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

While the Xueyantuo soldiers were dodging the arrows, the Tang army swiftly pounced, launching an offensive that killed the lone survivors and the wounded.

The tactical coordination was almost perfect, with one player leading and the other trailing.

With just a few dozen men, they overwhelmed hundreds of enemy soldiers, rendering them helpless and unable to move an inch.

In a short while, the Xueyantuo people suffered heavy losses, but they didn't even leave behind a single Tang soldier. This made the Xueyantuo people, who were naturally warlike and admired martial prowess, feel extremely humiliated.

Its commander blew a bone whistle, ordering the entire army not to dodge and to attack with all their might, attempting to pull out the Tang army on the high ground.

They pushed forward, man against man, using their flesh and blood to withstand the arrows.

But playing from a higher position is always an advantage, even in video games.

Under Li Yuanchang's command, the entire army remained calm and orderly, defending the position and repelling the enemy wave after wave by taking advantage of the high ground.

Even though some Xueyantuo soldiers climbed up and reached the vicinity of the position, the Tang army remained steadfast in the brutal hand-to-hand combat between the two sides.

Gradually, more and more corpses appeared.

Those shot, crushed, and slashed lay scattered about; the Xueyantuo people paid an extremely heavy price for their recklessness.

This was true not only for the front line guarded by Li Yuanchang, but also for several other directions.

Cheng Chuliang and Yuchi Baoqi may not be the brightest, but their fighting prowess is off the charts. They're like one man against ten thousand, hacking and slashing until they're practically insane.

After nearly half an hour of attacking, they made no progress whatsoever.

Frustrated, the Xueyantuo commander had no choice but to abandon a direct assault and instead adopt a flanking maneuver.

They sent out small groups of soldiers to climb the steep mountainside and emerge from the thorny bushes, intending to launch a surprise attack on the Tang army.

Initially, this caused some damage to the Tang army.

However, the Tang army, having realized what was happening, quickly launched a counterattack, killing off the infiltrated enemy soldiers one by one.

The hundred personal guards of the Prince of Han's palace served as the main force, and their combat power was extremely astonishing. Their fighting style was completely different from that of ancient armies, emphasizing coordination and the three-thirds system.

Advanced military skills gave Dingyuan Mountain an advantage.

At dawn, the battle ended!

The Xueyantuo's first attack ended in a crushing defeat, leaving as many as six hundred corpses on the mountain; dead bodies were everywhere!

……

Southern Gobi Desert, the main camp of the Tang army on the western front.

The silent command tent was suddenly disturbed.

Li Ji, who was then the Grand Commander and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, was studying military books when he suddenly stood up, his deep eyes flashing with a sharp light.

"What did you say?!"

"When did this happen?"

A junior officer bowed, his face grave: "Reporting to the Grand Commander, it happened several days ago. The Xueyantuo sent their elite Shatuo troops to attack our supply lines, and most of the soldiers in the Lantian County granary have been confirmed dead."

"The King of Han led his army in a counterattack, but his whereabouts are unknown."

"Damn it, why did you only report this now?!" Li Ji hissed, his thin, deep-set face contorted with rage.

"Grand Steward, at first no one realized the seriousness of the problem. Even Da Mengchang sent reinforcements, but they were unable to find anyone."

"This matter was reported by a trusted confidant of the King of Han, who traveled hundreds of miles to the front lines to request reinforcements."

"It is said that all of the Shatuo Army's cavalry went to besiege the Han King. The Han King only had less than four hundred men. They were last seen in a village at Ninggukou, where there were also traces of a large number of cavalry."

Li Ji's face was grim; he was extremely dissatisfied with the delayed information, but now was not the time to hold anyone accountable.

He was extremely decisive: "Which light cavalry unit is closest to Ninggu Pass?"

"Reporting to the Grand Commander, Wu Ke, the Lieutenant General of the Capital Prefecture, recently took command of three thousand light cavalry."

"Immediately send an urgent message to order them to send troops to reinforce the King of Han. Upon receiving the order, they must travel day and night, at any cost, without fail, or face military law!" Li Ji shouted in a low voice, his tone extremely stern.

"yes!"

After the person left, Li Ji paced back and forth, his hair graying. Despite his life of glory, he seemed uneasy at this moment.

He knew very well that if the Prince of Han were killed in battle or captured alive, the morale of the Tang army would be low, while that of the Xueyantuo would be high.

Moreover, he would be unable to explain himself to Chang'an.

"King Han, King Han, you must hold on!"

"..."

Dingyuan Mountain.

As the first hint of dawn appeared in the sky, large amounts of black smoke were still billowing from the mountains.

After defeating the Xueyantuo, Li Yuanchang quickly ordered the entire army to leave their positions and collect all available supplies.

The corpses contained food, bows and arrows, and supplies; anything that could help defend the mountain was confiscated.

At the same time, Chilenbajin received news that they had arrived!

At the foot of Dingyuan Mountain.

The Shatuo army was everywhere, and the open spaces were filled with corpses and wounded soldiers.

Two men who appeared to be Xueyantuo commanders knelt on the ground, trembling: "General, we are incompetent and failed to capture it."

"The Tang army above is very powerful."

Qilianbajin, holding his riding whip, laughed angrily: "A thousand men attacked three or four hundred defeated soldiers and Tang troops who had been without food for many days, and not only did we fail to take them down, we also lost seven or eight hundred of my men."

"You still have the nerve to come down here!"

Snapped!

The two screamed in agony as their faces were lashed with whips, leaving bloody welts.

"General, please forgive me!"

"These Tang soldiers are really too strong!"

"Too strong? Then this general will see today whether they are strong or you are weak!"

Having said that, he raised his scimitar.

Pfft! Pfft!

With two slashes, the two commanders who had failed in battle were executed on the spot.

Qi Lian drew his sword and roared, "See that? This is what happens when you retreat!"

"The Tang army above killed our brothers and trampled on the dignity of our Shatuo army. If we don't avenge this, we will never have a place to stand on the grasslands!"

"I don't care if you bite with your teeth or chop with your swords, within six hours I will raze this place to the ground, cut off the heads of all the Tang soldiers, and send them to Li Ji's camp!"

"Anyone who dares to retreat, anyone who fails in battle, will suffer this fate!"

A fierce voice reverberated.

The numerous Shatuo army commanders tensed, then roared in unison, "Yes! Yes! Yes!!"

The roar that soared to the sky, like the howl of a pack of wolf cubs, reached the heavens and echoed up Dingyuan Mountain.

Li Yuanchang peered through his binoculars, and could see almost everything at the foot of the mountain.

"They're all here."

"The main force of the Shatuo army, and that general Qilianbajin."

He put down his binoculars, his eyes serious.

"Your Highness, we swear to fight to the death!" The general's confidants clasped their fists in unison.

Li Yuanchang looked up and took a deep breath; even he felt immense pressure at that moment.

After last night's battle, the number of people who can fight has been reduced to just over 240, and a considerable number of them are fighting while injured.

Facing a Xueyantuo population that was nearly ten times larger, and lacking large machinery and fortifications, it was extremely difficult.

But we have to keep going even if we can't hold on!

He didn't trust Wang Mai, but he trusted his own people. He was sure that the message would reach the reinforcements; it was just a matter of time.

Once reinforcements arrived, the headache wouldn't be for Li Yuanchang anymore, but for the persistent cavalry below.

"call!!"

After figuring it out, he exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes gradually filled with determination and murderous intent.

"Pass the word down: everyone get ready, the enemy's second attack is about to begin."

"All units must hold their ground! Reinforcements will surely arrive. I will stand here and die with them!"