Tang Dynasty: The Holy Prince, the Dragon that Reigns Over the World

Li Chengqian and his party arrived in front of the Turkic camp. When the Turkish soldiers saw Li Chengqian coming, they closed the camp gates, drew their bows and arrows, as if they were facing a powerful enemy.

"Jie Li Khan, didn't you ask me to come and negotiate peace? Now I come here alone, but you close the camp gate and draw your bow and arrow. Is this how you Turks treat guests? Or are you afraid of me?" Li Chengqian shouted. As soon as he finished speaking, the camp gate opened and a man came out on horseback.

"Dieluzhi, son of Jieli Khan, is ordered by the Khan of Eastern Turks to invite the Crown Prince of Tang to enter the camp."

"Oh? You are Dieluozhi who was beaten by my Xuanwu army and fled alone. Well, your legs are long, which is really suitable for running away. Long-legged Oppa, let's be friends!" Li Chengqian looked Dieluozhi up and down and said with a smile. Although Dieluozhi didn't know what Oppa meant, he didn't want to pay more attention to Li Chengqian, so he turned his horse back with anger.

"This guy is so rude. I wanted to make friends with him, but he gave me a cold look. I just stated a fact, and he got angry. He didn't even bother to take me in." Li Chengqian said with an unhappy look on his face.

"Master, you beat him up, and then came to his house to expose his scars and make fun of him. It seems that the master is not prudent. Dieluozhi didn't fight with the master, which shows that he is broad-minded." Deng Xiaohu said with a smile.

"He can beat me, but there is no one among the Turks who can beat me. I am very lonely." Li Chengqian looked like a lonely master.

"Yes, yes, the master has extraordinary skills and is invincible in the world. How can a mere Turkic boy be worthy of the master's eyes?" Deng Xiaohu said with a smile.

"Well, Ah Hu, you just like to tell the truth. I like it. Please tell me more in the future." Li Chengqian nodded and smiled.

"Okay, master." Deng Xiaohu nodded in agreement.

The two walked and talked, totally ignoring the ugly faces of the surrounding Turkic soldiers. Many Turkic soldiers wanted to teach them a lesson, but when they thought of Li Chengqian's strength, they could only give up in anger. Jie Li stood at the door of the tent with a face as red as the bottom of a pot, looking at them coldly. In front of the big tent stood a big pot with boiling oil boiling in it.

"Putting an oil pan in front of the door is a way to intimidate me. This trick is too old-fashioned. Jie Li wants to play with me, so let's play with him." Li Chengqian thought to himself and pretended not to know him.

"What is this? Why is it blocking my way? A bathtub? Is it a Turkic custom that guests must be asked to take a bath before they arrive? In broad daylight, in full view of everyone, going in to take a bath naked, isn't this custom a bit wild? I would be shy." Li Chengqian said with a look of surprise, and then a shy look.

Deng Xiaohu suppressed his laughter and pretended to be serious, "Master is right. The barbarians have no sense of shame. They actually watched the guests take off their clothes and bathe in public. Besides, the master is the crown prince of the Celestial Empire, the heir to the throne. Jie Li didn't even arrange a beautiful maid to help the master bathe. It's really rude."

"You humiliated my son as soon as you came in, and laughed at me, the Turk, all the way. Now you say that I, the Turk, like to be watched by others while taking a bath. Damn your bath, you are going to cook for me. And pretty maid, are you here to play?" Thinking of this, Jie Li's eyelids twitched with anger, and his face became darker.

"Your Highness, normally this is an oil pan, not a bathtub." Jie Li said coldly.

"Oh? Is this a pot? I thought it was a bathtub. I didn't expect the Khan to be so proficient in cooking. The Khan has placed a pot here. Does he want to invite me to dinner? But it's still early." Li Chengqian looked up at the sky and said puzzledly.

"No, do you want to cook me? Jie Li, you are so insidious. I came here calmly, but you wanted to cook me. I came here with good intentions, but you behaved like this. I am so heartbroken. You hurt me." Li Chengqian said with a heartbroken expression.

"Your Highness, you are wrong. Although my Turkic nation is in a remote area, we do not have such a way of entertaining guests." Jie Li said with his eyelids twitching wildly.

"Then why is the pot standing up?" Li Chengqian asked vigilantly.

"Your Highness, please have a meal." Jie Li gritted his teeth and spoke word by word.

"You really don't want to cook me?" Li Chengqian asked carefully.

"No cooking." Jie Li said gritting his teeth.

"Are you really going to treat me to a meal?" Li Chengqian asked again.

"Yes." Jie Li said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, that's good, but if you put this pot here, I will feel insecure." Li Chengqian patted his chest and said fearfully. Jie Li waved his hand to have the oil pot removed, and turned to walk into the tent. As soon as his right foot stepped into the big tent, he heard Li Chengqian loudly arrange, "Hey, you, remember to add more water, I like to drink mutton soup. Put more meat, too, I am still young and need nutrition to grow."

Jie Li stumbled and nearly fell when he heard this. The servant looked at Jie Li blankly, and Jie Li nodded helplessly and asked the servant to prepare mutton soup. After entering the big tent and sitting down, Jie Li said, "This Khan has a kind heart and does not want to see people suffer. He wants to stop fighting and negotiate peace with the Tang Dynasty. I wonder what the Tang Dynasty thinks."

"I came here to negotiate peace with the Khan." Li Chengqian nodded.

"Okay, we Turks are willing to negotiate peace with the Tang Dynasty, but there are several conditions," said Jie Li.

"Please speak." Li Chengqian said calmly.

"First, the Tang Dynasty and the Turks will cease fire today, and the Turks will withdraw to the grassland. The Tang Dynasty shall not stop us along the way and shall provide us with food and fodder. Second, the Turks have suffered heavy losses, and the Tang Dynasty must compensate us 3000 million strings of cash. Third, the Tang Dynasty and the Turks will sign an alliance, not offend each other, and be vassals of the Turks. Fourth, cede Lingzhou to the Turks," said Jie Li.

"You are asking for too much. You want our Tang Dynasty to pay a year's taxes and cede land to us? As if our Tang Dynasty has not been defeated? The bandits came to your house, burned, killed and looted, and you beat them up. You still have to apologize to the bandits, pay them money, and cede land? Our Tang Dynasty does not have such a broad mind as the Khan. When guests come, we have good wine; when bandits come, we have weapons. This is how we Tang people deal with the world. Do you think your conditions are possible? Whoever proposed the peace terms to the Khan must have been kicked in the head by a donkey. He is mentally retarded and in urgent need of social care." Li Chengqian said dimly.

"Then what are the conditions of your Tang Dynasty?" Jie Li asked with a dark face.

"It's very simple. First, the Turks will withdraw their troops back to the grasslands on their own, and they can buy food and grass from the Tang Dynasty court along the way. Second, the Turks will compensate the Tang Dynasty with 10 sheep and 10 high-quality horses. Third, the Tang Dynasty and the Turks will renew the alliance and call each other brothers. Fourth, the Turks will return all the captured Tang people. Fifth, the Tang Dynasty will open trade with the Turks." Li Chengqian said.

"Impossible. You are treating our Turkic people as a defeated country." Jie Li stood up and shouted.

"Don't worry, Khan. I don't need to say much about Khan's current situation. There is no need to hide the fact that Khan's relationship with Shibobi and Qibi Heli has broken down, and rifts have arisen. Now my uncle Wang of Hejian has arrived with reinforcements, the Yegu tribe and the Tongluo tribe have fled, and the main force of our Tang army can enter the battlefield at any time. Besides, you have also seen the peak of the Feilong Army and the Xuanwu Army under my command. If Khan insists on fighting to the death with our Tang Dynasty, our Tang Dynasty is not afraid, but Khan may not be able to fight. Khan has spent all his family wealth in our Tang Dynasty. Will the tribes still obey you when he returns? By then, your position as Khan will be in jeopardy, and your life and property will be in his hands in an instant. Khan is a wise man, how could he make a stupid choice.

It is in the best interests of the Khan to negotiate peace with the Tang Dynasty and become a brother country. The loss of some property and captured people is more important than the loss of the Khanship. Please consider it carefully, Khan. "Li Chengqian said.

Jie Li pondered for a long time, and finally sighed, "Okay." Then the two argued for a long time about the compensation, and finally decided that the Turks would compensate with 2 sheep and 1 horses.

Then, Jie Li invited Li Chengqian to dinner. Looking at Li Chengqian in front of him, at the age of 8, he had killed generals in battle and fought bloody battles. The weapons he trained were the best of the time. He went to the enemy camp alone to negotiate peace. His courage and insight were outstanding. Jie Li could not help but sigh, "If I had a son, I would want him to be like this!"

"Hehe, you think so too, I think so too. Don't you feel that your life is a failure because you didn't give birth to a son like me, as if you were living in a dog's stomach?" Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"You!" Jie Li suddenly felt a sweetness in his throat and felt like vomiting blood.

Li Chengqian finished eating and left. The old man in black robe entered the big tent and said, "This boy has rare intelligence and courage. He will be a great threat to our Turkic people in the future."

"Yes, this child is indeed rare. Li Shimin gave birth to a good son." Jie Li sighed.

"Then why didn't the Khan kill him?" the old man asked.

"Kill? How easy is that? This guy's martial arts are rare in the world. I'm afraid that before we kill him, he will kill me first. Besides, with Li Shimin's love for him, killing him will really be a fight to the death. We can't fight Li Shimin to the death now." Jie Li sighed.

"Don't worry, Khan. After we go back, we will integrate the grasslands, eliminate internal troubles, and choose another day to conquer the Central Plains." said the old man.

Li Chengqian was 10 li away from the Turkic camp when he saw the Tang army lined up in front of him. He was very curious and urged his horse to run to the front. He saw Li Shimin wearing armor and sitting on the horse.

"Father, all the troops are mobilized. What's going on? Could it be that the Turks took advantage of the peace talks to take action against our army? Damn it, they are courting death. Father, I will lead my troops to sweep the Turkic camp right now." Li Chengqian pretended to give the order to attack.

"Come back, come back. You are so impatient. Your father is worried about your safety. Since my son is fine, there is no need to create more trouble. Go back to the camp." Li Shimin said with a smile.

On the way back to the camp, Li Chengqian told everyone what had happened. Everyone was delighted and praised the prince for his excellent handling of the matter. Suddenly, Li Shimin whipped Li Chengqian on the shoulder with a horsewhip. Li Chengqian rubbed his shoulder and wondered.

"Why did my father beat me?"

"You bastard, you were eating and drinking to your heart's content at Jie Li's, looking so happy, while your father was outside, worried and frightened, without eating a single grain of rice, and now I'm still hungry. Do you know that you went into the enemy camp alone, and the entire Flying Dragon Army and Flying Wing Archer Cavalry were about to explode. That bastard Deng Yinlong asked for a fight no less than 10 times, and his head was bleeding. If you don't come out, those guys under your command will disobey my order and rush into the camp. You rebellious son, who else should I beat if not you?" Although Li Shimin was scolding Li Chengqian, he could not hide the relief and satisfaction in his eyes.

"Father, I will cook mutton soup for you when I get back. It will be absolutely delicious." Li Chengqian said flatteringly.

"Huh! Haha! With a son like you, what else could I ask for?" After a snort, Li Shimin burst into laughter.

Li Chengqian turned around and shouted to the Flying Dragon Army and the Flying Wing Archers, "Thank you, brothers."

"We are willing to die for Your Highness." The soldiers shouted in unison.

"Get lost! You idiots, just live your life well. When you retire, you can marry and have children. When you are old, we can brag and drink in front of our grandchildren." Li Chengqian said with a smile. The soldiers laughed. Li Jing saw this and said to Li Shimin, "Your Majesty, although the prince is young, he is very good at leading troops." Li Shimin smiled and nodded.

"Qian'er, remember your uncle for the mutton soup." Changsun Wuji said with a smile.

"Of course." Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"There are also us." Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, Hou Junji, Li Jing and Feng Deyi laughed in unison.

"Okay, okay." Li Chengqian said speechlessly.

"Your Highness, I remember teaching you that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen. Well, remember to call me." Kong Yingda said with a righteous face.

Li Chengqian nodded speechlessly. Back in the tent, Li Chengqian personally cooked a large pot of mutton soup, which Li Shimin and his group ate cleanly. But Li Chengqian didn't drink a single sip of the soup. Everyone looked at Li Chengqian's bitter face and laughed.

On the second day, Li Shimin and Jie Li Khan signed a peace agreement on the Weishui Bridge in the western suburbs of Chang'an. Both sides killed a white horse to sign an alliance. When Li Chengqian learned that the Turks had withdrawn from Yinshan, he released a carrier pigeon and ordered Xue Wanche to erect a stone tablet at the border between the Tang Dynasty and the Turks in Yinshan, which was inscribed with "The bright moon of Qin and the pass of Han, the people who have marched thousands of miles have not returned. As long as the sons of the Han family are here, the Hu horses will not be allowed to cross Yinshan." Signed by Li Chengqian, the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty.

Jie Li Khan led all the Turkic cavalry back. When he saw this stele passing by Yinshan, he just said a good poem calmly and left the Tang Dynasty. A war finally came to an end. In September, Jie Li Khan of the Turkic Empire offered 2 sheep and 1 horses as agreed, and returned all the captured Tang people.