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

However, they were only famous, not good. Neither Goguryeo nor Silla had outstanding warhorses, which were generally classified as second-class horses by the Tang Dynasty.

First-class horses refer to warhorses bred by nomadic peoples in the north. These were the highest-grade horses. The Tang Dynasty's own horse farms were actually inherited, learned from, bred, and bred from nomadic peoples.

"Are you sure which ranches can raise good horses?"

"I remember that most of the horses in Silla were fruit-tree horses, small ponies that walked under fruit trees, and were merely playthings for the nobles."

Almost everyone nodded at the same time.

"King Han, you can do it!"

"They raise ponies because they lack the ability and money. The cost of raising a qualified warhorse, not to mention purchasing and breeding horses, is several times that of a second-class pony."

"This was due to the insufficient national strength and lack of attention of Silla, not the fault of its pastures and water pastures."

"I've been to that pasture; it's simply a pastoral paradise. Aside from the pastures of the northern nomadic tribes, it's at least on par with the Tang Dynasty's own territory!"

Li Yuanchang was somewhat tempted by their confident expressions.

In ancient times, warhorses were like airplanes and trains, essential for both warfare and transportation. In the 21st century, which powerful nation isn't heavily investing in high-speed rail?

"However, Your Highness, that is not within the sphere of influence of Goguryeo, I'm afraid..."

"Moreover, the area is located on the border between Silla and Baekje, and the two sides already had disputes over the ownership of the ranch, which had led to numerous military clashes."

As they spoke, the group felt awkward. After talking for so long, they realized they were talking about someone else's territory, so how could they raise livestock?

But that's not the most troublesome problem.

Su Gui spoke up, "Your Highness, Silla has long paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty and has always received military protection from the Tang Dynasty."

"Since the two sides have close ties, I'm afraid Silla won't cooperate with us."

"After all, cooperating with us is tantamount to making an enemy of the entire Tang Dynasty."

This statement essentially declared that the matter of the breeding farm had reached a dead end.

Li Yuanchang paced back and forth, lost in thought.

"Your Highness, in my opinion, it would be better to put this aside for now. Currently, the imperial army is besieging Ansi City. If we can successfully repel the enemy this time, the shift in our prestige will give us more leverage to persuade Silla to lease our livestock land to us."

Su Gui, as expected of a famous prime minister of three dynasties in history, gave a perfect answer in an instant.

You're right.

"If we want Silla's horse farms, we'll have a better chance of getting them after we defeat the imperial army."

"However, this matter has reminded me that the peninsula is too divided, with three kingdoms coexisting and Baekje stuck in the middle."

Li Yuanchang muttered to himself, already considering Baekje, Silla, and even Japan.

Although these regimes did not pose a significant threat to him, they were too fragmented, operating independently and serving as subordinates of the imperial court, which severely limited the survival and development of the "Han Family Army".

He thought to himself, "This matter definitely needs to be resolved later."

"Alright, let's put this matter aside for now and deal with the enemy first."

"After you all go down there, first establish the ranch's core team, recruit more apprentices, take good care of the existing warhorses, and prepare for the future."

"The money needed, ask Lord Su for it."

"yes!"

After the horse breeders left one after another.

"Li Yi." Li Yuanchang called out.

"Your Highness."

Li Yi followed closely, appearing suddenly like a ghost.

With the eastward relocation of all forces under the Han Prince's Mansion, at least half of the Black Ice Guard's personnel also entered Goguryeo, while the other half remained in Tang territory.

It is worth mentioning that the people who remained within the Tang Dynasty had already established contact and cooperation among themselves, with Wu Zetian at the core.

"Send men to Silla and Baekje to establish footholds in advance, paving the way for the future."

"In addition, secretly send some gifts to Queen Jindeok of Silla, saying that I have long admired her and want to be her friend."

"That's all for now," Li Yuanchang said.

He was somewhat confident about King Uija of Baekje.

The two sides had already been in contact when the post road was built. King Uija received benefits and turned a blind eye, even tacitly agreeing to cede unclaimed land to Goguryeo.

It will be easier to get access to the horse farm in the future.

Only with this Queen Zhende was Li Yuanchang uncertain about her attitude.

This woman in history was no ordinary person; she was the only woman among the fourteen stone statues of vassal leaders erected at Zhaoling Mausoleum after Li Shimin's death.

Moreover, she was the only female leader and female ruler. Although she was far from being a female emperor of a unified dynasty like Wu Zetian, she was still quite formidable.

She had been paying tribute to the Tang Dynasty, following the path of currying favor with the powerful, but they had never actually interacted. Li Yuanchang was unsure whether she was truly loyal or just using this as a temporary measure.

He needs to test the waters first.

"yes!"

……

For several days afterward, the imperial army still did not launch an attack.

But the area beneath the city walls was extremely lively.

Ashina She'er's troops repeatedly challenged the Han army to battle outside the city, issuing declarations of war and attempting to lure the Han army out of the city to meet them in battle through various means.

It must be said that Ashina She'er, a veteran general, was very experienced. He used various insults and provocations to anger the soldiers guarding the city several times, and they went to Li Yuanchang to ask to fight or raid the camp at night.

But Li Yuanchang suppressed them all one by one.

The reason he stayed in Anshi City was not because he distrusted Jin Minda's command abilities, but because he was worried about his arrogant and unruly soldiers.

Kim Min-da can only control his own men; he cannot control these people.

Compared to the imperial court's elite border troops, they were lacking in many aspects and were easily tricked.

Once provoked, going out to fight, even in a one-on-one duel, can easily lead to trouble.

Forget about raiding the camp; for a commander of Li Ji's rank, going there would be like throwing himself away.

The two sides thus became locked in an endless stalemate.

The land, which should have been scarred and devastated, was instead covered with wild grasses and flowers, resembling a sea of ​​blossoms when viewed from the city walls.

They challenged and insulted each other every day, like a single-player game played by the imperial army.

After Ashina She'er's plan failed, he even came up with the tactic of using mares to lure stallions.

This tactic was not used by Ashina She'er; Guo Ziyi used it during the An Lushan Rebellion in history.

However, its effectiveness was extremely limited, and it was always countered by the Han army.

The massive city of Anshi had become truly impregnable; the imperial army could not destroy it, whether it was its food supplies, water sources, or manpower.

They desperately hoped that the Han army could leave the city and fight to the death, but Li Yuanchang simply wouldn't give them that chance.

Time just dragged on day by day.

The battlefield was extremely strange; hundreds of thousands of people were brought in but could only stare blankly, hardly engaging in any actual combat.

Until May 6th, the stagnant battlefield underwent a change!