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

"What?!"

The tablet in Fang Xuanling's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," and his usually calm and composed face was now filled with disbelief.

Changsun Wuji's face turned deathly pale, and he staggered, almost losing his balance.

Three hundred thousand troops?

How could that stray dog, Jieli, possibly raise such a large army in such a short time?

Explain yourself!

Li Shimin yanked the nearly lifeless messenger off the ground, his eyes bloodshot like those of an enraged tiger. "What happened?!"

"It's...it's Jieli..."

The messenger was shaken senseless, spitting out blood and foam, and said intermittently, "He... he used some method to persuade the Tongyabhu Khan of the Western Turks, and... and the leaders of the Tiele tribes."

"He said... he said that His Highness the Crown Prince's Great Snow Dragon Riders are sorcery, they are... they are demonic soldiers used by the Han people to steal the fortune of the grasslands."

"He also... he sacrificed all... all the noble sons who were captured at the Wei River last time!"

"He used such bloody methods to incite hatred throughout the grasslands. Now, the entire grasslands have gone mad; they have formed a 'revenge coalition,' claiming they will... raze Chang'an to the ground and use the skulls of Han people to wash away their shame!"

"Bang!"

Li Shimin slammed his fist into a nearby pillar, cracking the sturdy dragon-carved pillar.

"Beast! This beast!"

He never imagined that Jieli would use such an extreme and vicious method to take revenge.

Sacrificing noble sons alive is not only a provocation against the Tang Dynasty, but also a severing of the future of the various tribes on the grasslands!

"Where are they now?" As a military genius, Li Jing immediately grasped the key point.

"Reporting to...Reporting to the General."

The messenger, panting heavily, his face filled with despair, said, "They've learned their lesson and divided their forces into three groups. The main force, numbering 200,000, led by Jieli himself, is launching a fierce attack on Yanmen Pass."

"The western route, numbering 50,000, is led by Tongyagu Khan and will bypass Tuyuhun, heading straight for the Hexi Corridor of our Great Tang."

"And...and there's also the 50,000-strong vanguard on the eastern route, led by...led by the renowned Turkic general Zhishi Sili, who has already...already bypassed the Great Wall defenses and is at...at the gates of Youzhou!"

"What?!"

This caused even Li Jing's expression to change.

A three-pronged attack, feinting to the east while striking in the west.

After suffering a loss, Jieli actually learned how to use military strategy?

Especially the 50,000 vanguard troops on the eastern route, they were like a sharp knife, piercing directly into the chest of the Tang Dynasty!

Youzhou had only recently been pacified, and everything was in need of rebuilding. The garrison was less than 10,000 men. How could they possibly withstand 50,000 fierce Turkic cavalry?

Once Youzhou falls, the entire Hebei Plain will be wide open, allowing the Turks to roam freely!

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere froze to an icy level.

The ministers, who had just been beaming with joy because of the abundant national treasury, now felt as if they had been doused with a bucket of ice water, chilled to the bone.

Prosperity?

What a load of bull!

As long as that hungry wolf in the north remains, the Tang Dynasty will never have peace!

"His Majesty……"

Fang Xuanling's voice was hoarse, and he was about to say something.

"Haha...hahahaha!"

A burst of wild laughter suddenly rang out in the hall, instantly shattering the suffocating silence.

Everyone turned around in astonishment.

Li Shimin showed no panic or fear. Instead, he threw away the blood-written letter, looked up at the sky, and laughed so hard that tears almost streamed down his face.

There was not a trace of dejection in that laughter, only a kind of ecstatic joy that had been suppressed for a long time and finally had its chance!

"Well done! Perfect timing!"

Li Shimin abruptly stopped laughing, and his dragon eyes burst forth with an unprecedentedly brilliant light, as if two flames were burning fiercely within them.

"I'm just worried about not finding an excuse, a reason to deal with these wolves of the steppe!"

"I'm just worried that my Heavenly Strategy martial arts are about to rust!"

"They're really something else, they've stuck their necks out themselves!"

He strode down the imperial steps and pulled out the Emperor's Sword hanging on the wall.

"Clang!"

The sword's cry, like a dragon's roar, resounded throughout the entire Taiji Hall.

"Three hundred thousand troops? Is that a lot?"

Li Shimin glanced around at the still somewhat bewildered ministers below the throne, a haughty smile playing on his lips.

"Back then at Hulao Pass, Dou Jiande had an army of 100,000, while I only brought 3,500 Xuanjia soldiers. Didn't I still rout him in a panic?"

"Now, I have money, I have grain, and I even have divine weapons that can cut through iron like mud!"

"A mere 300,000 barbarians are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs!"

"Issue my decree!"

Li Shimin raised the Emperor's Sword high, its tip pointing directly north, his voice like rolling thunder, resounding in everyone's ears.

"Order Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, and Cheng Yaojin to immediately muster the Xuanjia Army and prepare provisions!"

"Three days from now, I will—"

"The Emperor will personally lead the expedition!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the court.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Changsun Wuji was the first to kneel down, his face deathly pale. "You are of inestimable worth, the foundation of the nation. How can you so easily take such a risk?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Fang Xuanling also became anxious and knelt down, saying, "We have General Li Jing in the north and General Bai Qi in Youzhou. Why do you need to personally go? Swords have no eyes; what if..."

"There's no 'what if'!"

Li Shimin suddenly swung his sword, severing a corner of the imperial desk in front of him.

"My mind is made up!"

He looked at the still hesitant ministers under his wing, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes.

"I will not only go, but I will also let the whole world see!"

"Even without that rebellious son, even without the Great Snow Dragon Riders, I, Li Shimin, can still conquer the royal court and establish my rule!"

"This battle is mine!"

"Anyone who dares to dissuade me again, don't blame my sword for being merciless!"

Seeing that Li Shimin was completely enraged and would get angry no matter who tried to persuade him, Fang Xuanling and the others could only sigh helplessly and swallow the rest of their words.

It’s over.

His Majesty is now going to challenge His Highness the Crown Prince.

This is hardly a war.

This is clearly the father trying to steal the credit from his son!

"Then...the affairs in the capital..." Changsun Wuji asked cautiously.

"Jingzhong?"

Li Shimin snorted coldly, remembering his rebellious son who was still fast asleep in the Eastern Palace, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips, as if to say, "If you won't let me have an easy time, I won't let you have any peace either."

"During my absence, all matters of state and military affairs have been handled by the Crown Prince overseeing the nation!"

"I'd like to see if that salted fish can still lie still without me holding the line!"

"Court adjourned!"

After Li Shimin finished speaking, he didn't even look at the kneeling ministers. He picked up his sword and strode out of the Taiji Hall. His back view was as dashing as could be.

However, his slightly trembling shoulders betrayed the excitement in his heart at that moment.

at last……

Finally, we can fight again!

Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji exchanged a glance, both seeing deep worry in each other's eyes.

"Brother Fuji, what should we do?"

"What else can we do?"

Changsun Wuji gave a wry smile, supported himself on his knees as he stood up, "Let's hurry to the East Palace."

"It seems that the heavens of this Tang Dynasty are about to be ripped open again by that pair of lovable father and son."