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

Yamashiro Ōe and Soga Irikachi already harbored a deep-seated hatred for each other.

This time, meeting in the ring, neither side was willing to give an inch.

The two fought for twenty rounds without a clear winner.

Soga no Iruka was getting anxious, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

He thought to himself that he had just boasted that he had come to Chang'an to defeat everyone, but he hadn't expected that he couldn't even defeat the eldest brother of the Yamashita clan.

Where does that leave my pride?

Wouldn't that make us a laughingstock to the world?

Sugoro's eyes darted around, and an idea came to her.

He first staggered back more than ten feet, then threw the short Japanese sword in his hand at Yamashiro Ōeō's face.

When Yamashiro Daigo saw the Japanese sword coming towards him, he was also taken aback.

Because they hadn't expected Soga Irishka to throw out his weapon.

Yamashiro Ōo quickly raised his long Japanese sword and knocked Soga Irika's sword away.

However, to Yamashiro Ōe's surprise, Soga Iruka suddenly pulled a long whip from his waist and lashed it towards Yamashiro Ōe's head.

It must be said that such a series of attacks is unexpected, extremely powerful, and impossible to defend against.

Yamashiro Daigo already had a leg injury, so how could he possibly avoid this fatal blow?

He strained to turn his head to the right.

In my ear, I heard a "snap" sound.

His head dodged the whip, but his left cheek was struck.

Yamabe Daigo felt a burning pain on his face, and a blood groove appeared on his face, which quickly swelled up.

There's a saying: "People need face, trees need bark, and you shouldn't hit someone in the face."

Soga no Iruka, in front of so many people, used a sneak attack to slap Yamashiro Ōe in the face.

How could the eldest brother of the Yamashiro clan let this go so easily?

With his left hand, he grabbed Soga Irishaka's long whip and held on tightly, while with his right hand, he swung his long katana straight at Soga Irishaka's abdomen.

To be honest, Soga no Iruka didn't expect Yamashiro Ooshima to be so ruthless. His face was smashed so badly that you could see the bone, yet he was still fighting so hard.

Blood was gushing from the face of the eldest brother of the mountain, making him look extremely ferocious.

For Soga no Iruka to try and avoid Yamashiro Ōe's long Japanese sword was an impossible task.

at this time,

Figures moved about on the stage.

Suddenly, a person stood between Yamashiro Ōeō and Soga Irishā and grabbed Yamashiro Ōeō's right wrist.

It was no longer possible for King Yamashiro to thrust his long Japanese sword forward.

At some point, Soga no Emishi had already taken the stage.

In reality, Soga no Emishi did not want Soga no Iruka to take the stage.

However, Soga no Iruka refused to listen and insisted on going on stage.

As a father, Soga no Emishi was worried about Soga no Iruka's safety and remained vigilant at all times.

As expected, Yamashiro Daigo was determined to deal a fatal blow to Soga Iruka.

Soga no Emishi quickly stepped in to stop it.

He first glared at Soga Iruka: "With your skills, you think you can defeat so many heroes?"

What a disgrace!

Get out of here right now!

Soga Iruka was also terrified just now, thinking he was about to die.

Soga no Iruka was scolded by his father and dared not argue. He picked up his Japanese sword, put away his whip, and jumped off the ring.

Soga no Ezo released his grip, turned around, and bowed to Yamashiro no Oe: "My son was rude and caused you harm. I am truly sorry and apologize to you."

I will cover all your medical expenses.

I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold my son's actions against me.

Yamashiro Ōo sheathed his long Japanese sword, covered the wound on his right cheek with his left hand, and sneered: "Soga Ezo, what kind of act are you putting on?"

Are you and your son performing a duet on stage together?

Soga no Emishi naturally understood that King Yamashiro was very dissatisfied with him.

At that time, King Yamashiro was the heir to the throne.

Logically, I should support King Yamashiro Ōe in inheriting the throne.

However, the relationship between the entire Soga family and King Yamashiro was strained.

Soga no Emishi and the Soga clan then turned their attention to supporting Prince Tamura in his quest for the throne.

Ultimately, Prince Tamura inherited the throne, becoming King Shumei.

However, it's not convenient to talk about these grudges here today; we all understand each other without saying a word.

"You misunderstand, I had no such intention."

I know that there was a misunderstanding between you and my son back in Naniwazu.

But he can't be entirely blamed for this; he was just following orders, and he couldn't disobey them.

Fortunately, you encountered the Crown Prince, otherwise a more serious consequence could have occurred.

When Yamabe Daishin heard this, he understood in his heart that no father would not side with his own son.

"Sogai Ezo, you make it sound so easy. Last time, Soga Irishika cut my leg and almost killed me."

This time, he injured my face again. Does this mean we should just let it go so easily?

Do you think I, the King, would care about your little bit of medical expenses?

I know that your Soga family wields considerable power in the Wa (Japanese) Kingdom.

But even so, I am not afraid.

It should be said that Soga no Emishi was a man who could be both flexible and resilient.

under these circumstances,

He remained amiable, speaking kind words and trying his best to appease the elder brother, King Yamabe.

Because they all have a mental record of things.

From a certain perspective, Soga Ezo felt he was in the wrong.

King Yamashiro sighed, "It's not that I care about the position of king; I never intended to be a king in the first place."

You and your family put Prince Tamura on the throne.

But look at what he's done!

His ambition has grown too large.

They even said they planned to invade the Tang Dynasty. Isn't that a joke?

With Prince Tamura's limited strength, can he be compared to the Tang Dynasty?

Aren't you aiding and abetting evil?

I hope you can persuade Tamura to pull back from the brink and stop making the same mistake again.

Soga no Emishi also heard that King Yamashiro Ōe had surrendered to Li Chenggan.

Soga no Emishi also had some opinions about Yamashiro Ōe's actions.

However, he felt that the internal conflicts could be resolved gradually, and that this was a contest, so further discussion was pointless.

Li Chengan had the pharmacist Hui Ri come up on stage, helped the elder brother Wang from the mountain back down, and quickly found Lu Zhaolin to treat him.

Lu Zhaolin was also shocked when he saw it, because Soga no Iruka's whip strike was so severe that bone could be seen inside the wound.

Li Chengqian personally came to comfort the elder brother Wang of Shanbei: "How do you feel?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. It should be nothing serious, just some minor scratches."

"That was dangerous. We underestimated Soga Irishika. That kid is ruthless."

"Your Highness, have I disgraced you?"

No, you won this round.

Don't think too much about it. Just focus on recovering. This time, Lu Zhaolin will definitely heal your leg and face injuries completely.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" King Yamashiro was deeply moved.

Li Chengqian returned to the stands.

At this moment, Soga no Emishi approached Li Chengqian and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Li Chenggan also harbored reservations about Soga no Ezo.

During the recent duel, Soga Irishika used despicable methods and was too ruthless, which violated the examination rules.

If the exam rules are strictly followed, Soga Iruka will be punished.

Soga no Emishi naturally understood the implications, so he was also somewhat nervous.

Li Chengan didn't say anything, only casually remarking, "No need for such formalities."

"My son just lost control of his emotions and went a bit too far. I implore Your Highness to speak to the examiners and ask them to be lenient and let him off the hook. After all, my son is new here and doesn't know much about etiquette and rules."

Upon hearing this, Li Chenggan thought to himself that Soga no Emishi was an important minister of the Wa (Japanese) Kingdom and held a pivotal position in it. Soga no Emishi's arrival in Chang'an at this special moment must have been for a special mission.

Li Chengan reassured him, "Soga no Ezo, you don't need to be too nervous. I've already spoken with the examiners, including Cheng Yaojin and Li Jing."

Soga Iruka wasn't very familiar with the exam rules, and considering it was his first offense, he wasn't punished.

However, he went a bit too far; he should be more careful next time.

Soga no Emishi was relieved upon hearing this: "Thank you, Your Highness. Last time, when you were in Naniwazu, you punished Inugami Odakui, helped me vent my anger, and got Chili back. I am extremely grateful."

In the past, Li Chengan might have been somewhat moved by such words.

As Li Chengqian's understanding of Soga no Ezo deepened, his thoughts changed.

Li Chenggan gradually realized that Soga Emishi was not as gentle as he appeared. Soga Emishi seemed to be well-versed in the philosophy of overcoming strength with gentleness, as described in the Tao Te Ching.

"Those were just small favors, you don't need to worry about them." Li Chenggan knew that this was not a place to talk, and it was inconvenient to say too much to Soga no Emishi, so as not to attract the attention of others and cause them to overthink.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the two returned to their seats.

At this moment, another person stepped onto the stage.

Upon closer inspection, everyone recognized that the person who had stepped onto the stage was none other than Fuyu Long.

As the crown prince of Baekje, Buyeo Yung was extremely arrogant.

He put his hands on his hips, his face was stern, and he said loudly, "Gentlemen, my name is Buyeo Ryong, and I am the Crown Prince of Baekje."

I am here today for two reasons. First, I want to participate in the martial arts competition, because the Heavenly Khan said that people from both Tang and vassal states can participate in the martial arts examination.

Secondly, I want to seek justice.

As you all probably know, some time ago, my brother Fuyu Fengzhang led 10,000 troops to Chang'an. Why?

Because my brother is a man of great loyalty and affection, he once received help from Crown Prince Li Chengqian, and he has always kept that kindness in his heart.

I heard that Li Chenggan is being arrested for no reason.

He was worried about the safety of the crown prince and was very anxious, so he led his troops to rescue him, which was originally a good intention.

Moreover, when the Turks besieged Luoyang, our Baekje army and the army of King Sanbeong joined forces to fiercely resist one of the Turkic armies.

Ultimately, they repelled the Turkic army's attack and safeguarded Luoyang.

This was a great achievement in itself, but the Heavenly Khan not only did not reward him,

Moreover, an imperial edict was issued ordering Li Daozong to lead the Tang army to surround my brother's 10,000 troops.

What does this mean?

Does that mean we were wrong to help protect Luoyang?

Without the help of Baekje, would the Turkic army have surrendered to the Tang Dynasty? Probably not.

Later, someone led thousands of elite warriors and suddenly stormed into our Baekje army.

Our army was decimated, with more than half of its troops killed or wounded.

I'd like to ask, who did this?

If you have the guts, step forward!

If anyone did this and doesn't have the guts to admit it, you're a fucking coward! A cowerer!

Li Tai was furious, even though he was the one who did it, he didn't dare to admit it.

He was afraid that if he admitted it, Buyeo Ryong would fight him to the death.

Luo Cheng, hearing Fu Yulong's outrageous remarks on the arena, asked Li Chenggan, "Your Highness, what exactly happened?"

Li Chengan then briefly recounted the events to him.

Upon hearing this, Luo Cheng shook his head and sighed repeatedly: "This matter is not easy to handle!"

What Fuyu Long said wasn't entirely unreasonable; they came to help, and they have indeed done their part.

Thinking about this incident, Li Chengqian was furious. Everything had been peaceful until someone reported him to his father, the Emperor.

The emperor actually issued an edict ordering Yi Dojong to surround the 10,000 Baekje troops led by Buyeo Pungjang, and he was racking his brains over this matter.

In the end, the emperor agreed to lift the siege, but someone tricked them, causing heavy casualties to Buyeo Pungjang's army.

Fu Yu Fengzhang didn't say anything, but Fu Yu Long started cursing.

Although the two brothers had a strained relationship and fought tooth and nail for the position of crown prince,

However, faced with such a crucial matter of right and wrong, Buyeo Yong also wanted to garner moral support for the Baekje army.

Buyeo Long's words will have a certain negative impact on the Tang Dynasty.

Unexpectedly, Buyeo Ryong's words angered someone.

That was Ashina Simo.

Ashina Simo was furious and leaped onto the arena.

Ashina Simo is different from ordinary people. He now holds a very prestigious position, commands 100,000 soldiers, and wields great power. Even Li Shimin has to be wary of him.

When he surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, he made a request: he asked Li Shimin to allow him to maintain his army's independent designation and autonomy, and not to reorganize his army. Otherwise, he would rather die than surrender. In order to avoid bloodshed and a catastrophe, Li Shimin, after repeated consideration, agreed to his request.

At this moment, 100,000 Turkic troops were stationed outside Chang'an. As long as Ashina Simo gave the order, even if it meant going through fire and water, those Turkic soldiers would not flinch.

After Ashina Simo took the stage, he pointed at Fuyulong with his hand and said, "What are you saying here?"

"You mean your Baekje army is stronger than our Turkic army, is that right?"

Fuyu Long sized up Ashina Simo and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Ashina Simo."

Upon hearing this, Fuyu Long was taken aback and involuntarily took two steps back, because Ashina Simo's reputation was too great.

Fuyu Long also knew that Ashina Simo was a very important figure in the Turkic Khaganate.

Back then, he had ceded the position of Khan to Qimin Khan.

Ashina Simo was a remarkable hero in the eyes of the Turks, and he also had a reputation for yielding to a worthy successor.

Of course, what amazed Fuyu Long even more was Ashina Simo's superb martial arts skills.

It is said that on that occasion, Qin Ying, Ashina Jieshe, and Zhang Shigui's four sons were no match for them, not to mention that they commanded a large army and were a formidable force.

Fu Yulong was also a little nervous.

He steadied himself and said, "I didn't mean that. I'm not saying that our Baekje army is necessarily stronger than the Turkic army."

Ashina Simo snorted: "I heard you very clearly just now. You said that your Baekje army is very capable and that our Turkic army is no match for you."

Do you look down on our Turkic army?

Do you think our Turkic army is ineffective in combat?

"No, absolutely not," Fu Yulong quickly denied.

Ashina Simo stared intently at Fuyu Long: "So what exactly do you mean?"

Seeing the cold glint in Ashina Simo's eyes, Buyeo Long dared not meet his gaze: "What I mean is, our Baekje army came to help, and we even rendered meritorious service, yet we were ambushed and killed on Tang territory. Shouldn't we demand an explanation?"

"I've come to ask you, have you already allied with Goguryeo to attack Silla?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Yulong's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "This really proves the saying—'There are no secrets that stay hidden forever.' It seems that their intelligence work is also very meticulous."

But how can such military secrets be easily revealed to the outside world?

Upon thinking of this, Fuyu Long said to Ashina Simo, "We have never heard of this; it is not true, it is purely a rumor."

"Is that so?" Ashina Simo knew that Fuyu Long would not admit it. "This is the arena. Let's put everything else aside for now. Since you've already stepped onto the stage, let's have a match."

Fu Yulong inwardly groaned, thinking to himself how unlucky he was to encounter such a formidable opponent the moment he stepped onto the stage.

However, he couldn't pretend to back down in front of everyone, so he had to bite the bullet and ask, "We have no past grievances or recent conflicts, is it necessary for me to interfere?"

"Since we've stepped onto this stage, we're here to compete, so it's definitely necessary."

"So, what do you want to compete in?"

"As you wish!"

"Then let's have a fistfight!"

Because Buyeo Long had heard that Ashina Simo's skill in weaponry had reached a certain level, he decided to avoid the enemy's strength and attack their weakness.

"Okay, as you say."

Originally, the Turks were in the north and Baekje was in the east; the two countries were separated by more than a thousand miles and had absolutely no connection.

There's no connection whatsoever.

However, Fuyu Long made outrageous remarks on the stage, which showed a strong sense of contempt for the Turks.

Ashina Simo, as a surrendered general, was inherently very sensitive.

He saw that if someone dared to despise the Turkic army, wouldn't that be the same as despising him?

If I don't teach him a lesson, how will I ever survive in the Tang Dynasty?

Therefore, he was holding a grudge and stepped onto the stage to vent his anger on Fuyu Long.

Back when Li Chenggan was in Sabi City, he had fought against Buyeo Long.

Fuyu Long felt that the Tang people's martial arts skills were extraordinary, exceeding his expectations.

From then on, Buyeo Long devoted himself to improving his martial arts skills.

After a period of diligent study and practice, he felt that his martial arts skills had reached a new level.

He felt that the martial arts examination held in Chang'an was a perfect opportunity for him to make a name for himself.

At the same time, he believed this was also a moment to showcase the skills of the Baekje people to the world.

Therefore, he and Yeon Gaesomun agreed to come to Chang'an together.

Ashina Simo led the Turkic army to surrender to the Tang Dynasty for one reason: he found that the Heavenly Khan had governed the Tang Dynasty in an orderly manner, and that Chang'an and Luoyang were very prosperous, with the people living in peace and contentment.

On the other hand, he greatly admired Li Chengqian and believed that with a crown prince like Li Chengqian, the Tang Dynasty would surely have a bright future.

People's thoughts can change.

Prior to this, Ashina Simo had always been loyal to the Eastern Turks.

He hoped to develop the Eastern Turkic Khaganate into a prosperous, powerful, and militarily strong state.

However, after experiencing many things, his thoughts gradually changed.

Initially, Qimin Khan was ostracized by the Western Turks, but it was the Sui Dynasty emperor who supported him, which allowed the Eastern Turks to gradually gain a foothold.

Qimin Khan took the initiative to request to go to Daxing City to form a marriage alliance with the Sui Dynasty.

After arriving in Daxing City, he married Princess Yicheng.

From then on, he spent his days in close companionship with Princess Yicheng, drinking and making merry, much like Liu Bei and Sun Shangxiang in Jiangdong back then, so happy that he forgot all about home.

The Turks believed that Qimin Khan was indulging in pleasure and seemed to have no intention of returning.

Therefore, the people supported Ashina Simo as the Khan of the Eastern Turks.

Ashina Simo had never intended to become the Khan of the Eastern Turks, but since everyone unanimously elected him, he could not refuse and had to accept the position.

later,

Qimin Khan returned to the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Ashina Simo then ceded the position of Khan to Qimin Khan.

He thought that if they started a civil war to fight for the Khan's position, it would bring great disaster to the people.

From then on, he became an unwitting hero in the eyes of the Eastern Turks.

He also felt a sense of relief.

He felt that not being a Khan was much easier than being a Khan, with far fewer things to do, allowing him to focus on martial arts training and studying military strategy.

As a result, Ashina Simo's martial arts skills were greatly improved.

Some say that Princess Yicheng is a jinx to her husbands, but Qimin Khan doesn't believe it.

Soon after, Qimin Khan died.

According to the customs of the Eastern Turks, Princess Yicheng married Shibi Khan.

However, unexpectedly, not long after Qimin Khan died, Shibi Khan also died.

The newly enthroned Khan was Chuluo Khan, the younger brother of Shibi Khan.

Therefore, Princess Yicheng married Chuluo Khan.

However, strangely enough, Chuluo Khan also died not long after.

Chuluo Khan's younger brother, Jieli Khan, succeeded to the throne and also married Princess Yicheng.

By then, the Sui Dynasty had already fallen, so Princess Yicheng turned her hatred towards the Tang Dynasty.

She frequently instigated and persuaded Khagan Jieli to launch wars.

However, Jieli Khan was incompetent and was defeated and captured by Li Jing, and brought to Chang'an.

Ashina Simo was heartbroken.

Because at that time, in his view, nothing was more heartbreaking than the destruction of one's country and the loss of one's home.

Therefore, he wanted to reorganize his old troops, restore the lost territories, and rescue Jieli Khan.

Ashina Simo planned to make a comeback, rise again, and restore the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Therefore, he repeatedly led his troops south to fight against the Tang army.

Both sides had their wins and losses.

However, when Ashina Simo ventured deep into the heart of the Tang Dynasty...

He gradually discovered that the Tang Dynasty was not as bad as he had imagined.

On the contrary, the people of the Tang Dynasty lived better than he had imagined.

Li Shimin truly deserves to be called a wise ruler. The Zhenguan era he created was indeed an unprecedented golden age, even surpassing the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing.

By the end of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang of Sui had nearly ruined the dynasty, with the population drastically reduced and the nation's wealth squandered.

It was already quite an achievement that Li Shimin was able to revive the Tang Dynasty in a very short period of time, ensuring that most people had food and clothing, that commerce gradually prospered, and that the situation stabilized.

During the siege of Luoyang, Ashina Simo encountered Li Chenggan.

He discovered that Li Chengan was a rising star, intelligent and capable.

He felt that with such a crown prince, the Tang Dynasty wouldn't go too far in the future.

If he were to fight the Tang Dynasty to the bitter end, both sides would suffer heavy losses in the future.

Moreover, he heard that Khagan Jieli had no intention of returning to the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and was living a good life in the Tang Dynasty.

So, he couldn't help but ask himself, was he doing this for his own selfish desires or for the sake of the Turkic people?

After the defeat in Luoyang,

Under the persuasion of Ashina Jieshe and Zhang Shizheng, Ashina Simo finally decided to surrender to the Tang Dynasty.

Of course, this is a long and painful process.

Ashina Simo absolutely did not believe that the Turkic army was inferior to other armies.

He especially could not accept anyone daring to look down on their Turkic army; that was something he absolutely could not tolerate.

Anyone who dares to challenge him will have their teeth knocked out, so they'll learn their lesson.