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

Li Yuanchang's pupils suddenly contracted as he stared intently at the Lunqin Fucha!

The Tibetan cavalry should not be here. According to the agreement, the Tibetan army should only be here, and can only be here, to greet them at Baihai.

"Your Highness, please forgive me."

"I was worried that something might happen during the journey to the wedding, so I notified the king in advance to go ahead and meet him." Lunqin Fucha's eyes were unfriendly.

A chill ran through Li Yuanchang's eyes.

But more than anything, there was unease; the plans had been disrupted, completely disrupted!

At a glance, it appears that the Tibetan king brought more than three thousand cavalrymen. Songtsen Gampo's sudden early arrival made the entire fake death plan too unpredictable!

But the arrow is already on the bowstring, and there's no turning back!

If the plan is cancelled, Li Su will inevitably become a victim!

So almost instantly, Li Yuanchang made a decision with extreme ruthlessness and decisiveness.

He first glanced at Guo Chao and Chi Lian, whose expressions were both solemn and even somewhat helpless, as this step was not part of the plan at all.

But when they saw Li Yuanchang's resolute gaze, the two instantly felt reassured and quickly nodded.

Immediately afterwards, Li Yuanchang looked at all the generals of the Left and Right Guards.

"Now that the Zanpu (Tibetan king) has arrived, that's good!"

"Walk!"

"Follow me to welcome the Zanpu!"

"yes!!"

Around three thousand elite guards roared in unison, instantly unleashing a chilling and murderous aura.

This was actually Li Shimin's intention as well.

Before setting off, he privately ordered that on the day of the three armies' alliance, the Tang army must surpass the Tibetans in morale, thereby achieving psychological deterrence.

Even among allies, there is a need for subtle competition; making the other party wary makes one safer.

This is why no other border troops were sent; instead, the Imperial Guards under Li Shimin's command were dispatched, which were essentially the Central Training Corps!

On the boundless grasslands of Gaoling, a sudden storm was brewing.

The first meeting between about three thousand elite guards and five thousand Tibetan cavalry was like a dark cloud pressing down on the city, threatening to crush it, and making even the grass and trees tremble with fear.

Even if it wasn't a war, but just a friendly alliance, the murderous aura emanating from the elite armies of both sides was enough to make people tremble with fear.

The two finally hovered at a distance of about 100 meters and stared at each other, instantly creating a sense of oppression in the entire space!

Immediately afterwards, the entire Tibetan delegation was the first to greet them.

Li Yuanchang led his troops to wait behind, not rushing to greet them immediately. After all, they were the army of the Tang Dynasty, and there was no need for them to bow down and submit to the Tibetan king.

"Your Highness, the enemy cavalry is quite elite. They are fully armored and each soldier carries three weapons," a general from the Left and Right Guards whispered.

Li Yuanchang withdrew his gaze from the princess's tent, took a deep breath, and thought that the plan he had been working on for months was finally about to begin!

He looked again at the enemy's massive cavalry.

"They are indeed very strong. The Tibetan cavalry is famous throughout the world, and given time, they will become even stronger."

"We're not afraid of them being strong. We beat them to a pulp in the Battle of Songzhou. If they obey us, they're sons-in-law of the Tang Dynasty; if they don't, the Tang Dynasty will still wipe them out!"

One of the Imperial Guard generals gave a low shout, and then each of them burst forth with the powerful confidence of the Heavenly Kingdom attending court.

Li Yuanchang did not respond. Indeed, the Tang army at this time was invincible and it was the most martial era in hundreds of years.

However, the Tang Dynasty really had no way to deal with Tibet, which was determined by the unique geographical location of the plateau.

One side couldn't get in, and the other couldn't get out, which led to a brief reconciliation between the two sides. Otherwise, given Li Shimin's temperament, he wouldn't have tolerated the Tibetans. There was really no other way.

The front line is too long, resupply is too difficult, and going in would just be a waste of resources given away by the high-altitude climate.

Furthermore, never underestimate any opponent.

Tibet was the Tang Dynasty's adversary, possessing the most terrifying geographical advantage in thousands of years, a place that remained impenetrable even in the 21st century.

Secondly, they will expand rapidly and develop at an unprecedented pace over the next century.

Historical records show that the Tang Dynasty fought more than two hundred wars, large and small, with the Tibetan Empire over several centuries. These wars were essentially ethnic conflicts and struggles for hegemony.

Li Yuanchang was aware of these things, which others might not know, so from the perspective of national righteousness, he was very reluctant to befriend Tibet.

Soon, the Tibetan army lined up, and a man wearing a morning glow crown, a jade belt, and clothing mainly in red, white, and plain colors appeared.

He was tall and imposing, with brown, aggressive eyes, but in addition to the wildness that was typical of Tibetans, there was also a sharp glint in his eyes that Tibetan brutes did not possess.

He was only in his early twenties, but with a thick beard and full of vitality. He was the ruler of the plateau, the Tibetan king, and was hailed as the greatest king of Tibet in history!

Even Li Yuanchang couldn't help but take notice. This was a top figure who lived in the history books of later generations, and he admired him greatly in terms of ability alone.

Unfortunately, the two sides were not only on opposing sides, but were even enemies on the issue of marriage alliance.

When he heard something from Lunqin Fucha, his expression changed drastically, and he spurred his horse and led the team forward.

"May I ask if you are His Highness the Prince of Han, the younger brother of the Great Tang Heavenly Khan and a minister sent for a marriage alliance?"

He speaks fluent Mandarin.

As soon as he spoke, all the Tibetan cavalrymen in the world fell silent, demonstrating his absolute authority to the fullest extent.

Li Yuanchang was impressed. Historical records were correct; this man was learned and fluent in Chinese.

He looked him up and down, and in his heart he thought, "A mighty ruler of the plateau!"

"I am indeed the king."

"You must be Songtsen Gampo, the Tibetan king?"

Songtsen Gampo nodded and performed a Tibetan greeting.

Li Yuanchang returned the favor, but he never dismounted, much less groveled.

"Your Highness, why do you not bow to the Zanpu?" At this moment, Lunqin Fucha couldn't help but speak up first, his eyes filled with hostility, partly because he had gained confidence.

Secondly, they believed that Li Yuanchang was disrespectful to the ruler of Tibet.

"I am a subject of the Great Tang Dynasty. I bow to Heaven above, Earth below, and His Majesty in the middle. Who else do I need to bow to?" Li Yuanchang retorted neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"You!" Lun Qin Fu Cha exclaimed angrily.

"Enough." Songtsen Gampo interrupted promptly, his eyes calm: "Your Highness, I wish to see the princess."

"I have brought a large number of foreign doctors with me on this trip. The princess's condition is critical and cannot be delayed!"

Seeing that he was being very polite, Li Yuanchang had no reason to refuse. Without saying anything, he simply waved his hand, signaling the three thousand or so guards to make way.

"Walk!"

Songtsen Gampo led his entourage on horseback into the area.

However, given that it was an alliance meeting, both sides exercised restraint in their positioning, with the main forces stationed below the high mound.

Each of the troops that went up did not exceed two hundred men.

But just as both armies charged onto Gaoling, bad news arrived.

"Princess, you're dead!"

A mournful cry rang out from inside the tent, accompanied by the weeping of many of the bride's attendants.

In an instant, the situation in Gaoling changed drastically, and everyone's expression changed.

Songtsen Gampo's face was quite grim, and he then rushed into the camp with Li Yuanchang.