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

Meanwhile, at Gudu Ranch, dark clouds rolled in and strong winds rose.

The once lush pasture now gives one the feeling of dark clouds looming over the city, as if a storm is brewing.

Originally, Li Yuanchang could have moved away after winning the first victory, since waiting in the same place would definitely have led to the arrival of the Tibetans, but he did not choose to leave.

Instead, they decided to stay put and confront the main force of the Tibetan army head-on.

There are too few cities within the territory of Tuyuhun; most of it consists of plateaus and plains. If we cannot defeat them on a large scale in one go...

Pushing things forward little by little is just too slow.

With gunpowder at his disposal, Li Yuanchang didn't need to proceed cautiously; he could simply engage in direct confrontation.

At this moment, around the Far East Army's garrison, numerous horse traps rose from the ground, forming line after line of defense, and the uneven trenches were covered with layers of green grass.

These methods cannot stop the Tibetan army, nor can they cause actual casualties, but their core value lies in "slowing down" them.

Once the enemy cavalry slows down, the impact is less powerful, giving the gunpowder throwers enough space to throw Hanleys.

Only after a large number of Han Leis have been dealt with can the close combat begin.

In the military camp, which resembled a Bagua formation, Li Yuanchang stood at the highest point, observing the final deployment of the Far East Army through binoculars.

He transformed his military camp into a Bagua formation. The exact origin of this formation is unknown, but he used a modified version recorded in the "Records of the Six Armies of Duke Wei," which best suited the Tang army's combat sequence and weapons.

From a distance, it appears as a giant octagonal circle. From a military perspective, once you enter, you can't get out; of the ten gates, only one is a gate of life.

Unless one possesses overwhelming strength, the only way to break the formation is to attack the life gate, find the formation's core—the platform where Li Yuanchang is in command—and destroy it to achieve victory.

But this avenue of survival has also been essentially blocked.

At that moment, the gunpowder operators there were making preparations, burying mines and laying down barbed wire, ready to give the Tibetans a "big firework display".

"Your Highness, do you really not want us to do anything?" Murong Khan appeared out of nowhere, his face full of tension.

He already knew Li Yuanchang's plan to confront the main force of the Tibetan army here.

If the enemy really sends an army of 100,000, it will be 20,000 against 100,000, and there will be no city walls to protect them, so they will be exposed in advance.

Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.

Li Yuanchang put down his binoculars and smiled: "No need. You take the captured supplies and the cattle and sheep from the pasture up the mountain. After the battle, you can come down to assist with the cleanup."

"But Your Highness, more manpower means more support. Although the Tuyuhun are not as good as the Tang army, they can at least fight."

Li Yuanchang shook his head: "I have already set up the formation. You are not familiar with the evolution of the formation, and staying here will only block the way and increase the burden."

"The battle is over, that's when you'll be deployed. We're just doing our jobs."

"Go quickly."

"The Tibetans should be arriving soon. They've been scammed and suffered heavy losses, so they certainly won't let this go easily."

Upon hearing this, Murong Khan could no longer insist: "Yes, Your Highness, then I shall take my leave."

Li Yuanchang nodded and watched him leave.

Ten hours later.

Li Yuanchang received five consecutive warnings from the scout camp in different directions, claiming that a large number of Tibetan cavalry had appeared and were rushing towards Guduo Pasture at full speed.

Immediately, the military camp was in an uproar, with crowds gathering.

The massive Bagua Formation officially began operating, with numerous messengers, flag bearers, and generals entering the formation, each managing their assigned area.

Viewed from above, it looks like a huge, sophisticated instrument, refracting countless cold glints in the sunlight.

Although the battle had not yet broken out, the murderous aura was already overwhelming.

noon.

The first Tibetan vanguard cavalry appeared on the horizon, lined up in a row, covering the entire plain.

"They're here! They're here!!" A high-pitched and urgent warning rang out from the watchtower.

In an instant, countless eyes were cast upon them from the platform.

"Beat the drums!!"

Li Yuanchang roared.

Bang, bang, bang bang bang...

The rapid and dense drumbeats felt like they were pounding on one's heart.

"The Tibetan barbarians are here!"

"The Tibetan barbarians are coming! Brothers, get ready and check your equipment!"

The generals' shouts rose up, and below, clanging sounds echoed continuously as nearly 20,000 troops began their final preparations.

During this period, Li Yuanchang's telescope revealed an increasing number of Tibetan cavalrymen, who came from all directions, blotting out the sky.

The thunderous sound of hooves grew closer and closer, as if it would trample through the entire earth, and a savage, bloodthirsty magnetic field pressed in.

If this were an ordinary army, they would have fled at the mere sight of it by now.

"Your Highness, it's at least 30,000 people!" Guo Chao had already made a rough estimate by visual inspection.

"Let's take another look," Li Yuanchang said calmly.

In just over twenty breaths, the Tibetan army, located three miles from Gudu Ranch, grew in number and came from more than one direction.

"Your Highness, there should be 50,000 troops now. They've stopped, and it seems they're still gathering and exchanging messages," Xue Rengui said, holding up his binoculars.

Li Yuanchang asked with a hint of disappointment, "Only 50,000 people?"

"Perhaps they only had time to gather this many people, and some of their troops are stationed in more distant places, so it's uncertain," Guo Chao said.

Li Yuanchang squinted: "I wonder if Dayan Mangbuzhi has arrived yet. If we kill this guy, we'll basically have conquered Tuyuhun."

In the blink of an eye, after the Tibetan army completed its assembly, the scattered troops gradually became orderly. Although they were not as clearly organized as the Tang army, they were still divided into formations such as those for swords, bows, and spears.

A tall Tibetan cavalryman, wearing an animal fur hat and chainmail, charged toward the Tang army camp and challenged them from a distance of only a hundred paces.

Where is Li Yuanchang?

Seated at the forefront of the southwest was Yuan Tuo, who gripped his Tang sword and shouted, "How dare you! How dare you address my lord by his name?"

"You coward, tell him to come out! I, the Grand Marshal, have personally issued a challenge. If he has the guts, he should come out and fight to the death, fight like a man!"

Like the Turks, the Tibetans were inherently barbaric, admired the strong, and enjoyed one-on-one duels.

Having said that, the man drew his bow and shot the challenge letter into the Far East army's camp.

Yuan Tuo picked it up and quickly had someone send it back to the platform.

Li Yuanchang's reply was also quick.

The messenger whispered something in Yuan Tuo's ear, and Yuan Tuo quickly stepped forward, shouting, "Go back and tell your Grand Marshal that my lord said that Ama Awang was just unlucky. If Tibet sends another batch of gold, silver, jewels, and beautiful women, His Highness will withdraw his troops and never be an enemy of Tibet again!"

When the news reached the Tibetan army, it infuriated Dayan Mangbuzhi.

He directly ordered the army to advance once again, and even personally led his troops to a location not far from the Far East Army's camp.

Holding a riding crop, he roared, "Li Yuanchang, you despicable scoundrel! Do you think I, the commander, would still believe you?"

"Our army has completely surrounded your forces. Come out and surrender immediately, or you will be utterly annihilated!"

Yuan Tuo scoffed, "The prince said, if you have the guts, come and attack; if you don't, get lost!"

"A bunch of useless trash!"