Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

On the third day of the third month in the ninth year of Qianwu, the dawn began to break, the sky turned pale, and the vast desert gradually woke up from its slumber.

The biting wind blew the yellow sand and wandered freely across this desolate land, making sounds like the howling of ghosts and wolves.

Hu Dake and Liu Tong, wearing armor covered in sand and dust, called Ye Gang down.

Their faces were roughened by the wind and sand, but there was a sense of persistence in their eyes.

They have spent countless days and nights like this in this lonely frontier outpost.

According to convention, they need to stay here until mealtime, and wait for the soldiers who have finished lunch to come and relieve the guard before they can go down and have a hot meal.

The two sat side by side in the guardhouse, gazing at the vast desert in the distance. All they could see was a monotonous earthy yellow. Occasionally, a few drought-resistant thorns shivered in the wind, telling of the loneliness of this land.

Hu Dake and Liu Tong are not ordinary soldiers.

In the Tang Dynasty, they were also legitimate generals.

Especially Hu Dake, who was a fourth-rank official, and was a real official appointed by the imperial court.

I remember that time when I was commanding a large army under Cui Jingming, I was full of vigor and ambition.

Later, the aristocratic family was purged, but Hu Dake's official status was retained.

Time flies, and so many years have passed in a flash. In this remote frontier, many people have gradually forgotten that Hu Dake, who ate and slept with the soldiers and was as close to them as a brother, was once a majestic fourth-rank general.

Hu Dake himself never mentioned his past glory, but just quietly integrated into this group of soldiers and conscientiously completed his border guarding tasks every day.

Over the years, he has never returned to his hometown and can only maintain a trace of concern with his family far away through letters.

The soldiers here, like Hu Dake, have not set foot on their homeland for many years.

In a blink of an eye, seven years passed quickly. The long years of guarding the border gradually drained the passion of the brothers.

Even if a loved one in the family passed away, they could only suppress their grief and dared not embark on the journey home.

Because their current identity is rebels, and they are regarded as traitors by the court.

If I don't go back, maybe I can leave a good reputation among my neighbors as someone who guards the border for the country.

Once I go back, not only will I be in danger, but my family will also be exposed to gossip.

Looking back, under the leadership of the retired emperor, they fought bloody battles and pushed the border of the Tang Dynasty all the way here.

But now, those who survived often feel an inexplicable trance in their hearts.

They had charged into battle, fought most bravely, brushed shoulders with death countless times, and fought to the death.

However, to this day, they are still struggling to hold on in this desolate land, unable to die on the battlefield and achieve the heroic goal of "returning home wrapped in their horse's hide."

The words that Cui Gong said to him back then still echo clearly in his ears.

"There is no crime so great that martyrdom cannot wash it away!"

Over the years, Hu Dake has always kept this sentence in mind, and his hair has gradually turned white during the long wait.

Sometimes, when it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Hu Dake would always dream of Cui Gong.

The whole world was slandering Mr. Cui. In the court and in the streets, everyone was cursing him.

In the eyes of the public, Mr. Cui is an unforgivable person, the head of the world's aristocratic families, and all the sufferings he has caused are because of him.

But Hu Dake knew in his heart that anyone in the world could slander and betray Cui Gong, except him, Hu Dake, and neither could the soldiers who had received Cui Gong's favor.

These people, who came from poor backgrounds and were from the lower classes, had not read many books of sages and could not speak of any profound principles.

However, during a time of famine, it was Mr. Cui who, out of compassion, sent people to deliver life-saving food.

Those white rice and flour really saved their family and allowed them to survive those difficult years when famine was everywhere.

Many people also told them that it was extremely stupid for them to be so devoted to Cui Jingming.

They said that the culprits who caused the people to starve to death were the wealthy and powerful families, so how could Cui Jingming be a good person?

Hu Dake understood the reason, but he knew even more clearly that at that difficult time, other children of noble families watched indifferently as the people lived and died, so why was it that only Mr. Cui extended a helping hand?

Hu Dake will never forget this kindness.

Just as Hu Dake was lost in thought, Liu Tong beside him reached out and pulled his arm, saying anxiously, "Old Hu, stop daydreaming. Look, someone's coming."

Hu Dake suddenly came to his senses and looked up, only to see a cloud of dust rising in the distance and a group of black-clad riders riding tall horses rushing straight towards them.

These black-clad riders were none other than cavalrymen from faraway Arabia. In the Tang Dynasty, people called them the Black-clad Arabs.

The Arab Empire spanned three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. Its cavalry was invincible wherever it went. During its long years of conquest, it almost never encountered a real opponent.

Anurchi, as a representative of the hawks in the Arab army, always scoffed at the prosperous scenes of the Tang Dynasty described by the envoys returning from that country.

In his eyes, the Arab cavalry was invincible, while the Tang Dynasty was nothing more than an Eastern country with only superficial strength and bluffing.

In Anurchi's strategic vision, the Tang Dynasty has always been his target of conquest.

Before this, because there was the Western Regions between the Tang Dynasty and the Arab Empire, he could temporarily suppress his ambitions.

In his view, the Western Regions would sooner or later fall into the hands of the Arab Empire.

But what he never expected was that the Tang Dynasty actually sent troops to attack the Western Regions without issuing any notice to the Arab Empire.

In Anurchi's eyes, this move was undoubtedly a slap in the face and a blatant provocation to the majesty of the Arab Empire.

After that, Anurchi joined forces with a group of generals who advocated war and wrote to the king many times requesting him to send troops to attack the Tang Dynasty.

With their unremitting efforts and strong requests, the king was finally persuaded and agreed to their request to send troops.

So, Anurchi led this elite cavalry unit and marched towards the border of the Tang Dynasty.

At this moment, Hu Dake and Liu Tong looked at the black-clad Arab cavalry who were getting closer and closer, and their expressions became solemn.

Hu Dake slowly stood up, tightly gripped the spear in his hand, and stared firmly ahead.

Years of guarding the border have made him disregard life and death. Now, facing foreign invasion, he has only one belief in his heart, that is to defend this land of the Tang Dynasty at the cost of his life.

Liu Tong was not to be outdone. He quickly picked up his weapon and stood side by side with Hu Dake, ready for the upcoming battle.

The opportunity has finally come. They can also die on the battlefield like their dead brothers!

As the black-clad Arab cavalry gradually approached, their figures became clearer and clearer in the dust.

Anurchi, the leader, was wearing black armor.

He looked at the Tang Dynasty outpost in front of him, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he thought to himself that this small outpost was just the first stepping stone for him to conquer the Tang Dynasty. It wouldn't be long before the entire Tang Dynasty would tremble under the iron hoof of the Arab Empire.

When the two sides were getting closer and closer and could see each other's faces clearly, Anurchi suddenly pulled the reins.