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

Inside the imperial study, the once rich aroma of tea had been completely dispelled by the lingering smell of blood.

Li Chengqian looked at his father's dark face, which was almost dripping with sweat, and casually handed the folder to Wu Meiniang.

"Summon him, let that Goguryeo envoy in."

Li Chengqian sat back down on his small stool, his tone as indifferent as if he were saying, "It's time to feed the pigs."

"Summon the Goguryeo envoy, Go Dae-hoon, to an audience!"

With a sharp shout from a palace attendant, a man dressed in traditional Goguryeo clothing with two bird feathers stuck in his hair strode into the main hall.

He showed no sign of humility as an envoy of a vassal state; on the contrary, he slightly raised his chin, his eyes filled with undisguised provocation.

"Goguryeo envoy Go Dae-hoon greets His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty."

He merely made a symbolic bow, without even bending his waist.

Before Li Shimin could speak, Gao Daxun let out a meaningful chuckle.

"I've heard that the Tang Dynasty is currently enjoying great power and prestige in the Western Regions, and has even subdued Tibet. This is truly a cause for celebration."

"My family's Moliji (Yeon Gaesomun's official title) said that this is to celebrate the military achievements of the Celestial Empire."

"He specially prepared an earth-shattering gift for the Tang Dynasty on the banks of the Liao River."

As Gao Daxun spoke, he pulled out a scroll wrapped in coarse fur from his bosom and suddenly unfurled it in the center of the hall.

The painting depicts a horrific scene rendered in scarlet paint.

On the cold banks of the Liao River, countless skeletons and fresh corpses were neatly piled together.

They formed a terrifying structure several meters high, resembling a pyramid.

At the top of that tower, there were three wooden stakes stuck in the ground, each bearing the head of one of the three missing envoys of the Tang Dynasty!

"This is the 'jingguan' that Molizhi presented to the Tang Dynasty."

Gao Daxun's voice sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silent hall.

"Among them were not only the merchants of the Tang Dynasty who had just been killed, but also those 'old buddies' left behind in Liaodong by the Sui army of the previous dynasty thirty years ago."

"Molizhi said that the underground corpses were too crowded, so he kindly helped the Tang Dynasty dig out these skeletons to sunbathe."

"boom!"

The blue bricks beneath Cheng Yaojin's feet shattered into powder instantly due to the sudden surge of energy.

"Fuck your mother! I'll tear you apart right now!"

Cheng Yaojin's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and he looked like a maddened black bear about to pounce.

Yuchi Gong and Qin Qiong also took half a step forward at the same time, and the air in the hall seemed to freeze at this moment with murderous intent.

However, the envoy Gao Daxun was not afraid at all, and instead laughed even more unrestrainedly.

"Generals, think carefully before you resort to violence."

Winter has arrived in Liaodong, with thousands of miles of ice and muddy roads making travel difficult.

"Your so-called red-coated cannons, in this freezing weather, probably wouldn't even be able to light a fuse, would they?"

He turned to look at Li Chengqian, a hint of contemptuous mockery flashing in his eyes.

"I've also heard that the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty invented an iron horse that doesn't need to eat grass."

"But could those iron horses climb the towering cliffs of Jian'an City? Could they penetrate the minefields in the dense forests of Liaodong?"

"Mo Lizhi asked me to tell the Great Tang, if you have the guts, cross the Liao River and see whether the Great Tang's cannons are tougher, or the Liaodong people are tougher!"

This blatant humiliation, this blatant trampling of the bottom line of the Central Plains dynasty, even angered a moderate prime minister like Fang Xuanling, causing his beard to tremble.

They built a mound of corpses to humiliate the dead.

This is not only a slap in the face to Li Shimin, but also a stab in the chest to every man from Guanzhong in the Tang Dynasty.

Who hasn't had an elder die on the way to the three campaigns against Goguryeo?

Those skeletons that still lie exposed in the wilderness represent a deep-seated pain that the Tang Dynasty has been unable to heal for decades.

And now, Yeon Gaesomun is actually tearing open that scar and even rubbing salt into it!

"Are you done talking?"

Li Shimin, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.

His voice wasn't loud; it was even a little hoarse.

But his once deep dragon eyes were now a strange crimson.

It was as if two destructive flames were burning wildly deep within his pupils.

Gao Daxun was stunned for a moment, and for some reason, an uncontrollable chill suddenly rose in his heart.

The chill ran down his spine and straight to his head, instantly diminishing his previously arrogant demeanor.

"What if I've finished speaking...? In times of war, envoys are not to be killed..."

Gao Daxun shouted defiantly but inwardly weakly.

"Slay the messenger?"

Li Shimin slowly stood up from the dragon throne.

He ignored the assembled officials below the stage, and did not even glance at Li Chengqian standing to the side.

He reached out and grasped the world-renowned Tian Ce sword at his waist.

Ever since returning from the western expedition, Li Chengqian had been jokingly referring to this sword as "an ornament."

"When two countries are at war, envoys are indeed not to be killed."

Li Shimin walked down the steps one by one, and with each step, the floor made a dull thud.

"But you are not an envoy."

"You're a beast sent by Yeon Gaesomun to guide me!"

"Clang!"

A dragon's roar that resounded throughout the hall suddenly exploded.

The Heavenly Strategy Sword transformed into a dazzling streak of light, carrying the emperor's long-suppressed thunderous rage, and emerged into the world.

Before Gao Daxun could even blink, he felt his vision suddenly begin to spin wildly.

He saw a headless body dressed in Goguryeo official robes, blood gushing from its neck, slowly kneeling down.

Then, his gaze fell on the cold stone bricks.

The last thing he saw was Li Shimin's black boot stained with blood.

"Thump."

The head of the Goguryeo envoy rolled several meters away in the hall, its feathers stained an eerie purplish-red with blood.

Li Shimin sheathed his sword with a backhand motion, letting the scalding blood splatter onto the crimson carpet.

He turned around and looked at the officials who were standing there dumbfounded.

At this moment, the invincible General Tian Ce, who swept across the land, has returned in full force!

"Fang Xuanling!"

"Your subject is here!" Fang Xuanling bowed almost instinctively, his voice trembling.

"Imperial decree! The Goguryeo rulers have murdered their king, wreaked havoc on the people, and built a mound of corpses to dishonor our great Tang dynasty's martyrs!"

Li Shimin waved his hand, pointed eastward, and his voice shook the rooftops.

"Effective immediately, all trade treaties with the East are hereby abolished!"

"By order! Duan Lun, gather all the artisans in the Ministry of Works and prepare sufficient supplies for me to cross the sea within ten days!"

"Order! Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong, and Qin Qiong, return to your respective camps and muster your elite troops!"

At this point, Li Shimin turned his head and stared intently at Li Chengqian.

"Chengqian, even if you imprison me in the Taiji Palace this time, I will still fight!"

"I will personally lead the spirits of those 30,000 Tang Dynasty envoys home!"

Li Chengqian secretly rejoiced at his father's reckless attitude.

That old rascal, he's finally showing his true colors again.

However, Goguryeo's terrain was indeed troublesome, and conventional tactics were indeed difficult.

But he's a man with a system, how could he let his father play that kind of primitive siege warfare?

"Father, please don't get agitated. Since you want to fight, let's fight to our hearts' content."

Li Chengqian pulled out a piece of white paper covered with names from his pocket, a cruel smile curving his lips.

"However, before we send out troops, we need to awaken an ancestor who is best at solving the problem of 'stubborn people'."

Li Shimin was stunned. Looking at his son's sinister smile, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

"Whom should we awaken?"

Li Chengqian did not speak, but turned his head to look in the direction of the underground palace of the East Palace, and uttered two words in a low voice.

"Bai Qi".

At the same time, Li Shimin's roar once again echoed throughout the Taiji Palace.

"Issue my decree! muster the troops!"