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

By swallowing one's anger, one can temporarily quell the conflict with the Guanzhong aristocracy.

But that's not his style.

"Lord Zhao, I have a letter here. I wonder if you could help me deliver it to His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"Of course."

Li Yuanchang smiled and said, "Thank you."

He took out a letter, but it wasn't a letter; it was Sobe's confession. He was still determined to expose this matter.

No matter who you are, if you dare to lay a hand on him, you should be prepared for retaliation.

After receiving the letter, the officials from the Eastern Palace left with their men.

Li Yuanchang did not comment on the outcome of the case.

Along with the offering paper, Sobe himself was also sent to the Crown Prince's Palace.

Until the moment it was delivered, no one in Chang'an knew that the assassin leader had already been taken into custody by the Prince of Han's mansion.

Therefore, no one could have prevented this incident from happening in advance, including Changsun Wuji.

As Li Yuanchang expected, just a few hours later, the Qianniu Guards were dispatched and captured Yang Shidao, the biggest protagonist in this assassination attempt.

When Yang Shidao was arrested, Chang'an was in an uproar, with many different opinions.

It wasn't until three days later that Yang Shidao was accused of embezzlement and given poisoned wine by Emperor Li Zhi, resulting in his death.

This charge was the result of a tacit agreement between Li Zhi, Changsun Wuji, and Li Yuanchang.

Li Zhi wanted to protect the reputation of the imperial family. If word got out that a prince consort had assassinated a prince in Chang'an, Li Shimin would lose face all over the Western Pacific.

What Changsun Wuji wanted to protect was the face of the entire Guanlong aristocracy.

As for Li Yuanchang, he understood the principle of leaving a way out for others. He believed that a small victory was a big victory, and that it was better if the person died. He did not pursue the idea of ​​pinning a murder charge on Yang Shidao.

This matter came to a swift end.

It's mid-May now.

The first news of victory came from the war against Goguryeo. Li Shimin's army successively captured Gaimu City and Bisha City, and in early April, he defeated the Goguryeo reinforcements at Liaodong City.

For a time, they were invincible and all-powerful, and everything was going well.

When the news reached Chang'an, it caused a stir in the capital, with cheers erupting throughout the city.

At this point, Li Yuanchang gradually realized that things were not going well. The Tang army was about to be blocked. The stalemate in the battle, coupled with the subsequent harsh winter, would force the Tang Dynasty to retreat.

On many levels, Li Yuanchang hoped that Li Shimin would win the battle in one fell swoop.

Logistics and transportation became crucial. After much consideration, he finally stopped recuperating at home and returned to the Ministry of War to take charge of affairs.

In May alone, he mobilized 50,000 laborers and countless horse-drawn carts through the two major trading companies of Nanqin and Beisong, and set off ahead of schedule with a large amount of supplies.

Moreover, various prefectures and cities also had a continuous stream of teams escorting supplies, like countless streams converging into a vast river, providing a constant supply of resources to the Tang army.

But no matter how much supplies are transported, the cost to the frontline army and hundreds of thousands of laborers is also high, which cannot completely solve the problem.

If the weather and logistical issues could be resolved all at once, the Sui and Tang dynasties wouldn't have fought so many wars in history.

After much deliberation, Li Yuanchang set his sights on the sea.

Although Goguryeo was a land-based kingdom, it was also a coastal kingdom, and maritime transport was significantly faster than land transport.

The Ōtomo clan of Japan could provide assistance in this regard, although it was troublesome and difficult, as the route was essentially uninhabited.

But Li Yuanchang ultimately decided to give it a try. He sent his trusted confidants as envoys to Japan, asking the Kuril Islands to find a way to assist, or even send troops.

Thus, Chang'an entered a period of absolute peace, in stark contrast to the fierce battles fought by Goguryeo.

Li Yuanchang, the Minister of War, also had a rare period of peace, perhaps because the assassination case had such a great impact that he was afraid it would be brought up again.

Therefore, the Guanzhong aristocracy was unusually quiet; no one dared to retaliate, and no one dared to oppose Li Yuanchang.

Even Changsun Wuji, in order to shirk responsibility, avoided a direct confrontation with Li Yuanchang.

The logistics and transportation of the entire front line were basically controlled by Li Yuanchang alone. Li Zhi was young and not involved in any affairs. He consulted Changsun Wuji on state affairs and Li Yuanchang on logistics. Many things were just formalities to be asked.

Even so, logistical coordination remains incredibly difficult!

Li Yuanchang had done his best, but he underestimated the reality of Liaodong, where a single uninhabited area stretched for thousands of miles.

Various problems arose one after another, which were almost impossible to overcome by manpower, resulting in serious delays in the delivery date.

The longer the time wasted, the more food the laborers consumed, resulting in less being sent to the front lines.

As the fighting on the front lines intensifies, the logistical needs continue to increase.

Everything was like a butterfly flapping its wings, causing an avalanche. The original snowball grew bigger and bigger, exceeding the entire Council of State's assessment.

Li Yuanchang had no choice but to continuously conscript laborers and raise money and grain from various places.

As long as it doesn't jeopardize the operation of the national treasury or the survival of the people, we will squeeze every last drop of strength out of them.

This is something only the Tang Dynasty could do; other countries simply couldn't.

With Li Yuanchang in charge of the rear, the national treasury as the main source of support, and relying on the two major merchants from the Northern Song and Southern Qin dynasties, the logistics and allocation could barely keep the operation running.

September has arrived.

Autumn has just begun in Chang'an, and the weather is still quite hot, but the entire Liaodong region has entered the dead of winter.

Logistics and transportation are entering a grueling season!

Both the land and sea lifelines were under unimaginable pressure. Li Yuanchang, who was in Chang'an, was directing operations remotely and was unaware of the situation on the ground.

All I can do is wait for news every day and pray that things don't go wrong.

The first thing to collapse this time was not the logistics supply line, but the army led by Li Shimin.

The worsening weather exacerbated the difficulties faced by the Tang army in surviving.

Moreover, as if things weren't going to go wrong, Li Shimin led a large army to attack Anshi City, but encountered stubborn resistance from the enemy.

It seems there are some experts among the enemy troops who know about the Tang army's logistical difficulties and the approaching winter. They want to use the weather and terrain to wear down the Tang army, so they have chosen to fight to the death.

After a month of unsuccessful attacks, the number of wounded soldiers skyrocketed, and logistical costs reached astronomical figures. This suffocated the emperor who had previously swept through Goguryeo and whose life was filled with glorious military achievements.

Li Ji and other renowned generals jointly requested a withdrawal of troops, advising them to stop while they were ahead.

Li Shimin was a renowned general, so how could he not know that continuing the fight might lead to disaster?

He was just a little unwilling!

He's getting old, and he's afraid he won't have the chance to come back a second time!

He delayed for another seven days.

However, Anshi City remained unconquered, and the Tang army was bogged down in a quagmire.

Looking at the devastated city of Anshi, littered with corpses and blood, Li Shimin closed his eyes. A single strand of white hair at his temple added to his aged appearance.

He regarded this battle as the final act of his military career, and he longed to conquer Goguryeo day and night. But as the cold wind howled, even the greatest emperor of all time could only sigh helplessly.

"Heaven has not granted my wish!"

"retreat!"

"..."