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

Boom! !

"puff……"

Li Yuanchang and Guo Chao were struck by the warhorse almost simultaneously, spitting out blood mist and flying uncontrollably backward until they fell off the cliff.

Its immense inertia is comparable to that of a speeding car in later times, something that human power cannot withstand.

Li Yuanchang felt excruciating pain in his internal organs, and the shouts of battle around him gradually faded away, leaving only the sound of a hundred-foot waterfall cascading down.

The intense feeling of weightlessness even made him feel oxygen-deprived, and he realized he was going to die.

His mind flashed back to the Han Prince's Mansion, to Situ Lan holding the child with a tender expression, to Qin Keyu and Cui Wanqing, pregnant and waiting for him to come home, to the orphan and widow, to the Liangzhou estate... and to everything he had in the Tang Dynasty.

It all seems like a dream.

Farewell...

sorry……

Boom!

The two loud splashes were completely drowned out by the surging waterfall, without creating a single wave or raising any human figure to the surface.

The terrifying current and depth swallowed Li Yuanchang.

On the Wuding River, the hysterical shouts of several guards from the Han Prince's mansion could be heard.

The fighting continues there.

And with the arrival of a large force of Tang cavalry, a hunt turned into a war!

Wu Kenai was Li Ji's elite force. Upon arriving at the scene, they displayed terrifying combat power and aggression. The light cavalry attacked from both sides, using speed to overwhelm a thousand Shatuo soldiers.

The same way the Shatuo army surrounded Li Yuanchang is how they are now being surrounded.

Cavalrymen who entered the battle would fall from their horses and die instantly.

Their canines snapped together, and heads flew everywhere!

From the very beginning, the surrounded Shatuo army was thrown into disarray and its morale was low.

Cheng Chuliang and Yuchi Baoqi charged forward with all their might, hacking until their bodies were numb, and frantically rushed towards the center of the battlefield, roaring Li Yuanchang's name.

When they saw the military flag of Lantian County, they were overjoyed.

Wu Ke, who was in command of the operation, once thought there was still time.

The fierce battle lasted only an hour. A thousand Shatuo soldiers were wiped out, not one of them managed to escape. Corpses and blood stained the entire battlefield.

This army that attacked the Tang Dynasty's grain supply route was completely annihilated!

The Wuding River was deathly silent.

No one cleaned up the battlefield; the vast army stood still, staring ahead.

Yuchi Baoqi burst into tears, kneeling on the ground and crying out, "Big brother, big brother!!"

"I'm late!"

Cheng Chuliang rushed up to Wu Ke and grabbed his armor: "What are you all standing there for? Send men down to retrieve it! Retrieve it!!"

"What are you standing there for?"

His eyes were bloodshot, his wounds were bleeding, and he was extremely agitated, repeatedly demanding that Wu Ke send people down to rescue him.

Wu Ke's bodyguards tried to stop them, but Wu Ke stopped them.

"Young masters, we have done our best."

"The Wuding River is so deep that it forms an abyss, and the waterfall is at least eighty feet high, making it impossible to retrieve."

"His Highness the Prince of Han has died for his country."

"Fuck your mother! What did you say?" Cheng Chuliang cursed angrily, completely losing control and unable to accept this fact. He swung his fist and punched Wu Ke.

"Commander Cheng, Commander Cheng!" Tang Jun quickly stepped forward to stop him. If he hadn't known Cheng Chuliang's identity, he probably would have pressed him down directly.

"Get out of here!"

"Get out of here!"

"My older brother isn't dead!"

"My older brother can't be dead!"

"You just didn't want to save him, otherwise you wouldn't have arrived so late. Someone killed my older brother!"

"It's Wang Mai!"

"It's definitely him!"

"I'm going to use his head to pay tribute to my brother!"

"..."

Chaos erupted at the scene. Cheng Chuliang and Yuchi Baoqi led the disturbance, shouting and threatening to kill. They not only beat Wu Ke but also threatened to lead troops to wipe out Da Mengchang and kill Wang Mai.

The two were so grief-stricken that they almost completely lost control, even dragging Li Tai, who had already finished class, into the conversation and verbally abusing him.

The surviving guards of the Prince of Han's mansion also wailed and vowed revenge, believing that the belated reinforcements were caused by the supervising officer Wang Mai.

Wu Ke looked grim; no one wanted to see this outcome.

He tried to comfort them, but no matter what he said, he couldn't quell the anger and grief of the two men and the guards of the Prince of Han's mansion.

Ultimately, he was forced to subdue the people to prevent them from doing anything even more outrageous.

Wu Ke knew that this matter was beyond his control, so he quickly sent someone to report it and find someone to handle it.

Two days and two nights later, the news was delivered to the Tang army's main camp on the western front.

Li Ji and Xue Wanche were shocked!

The King of Han died in battle...

Even Li Ji was caught off guard. The worst outcome he could imagine was that the King of Han would be captured alive, and then the Xueyantuo Khan would demand a ransom.

This is also the usual practice.

But to my surprise, the news I received was of his death.

Even though Li Ji and Li Yuanchang had no interaction, he still felt guilty and heartbroken.

He ordered the entire army to halt the attack and kept the death a secret to prevent it from affecting morale. He also dispatched a fast horse to deliver an urgent report to Chang'an.

October 28th.

Changan.

The autumn wind is bleak, and the chill is gradually deepening.

Li Shimin, who was resting in Taiji Palace, was awakened by Changsun Wuji, who broke in.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of porcelain shattering inside the palace could be clearly heard.

Li Shimin nearly fell, but was supported by Changsun Wuji and others, his face filled with grief.

"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences!"

Li Shimin's mouth gaped open, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Did he fall off the cliff, or is he dead?"

"Is he injured, or is he missing?"

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince of Han was besieged and seriously wounded. After dragging down the enemy's commander, he was outnumbered and fell into the Wuding River. The waterfall is dozens of feet vertical, with turbulent waves below and dark, deep water. His body... is nowhere to be found!" Changsun Wuji cried out in grief.

Everyone knelt down, sobbing.

Li Shimin was struck dumb, collapsing into his chair with a thud. His body was gone? He couldn't accept this fact.

His eyes strained to look north, when suddenly he was overcome with anger and coughed up a mouthful of blood. His head throbbed with pain, and his old ailment flared up again.

"His Majesty!"

"His Majesty!"

"Quickly summon the imperial physician!"

"..."

Two hours later, Li Shimin finally awoke from his coma.

His trusted ministers had already gathered around his bedside.

Li Shimin's face was pale, his expression was grief-stricken, and his eyes were filled with extreme regret.

He did indeed demote Li Yuanchang to appease the overall situation, but he didn't expect it to backfire!

"Oh, heavens, how cruel is Qi Lang! How cruel is Qi Lang!"

"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences."

"The King of Han has died in battle, and the news is being kept secret at the front lines for fear of affecting morale. The most urgent matter is how to handle the King of Han's funeral arrangements!"

"That's right!"

"That's right!"

Li Shimin sat up in anguish: "Draft an edict to posthumously confer upon the Prince of Han the title of Prince Zhongwu, a hereditary title, and grant him the additional rank of Grand Tutor, and bury him in the imperial mausoleum!"

"Erect a cenotaph, order the three armies to cease their advance, and have the King of Han wear mourning clothes and keep vigil for seven days!"

"The mourning period is over, launch a full-scale attack! I will ensure that Zhenzhu Khan dies a horrible death!"

He slammed his fist on the bed in a fit of rage, making a tremendous noise!

We can capture him alive and demand money or land from him, but killing him directly is a bit against the rules.

"yes!!"