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

With such a group, it was natural that the families of the Prince of Han would be present.

However, Li Yuanchang had no chance to dismount, let alone see them immediately. He could only wait until he entered the palace to meet the emperor, since Li Shimin had been waiting for him since early morning.

As Li Yuanchang passed through Zhuque Avenue in Chang'an, the only way to enter Xuanwu Gate, his eyes flashed unconsciously as he rode the Red Lightning Steed steadily forward. He saw something and suddenly turned around.

But the doors and windows of the pavilion he was looking at were tightly closed.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" asked the eunuchs and others.

"No, it's nothing, let's keep going." Li Yuanchang shook his head.

He had just blinked and clearly saw a pair of eyes.

He even thought there were assassins lying in ambush, but then he thought, who would be so bold? He must be seeing things.

The procession continued forward, about to enter the palace.

The door and window that Li Yuanchang had been staring at just now were now slightly tilted, revealing a crack.

There was indeed a pair of eyes there, a pair of captivating phoenix eyes, filled with a moist, watery light, which was then evaporated by anger and hatred.

In the end, all that was revealed was ruthlessness and cruelty.

"Li, Yuan, Chang!!"

"Do you know what I've been through these past few years?"

"..."

In the Liangyi Hall, as the great bell tolls, the King of Han makes his entrance!

Li Shimin, whose face was ruddy, had not been so excited in a long time. Dressed in his dragon robe, he stood up directly from the dragon throne.

All the civil and military officials turned around and bowed, while the Imperial Guards bowed their heads in respect.

Such honors are reserved for those who have achieved extraordinary military exploits.

Li Yuanchang, with his imposing presence, strode into the palace with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger. His features, sculpted like the sharpest blade, appeared dark and resolute, suggesting he was no ordinary man.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

"May Your Majesty be well, and may Chang'an last ten thousand years!"

"Hahaha!" Li Shimin, who had been holding back for so long, could no longer hold back and burst into laughter. He personally stepped down and helped Li Yuanchang up with both hands.

"My brother is valiant, my brother is valiant!"

"Even Huo Qubing of the Han Dynasty was no better than this!"

He praised it repeatedly, extremely proud, and the more he boasted, the shinier he became.

The civil and military officials followed suit, bowing repeatedly and flattering the emperor.

Li Yuanchang laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not. The credit for the victory against Xueyantuo belongs to all the soldiers and officers. I was merely fulfilling my duty."

"King Han is too modest. The achievement of conquering a country cannot be accomplished simply by fulfilling one's duties."

"You have removed a major threat to His Majesty and the Tang Dynasty, and done so once and for all," someone said.

"yes!"

"King of Han, don't be modest. His Majesty has been telling everyone he meets that you were raised by His Majesty and are the pride of the royal family!" Cheng Yaojin shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Hahaha!"

Immediately, a burst of laughter erupted in the Liangyi Hall, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

Li Yuanchang had no intention of showing off, so he directly changed the subject: "Your Majesty, the Xueyantuo war criminal Zhenzhu Khan and his eldest son Dadushe are currently outside the palace."

Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, his eyes instantly sharpening.

"I was so happy about my seventh brother's triumphant return that I almost forgot about this matter."

"Guards, bring these two thieves in immediately!"

He flicked his sleeve, displaying the unbridled spirit of a great emperor throughout history.

As an emperor, each expansion of territory would enhance his historical status, and by the time Li Shimin reached that point, these were the only things he valued.

"yes!"

All eyes turned to the outside of the palace. Xue Yantuo and his son, dressed in rags and with their limbs bound, were being escorted in by Cheng Chuliang and Yuchi Baoqi.

This was also arranged by Li Yuanchang on his behalf, to give the two brothers more exposure.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong were grinning from ear to ear. They whispered to Fang Xuanling and the others in the procession, "See that? That's my son."

Fang Xuanling and the others couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to these two.

At this moment, Li Shimin had already sat back on the dragon throne, and Li Yuanchang was pulled to stand beside him, even closer than Changsun Wuji and the others.

boom! !

Zhenzhu Khan and Dadu She knelt down at the same time, trembling, unable to breathe under the pressure of Li Shimin on the dragon throne.

"Greetings, Great Khan of the Tang Dynasty!"

"May the Great Khan of the Tang Dynasty reign for ten thousand generations!"

Li Shimin's heroic lips curled up as he savored the feeling of victory. After a long while, he raised his chin and looked down at Li Shimin with disdain.

"Are you convinced?"

He didn't say much, just two words, yet they perfectly conveyed the might of the Tang Dynasty.

All the civil and military officials stood up straight.

At this moment, Li Yuanchang felt the oppressive aura and domineering presence of the Heavenly Khan up close.

"I'm impressed! I'm impressed!!"

The two men were humiliated, their faces pale, and they dared not raise their heads.

"We are willing to surrender and submit to the Heavenly Khan, to be at his command forever, and to never dare to offend him again. We hope that the Heavenly Khan will remember our past friendship and the prestige of the Tang Dynasty, and forgive our sins!"

In order to survive, the two had obviously rehearsed their lines and confessions on the way here, and now they even had their foreheads pressed against the ground.

Li Shimin smiled.

"very good."

"I have heard of your surrender."

"I forgive your apologies."

"I will not kill you."

Upon hearing this, the two were overjoyed!

Li Yuanchang glanced at the assembled officials; no one objected, suggesting that it had been discussed beforehand.

However, this is also a good thing. Killing them might actually incite some people to rebel, and it sets a precedent. If someone rebels against the Tang Dynasty in the future, then it will be a true rebellion to the death.

Since death was inevitable either way, no one would surrender anymore.

"Someone come here!" Li Shimin waved his hand.

Changsun Wuji personally stepped forward, took out the prepared edict, and began to read it aloud, which was the final fate of Zhenzhu Khan and the other two.

He's not dead, but he's almost dead.

He was granted a minor title and ordered to remain in Chang'an for life, which was in effect a form of house arrest!

Li Yuanchang had already guessed this ending.

Zhenzhu Khan and Dadu She wept bitterly, not out of shame, but simply out of sorrow for the rest of their lives. They dared not hope to save their lives, and were forced to express their gratitude and accept the imperial decree, declaring their loyalty to the Tang Dynasty.

The entire interrogation actually lasted only a short while; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was just going through the motions.

But Li Shimin really enjoyed himself.

So after the Imperial Guards took the two away, he said directly, "King of Han, you have wiped out the threat of the Xueyantuo's southward advance in one fell swoop. You deserve the greatest credit for this battle, and I am very pleased!"

"Tell me, what do you want?"

All eyes immediately focused on Li Yuanchang.

Li Yuanchang was speechless. Damn it, if you want to reward someone, just reward them. Every time you come here, you ask me what I want.

I want the throne, will you give it to me?

Of course, he only dared to think this in his heart; to say it out loud would be like an old man eating poison.

"Forehead……"

"Your Majesty, I have no other desires. I only wish to resign from my military post, be reinstated to my original rank, and return to my fiefdom to continue serving the Tang Dynasty faithfully."

As he spoke, he bent down and presented the military tally of Lantian County with both hands.

This was a wise retreat, and it was also what he truly desired. He didn't want to stay in Chang'an; the Tang Dynasty was about to undergo a major upheaval in just one year, and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Suddenly, the entire Liangyi Hall fell silent.

Some people realized this was a wise retreat, while others didn't understand.

Seeing that Li Shimin remained silent, Li Yuanchang continued, "These are my true feelings, and I hope Your Majesty will grant my request!"