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

February 3rd.

Li Yuanchang officially set off, leading people to visit the high-altitude tribes of the Gena Grassland.

Judging from the time it takes for the ice to thaw on the grasslands, he has a one-month window of opportunity. During this time, the Tang Dynasty and the Xueyantuo will not only be unable to wage war due to the season.

The Xueyantuo's main force was unable to mobilize and march south to the Gena Grassland.

Therefore, at this moment he faced almost no obstacles, relying solely on diplomatic missions and negotiations.

"Your Highness, please take this with you, and be sure to wear this as well, so you don't catch a cold."

Lu Ge spoke in great detail, constantly stuffing large and small bags of things onto Chi Dian's horse. With her hair styled in a Central Plains bun, she looked exceptionally young and beautiful at that moment.

It's hard to imagine that a girl like this is no longer a virgin.

Li Yuanchang smiled knowingly, hugged her, and then kissed her on the forehead in front of everyone.

"Don't worry, we're not going to fight a war."

"Wait for my return."

"Wait for me at the camp."

Lu Ge looked radiant and nodded repeatedly.

"Zato, after I leave, if anything happens, inform the ranch's Commander Kou, and he will assist you." Li Yuanchang looked at Zato, the new tribal chief.

"Your Highness, rest assured, you may go. I will not fail your trust," Zhato said solemnly.

Li Yuanchang smiled and nodded, then touched Lu Ge's face one last time, reluctant to let go. After a while, he mounted his horse and rode away under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

……

In less than two days, Li Yuanchang led the Tang army around the sacred mountain and arrived at the mountain range behind it.

This place still belongs to the sacred mountains of the Genna Grassland. However, the continuous mountain range is ancient and desolate. Although there are no towering cliffs, it still gives people a sense of primitiveness and danger.

Such a place would be extremely difficult to survive in, not to mention in ancient times, even in later generations.

Li Yuanchang remembered that there were some forbidden zones within the territory of China, where ferocious beasts, miasma and other things could easily take people's lives, let alone the barbaric ecological environment of ancient times.

He was very curious about what race this mountain tribe was, and which of the dozens of ethnic groups that would later emerge from it.

"Your Highness, we've arrived!"

"I came here eight years ago, and it was here that we conducted our only trade with the mountain tribes."

"I remember that the chief of the mountain tribe at that time required us to send the goods into the mountains, and we couldn't be even a step short."

"At the time, we found it strange, but later we heard that the mountain tribes had an ancestral precept that they could not leave the sacred mountain for generations," said a soldier from the Qimeng tribe.

Li Yuanchang frowned upon hearing this: "Generations can't leave the sacred mountain?"

"It seems so, because we've never seen them anywhere else. The only times we've seen them are from afar, when we've spotted them hunting in the mountains," the soldier explained.

"Your Highness, then this..." Guo Chao frowned, knowing the purpose of Li Yuanchang's trip.

Li Yuanchang took a deep breath: "Since we're already here, let's pay our respects first."

He glanced around; the sacred mountain of the Genna Grassland was too vast, encompassing almost the entire range of the mountains, making it difficult to find people.

According to local custom, this back mountain is the territory of the high-altitude tribes, and entering it rashly may lead to conflict or even death.

"Let's take the gifts inside first and wait for them to come out."

After thinking it over, he finally chose a rather clumsy but safe approach.

"yes!"

Guo Chao then selected a group of guards from the Prince of Han's residence, along with some translators, to enter. Cheng Chuliang wanted to go in, but Li Yuanchang wouldn't let him, fearing that his loud voice would ruin things.

Ten cartloads of ironware, salt, and cloth were rumbled into the sacred mountain.

The main force remained stationed outside the mountains and did not enter, showing respect to the mountain tribes.

Then came the waiting.

They waited until late at night.

Li Yuanchang went to bed early, but was woken up by Guo Chao.

"Your Highness, something has happened!"

In just a few breaths, Li Yuanchang rushed out of the tent.

The guards waited anxiously outside. One of them clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Highness, two of our brothers have gone missing in the mountains."

"What's going on?" Li Yuanchang asked, his brows furrowed.

"After we went in, we parked in a grove of trees and waited for the mountain tribes to appear, but there was no movement."

"As night fell, strange noises began to emanate from the woods, fleeting and elusive. Suspecting the presence of wild animals, we began to spread out and be on guard."

"When we did a headcount later, we found two brothers were missing, and we also discovered this at the scene."

The man presented it with both hands; it was a Tang sword, not even drawn.

"Your Highness, they might be from the High Mountain Tribe; they're the only ones who could possibly be there," said a member of the Qimeng Tribe.

Li Yuanchang was startled, his expression turning serious.

It's a bit of an exaggeration that they were able to capture his personal guards without even giving them time to draw their swords.

Realizing something was wrong, he didn't care about anything else; his priority was to rescue the person.

"By my order, the entire army shall enter the mountains!"

"A thorough, carpet-bombing search!"

"Yes!!" A thunderous roar erupted from all around, tearing through the night sky.

Then came a dense chorus of shouts and the neighing of warhorses. The entire army of two thousand men had been revived, and in the darkness, they seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

This was also intentional on Li Yuanchang's part, firstly to deliberately expose his location, and secondly to deter the people in the mountains from causing trouble.

Soon, the army advanced into the vast back mountains in two columns.

There are no roads here, not even mountain paths. We have to clear the way with Tang swords, cutting down a lot of thorns, and poisonous insects and snakes are constantly appearing.

Some nighttime fog and miasma can cause dizziness and headaches after people smell them.

As soon as they entered, Tang Jun encountered various unexpected events.

There are reasons why this place is revered as a sacred mountain by various nomadic tribes.

To avoid any uncontrollable situations, he had everyone from the Meng tribe walk at the front, constantly shouting in unison about visiting the mountain tribes.

Only the language of nomadic peoples can be understood by the other party.

The shouts echoed continuously across the sacred mountain, lasting for a long time, accompanied by the torches as they continued their journey.

And so, the Tang army marched until midnight!

Towering trees blocked the pale moonlight, the cold air caused frost to freeze on the roadside weeds, and an unknown wild beast poked out its eerie green eyes.

Li Yuanchang suddenly stopped, raised one hand, and the two thousand Tang soldiers quickly stood at attention, alert to their surroundings.

The sounds of torches, breathing, and wind were clearly audible.

Ahead was a low mountain so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, its shape naturally resembling a snake's head.

Li Yuanchang's eyes were like torches in the darkness, fixedly staring at the end of the darkness.

"Are those warriors from the mountain tribes ahead?"

Upon hearing this, countless eyes widened in surprise. Was someone ahead?

They quickly became alert and made all necessary preparations.

The translator from the Qimen tribe quickly translated the message.

The sound echoed for a while before a murmured conversation finally broke out from the darkness.

"Your Highness, it's them!"

"They told us to get out immediately, or they would kill us all!" The soldier looked slightly frightened.