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

Changsun Chong nodded.

"Didn't Consort Yin die of illness in a temple after the late Emperor's passing?"

Changsun Wuji smiled and shook his head.

"She didn't die; she's in the Far East."

"She had an affair with Li Yuanchang and they had a son together."

Changsun Chong was shocked upon hearing this, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"Not only that, there are also rumors that the former Crown Princess has appeared in the Far East."

"this……"

"This beast has audacity!" Changsun Chong exclaimed, speechless.

Changsun Wuji said calmly, "This is indeed a major matter. Anyone else would have died a hundred times over. But do you know why His Majesty knew but pretended not to know? He even spread false information."

"Why?" Changsun Chong asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"value!"

"Li Yuanchang's value and power are undeniable, and His Majesty cannot ignore them. But when your status reaches a certain level, these things become trivial."

"During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, His Majesty's actions were no worse than Li Yuanchang's now, yet who criticizes him?"

Changsun Chong fell completely silent. He had seriously underestimated Li Yuanchang's strength and his importance in the emperor's eyes.

"So, Father, you mean to maintain the status quo?"

Changsun Wuji shook his head, looking at his eldest son with a hint of disappointment; he still couldn't see the deeper meaning.

"As I have said before, the Changsun family, and even the entire Guanzhong Plain, cannot coexist with Li Yuanchang."

"It's either him or me."

"There is no possibility of mediation, not even by His Majesty."

"This is completely different from His Majesty's philosophy of balance."

"This is no longer a personal grudge. If it were, I could let it go."

"But this is a power struggle, a struggle over the rise and fall of a family over a century; there is no room for gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, or humility!"

Changsun Chong seemed to vaguely sense something. He had never felt such heaviness and pessimism from his father, and even a hint of ruthless calmness.

"Father, you..."

He had only spoken halfway when suddenly, a trusted confidant of the Changsun family strode in and whispered something in Changsun Wuji's ear.

Changsun Wuji's gaze was deep: "As expected, they've arrived."

"really?"

"Father, who's here?" Changsun Chong was bewildered, completely unable to follow Changsun Wuji's thoughts, only feeling that his father's actions were unpredictable.

One minute they're helping to give up the opportunity for impeachment, the next they're talking about a life-or-death struggle.

"The enemy of my enemy." Changsun Wuji said meaningfully, then stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked out, leaving Changsun Chong standing there in a daze before following him.

"..."

Tuyuhun, Fuai City.

The month-long period has passed, and two enormous plain fortresses have sprung up, each square with a three-meter-high wooden fence and barbed wire.

Although far less sturdy and towering than city walls, it was still quite effective in defending against cavalry charges and wolves lurking around.

Once the two large settlements were built and the seeds and tools arrived, Li Yuanchang immediately ordered the Tuyuhun people to be relocated to farmland to ensure self-sufficiency.

However, on the day of the migration, as soon as the people left the city, the heavily damaged and resting Tibetan cavalry reappeared and suddenly launched an attack.

The battle broke out again.

However, this time the Tibetans learned from their disastrous defeat in the previous battle and no longer attacked with large-scale legions. Instead, they broke into smaller groups of twenty to fifty people to carry out raids.

From Qinghai Lake all the way to Fu'ai City, countless Tibetan cavalrymen appeared at the same time. They were not only plundering the people, but also attacking and destroying the military farms and harassing the logistics and supplies.

In short, the Tibetans no longer pursued large-scale military victories, but instead shifted to a strategy of harassment and gradual encroachment, primarily involving burning, killing, and looting.

This move caused the Far East Army a great deal of trouble as soon as it was made.

"Report!"

"Your Highness, three more Tibetan cavalry units have appeared in the South Valley area."

"Report!!"

"Our army's horse ranches on the western front have been looted!"

"Report! A Tibetan cavalry unit suddenly appeared at Qinghai Lake, set fire to a camp of the Tuyuhun allied forces, and more than 300 people have been displaced..."

"..."

News of Tibetans appearing one after another reached the capital, constantly updating the number of times they were seen, far exceeding the initial predictions of the Far East Army and causing considerable losses.

No one expected that the Tibetans, who were known for their fierce and bravery, would be so cowardly.

It may have been cowardly, but it was undeniably effective. The dispersed harassment and looting effectively neutralized the Far East Army's firepower advantage.

If ten teams are dispatched at once, and half of them succeed, the Tibetans will profit.

In order to deal with the Tibetan counterattack and retaliation, Li Yuanchang acted decisively and dispatched a large number of cavalry for reinforcement and escort.

In particular, he ordered the rapid relocation of the people into the fortified villages and settlements, to protect them together with the agricultural settlements, in order to avoid the dispersal of troops and the weakening of their coverage area.

The cavalry of both sides engaged in a protracted and fierce skirmish in the vicinity of Qinghai Lake and Fu'ai City!

This stalemate lasted for another month.

At this time, with winter approaching, the Far Eastern Army was actually at a disadvantage.

"Your Highness, another of our strongholds has been captured, resulting in the loss of over seventy warhorses and more than twenty casualties."

"On the road from Qinghai Lake to Longxi, the grain convoy was robbed three times. Although the Tibetans were stopped, some of the grain and horses were washed off the cliff during the fighting."

"In addition, three of the Tuyuhun's allied forces were almost completely wiped out while patrolling other towns."

"As of now, the losses have exceeded 5,000 shi of grain and fodder, over 500 warhorses, and nearly 2,000 casualties."

"We have failed in our duties, and we beg Your Highness to punish us!"

Wan Jun, accompanied by several generals, apologized. He didn't look dejected, but he did seem somewhat remorseful and annoyed.

Get up.

"The enemy is in the shadows, while we are in the light. It's normal that our army was caught off guard and had to deal with them quickly. We don't blame you," Li Yuanchang said calmly.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

"However, Your Highness, we need to think of a countermeasure. If things continue like this, our army will fall into the Tibetans' rhythm."

"They moved across the plains as if they were on flat ground, and their cavalry was invincible. Once they had completed their raids, they would immediately retreat to the western plateau, making it difficult for our army to pursue them."

"Yes, when the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy retreats, we harass. Isn't this the same tactic Your Highness used before?"

"Why are the Tibetans so cunning?"

The generals were clearly a little agitated by the temporary gains and losses.

Li Yuanchang reassured him, "You can't treat Dayan Mangbuzhi, the commander of the three armies, as a fool. He clearly suffered heavy losses and was bloodied during the fierce attack on Guduo Ranch."

"He's still launching a frontal attack? Isn't he just asking for trouble?"

The generals, upon hearing this, also agreed that it made sense.

"Your Highness, if that's the case, why don't we take the initiative and attack? Our army is already on the offensive, and now we've given the Tibetans a chance to catch their breath."

"That's right!"

"Your Highness, I am willing to be the vanguard!"

"I'm willing to go too!"

"Our scouts have tracked down to a plateau in the west, where at least several thousand of the main Tibetan forces are stationed!"

As they spoke, everyone was eager to try and get back at the passivity they had suffered over the past month.