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

Chapter 604 No matter how many lives are lost, they are just numbers. Li Zhentao is different from others. As the emperor's direct confidant, Li Ji knows in his heart that this person's face cannot be rejected in any way.

He weighed it over secretly, and finally sighed helplessly, nodded slightly, with a perfunctory tone in his voice.

"Then I'll trouble the Grand Commander to send someone to meet him."

For Li Ji, it was just a formality. As long as the situation was not impolite, he could deal with it.

Seeing Li Ji's agreement, Li Zhentao immediately stood up, straightened his back, and shouted at the top of his voice, "Come here, quickly call Wu Tianyan to show him to General Li!"

At that time, Wu Tianyan was at his own residence, accompanying Wu Shuangquan.

Li Zhentao's message broke the warmth.

Wu Tianyan looked confused. This afternoon was a day off. In the past, the mansion was very quiet at this time and had never been disturbed by official business.

He really couldn't understand why Li Zhentao suddenly summoned him. What urgent matter had happened?

He subconsciously looked at his father. Wu Shuangquan understood the worry in his son's eyes and gave him an encouraging look, signaling him to go ahead without worry.

With his father's tacit approval, Wu Tianyan carefully helped Wu Shuangquan down and said softly, "Dad, I'm going to the Grand Commander's Mansion. I'll chat with you when I come back."

After saying that, he looked at his father carefully for a while. Seeing that Wu Shuangquan slowly closed his eyes, his breathing was steady, and he had fallen asleep peacefully, he felt relieved and turned around to leave.

Before going out, Wu Tianyan dressed meticulously.

He first put on the Ming Guang armor that shone with a cold glow, with pieces of fish scales tightly connected together. Then, he put on the Wenwu sleeves embroidered with a black tiger. The black tiger's fangs and claws were bared, making him look even more heroic.

After getting dressed, Wu Tianyan looked around in the bronze mirror, and after confirming that everything was correct, he strode out of the house.

Along the way, Wu Tianyan was confused and kept guessing in his mind why Li Zhentao summoned him.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became, but he still couldn't figure it out.

With this uneasiness in his heart, he came to the Grand Marshal's Mansion.

As he entered the hall, Wu Tianyan saw Li Zhentao and Li Ji at a glance.

In an instant, excitement surged in his heart. After all, Li Ji was a famous veteran of the Tang Dynasty with outstanding military achievements and was highly respected.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, straightened his clothes, stepped forward and saluted.

"I pay my respects to the Grand Commander and General Li."

Li Ji raised his eyebrows and his eyes fell on Wu Tianyan.

The man in front of me had a resolute face, his eyes showed tenacity and extraordinary heroism.

Li Ji's heart stirred, and his originally weary expression brightened. At least, this young man looked energetic and had some military bearing, unlike those mediocre people who only knew how to flatter others.

He turned to look at Li Zhentao, a trace of inquiry flashing in his eyes, and then he said, "Your Grand Commander summoned you today. There's nothing particularly important, but he thinks highly of you and insisted on introducing you to me."

When Wu Tianyan heard this, he was stunned on the spot, with surprise written all over his face.

When did Li Zhentao start to look at me differently and take the initiative to introduce me to others?

For so many years, I have worked diligently in the army and tried my best every time I carried out a mission, but the road to promotion was extremely difficult and my position never improved.

He couldn't help but feel some resentment towards Li Zhentao, feeling that his efforts had not been rewarded as they should have been.

However, he had to admit that Li Zhentao was indeed an outstanding military talent, and his deployment of troops and command of operations were truly admirable.

At this moment, hearing Li Ji's words, Wu Tianyan felt warm in his heart and looked at Li Zhentao with gratitude.

But Li Zhentao seemed to be deliberately avoiding his gaze, turning his head to the side, with an expressionless face, as if nothing had happened.

Wu Tianyan felt a little disappointed, but he quickly adjusted his mood. After all, he had long been accustomed to Li Zhentao's unworldly style of doing things.

In Li Zhentao's eyes, military affairs are the most important thing, and personal feelings and relationships are insignificant.

Li Ji caught the change in Wu Tianyan's expression, and the flash of ambition in his eyes made him nod secretly.

Li Ji fought in battles all his life and met countless heroes. A man born into this world without ambition is like a rudderless boat. It is difficult for him to make a name for himself in this turbulent tide of the times, let alone command thousands of troops and establish immortal achievements.

Li Ji narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at Wu Tianyan, and suddenly asked, "Boy, let me ask you this: if one day you were asked to lead a vast army against an enemy force of equal strength, the battle was intense, and casualties were heavy, how would you plan to win this battle?"

His voice was powerful, echoing in the hall, carrying an invisible sense of oppression. "Tell the truth, there is no need to worry."

After hearing this, Wu Tianyan frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

A tragic scene quickly emerged in his mind, with smoke-filled battlefields and deafening shouts of killing. Countless soldiers were struggling on the brink of life and death, and the earth was stained red with blood.

After a moment, he raised his head and said with a firm look: "Boost morale, make a concerted effort, and attack the enemy."

"What if it doesn't work?" Li Ji asked immediately, his eyes never leaving Wu Tianyan's face, as if he wanted to find more things from his expression.

"Keep charging!" Wu Tianyan answered without hesitation, his tone firm and without the slightest hesitation.

In his heart, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, he must never retreat and must move forward bravely.

"What if it doesn't work?" Li Ji's voice became more and more cold, and his eyes became sharper, as if he wanted to penetrate Wu Tianyan's heart to see how determined and courageous he was.

"I will lead the charge. Anyone who retreats behind me will be killed!"

Wu Tianyan gritted his teeth, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes. At the critical moment, a general leading by example can inspire the soldiers' fighting spirit and even change the situation of the battle.

Hearing Wu Tianyan's answer, Li Ji narrowed his eyes and looked at him deeply.

"If you act this way, do you know how many people will die?"

His voice was somewhat heavy, as if reminding Wu Tianyan of the cruelty of war.

Wu Tianyan bowed slightly, his attitude respectful and sincere. "General Li, I have never commanded an entire army, so what I say is just my humble opinion."

"I know that if you make a strong first push, your momentum will wane with the second, and your energy will eventually run out. If you don't succeed in the first push, you'll most likely face failure the second time."

His voice was clear and steady, neither humble nor arrogant. "But the third time will not be a failure, because the third time will be a desperate struggle, a fight to the death."

"When faced with desperate situations, soldiers will only have the desire to survive and the belief in victory, which will inspire even greater strength."

"As for the casualties the old general mentioned..." Wu Tianyan paused, his expression becoming unusually solemn. "Such a war must be related to the survival of the nation. The Tang Dynasty can only win and cannot lose."

"Everyone who steps onto the battlefield should be prepared to die, myself included."

His words were powerful.

"If I were really asked to lead this massive army, I can only say this: no matter how many lives are lost, in war, they are nothing more than a series of cold numbers."

"No matter what the cost, I just want to win, even if it means using any means necessary!"