Transmigrated into Li Chengqian, he effortlessly ascended the throne and became emperor.

The following day, in the central command tent.

On the dragon bed, Li Shimin, his thick brows furrowed, finally broke free from that seemingly endless deep dream.

He suddenly opened his eyes.

Upon waking, Li Shimin felt a profound sense of bewilderment, a feeling he hadn't experienced in many years.

His head felt heavy, as if it were filled with lead, and his limbs and bones exuded a long-lost languor and exhaustion.

Not right.

Something is extremely wrong!

Something's 90% off!

Li Shimin's pupils suddenly contracted, and his consciousness returned instantly.

Yesterday, 40,000 Goguryeo troops besieged Liaodong City, and the battle was at a critical juncture. He was preparing to personally don his armor and lead the troops into battle when, due to a splitting headache that had plagued him for days, he drank a bowl of calming soup personally brought to him by the Crown Prince...

Then what?!

Li Shimin only remembered that after finishing the soup, the Crown Prince smiled gently. He was about to respond with a smile when an extremely heavy drowsiness completely overwhelmed him.

"Someone come here!"

Without moving the curtain, a familiar figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was Changsun Wuji.

The most powerful minister of the Tang Dynasty had bloodshot eyes, and the hem of his court robes was stained with mud. He exuded a numbness and calmness as if he had been struck by lightning repeatedly.

"Auxiliary machine?" Li Shimin looked at his brother-in-law's ghostly appearance and his heart sank. An ominous premonition instantly gripped his heart.

For Changsun Wuji, who remains calm even when Mount Tai collapses before him, to show such an expression, could it be that the front lines have suffered a defeat?

Did Daozong die for his country?

Or... have the Goguryeo troops already reached the central army camp?!

"Your Majesty, you're awake." Changsun Wuji's voice was as faint as a wandering soul. He did not immediately kneel down to pay his respects, but simply stared at Li Shimin.

"How long have I been asleep?" Li Shimin grabbed the sword rack beside him, veins bulging on the back of his hand, his gaze fixed on the daylight outside the tent. "Why is it so quiet outside? How is the situation at the front? Has Daozong been rescued? Where are Zhang Liang's navy?!"

A barrage of rapid-fire questions rained down on Changsun Wuji like a machine gun.

But Changsun Wuji did not rush to answer.

He simply stared at the Tang emperor with an extremely complex and indescribable look, and then let out a long, heavy sigh.

That sigh contained too many emotions that Li Shimin could not understand.

Shock, lingering fear, absurdity, and even a barely perceptible... hint of resentment?

"Your Majesty, please read it yourself." Changsun Wuji handed over the letter with both hands, his tone revealing a sense of helplessness and resignation. "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I really don't know where to begin."

Li Shimin snatched the letter away.

The envelope was in an exceptionally beautiful, slender gold script, with sharp strokes yet a touch of nonchalant laziness—[To be opened by Your Majesty, Your subject Chengqian bows deeply].

clever?!

Why would he leave a letter for him?

Li Shimin impatiently tore open the envelope and quickly scanned the exquisite handwriting, which resembled a hairpin flower.

After reading it all, Li Shimin's mind went completely blank, as if a heavy hammer had struck the back of his head.

The letter slipped from his fingers and floated lightly onto the carpet.

He was completely stunned.

The Crown Prince drugged the reigning emperor, then, with only a few barely grown-up guards from the Eastern Palace, carrying the black and gold dragon flag representing the emperor's personal campaign, ran off to the Liaodong battlefield?!

What are you going to do? Go kill someone?!

"Insane...absolutely insane!" Li Shimin's lips trembled, an unprecedented panic engulfing him like icy seawater.

How is this any different from a lamb being led to the slaughter?!

"Where is the Crown Prince?! How is the Crown Prince?!"

Thunder's fury shook the large tent, causing it to vibrate.

However, Changsun Wuji showed no fear in the face of Li Shimin, who was so enraged that he was almost ready to kill.

He let the emperor grab his collar, his gaze fixed on his enraged brother-in-law. He remained silent for a long while before letting out another long, quiet sigh.

This sigh was longer and more intense than the one before, filled with an indescribable bitterness and... a subtle hint of jealousy.

"Your Majesty," Changsun Wuji's voice was dry, carrying a sense of world-weariness, "Please let go. His Highness the Crown Prince... is doing very well."

"What do you mean by 'very well'?!" Li Shimin's chest heaved violently, completely deaf to the words. "On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes; his frail body..."

"Naturally, it was a resounding victory."

Changsun Wuji calmly interrupted Li Shimin's roar.

Li Shimin's hand, which was gripping his collar, froze. His face was filled with rage, which hadn't even had time to fade, and it was frozen on his face, making him look particularly comical.

"What...what did you say?" Li Shimin asked blankly.

Changsun Wuji brushed Li Shimin's hand away, slowly straightened his rumpled clothes, raised his head, and his usually unfathomable eyes were now filled with a deep, undisguised envy and jealousy.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince led the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace, charging into the enemy lines alone. He killed 180 fierce Goguryeo generals and cleaved the head of the enemy's deputy general in two with a single stroke."

With each word Changsun Wuji spoke, Li Shimin's mouth opened wider.

"Not only that, His Highness personally broke through the enemy's rear and rescued King Li Daozong of Jiangxia. General Li Shiji seized the opportunity to launch a general offensive, and the 40,000 elite troops of Goguryeo were completely routed, leaving behind tens of thousands of corpses, and fled thirty miles overnight."

Changsun Wuji looked at Li Shimin, who had turned to stone, and his lips twitched slightly before adding the most fatal blow: "Oh, right. Not only is Your Highness completely unharmed, but not a single hair on your head is disheveled."

"..."

Li Shimin felt that he might not be fully awake yet.

The effects of the medication must still be working; he's just dreaming.

Li Chengqian charged into the enemy lines alone?! And even cleaved the enemy general's head in two with a single stroke?!

This is even more absurd than Wei Zheng coming back from the dead!

"Auxiliary machine... are you joking with me?" Li Shimin swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

"I dare to swear on my life that every word I said is true." Changsun Wuji closed his eyes, hiding the bitter tears that almost overwhelmed him.

No one knows what kind of psychological collapse Changsun Wuji experienced when Li Shiji, Li Daozong and others sent back messages last night.

Looking at Li Chengqian's great achievements, and then thinking of his own son, Changsun Chong, who, after marrying a princess, had been chasing after his wife like a slave every day...

Changsun Wuji roared inwardly.

They are both eldest sons born of the Changsun family bloodline!

Both were pampered young noblemen who grew up in Chang'an!

Why is it that His Majesty is able to give birth to a genius like His Highness the Crown Prince, a talent that appears only once in a century!

Such a fine son, why didn't Changsun Wuji have one?!

If Changsun Chong had even half of His Highness the Crown Prince's abilities... no, even just one-tenth, Changsun Wuji would be able to die with a smile on his face right now!

Changsun Wuji was already overflowing with envy. He looked at Li Shimin, who was still in a daze, and snorted coldly, his tone deliberately defiant: "If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can go outside the tent and see for yourself. The generals are discussing it there right now."

Li Shimin suddenly came to his senses.

"Auxiliary Machine, am I really not still dreaming?"

Changsun Wuji: "..."

Dream on, you big snot bubble!