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

This is a team of only about 800 people, composed entirely of left and right guards. They did not come in the form of an expedition, but rather as a journey.

The procession arrived in a grand and imposing manner, without hiding or concealing itself, and even went directly to the military camp of the Kyushu Prefecture troops.

It can be described as the ultimate display of courage and trust.

After all, the whole world now knows that the Kyushu Prefecture troops have not concealed their actions from the imperial court and have already raised an army. If the imperial envoys are not careful, they will be killed as a sacrifice to the flag.

The vast camp, with its seemingly endless army, saw their eyes constantly meeting those of the imperial guards, yet they remained perfectly still and restrained.

Li Yuanchang led his men out to personally greet them.

When the two sides locked eyes, they couldn't help but sigh; their reunion was marked by such a standoff.

"This king greets Duke Lu and Lord Fang!" Li Yuanchang bowed and clasped his hands, maintaining his politeness, keeping public and private matters separate.

"Sigh," Cheng Yaojin sighed.

The team was led by Fang Xuanling and Cheng Yaojin.

Cheng Yaojin was in relatively good health, but Fang Xuanling was in very poor condition. He was practically helped out of the carriage, his hair was completely white, and his health was deteriorating day by day compared to a few years ago.

A hint of reluctance flashed in Li Yuanchang's eyes. If he remembered correctly, Fang Xuanling's time in history was coming to an end, but he could not step forward to help him up.

Because if they show excessive intimacy, it might bring him unnecessary trouble and charges.

"Your Highness, how have you been?" Fang Xuanling stepped forward.

The Imperial Guards on both sides were very nervous, their eyes constantly scanning the surrounding armies, subconsciously regarding the Kyushu Prefecture troops as enemies.

Only these two elderly people seemed relaxed.

"Let's talk inside. Let them stay outside to avoid contact between the armies. I guarantee your safety," Li Yuanchang invited.

"Okay." The two of them replied without hesitation.

"Master Fang, no way!"

"We must follow them. We cannot trust the rebels!" said a general of the Imperial Guard, whose tone and manner clearly indicated that he was of noble birth.

These words immediately aroused hostility within the military camp.

"Hmph, kid, if you dare call us rebels again, watch your tongue!"

"If we do anything, your eight hundred men can only hold out for a quarter of an hour at most!" Wan Jun and the others were displeased and directly threatened death.

The discord between the Imperial Guards and the Border Troops seems to be an old tradition.

The Imperial Guards were mostly selected from the sons of nobles and meritorious officials, while the Border Guards were mostly composed of commoners who had endured hardship. They were fundamentally different.

In addition, due to some institutional problems of feudal dynasties, promotion was very unfair, and the two sides looked down on each other, resulting in an implicit antagonistic relationship.

Things are fine when things are peaceful, but once the country becomes unstable, there will be immediate conflict.

This explains why such large-scale conflicts broke out between the imperial guards and border troops in the later years of the Tang Dynasty, such as the famous Battle of Xiangji Temple.

Border troops clash with imperial guards, a fateful showdown.

"How dare you!"

The left and right guards generals were furious. They put their hands on their swords, and with one move, the whole situation was affected. Both sides were on the verge of drawing their swords and leaning forward.

"stop!"

Li Yuanchang, Fang Xuanling, and Cheng Yaojin all spoke in serious, low voices almost simultaneously.

The flame was extinguished in its nascent stage.

All three were well aware of the situation and worked in perfect unison, separating the two groups and assigning people to control the situation.

After completing these tasks, the three entered the main tent.

As they entered, Fang Xuanling and Cheng Yaojin witnessed firsthand the state of the military camp. The camp was fully armored and equipped with a variety of weapons, making it a formidable and well-equipped force.

In particular, when they saw the black spherical objects on the bodyguards of the Han King, their eyes met in unison.

They tried hard to see what it was, but even a learned strategist like Fang Xuanling couldn't describe it.

Li Yuanchang had tea prepared and then dismissed all his attendants.

There were only the three of them in the entire main business.

"Alas, King of Han, why has it come to this!" Fang Xuanling's first words were a deep sigh.

If he had been holding back just now, he now seems more like an elder expressing deep regret and worry for a younger person.

Cheng Yaojin's burly face also revealed an indescribable sorrow.

It seems that both of them find Li Yuanchang's future troublesome.

Li Yuanchang smiled, appearing calm instead: "I presume you two are aware of the ins and outs of this matter. I need not feign anything with you. Today's situation is one that the court has forced upon me."

"What would you do if it were the two of you?"

"Should I accept my fate and end it all, or fight back with all my might?"

The two were taken aback by the question. Although they didn't say it, they knew that the main problem lay with Li Shimin.

In his later years, having witnessed too many rebellions, he no longer had that much confidence.

"But Your Highness, surely it doesn't have to be this way?"

"If you speak properly with His Majesty, he will listen, and he would never kill you. This old minister can guarantee that! Even if His Majesty is impulsive, he would never do something like killing a meritorious official. After all, all the civil and military officials are watching." Fang Xuanling frowned.

Li Yuanchang did not deny it: "His Majesty would not kill me, but he would not trust me either."

"Moreover, His Majesty's health is deteriorating day by day. Once he is gone, how could Changsun Wuji and those people tolerate me?"

The two were taken aback again, realizing that this made sense; each had their own concerns and perspectives.

Fang Xuanling did not continue the topic, but looked at him and asked, "Then, Your Highness, what do you mean now?"

"Does Lord Changsun really have to die before we can withdraw our troops?"

Li Yuanchang didn't respond, but instead asked, "What does Your Majesty mean now?"

"Your Highness, His Majesty is very angry, but considering the bond between brothers and your outstanding achievements, he wishes to give you and the army another chance."

"You should understand that if His Majesty doesn't protect you, it won't be us coming, but an army of hundreds of thousands!"

Cheng Yaojin looked serious and widened his eyes.

Li Yuanchang nodded: "I know, so even though it's been dragging on for half a year, I haven't actually done anything."

"What kind of opportunity is he referring to?"

"Can the safety of the military be guaranteed? Will our families be released?"

He got straight to the point, very direct.

"Your Highness, although His Majesty was furious, he did not order the execution of your families, nor did he issue a proclamation to annihilate the traitors immediately."

"His Majesty has already tolerated a lot. At this point, you should give His Majesty a way out. Only through back and forth can we reach an agreement."

"You can rest assured about safety. I... cough cough cough..." Fang Xuanling said, coughing violently.

Li Yuanchang and Cheng Yaojin helped him up.

"No, it's nothing." Fang Xuanling put down the handkerchief, but there was blood on it.

Li Yuanchang noticed this keenly and his gaze became worried: "Master Fang, what about your health?"

Fang Xuanling smiled and said, "I'm too old and useless now."

"After I've dealt with this matter, I'll go back to enjoy my retirement."

Li Yuanchang said with shame, "Lord Fang, it is I who have harmed you."

Fang Xuanling shook his head: "The fault in this matter does not lie with His Majesty, nor with you. If anyone is to blame, it is us for failing to stop His Majesty's decision."

"If the army didn't feel wronged for not being able to secure anything for His Highness in court, they wouldn't have to take this path that would cost them their lives."

These few words deeply moved Li Yuanchang.

Putting everything else aside, it's hard not to like Fang Xuanling for taking responsibility like that.