Demon Lord Tang Dynasty

Banners fluttered in the wind on the grassland.

The golden wolf-head banner gleamed in the sunlight.

The proud and fierce cavalry, stretching for more than ten miles, were lined up and ready to go, their killing intent soaring to the sky.

On the other side, the well-disciplined Sui army was equally impressive, with rows of gleaming armor exuding an aura of chilling power.

The Sui Dynasty, the Turks.

The most elite troops of these two dominant forces faced off against each other across the grassland.

A massive battle is about to erupt.

In the Sui army, Yang Lin took the lead. Although he was over seventy years old and had a full head of white hair, he did not show any signs of aging.

Clad in heavy armor, with gleaming tiger eyes, he regarded the poised and ready Turkic cavalry as nothing.

Faced with the advancing Turkic cavalry, Yang Lin did not garrison Wuchuan, but boldly ventured into the grasslands.

They met the enemy's troops head-on, which can be described as both skillful and daring.

"Hahaha, old man Yang Lin, at this age, instead of enjoying your retirement at home, you insist on leading troops north. What's the point of all this?"

A burst of unrestrained laughter rang out.

Yang Lin's eyes flashed with a cold light, piercing straight at the golden wolf banner in the distance.

"You brat, Shi Bi, when I swept across the northern deserts, your father Qimin didn't even have the right to speak to me. Now you dare to be so insolent in front of me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the golden tent in the distance visibly began to shake.

"Old man Yang Lin, you suffered a crushing defeat on your northward campaign, losing even your commander's flag to our Turkic comrades. And yet you dare to spout such nonsense here? It's utterly laughable."

Shibi Khan's voice rang out again.

As soon as his voice fell, another resounding clang, like metal striking metal, rang out.

When the sound rang out, the surrounding temperature seemed to rise three degrees.

"I thought there would be some new faces in the Sui army, but I didn't expect that in the end it would still be Yang Lin."

"It seems that after Yang Su and Gao Jiong, the Sui Dynasty has no successors and is only barely holding on by yourself, but..."

"Yang Lin, you've gotten old!"

The voice carried no sarcasm whatsoever; it came through as calmly as an old friend chatting.

But that's precisely what makes it even more infuriating.

Before Yang Lin could reply, his adopted sons were already furious.

Especially for the previously defeated Luo Fang, both sides were now completely bloodied.

A subject dies when his lord is disgraced, and a son perishes when his father is disgraced. How could Luo Fang not be furious when Yang Lin is suffering such humiliation?

If Yang Lin hadn't yet given the order, Luo Fang and his group would probably have already rushed out.

Hahahaha.

Instead of getting angry, Yang Lin laughed, his powerful laughter sweeping across the area like thunder.

"Indeed, I am getting old."

Yang Lin began to speak slowly, but his tone suddenly changed halfway through.

The waves of sound were like the roar of clashing swords.

"Even if we only have one breath left, we can still sweep away the barbarians."

"Bi Xuan, if you are not convinced, then come and fight."

"Let's fight!"

"Let's fight!"

"Let's fight!"

As soon as Yang Lin finished speaking, the three armies behind him shouted in unison.

In an instant, murderous intent filled the field, overwhelming everything.

……

Gao Yi was unaware of the standoff between Yang Lin and Bi.

Even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

A conflict of this scale is beyond the scope of his limited forces.

Of course, even if there were so many soldiers, he wouldn't get involved.

He has done everything he could and was supposed to do.

What happens between Shi Bi and Yang Lin after that is none of his business.

Of course, Gao Yi would be happy to see the two sides really fight a big battle.

But even without fighting, he has already achieved his goal.

In the short term, negotiations between the two sides are unlikely to make much progress.

From a strategic perspective, neither country will rashly start a war.

While the Sui Dynasty was dealing with Goguryeo, the Turks were equally happy to sit back and watch the two fight.

After all, Goguryeo took advantage of the chaos at the end of the Jin Dynasty and the north and south to develop itself gradually, and now it has become a behemoth.

With an army of 600,000 to 700,000, they annexed Liaodong, occupied advantageous terrain, and eyed Liaoxi and the Central Plains.

Everyone knows that such a powerful nation cannot remain confined to a corner of the world forever.

His goal was to expand step by step and eventually conquer the world.

The Sui Dynasty felt threatened, and so did the Turks.

After all, the eastern part of the Turkic Khaganate also bordered Goguryeo.

However, that region was controlled by the Khitan and Shiwei, Turkic vassal states.

Therefore, the threat felt by the Turks was not as strong as that felt by the Sui Dynasty.

The Sui Dynasty, on the other hand, was different.

It's important to understand that Goguryeo was different from the Turks; it wasn't a nomadic regime, but an agricultural regime like the Sui Dynasty.

Moreover, it is an agricultural regime with a history of over six hundred years.

Six hundred years of farming, hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

Any one of these things would be enough to send chills down the spine of the Central Plains Empire and keep it awake at night.

That's why Yang Guang was so eager to launch a northern expedition against Goguryeo.

Because he saw a threat. Of course, any emperor in the Central Plains who wasn't blind could see the threat posed by Goguryeo.

No one would say that attacking Goguryeo was wrong; the only difference is that Yang Guang's three consecutive battles led to the collapse of his own country.

There may be some unknown reasons for this.

But the victor is king, and the loser is the loser; there are no excuses to be made.

Returning to the present, the goals of Yang Guang and the Sui Dynasty are known to all.

For the Turks, remaining on the sidelines and watching the two countries fight each other was clearly the most advantageous and perfect choice.

Shi Bi thought the same way, so it was impossible for either side to fight recklessly.

Ultimately, we all have to come to the negotiating table.

But that was before; the situation is completely different now.

Because the bargaining chips of both sides have changed dramatically.

For Shi Bi, the Sui Dynasty was naturally the enemy he most wanted to defeat.

However, the power of the Sui Dynasty also made Shibi wary.

This is also why, in the original work and in history, Shi Bi waited until the Sui Dynasty completely collapsed and chaos ensued before taking action.

Ultimately, Shi Bi harbored a certain amount of lingering resentment towards the Sui Dynasty.

The two countries were at war back then.

Shibi's father, Qimin, was severely beaten by Datou Khan and Dulan Khan, and in the end, he could only seek the protection of the Sui Dynasty.

After that, the Sui army marched north, with the two Yangs and one Ma, the three great war gods, drinking from the grasslands and pursuing the fleeing enemy.

That magnificent scene was something I had witnessed firsthand.

How should I put it? I was eighteen that year, and I looked like a lackey when I stood up.

Many years have passed in the blink of an eye. Shibi has become the Great Khan, possessing the entire grassland. His military strength and territory are unprecedented in history.

But I still can't forget the scene I witnessed back then.

Now that Gao Jiong and Yang Su have passed away, the only remaining commander, Yang Lin, has had his banner taken away and handed over to Yang Lin himself.

For Shi Bi, this kind of excitement is hard to describe in words.

For the Turks, acquiring Yang Lin's command flag undoubtedly gave them an advantage at the negotiating table.

Of course, a single flag may not necessarily make Yang Lin bow down.

However, the Turks' psychological goals were undoubtedly raised, and they would not easily give in on their demands.

And that was also Gao Yi's goal.

The two behemoths entered a phase of stalemate where neither was willing to back down, and his room for maneuver naturally increased as a result.