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

boom!

Li Yuanchang landed steadily on his feet, glancing over the soldiers and officers: "Pass down the order, our army has taken control of the entire city and recaptured Fu'ai City."

"Our troops are brave and skillful; we report this to the imperial court, and they will be richly rewarded!"

A thunderous roar of shouts and cheers erupted from the crowd.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!!"

"Thank you, King Yuandong! Thank you, King Yuandong!"

The sound was deafening and incredibly passionate, and the morale of the Far East Army soared all the way up.

At this moment, Li Yuanchang led his men slowly to the center of the square, where the captured Tuyuhun tribe leader and some nobles were located.

They were trembling with fear, and some even urinated on the spot.

"King of the Far East, please spare my life! Yes, it was the Tibetans who forced us to do this. If we don't cooperate, they will massacre the entire city!"

"We are all subjects of the Great Tang Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, a chorus of sneers erupted from all around.

If you get caught, life will be tough.

If they don't catch them, they'll show all sorts of faces.

Li Yuanchang didn't bother arguing with these people and looked directly at Murong: "These are your people. You decide how to deal with them."

Murong Khan was deeply moved.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

"These beasts are loyal in ordinary times, but when trouble comes, they're the first to betray us. To protect their own selfish interests, they've disregarded the entire territory of Tuyuhun. I think they should all be killed!"

A hint of hatred flashed in his eyes. If he had resisted a little longer, things might not be like this now.

He was heartbroken to see the capital city destroyed and nearly half of the people taken captive.

"No, no, Khan!"

"We were forced into this!"

"I was forced to!"

"We can't defeat the Tibetans at all. What good would it do to resist? At least we've saved our people!" the crowd cried out, begging for mercy.

Li Yuanchang sneered: "If it was for self-preservation then, what about just now? How do you explain your stubborn resistance? To put it bluntly, isn't it just that you're loyal to Tibet?"

"Far East King, no, absolutely not! We were forced into this!"

"We are subjects of the Great Tang Dynasty. How could we possibly be loyal to Tibet? Our loyalty to the Great Tang and our devotion to it are as clear as day!"

"We've been waiting for the Tang army to attack!"

"That's right. We followed Your Highness and the Khan to quell the internal strife. We swore an oath; how could we betray you? This is purely a temporary measure!"

In order to survive, these people were all incredibly eloquent, almost to the point of clinging to Li Yuanchang's coattails.

"Heh, those who speak lightly of righteousness will surely betray their cause in battle," Li Yuanchang chuckled, not surprised by human nature.

"Your Highness!"

"Khan!"

"Please, give us a way out! We were truly forced into this!"

"Khan, have you forgotten that when we followed you to quell the internal strife, you called us all your brothers?"

Someone played the emotional card, which swayed Murong Khan.

But Li Yuanchang wouldn't do that!

As the saying goes, "A kind heart cannot command an army," some things cannot be done, and some mistakes cannot be forgiven.

"From the moment you surrendered to Tibet and began working for them, you ceased to be subjects of the Tang Dynasty or brothers of the Tang army; you became strangers!"

"If I spare you, anyone will dare to do the same thing in the future."

"Let's get going."

After saying this, Li Yuanchang decisively waved his hand and pronounced their death sentence.

"No!!"

The scene was filled with cries of anguish and wailing for mercy.

But this was of no use; all the leaders who surrendered and rebelled were executed and their bodies were separated from their families.

Following this, with Li Yuanchang's help, Murong Khan began to regain control of the capital as Khan and released some former officials who refused to serve Tibet.

Then, as quickly as possible, they incorporated the prisoners, inventoried resources, and restored order.

The process went smoothly, without any post-war turmoil, and was carried out entirely under the strong military control of the Far East Army.

However, the damage inflicted on Tuyuhun by the Tibetan occupation cannot be erased.

The royal city's cattle, sheep, and population were all taken away, with only the most valuable people being taken away, leaving behind mostly the elderly, weak, women, and children.

If it weren't for the more than 40,000 surrendered soldiers, Fuai City would have truly become a ghost town.

That night, Fuai City was brightly lit, and the aftermath was being handled in full swing.

The Far East Army was responsible for military affairs, while Murong Khan was responsible for internal miscellaneous matters and cleanup, with a clear division of labor.

After taking stock of the wounded and Han Lei's affairs, Li Yuanchang stayed at the "Deer Palace," a relatively well-preserved royal palace.

"Your Highness, the hot water is here."

"The palace was severely damaged, and many wells were also destroyed by Han thunder, making it difficult to get water. Things should be much better after the water is cleared tomorrow."

"Let me wash your feet first. You'll be fine with a bath tomorrow. The brothers are working hard to repair it." Guo Chao brought over a large basin of water.

Li Yuanchang said, "No rush. Let's rest after the battle and tell the men below not to rush."

"They didn't fix it until dawn."

"Your Highness is kind and benevolent. This humble servant thanks Your Highness on behalf of me," Guo Chao said with a smile.

"Hey, I'll do it myself." Li Yuanchang waved his hand, feeling it was strange to have a man wash his feet.

Guo Chao withdrew his hands: "Yes!"

"If there's nothing else, you can go now. There are a few letters on the table; send them out."

"yes!"

Guo Chao clasped his hands in a fist salute, took the letter, and gently closed the door.

Li Yuanchang took off his shoes and socks, revealing blisters on his feet that were chafed and bleeding, causing him to wince in pain.

Although he mostly rode horses and carriages, soldiers always had to travel on the ground, and various reconnaissance, surveying, and patrols were commonplace for him.

Ordinary soldiers didn't walk as far as he did, which is a major reason why he could always defeat the enemy without any surprises in battle.

He had just put his feet in the water when there was a knock on the door.

"What's wrong? Is there anything else?"

"Your Highness, it was Khan Murong who sent people to deliver enough hot water. He said that there is a natural cave in a corner of the palace with clear and sweet water that is reserved for the royal family. Now that there is a shortage of clean water and it is inconvenient to transport water from Qinghai Lake, he has opened it to the wounded soldiers ahead of schedule."

"In addition, Khan Murong said that Your Highness had worked hard and sent you some food. He also sent a beautiful woman to take care of Your Highness's daily life."

"A beautiful woman?"

Li Yuanchang was still thinking about the water supply when he heard those two words, and his eyes lit up instinctively.

"right."

Li Yuanchang hesitated for a moment: "Never mind, it's inconvenient for women to come and go during military campaigns."

"Your Highness, the battle is over, and this is not a military camp. Moreover, Khan Murong meant well and heard that this woman is a member of the royal family. If we refuse her like this, it may hurt the feelings of the Tuyuhun people."

When Guo Chao saw Li Yuanchang hesitate, he immediately offered him a way out.

Li Yuanchang's reluctant voice came from inside: "That makes sense."

"Now that we're fighting side by side, we should still give them some face."

"Then bring him in so I can have a look."