In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

The entire city of Fuai has entered its darkest hour.

The defensive weapons such as logs, stones, and oil were all used up, and even bows and arrows were almost gone. There was not a single arsenal in the royal city that could produce them.

The messenger sent by Murong Khan to seek help never returned. The united rebellion of the ten tribes made all the major and minor forces in Tuyuhun dare not intervene.

By noon, the south city wall had been breached, and a steady stream of rebels climbed the wall, vying for control.

The guards of the Prince of Han fought valiantly, leading from the front and repeatedly vying for the city, thus preventing its fall.

Not only was there immense external pressure, but internal changes also occurred within Tuyuhun. Faced with a war that was almost impossible to win, several ministers of Tuyuhun attempted to surrender the city to save themselves.

However, Li Yuanchang had foreseen the human tendency to seek advantage and avoid harm early on, and made many arrangements in advance.

Those who attempted to rebel were executed in the street.

Li Yuanchang withstood both open and covert attacks.

But this did not change the fact that the capital was on the verge of collapse.

He didn't even have time to prepare his plan to launch a proactive attack before the reserves were deployed to the city walls for the first time.

The so-called reserve force consists of urban residents who lack military skills. Generally, the use of these people indicates that the country is at its wit's end.

Despair and hardship spread throughout the city. Even Li Yuanchang could not see much hope. The Tuyuhun government lacked both hard and soft power.

Just when they were at their wits' end, suddenly, a thunderstorm struck over Fuai City without warning!

This torrential rain, like a long-awaited rain after a drought, became a turning point in the war.

Due to heavy rain, the ground was muddy and visibility was poor, making it difficult to use heavy siege equipment, and the rebels' fierce attack on the third day was forced to stop.

Fu'ai City was lucky enough to have another day passed.

Outside the city, corpses piled up like mountains and blood flowed like rivers, washed away by the rain.

A large number of rebels are retreating.

A row of tall horses stood with the leaders staring at the front with unfriendly expressions.

Beneath the banner of the blood wolf totem, Bato sat pale-faced on his chariot, his eyes fixed on the ravaged city of Fuai with a sinister gaze.

"This has delayed the Tang envoy for another day!"

He gritted his teeth, extremely angry. Fifty thousand troops attacking six thousand, and the city of Fuai was lacking in fighting strength and equipment, which made him feel humiliated.

"Chief, you could only say they were incredibly lucky. Without this rain, they would have broken through before nightfall!"

"But they won't last long. Fuai City has no reinforcements and is just a mess. The Khan's small force is no match for us."

"It's the Prince of Han from the Tang Dynasty who's in command!"

Upon hearing the words "King of Han," Barto became even angrier, inadvertently aggravating his right shoulder arrow wound. His anger surged, and he coughed up blood!

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Great Chief!"

"I'm not dead yet!" Barto gritted his teeth, clutching his wound, his eyes growing increasingly ruthless.

"We can't delay any longer. As soon as the rain stops, your entire army must advance and annihilate Fu'ai City. Otherwise, once the Tang reinforcements arrive, we're finished!"

"After the city falls, slaughter all the Tang envoys and members of the royal family, leaving not a single blade of grass alive!"

"I have secured the support of Tibet. Then we will divide the wealth and pastures of Tuyuhun equally, and we will no longer need to depend on the Tang Dynasty!"

"Yes!" the other nine shouted in a low voice, their eyes fierce.

Having fought this far, they were all red-eyed with rage. After several days of being unable to break through, they were anxious and secretly vowed to launch a general offensive as soon as the rain stopped.

This is like a gambler; the more sunk capital they have, the less willing they are to give up.

In the minds of the entire rebel group, the general offensive became the only synonym.

In their view, Fuai City was just a dilapidated tortoise shell, waiting to be washed away, and there was no defense or vigilance whatsoever.

"..."

boom!

Lightning struck furiously, a fierce wind swept across the land, and torrential rain lashed down, causing the royal palace to tremble in the storm.

The city was reduced to ruins as large numbers of wounded soldiers wailed and piled up in the streets, many houses were demolished, and the enemy bombarded the city with boulders.

The entire capital was filled with unease and fear.

The Tuyuhun were not like the Tang Dynasty, possessing an exceptionally strong sense of national cohesion. When despair descended, they could not muster the same ancestral spirit as the Han people.

This is a lack of culture and a lack of faith.

Da da da!

Crack!

Li Yuanchang led his men back to the palace at a rapid pace, splashing up a large amount of water. Blood seeped from his bright armor, but it wasn't his; it was the dried and congealed blood of enemies from several days of fighting.

"Your Highness!"

"Khan!"

"We can't delay any longer; I must act tonight!"

"Once the torrential rain stops, the ten tribes will definitely launch a full-scale attack. At that time, the fighting strength and morale of the city's army will not be able to defend it, and the number of people surrendering and defecting will increase as the situation worsens, making it impossible to control!"

Li Yuanchang was serious. He had initially thought things were too optimistic. The Tuyuhun people were a nomadic people with mixed bloodlines, and they lacked the cohesion that comes with culture.

In the half hour before the downpour began, over a thousand reservists deserted. What kind of concept is that?!

The enemy broke in intending to burn, kill, and loot, but these guys would rather stay at home than do anything.

If this were in Liangzhou, Li Yuanchang could easily mobilize the entire population with a single call to arms!

Murong Khan was aware of the situation, but there was nothing he could do.

"Your Highness, I have prepared everything you requested."

"But the problem is, it's raining heavily now, how can we proceed?"

"Why don't we wait for the rain to stop?"

Li Yuanchang's eyes were stern, resolute, and decisive. The more the sky seemed to be falling, the more he forced himself to remain calm.

"Once the rain stops, it will be too late. The rebels will surround us from all sides, and we won't even have a chance to get out."

"The heavy rain makes travel difficult, which is troublesome, but it also presents an opportunity."

"This allows me to better evade the surveillance of the rebel rangers and outflank the enemy."

"From now on, Khan, take over the city's defenses."

"I will withdraw all the people from the Han Prince's Palace, let them rest for a few hours, and then set off."

"Alright!" Murong Khan agreed immediately without saying a word.

Li Yuanchang left soon after.

"Khan, is the King of Han going to abandon us and run away?"

"His men are gone, so he can't hold out any longer."

"And even the Tang Dynasty might not be..."

"Shut up!!" Murong Khan roared.

"Is the Prince of Han the kind of person you think he is? If he wanted to leave, he would have left long ago. Without him, you would all be corpses by now! At this critical moment of life and death, anyone who dares to hold us back, anyone who dares to spread rumors and mislead the public, will be executed without mercy!"

"Yes……"

The Tuyuhun leaders, who had been thoroughly berated, dared not utter another word.

"Prepare quickly, take over the city's defenses, and don't hold us back! I believe in the King of Han, and I'm sure we can turn the tide!" Murong Khan said in a deep voice, firmly supporting Li Yuanchang.

"..."