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

"what?"

"Then..." Cui He was shocked.

Li Yuanchang calmly said, "The three major raw materials are not a secret. There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. The large-scale collection by Japan and Goguryeo will definitely be known to the court."

"But they can't replicate it, at least not in the short term."

Cui He breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, Your Highness, rest assured, I will keep a close watch and not let a word of it leak out."

Li Yuanchang nodded: "Provide care, but don't overdo it. Increase the rewards and allow the craftsmen to see their families every five days."

"Their freedom will be gradually restored after the war ends."

"yes!"

"..."

On January 19, Li Yuanchang began his first inspection tour without stopping.

He had been in Goguryeo for so long, but he had only visited Ansi City and Chang'an City. The other cities were all managed by the Goguryeo people who had submitted to him.

Even in places other than some key cities where his confidants and troops were stationed, many places remained as they were.

The lords of various cities declared their allegiance and cooperated with Li Yuanchang.

However, their relationship was not that close. It is impossible to say that there was no unrest among the people when the imperial court sent a large number of troops to attack.

Li Yuanchang also planned to take the opportunity of inspecting the new recruits and their garrison status to appease the major cities along the way.

In addition, he had previously agreed to the requests of the various city lords, providing them with money, grain, and even some supplies.

His first stop was the most important pass, Anshi City, which was a key barrier for the main base and definitely the main direction of the Tang army's attack.

With Jin Minda and his trusted confidants like Lu Zhong in charge, the area boasts a newly recruited force of 12,000 men. Combined with Jin Minda's troops, the actual combat strength exceeds 50,000. Coupled with the treacherous terrain of Anshi City and the support of Han Lei, it can be said that one man can hold the pass against ten thousand.

Li Yuanchang only stayed for one day, gave some instructions, inspected some fortifications, and then left.

Jin Minda was a renowned general, and with trusted confidants like Lu Zhong watching over him, he was completely at ease, so he didn't linger.

Next came Pingtu City, Gaohan City, Qingniao City...

These cities, linked together, resembled a giant tortoise shell, completely blocking the advance of Li Ji's army, making a surprise attack virtually impossible.

With the construction of new post stations, these cities are more closely connected and can send troops to help each other.

Furthermore, most of these cities were garrisoned by personnel from the three major battalions, who also brought Han Lei (a type of military unit).

To put it bluntly, the current Goguryeo is much more difficult to attack than the previous Goguryeo, at least ten times more difficult, or even more.

If there are no internal problems, even someone like Li Ji, Li Yuanchang couldn't think of any way for him to win.

The weather and terrain were already incredibly difficult to navigate, and then there was the gunpowder...

For half a month, he traveled between major cities, raided military camps, and met with city lords, keeping himself very busy.

But everything went relatively smoothly.

However, when he inspected the north, in areas where there were no troops from the Han Prince's personal guard stationed, various problems began to arise.

In these more remote areas, the city lord not only failed to deploy defenses according to his military requirements, but also withheld the rewards he gave to the soldiers.

When the soldiers got their hands on a bolt of cloth, only half of it remained, and the five jin of rice each person ate also vanished without a trace.

After a thorough undercover investigation, it turned out that no one even knew about this.

Enraged by this, Li Yuanchang immediately dispatched a thousand elite troops into the city, where they beheaded the city lord who had embezzled military funds on the spot, hung his head on the city wall, and then reissued the military funds.

Iron-fisted methods deter villains.

The supplementary payment of military pay was supported by the soldiers.

Afterwards, he promoted a new city lord, but he also learned a lesson: corruption exists everywhere.

He gradually shifted from inspection to patrol, and temporarily added several cities, intending to conduct a large-scale inspection.

February 4th.

Lugan City.

The wind and snow howled, and frost covered everything.

Upon arriving at this place, Li Yuanchang did not enter the city, but instead conducted a covert investigation as usual, intercepting an army of about fifty men outside the city.

"We pay our respects to the King of Han!!"

Fifty people knelt down in fear and trepidation, never expecting to encounter Li Yuanchang here. He was a legendary figure who had betrayed the Tang Dynasty and was now the ruler of Goguryeo, a man to whom the entire kingdom submitted.

"Rise." "I'm on patrol, just passing through this area." Li Yuanchang dismounted. "Yes!"

Fifty people were in awe.

In their eyes, and in the eyes of all Goguryeo people, Yi Won-chang was another king who killed Yeon Gaesomun and succeeded him.

The current ruler, Gao Baozang, is still in Li Yuanchang's hands. It's essentially the same thing under a different name, but most people still support Li Yuanchang.

"Are you veterans or new recruits?"

An ordinary officer clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness, I am a veteran, the rest of you are newly recruited. I am in charge of training, and we are here on a mission."

"How much is your monthly wage, and what rewards have you received?" Li Yuanchang asked again.

The officer wanted to answer, but he stopped him.

"You tell me yourselves."

The group exchanged glances and then spoke up: "Reporting to the King of Han, we receive eighty coins and half a shi of millet each month."

"Not long ago, we also received a bolt of cloth and five kilograms of rice."

Almost everyone spoke in unison, without any room for discussion.

This surprised Guo Chao and the others, who thought there might be embezzlement involved.

From this perspective, the lord of Lugan City seems more reliable.

"You haven't been training?"

"Reporting to the Prince of Han, we are in training. Today we were ordered to drive away wolves from a post station. After the post station was built, the stored horses attracted the attention of the wolves. We are about to return after completing our mission," the officer said.

Li Yuanchang nodded.

"So, how's the situation on your end?"

"Is the situation still stable in the countryside? Have food prices risen?"

Everyone shook their heads: "His Highness the Prince of Han is very stable."

"Since your arrival, not only have taxes been reduced, but there has also been an increase in grain and goods, and there has been no chaos whatsoever."

This was probably the best city Li Yuanchang had ever visited. In other places, even if there was no greed, there would still be all sorts of problems, such as wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice.

These things are nothing compared to the current war, but this is his second home, which will require a long period of development, so he will deal with them when they come up.

Just as he was about to say something, suddenly!

Rumble!

The sound of horses' hooves approached from the horizon, and his men quickly locked onto the target with their binoculars.

"Report!"

"Your Highness, a relief force of about a hundred men is approaching!"

The term "auxiliary army" was a private term used by the Tang army, referring to some second-line troops of Goguryeo, which also existed within the Tang Dynasty.

During the Zhenguan era, the Han and non-Han peoples lived together, and large armies would usually be accompanied by various auxiliary troops.