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

On the north bank of the Wei River, the wind howls and cranes cry.

Across the surging Wei River, the knuckles of Jieli Khan's fingers, gripping the whip, turned white, and his nails dug deep into his palms.

"Khan..." The Ashina general beside him said in a hoarse voice, his eyes darting around, "That's Qin Li Shimin... The Heavenly Khan has appeared to us..."

"Shut up!" Jieli turned around abruptly, his bloodshot eyes filled with rage.

He was afraid.

It wasn't just because of Li Shimin's aura that seemed to devour the heavens and earth, but also because of a guess—why hasn't Zhishi Sili returned after being gone for so long?

The Zhishi tribe was a powerful Turkic tribe. If Zhishi Sili had been turned against the Tang dynasty by Li Shimin, or had long been secretly colluding with the Tang court, then this strange situation would be explained.

If the Zhishi tribe were to stab him in the back, in coordination with the Tang army on the other side...

Jieli dared not think any further. His original ambition to conquer Chang'an was now like a piece of embers doused with cold water, hissing and emitting only wisps of smoke.

Just then, on the south bank of the Wei River, the dust and smoke dissipated.

"Your Majesty! Your subject, Hou Junji, has arrived too late to rescue you!"

"Your subject, Duan Zhixuan, requests permission to fight!"

One after another, fierce generals rode up and reined in their horses a few dozen paces behind Li Shimin.

Following closely behind were civil officials such as Xiao Yu and Feng Deyi.

These old men, who usually quoted classical texts in court, disregarded their disheveled appearance and climbed the high slope breathlessly. When they saw the dark mass of Turkic troops on the opposite bank, their faces turned deathly pale. But when they saw the figure in front of them, they miraculously regained their composure.

"His Majesty!"

Hou Junji's face was flushed, his eyes filled with bloodlust. He drew his sword and roared, "These Turkic traitors have broken their promise and gone too far! The soldiers are in high spirits. I beg Your Majesty to give the order, and I will lead the vanguard across the river to fight to the death! Even if we lose all our Imperial Guards, we will show these barbarians that the might of our Great Tang is inviolable!"

"Please give the order, Your Majesty!"

Amidst this overwhelming clamor for battle, Li Shimin remained remarkably calm and unassuming.

If it were the fierce King of Qin from ten years ago, he would probably have already charged forward with his spear.

But now, he is the emperor.

"Hou Junji, put your knife away. Who gave you permission to make such a racket?"

Hou Junji was stunned, his surging emotions caught in his throat: "Your Majesty? The enemy is right in front of us..."

"I saw it." Li Shimin casually adjusted his wristband. "Precisely because I saw it, I need to use my brain."

He raised his riding whip, pointed to the heavily armed army behind him, and uttered a single word: "Retreat."

Duan Zhixuan stared wide-eyed in disbelief: "Your Majesty! Retreat? In this battle, momentum is paramount. If our army retreats, wouldn't that boost the enemy's morale and diminish our own? What if the Turks take advantage of the situation to cross the river..."

"I say, retreat and form ranks."

Li Shimin's gaze suddenly turned cold and stern. His absolute imperial authority was unquestionable and brooked no argument. "The rear guard becomes the front guard, retreat one mile, and form a circular formation to await orders. Without my decree, anyone who dares to move a single soldier will be executed on the spot!"

"promise!"

Hou Junji gritted his teeth, but dared not disobey. He waved his hand fiercely: "All troops, listen to my command! Rear guard, become front guard, retreat!"

The banners turned, and the armored soldiers turned around.

The Tang army, which had just been aggressively approaching the Wei River, actually began to retreat in an orderly manner right before everyone's eyes.

The sound of orderly footsteps rang out again, but they were getting farther and farther away from the riverbank.

In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, only a vast wasteland remained at the bridgehead on the south bank of the Wei River.

And a lone yellow canopy standing at the head of the bridge.

That was the emperor's ceremonial parasol, which looked particularly flimsy yet strikingly conspicuous in the chilly autumn wind.

Under the umbrella, Li Shimin dismounted and casually stuck the horse spear into the soil.

He sat down on the folding chair that the guards had brought over, with only Fang Xuanling, Gao Shilian, and a few guards with their hands on their swords beside him.

This scene not only stunned the Turks on the other side of the river, but also nearly drove Xiao Yu, who had not yet had time to evacuate, crazy.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Xiao Yu, a renowned upright and honest old minister, was now trembling, his beard bristling as he clung tightly to the corner of Li Shimin's cloak, as if Li Shimin might fly away at any moment. "What are you doing? The army is retreating, leaving Your Majesty here alone! This... this is tantamount to a son of a wealthy family sitting on the edge of a dangerous building! If the Turks were to launch a surprise attack with arrows, or if their cavalry were to charge, how could this mere Wei River possibly hold them off? The Tang Dynasty is in grave danger!"

Li Shimin looked at this loyal but ignorant old minister with amusement and gently brushed his hand away.

"Xiao Qing, please calm down."

Li Shimin took a flask of wine from the guard beside him, tilted his head back and took a swig. The spicy wine rolled down his throat, making him squint his eyes in comfort.

"I have fought more battles in my life than you have read any military books."

Li Shimin slammed the wine pot heavily on the table, his gaze sweeping across the Wei River to the Turkic vanguard on the opposite bank, who were beginning to stir but hesitated to cross. A glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"This is 'momentum'."

"If I send a large army forward, making it look like we're going to fight to the death, that old fox Jieli will be driven to desperation by fear and will fight me to the death because of his superior numbers. Even if we win then, Guanzhong will be devastated, and the vitality of my Tang Dynasty will be severely damaged."

Li Shimin pointed to himself, then to the Tang army formation in the distance.

"But now, I sit here alone."

"Xiao Qing, guess what Jieli is thinking right now?"

Xiao Yu was stunned, and subconsciously asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Li Shimin sneered: "He's wondering if I've gone mad, or... if I've already laid a trap, just waiting for him to cross the river and die? He's wondering if Zhishi Sili has already sold his last shred of dignity to me? He's wondering if my 100,000 troops are hidden behind those surrounding hills?"

"Make the false appear real, and the real appear false. The more open and honest I am, the more suspicious and paranoid he becomes."

At this point, Li Shimin stood up, patted Xiao Yu on the shoulder, and spoke in a relaxed tone as if he were admiring flowers in his own backyard: "Alright, Xiao Qing, go and watch from the back. Today, I am the protagonist of this play; the victory over the Turks hinges on this. You can all relax and just watch!"

Xiao Yu opened his mouth, but in the end he was defeated by Li Shimin's strong confidence and retreated with a few backward glances.

The wind seemed to have picked up, making the rouge flap wildly.

Li Shimin sat alone at the bridgehead, facing an army of 200,000 fierce warriors, and actually closed his eyes to rest.

Unrest began to break out in the Turkic camp on the opposite bank.

The Turkic soldiers, who had been on edge preparing for battle, instantly relaxed when they saw the Tang emperor opposite them drinking and sunbathing.

Since the main force of the Tang army has retreated, does that mean... there's no need to fight anymore?

The Turkic people were never a monolithic entity; they were a loose alliance bound together by the interests of countless tribes.

They might band together to rob and make a fortune; but if it's to die for Jieli's personal ambition, especially to die fighting the legendary, invincible King of Qin...

Nobody wants to be the sucker.

"Is that the emperor of the Tang Dynasty? What is he drinking?"

"It looks like good wine..."

Several bolder tribal leaders began to lose their composure.

Although they were under the command of Jieli, they were also powerful figures on the grasslands.

Seeing no sign of violence, greed and curiosity overcame discipline.

A horse tentatively stepped onto the Wei River bridge.

Then came the second horse, and the third horse.

The tribal leaders carefully rode their horses across the bridge and came to a place only a few dozen steps away from Li Shimin.

Li Shimin slowly opened his eyes.

Contrary to expectations of thunderous rage, the Tang emperor actually wore a warm and welcoming smile.

He casually grabbed a gold cup from the table and raised it high.

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it."

Li Shimin spoke loudly in fluent Turkic: "Guests from afar are honored guests. Now that you have crossed the bridge, you are my guests. My Great Tang is a celestial empire, and there is no reason for us to leave our guests standing there idly."

He then waved his hand dismissively: "Guards! Bring me a seat! Serve me wine and meat!"

The guards behind him immediately sprang into action, not by drawing their swords, but by bringing out jars of imperial wine that had been prepared beforehand, as well as fragrant braised meat.

The Turkic leaders were stunned.

What... what kind of tactic is this?

"What? You're afraid to drink?" Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, looking at them with a half-smile. "Afraid I'll poison the wine? When did these men of the grasslands become so fussy?"

This provocation worked.

"Who's afraid!"

A Turkic chieftain with a full beard dismounted, strode forward, took the wine bowl offered by his guard, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. He then exclaimed, "Good wine!"

"Hahaha! Good! You're a real man!" Li Shimin laughed. "Again!"

Once the atmosphere is broken, it can never be restored.

Once there's a first one, there's bound to be a second.

More and more leaders and generals of the small Turkic tribes, seeing the lively feasting and drinking, lost all restraint and rode their horses across the bridge.

The atmosphere at the Wei River Bridge, which was originally tense and on the verge of conflict, suddenly changed.

Li Shimin sat in the middle, surrounded by a circle of Turkic officials.

Everyone toasted and drank, eating meat and drinking wine, as if this were not a life-or-death battlefield between two armies, but a grand Naadam festival on the grassland.

Li Shimin chatted amiably, sometimes reminiscing about past battles, and sometimes praising the Turkic horses.

As the drinking progressed, Li Shimin seemingly casually patted the bearded chieftain on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "I still have a lot of silk and gold and silver in my treasury, which I originally intended to reward my soldiers as military expenses for annihilating you. But I see that you are all straightforward people, and I really can't bear to see your tribal men shed their blood on the battlefield."

He paused, his voice now full of allure: "If you are all willing to turn hostility into friendship, I will not only provide you with plenty of fine wine and meat, but also your gold and silver treasures... I can give them to you as gifts to take back to the grasslands for the winter. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, all the Turkic leaders' eyes lit up with envy.

What's the point of war? Isn't it just to plunder?

Now there's no need to risk your life or lose a life; the Tang emperor directly sends money and gifts, and even invites you to drink!

Why even bother hitting me?!

"His Majesty is so generous!"

"We are willing to obey Your Majesty!"

On this side of the bridge, laughter and the aroma of wine filled the air.

On the other side of the bridge, in front of the central command tent.

Khagan Jieli stood alone on his chariot, the wind blowing past his empty side. Most of the tribal leaders who had originally surrounded him were now toasting him from the opposite side.

This battle is completely unwinnable.

If he were to forcefully order an attack, he himself would probably be the first to have his head chopped off.

"Khan..." The trusted aide beside him trembled, "What should we do?"

Jieli closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

Li Shimin was indeed the eagle chosen by the Eternal Heaven.

Ultimately, we can no longer enter Chang'an.

"Go."

Jieli waved his hand, as if waving away half a lifetime of ambition, his voice hoarse and weary, "Send someone over... to request peace."

A moment later, a Turkic envoy with a command flag on his back rode swiftly through the jubilant crowd, sweating profusely. He dismounted and knelt before the Tang emperor, who was drinking with the Turkic chieftains.

"The Great Turkic Khagan, Jieli Khan, wishes to form an alliance and make peace with His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, and to permanently end hostilities!"