Tang Dynasty: Starting with 3,000 elite cavalry, a bloody battle to retake the city.

Just as Li Junxian's murderous intent was brewing, Li Shimin, on the other hand, showed no anger whatsoever.

It was eerily calm.

It was like a bottomless ancient well, without a ripple.

But only he knew that his heart had been deeply stirred by Han Ye's words.

—What does it mean to say, "If I make a certain decision, the Tang Dynasty will surely perish"?

He narrowed his eyes, slowly turned around, and stared intently at Han Ye, his voice low and rumbling like the calm before thunder:

"You're not the Ghost-Faced General, how can you know what he's thinking?"

Upon hearing this, Han Ye suddenly laughed.

The laughter was very soft, yet it carried a chilling sarcasm.

Not the Ghost-Faced General?

Doesn't it sound absurd and ridiculous to hear you say that?

But he neither explained nor argued.

The identity of the Ghost-Faced General had long been sealed away in his past of blood and sand.

Lifting even a corner reveals excruciating pain.

He merely raised his eyes, his gaze as deep as the night, his voice as hoarse as the wind sweeping across the Gobi Desert:

"Who doesn't know what the Ghost-Faced General is thinking?"

"What does he want?"

"It was the mighty Tang cavalry that trampled the grasslands, the Turkic royal court that knelt and submitted, and the complete recapture of the important border towns! It was a true victory, not a Pyrrhic victory paid for with lives!"

Li Shimin scoffed, feigning disdain: "Isn't my personal campaign against the Turks, carrying the late emperor's coffin, precisely for this reason?!"

Before the words were finished—

"Pfft."

A soft laugh suddenly rang out.

Like a needle, it pierced the solemn imperial court.

Li Shimin's face instantly turned ashen.

Li Junxian's pupils contracted, and a vein throbbed on his forehead.

This kid... dares to laugh?!

To laugh out loud at the emperor's words at a time like this?!

Han Ye's lips curled slightly, but his eyes held no smile, only a chilling mockery.

"You think bringing a coffin would scare Khagan to death?"

"Does His Majesty's personal command really make the Turkic army kneel and beg for mercy?"

"In the end, it's all just bluff! True victory comes not from slogans, nor from tragic deaths, but from strategy! It's a fatal blow!"

"What's the point of sending them one after another to their deaths?"

"Mountains of corpses piled high, the Tang Dynasty was destined to perish, and it did!"

boom--!

Every word was like a heavy hammer blow, striking Li Shimin's heart.

His pupils contracted sharply, his chest heaved, and anger surged, but his throat felt as if something was blocking it.

That's undeniable.

I couldn't refute a single word of it.

Even Li Junxian, who was standing next to him, changed his expression.

He quietly approached Li Shimin, lowered his voice, and said cautiously:

"Your Majesty... although this man is arrogant and rude, his words, though rough... are not unreasonable."

Li Shimin suddenly turned his head, his eyes sharp as knives.

Are you speaking up for him?!

He gritted his teeth, stared at Han Ye again, and said in a chilling tone:

"That's easy to say! So, do you have a solution?!"

Han Ye met his gaze calmly and slowly, speaking each word clearly:

"Dingzhou and Youzhou have become ghost towns."

On the surface, this could be used as a pretext for a surprise attack on the Turkic rear guard.

Before he could finish speaking, Li Shimin interrupted him with a cold snort:

"Do you think I wouldn't have thought of such an idea?"

Han Ye's lips curled into a sneer, which deepened:

"His Majesty has naturally considered this."

But you forgot—the Turkic army, having not yet occupied the border city, would certainly be on high alert for their rear.

These two so-called surprise attacks were nothing more than a show, a ploy to lure the enemy out.

"The real action should be taken on the banks of the Wei River!"

"Ambush them on their likely route, and when they relax their guard and retreat, strike them dead in one fell swoop!"

boom--!

These words were like a thunderclap!

A sharp glint flashed in Li Shimin's eyes, like a shooting star streaking across the night.

He was stunned.

I had never thought of this strategy before!

But then he frowned and questioned:

"With armies facing each other across the Wei River, their weapons gleaming, how can a surprise attack force be concealed?"

Han Ye smiled calmly, lightly brushing his sleeve with his fingertips, as if brushing away dust:

"Refugees".

"The border regions are constantly plagued by war, and refugees are flocking in droves."

Along the banks of the Wei River, starving people were everywhere—this was the best cover.

"Simply transform the elite into refugees, blend them in, and wait for the opportune moment to deliver a fatal blow."

Li Shimin's breath hitched.

I felt as if I had been electrocuted, and a chill ran down my spine.

He looked at Han Ye, his gaze subtly changing, no longer merely contempt and rage.

Rather, it was... scrutiny, and even a hint of apprehension.

He asked again in a deep voice:

"Even if a surprise attack is deployed, can it really sway the course of the battle? The key to victory or defeat is certainly not a single ambush unit."

Han Ye shook his head, a cold glint flashing in his eyes like a wildfire:

"Of course not."

"The Great Tang Dynasty still needs to—create momentum."

"Create momentum?" Li Shimin frowned. "How?!"

Han Ye raised his hand and pointed towards the border, his eyes sharp as knives, his voice as cold as if pulled from an icy river: "Five thousand troops, ambush in the Wei River Valley—beat the drums! Shout! Set off torches to the sky, let the smoke and dust obscure the sun, create the impression of a five hundred thousand troops pressing in!"

boom!

Li Shimin's heart skipped a beat, his pupils contracted sharply, and he blurted out, "You mean... Zhata Jieli Khan?!"

"Otherwise what?" Han Ye's lips curled slightly, his tone as indifferent as if he were talking about the weather. "Are we really going to wait until we've gathered an army of 500,000? By then it'll be too late."

He paused, his gaze calm and deep: "But remember, this move only lasts for a moment."

Once the Turks realized it was a bluff, the tide of battle immediately turned.

After the surprise attack, it's all about real swords and guns, a bloody and brutal battle.

If the feigned strength is broken, then the lives of the soldiers will have to be used to fill the void.

Li Shimin listened intently, his brows furrowing and relaxing as if a thousand troops were galloping through his mind.

Li Junxian, standing to the side, looked increasingly uneasy.

His eyes widened, and only one thought remained in his mind—

Has His Majesty gone mad?!

No... You, the Emperor, sitting atop this city wall, instead of summoning your high-ranking officials to discuss matters or military secrets, are sitting cross-legged on the ground with a young man, debating military strategy?!

And they're getting more and more excited as they chat?!

The two talked about everything from the ambush at the Wei River to the depths of the grasslands, from the habits of the Turkic cavalry to the policy of military farming in the northern border, and then to the control of vassal kings, the circulation of taxes, and border trade... they talked about everything!

This conversation lasted all night long!

The night was dyed from deep ink to dark indigo, and then gradually turned into a pale white.

As the morning breeze caressed his face, Li Junxian suddenly realized—dawn was approaching!

He stared at the two figures still talking animatedly, almost wondering if he was seeing things.

An emperor and a young man in plain clothes sat on the broken bricks and tiles, discussing the future of the world like old friends reminiscing.

Absurd! Outrageous! Ridiculous!

But Li Shimin listened very attentively, nodding from time to time, and even slapping his knee in admiration!

Li Junxian finally couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward through gritted teeth: "Master..."

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

Two sharp shouts rang out simultaneously, like thunderbolts crashing down on you.

Li Junxian froze on the spot, his face turning red and white in turns.

Looking at the two people again, they were not angry at all. Instead, they looked at each other and laughed, and their laughter was particularly tacit.

He rolled his eyes inwardly: You two seem to get along really well!

But dawn is breaking! The morning court bells and drums are about to ring, and you, the emperor, are spending the whole night talking with some nobody of unknown origin?!

If this gets out, how will the historians write it? Won't the first sentence of the "Annals of Emperor Taizong" have to be changed to "The Emperor enjoyed discussing politics with young men, sometimes staying up all night"?!

He could only steel himself and remind him again: "My lord, dawn has broken, and the officials await the court..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Shimin suddenly snapped back to reality, looked up, and saw—

The east is turning white.

He then realized that he had actually spent the entire night chatting with a complete stranger on the city wall!

Her eyes instantly filled with resentment that seemed to drip with tears, and she turned to stare at Li Junxian, demanding, "Why didn't you say so sooner?!"

Li Junxian almost burst into tears.

Can I say this? You two were having such a great time chatting, how could I possibly interrupt?!

At this moment, Han Ye slowly stood up, dusted off the dust on his robes, and moved with ease, as if the earth-shattering plan he had just made was nothing more than a leisurely stroll.

He chuckled softly, "It's dawn, I should go now."

"Farewell, gentlemen."

He turned and walked away, his steps steady, without looking back.

Li Shimin was taken aback and quickly called out, "Young man, wait a moment! May I ask your name? Who is your teacher? From which school do you come?"

He stared intently at that figure from behind.

The conversation that night had already stirred his emotions and almost won him over.

This is no mere youth! He is clearly a valiant man concealing his true strength!

His broad vision and profound thoughts moved even a seasoned emperor like himself.

Some of their strategies are simply miraculous; some of their judgments are so insightful that they pinpoint the root of all problems!

He was truly convinced.

Even... a hint of admiration arose within me.

Han Ye simply waved his hand, his figure gradually disappearing into the morning mist, as if he had never appeared at all.

Only a lingering echo remained, drifting in the wind.

Li Shimin gazed at the empty city tower, remaining silent for a long time before finally whispering, "Interesting... another master who refuses to reveal his true colors."

Li Junxian, however, was unconvinced and snorted coldly, "Hmph, this person is far too arrogant! How dare he sit on equal footing with His Majesty, chatting and laughing as if nothing was amiss, utterly lacking in manners!"

"Arrogant?" Li Shimin suddenly laughed, his eyes gleaming. "If someone has such talent, I would be willing to kneel and beg him to speak, let alone sit on equal footing with him."

One sentence sent a shiver down Li Junxian's spine.

What? !

Your Majesty... has been won over?!

Before he could even react, Li Shimin strode forward, his voice resolute: "Immediately issue the order! Summon Changsun Wuji, Li Jing, and Cheng Zhijie to the Imperial Study immediately! I have important matters to discuss with them!"

Li Junxian stood frozen in place: "But... Your Majesty, the morning court session..."

"We'll stop going to court today!"

With a flick of his sleeve, he struck the ground with a resounding thud.

As the sun rises, its golden light bathes the city of Chang'an.

Beneath that splendor, a storm ignited by a secret night's conversation was quietly brewing.

A flame burned deep within his pupils, and his heart pounded as if it would shatter his chest—his private conversation with Han Ye just now was like a thunderbolt splitting through the fog, giving him a sudden enlightenment!

He had no time to spare for the morning court session.

Every breath is precious at this moment! We must immediately, without delay, nail down those well-planned tactics to the spot!

Li Junxian acted swiftly and decisively; with a single command, the secret agents relayed the message.

Just a moment later.

The imperial study was brightly lit, with curtains drawn low.

Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Li Jing, Cheng Yaojin... a group of trusted ministers quietly entered the hall, held their breath, and gathered around Li Shimin to secretly discuss the war that would threaten the entire nation!