Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 169 Breaking the Black Bones, the Gu Family Butcher (Two Chapters Combined, Seeking Monthly Tickets)
A simple siege would not be enough to break through Wugu.

Gu Jing's overall strategy was to continuously create panic among the city's garrison, taking advantage of their fear of the Tang army and the Gu family to force them into internal strife.

Goguryeo will definitely come to Wugu's aid.

Given the importance of Wugu City, Goguryeo might even have given up on directly retaking Bisa City.

Gu Jing is taking a gamble.

It is bet that the Tang army is strong enough to crush the Goguryeo army.

We're betting that the Tang army can hold out until the morale of the defenders in Wugu City completely collapses!

This move was indeed very risky.

But in Gu Jing's view, generals who do not know how to take risks have always found it difficult to become famous.

Warfare is all about courage; if there are enough benefits, it's worth the gamble.

The Liaodong Peninsula was now completely divided into northern and southern sections.

Although Yeon Gaesomun really wanted to wipe out the relatively weaker Southern Tang army, he simply couldn't muster too many troops at this moment!

The situation is extremely serious!
The Tang army has them pinned down along the entire Liaodong defense line.

If he were to make even the slightest move, it could very well have a ripple effect, leading to the collapse of the entire Liaodong defense line.

Yeon Gaesomun dared not gamble.

He only wanted to stabilize the situation as much as possible and wait for the Tang army to retreat on its own, as it was impossible to spare too many troops at this time.

Gu Jing's judgment was correct, as news of the siege of Wugu City continued to spread.

Yeon Gaesomun reacted immediately, quickly changing the edict to send the reinforcements that were originally going to retake Bisa Castle to Uggu!

—The Liaodong region is shaken!
Troops from the surrounding areas, including reinforcements from Baekje, quickly headed straight for Ogol Castle.

But the problem remains the same: the terrain of Wugu City means that not only will it affect the Tang army, but reinforcements can only arrive openly from one direction.

A cliff tens of meters deep can block everything.

These reinforcements could only launch a frontal attack on the Tang army camp through the valley entrance to the south.

This is destined to be incredibly difficult.

The Tang army's equipment was far superior to that of these barbarian soldiers, and now the Tang army held a favorable position, attacking from high ground.

How could these people possibly break through our camp?

The war continued.

The only way out of Wugu City has been completely blocked, and all the soldiers are very worried that the defenders in Wugu City will take advantage of this situation to cooperate with the Goguryeo reinforcements to attack the Tang army camp from both sides.

However, Gu Jing remained very calm and only sent out a small number of troops to guard against this.

Gao Wuzhi dared not leave the city.

He feared this was a Tang army ploy to lure him out of the city under the guise of reinforcements.

Gu Jing's judgment of people's hearts is absolutely the most outstanding talent among all the Gu family members throughout the generations, and even Gu Yi has to admit this.

Although the Gu family members who held power throughout the ages were also quite adept at understanding people's hearts and minds after reaching a certain level.

But that's mostly due to their experience and long-term knowledge.

Gu Jing, however, was different.

He was a natural-born politician, and his character was very much like Gu Quan's—extremely mature and courageous, yet also ruthless.

Making an enemy of this kind of person means that once they seize an opportunity, you will be firmly held in their grasp.

"Slay all who come, regardless of whether they surrender!"

In the midst of the army camp, Gu Jing solemnly issued orders.

Upon hearing this, the soldiers' eyes lit up. Regardless of whether they surrendered or not, they would all be executed, which would be a great achievement for them!
The Tang Dynasty had always been holding back its battles against all sides.

This may be due to the face of the so-called "heavenly kingdom," which spares the lives of those who surrender.

But now things are completely different; Gu Jing is going to kill!

Gu Jing must take advantage of this period of fear among the defenders of Wugu City and continue to amplify their fear as much as possible.

He would never hold back!

The entire valley entrance became a meat grinder. Goguryeo's equipment was already inferior to that of the Tang army, and under such terrain, it was impossible for them to gain an advantage in a short period of time.

But they had no choice but to fight to the death.

Once the garrison in Wugu City leaves the city, they will launch a pincer attack on the Tang camp!

—A great war has broken out!
The war drums thundered, shattering the morning mist at the valley entrance.

The Goguryeo soldiers stepped over the corpses of their comrades, raised their leather shields, and formed a tortoise-shell formation. Arrows struck the cowhide with a dull thud, but could not penetrate this moving city wall.

Gu Jing stood on the watchtower, watching the enemy approach, sneered, and swung the command flag in his hand down fiercely.

"Fire the catapults!"

Three hundred paces away, twelve catapults simultaneously emitted a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

The millstone-sized stone projectiles pierced the sky, exploding into a crimson mist of blood within the Goguryeo formation.

The shield-bearers in the front row were smashed into a bloody pulp, and flying bone fragments rained down on the rear.

But the Goguryeo people were prepared. The wounded soldiers were dragged to the rear by their comrades, and the gap was instantly filled by new recruits who continued their charge, stepping over the entrails scattered on the ground.

"kill!!!"

"kill!!!"

"kill!!!"

With no way out, even if it meant risking lives, the Goguryeo army had to keep moving forward.

It's impossible to let Wugu City remain besieged like this indefinitely.

The situation was completely different from when Yang Guang launched his expedition against Goguryeo. The Goguryeo army was already terrified of the Tang army, and now the Tang army in the north had forced Goguryeo to tighten its defenses in Liaodong.

Being surrounded under these circumstances and receiving no news, one can easily imagine how panicked the city's defenders would be.

Blackbone City is indeed defensible!

But people's hearts cannot remain steadfast forever!

Even if they couldn't drive away the Tang army, they had to let the garrison inside the city know that Goguryeo had not yet been defeated and had not given up on them.

Meanwhile, inside Wugu City.

Hearing the shouts and screams coming from outside the city, Gao Wuzhi's expression was extremely serious.

"Master, is this reinforcement?"

The generals beside him also had complicated expressions and couldn't help but ask.

Gao Wuzhi did not answer.

How did he answer?

In fact, he didn't understand the situation outside the city at that time either.

Although Gao Wuzhi wanted to believe that these were reinforcements, he dared not act rashly.

Once he falls into the Tang army's trap, there will be no turning back; the day the city falls will surely be the day he dies.

Even if Li Shimin could easily spare him, given Yeon Gaesomun's temper, he would certainly die.

He must remain calm.

Seeing that Gao Wuzhi remained silent, the soldiers felt their unease grow stronger.

"Master, if reinforcements have indeed arrived, this is a golden opportunity! Even if we cannot annihilate the Tang invaders, we should at least break through their camps and blunt their morale!"

"Lord, you are wise; please send troops immediately!"

"Send troops? What if it's a trick by the Tang army? The commander is a member of the Gu family. Have you all forgotten the Gu family's cunning in the past?"

"."

The generals in the tent were discussing the matter animatedly, some excited, others hesitant.

An atmosphere of anxiety and unease spread and intensified.

Gao Wuzhi's face was ashen. Seeing the generals' agitated state, he slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Gather the troops!"

—The tent fell silent instantly.

All eyes were on Gao Wuzhide's face; some looked pleased, while others shook their heads repeatedly.

"However, we cannot mobilize the entire army!" Gao Wuzhi's gaze swept across the crowd like lightning, then he turned to a trusted lieutenant and said sternly:
"Pass on my order: You are to lead two thousand elite cavalry to provide immediate support! If you suspect any deception or see any unusual activity at the beacon towers, immediately withdraw your troops without delay!"

"If it really is reinforcements, remember to find out the details of the battle outside!"

Gao Wuzhi had no other choice.

We cannot allow the entire city of Wugu to become completely incapable of resistance, nor can we let this opportunity slip away.

Upon hearing this, all the soldiers nodded in agreement.

The general, having received orders from the labor and technical department, immediately led his troops out to fight.

Woo.
As the horns of Wugu City suddenly sounded, another battlefield was opened up once again.

The Tang army was attacked from both sides.

However, things remained perfectly orderly, effectively isolating any possibility of communication between the two sides.

Gu Jing personally led his troops in a charge to confront the defending forces within Wugu City.

There was no mercy whatsoever.

Although the number of participants in this battle was far less than that on the northern front, the level of bloodshed completely surpassed that of the battlefields with hundreds of thousands of participants.

Both sides had no choice but to fight to the death.

The Tang army was like this, as was the allied forces of Goguryeo and Baekje.

Even when facing attacks from both sides, the Tang army, aided by the terrain and its equipment, did not completely collapse despite the immense pressure.

Fortunately, those who went to sea this time were all elites of the Tang army, so they would not panic and break out of their camp due to being attacked from both sides.

The same applies to the garrison inside Wugu City.

Even after confirming that the force outside was reinforcements, they still dared not send out their entire force.

To put it bluntly, Gao Wuzhi is afraid of death.

As long as he can defend the city, even if Goguryeo is ultimately defeated, it won't matter to him.

But if we really lose Wugu City, this important town...

He only has one path left: death.

This is Gu Jing's greatest source of confidence; he believes in his own judgment.

The Tang army only needs to face pressure from one side, and this pressure will only decrease over time.

The defenders in Wugu City will be in despair.

The reinforcements will also be in despair!

One day;
Two days;

Three days;

These battles lasted for ten days, leaving countless troops on both sides behind.

The Tang army suffered nearly 3,000 casualties, while the garrison in Wugu City also suffered more than 2,000 casualties, and the reinforcements lost more than 10,000.

The entire valley entrance was completely piled up with corpses.

An invisible sense of despair completely enveloped the entire reinforcements and the city of Wugu.

--despair!
It's despair!

They don't know how to break out of the current situation.

However, neither the various leaders of Goguryeo nor Go Wuzhi would consider launching a direct attack.

But Yeon Gaesomun's orders were there.

Over the next ten days, they began to try various methods.

They attacked Beisha City and sent Zhang Liang with a letter requesting reinforcements, hoping to divert the Tang army's forces.

However, Gu Jing completely ignored Zhang Liang's plea for help and calmed all the soldiers down.

Counter-encirclement of the Tang army

They wanted to cut off the Tang army's supply lines, emulating Gu Jing's approach to Wugu City, by putting pressure on the Tang army from the outside.

But the Tang army was not the Goryeo army.

When the Tang army captured Beisha City, they had already seized a great deal of grain and fodder, so they were not short of food for a short period of time. The deep mountains on both sides of the city also provided the Tang army with a great deal of prey.

But that's all they can do; if they can't take it by force, they can only drag it out like this!
However, this was enough for Goguryeo.

As long as they can keep a close watch on the Tang army and prevent Gu Jing from affecting the northern battlefield, that will be fine!
Time passes slowly.

Li Shimin has now advanced to the outskirts of Anshi City and is locked in a stalemate with the entire Goguryeo army.

In the present-day Liaodong Three Kingdoms.

Goguryeo's strength was indeed worthy of being the strongest. Even when facing the Tang army, Yeon Gaesomun perfectly utilized the defenses that had already been built to resist them.

They are not afraid at all, even though they are always at a disadvantage.

The winter in Liaodong was definitely not something the Tang army could handle.

If this continues...

The Tang army was destined to withdraw.

In the original history, Li Shimin failed to achieve complete success precisely because of this, leaving the matter to future generations, but now things have changed.

Whether it was Li Shimin or Yeon Gaesomun.

Everyone understood perfectly that the core of this battle had shifted to Wugu City.

As long as the Tang army can break through Wugu.

This would allow them to directly cooperate with Li Shimin to dismantle Goguryeo's Liaodong defense line!
Although the battle initially appeared to be at a stalemate, the actual situation was still highly volatile.

Yeon Gaesomun kept mobilizing his troops, trying to take this opportunity to trap and kill Gu Jing, but how could Gu Jing not have expected this?
As time slowly passed, the temperature continued to rise.

He immediately set his sights on the only water source for the garrison in Wugu City!
—Poisoning!
This would have been a very useful tactic on ancient battlefields.

Although this phenomenon gradually disappeared after the Gu family continuously developed medical techniques and popularized the practice of drinking boiled water throughout Kyushu.

However, that doesn't mean it's completely useless, not to mention that Goguryeo's medical technology was far inferior to that of Kyushu!
The only stable water source in Wugu City was a stream flowing down from the high mountains, which was a godsend for the Tang army.

only--

This method is somewhat vicious.

Given the current situation, if a plague breaks out, countless people will die in Wugu City.

But neither Gu Jing nor the other soldiers of the Tang army cared about this at all.

How others see it.

Yeon Gaesomun's various actions have already offended the Emperor's authority, and his soldiers naturally deserve to die as well.

For Gu Jing, it was even simpler.

—Barbarians fear power but do not cherish virtue.

Whether it's Gu Xi, Gu Chen, Gu Ye, or the others, they have conquered the barbarians too many times and given them enough favors.

But the fact that this still happened in Goguryeo today is enough to explain everything.

His purpose in coming here is to establish his authority!

Gu Jing had already foreseen all of this. Why did he raise the banner of the Gu family and the Tang Dynasty at the beginning and declare that those who did not surrender would be beheaded?
He wasn't just trying to intimidate the enemy; he had planned to do so from the very beginning!
The current battle for Wugu City is affecting the entire situation.

He will not hold back in the slightest!
—The situation changed abruptly.

Although Gu Jing had found a new water source for his soldiers, he still required the entire army to drink boiled water in order to prevent any accidents.

Although this also inevitably leads to the spread of disease, it does have its uses.

However, the situation is different within Wugu City.

With the first person to fall ill appearing in the city, the plague spread from the border to the already completely closed city in less than half a month.

The medical standards in Goguryeo were extremely poor.

Although they understood the concept of isolation, Wugu City had already become a battleground.

However, in order to defend the city, they could not kill the sick garrison soldiers.

A vicious cycle ensues.

The plague quickly spread throughout the entire city of Wugu.

Under the blazing sun, people die every day, and the sounds of coughing and wailing echo throughout the city.

Even Gao Wuzhi himself fell ill!
The entire city was filled with wails of agony, and the so-called witch doctors were utterly incapable of solving the problem. In their agony, even some of the defenders on the city walls began to jump to their deaths.

An atmosphere of despair pervaded the air.

Under these circumstances, the Tang army increased its defenses even further.

Gu Jing did not choose to attack the city.

It wasn't out of fear of the plague. Although the Tang army hadn't prepared special masks for this trip, they could cover their mouths and noses with clothing and wouldn't immediately contract the plague.

Rather, it's unnecessary.

Once this step is taken, Wugu City will have become a dead city. Even if Wugu is completely conquered, Gu Jing will not allow his soldiers to stay in the city.

Gu Jing's preparations for battle were not only to guard against reinforcements, but also to prepare for going to the battlefield.

A gentle breeze blew, and the banners of the Gu family and the flags of the Tang Dynasty fluttered in the wind.

Although the shouting had long since stopped.

But the sick soldiers couldn't help but recall the words the Tang army had shouted back then.

Those who refuse to surrender will die!
All of this now seems to have come true.

Despair overwhelmed them, and more and more soldiers, unable to endure the torment of illness, chose to jump off the city wall.

Inside the city.

Gao Wuzhi had coughed up blood, but he still hadn't given up hope of survival.

He doesn't want to die!

He wanted to send men to launch a surprise attack, so he sent those sick soldiers. Even if they couldn't break through the city gates, they had to infect the Tang army with disease.

But now that these people have reached this point, why would they obey orders anymore?
That's right, the city is now completely out of control.

The infected soldiers did not want to die, and the few remaining uninfected soldiers did not even dare to leave their homes for fear of infection.

It wasn't just the lowest-ranking soldiers.

Even the generals were the same.

Under these circumstances, Gao Wuzhi finally gave up.

He sent envoys to surrender to the Tang army, hoping that the Tang army could save his life.

But this so-called envoy couldn't even get into the Tang army's camp. He was shot dead before he could even get close, and his body lay there in front of Wugu City.

The same applies to the bodies of those soldiers who committed suicide.

This ruthless act, leaving no way out, provoked everyone.

The few thousand people remaining in the entire city of Wugu, under these circumstances, finally began to abandon the city and charge forward, disregarding everything else.

Wild animals have the instinct to survive, let alone humans?
Unfortunately, weakened, they could not break through the Tang army's arrows or break into the Tang army's camp.

Beneath the walls of Wugu City, the battlefield had ceased to be a battlefield; instead, it had become a living hell.

Those figures who had fought to the death are now all lying down.

The path that once symbolized hope was now paved with a hopeless end, with corpses piled up in layers, densely packed, stretching from the base of the city wall to hundreds of paces in front of the Tang army camp.

Most of them remained in a forward-falling posture, some still clutching their inferior weapons that were already dull or broken, while others stretched out their arms in vain, as if trying to grasp the last sliver of hope for survival.

Gao Wuzhi's body was also among them.

He was already dead, his eyes filled with despair.

Perhaps he never imagined that he would end his life in this way, and all his glory in life would now be in vain.

Even the Tang army couldn't bear to look at this scene.

But Gu Jing remained calm and said in front of his soldiers, "To be merciful to the enemy is to be cruel to oneself."

"If these people were to storm the military camp..."

"How could our soldiers possibly have a good end?"

"Blocking them now is also blocking the plague."

A simple sentence quickly calmed everyone down.

Gu Jing was right.

In war, there is no need for mercy.

Given the medical standards of the Liaodong Peninsula, releasing all these people would undoubtedly cause them even greater casualties.

"Tell the generals that all troops must cover their mouths and noses and cross Wugu as quickly as possible."

Gu Jing gave the order again.

He didn't want to wait any longer; he needed to use the time before the news spread to influence the entire battlefield.

"Should we set it on fire?" Chang He couldn't help but ask.

Gu Jing shook his head, then turned to look behind him, seemingly able to see the Goguryeo and Baekje troops training outside the camp, and smiled faintly: "Leave them to them."

"And let them know that those who refuse to surrender will die!"

The generals remained silent.

Even though they held higher official positions than Gu Jing, at this point, they all unconsciously followed Gu Jing's lead.

The army quickly prepared.

Gu Jing's move was indeed somewhat risky. Even if he covered his mouth and nose, it was impossible to completely avoid bacteria.

But this is the only way.

It is already summer, and time is running out for the Tang Dynasty.

Although the Tang Dynasty was not short of food and supplies at the moment, it was still impossible to directly produce hundreds of thousands of cotton-padded clothes to protect against the severe cold of Liaodong.

The war must end before winter arrives.

That night, the Tang army took advantage of the darkness to leave.

Warhorses trod forward, their iron hooves mercilessly crushing the still-warm corpses.

Surprisingly, the reinforcements failed to notice anything unusual about the Tang army.

They seemed to have already given up and never thought that the Tang army could cross Wugu City.

In a situation where information is completely cut off.

They were unaware that a plague had already spread throughout Wugu City.

They didn't receive the news until the evening of the following day when the scouts returned to camp.

Everyone was stunned when they heard that the Tang army camp was empty.

The entire reinforcement army quickly took action, charging towards the Tang army camp once again. After several probing attacks, they finally felt safe enough to pass through the Tang army camp and head straight for Wugu City.

But what followed was a scene that chilled everyone to the bone.

Under the scorching sun, even after just one day, the corpses scattered everywhere had already undergone a horrific transformation.

The stench, so strong it was suffocating and nauseating, was like a real miasma, billowing and spreading in the heatwave, hitting you from afar and almost making you faint.

The smell was a mixture of the metallic odor of blood, the sweet, pungent smell of ruptured entrails, and an indescribable stench of rotting protein, creating a hellish atmosphere.

The banners of the Gu family and the Tang Dynasty still stood atop the earthen mound, fluttering in the wind.

Almost instantly, many people fell off their horses.

Even the generals who witnessed this scene turned pale and trembled uncontrollably.

These people were utterly terrified.

For a moment, they even forgot to send the message out.

They dared not and were unwilling to continue fighting!

Anshi City.

Li Shimin has been trapped here for some time.

He had already surrounded the entire city of Anshi, but there was still no chance to break through the city, so he could only choose the tactic of besieging the city and attacking the reinforcements.

Although Yeon Gaesomun knew it was a scheme, he still had to send people to rescue them from time to time, only in this way could the soldiers in the city be completely at ease.

It was precisely because of this that Li Shimin did indeed achieve several great victories immediately.

However, they still found it difficult to break through Anshi City.

Even in this era where cold weapons were still the primary weapon, Goguryeo's defenses were so difficult to breach that they could only be breached by completely disregarding manpower and resources.

But it is clear that Li Shimin would never make such a choice.

All the soldiers understood this.

However, no one would mention withdrawing troops, because Li Shimin's attitude was very clear: the navy would definitely break through Wugu.

Although they had long since lost contact with Gu Jing due to the encirclement by the reinforcements.

But Li Shimin remained steadfast.

He was just waiting.

They were holding Anshi City tightly, waiting for Gu Jing to break through Wugu, so that they could work together to tear open the Liaodong defense line.

Under such circumstances, no one would dare to offend Li Shimin.

But that tense atmosphere still spread throughout the Tang army.

Meanwhile, in Pyongyang.

The atmosphere was completely different from that of the Tang army.

As time goes by, the atmosphere in Pyongyang is no longer as somber as it was when the Tang army first invaded Liaodong.

This is also normal.

For them, the longer the delay, the better, because the Tang army would naturally withdraw when the weather turned cold.

As for the cities that were lost, there was no need to care at all.

The Tang army suffered a crushing defeat, and Goguryeo's prestige in Liaodong would naturally be even greater. They could then reclaim it, and some even considered attacking the Central Plains.

After all, Liaodong has now become an invincible territory in their eyes.

Inside the royal palace at this time.

The soldiers were drinking and making merry with Yeon Gaesomun, and naturally, they couldn't help but flatter him. Even though the battle at the front was very intense, everyone laughed and became happier.

After several rounds of drinks, some people even suggested that Yeon Gaesomun should declare himself emperor.

"Hmph! What so-called Heavenly Khan? He can't do anything to us at all! Once the enemy retreats, with the might of the Great Molizhi, I shall declare myself Emperor!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall instantly reached a climax.

And who would refuse?
"That's right! The Great Molizhi should declare himself emperor, first destroy Silla and then swallow Baekje. At that time, we might even be able to rule the whole of Kyushu! Hahaha!"

"The Great Molizhi should be proclaimed emperor!!"

"Please let Great Mongol Lizhi declare himself emperor!!!"

"."

Shouts rang out continuously, and the soldiers were truly magnificent.

They are no strangers to the culture of Kyushu.

If Yeon Gaesomun were to become emperor, each of them would gain considerable benefits.

Looking at the crowd before him, Yeon Gaesomun was also full of pride, but he was not so foolish as to wave his hand and said, "No need to say more."

"Once this matter is over, let's first destroy Silla and then discuss the rest."

He did not directly refuse!

Who wouldn't want to be emperor?

Although he has long since become the emperor within Goguryeo, this is completely different from having occupied the entire Kyushu!
The generals were all old foxes. Seeing that Yeon Gaesomun did not refuse, their eyes lit up and they began to flatter him even more.

"Da Molizhi is truly a divine being, perhaps not inferior to the legendary Azure Wolf Sun Chaser!"

"That's right, those so-called 'Azure Wolf Sun Chasers' haven't met my Great Molizhi!"

"."

The atmosphere inside the hall grew increasingly intense.

Yeon Gaesomun's laughter grew increasingly joyful, and in the end, he even sent men to mock the Tang army.

Firstly, it can boost the morale of the troops under their command.

Secondly, it could also dampen the enemy's morale and further provoke Li Shimin.

The generals were even happier. At this point, they no longer felt any sense of crisis, and their minds were filled with fantasies about the future.

The situation on the northern battlefield is becoming increasingly dire.

Li Shimin even considered launching a full-scale attack on Anshi City in response to the Goguryeo army's taunts.

Fortunately, Changsun Wuji accompanied him on this trip, and with the persuasion of the soldiers, Li Shimin was able to suppress this thought.

But Yeon Gaesomun's mockery did not stop.

One day;
Two days;

Three days;

The two sides began a tug-of-war around the entire city of Ansi. Yeon Gaesomun didn't even need to send reinforcements; this move alone was enough to stabilize the morale of the defending troops.

Conversely, the morale of the Tang army began to decline slightly.

Li Shimin encountered the same problem as in the original history: without a strong offensive, morale could not be prevented from continuously declining.

Some people have even started to suggest withdrawing their troops.

Of course, they put it very euphemistically.

They called this battle a great victory and used the cities they captured and their spoils to persuade others.

In fact, the Tang Dynasty can indeed be said to have won.

The casualties on both sides were vastly different, and more than ten cities had already been captured, making it a great victory from any perspective.

But for Li Shimin...

How can it be called a great victory if we didn't destroy Goguryeo, or even defeat Yeon Gaesomun?
But for the sake of the bigger picture, he had no choice but to start considering this issue.

That night.

Inside the Tang army's main tent, candlelight flickered. Changsun Wuji was summoned into the tent.

Upon entering, Changsun Wuji saw Li Shimin sitting solemnly behind his desk, his face grave. Changsun Wuji's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately bowed his head respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty."

"Fuji, come closer." Li Shimin's voice was calm and even, he simply gestured for him to step forward. When Changsun Wuji approached, Li Shimin's gaze sharpened, and he asked directly:

"What are your thoughts on withdrawing the troops?"

Changsun Wuji has never commented on this matter; he is becoming increasingly adept at dealing with people.

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji's expression changed.

He glanced furtively at Li Shimin and tentatively said, "Liaodong is bitterly cold; our army certainly cannot wait until the dead of winter."

Li Shimin didn't say much, but his expression became increasingly complicated.

After a long silence, he finally sighed softly, "It seems I am indeed getting old."

"Your Majesty," Changsun Wuji hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is simply benevolent towards the people of the world. Otherwise, how could the mere Goguryeo have stopped our Great Tang army?"

He did tell the truth.

But Li Shimin shook his head with a wry smile.

He truly felt his age, and this expedition was indeed a major blow to him.

Silence fell instantly inside the tent.

Changsun Wuji also didn't know how to comfort Li Shimin.

After a long silence, Li Shimin waved his hand, signaling Changsun Wuji to leave.

But at this moment——

"Clatter clatter—!"

The rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly tore through the deathly silence of the night!

Immediately following was a hoarse and excited roar, which came from afar and crashed into the camp:

"I am a messenger dispatched by Gu Jing, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army! Report to His Majesty immediately! The Wugu army has been defeated! Our troops are ready to break through the enemy lines from the flank at any time!!!"

The sound was like a thunderclap!
Changsun Wuji abruptly stopped and looked up at Li Shimin.

Li Shimin, who had just finished his work, had already stood up abruptly. There was no longer any hesitation in his eyes, only a chilling killing intent. His shout was as sharp as a knife:

"Summon! Summon him immediately!!!"

(P.S.: The Zhenguan era is coming to an end. Please vote for me and support me, brothers. I will try my best to update, but I have a lot of minor health problems. Yesterday, I had heart palpitations and couldn't write at all.)
(End of this chapter)