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

The fire burned for three days and three nights before gradually being extinguished in the biting cold wind.

Anshi City, this once majestic pass that blocked the Tang Dynasty's eastward expansion, is now nothing but a charred ruin.

Li Chengqian gently covered his mouth and nose with a silk handkerchief embroidered with orchids and slowly stepped into the city.

"Your Highness, this place is filthy. How can your precious body set foot here?" Li Shiji followed behind, his face full of worry.

"The more dead a city is, the more deadly it is. There are 40,000 charred corpses piled up in Anshi City, plus the filth that was thrown there before. If it is not dealt with immediately, a great plague will surely break out once the army enters."

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Chengqian swiftly took over the responsibility of handling the aftermath.

"Issue the order to the isolated army: the Divine Machine Battalion is to allocate all available quicklime to dig deep pits outside the city. All corpses, whether friend or foe, must be thrown into the pits and covered with a thick layer of lime."

"The army must camp ten miles away from the ruined city. No one is allowed to drink untreated water. All water sources must be boiled. Soldiers' clothing and armor must be fumigated with strong liquor or boiling water every day."

"Establish patrolling medical officers to conduct continuous screenings for twelve hours a day. Anyone with fever or diarrhea should be immediately placed in a separate location. Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed."

Fortunately, after ten days, not a single one of the 100,000 Tang soldiers was infected with the disease.

Li Chengqian forcefully suppressed the huge festering sore in Anshi City with lime and boiling water.

However, just as the shadow of the plague was dissipating, another, even more deadly crisis emerged.

As September arrives, the weather in Liaodong changes, and this land is about to usher in the coldest season of the year—the harsh winter.

Li Shimin stood before a huge map of Liaodong, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with struggle and bloodshot veins.

"Your Majesty, we cannot continue fighting!" Changsun Wuji's face was ashen. "In September, winter is approaching in Liaodong. Although our army has sufficient food and fodder, the soldiers' winter clothing is running out. Once the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, these 100,000 men will likely freeze to death in this icy wasteland."

Li Shiji, unwilling to accept defeat, slammed his fist against a pillar: "But now Anshi has fallen, the gates of Goguryeo are wide open, and Pyongyang is right before our eyes. If we retreat now, all our previous efforts will be in vain. How can those soldiers who died in Liaodong rest in peace? That old thief Yeon Gaesomun has gained a respite, and he will surely become a great threat in a few years!"

I'm unwilling to retreat.

To go in is to enter the abyss.

Li Shimin closed his eyes, his fingers gripping the edge of the map tightly until his knuckles turned white.

This is a huge gamble.

If the gamble pays off, the wolf will be captured and the long-standing threat to the northeast of the Tang Dynasty will be completely eliminated.

If the gamble is lost, 100,000 troops will be wiped out, and even the emperor himself will be trapped in Liaodong.

"Gao Ming, what do you think?" Li Shimin suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Li Chengqian, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, holding a hand warmer.

Li Chengqian put down the cloisonné enamel hand warmer in his hand, slowly stood up and walked to the sand table, his slender fingers gently pointing to the location of Pyongyang City.

"Your Majesty, I believe that we should not only fight, but also fight swiftly. Father, let's use a feint to our advantage while secretly advancing our own forces."

Everyone inside the tent was taken aback.

"Although Yeon Gaesomun's 150,000-strong army has been destroyed, there are still tens of thousands of elite troops around Pyongyang. What he fears most now is the might of his father. If his father personally leads a large army and advances into the heart of Goguryeo in a grand manner, he will surely mobilize the entire nation's forces to ambush and fight to the death on the way, in order to delay until the dead of winter."

"Therefore, Aye's army is the plank road that is openly built. What we want is for him to focus all his attention and all his troops on your dragon banner."

Li Shimin's gaze sharpened: "What about Chencang?"

Li Chengqian's smile carried a hint of pride: "Chen Cang, naturally, belongs to your son."

"What?!" Changsun Wuji exclaimed in surprise.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead five thousand elite Xuanjia cavalry, without baggage, only ten days' worth of dry rations. While the main force of Goguryeo is tied down by Aye-ye, we will bypass the enemy's defenses via a side road, launch a long-distance raid, and strike straight at Pyongyang." Li Chengqian slowly unfolded his plan. "Everyone knows that the Crown Prince is frail and sickly, a man who cannot live without medicine. Even if Yeon Gaesomun racked his brains, he would never have expected that the Crown Prince would lead troops into battle."

This was a brilliant tactic, exploiting everyone's stereotype of the Crown Prince's frailty and creating a perfect psychological blind spot.

but……

"Bang!"

Li Shimin suddenly kicked over the desk in front of him, the inkstone smashed on the ground, and ink splattered everywhere.

"Nonsense! Ridiculous!"

Li Shimin, his eyes bloodshot, pointed at Li Chengqian, his roar almost lifting the tent roof: "Five thousand light cavalry deep into enemy territory? A single misstep could result in total annihilation and a death without a burial place! Who do you think you are? Can your body withstand ten days or half a month of non-stop, sleepless raids?!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

The generals were so frightened that they all knelt down.

Only Li Chengqian did not kneel.

"Does Father not believe me?"

Li Shimin's heart clenched, and a surge of anger instantly caught in his throat.

"Your subject knows that in Father's eyes, I will always be that innocent child who needs to be protected under his wings. But Father, I am not a bird raised in the deep palace; I am the Crown Prince of the Great Tang Dynasty."

Li Chengqian slowly lifted his robe and knelt down straight.

"I eat the emperor's food and bear the emperor's worries. These 100,000 soldiers are risking their lives in this harsh land for the eternal peace of the Tang Dynasty. Are their lives more precious than mine, Li Chengqian's?"

"Brilliant..." Li Shimin's lips trembled as he reached out to pull him, but Li Chengqian's gaze made him hesitant to touch him.

"If we retreat now, fearing the harsh winter, who will comfort the souls of those who died in Liaodong City? Wouldn't the blood shed outside Anshi City have been shed in vain? This is a high-stakes gamble, and the Tang Dynasty needs someone of sufficient stature to act as the decisive force for that final, decisive blow."

"Besides your son, who else could have caught Yeon Gaesomun off guard?"

"Your subject is the Crown Prince. If the destiny of this battle is to die for the sake of this glorious Tang Dynasty..."

Li Chengqian kowtowed heavily to the ground, his forehead hitting the cold blue bricks with a dull thud.

"Then I have no choice but to accept the responsibility."

Changsun Wuji turned his head away and secretly wiped away a tear.

Li Shiji gritted his teeth and cast an unprecedentedly reverent gaze at that seemingly frail figure.

The only sound inside the tent was the whooshing of the commander's flag in the wind.

After a long while, Li Shimin slowly closed his eyes, and two lines of tears slid down his cheeks.

"Issue my decree..."

Li Shimin's voice was hoarse as he was forced to make this decision, which caused him immense heartache.

"At dawn tomorrow, I will personally lead the main force of 80,000 to advance on Wugu City and confront the main force of Goguryeo. Crown Prince Li Chengqian... shall be appointed Grand Commander of the Pyongyang Army, leading 5,000 Xuanjia soldiers, and shall depart immediately!"

Li Chengqian raised his head, and a radiant smile finally bloomed on his face.

"Your subject obeys the decree and thanks Your Majesty for your great favor."