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

Heavy rain fell on the ancient temple, accompanied by lightning and thunder.

The guards from the Prince of Han's mansion waited and waited after the carriage arrived, but the door to the meditation room remained closed. Finally, Guo Chao went up and knocked on the door to ask a question.

Only one sentence came from inside: "Stand outside!"

Guo Chao's eyes widened in surprise, as if he had realized something, and his face immediately turned pale with shock.

This is His Majesty's...

He dared not say anything, and quickly summoned the guards to block the entrances and exits and keep watch.

The next day.

Before dawn, rain dripped from the mottled tiles; the rain had already stopped.

Yin Yao escorted Li Yuanchang to the door. She looked calm, just like always, except that her cheeks were very healthy and rosy.

"I'll leave you here."

"Come see me one more time before you leave."

She made a rare request.

Li Yuanchang nodded: "You're not blaming me?"

The atmosphere between the two was ambiguous and strange.

"Why blame you? It was a matter of mutual consent. If I hadn't wanted to, you wouldn't have been allowed to do it last night," Yin Yao said.

Li Yuanchang smiled and said, "Alright."

"I will come often, so take good care of yourself."

Yin Yao nodded, and as Li Yuanchang was about to leave, she couldn't help but say, "Take care of yourself too, don't be impulsive, patience will calm things down."

"I don't want to see anything happen to you again."

"If, if you still hold onto any sentiment from last night."

Her beautiful eyes were filled with genuine emotion.

Li Yuanchang hugged her and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry."

"I will not leave you alone to face this lonely lamp and ancient Buddha."

"Though the road ahead is difficult, I can overcome it!"

Yin Yao's heart melted instantly. Although she knew this relationship shouldn't be, and it was something that couldn't be made public, she truly felt it was worth it at that moment.

She hasn't made many choices in her life that she truly took initiative in; this time, it was a choice she made herself.

She also embraced Li Yuanchang with both hands, her gaze gentle, savoring this moment of tenderness.

Beneath the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the embrace between the two appears exceptionally beautiful.

Not long after, Li Yuanchang left.

Last night he made a mistake here that any man would make, but he did not regret it, even though there was a hint of personal desire to take revenge on Li Shimin when he pushed Consort Yin.

But when the impulse subsides, he also has appreciation and love.

Back at the Prince of Han's residence.

He immediately began to make overall arrangements, which would be the most important plan of his life.

The slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin.

If he succeeds, he will be able to break free from the curse and shackles and completely take control of everything.

His first act was to write a secret letter and hand it directly to the Black Ice Guard to be taken to Japan.

In this letter, he demanded that the Kuril Islands immediately mobilize their resources to collect charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur in southern Japan!

This was the key to defeating Goguryeo, and also the crucial factor in Li Yuanchang's survival.

The second thing he did was contact Wu Meiniang, who had already entered the Eastern Palace.

The two secretly met at the abandoned martial arts academy.

"Are you going to Goguryeo?"

"Did the emperor force you?"

Wu Zetian said this as soon as they met, her tone full of hostility towards Li Shimin.

He was the one who broke up the couple, and now he's the one who discards them after they've served their purpose. How can Wu Zetian remain calm?

Li Yuanchang hugged her and stroked her back.

"No, it was my own request."

"Why are you making this request? This...?"

"Shhh."

Li Yuanchang interrupted: "From now on, don't say anything, just listen to what I have to say."

"Every step from here on is crucial; at best, it could mean exile of your entire family; at worst, it could mean annihilation!"

"I need your help."

Upon hearing this, Wu Meiniang was startled, her sharp and beautiful face suddenly tightening, and then she blurted out, like a moth drawn to a flame, "Fine!"

"..."

The two talked for a full two hours, and no one knows what they discussed.

Even that night, Li Yuanchang and Wu Meiniang were together.

After completing these two tasks, Li Yuanchang began the third task, which was the most complex part: selecting soldiers and generals.

This was his only chance to legitimately mobilize troops and consolidate his old forces.

If he misses this crucial historical juncture with Goguryeo, he will never have another chance.

First, Changsun Wuji will obstruct it.

Secondly, Li Shimin already wanted to deal with him, to pave the way for Li Zhi, and to win over and appease the Guanlong nobles, and even the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families.

In the struggle for power, he gradually became a victim, but he could not simply surrender.

The first batch of troops included in Li Yuanchang's expedition were naturally his subordinates from Liangzhou, an absolute elite army that he had trained for many years but had never drawn its sword!

The 8,000 soldiers of the Liangzhou Prefecture were led by Wan Jun and Song Yu.

The wives, children, and elderly of these eight thousand men were all supported by the Prince of Han's mansion and were considered loyal to the death. All their training was conducted according to the guidelines and manuals formulated by Li Yuanchang.

Over the years, no one knows to what extent these ordinary 8,000 soldiers have been trained with modern knowledge.

Li Yuanchang wanted to take all of these people with him, otherwise he might not even have the opportunity to be transferred in the future.

After deducting the quota of 8,000 people, there are still 12,000 people left.

Li Yuanchang also added a thousand people to the roster of Zhechong Prefecture in Lantian County; these were also his former subordinates.

Although Lantian County was scattered by Changsun Wuji, that was only at the officer level; many soldiers still had their hearts set on Li Yuanchang, so there was still a certain foundation.

After the list was completed, there were still 11,000 places available.

Su Gui and many others suggested to Li Yuanchang that they apply to higher authorities to transfer the strongest Anxi border troops, or at the very least, the Shuofang and Fanyang border troops.

But Li Yuanchang didn't even consider it.

Although these border troops were among the top fighting forces of the Tang Dynasty, and even suppressed the central imperial guards during the An Lushan Rebellion, they were the core of the Tang army during the Zhenguan era. Their general ranks were closely linked, and they were all too loyal to Li Shimin.

He worried that when things really turned sour, these people might not be willing to follow him, and it might even backfire.

So after much deliberation, Li Yuanchang decided to turn his attention to the Fubing system, which was far from Chang'an and did not belong to the elite Fubing system.

These local militia are quite powerful and can still easily defeat other small countries, but they are not as good as the border troops.

But in Li Yuanchang's plan, whether or not they could fight was no longer the most important thing.

From the moment he made up his mind to bring out gunpowder, the era of cold weapon warfare was completely overshadowed.

It must be said that supporting Mr. Ōtomo was an unexpected but ultimately beneficial act.

During the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuanchang had no opportunity to collect these things.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly simple task of collecting charcoal, nitrates, and sulfur—something a Han king could easily find. The real challenge lies in large-scale collection, which requires massive logistical support and facilities, and may even necessitate the mobilization of the state apparatus.

Although the entire population of the Ming Dynasty did not participate in the production of gunpowder, it was a strategic investment and was controlled at the national level.

If Li Yuanchang were to handle this matter in his capacity as Minister of War, he would face many constraints.

If too much information is collected, it will immediately arouse suspicion from others, leading to a leak.

In southern Japan, they actually had a unique advantage. There was no one in charge there, the Ōtomo clan was the king, and they also had a certain ability to mobilize people to accomplish their goals.

According to Li Yuanchang, the southern part of Japan is rich in mineral resources, enough to meet Li Yuanchang's temporary needs.