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

"His skills are still sharp..."

Li Shimin returned to his central command tent, still repeatedly pondering the harsh words he had uttered, but the nameless anger in his heart burned ever brighter.

He ripped off his purple-gold crown and slammed it hard onto the table with a dull thud.

"You unfilial son! What a rebellious son!"

The guards inside the tent were so frightened that they all knelt down on the ground, not daring to even breathe.

Li Shimin paced back and forth in the tent, like a tiger trapped in a cage, extremely agitated.

He wasn't angry that Li Chengqian wouldn't go.

What angered him was Li Chengqian's "it doesn't matter" attitude.

The feeling was like I was excitedly preparing to do something earth-shattering, but in my son's eyes, it was as ordinary as going to the market to buy a cabbage.

"Father, why don't you go on a trip..."

"If you can't win, run away. Don't force yourself to fight..."

These words played on repeat in his mind like a demonic chant, each one seeming to mock his incompetence.

Once upon a time, Li Shimin needed an eight-year-old child to teach him how to fight.

How long ago did his title of General of the Heavenly Strategy become a joke that he needed to prove to his son?

The more Li Shimin thought about it, the more frustrated and unwilling he became.

He stared at the huge map hanging on the wall, his gaze fixed on the vast grasslands to the north.

He admitted that his unfilial son was capable.

They repelled the enemy at the Wei River and quelled the rebellion in Youzhou; they accomplished each and every task brilliantly.

But what does that rely on?

They relied on those unreasonable and powerful "private soldiers" who appeared out of nowhere!

It was the white-horse, silver-speared snow dragon rider, and the red-armored demon god possessed by a god of death.

Without these "cheat codes," what would Li Chengqian have left?

"Hmph, they're just relying on their sharp weapons and fierce men."

Li Shimin thought sourly to himself, "When it comes to the real art of troop deployment and command in battle, what does a kid who hasn't even grown his first hair know?"

A strong, even somewhat distorted, competitive spirit completely took over Li Shimin's mind at this moment.

He desperately needs a victory.

A great victory won honorably and fairly, without relying on his son or those "divine soldiers," but solely on himself, Li Shimin, and the Xuanjia Army he had personally trained!

He wanted to prove to that rebellious son that experience still counts!

He wanted to prove to the whole world that the reason he, Li Shimin, was able to become emperor was not because of luck or conspiracy, but because of his solid military achievements!

"Someone come here!"

Li Shimin suddenly turned around, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light.

"Summon Li Jing, Qin Qiong, and Cheng Yaojin to me! Immediately! Right now!"

……

A moment later, in the central command tent, the highest-level military conference of the Tang Dynasty was convened in an extremely strange atmosphere.

Li Shimin stood before the sand table, full of vigor, explaining his battle plan with great enthusiasm.

"...That brat Jieli, he divided his forces into three groups, seemingly coming with great force, but in reality, his attacks are full of flaws!"

"The main force of 200,000 is tied down at Yanmen Pass, and the western route of 50,000 has to detour a thousand miles. They are already an exhausted army."

"The only real threat is Zhishi Sili's 50,000 vanguard!"

Li Shimin slammed his horsewhip down on a spot outside Youzhou City.

"Therefore, I have made my decision!"

"Without waiting for the army to assemble, without waiting for supplies to be ready!"

"Tonight, I will personally lead three thousand Xuanjia soldiers, lightly armed and with minimal entourage, on a nighttime raid!"

"By bypassing the main battlefield, like a sharp dagger, it will plunge straight into the rear of the Turkic allied forces—the Longmen Mountains!"

"That place is their supply depot! If we burn their supplies, their 300,000-strong army will collapse without a fight!"

"This plan is called—A Straight to the Heart of the Army!"

After Li Shimin finished speaking, he looked at his generals with a smug expression, as if to say: Did you all see that? I am the real tactical mastermind!

However, the tent was deathly silent.

Li Jing, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong... these veteran generals who had experienced countless battles all had their brows furrowed, and their expressions were worse than if they had swallowed flies.

"His Majesty……"

In the end, it was Li Jing, the military genius, who stepped forward despite his fear.

"This plan... is too risky."

Li Jing pointed to the sand table, his voice heavy, "Our army is unfamiliar with the terrain around Longmen Mountain. We are deep in enemy territory and will be surrounded once discovered. Moreover, we only have three thousand men, and after such a long march, our troops are exhausted and our fighting strength is worrisome."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Qin Qiong, whose old wounds had just been treated, was also anxious. "This humble general is willing to be the vanguard and scout the way for Your Majesty! But Your Majesty is of noble birth; how can you so easily take such a risk?"

"What's there to be afraid of!"

Li Shimin was completely out of control at this point and wouldn't listen to anyone.

As the art of war says, speed and surprise are paramount in warfare!

"We must take advantage of the fact that they think I'm still in Chang'an and launch a surprise attack from the center!"

"Besides, my Xuanjia Army is unparalleled in the world! A mere tens of thousands of barbarians are nothing to me!"

Cheng Yaojin watched from the side, grinning from ear to ear.

The way you're saying this is exactly the same as His Highness the Crown Prince's "clay chicken and earthen dog" tone.

These two are really at odds!

"Your Majesty, this matter requires further consideration..." Fang Xuanling wanted to persuade him again.

"No need to say anything more!"

Li Shimin suddenly waved his hand, interrupting everyone.

"My mind is made up!"

He drew the Emperor's Sword and slammed it into the sand table, the tip pointing directly at Longmen Mountain.

"In this battle, I will not only win, but win spectacularly! I will win in a way that will leave that rebellious son utterly convinced!"

"Pass down the order: prepare food at midnight and depart at dawn!"

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

Seeing Li Shimin's "I'll fight anyone who tries to persuade me" look, the generals could only exchange helpless glances and bow in unison to accept the order.

"Your Majesty, we... obey your command."

A ruler's word is his bond.

The emperor's dignity is sometimes more important than the safety of the country.

……

At midnight, the army quietly set off under the cover of darkness.

Three thousand elite Xuanjia soldiers, like a black tide, silently surged out of Chang'an City and disappeared into the vast night.

There was no farewell party, no music or drums.

Only the large banner bearing the character "Tang" fluttering in the night wind, and Li Shimin's eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit, revealed the emperor's determination to regain his lost ground.

……

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, at the Lizheng Hall.

Li Chengqian was lying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

"That's strange, why does my right eyelid keep twitching?"

He muttered something, sat up, and picked up a confidential report from the small table next to him.

It was just delivered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and it contained detailed records of Li Shimin's "straight to the heart of the enemy" plan and the specific marching route.

"Tsk tsk tsk, this route map..."

By the moonlight, Li Chengqian looked at the lonely marching route marked with a red line on the map and couldn't help but shake his head.

"Without infantry or supplies, you're leading three thousand cavalry straight into the heart of a nation of three hundred thousand?"

"This isn't going to war!"

"This is clearly sending someone to their death over a thousand miles, and it's an express delivery."

Li Chengqian sighed, tossed the secret report aside, and lay down again.

"Forget it, never mind."

"Consider it tuition for him."

"Anyway, with Bai Qi around, we won't die."

"It's this butt... I'm afraid I'll have to clean it up again."

He turned over, pulled the blanket over his head, and forced himself to sleep.

"System, do you think my dad's stupid?"

【…】

"Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Go to sleep!"