Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

Behind the East Palace, in a valley designated as a top-level forbidden area, a bustling scene was in full swing.

This is Li Chengqian's secret arsenal, and the source of his confidence to challenge the whole world.

When Huo Qubing rode his newly tamed horse "Sa Lu Zi" and followed Li Chengqian into this smoke-filled, machine-roaring valley, even the fearless Marquis of Champion was stunned by the sight before him and remained speechless for a long time.

The massive hydraulic forging hammer tirelessly pounded the red-hot steel billet, sparks flying everywhere like festive fireworks.

Rows of craftsmen in uniform were busy on their respective assembly lines, some sharpening blades, some assembling bows and crossbows, and some sewing armor.

The scene, though noisy, exuded a chilling sense of order and efficiency.

"This...this is..."

Huo Qubing reined in his horse and stared wide-eyed at the weapons being mass-produced by the artisans.

"Is this the Tang Dynasty's armory?"

"No, this is my private workshop."

Li Chengqian jumped off the carriage, looking completely calm and collected.

He walked up to a weapon rack that had just been forged and picked up a strangely shaped weapon.

It was a long-handled broadsword with a straight blade, a length of one meter, double-edged, and a heavy iron ring at the end of the handle.

Mo Dao (陌刀).

The nightmare of the Tang Dynasty's infantry was also the nightmare of its cavalry.

"Here, try this."

Li Chengqian threw the longsword, which was taller than him, to Huo Qubing.

Huo Qubing caught it with one hand; it was heavy, weighing at least twenty pounds. He weighed it in his hand, feeling the perfect center of gravity and the chilling aura emanating from the blade, and the fighting spirit in his eyes was rekindled.

"A fine knife!"

He gave a thumbs-up, flicked his wrist, and the Mo Dao drew a sharp arc in the air, bringing with it a whistling sound.

"Look over there."

Li Chengqian pointed to a piece of bluestone not far away, which was used for testing knives.

Huo Qubing understood, took a deep breath, gripped the sword with both hands, and with a standard, powerful strike, cleaved down the mountain.

He didn't use any internal force; he relied purely on the sharpness of the weapon and his own strength.

"Snap—!"

A crisp sound.

The hard bluestone, which was about half a person's height, was cut in half like butter cut by a hot knife, with the cut as smooth as a mirror.

Huo Qubing: "..."

He looked down at the undamaged, unbroken longsword in his hand, then at the stone broken in two. For the first time, a look of shock appeared on his face, which always wore an arrogant expression.

Is that a knife?

That's clearly a mountain-splitting axe!

"This is just the appetizer."

Ignoring his shock, Li Chengqian pulled him to the other shooting range.

There, dozens of Beiwei soldiers were each holding a strangely shaped crossbow, firing at heavily armored targets a hundred paces away.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound of the bowstring vibrating was so dense it sounded like firecrackers.

The heavily armored target, wrapped in three layers of cowhide and one layer of iron plate, was instantly riddled with arrows, turning it into a hedgehog, just a hundred paces away.

Each bolt sank deep into the hole, leaving only a trembling tail feather.

"This...this is the Divine Arm Bow?"

Huo Qu-

The patient exclaimed in disbelief, "Its range is over a hundred paces? And it can even penetrate heavy armor?"

"No, this is called the 'Beiwei Army Special Edition' Divine Arm Repeating Crossbow."

Li Chengqian patted one of the repeating crossbows; its intricate gears and lever structure exuded an industrial aesthetic.

"One-shot firing mechanism allows for ten consecutive shots. Effective range is 150 paces, and it can penetrate armor within 50 paces. It is specifically designed to deal with fast-moving cavalry."

"With this thing, as long as we set up the formation, we can shoot down not only Turkic cavalry, but even birds in the sky!"

Huo Qubing was completely dumbfounded.

He feels that his worldview is being repeatedly refreshed, crushed, and reshaped today.

He spent his life on the battlefield, defeating the Xiongnu so badly they cried out in despair. What was the secret to his success?

It was unparalleled cavalry mobility and the tactical concept of "blitzkrieg".

But now, this eight-year-old is telling him that there is a type of infantry equipped with long swords that can split mountains and rocks, and repeating crossbows that can riddle cavalry with bullets.

How can we fight like this?

This is practically rubbing the cavalry into the ground!

"How was it, Marquis Champion?"

Li Chengqian looked at Huo Qubing's expression of utter disbelief and laughed like a fox that had just stolen some fish.

Do you still think I'm physically weak?

"Do you still think I'm joking with you?"

Huo Qubing took a deep breath, slowly put down the Mo Dao in his hand, and then solemnly knelt on one knee in front of Li Chengqian, giving a standard military salute.

"Your Highness!"

"This humble general...is completely convinced!"

"Please give the order, Your Highness! This humble general is willing to recreate the legend of 'Sealing the Wolf and Dwelling in the Mountain' for Your Highness!"

"very good."

Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction.

The best way to deal with a warmonger is to show him even more awesome toys.

"Yue Fei!"

Li Chengqian called out.

"Your subordinate is here!"

Yue Fei, who had been quietly training his troops on the sidelines, strode over.

"From today onwards, these three thousand Beiwei soldiers will be temporarily placed under the command of General Huo for training."

Li Chengqian pointed at Huo Qubing, "You two, one excels in infantry defense, the other in cavalry raids. I don't care what methods you use, within three days, I want you to transform this army into an invincible force that can both defend as solid as a mountain and attack as fiercely as fire!"

"Let them get familiar with the unfamiliar"

The slashing of swords taught them how to fire volleys from repeating crossbows.

"I will make them the eternal nightmare of the Turkic cavalry!"

"promise!"

Yue Fei and Huo Qubing exchanged a glance, both seeing the burning fighting spirit in each other's eyes.

Two brilliant military commanders from different eras, both standing at the pinnacle of Chinese military prowess, came together at this moment because of a common goal.

……

The next few days.

Behind the East Palace, the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

Huo Qubing, this war fanatic, was more terrifying than a devil once he entered training mode.

He trained the three thousand Beiwei soldiers to the point of exhaustion, spending their days doing nothing but hacking and shooting, except for eating and sleeping.

But no one complained.

Because they can clearly feel that they are becoming stronger rapidly.

The feeling of wielding a divine weapon and experiencing a surge in power filled every soldier with a thirst for war.

A terrifying legion, capable of revolutionizing the warfare of this era, is quietly taking shape in Li Chengqian's backyard.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince was secretly training his troops.

One after another, "good news" from the northern border flew into Chang'an like snowflakes.

"A great victory! His Majesty personally led the Xuanjia Army, capturing five cities in three days with unstoppable momentum!"

"A great victory! Our army has penetrated three hundred li into the grasslands, killing over ten thousand enemy soldiers. Khan Jieli has fled upon hearing the news!"

The imperial court was filled with jubilation.

The civil and military officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and flattered him loudly.

Everyone felt that this battle was in the bag.

Your Majesty's divine might is truly well-deserved!

However, inside the study of the Eastern Palace.

As Li Chengqian looked at the secret military report sent back by the Embroidered Uniform Guard at breakneck speed, which was completely different from the official victory report, a dark cloud gradually settled over his face, which always wore a lazy smile.

Fang Xuanling stood aside, looking at the red arrow on the sand table that was getting deeper and deeper and had become separated from the main force behind them, and he was also very worried.

"Your Highness, His Majesty... is advancing too quickly."

"This isn't fast at all!"

Li Chengqian put down the secret report in his hand, picked up a black chess piece representing the main force of the Turks, and pressed it heavily on an inconspicuous valley pass on the sand table.

"This is clearly a suicide mission."

"Arrogance leads to defeat, and a lone army ventures deep into enemy territory. My father..."

Li Chengqian sighed and rubbed his throbbing temples.

"It seems I'm still too young."

"Your Highness, what should we do? Should we send troops immediately...?"

"Need not."

Li Chengqian shook his head, a sly glint in his eyes.

"He won't learn his lesson unless he suffers a big loss."

"Besides, the fish aren't even fully in the net yet."

He turned around and gave instructions to Xu Xiao behind him.

"Old Xu, go and bring out all our newly developed 'treasures'."

"Since we can't stop my dad from going to his death, we should at least be prepared to... clean up his mess, right?"