he has already killed several of our Tang army generals.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan was also taken aback: "Where is he?"

I want to see him and speak with him face to face.

"It's right outside the North Gate, Anning Gate."

"Okay, let's go take a look now."

Qin Ying, standing nearby, advised, "Your Highness, Zhang Shigui is no good. If you go, it might be detrimental to you."

"It's alright. I was just about to check the situation outside. If it really is Ashina Jieshe leading the Turkic army to besiege Luoyang, then I need to have a word with him," Li Chenggan said, pausing before asking, "Where are Hegan Chengji and Zhang Shizheng?"

"I don't know. I was here last night, but I don't know where I went after that."

Did they already know beforehand that Ashina Jieshe was leading troops and were afraid you would cause them trouble, so they slipped away?

"I told you long ago, Hegan Chengji is unreliable."

Li Chenggan waved his hand: "Don't speak recklessly before the truth of the matter is clarified."

"Okay, okay, in your eyes, they are all good people, and I am the bad person."

In fact, even if Li Chenggan wanted to back down at this moment, he couldn't.

Li Chengan arrived at the top of the city wall of Luoyang's north gate.

at this time,

The Tang army had just repelled another attack by the Turkic army, with casualties on both sides.

Li Chenggan, his hand resting on the crenellations, was also taken aback as he looked at the tens of thousands of Turkic troops outside the city.

In his mind, the Turks had perished, but now it seemed they were about to rise again.

The Turkic army was vast and boundless, roughly estimated to number no less than 100,000.

Moreover, their army is strong and well-equipped, with no fewer than five hundred large armored vehicles, and their military strength is at its peak.

in those days,

At its peak, the Turkic army numbered in the millions, surpassing even the Xiongnu of yesteryear.

On that occasion, Emperor Yang of Sui was besieged by the Turks at Yanmen Pass, and his attempts to break out failed several times.

In the end, it was Li Shimin who led his troops to rescue them.

Zhang Shigui pointed to a general standing at the forefront of the Turkic army and said to Li Chenggan, "Look, isn't that Ashina Jieshe? Who else could it be?"

By this time, the east was already turning white.

Li Chengan looked closely and indeed it was Ashina Jieshe.

Li Chengan also found it strange, wondering what was going on.

Ashina Jieshe clearly stated that he was a Turkic prince with high prestige among the Turks.

He had already promised to go back and gather his old troops to surrender to the Tang Dynasty, so why would he go back on his word?

Li Chengan asked loudly, "Is the following the Ashina Association's membership rate?"

Ashina Jieshe, riding a tall black horse, spurred it forward a couple of steps, looked up at Li Chenggan, and asked, "Who are you?"

"What, you don't even recognize me?" Li Chenggan retorted.

"Are you Li Chenggan?"

"That's right. You promised me that you would go back and gather your old troops to surrender to our Great Tang. Why did you lead your army to attack Luoyang?"

Why is that?

"It's all because Li Shimin has gone too far in bullying people!"

Back then, he made a pact with us along the Wei River, promising not to invade each other's territory.

but,

Not long after, he found reasons and excuses to get Li Jing to suddenly send troops to attack us.

We were caught off guard, which is why we fell into your trap.

therefore,

Li Shimin is the most treacherous and cunning. How can we Turks swallow this insult?

"Let's attack Luoyang first, then Chang'an, overthrow the Tang Dynasty, and help the Turks restore their kingdom," Ashina Jieshe said confidently and eloquently.

Li Chengan was puzzled after hearing Ashina Jieshe's words, wondering why this person's behavior was so different before and after.

"Ashina Jieshe, how can you go back on your word after making a promise to me?"

Don't forget, He Gan Chengji and Zhang Shizheng are guarantors for you. If you do this, aren't you afraid they'll cause you trouble?

Stop talking nonsense!

"I'll either not do it at all, or if I do, I'm not afraid. Come on down here, let's fight three hundred rounds!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan felt his blood pressure rise sharply, thinking to himself, "Ashina Society is truly impressive!"

They can turn on you in an instant, saying one thing and doing another.

Li Chengan was not a good-tempered man either. When he heard someone call his name, he immediately wanted to go down and duel with him.

Qin Ying stopped him again: "Your Highness, why do you need to personally get involved in something like this?"

I'm going down to meet him!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhilong thought to himself, "How can I let Qin Ying have such a good opportunity to make a contribution?"

If I can capture Ashina Jieshe today, I will become famous throughout the world.

Therefore, Zhang Zhilong requested to participate in the battle.

The three brothers, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao, were worried and wanted to go into battle with Zhang Zhilong. Of course, they didn't want Zhang Zhilong to take all the credit.

Zhang Shigui also hoped that his sons would excel in public and that he could secure official positions for them in the future.

Zhang Shigui nodded in agreement: "Be careful."

"Please rest assured, sir. With the four of us brothers fighting together, we will be absolutely certain of success!" Zhang Zhilong said confidently.

Immediately, the four brothers Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao mounted their horses and rushed out of the city gate, where they surrounded and attacked Ashina Jieshe, the leader of the society.

however,

To everyone's surprise, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, all four brothers, Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao, were captured and tied up with ropes.

Zhang Shigui was greatly surprised when he saw it.

He hadn't taken Ashina Jieshe seriously, but he hadn't expected it to be so formidable.

Although the four brothers Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao were disappointing, they were still his own sons.

The saying goes, "Brothers fight together, fathers and sons go to war together."

Zhang Shigui could no longer contain himself. He grabbed his spear, went down from the city wall, mounted his snow-white steed, and rushed to the city gate.

He pointed with his hand and said, "Ashina Jieshe, quickly release my four sons."

"Are you Zhang Shigui?"

"Exactly."

"I've long heard that you are a famous general of the Tang Dynasty. Today is the perfect opportunity to experience your martial arts skills."

"You arrogant brat! Take this!" Desperate to save his son, Zhang Shigui brandished his spear and thrust it toward Ashina Jieshe's chest.

"Well done!"

Ashina Jieshe led his troops, brandishing their spears, and engaged Zhang Shigui in battle on the battlefield.

Zhang Shigui originally thought he could subdue Ashina Jieshe in no time.

Unexpectedly, Ashina Jieshe was highly skilled in martial arts, and his spear was unpredictable and difficult to defend against.

Zhang Shigui and Ashina Jieshe fought for twenty rounds without a clear winner.

Li Chengan looked from the city wall and was puzzled, wondering when Ashina Jieshe had become so brave.

Zhang Shigui was a famous general of the Tang Dynasty, whose martial arts skills were no less than those of Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin. Unexpectedly, he was no match for Ashina Jieshe.

Zhang Shigui watched helplessly as his four sons were tied up like dumplings, unable to help them, and his anxiety grew.

However, the worst thing in war is to be impetuous.

The more anxious he is, the harder it is for him to win.

In the blink of an eye, another ten or so rounds had passed, and the match was still undecided.

at this time,

Suddenly, the sound of a gong was heard from the city wall. There was a rule in the army that when the drum was beaten, they had to advance, and when the gong was sounded, they had to retreat.

Zhang Shigui heard the sound and knew that he was being called back.

Zhang Shigui feinted an attack and jumped out of the circle: "Ashina Jieshelu, it's not that I'm afraid of you, it's just that I need to go back. We'll fight again later!"

In fact, Ashina Jieshe was also quite exhausted and wanted to take this opportunity to catch his breath: "Zhang Shigui, you go back now, I'll wait for you here."

Zhang Shigui returned to the city wall and asked Li Chengan, "Who ordered the retreat to begin?"

Li Chengan smiled and said, "It was I who instructed Qin Ying to sound the retreat."

"Why? In a few more rounds, I will be able to take down Ashina Jieshelu and use him to exchange for my four sons."

"When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. If anything happens to you, your lifelong reputation will be ruined."

You don't need to worry too much; your four sons should be fine for the time being.

Zhang Shigui, however, was unmoved: "You're really meddling. I still need to go down and duel with Ashina Jieshe. I must capture him."

Qin Ying put down the gong in her hand and stopped him: "Zhang Shigui, you're old and useless now, so don't bother with that."

If you continue fighting, you'll most likely be no match for them.

If I had been allowed to go down first, none of these things would have happened.

"How come all four of your sons are good-for-nothings!"

"You...you dare call me old! How about we have a drawing contest?" Zhang Shigui was so angry that his beard kept shaking.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ying's temper flared up, and she glared at him with wide eyes: "You want to fight, don't you?"

Do you think I'm afraid of you?

"Come on, let's have a competition!"

Li Chengan dismissed Qin Ying: "General Zhang, we fight battles with wits and strategy, not with reckless courage."

in those days,

"You've fought so many battles, you should be more experienced and more composed than me."

Zhang Shigui agreed with Li Chengan.

Ashina Jieshe rode on horseback, circling around the field, and shouted: "Zhang Shigui, why don't you get down and die? What are you waiting for?"

Are you saying you're a coward?

The soldiers burst into laughter.

Ashina Jieshe was really nasty, he insulted Zhang Shigui's ancestors for eight generations.

Zhang Shigui was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged, and his eyes were almost bursting out of their sockets.

Zhang Zhilong cried from below, "Dad, you have to find a way to save us! Otherwise, we won't survive! Waaah..."

Zhang Shigui saw this and became even angrier, thinking to himself, "You're such a spineless coward, what are you crying for? I'm not dead yet!"