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

Even Li Jing himself wanted to tear his hair out—I clearly told him I was going to report to the Emperor, how could you just leave like that?!

He cursed inwardly: Han Ye, what are you after? You gave me such a huge credit, and you didn't even show your face. How are people supposed to speak up for you?!

Cold sweat trickled down his temples.

On the high platform, Li Shimin paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled softly, shook his head, and sighed:

"Gone again?"

"Or... do you not wish to see me?"

Li Shimin suddenly turned around, his gaze as sharp as a knife landing on Li Jing, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth: "Am I perhaps a tiger that chooses its prey to devour? How come meeting Han Ye is harder than climbing to heaven?"

Li Jing's heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat instantly broke out.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me!" He slammed one knee to the ground, his back ramrod straight. "Han Ye had no intention of avoiding us! He must not have known Your Majesty was coming in person... I will go find him immediately and bring him back!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already leaped up, his boots grinding against the gravel as he charged outwards.

"That's enough."

A soft sigh, yet it stood like an iron chain blocking the river.

Li Shimin raised his hand to stop him, his fingertips trembling slightly, his eyes swirling with emotions—not anger, but pain and helplessness.

he knows.

He already knew.

That Han Ye... he's clearly avoiding him!

These days, he has sent people to secretly investigate Han Ye's whereabouts, and Crown Prince Chengqian has also been studying diligently under his tutelage for a long time.

Who would believe I don't know this person?

Even the retired emperor once whispered: This child is no ordinary person, but a prodigy.

Since he is an extraordinary person, how can we judge him by ordinary standards?

You don't want to see me? Then I won't.

But even though I swallowed my anger, my heart was still hanging in mid-air.

He gazed at the center of the training ground, where the Divine Might Army was practicing the "Limitless Eight Trigrams Killing Formation"—the formation flowed in all directions, killing intent condensed like frost, and the blade light surged like waves, tearing the air apart with a wailing sound.

The murderous aura that swept over them was so intense that even the emperor turned pale.

Li Shimin stared at it for a long time, finally murmuring in a low voice, "Giving me such a grand gift... what exactly do you want to do?"

His mind was in turmoil.

Curiosity, fear, admiration, resentment... all sorts of emotions intertwined.

She wanted to see him, but was afraid of being turned away again.

Even the mighty emperor felt fear.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

Just then, Li Junxian stepped forward, pointed at the formation, and shouted, "Your Majesty! If this formation can be deployed throughout the entire army, what fear will we have of the Turkic cavalry when they come like the wind and retreat like thunder? We only need to deploy the vanguard to wipe them all out on the wasteland!"

Li Shimin suddenly snapped back to his senses, his eyes lighting up!

"Well said!" he ordered in a deep voice, "Li Jing, you are in full charge of this matter—within three months, deploy the 'Wuji Bagua Killing Formation' to all border armies without delay!"

Li Jing stood there, stunned, his mind going blank.

What?

I'm already lucky I wasn't punished, let alone entrusted with such an important task?!

Who is Han Ye? He's my son-in-law! He's clearly disrespecting His Majesty by closing his doors to visitors. Anyone else would have been beheaded ten times over! But His Majesty not only isn't angry, he's entrusted me with such important military and national affairs?

Is this punishment? Or... a sign of favor?

He opened his mouth, but in the end, only a resounding reply came out: "Your subject will exert all his strength, even unto death!"

Deep down, however, a storm raged within him, screaming: Han Ye, you are truly a prodigy! Refusing to see the Emperor without being demoted, and instead making His Majesty rely on you even more—this method is simply defying the heavens!

……

How could he know?

Long before he knew it, his son-in-law had already been thoroughly scrutinized by Li Shimin.

"Report—!!"

"Urgent report!! A dispatch from the border region, 800 li away!!"

The roar pierced the sky, and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the camp gate.

Li Shimin's eyebrows twitched, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.

Urgent news from the frontier? At this time...

"pass!"

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

A single imperial guard galloped in, armor plates flying everywhere, his face drained of color.

He didn't even have time to rein in his horse to steady himself before he tumbled off, staggering and falling to his knees, his voice trembling:

"Your Majesty, scouts have rushed back—the remnants of Jiancheng's forces, in league with the Turkic army, have crossed the border and invaded! The cities of Andong and Yuandong… have already been surrendered to the enemy! Pingzhou, Yunzhou, and Yingzhou are in imminent danger, their commanders fighting desperately awaiting reinforcements! We implore Your Majesty to dispatch heavenly troops immediately—to save our land!!"

boom--

It felt like a thunderbolt had struck my chest.

Li Shimin's pupils constricted sharply, his face turned ashen, and his teeth clenched so tightly they cracked: "The... remnants of Jiancheng? They actually dare—to start another war?!"

Before he could finish speaking, his chest tightened suddenly.

"puff!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his clothes red.

"Your Majesty!!" Li Junxian and the others exclaimed in unison, rushing forward.

Li Shimin staggered two steps, then collapsed to the ground with a thud. Though his eyes were closed, a chilling smile played on his lips, and his voice was hoarse like a ghost's wail.

"What a frontier...what a rekindling of old grudges..."

"My empire is not for them to lay a finger on."

At this critical juncture, his frontier has actually been targeted by the Turkic barbarians?!

Li Shimin's eyes turned cold, his teeth clenched, and he coldly ordered, "Summon all officials and immediately convene them in the Imperial Study for a meeting!"

In Chang'an City, there was a deep, cold, and secluded narrow alley.

Han Ye quietly appeared and met Gongsun Zan in the shadows.

Gongsun Zan's face was ashen, his breathing rapid, and a heavy burden weighed on his brow.

Han Ye's heart sank, and his expression suddenly turned grim.

With just one glance, he knew—something had happened.

"Speak," he said in a low, hoarse voice, yet as sharp as a drawn sword.

"General...we wiped out a few of Jiancheng's remaining followers and extracted intelligence from them." Gongsun Zan's voice trembled. "The Turks...are about to make their move! And, someone is colluding with them from within!"

Before he could finish speaking, Han Ye's mind exploded, and a chill ran down his spine and straight to the top of his head!

frontier!

The northern frontier of the Great Tang Dynasty!

That corner, which everyone subconsciously forgot after the battle on the banks of the Wei River exhausted everyone's strength—it was already in ruins, with nine out of ten houses empty.

The Turkic cavalry had trampled across the land, leaving people displaced and vulnerable. The Tang Dynasty, still recovering from its ordeal, was utterly powerless to reorganize its border defenses.

But now, these barbarians have returned with a vengeance!

Even more terrifying is that the remnants of Jiancheng secretly colluded with the new Turkic Khan, directly surrendering two border cities and letting the wolf into the house!

Andong and the Far East have fallen!

Their goal was not just to seize territory, but to swallow the entire northern border defense line whole—Pingzhou, Yunzhou, Yingzhou… followed by Han Ye’s homeland Youzhou, and then Dingzhou behind it!

If successful, the entire northern defense line will completely collapse!

Han Ye clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white, his eyes were bloodshot, and his anger surged like a volcano about to erupt!

If they really succeed, wouldn't all the bloody battles we fought and every brother who died become a joke?!

On the banks of the Wei River, corpses lay strewn everywhere. The old Qin general died for his country... Did they all die in vain?!

"What's the situation at the border now?" His voice was hoarse, almost squeezed out from deep in his throat.

"We've questioned the survivors," Gongsun Zan said in a deep voice. "The Turkic army is already assembling, and the remnants of Jiancheng will act as internal collaborators, preparing to take advantage of the situation."

The first wave of attacks will likely occur within the month.

"Anton and the Far East have already been handed over; the next step... is to fully advance."

Han Ye's pupils contracted, and his killing intent flashed like a blade drawn from its sheath, slicing through the night.

"Wishful thinking!" He sneered, his chilling aura penetrating to the bone. "The territory I, Han Ye, guard, will not tolerate anyone who dares to lay a finger on it; they will never return!"

After saying that, he swept his gaze across Gongsun Zan like lightning: "Go back first and lie in wait."

"Wait for my order, and act immediately."

"Yes!" Gongsun Zan clasped his hands in a fist salute, and with a flash, he disappeared into the darkness, vanishing like a ghost.

Han Ye stood still, the cold wind whistling through his robes.

He looked up at the sky and murmured, "It's really... they don't even give us a chance to catch our breath."

Too hasty.

It was really too rushed.

The Tang Dynasty had just experienced years of war, which had severely damaged its vitality and caused widespread economic decline. The people longed for peace, and the court sought a period of recuperation and recovery.

But the enemy won't wait for you to catch your breath.

They specifically target you when you're at your weakest to stab you in the back.

One step leads to death, every step to terror.

He slowly turned around and walked heavily toward the mansion.

Inside the courtyard, the lights were dim.

Xiao Tuan was squatting by the flower bed, holding a tender green plant in her hands, her eyes shining like stars.

"Miss, Miss, look! These grains of rice are so round, don't they look a bit like wheat?" She waved her hand excitedly. "Young Master got this strange stuff from somewhere, it grows incredibly fast, it sprouted in just a few days!"

"I just don't know if it's edible..." she muttered, tilting her head. "If it's edible and can be promoted, then my young master would be a great hero who saves the people from suffering!"

Li Yingge stood to the side, her fingertips gently toying with the leaves, a smile playing on her lips. Suddenly, she looked up and saw Han Ye push the door open and enter.

Her smile froze.

His face was ashen, and his eyes held a storm brewing within them.

"What's wrong?" She immediately stepped forward, her voice soft yet sharp. "What happened?"

Han Ye paused, then forced a smile: "It's nothing."

But that smile was even uglier than a cry.

Li Yingge frowned slightly; she didn't believe it.

After a moment, Han Ye suddenly spoke, his voice so deep it seemed to come from the abyss:

"Do you think... the Tang Dynasty now, can it still fight another war?"

"Another war?" Li Yingge was taken aback, her red lips parted slightly, and then she shook her head. "Impossible."

His Majesty will not allow it, nor will the court agree... The most important thing now is to stabilize the foundation and restore the people's livelihood.

She spoke with certainty.

But Han Ye stared at the wildly growing genetically modified rice plant with a dark and unreadable expression.

he knows--

Some battles are unavoidable.

Even if the world desires peace, war will still reach our doorstep.

And he had no choice but to go to meet him.

"General Qin has just died in battle, and General Ghost Face is missing. The battle on the banks of the Wei River, though called a victory, was clearly a Pyrrhic victory won with lives lost! Does the Tang Dynasty still have the strength to continue fighting?!"

After Li Yingge finished speaking, Han Ye remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh.

yes……

The national treasury was empty, the manpower for soldiers was exhausted, the bodies of soldiers on the border were still cold, the people were displaced and starving dead were everywhere.

Talking about war at this time? That's just wishful thinking!

So... are we just going to abandon the frontier like this?!

"unless--"

Li Yingge suddenly smiled, her eyes bright as stars: "Unless the Tang Dynasty can stabilize its rear and ensure that the people have food to eat and shelter to live in."

Only when the refugees are settled and the people's hearts are at peace can the imperial court dare to spare the trouble of launching another northward campaign.

boom--!

These words struck Han Ye's mind like a thunderbolt, shaking him to his core!