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

Wu Shuangquan's death broke the last shackles in Wu Tianyan's heart and allowed him to completely let go of his worries.

During those few days of funeral arrangements, Wu Tianyan was busy running around, taking care of every detail, which only helped to slightly ease the grief in his heart.

After Wu Shuangquan's funeral was properly arranged, Wu Tianyan looked at the newly erected tombstone and stood there for a long time, until the afterglow of the setting sun stretched his shadow extremely long.

In the end, he turned around and resolutely followed Li Ji.

They mounted their horses, their hooves raising dust, and galloped towards the battlefields that had witnessed countless battles in previous years.

To become a true commander, the knowledge in military books is only the foundation. Only by standing on the blood-soaked land in person, feeling the fusion of mountains and rivers with war, and making accurate judgments based on different terrains, can you understand the true meaning of war.

Talking about war on paper is nothing but illusions and is useless on the real battlefield.

Early winter of the sixteenth year of Qianwu.

Qin Ruzhao received Li Chengqian's urgent imperial edict sent thousands of miles away in the tent.

He slowly unfolded the imperial edict with both hands, and his expression became more solemn as his eyes moved.

From the strong wording of His Majesty in the imperial edict, he realized that something extremely difficult must have happened in the court, otherwise he would not have suddenly changed his plan and turned the diplomatic mission into a conquest.

"Pass the order!" Qin Ruzhao stood up suddenly, his voice echoing in the tent, shaking the surrounding air slightly. "By order of the Emperor of the Great Tang, from now on, our diplomatic mission will be transformed into a conquest. We are no longer a diplomatic mission, but a forced march against the clock!"

"Now, the team will be divided into two parts immediately!"

He glanced at the soldiers under his command and continued to issue orders, "All soldiers, quickly take off your armor and hand it over to the logistics team for transportation."

"Discard all unnecessary items, travel light, and march day and night without delay!"

"Each person is equipped with two horses, and everyone is treated equally, regardless of official rank. No special treatment is allowed!"

"Two hours from now, the troops will be assembled and marched promptly! Anyone who disobeys orders will be punished by military law!"

Qin Ruzhao's words were so powerful that they echoed in the tent for a long time.

This sudden order instantly caused the children of officials accompanying him to explode.

These young gentlemen were originally looking forward to a relaxing and pleasant diplomatic trip, where they could not only travel to exotic countries but also accumulate political capital.

But now, the situation has suddenly changed, and the diplomatic mission has turned into an expedition. This huge gap is difficult for them to accept for a while. They all stood there in a daze, with confusion on their faces.

"How could this change so suddenly? How did a diplomatic mission suddenly turn into a war? This is a joke!"

A slightly plump boy's face flushed red as he couldn't help but mutter, his tone full of complaints and dissatisfaction.

"That's right. We are all descendants of civil officials. We have been reading sage books since childhood and have never been on the battlefield. What should we do?"

Another tall and thin man also echoed, with a slight tremor in his voice, obviously frightened by this sudden change.

Although they were full of complaints, seeing the soldiers moving quickly and orderly, and thinking of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince setting an example and leading the way, how could they dare to retreat?

What's more, in the Tang Dynasty, the trend of respecting literature and advocating martial arts has been prevalent for a long time. Literati are good at martial arts, and martial artists are knowledgeable about literature. Being both civil and military is the goal that everyone pursues.

Which scholar has not carried a sword since childhood? If he did not have a three-foot sword at his waist, he would feel ashamed to hold his head up in front of others and would be ashamed to call himself a scholar.

Setting out on their first expedition, these young men, aged seventeen or eighteen, felt not only complaints but also irrepressible excitement.

Their complaints are just a temporary venting of their lips, an instinctive reaction to the fear and anxiety of the unknown.

In fact, deep down in their hearts, they were full of anticipation for the coming war.

After all, what young man has not dreamed of himself holding a three-foot-long sword, charging into battle on the battlefield, making extraordinary achievements, and becoming a hero admired by everyone?

The military achievements of the Tang Dynasty are so precious and rare. If we can gain military achievements in this expedition, we will surely have a bright future and rise to prominence in the future.

What's more, this time they are leading troops to fight together with the current Crown Prince. This is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is enough to change their destiny.

Qin Ruzhao knew that the safety of these young men was of vital importance, and he took great pains in arranging the marching sequence.

He placed them at the core of the team, with a vanguard led by himself to clear the way.

The soldiers of the vanguard troops are all elite soldiers who have experienced hundreds of battles. They are like sharp spearheads, bravely moving forward, responsible for tearing open the enemy's defenses and paving the way for follow-up troops.

The logistics troops are behind the scenes to support us. The soldiers of the logistics troops work tirelessly to ensure the supply and transportation of materials. They are the solid foundation of the army and ensure that the soldiers on the front line have no worries.

On both sides were Emperor Taizong’s ace troops—the Hundred Cavalry and the Black Armor Army.

The Hundred Riders are agile, elusive, and good at raids and reconnaissance.

The Black Armor Army was brave and fearless, and was unstoppable when charging into battle.

These two armies, once invincible on the battlefield and famous far and wide, are now stationed on both sides, like solid shields, guarding the team in the middle.

With such a tight deployment, even if India put all its national strength into resistance, it would be difficult to withstand the fierce attack of the Tang army.

Qin Ruzhao was holding a spear and riding on a tall and strong warhorse.

The horse was shiny black all over, with only a striking white spot on its forehead.

Qin Ruzhao stood tall and straight, his eyes sharp as he watched the formation gradually form up. When everything was ready, he suddenly raised his spear, the tip pointing to the sky, and shouted loudly: "Brothers, we only have one month!"

"Your Majesty has ordered that the four kings of India be brought back to Chang'an, dead or alive! Let them witness the majesty of the Tang Dynasty!"

His voice was passionate and powerful, like thunder, which made the soldiers' blood boil.

"Our goal in this expedition is not to conquer a city or a place, but to directly attack their capital!"

"To capture a thief, we must first capture the king. As long as we take down their royal city, Tianzhu will have nothing to fear!"

Qin Ruzhao continued.

"All the looted property will be yours! Once you enter the city, everything in the city is at your disposal!"

"This is His Majesty's gift to us, and it is the honor we deserve!"

As soon as these words were spoken, flames of greed instantly ignited in the soldiers' eyes. Thinking of the wealth they were about to get after entering the city, their blood boiled and they were so excited that they rubbed their hands.

The soldiers' fighting spirit was completely ignited when they thought of the mountains of gold, silver, and treasures, as well as the exotic beauties.

"I have only one order, and that is—hurry! Do not linger in the battle, and do not let the Indian army hold us back! We must strike straight into their heart at top speed! Do you understand?"

Qin Ruzhao's voice became increasingly high-pitched.

"I understand!" The soldiers roared in unison, the sound was deafening, and they rolled towards Tianzhu.

The Tang soldiers were like hungry wolf cubs, their eyes flashing with ferocity. They raised their weapons and shouted in unison, "Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories!"