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

Seven days later, on January 18th, Liaodong was freezing cold.

After several days of preparation, Li Ji launched his operation.

But it is still not a military operation.

A caravan disguised as Tang scouts crossed the vast, uninhabited Gobi Desert and infiltrated northern Goguryeo.

It is worth mentioning that this was not a battle zone. Due to the terrain, no troops were deployed along this route during the Tang Dynasty's several attacks on Goguryeo.

On a desolate horse farm, Tang scouts had just arrived when they were surrounded by a large number of Goguryeo cavalry who suddenly appeared.

"We are subordinates of Li Ji, the commander-in-chief of the Great Tang Dynasty!"

A scout shouted in Goguryeo.

The Goguryeo cavalry merely surrounded the enemy without launching an attack, remaining vigilant.

The two parties arranged to meet, rather than having an encounter.

Soon, the Tang scouts were disarmed and carried boxes into a certain outpost.

There were already people waiting here.

There were no pleasantries between the two sides; they went straight to the point. One after another, heavy boxes were opened by Tang scouts with a series of thuds.

The golden light emanating from inside was almost blinding; it was filled with gold and silver jewels.

All the Goguryeo soldiers around were drawn to the scene, their eyes filled with greed.

"The commander said this is a gift for you when we first meet."

"There's more to come, and all the supplies you want are also available!"

The man sitting on the high platform, hidden in the shadows, paused for a moment, then chuckled, "The mighty Li Ji, a war god of the Tang Dynasty, actually sends gifts to a nobody like me?"

"What exactly do you want to do?"

The Tang army scout general spoke in a deep, neither humble nor arrogant manner, demonstrating his skill in negotiation.

"You should know very well what we want to do."

"You are the old aristocratic forces of Goguryeo, but as far as we know, after Li Yuanchang conquered Goguryeo, he killed most of the aristocratic forces. The reason you were able to survive is purely because you groveled and obeyed orders."

Upon hearing this, the temperature inside the outpost plummeted, even the brazier flickered, and the Goguryeo people all glared at him with hostility.

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you and use your heads to collect the reward?"

Whoosh!

At the scene, Goguryeo soldiers drew their crescent-shaped swords.

This is the border region, a desolate wasteland. If we were to actually take action, we would be left without anyone to hear our cries for help.

"Killing us is easy, but it will be difficult for you to turn the tables again." The Tang army's scout leader was cold-blooded, and the rest of his men also looked at the other side with a tough and bloodthirsty gaze.

These are definitely Li Ji's core elite troops, and they are definitely ruthless soldiers who are used to seeing dead!

"You've gone from being nobles to subjects, losing your privileges, losing your freedom, and being subject to all sorts of restrictions, haven't you?"

The other person's eyes were unpleasant, and they remained silent.

"Only we can help you."

"How can you help?"

"The commander promises to give you more wealth, salt, iron, and cloth, so that you can be self-sufficient, and will recognize your status."

"How can I believe you if you just talk nonsense?" the person on top said again.

The Tang scout calmly reported: "The salt and cloth will arrive tonight!"

"We have three thousand catties of salt and eight thousand bolts of cloth!"

Upon hearing this, the man's eyes narrowed, clearly showing his interest.

Three thousand catties of salt is already a lot, and this stuff isn't meant to be eaten in one meal anyway.

As for things like cloth, they are also basic resources, the core of whether or not one can gain a foothold. Iron goes without saying, it is definitely a war resource.

long silence.

"So what do you want me to do?"

……

Chubu Prefecture.

"One, two, one, two!!"

"Keep up! Everyone behind, hurry up and keep up!"

A deafening shout echoed around the city walls. A group of strong young men, shirtless, carrying stones on their backs, were running along the rugged mountain road outside the city.

The novel training methods were a breath of fresh air for many Goguryeo people.

Along the way, Tang soldiers supervised and led the procession, making it a grand and spectacular sight.

At a glance, it appears to be a group of about five thousand people.

This is a "reserve battalion" recruited locally in Goguryeo. They are preparing for the vacancies of the three major battalions, and this is also the only new army in the Central Prefecture.

At this moment, Li Yuanchang, wearing a cloak, was observing the city wall through binoculars.

The training pace wasn't good; he saw many people fall behind, many couldn't keep up, fell to the ground, and even vomited.

The high-intensity physical training directly overturned the common sense of ancient cold weapon warfare.

Generally speaking, in ancient times, being well-fed, plump, able to wield heavy weapons, and having learned some basic slashing techniques were enough to qualify as an elite soldier.

But Li Yuanchang's army was not formed in this way. Almost none of the eight thousand soldiers from Liangzhou were fat or had potbellies; they were all either burly or lean, with a very low body fat percentage.

He placed greater emphasis on physical fitness and willpower, training his soldiers according to the standards set by future generations of soldiers.

"Your Highness, these Goguryeo people are really terrible. In just three days, more than two hundred of them have already died."

"The best candidates for this group are those selected from the recruits, the youngest ones, but they can't keep up with the training at all."

Li Yuanchang said, "It's normal at the beginning."

"It's not that they're incapable, it's that my standards are too high. Let's take it slow; this winter should be enough for them to transform themselves."

"Those who really can't hold on will be demoted to logistics and escort duties."

Guo Chao frowned: "But Your Highness, that would be too few people."

"We managed to gather 5,000 people here by sheer force. If we have to screen them again, we'll probably only have 3,000 at most."

Li Yuanchang said, "The quality of soldiers is more important than their quantity. Three thousand men are enough if they can be trained well."

"Furthermore, there are also recruitment efforts in other places, so I estimate there are at least 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers."

"The only difference is that the reserve battalion has slightly higher requirements. Even though it is not as large as the imperial army, it is definitely enough."

"yes!"

Li Yuanchang then said, "Go and make preparations. Starting tomorrow, I will be touring various cities to inspect the training of new recruits, and also to make an appearance, distribute some rewards, and boost morale."

"yes!"

"I will prepare immediately."

Li Yuanchang put down his binoculars, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Cui He seemed to have been waiting for a long time, and his helmet was covered with snow.

"How is it?"

Cui He quickly stepped forward. He had already taken full charge of the black powder business and had gained Li Yuanchang's complete trust.

Cui Wanqing not only gave birth to two sons, but her family also remained loyal to her.

"Your Highness, the fourth batch of Han grenades has been completed. This time, a total of 7,752 Han grenades and 100 explosive packs were made."

"Including the first two batches, Hanlei already has more than 54,000 units. It's just that the arrival of winter has made transportation difficult, otherwise there would be even more."

As he spoke, he smiled.

Although Japan's supply of raw materials decreased significantly, it was replenished after conquering Goguryeo.

"Very good!" Li Yuanchang was satisfied and still very confident about the upcoming battle.

"This batch will remain in Chubu Prefecture."

"Strict secrecy and martial law are in place at the arsenal. I have already received word of this and have learned some information in Chang'an. The Ministry of War is also collecting the three major raw materials in an attempt to replicate them."