The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

Jieli glanced at Yuchi Gong and Qin Qiong one last time, and with a heart full of resentment, ordered a retreat.

Tuli did not come to join forces with him. He had already lost more than 10,000 elite troops after being ambushed by Qin Qiong. Now, his army was less than 100,000.

If we were to fight the Tang army here, we would be at risk of being surrounded by troops from all directions.

This price is too high for Jieli to bear.

Watching Jieli lead his army away, Yuchi Gong breathed a sigh of relief and ordered his troops to pursue them.

He didn't really want to fight the Turkic army, but rather to demonstrate sufficient strength and, incidentally, quickly drive the Turks out of the Tang Dynasty.

After all, despite the fierce words spoken by Yuchi Gong and his men, who were always threatening to annihilate someone, it was all just bluffing.

If they really wanted to fight, they wouldn't have let Qin Qiong appear openly; instead, they would have launched a sneak attack from behind when the battle began.

They had no reinforcements other than Qin Qiong. The dust that had just risen made it seem like there were reinforcements, but it was just a decoy.

To be honest, Yuchi Gong and his men were severely lacking in supplies, so what were they going to fight with?

Qin Qiong didn't chase after them, firstly because they were running on foot and couldn't catch up, and secondly because they were already very tired.

The Mo Dao Army was an elite force hastily assembled, equipped with the best possible weapons and armor.

A single long-handled sword weighs nearly thirty pounds, and with the armor and other equipment, traveling is extremely difficult.

It was already quite an achievement that he was able to ambush the Turkic army and then catch up in time to deter Jieli.

Dong Zheng breathed a sigh of relief: "General, it's over."

"Yes, it's over!" Qin Qiong smiled with relief, then shouted:

"Brothers, come with me back to Chang'an to claim our reward!"

The war is over, and nothing could inspire the soldiers who fought so hard more than these words.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

"..."

The good news reached Chang'an the next day. Li Shimin was very happy and held a banquet for all the officials. He also ordered that the soldiers who had fought in the battle be rewarded according to their merits.

At first, Chen Huai'an didn't pay attention and stayed in the back, eating and drinking as usual.

But at this moment, Wen Daya, the Minister of Works, suddenly stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, I have a request."

"Oh?" Li Shimin seemed quite surprised. "What is it, my dear minister? Please speak freely."

Wen Daya felt a pang of bitterness in his heart and cupped his hands, saying, "I am old and frail, and lately I have felt increasingly powerless. I am afraid I can no longer serve as Minister of Works and continue to assist Your Majesty."

"Hmm?" Li Shimin's eyes flickered, and he reached out his hand, saying gently, "Why do you say that, Wen Aiqing? You're only fifty-five, how can you be old and frail?"

"Where have I done something wrong that caused you, my dear minister, to suffer such injustice?"

Wen Daya was terrified and repeatedly denied it: "Your Majesty, I would never dare, I would never dare!"

"It's not that I don't want to continue serving Your Majesty, nor that I've been wronged, but rather that I... am truly old."

"As you just said, I am already fifty-five years old."

"For ordinary people, living past fifty is considered old age. I have been shouldering this great responsibility for many years, and I am already exhausted."

Wen Daya smiled, as if murmuring, "To be honest, Your Majesty, since I turned fifty, I have often felt tired."

"Sometimes I sit at my desk, staring blankly at the flickering candlelight, and I think back to when I was young. I studied hard all night without feeling any hardship. Even if I didn't sleep for two days, I was still full of energy."

"Unbeknownst to me, so many years have passed, and my once full head of black hair has turned gray without me even noticing."

As she spoke, Wen Daya touched her hair, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes.

Many officials initially laughed at his words, but their laughter soon faded and they fell silent.

Birth, aging, illness, and death are the natural course of life.

Among these civil and military officials, how many others shared the same feelings as Wen Daya?

Li Shimin looked at the old ministers below, remained silent for a moment, and slowly said: "Minister Wen, you have been in charge of the Ministry of Works for many years. You have handled the construction of palaces, the supervision of the manufacture of military equipment, and the dredging of waterways with great care."

"Now that the Tang Dynasty has just been established, it is a time when we need capable people. How can you bear to abandon us?"

"At this point, where am I supposed to find someone to replace you?"

Wen Daya shook his head: "Your Majesty, it's not that I'm unwilling, but I'm truly powerless to do so. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

This statement is naturally three parts truth and seven parts falsehood.

It's highly unlikely that he's old and frail.

But Wen Daya saw it very clearly: as a former official of Li Yuan, with Pei Ji's downfall, Li Shimin would replace them sooner or later.

Coupled with the recent gossip, he clearly understood that it was time for him to step down.

It would be impolite to continue occupying this spot.

Li Shimin frowned, clearly unsure of what to do.

To be honest, he had wanted to replace Wen Daya for a long time, but the best candidate for Minister of Works in his mind was just like his mother, a good-for-nothing.

He doesn't even want to go to court.

When you call him in to discuss something, as long as you don't say a word, he just sits there eating and drinking, as if everything around him is none of his business.

Li Shimin's original plan was to let Wen Daya continue working while he would find a way to promote that person.

Now, Wen Daya has the audacity to run away.

This put him in a bit of a predicament.

Chen Huai'an was also somewhat puzzled.

I vaguely remember that Wen Daya had changed her status a long time ago, hadn't she?

At that time, the Minister of Works should have been Duan Lun.

Duan Lun, as a founding hero, also married Princess Gaomi, Li Yuan's daughter, and was a key figure in Li Shimin's efforts to win over the people.

Why haven't you come up yet?

Thinking it over, Chen Huai'an nudged Wei Zheng beside him with his elbow and asked in a low voice, "Lord Wei, where is Duan Lun?"

Duan Lun?

Wei Zheng was taken aback, not understanding why Chen Huai'an was asking about this person, but he still pointed in a direction with his chin: "Over there, after His Majesty ascended the throne, he promoted him to Minister of Rites."

Chen Huai'an looked in the direction Wei Zheng pointed and became even more puzzled.

He didn't know Duan Lun and didn't usually pay much attention to the internal personnel adjustments in the court, so he was unaware of this matter.

How did Duan Lun become the Minister of Rites?

While Chen Huai'an was puzzled and Li Shimin hesitated, Changsun Wuji coughed lightly: "Your Majesty, is there something you've forgotten?"

"What is it?" Li Shimin asked, puzzled.

Changsun Wuji glanced at Chen Huai'an: "As the Vice Director of the Crown Prince's Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Mr. Chen has made great contributions. Now that the Turks have retreated, His Majesty has ordered that those who have rendered meritorious service be rewarded. How can we forget Mr. Chen?"

Chen Huai'an: ?

Changsun Wuji's words made many people's eyes light up.

They seemed to understand Changsun Wuji's meaning and Li Shimin's thoughts.

Li Shimin understood immediately, and a smile instantly appeared on his face: "Absolutely right, absolutely right, Fuji is right."

"It's time to bestow rewards upon Minister Chen!"

"..."