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

Dayan Mangbuzhi, his face stained with blood, rugged and disheveled, suddenly revealed a touch of sorrow as he finally spoke the truth.

"Perhaps this is the fate of my Dayan family."

"Taking a step back means death, taking a step forward also means death; it's just a matter of being a hero or a coward."

"The Grand Chancellor's plan may have started from the very beginning. I am but a pawn, a pawn used to defeat Li Yuanchang."

"Chess piece..." His subordinates and relatives all changed color!

"Yes, this is the role I'm supposed to play. Those SOS messages are just a smokescreen, a smokescreen for my subordinates."

"At least the Grand Chancellor gave me the chance to die on the battlefield, instead of being forced to commit suicide at home like those others."

Dayan gave a bitter laugh, revealing his resentment towards his fate, but also a hint of madness.

"So, a chess piece it is."

"Today, even if I'm to be a chess piece, I, the commander, will be the highest chess piece!"

"At least Li Yuanchang also believed that I was the sacrificial lamb, which means he fell for the trap."

"Although I don't know what the Grand Chancellor is planning, since he wants me to hold off Li Yuanchang, then I will hold him off to the very end, and I will die standing!"

Upon hearing this, the Dayan family members looked resentful.

"General, how could the Grand Chancellor treat us like this!"

"We might as well surrender!"

"That's right!"

boom!

Dayan grabbed his son by the neck, his face fierce and ferocious.

"This is a sense of belonging to the family, and a source of pride for the family!"

"If we don't die here, our entire family will be disgraced, and everyone will lose their lives because of it!"

"The sons of my Dayan family can only die in battle, never retreat and be executed!"

Every member of the Dayan family, including Dayan Mocuo, wore a face filled with despair and indignation.

"By order of the commander, send the entire Imperial Guard to fight Li Yuanchang to the last drop of blood, to restore the glory of our Tubo Dayan!"

"yes!!"

The entire Dayan family roared, prepared to die in battle.

"..."

Time ticked by, and the passing of night seemed like a countdown to the death of the Gongwang Plateau, while the howling wind sounded like a funeral dirge.

The howling winds throughout the night foreshadowed an impending storm.

Li Yuanchang, residing in the main camp at Mipo Mountain, could not close his eyes.

His chopping board was covered with military reports from various departments, almost all of which described a very favorable situation, indicating that the Gongwang Plateau had been completely surrounded.

Han Lei has consumed most of his explosives, but most of the explosive packs are still there. They are being pre-buried in batches. There is enough black powder, enough food, and enough manpower.

Even the scouts at the front lines did not report any signs of reinforcements from the Tibetan homeland, at least not within a hundred miles.

Even so, he still felt a little uneasy because the supplies were late.

Suddenly, the sound of wind blew into the tent. Li Yuanchang looked up and saw Guo Chao.

He brought in a bowl of hot soup: "Your Highness, it's so cold outside, why haven't you rested yet?"

"I am waiting for news from Lu Zhong."

Guo Chao said, "Is Your Highness perhaps too stressed? The Dayan Legion is already at its last gasp; defeat is only a matter of time."

"Even if there are logistical problems, it won't affect anything."

Li Yuanchang did not make any bad predictions; he simply accepted the hot soup.

"The closer we get to victory, the more careful we must be."

"How's it going outside?"

Guo Chao replied, "Your Highness, everything is fine. Although it is cold, we are not having any problems keeping warm, and the wounded soldiers' camp is very quiet."

"There are guards stationed at various strategic points on the mountain. Generals Xue and Wan are taking turns on duty."

"We will launch the final offensive as soon as it is light."

Li Yuanchang nodded.

Guo Chao then tentatively suggested, "Your Highness, why don't you remove your armor? Lie down and rest for a while; after all, your health is the most important thing."

"I'll be on guard outside. I can wake you up immediately if anything happens."

As the head of the personal guard, Guo Chao generally did not go to the battlefield. He was responsible not only for relaying military information and providing close protection, but also for food and lodging.

He could clearly sense that Li Yuanchang was somewhat uneasy.

"No need, I can't sleep anyway, I'll just wait it out," Li Yuanchang said.

Li Yuanchang looked up.

Guo Chao explained: "The scout battalion captured some locals who were gathering intelligence for the Tibetan army, including several women."

Li Yuanchang was amused: "Do you think I'm suffering from unbearable hunger and thirst?"

Guo Chao was embarrassed.

"Your Highness, I was just worried that you weren't getting enough rest and that you were under too much stress."

"It's nothing, and those below don't know either. Although it's explicitly forbidden, this is how it's done in private between armies. Your Highness, just treat this as an interrogation of a criminal."

Li Yuanchang waved his hand, refusing outright.

Women are indeed a good remedy for relieving the tension of battle, and this has been true throughout the 20th century.

But at this critical juncture, it's impossible for him to be thinking about those things.

Upon hearing this, Guo Chao dared not say anything more and could only stand by.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but finally, Li Yuanchang's eyes showed signs of weariness, and he drifted off to sleep.

Just then, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching. When he opened his eyes, he saw Guo Chao still standing there.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?"

"Didn't you hear footsteps?"

"No." Guo Chao was taken aback.

"Impossible, go out and see for yourself," Li Yuanchang said firmly.

Guo Chao had no choice but to jog out to check the situation.

He initially thought Li Yuanchang was having a nightmare, or even being paranoid, but once he went outside, he saw torches like fireflies on the mountainside, rapidly making their way up the mountain.

Wow!

He lifted the curtain: "Your Highness, there really is someone here."

"About fifty or sixty men on horseback are galloping wildly down the mountainside, heading towards the camp!"

Li Yuanchang jumped to his feet, saying he had heard some faint sounds of horses' hooves.

"Fifty or sixty people?"

As he spoke, he had already arrived outside the tent. The fierce, cold wind of the plateau blew against him, making it impossible for him to open his eyes.

"Yes, I have already sent people to inquire about the situation and find out which battalion it is."

Amidst the howling wind, Li Yuanchang keenly discerned that the cavalry on the mountainside were moving at extremely high speed.

He immediately became suspicious and narrowed his eyes.

It's understandable during the day, but visibility is extremely low at night. Running at this speed on a rugged road in the high plateau is suicidal. The risk of falling off a cliff is extremely high!

If someone is running so recklessly, there must be some urgent matter at hand.

"Let's go!" Li Yuanchang rushed into the wind and snow.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, what are you doing?"

"You're not wearing an outer garment!" Guo Chao shouted, holding a torch and leading his men in a frantic chase, unable to keep up with Li Yuanchang's pace.