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

With the help of cement, a revolutionary material, Anshi City's geographical advantages crumbled instantly.

In just a few days, a towering, gray-white man-made earthen hill rose from the ground at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It is not only several feet higher than the city wall of Anshi City, but also becomes indestructible due to the solidification of cement.

No matter how frantically the city's defenders fired ballistae and hurled boulders, they could only leave a few shallow white marks on the grayish-white mountainside; they couldn't even knock off a single piece of rock.

By this time, the impregnable earthen hill was complete, and Anshi City had become a sitting duck for the Tang Dynasty.

Standing atop the earthen hill, the Tang army had a clear view of Anshi City's defenses, troop deployments, and even the activities in its streets and alleys.

With their powerful bows and crossbows positioned high above, the Tang dynasty could unleash a deadly rain of arrows into every blind spot behind the city walls with just a slight release of the bowstring.

"Your Majesty, the advantage is now entirely in our hands! Please give the order, Your Majesty. This old minister is willing to personally lead the vanguard to break through the city. Within half a day, we will surely present the head of the city lord of Anshi to Your Majesty!" Li Shiji knelt on one knee.

He had been wanting to vent his frustrations for the past two weeks.

However, to everyone's surprise, Li Shimin looked down at Anshi City, which was like a lamb to the slaughter, and slowly shook his head.

"No rush."

"Since they have no way to escape, why should I waste the lives of the sons of the Tang Dynasty to fill this bottomless pit? Issue my decree: the army shall temporarily halt the siege, and the archers shall take turns guarding the earthen mound in twelve-hour shifts. If anyone in the city dares to show their face, they shall be riddled with bullets."

Li Shimin's tactics underwent an extremely cruel transformation at this moment.

He's not playing anymore.

He wants to starve the city to death.

The Tang army quickly changed its formation, completely surrounding Anshi City from all sides.

The water supply outside the city was cut off, and all possible supply routes and secret passages leading to the outside world were completely cleared away by the Tang army's cavalry.

What was even more suffocating was Li Shimin's subsequent military orders.

"Go, load all the leftover swill and filth from cooking in the military camp, along with the rotten animal hides and meat, onto catapults and hurl them into the city for twelve hours a day without stopping."

From that day on, the sky above Anshi City no longer fell logs and boulders, but rather disgusting and filthy things.

Stale swill, foul-smelling horse manure, and rotting entrails were mercilessly hurled into Anshi City by the Tang Dynasty's catapults, accompanied by a whistling wind.

The stench of filth exploded on the city walls, in the streets, and even on the helmets of the guards.

The entire city of Anshi was instantly enveloped in a suffocating stench.

This kind of psychological warfare, without the clash of swords, is far more devastating than actual combat.

The soldiers guarding the city were trembling as they gripped their swords and spears. They were not afraid to die on the battlefield, but the humiliation of being treated like a latrine was slowly crushing their pride and dignity.

However, the commander of Anshi City is indeed a ruthless character with an infuriatingly tough backbone.

Even though the city was already reeking of stench, and even though the Tang army's mocking laughter drifted into the city every day on the wind, the city lord still stood tall on the city wall.

Not only the city lord, but also the people of Anshi City showed a chilling resilience.

Ten days, half a month, twenty days...

The city's granaries were already empty.

From warhorses to mule carts, from wild dogs to rats, everything edible had been devoured.

In the end, the people even began to peel tree bark and boil leather armor to fill their stomachs.

Despite this dire situation, no upheaval broke out within the city.

Every time a letter from the Tang Dynasty was shot into the city to persuade the city to surrender, the city lord burned it in public.

"We, the people of Anshi, would rather chew our own bones than swallow the leftovers of the Tang Dynasty!"

In the blink of an eye, it has been forty days since the siege began.

The biting winter wind swept across the Liaodong land like a knife.

That night, the city lord's mansion in Anshi was deathly silent, almost suffocating.

The city lord's hair was disheveled, and his once robust body was now emaciated. His once-proud radiant armor now looked empty on him.

"Lord of the city..." The lieutenant knelt on the cold floor tiles, "In the treasury... there is only one last granary of old grain left. Even with the addition of clay, it's only enough for the entire city's soldiers and civilians... to last another day."

One day.

This is the end for Anshi City.

The city lord slowly closed his eyes, and the image of the city's people, their eyes green with hunger, yet still gripping their rusty iron swords tightly, appeared in his mind.

If the city falls tomorrow, they will face either the slaughter of the Tang army or eternal enslavement.

"What the Tang army wants is Anshi, this formidable pass, the gateway to Liaodong."

"Since Li Shimin wants to secure Anshi, and since we cannot protect this ancestral legacy while we are alive, then let us leave, and leave cleanly and peacefully!"

The lieutenant abruptly raised his head, his face filled with shock. That shock quickly transformed into a sorrowful resolve, as he kowtowed heavily: "This humble general... obeys!"

That night, Anshi City was unusually quiet.

Whether they were elderly people with faltering steps or women and children who were starving and on the verge of death, they all silently returned to their homes on this last night.

They piled everything in their house that could be burned—firewood, clothes, and even the calligraphy, paintings, and fabrics they had accumulated throughout their lives—into the center of the house.

He then sat calmly on the dry wood, like a martyr awaiting ascension.

It's three-quarters past the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).

Without warning, a tiny flame ignited in the city lord's mansion.

Immediately afterwards, as if receiving some terrifying signal, countless pillars of fire shot into the sky from the four directions of Anshi City: east, west, south, and north.

The wind fanned the flames, and the fire gained strength from the wind.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, those scattered sparks of fire gathered into a sea of ​​fire that devoured everything.

The raging flames licked at every inch of Anshi City, causing houses to collapse and beams to break, as if it were the end of the world.

And from that raging inferno, not even a single cry for help could be heard.

In the Tang Dynasty military camp, the alarm horn suddenly sounded.

Li Shimin rushed out of the central command tent without even having time to put on his armor properly.

When he looked up towards Anshi City, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

The scorching heatwave, mixed with ash, even reached the Tang army's positions several miles away, hitting Li Shimin's face with its burning heat and strong acrid smell.

"They've gone mad...they've gone mad!" Li Shiji's voice trembled as he stared at the city that had turned into a furnace. "They started the fire themselves!"

Tens of thousands of Tang soldiers gripped their weapons, staring blankly at the towering flames. The immense shock plunged the entire army into a deathly silence.

Li Chengqian stood beside Li Shimin, the blazing firelight reflecting on his face and staining his eyes crimson.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the ashes falling like black snow, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Father..." Li Chengqian's voice was very soft, "Anshi City has fallen."

Yes, the city has fallen.

But what the Tang Dynasty gained was no longer the easily defensible and difficult-to-attack strategic town of Liaodong, nor a military fortress that could serve as a transit point for supplies, but a completely dead and empty city filled with charred remains and corpses.