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

He suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on Li Yingge, his eyes so sharp they seemed to pierce through her.

He stared at her until her ears burned and her cheeks flushed. She whispered reproachfully, "Why are you looking at me like that...?"

But Han Ye had no time to explain.

His gaze passed over her and landed on the lush green rice paddy in the center of the courtyard—the tall, slender genetically modified rice plants, with their full ears of grain, gleamed with an almost eerie green light in the sunlight.

That was a heaven-defying item he redeemed from the system, the culmination of his painstaking efforts, which he had carefully nurtured in his secluded mansion.

Normally, he wouldn't allow anyone to touch even a single leaf, but now he strode forward without hesitation, plucked a plant himself, and solemnly handed it to Li Yingge.

"Take this and go to the palace!" Han Ye's voice was deep and resonant, each word like a nail. "See His Majesty, kneel and plead your case. Even if it costs you your life, you must make him order the war!"

Li Yingge was stunned.

She looked down at the rice stalk in her palm, still smelling of fresh earth, her face blank. "War? War with whom? Why did you give me this rice?! I don't even know what it is!"

"You don't need to know too much." Han Ye took a step closer, his gaze sharp, and spoke slowly and deliberately, "Just tell His Majesty—this is 'genetically modified rice,' ripening every three months, yielding 3,000 catties per mu, enough to feed a million refugees! With it, there will be no worries about the rear! No shortage of food!"

His tone suddenly rose, almost as if he were gritting his teeth:

"Therefore, this battle must be fought! Not an inch of our territory can be lost! Understand?!"

The oppressive feeling hit her head, and Li Yingge's heart trembled. She couldn't help but nod.

Just then—

boom! ! !

The courtyard gate suddenly burst open, sending wood chips flying everywhere!

A troop of imperial guards burst through the gate, their armor gleaming and exuding a murderous aura. Their leader coldly commanded, "Divine Might General, His Majesty summons you urgently! An audience with the Emperor is imminent! No delays allowed!"

Outside the mansion, Li Jing's servant huddled in a corner, his face full of helplessness: "Miss... we couldn't stop them, they just rushed in..."

Li Yingge's expression changed slightly, but she instantly suppressed all emotion, straightened her back, and her face turned icy: "How dare you! This is the Li residence! Who gave you the audacity to trespass?!"

The Imperial Guard leader remained composed, bowing with clasped hands, but his tone left no room for negotiation: "By order of General Li Junxian, we are here to escort General Shenwei into the palace. The matter is urgent, so please excuse the inconvenience."

The air was stagnant.

Li Yingge's pupils constricted, and her heart stopped beating.

An audience with the Emperor? And with such a grand display?!

The big thing is bad!

But what terrified her even more was—

Han Ye actually knew something before she did?!

She turned around abruptly and looked at the man standing in front of the rice paddy.

Han Ye was quietly looking at her, a slight smile on his lips, and he nodded gently at her.

"Go." His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable force. "Don't forget what I said."

Li Yingge gritted her teeth, gripped the genetically modified rice plant in her hand, and strode out.

"Walk!"

She didn't even have time to change out of her blood-stained armor; her cloak fluttered in the wind, and her footsteps were like thunder as she headed straight for the palace.

But at this moment, what she held in her palm was no longer a stalk of rice.

Rather, it is the spark that ignites the future of the entire Tang Dynasty.

Deep in the courtyard, Han Ye stood alone in the wind, his gaze piercing through the clouds and mist, as if he had already crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, reaching Youzhou in the northern border.

There, the setting sun was like blood, corpses piled high and blood flowed like a sea, broken halberds were stuck in the scorched earth, and battle flags were half-hidden in the dust and sand.

A flickering fire ignited in his eyes.

Whispering, like a prayer, like a gamble:

"This gamble... whether we live or die depends entirely on today."

Dingzhou, at the edge of the wilderness, stands a massive mausoleum like a giant beast crouching amidst the yellow sand.

The remains of Zhong Fang and others are buried here.

They shed their last drop of blood to defend the frontier—dying on the battlefield, their souls returning to the earth! But can their lives have been lost in vain?!

Inside the Marquis of Champion's mansion, the wind was still and the candles were not flickering, but suddenly a deep humming sound exploded from the Azure Dragon Spear!

"Buzz—!"

"Buzz—!"

"Buzz—!"

Three tremors tore through the air, and the Azure Dragon Spear spontaneously left its sheath by half an inch, its cold light flashing and killing intent surging out like a tide! As if sensing something... that undiminished fighting spirit was responding to the impending war a thousand miles away!

At the same time, outside Chang'an City.

Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry was fully equipped and lined up in battle.

One man, one horse, one gun, one arrow—all were silently being wiped clean.

The bowstring was drawn taut, emitting a low, hoarse neigh; the warhorse puffed out gasps, its hooves pawing the ground restlessly.

Their eyes were as cold as the frost of the North.

"Our brothers have already died once," Gongsun Zan said in a low voice, his voice hoarse like a whetstone, "for the sake of the frontier, they left their lives on the Wei River."

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife: "If we allow the thieves to breach this pass again, will we still have the face to live in this world?!"

"Absolutely not!" The soldiers behind him roared in unison, their voices soaring to the heavens!

They weren't waiting for orders—they were suppressing a boiling murderous intent!

At Han Ye's command, ten thousand cavalry will break through the pass and rush straight to the northern border! They will crush the skulls of traitors and burn the Turkic royal court to the ground!

Meanwhile, deep within the palace, the door to the Imperial Study was tightly shut.

"Bang--!"

Li Shimin kicked over the desk, and the memorials flew like snowflakes, crashing to the ground.

His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulged on his forehead, and his murderous aura was almost tangible!

"The remnants of Jiancheng! Who do they think they are?! How dare they take my Great Tang cities and hundreds of millions of people to wag their tails and beg for mercy from the Turks?!"

"What right do they have?! Who gave them the audacity?!"

The roar shook the beams, causing dust to fall from them.

Urgent reports from scouts had already spread throughout the court and the country, and the entire city of Chang'an was trembling—

The border regions have fallen!

The remnants of Jiancheng's faction colluded with the Turks and launched a fierce counterattack while the Tang Dynasty was still recovering! They captured three cities in one night, intending to take advantage of the enemy's momentum to launch a counterattack and completely tear apart the Tang Dynasty's northern defense line!

How can this be considered a rebellion?

This is like ruthlessly cutting into a newly healed wound!

The Battle of Wei River was a bloodbath, with mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Qin Shubao died for his country, and the fate of the Ghost-Faced General is unknown... The chance to breathe that so many heroic souls had earned has now been destroyed by this group of scoundrels!

The court officials remained silent.

Changsun Wuji lowered his head and remained silent; Fang Xuanling coughed twice, his face pale; Li Jing gripped the tiger tally tightly; Yuchi Gong gritted his teeth and clenched his fists; Cheng Yaojin's eyes glared like bells—

They were angry, they hated!

But they knew even better: to go to war at this time was to gamble the entire nation's life!

Li Shimin glared at the assembled officials, his voice almost roaring: "I'll say it again—mobilize the army! Launch the northern expedition!"

"Not only must we wipe out Jiancheng's remaining forces, but we must also march north and crush the Turkic royal court! I want them to know that none of those who betray the Tang Dynasty will live to see tomorrow's sun!"

"Northern Expedition! Northern Expedition! Northern Expedition!"

He spoke each word clearly and deliberately, as if cleaved by a knife or axe, his voice resounding throughout the hall!

But all that answered him was deathly silence.

Changsun Wuji finally raised his head and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, please calm down! The Turks and the rebels launched a surprise attack together because they are certain that we are no longer able to fight! If we rashly send troops now, the very foundation of the nation may be shaken!"

Fang Xuanling weakly replied, "Although we won the Battle of the Wei River, it was a Pyrrhic victory... Our supplies were exhausted, our manpower was depleted, and the people were not yet at peace. How could we possibly launch a long expedition?"

These words were like an ice pick, piercing Li Shimin's heart.

he knows.

He knows everything!

But what can he do even if he knows?!

To stand by and watch our land fall? To watch the blood of loyal and brave men flow in vain?!

Qin Shubao is dead!

The Ghost-Faced General has disappeared without a trace!

Those soldiers who fell on the frontier, their last wishes have not yet been fulfilled, and the Tang Dynasty has not even had a chance to catch its breath—the flames of war have returned!

A sudden gust of wind rose outside, whipping up a cloud of yellow sand.

It was as if heaven and earth were also growling:

This battle is one we have to fight!

Even if it's riddled with holes, I will still draw my sword!

These remnants of Jiancheng actually colluded with the Turkic barbarians and pulled a ruthless move—they launched a surprise attack, heading straight for the border cities of our Great Tang Dynasty, and massacred several towns!

Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, his eyes burning with fury.

How could he, the mighty Khan, swallow this insult?!

"I know... the Tang Dynasty is no longer able to fight." His voice was hoarse, like a knife scraping rust, each word seemingly torn from his throat. "But I... cannot stand by and watch the people on the borders be slaughtered again! To watch those cities we defended with our lives fall into the hands of the barbarians once more!"

Before he could finish speaking, a trickle of blood slid down from the corner of his lips, staining the bright yellow dragon robe crimson.

He no longer looked at the civil officials.

His gaze was sharp and fixed on the head of the military generals—Yuchi Gong!

"Old Black, what do you say?"

"This..." Yuchi Gong lowered his head, his throat bobbing, his voice as heavy as lead: "Your Majesty... the Tang Dynasty's treasury is empty, the soldiers are exhausted, and supplies are running out... At this time, a northern expedition would be like throwing an egg against a rock."

Li Shimin's eyes darkened, and he turned to look at Li Jing, his voice trembling slightly: "Pharmacist, do you think so too? You want me to abandon the borderlands? To let the blood of General Ghost Face and the others be shed in vain?!"

Veins bulged on Li Jing's forehead, and his head felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

War? We can't afford to fight.

Retreat? I'm not willing to do that!

After a long silence, he suddenly looked up, a glint of light in his eyes: "Your Majesty, I believe that while we should not act rashly, we should not abandon our territory lightly! It would be better to write a letter to the new Khan of the Turks, using peace talks as a pretext to seize the city."

The best strategy is to reclaim lost territory without losing a single soldier!

"Whoosh—"

The hall was deathly silent.

Peace talks?

These two words were like a poisonous thorn, piercing deep into everyone's hearts.

To put it politely, it's called "peace negotiation"; to put it bluntly, it's bowing down, admitting defeat, and begging for food on your knees before those wolf cubs!

Changsun Wuji closed his eyes and sighed, "Your Majesty... let's negotiate."

Fang Xuanling's face was deathly pale. Leaning on the table, he murmured, "Peace talks... were a last resort."

Yuchi Gong gritted his teeth and clenched his fists: "Your Majesty, I am willing to go to the border personally, bear the infamy, just to get a moment's respite!"

Cheng Yaojin stood in the corner, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the ground, without saying a word.

He's not afraid of dying, he's afraid of living a miserable life!

"Heh...hehe..."

Li Shimin suddenly laughed, a cold and chilling laugh, carrying a strong smell of blood.

He gazed at the blood-red setting sun outside the window and said, slowly and deliberately, "You want peace talks... but have you considered General Qin's passing? Do you think you're doing justice to General Ghost Face's body, riddled with arrow wounds?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall lowered their heads, and no one dared to respond.

It's not that they don't want to fight, it's that they're truly too exhausted to fight anymore...