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

"Let him go, that's fine."

"As long as you're willing to marry me," Ada sneered.

In the Mongol tribe, there is an ancient tradition that a new leader must not only be the strongest, but also marry the tribe's jewel in the crown to be considered a true leader.

If Luge refuses to submit to the death, then some people will not obey Ada.

Lu Ge cried in despair, breaking down as she looked at her brother's miserable state.

"good!"

"I'll marry him!"

"Release my brother first!" she cried out, her voice choked with sobs.

Ada's eyes lit up slightly: "You'd better not try anything funny."

"No one can help him, and no one can help you either. Even the King of Han, whom you let escape, can't help you!"

"This is my territory!"

"I won't! Release my brother!" Lu Ge cried out.

Ada was satisfied and waved his hand again.

With a thud, the young man fell to the snow, barely clinging to life.

Luge rushed over without hesitation, his face covered in tears, heartbroken, repeatedly apologizing to the young man, and taking off his coat to drape over his emaciated body.

"No, don't worry about me..."

"Sister, you must go quickly..."

"To the Great, the Great Tang..."

Lu Ge's tears flowed like a burst dam, and he choked back sobs as he shook his head: "No, don't say anymore, brother, I won't abandon you, I won't."

"Please, don't leave me. You're all I have left."

"..."

The wind and snow howled, and a layer of dark clouds shrouded the sky above the Qimeng tribe.

a few days later.

A vanguard of Tang scouts arrived at the location first and successfully made contact with the herdsmen bribed by the local Black Ice Guard.

"What did you say? A wedding?"

On a snow-covered plain, the sun shines on the golden mountains.

Li Yuanchang's army temporarily halted after receiving news from scouts at the front.

"Your Highness, it is absolutely true."

"The Qimeng tribe is preparing for a grand wedding, the wedding of the new chief Ada and Qisenluge."

"Furthermore, we've learned that Qi Sennu has been killed."

"His old forces were basically all eliminated and suppressed."

"Adagulie betrayed the tribe in exchange for a large amount of armed support from Xueyantuo, and now he has an army of about 1,300 men."

"Moreover, just south of the Genna Grassland, there is a pasture where a troop of Xueyantuo cavalry is stationed, numbering about eight hundred!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chuliang, Yuchi Baoqi, and Kou Zhu, the military advisor and military commander of Lantian County, all frowned.

"You're late!"

"The Qimeng tribe has already submitted to the Xueyantuo!"

"There are also troops stationed there."

Li Yuanchang sneered. Without even thinking, Lu Ge was definitely forced into it.

He was extremely decisive: "If there are troops stationed here, then let's take them all out!"

"How long until the wedding?"

"Your Highness, it is said that the wedding will take place at sunrise the day after tomorrow on the sacred mountain of the Gena Grassland, roughly around here."

The scouts conducted extremely thorough reconnaissance, including both the time and the location.

Li Yuanchang unfolded the document and examined it carefully. The so-called sacred mountain was only seven miles away from the habitat of the Qimeng tribe.

Meanwhile, the pasture where the Xueyantuo cavalry were stationed was only twenty li away from the Qimeng tribe, a very short distance for cavalry.

"There's still time!"

"If we travel at full speed, we should arrive at the Gena Grassland tomorrow."

"But we need to deal with this Xueyantuo cavalry force in the south first!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Kou Zhu, then serving as the military advisor and military commander of Lantian County, immediately said, "Your Highness, I request permission to fight. We will split our forces into two groups, and the eight hundred men of Xueyantuo will be entrusted to me."

"One thousand people are enough!"

"Your Highness, let me attack the Qimeng tribe. A thousand men are enough to wipe out these arrogant brats who dare to oppose us!" Cheng Chuliang's injuries had long since healed, and he was now filled with murderous intent.

After months of training, enduring wind and rain, and facing life and death, he has grown a lot.

Li Yuanchang pondered for a moment.

"No rush."

"The Xueyantuo people must all be wiped out."

"But the Mongol tribes are not suitable. The decision from above is to unite all the tribes, large and small, to form a coalition army to contain the Xueyantuo. Killing them all would not be in the interests of the Tang Dynasty."

"Moreover, only Ada's group rebelled in the Qimeng tribe. If we eliminate these high-ranking members, the rest can be used by the Tang Dynasty."

"Your Highness, that's true, but surely Ada wouldn't just tie his own hands and offer his head for us to chop off, would he?"

Li Yuanchang said, "Quickly kill Ada and suppress his followers."

"As for Xueyantuo."

"I once stayed there for a month. It's too open. The Xueyantuo people can sense the army before it even arrives. If we take the initiative to attack, we will lose the initiative."

"Let's ambush them instead!"

He poked at the area in the middle of the twenty-mile stretch with his finger.

Kou Zhu, Cheng Chuliang, and the others exchanged glances, without any doubt: "Yes!!"

Having decided on a general action plan, Li Yuanchang ordered the entire army to rest for two hours, and after having a meal, they began a full-speed march.

The vanguard consisted of two thousand men, traveling lightly equipped.

The rear guard also had a thousand men responsible for escorting supplies and preparing to provide support.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to get there in time to set things up, especially with the whole family in this heavy snow.

They traveled day and night.

The Tang army successfully arrived at the Gena Grassland at dusk the following day.

The soldiers had barely arrived and hadn't even settled in when they encountered a patrol of scattered troops from the Mongol tribes. Upon seeing the Tang army's banners, the troops turned tail and ran.

But they were surrounded and surrendered before they had gone less than a mile.

In the valley.

boom!

The twelve men were bound hand and foot and brought before Li Yuanchang.

"Yes, it's you?" someone exclaimed upon recognizing Li Yuanchang.

"It is I, the king."

Li Yuanchang said calmly.

Half of the twelve had seen Li Yuanchang before, but back then he was half-dead and in a terrible state. Now, however, he was clad in bright armor and commanded a massive army that blotted out the sky, like a god.

"No, don't kill us!"

"We saved your life!"

Li Yuanchang did not resort to violence, nor did he deny it. Although it was Luge who saved him, it was also true that the Qimeng tribe had taken him in. He was a man who always repaid kindness.

"I have returned here solely to suppress the rebellious forces led by Ada. I will not concern myself with the others."

"How you choose is up to you." His voice was calm, yet sharp as an ice pick.

The twelve people trembled, lowered their heads, and refused to speak.

"You sons of bitches, my brother gave you a chance, and you still dare to hesitate? Watch out for your Grandpa Cheng's axe picking your teeth!" Cheng Chuliang threatened, his eyes like those of an angry Vajra.

These nomads were terrified.

"We surrender! We surrender!"

"We were forced into this!"

"We choose the Tang Dynasty!!"

They spoke in unison, one after another, and now almost the entire Qimeng tribe knew Li Yuanchang's identity.

Li Yuanchang waved his hand, signaling the others to step back.

"Where is Lu Ge now?"