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

night.

Zhaoren Palace.

Li Daozong invited Zhang Shigui, Fang Yi'ai, and Li Chenggan to drink.

The main seat was empty. Li Daozong should have sat there, but because Zhang Shigui was his father-in-law and Li Chengan was the crown prince,

Therefore,

Li Daozong dared not sit down, for he had read many books and understood the principle of respecting elders and superiors.

Li Chengan and Zhang Shigui sat on the left, while Li Daozong and Fang Yi'ai sat on the right, the four of them facing each other.

In front of each of them was a square table, laden with cups and plates, and filled with delicious food.

Qin Ying stood behind Li Chengqian, warily surveying her surroundings.

Li Daozong was also at a loss: "Your Highness, Father-in-law, as a member of the royal family, the Emperor trusts me greatly. Some time ago, I went to Lingzhou to quell a rebellion, which went relatively smoothly. After returning, the Emperor gave me 30,000 troops to garrison Luoyang and wipe out the remaining forces of the Turks."

Since assuming this post, I have worked tirelessly day and night, fearing only that I might fail the trust placed in me.

We didn't expect the Turks to be so cunning; so far, we haven't found their main force.

This time, a large number of Turkic troops suddenly and without warning surrounded Luoyang, launching repeated attacks.

With only 30,000 men, how could we possibly be a match for them?

Ashina Jieshe was so skilled in martial arts that even his father-in-law couldn't defeat him. Looking across the entire Tang Dynasty, how many could be his match?

Li Chengan put down his wine cup and waved his hand: "Uncle, you don't need to boost the morale of others and diminish the prestige of our own people."

Back when the Turks were at their peak, they were no match for our Tang army. Why are you so worried?

That being said,

However, firstly, the enemy's troop strength is several times that of ours;

Secondly, after several battles, we found that those Turkic soldiers were extremely fierce. It would not be an exaggeration to call them a tiger and wolf army.

Thirdly, the four brothers Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao are now in their hands. They have hostages, which puts us in an even more passive position.

They've cut off our water and supply lines. If this continues, it's probably not a good sign.

Zhang Shigui slammed his hand on the table: "Li Chenggan, the root cause of this whole affair is that you let Ashina Jieshe escape!"

That person has been with us for a long time and knows the situation in the Tang Dynasty very well.

You're thinking too simply. You know he's a member of the Turkic royal family, eager to restore his kingdom, yet you want to let him go back to recruit his old followers and surrender to the Tang Dynasty? Isn't that just wishful thinking?

The Turks hated our Tang Dynasty, they hated it to the core.

Some time ago,

Did the Emperor issue an edict in Chang'an to expel the Turks?

Therefore, the Turks harbored even greater hatred towards our Tang Dynasty.

Furthermore, Jieli Khan was forced to serve as an official in Chang'an, but he was not free and was no different from a slave.

Think about it, how could the Turks accept such a great humiliation suffered by Khagan Jieli?

Before Li Chengan could speak, Qin Ying spoke up: "Zhang Shigui, you old man, what do you mean by saying that?"

Are you the eccentric prince?

If you can't beat them, why say these things?

Ladies and gentlemen, nothing else matters; grasping the Ashina Association's membership rate is the most important thing.

Here's what I'll do: I'll go out of town and fight him. I smashed that kid's leg with a brick, almost crippling him.

I know where his weakness lies. If I just bring another stone, he definitely won't be a match for me.

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong thought to himself, "What kind of fighting style is this brat talking about? Who goes to the battlefield with stones?"

Li Daozong then asked, "Do you really have a way to capture Ashina's association rate?"

Qin Ying thumped her chest loudly: "Originally, I planned to go out of the city to meet the enemy, but the four brothers Zhang Zhilong, Zhang Zhihu, Zhang Zhibiao, and Zhang Zhibao were afraid that I would steal the credit."

They insisted on going down to spar with Ashina Jieshe, but they were no match for him and were captured alive, thus dampening the morale of our Tang army.

"I'm not saying anything more. I'll go outside the city and capture Ashina Jieshe alive."

As Qin Ying spoke, she turned and walked out.

Li Chengan stopped him: "Qin Ying, don't be rash. Ashina Jieshe's skills are no less than General Zhang's. Do you think you can defeat him?"

"Your Highness, there is no need to worry."

"Since my first brick hit his leg, my second brick will hit his head!" Qin Ying said confidently.

"If you insist on going out of the city to fight Ashina Jieshe, remember this: fight if you can, retreat if you can't. Never be reckless."

"Don't worry, don't you know how skilled I am in martial arts?"

Having fought countless battles and defeated numerous generals, what is a mere Ashina Jieshelu in comparison?

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan's face darkened: "Remember, pride comes before a fall; never be arrogant!"

"Understood, Your Highness!"

Seeing that Qin Ying was full of confidence and determined to go, Li Chengan did not stop him.

Fang Yi'ai just kept drinking in silence, watching coldly from the side. He thought to himself that Qin Ying was really a fool. Everyone else was backing away, but he was sticking his head out to fight. If you want to go, go ahead. I'm not going.

At this moment, Li Daozong stood up, picked up a cup of wine, and walked to Qin Ying: "You are truly a brave warrior! Come, let me toast you first!"

"Your Highness, I cannot drink this wine." Qin Ying pushed the wine cup away with his hand.

"Oh, why? Is there poison in my wine?" Li Daozong was also surprised.

"No, that's not it."

"Why is that?"

"It is said that when Hua Xiong faced off against the eighteen warlords, anyone who went out after drinking alcohol died at Hua Xiong's hands."

Guan Yu couldn't stand it any longer and asked to go into battle. Cao Cao offered Guan Yu a toast, but Guan Yu refused to drink. As a result, Guan Yu killed Hua Xiong.

Therefore, I must learn from Guan Yu, not from those fools.

Upon hearing this, Li Daozong laughed heartily: "Qin Ying, it seems you know quite a bit about the affairs of the Three Kingdoms period."

Okay, then it's your decision!

"Leave this cup of wine here for now. Drink it when you return after you've captured Ashina Jieshe!"

"Alright! I heard that Guan Yu killed Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm. This time, I will capture Ashina Jieshe alive within three rounds."

"Three rounds?" Li Daozong held up three fingers.

"Exactly."

Li Chengan frowned, thinking that Qin Ying had spoken too confidently.

Qin Ying picked up a large spear, mounted his horse, and rode out of the north gate of Luoyang.

Li Daozong, Zhang Shigui, Li Chengan, Fang Yi'ai, and others climbed the city tower and looked down.

Qin Ying arrived before the Turkic army and shouted, "Where is Ashina Jieshe?"

Come out and face your death!

No sooner had he finished speaking than a general galloped out from the ranks.

The general glared at Qin Ying and asked, "And who are you? Are you here to die?"

Qin Ying sneered, "Ashina Jieshelu, don't you even recognize me?"

You flower thief, you're really something! Our Crown Prince didn't hold it against you and let you go back to deal with your old troops, but unexpectedly you led the Turkic army to attack Luoyang.

If I had known you were this kind of person, I should have killed you with that brick last time!

"What did you say? Who's the flower thief? I don't understand!"

Qin Ying glanced at Ashina Jieshe again. Because it was night, she couldn't see it very clearly, but Qin Ying felt that she hadn't seen it wrong.

"You're quite the actor, aren't you? Last time, you were peeping at Xue'er taking a bath, and I caught you red-handed. I grabbed a brick and hit your leg, and you got away. What, you've already forgotten?"

When the Turkic soldiers heard Qin Ying say this, they all stared wide-eyed at Ashina Jieshe.

Ashina Jieshe, enraged, retorted, "Qin Ying, stop talking nonsense! When was my leg ever injured?"

"Since your leg isn't injured, do you dare to lift up your shirt and pants in public so we can all see?"

"Take a look!" Ashina Jieshe said, and sure enough, he lifted up his trouser leg for everyone to see, and there were indeed no marks on his trousers.

Qin Ying was also puzzled, wondering what was going on.

Could it be that he encountered the legendary physician Sun Simiao, who healed his injuries?

That's impossible! How could Doctor Sun possibly treat him?

For a while,

Qin Ying couldn't understand what was going on either.

"His Majesty is benevolent and treats you Turks well. After Khagan Jieli surrendered, His Majesty did not make things difficult for him, but instead appointed him as an official in Chang'an and gave him important responsibilities."

After Ashina She'er arrived in Chang'an, the emperor betrothed Princess Hengyang to him.

If you surrender now, I can guarantee you a high-ranking official position, a fine horse, and perhaps even a princess as a reward.

If you insist on not listening, this day next year will be the anniversary of your death.

Ashina Jieshe laughed heartily: "I didn't expect you to be so good at making things up. All that talk is useless."

Today, I'll see what real skills you have.

"You little flower thief, you still don't surrender when you see your Grandpa Qin? Today I'll show you what Grandpa Qin is all about."

As Qin Ying finished speaking, he flicked the spear in his hand and spurred his horse to fight Ashina Jieshe.

These two were truly like tigers climbing up the mountain meeting tigers coming down the mountain, dragons among dragons meeting dragons in the fog; each of them was as fearless as a newborn calf, possessing inexhaustible strength.

Ashina Jieshe was also very brave.

In the blink of an eye, three rounds had passed, and the outcome remained undecided.

Qin Ying sensed that Ashina Jieshe's martial arts skills seemed to have improved considerably.

Qin Ying was completely baffled, wondering what kind of kung fu the kid had practiced to improve so quickly.

A few days ago, he had a fight with Ashina Jieshe in front of the steamed bun shop.

then,

If Hegan Chengji hadn't arrived in time, Ashina Jieshe would have been no match for him.

In the midst of the firefight, Qin Ying feinted a shot, jumped out of the circle, and asked, "Who exactly are you? I feel like your tactics are off!"

"If you're so capable, beat me first. If you can't beat me, you'll be my prisoner."

The two fought for another ten rounds or so, but still could not determine a winner.

at this time,

Zhang Shigui, standing atop the city wall, pointed and said, "Your Highness, Daozong, and the Imperial Son-in-Law, did you see that? This Qin Yingjing is a braggart."

When he went into battle, what did he say? He said he would defeat his opponent within three moves.

but,

Now, more than a dozen rounds have passed, and he still hasn't defeated his opponent.

Moreover, from what I've observed,

He's not at a disadvantage.

Li Chengan was also surprised when he saw this. He had originally thought that although Ashina Jieshe's lightness skill was superb, he was still quite surprised.

However, Qin Ying has the advantage in strength, so if it really comes down to a fight, he might not be Qin Ying's match.

However, it seems that Ashina's association rate is indeed in the lead at present.

Li Chengan was worried that Qin Ying might be lost.

So he told Fang Yi'ai to call a halt.

Qin Ying and Ashina Jieshe were locked in fierce combat, their battle raging on.

Suddenly, the sound of a gong was heard.

It stands to reason,

In this situation, he should obey military orders and return to the city.

However, Qin Ying felt she had a chance to win, so she did not return to the city.

He feigned defeat and fled, urging his horse to gallop westward.

Ashina Jieshe leader saw that Qin Ying was trying to escape, so he chased after him.

Qin Ying was secretly pleased to see that the other party had taken the bait.

He reached out and touched the stone he had prepared beforehand, just as Ashina Jieshe's horse was about to touch his own rump.

He suddenly turned around and threw the brick, which struck Ashina Jieshe on the head.

Qin Ying felt that with her skills and strength, she should be able to land a direct hit this time.

however,

To his surprise, Ashina Jieshe seemed to have been prepared in advance.

He leaned back, lying flat on the horse's back.

The brick flew past his nose and flew backward.

Qin Ying was surprised to see that her opponent had actually dodged her sneak attack.

Unexpectedly, just as he was in shock, Ashina Jieshe stabbed Qin Ying's horse in the right hind leg with his spear.

Caught off guard, Qin Ying tumbled off the horse.

Because Qin Ying was quite large and not very agile, before he could even get up...

Ashina Jieshe's spear tip was already pressed against his throat: "Don't move, or I'll stab you to death!"

Qin Ying dared not move.

Ashina Jieshe ordered his men to tie up Qin Ying as well.

Standing atop the city wall, Li Chengan had a clear view and thought to himself, "This is bad. If anything happens to Qin Ying, how will I explain it to his father and grandfather when I get back?"

Qin Ying was the grandson of Qin Shubao, a descendant of a meritorious official.

Li Chengqian was so anxious that he wanted to go down from the city wall himself to fight Ashina Jieshe.

However, at that moment, Fang Yi'ai ran up to him and reported: "Your Highness, two people have come from the city and want to see you."

Li Chenggan was surprised and asked, "Who wants to see me?"

"They themselves said that one was named Hegan Chengji and the other was named Zhang Shizheng."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan thought to himself that he was just looking for the two of them, but unexpectedly they had arrived.

When Ashina Jieshe left, it was Hegan Chengji and Zhang Shizheng who vouched for him.

If it weren't for their guarantee, Li Chenggan wouldn't have let Ashina Jieshe return. Unexpectedly, Ashina Jieshe went back on his word and actually lured the Turkic army here.

Ashina Jieshe's actions were truly despicable.

Now, Li Daozong and Zhang Shigui have a lot of complaints about him. They believe that the reason why the Turkic army suddenly came to the city gates is because Li Chenggan released Ashina Jieshe.

Otherwise, this situation would not have occurred.

This put Li Chenggan in a very passive position, leaving him with no way to defend himself.

Suddenly, a biting northwest wind blew by, so cold it was piercing to the bone, and Li Chenggan shivered.

With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he asked, "Where are they?"

Fang Yi'ai pointed towards the city: "It's right below!"

"Then quickly call them both up; I want to question them in person."

"promise!"

Qin Ying agreed and turned to leave the city tower.

Actually, Fang Yi'ai was also confused about this matter. He wondered if Hegan Chengji, Zhang Shizheng, and Ashina Jieshe were assassins hired by Li Tai to kill Li Chengqian.

But now it seems that Hegan Chengji and Zhang Shizheng are very respectful to Li Chenggan. What's going on?

However, in this situation, even if he had doubts, he could not ask them.

Not long,

He Gan Chengji and Zhang Shizheng then arrived at the top of the city wall.

After everyone had exchanged greetings, Li Chenggan asked Hegan Chengji and Zhang Shizheng, "Where did you two go last night?"

Zhang Shizheng smiled slightly: "Your Highness, this matter is not Hegan Chengji's fault, it was my idea."

We were quite puzzled when we heard that Ashina Jieshe had led the Turkic army to arrive.

Therefore,

We just want to get to the bottom of this.

then,

We secretly left the city, took a stroll, and tried to gather information.

Based on our understanding of Ashina Jieshelu, he is definitely not that kind of person.

How could he go back on his promise to the Crown Prince?

Besides, the two of us are vouching for him.

Li Chengan crossed his arms and asked, "So, what did you find out when you went out to scout things out?"

"Yes, Your Highness, that is exactly what we wanted to report to you."

We discovered that the Turkic army that came this time was not a former unit of Ashina Jieshe.

Li Chenggan frowned: "What do you mean by saying that?"

Were these Turkic troops not brought by Ashina Jieshe?

"That's very possible."

Zhang Shigui sneered: "I think you two are talking complete nonsense. Look, who else could that Turkic general below the city be but Ashina Jieshe Shuai?"

Zhang Shizheng and Hegan Chengji looked down from the edge of the battlements and discovered that the man appeared to be Ashina Jieshe.

Zhang Shigui continued, "He just arrested all four of my sons."

So it turns out it was you two who vouched for him that led Li Chenggan to release Ashina Jieshe back to the Turkic Khaganate.

If you two hadn't vouched for him, none of this would have happened.

That means he won't arrest my four sons either.

In that case, I still have something to say to you.

"If anything happens to my four sons, you two will be held responsible."

Upon hearing this,

Zhang Shizheng was not angry. He bowed and said, "General Zhang, you don't need to be so agitated."

Although your four precious sons have been captured by them, they should be fine for the time being.

Their harassment of your four sons doesn't really serve any purpose.

Zhang Shizheng's implication was that Zhang Shigui, how dare you show off here? Your four sons are all good-for-nothings. Even if the four of them joined forces, they couldn't defeat one person. It's the father's fault for not teaching his sons properly.

However, Zhang Shizheng couldn't say that out loud: "Good people are always blessed by heaven, General Zhang, there's no need to worry too much."

Zhang Shigui then asked, "Do either of you have a way to bring my four sons back safely?"

There's always a way, you don't need to be too anxious.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shigui's eyes lit up, and he asked, "What idea do you have, old man?"

Qin Ying was so brave, yet he was captured alive.

Zhang Shizheng stroked his beard and continued, "As far as we know, Ashina Jieshe had an elder brother named Ashina Simo."

That man's martial arts skills were quite formidable, second only to Ashina Jieshe's, and certainly not inferior.

His only thought was to restore his kingdom.

Therefore, our initial assessment is that the person below the city might be Ashina Simo.

It is said that

Ashina Simo and Ashina Jieshelu looked very similar.

Comparatively speaking, Ashina Simo was more robust.

However, at first glance, the Turks all look quite similar, and if they wear the same clothing, it's almost impossible to tell them apart.

Upon hearing Zhang Shizheng's words, Li Chenggan looked down.

He felt that what Zhang Shizheng said seemed to make sense.

The Turkic general on horseback was indeed taller than Ashina Jieshe.

Li Chengan wondered, could it be that what Zhang Shizheng said was true?