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

Late at night, Zuopo Pass.

The Tang army set up a brand-new camp here, with numerous bonfires lit and iron pots bubbling loudly.

Some were cooking rice, others were boiling medicine; the noise was tinged with a sense of tranquility.

Li Yuanchang was drinking a bowl of congee with some diced meat in it, which was considered a pretty good meal in ancient times.

The Far East Army actually had its own supply channels, but surprisingly, this time the imperial court's grain supply was not cut off or delayed in any way.

It is highly likely that this is related to Li Ji being in charge of scheduling and being directly under the jurisdiction of Li Zhi.

"Only eight thousand people?" Li Yuanchang suddenly asked.

Not far away, Tsangyang Shuituo nodded: "Time was too short, and in the rush, we only managed to persuade these people to surrender."

"The young men of Tuyuhun who were abducted by the Tibetans were mostly not on the border. They were either taken to Tibet to mine or conscripted by various tribes."

"If we want to get those people, the Tang army will probably have to invade Tibet itself."

Li Yuanchang nodded. Both Tubo and Tuyuhun were sparsely populated and resource-scarce areas, so it was normal that there weren't many people on the border.

But this was far from what he had planned.

With such a small population, there isn't even enough arable land, let alone enough land for the Tuyuhun to rebuild their army.

Once Tuyuhun is conquered, he will definitely leave. If he leaves, what will Tuyuhun use to resist if Tubo makes a comeback?

Suddenly, he looked at Kumamoto Mizutaku and beckoned with his finger.

Cangyang Mizutaku slowly stepped forward, his dark eyes fluttering with eyelashes, until he stood before Li Yuanchang.

She bent down gently, causing the candlelight to flicker.

She subconsciously covered the neckline of her ruqun with one hand, but immediately let go.

She was afraid others would see it, but she was also afraid Li Yuanchang wouldn't see it.

"As for the other eight goddesses, are you confident you can persuade them to surrender?"

"As long as they betray us, I guarantee them wealth and honor." Li Yuanchang raised an eyebrow.

"this……"

Cangyang Mizutaku hesitated, frowning.

"It's almost impossible."

"If you can surrender, why can't they?" Li Yuanchang said.

Cangyang Mizutaku smiled bitterly: "His Highness's sword is at your throat; you have no choice but to surrender."

"But if I were in Tibet, and Your Highness tried to turn me against you, I certainly wouldn't listen."

Li Yuanchang frowned; that made sense.

"You're quite direct."

"Isn't this because I was afraid His Highness would be unhappy?" Cangyang Mizutaku forced a smile.

When power is great enough, even a religious goddess has to smile obsequiously.

After a moment of silence, Li Yuanchang continued, "What if I could offer an immense benefit?"

He firmly believes that every human being has weaknesses, and that by attacking those weaknesses, one can gain the upper hand.

But Tsangyang Shuituo still shook his head: "This is not a good thing. No amount of money can buy the status, power, and faith of Bon."

"At least, they won't betray the Holy See until the very last moment, unless Your Highness breaks through."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang took a deep breath. It was not realistic to invade for the time being; the Gongwang Plateau alone had already given the Far East Army a hard time.

Entering Tibet, the roof of the world, a forbidden zone for life?

It would take at least several years of preparation, plus the full support of the nation, and even then, it might not work.

"Okay, got it."

"You continue with your work, and relocate as many people as possible eastward."

"yes!"

Cangyang Suitaku lowered his head, then his eyes flickered, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Li Yuanchang could tell she had something to say.

"Your Highness, many of the people who migrated eastward were Tibetans and Qiang people. As their numbers grow, it becomes increasingly difficult to control them. If a mutiny or conflict were to occur, the consequences would be unimaginable."

As she spoke, she stole a glance at Li Yuanchang's expression and tentatively asked, "I wonder if Your Highness would allow me to set up an altar to worship Heaven and help Your Highness win over the people and stabilize the situation in Tuyuhun."

"In this way, it can also be encouraging..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang smiled, feeling a sense of uncertainty about his fate.

Cangyang Mizutaku froze instantly, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Li Yuanchang slowly pinched her chin with one hand.

She raised her head, her body tense, her heart filled with unease, as if she were being gripped tightly by an invisible force.

"Do you want to help me win over the people, or do you want to win over the people for yourself, set up your own sect, expand your power, and continue with the old Bon religion?"

"Your Highness, I had no such intention. I was truly acting out of loyalty to Your Highness." Cangyang Shuituo appeared flustered and kept trying to prove himself.

But Li Yuanchang didn't believe it at all.

He had many women around him, and many in charge of his affairs. From Situ Lan and Wu Meiniang to Chi Lian, Song Yu, and even several female subordinates from the Far East Prince's Mansion, he entrusted them with important responsibilities.

He was progressive in his thinking and did not reject women in charge, but only on the condition that they were loyal.

Cangyang Shutuo, however, is clearly not in this category. His predecessor was a clergyman of the Bon religion, and such people are very thoughtful.

Of course, she couldn't go back to Tibet, but she still wanted to hold sacrificial rites, which was actually about developing followers and using her abilities and religious influence to cultivate power in the local area.

This is tantamount to asking him for power.

Even Wu Zetian wouldn't dare to do that!

What gives her the right?

She surrendered and accomplished very little; by any measure, it seems rather unseemly for her to bring this up.

Li Yuanchang slowly stood up, his tall and straight figure exuding an aura of dominance over the world, a far cry from the former King of Han.

His gaze was fixed intently on Takumi Kurang, making her scalp tingle and her heart pound with fear!

He didn't speak, but his hand, which was holding her chin, slowly moved down from her neck to her collarbone, and finally skimmed across the water to her chest, which was partially covered by her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and gently felt it with the back of his fingers.

It's like a stress test or a loyalty test.

Cangyang Shuituo trembled, his heart pounded, and he did not resist; his awe outweighed his shame.

Immediately afterwards, Li Yuanchang spoke calmly.

"I'm warning you, do what you're supposed to do. I know everything you're thinking."

"I can see through you."

"If there's a next time, it won't be so easy."

This was an extremely direct, no-nonsense warning of death.

Cangyang Suitaku knelt down with a thud.

"Your Highness, I did indeed harbor some侥幸 (a sense of侥幸, a feeling of taking a chance), but I never imagined that I had crossed the red line of Your Highness's prohibition against religious sacrifices. I am guilty!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanchang looked down at him with a disdainful smile.

"Is it just wishful thinking?"

"Don't you have any selfish motives?"

Cangyang Shuituo's eyes were filled with panic, fearing that if she were seen through, her already fragile position would immediately crumble.

Without Li Yuanchang's trust and support, she, this so-called goddess, was not even as good as an ordinary person with the strength to plow the fields.

"Your Highness, I am willing to offer myself as a sign of my loyalty."

As she spoke, she bit her lip, her dark eyes filled with determination. With a swift movement, her high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) slipped down to her shoulders, revealing most of her snow-white breasts—a sight of extreme allure!