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

Under the desperate fighting and cover of his remaining troops, Gao Yanshou fled like a stray dog ​​into the deep mountains of Liaodong.

His helmet was nowhere to be found, his once magnificent Nossa armor was covered in mud and scratches, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot.

The surrounding remnants of the army were in an even more appalling state, with wails and heavy breathing echoing through the dark forest, like a procession of ghosts.

"Nosa, the Tang army did not pursue us deep into the mountains!" the deputy general reported.

Gao Yanshou suddenly leaned against a dead old tree trunk, his chest heaving violently.

"Good! Good! Li Shimin was too arrogant after all! The terrain of the Liaodong Mountains is treacherous. No matter how powerful the Tang Dynasty's iron cavalry is, they won't be able to operate effectively in these deep mountains and forests!"

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down, and quickly made plans in his mind.

Although the 150,000-strong army suffered heavy losses at the foot of Zhubi Mountain, he still had more than 30,000 remaining troops, including the remnants he had gathered and Gao Huizhen's men.

As long as we can hold our ground in these remote mountains, rely on our familiarity with the terrain, and advance step by step, we can wage a protracted war of attrition against the Tang army, and perhaps even drag it out until the harsh winter of Liaodong arrives.

Once the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, the Tang army will run out of food and supplies and will have to retreat!

"Pass on my order!" Gao Yanshou abruptly stood up straight, attempting to regain his commander-in-chief's authority. "The entire army retreats to the south valley entrance! Once we cross those three wooden rope bridges, relying on this natural barrier, we can cut off the Tang army's lifeline! Let them suffer outside the mountains!"

However, before Gao Yanshou could even laugh, a report broke his composure.

"Report! Nosa! The bridge at the southern pass... the bridge is gone!"

The scouts who went to scout ahead were filled with a look of utter despair, as if they had seen a ghost: "It's all destroyed! All the bridges and plank roads connecting the outside world have been cut down and burned by the Tang army beforehand! There are still heavy Tang troops guarding the other side, and they're fighting...fighting under Changsun Wuji's banner!"

Gao Yanshou felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his legs went weak, and he collapsed heavily into the mud.

This didn't leave them a way out; it treated them like turtles in a barrel!

"Now that things have come to this... do you still want to persist?" Nanbu Nosatsu Koejin approached, covered in blood, her eyes terrifyingly empty.

Gao Yanshou looked around.

More than 30,000 Goguryeo and Mohe soldiers were looking at him with utter despair.

Without supplies and with no way to retreat, continuing the fight would only add another 30,000 skeletons to this nameless, desolate mountain.

Gao Yanshou closed his eyes, two lines of humiliating tears sliding down his cheeks. A resigned sigh escaped his parched throat: "Let's surrender... We can't afford to fight this war anymore."

……

June 23rd, the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan era.

Gao Yanshou and Gao Huizhen removed all their armor, crawled on their knees, and led a large group of 36,800 remnants of Goguryeo and Mohe troops, kneeling outside the gate in a vast and dense mass.

The massive surrendered force of nearly 40,000 people was eerily silent, with only the sound of the wind rustling the Tang Dynasty dragon banners.

Li Shimin, clad in golden armor, stood on a high place, looking down at the defeated generals.

Beside him was a light carriage, exquisitely decorated and lined with snow-white fox fur.

Li Chengqian lifted the curtain and began to explain emotional value.

"Father, your divine might is unparalleled. With a single thunderous strike, the enemy is routed. Seeing this scene of all nations submitting, I feel that even the sun and moon would pale in comparison to your brilliance."

These words made Li Shimin feel completely at ease, and the fatigue from the days of battle was swept away.

"Gao Ming, it's windy today, you should wrap your cloak tighter. It's also my fault, I really wanted to witness this grand occasion with you today."

Having said that, in order not to keep Li Chengqian waiting any longer, Li Shimin spurred his horse forward and accepted the surrender document from Gao Yanshou and others.

With the complete surrender of these 36,800 people, Yeon Gaesomun's 150,000-strong relief army, which had been meticulously planned and mobilized with all the nation's resources, was annihilated and completely wiped out.

The news spread like wildfire, accompanied by the invincible and terrifying reputation of the Tang Dynasty's iron cavalry, quickly sweeping across the entire Liaodong region.

The entire nation of Goguryeo was shocked.

The lingering momentum of the victory at Zhubishan was more effective than any battering ram.

Upon hearing the devastating news that 150,000 troops had been wiped out, the garrison commanders of Houhuang City and Yincheng City, not far from Anshi City, did not even dare to think of resistance. That very night, they led their remaining troops to abandon the city and flee.

Not only the military, but also the local people were afraid to leave, and fled into the deep mountains and forests with their families.

In just a few days, the area within hundreds of miles centered on Anshi City was transformed into a desolate, uninhabited wasteland by the overwhelming power of the Tang Dynasty.

……

The wind whipped up yellow sand, and the setting sun's afterglow dyed the land of Liaodong a blood red.

Inside the central command tent, the atmosphere was not overly relaxed despite the surrounding cities surrendering without resistance.

On the contrary, as a huge military map of Liaodong was slowly unfurled, the air inside the tent instantly became heavy.

"Your Highness, the medicine is ready. Please drink it while it's hot." Gao Miao carefully presented a jade bowl.

Li Chengqian glanced at the dark medicine with extreme disgust, frowned slightly, but still reluctantly picked it up and drank it all in one gulp. Then he took the candied fruit handed to him by Changsun Wuji and put it in his mouth.

"Uncle, generals."

Li Chengqian took a bite of the candied fruit, walked to the map, his gaze falling on the lone red dot, and his voice was clear and crisp.

"Now that Huangcheng and Yincheng have both fallen, hundreds of miles are devoid of human habitation. Anshi City is now completely exposed to the might of our Great Tang army, becoming an isolated island without any external support. Why then do Father and all of you look so worried?"

As a graduate student in the Department of Modern History, he actually understood it very well.

But at this moment he was Li Chengqian, and he needed to hand over the stage to Li Shimin in this way of seeking advice.

"Gao Ming, you are unaware of the truth. In large-scale military operations, the worst thing you can do is underestimate the enemy and advance rashly. Although Anshi City has become an isolated island, it is by no means a paper tiger that can be easily destroyed."

Li Shimin's slender fingers tapped heavily on the spot representing Anshi City.

"A direct assault on Anshi will inevitably result in heavy casualties and will be time-consuming and laborious." Li Shimin suddenly changed the subject, his finger drawing a sharp arc on the sand table, crossing Anshi and pointing directly to its rear. "My mind is made up. I will take a risky tactic—bypass Anshi."

"Jian'an City is weakly defended and extremely short of supplies. Our army will launch a surprise attack and strike directly at Jian'an! Once Jian'an falls, Anshi City will be completely powerless and will collapse without a fight! What do you all think?"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Li Shiji stepped forward abruptly, striding ahead and pointing directly at Liaodong City on the sand table.

"Your Majesty! This plan must not be followed!"

"The provisions and supplies of our hundreds of thousands of Tang Dynasty troops are all currently stockpiled in Liaodong City! Although Anshi City is an isolated island, there are still tens of thousands of elite troops guarding the city."

"If our army crosses Anshi and marches straight for Jian'an, the city lord of Anshi is no ordinary man. He will surely seize the opportunity to attack and cut off our army's supply lines! Your Majesty, supplies must precede the army's advance. If our supply lines are cut off, our hundreds of thousands of Tang soldiers will face certain death in this freezing cold!"

Li Shimin frowned: "Speed ​​is of the essence in war! By the time Anshi reacts, I will have already razed Jian'an to the ground! If we always seek stability, wouldn't we miss our opportunity?"

"No matter how good the opportunity, it can't outweigh the risk of total annihilation!" Li Shiji was equally adamant. As a veteran general of three reigns, he had fought just as many tough battles as the emperors. "I advocate a steady and methodical approach, first capturing Anshi, then taking Jian'an! This is the proper way of military strategy; we must not take any risks!"

With the two sides locked in a fierce confrontation, the tension was palpable, and the other generals in the tent remained silent, none daring to offend these two powerful figures at this critical moment.

"Father, Duke of Ying, please do not be angry."

Li Chengqian walked to Li Shiji's side, gently and naturally supporting Li Shiji's arm, and said in a gentle tone: "The Duke of Yingguo is wise and prudent in governing the country. Every word he utters is for the sake of the lives of 100,000 soldiers of our Great Tang. His composure and loyalty are admirable."

Soothed by the Crown Prince's gentle words, Li Shiji's pent-up anger vanished as if punching cotton. The old general's expression softened, and he quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Your Highness is too kind. This old minister was only concerned about military matters..."

After comforting the veteran general, Li Chengqian turned around and walked towards Li Shimin, whose expression had softened.

Li Chengqian personally picked up the ginseng tea from the table and brought it to Li Shimin's lips: "Father's surprise attack strategy was like a heavenly horse galloping freely; it was indeed a brilliant stroke of genius that struck at the heart of the matter. If it were anyone else, they would certainly have been unable to defend against it. However..."

"But your son is foolish and thinks that the climate in Liaodong is unpredictable. If we launch a strong attack on Jian'an and fail to achieve a quick victory, and Anshi is watching us from behind, then your father taught you that a son of a thousand pieces of gold should not sit under a dangerous roof. Your father's safety is of paramount importance."

"You child..." Li Shimin sighed deeply, reached out and patted Li Chengqian's hand, "It's hard for you to worry about me even when you're not feeling well."

"Enough. What you say is a foolproof plan. My army cannot risk running out of supplies."