My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 285: The woman who kidnapped the prince in exchange for Thunderbolt?
September of the eighteenth year of Zhenguan.

News came from the Western Regions that Guo Xiaoke, the commander-in-chief of the Anxi Road, led 3,000 cavalrymen to attack Yanqi.

Guo Xiaoke crossed the river at night and suddenly attacked Yanqi City. The Yanqi King Long Tuqizhi was caught off guard and was captured by the Tang army.

After conquering Yanqi, Li Shimin issued an edict to appoint Long Tuqizhi's younger brother Long Lipozhun as the King of Yanqi.

However, the Western Turkic Khan Yipi Duolu had no intention of giving up.

Invaded the western border many times.

In the 16th year of Zhenguan, Guo Xiaoke defeated Yibi Duolu Khan and undermined his power.

After that, the Western Turkic Khanate was in constant chaos and war.

It was obvious that Yibi Duolu had no intention of giving up.

Inside the Western Turkic royal court, the strong wind carried sand and stones, like a ferocious beast, and pounced towards the huge tent, making a dull and sharp whistle.

Yibi Duolu Khan had a gloomy face as he sat on the throne. His eyes were as sharp as torches as he stared at the sheepskin map spread out in front of him. His gaze was like that of a hungry wolf, patrolling the territory of the Tang Dynasty and finally stopping at the Western Silk Road and Liaodong. His fists clenched unconsciously, and veins bulged on the back of his hands.

"The Tang Dynasty is really going too far!"

"They suppress us everywhere in the Western Regions and firmly control the Silk Road in the Western Regions, cutting off our financial resources!"

Yibi Duolu Khan's roar echoed in the empty royal court, full of anger and unwillingness.

For Yipi Duolu, Yanqi was a very important move.

The grassland was poor, and a large amount of materials had to be imported from the Tang Dynasty, and production was impossible.

After experiencing many failures, Yipi Duolu wanted to seize the road to wealth in the Western Regions and become stronger again.

But now it has failed miserably.

The counsellor Qu Lichuo said: "Khan, the Tang Dynasty is strong and powerful, and our army is strong. If we fight head-on, our chances of winning are slim."

"But now there is an opportunity."

"There's news from the Central Plains that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and his Crown Prince are at odds and a big conflict has arisen."

Yibi Duolu laughed when he heard this and said, "The Heavenly Khan of the Tang Dynasty can't educate his own son?"

Qu Lichu replied: "The Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty unified Liaodong and his military achievements are unrivaled. He is no longer someone the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty can control whenever he wants."

Yibi Duolu Khan said enviously: "If I had such a good son, I would just give him the position of Khan and let him lead our Turks."

When Yibi Duolu Khan said this, he meant it sincerely.

The Turks have always been very concerned about intelligence about the Tang Dynasty.

Especially the Crown Prince of Tang Dynasty.

There's nothing I can do, it's just too dazzling.

You have to know that Goryeo was not a small country. Part of Goryeo's territory involved the northern steppes of the Mobei Desert, and the surrounding tribes all respected Goryeo.

Such a powerful country, including the later Silla and Baekje, was defeated by the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty in less than two years.

It sounds and feels very legendary.

The Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty is such a legendary figure.

Not just militarily, but economically as well.

Yibi Duolu Khan also knew about the coal plant.

Last winter, the coal burned in the big tent was all shipped from the Tang Dynasty, which was a rare commodity.

Due to the long journey, the price of the goods transported to the grassland was higher than gold, and only the nobles could afford it.

Qu Lichu introduced: "He is really a good son. The Tang emperor seized his son's coal mine. The gold in his bag could not be put in and fell all over the ground. He built a large number of palaces and paid the craftsmen."

Yibi Duolu Khan asked: "If he does this, isn't he afraid that his son will rebel against him?"

Qu Lichu said, "This is our chance, Khan."

"The prince of the Tang Dynasty has occupied Luoyang and refused to return to Chang'an. This clearly shows that he is trying to rebel against him."

"If the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty fights with the Crown Prince, that will be our chance to seize the Western Regions."

Of course, the Turks would like the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty to fight with the Crown Prince.

These two people are both terribly strong.

If they joined forces, Yibi Duolu Khan would even consider moving away.

Fortunately, there is no room for two tigers in one mountain, even if they are father and son.

Yibi Duolu Khan sighed and said, "It would be great if I could get the thunder fire."

Upon hearing this, Qu Lichu's eyes flashed with a gleam of brilliance, and he lowered his voice and said, "Khan, this Thunderbolt Fire is said to have been created by a talented person under the command of the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. It is extremely powerful. If we can get it, we will not only have the upper hand in the confrontation with the Tang Dynasty, but also use it to deter the surrounding tribes and revive the power of our Turkic people."

Yibi Duolu Khan nodded slightly, his eyes full of greed and desire.

It's just too difficult to get the Human Torch.

Even the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty couldn't get it, let alone he was thousands of miles away.

Qu Lichuo said: "Khan, we can also select a group of smart and capable scouts, disguise them as merchants from the Central Plains, and sneak into Chang'an."

"Even if we can't capture the Human Torch, we can still learn more about the situation."

"Or at the right time, we can sow discord between the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the Crown Prince and make them fight."

Yibi Duolu Khan nodded, but did not show much interest.

This is too remote a possibility.

But let Qu Lichu make the arrangements.

The reason why Qu Lichu made this suggestion, besides wanting to gather intelligence, was actually more out of his own greed for money.

After all, arranging a large number of spies to infiltrate is a considerable expense.

If you just take a chance on it, you can make a lot of money.

Not just Western Turks.

a few days later.

A group of envoys from the Arab Empire arrived at the Western Turkic royal court.

At the summons of Yibi Duolu Khan.

Two Arab envoys dressed in exotic costumes entered the royal court under the guidance of the guards. The leading envoy was tall, with a resolute face, wearing a gorgeous turban, and his eyes were shrewd and mysterious. He bowed slightly and said, "Respected Yibi Duolu Khan, I am Khalid, an envoy of the Arab Empire. I came from the distant and powerful Arab Empire with the greatest sincerity. I have been waiting in your place for many days. Today I finally get to meet the Khan. It is really an honor."

Yibi Duolu Khan nodded and said, "Friends who have come from afar, please tell us your purpose."

Yibi Duolu Khan also knew something about the Arab Empire, which was a very powerful country.

But how powerful it is, I don’t know.

Anyway, Yibi Duolu Khan felt that no one was stronger than him.

In this world, besides the Tang Dynasty, is there any other powerful country?

The Tang Dynasty thought that Yibi Duolu Khan was a barbarian, while Yibi Duolu Khan thought that the Middle East was even more barbaric.

This is a chain of contempt.

The Arab envoy Hadler replied: "The prince of the Tang Dynasty helped Rome, married a Roman princess as his concubine, and even sheltered the fleeing Persian emperor, inciting India to oppose our Arab Empire."

"Khan, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. We have common needs." Yibi Duolu Khan frowned slightly: "What do you want to do?"

The Arab envoy Hadler said: "It is about the Western Regions. We have learned about the defeat of the King of Yanqi. If we can unite, we will definitely be able to eradicate the power of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. By then, the wealth of the Western Regions will be under our control."

It must be said that Yibi Duolu Khan was very tempted by this proposal.

He asked, "How many soldiers do you have?"

The Arab envoy Hadler said proudly: "We can send 5,000 cavalry."

Yibi Duolu Khan didn't believe it and said, "Where did you get all these troops?"

Five thousand cavalrymen is not a small number.

The Anxi Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty had only three or four thousand cavalry.

The Arab Empire is extremely far away, how could it be possible for 5,000 cavalry to come here?

Hadler said confidently: "Among the nine states of Zhaowu, three are already willing to support our Arab Empire and send troops to help the Khan."

The Nine Zhaowu States were sandwiched between the Tang Dynasty and the Arab Empire, and were considered a buffer zone on the border.

This time, the Arab Empire spent a lot of money to get the support of the three countries.

The military expenses were all borne by the Arab Empire.

In the eyes of the Arab Empire, as long as they seized the Silk Road, wealth would come rolling in.

When Yibi Duolu Khan heard this, a trace of doubt flashed across his face. He stroked the armrest of the chair and spoke slowly: "The Nine Zhaowu Kingdoms have always been indecisive. How credible can their promises be? What if they turn against us at the last minute? Wouldn't we be in dire straits?"

Khalid quickly explained, "Don't worry, Khan. We have signed a secret agreement with these three countries. If they dare to violate the agreement, the Arab Empire will mobilize the whole country to flatten their countries. Moreover, to show their sincerity, they have already sent some elite troops, and they are on their way."

Qu Lichu interrupted coldly, "Even so, what chances do 5,000 cavalry have against the elite troops of the Tang Dynasty? Although the Anxi Protectorate only has 3,000 to 4,000 cavalry, the Tang Dynasty can send reinforcements from the interior at any time, so we have to be on guard."

The cavalry of the Tang Dynasty are not ordinary cavalry.

Often one horse is as powerful as five and is very ferocious.

The Western Turks have suffered a lot.

Khalid asked with a smile: "Will the Turkic warriors just watch their friends fight alone?"

Yibi Duolu Khan snorted coldly: "Of course not."

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

If there were really 5,000 cavalry to help, Yibi Duolu Khan felt that he would still be able to defeat the Anxi Protectorate of the Tang Dynasty.
-

Luoyang.

The atmosphere is very lively at the moment.

However, apart from this, there are also undercurrents.

The gangsters, tempted by the huge reward, began to act.

However, when they actually set out to find the formula for the Human Torch, they found that it was an almost impossible task.

The Luoyang Palace, Li Chengqian's residence, was heavily guarded, like an impregnable fortress. Elite soldiers were on duty at each gate of the palace, their eyes were sharp, and they watched everyone who approached with vigilance. The patrol team was neat and orderly, and the footsteps echoed in the silent night, as if announcing the majesty and inviolability of this place to those who tried to break in.

The gangsters tried various methods. Some tried to disguise themselves as palace servants, but they were discovered at the first checkpoint when entering the palace. Because every servant in the palace had a detailed registration and strict examination, it would be difficult for any unfamiliar face to pass through.

Others took advantage of the night to climb the high walls of the palace, but before they could get over the top, they were discovered by the sharp guards, who shot sharp arrows at them like raindrops, forcing them to flee in a panic.

The military camp outside the city is even more of a dangerous place.

This is the core of the prince's army. Scouts shuttle around the military camp like ghosts, not missing any suspicious signs.

Those who tried to get close to the military camp to spy on the situation were often discovered by patrolling scouts before they even got close to the military camp. The scouts were well-trained, and once they found a suspicious person, they would immediately surround him quietly and kill him without leaving any alive.

For a time, the bodies of those gangsters were often found in the wilderness around the military camp. It seemed that their appearance was just to prove the danger here.

After countless attempts and failures, the people in Jianghu fell into a dilemma. They had greed and courage, but they were helpless in the face of these numerous obstacles.

Just when they were about to give up, a piece of news came.

In the past, before the prince went on the eastern expedition, Feng Huiyin, the daughter of Changle Feng family, had served the prince. Now, Feng Huiyin was coming to Luoyang from Xindu, Jizhou.

The news spread quickly in the martial arts world, and those martial arts people who were unwilling to give up the huge reward ignited new hope in their hearts.

Kidnapping Feng Huiyin?
Blackmailing the prince to hand over the formula of Thunderbolt?
"But what if the prince doesn't care about Feng Huiyin?"

Questions were raised.

Inside the dim tavern, the atmosphere was depressing and tense. The flickering candlelight illuminated the confused and unwilling faces of a group of gangsters.

The person who raised the question just now was a thin, middle-aged man with cunning eyes, named Zhao Liu. His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

"Humph, if the prince doesn't care, then all our efforts will be in vain," said a burly man with a face full of flesh, taking a big gulp of wine and speaking in a muffled voice.

Someone said: "I don't think so. Besides, we don't have any other chances."

As soon as these words came out, everyone fell silent.

This is true.

After a while, everyone will become discouraged.

With so many people dead, many people have actually started to back down.

But in Luoyang, there is a mysterious person secretly providing funding.

For example, free food, drinks and accommodation.

Someone pays the bill.

Many people choose to stay for the free food and drinks, even if they have no other ideas.

"But if the prince really doesn't care, we'll be in trouble."

"The prince is not someone you can easily mess with. If we anger him, we will have no place to stand in the Tang Dynasty."

One person said worriedly.

In fact, everyone is still very afraid of the prince, but they are unwilling to give up.

"What are you afraid of? We are all on the edge of a knife. This is something you have to fight for your lifelong livelihood."

"As long as we get the Thunderbolt Fire formula, we will go to Chang'an to claim the reward. Does the prince dare to come to Chang'an to look for us?"

"Even in the future, the Tang Dynasty is so big, how could the prince really find us?"

"Done."

A big man jumped out and yelled.

This was immediately inspiring.

They began to plot how to kidnap and how to obtain the formula of Thunderbolt from the prince.

Yet these people don’t know this.

One of them, with a look of delight in his heart.

Although Li Chengqian didn't care about the reward offered by the King of Wei, he would not just ignore it.

He already had spies among these people.

(End of this chapter)