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

Qin Ruzhao stood quietly on the high platform of the Yizhou camp.

The howling wind was like a sharp blade, mercilessly cutting across his weather-beaten face, bringing a slight sting.

The heavy feeling of grief piled up in his heart, and no matter how fierce the wind was, it could not blow it away in the slightest.

He looked into the distance, his eyes filled with pain and self-blame, and kept thinking about it in his mind.

If we had decisively retreated and waited for the arrival of the logistics troops, wouldn't so many people have died in this battle?"

At this time, Deputy General Ye Lingfeng approached and whispered, "General, don't blame yourself too much. The situation on the battlefield changes rapidly. The brothers all know that you have tried your best."

Qin Ruzhao shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "Try your best? If I had been more cautious, perhaps there would have been fewer casualties."

Ye Lingfeng smiled.

"Lao Qin, no matter what, at least the brothers had a great time fighting. I also felt a little regretful at the beginning. Why did I fight at that time?"

"But if we had retreated, I'm afraid we would wake up at night and slap ourselves twice. Why didn't we do it then?"

"Your Majesty also said that war is inevitable. How can ordinary soldiers die? Are our 3,000-man battalion so precious that they cannot die?"

"What kind of truth is this?"

Ye Lingfeng looked at Qin Ruzhao and said seriously.

In the camp, the soldiers of the Three Thousand Battalion were sitting or lying in various postures.

But everyone was enveloped in a heavy atmosphere so thick that it was almost tangible.

That is the cruel mark left by the war and the tragic consequence of countless blood and lives.

In their eyes, there was grief for losing comrades, fear of war, and deep resentment. These complex emotions were like ghosts, lingering in everyone's heart.

Three thousand battalions, the killing weapon in your majesty's hands, all equipped with heavy armor.

The elite division of the Tang Dynasty! Each of those 3,000 warriors was a true elite, having emerged from countless battles and training.

But now, those 819 brothers suddenly died on the battlefield.

Every name, every once vivid face, turned into unspeakable pain in Qin Ruzhao's heart.

He seemed to be able to clearly see the figures of his brothers fighting bravely on the battlefield, brandishing their weapons, with fearless flames burning in their eyes, and charging towards the enemy with roars.

The deafening sounds of fighting and shouting seemed to still echo in his ears, but those familiar figures had fallen forever, leaving behind only endless memories and pain.

"Brothers, I will definitely chop off the heads of all the Tibetans as a sacrifice to you." Qin Ruzhao swore silently in his heart.

The 122 seriously injured people were now suffering tremendous pain in the tent.

In the tent, groans were heard one after another. Some of the seriously injured soldiers had wounds so deep that the bones were visible. Blood kept oozing out, staining the bedding beneath them red.

Some of them had mutilated limbs, and the tragic sight of broken hands and feet was unbearable to look at.

Doctors from all over Yizhou were urgently summoned. They shuttled back and forth between the tents, beads of sweat on their foreheads, trying their best to treat every injured person.

But even so, there are still people who gradually lose the brilliance of life in painful struggles due to severe injuries.

Each weakened groan was like an extremely sharp blade, piercing the heart of every surviving soldier, adding new wounds to their already bloody souls.

Qin Ruzhao looked towards the tent, his heart filled with guilt.

A soldier who was responsible for tending to the wounded came running over, his face filled with sorrow: "General, two more of our brothers...didn't make it."

Qin Ruzhao closed his eyes and was silent for a moment before saying, "Put them together with the other brothers and put them in the coffin together when the time comes."

Although the 218 people who were slightly injured could still move, their condition was worrying.

Their eyes were filled with sadness and fatigue, as if they had lost their souls.

It was the grief over the departure of their comrades. These emotions were like heavy shackles, making it hard for them to breathe.

Being injured means that they cannot mount their horses to kill the enemy and avenge their brothers with their own hands!

"General Qin, our losses this time are too heavy, brothers..."

A soldier from the Three Thousand Battalion, his face covered in blood and dust, dragged his heavy feet to Qin Ruzhao's side.

Every word he uttered was filled with endless sorrow, and tears glistened in his eyes. The tears rolled around in his eye sockets, but stubbornly refused to fall, as if he was trying hard to suppress the great pain in his heart.

Qin Ruzhao nodded slightly, his lips tightly pressed into a straight line, the line as hard as his determination at the moment.

"Yes, this is our first battle. I never thought that war would be so cruel."

His eyes were deep and sad as he looked into the distance, as if recalling the tragic scenes on the battlefield.

"These brothers are our family. We train together, live together, and fight together to protect the Tang Dynasty."

"Their sacrifice cannot be in vain!"

When he said this, his voice trembled slightly, and a gleam of determination flashed in his eyes.

"Tibetans must pay for their crimes. Blood debts must be repaid with blood!"

His fists slowly clenched at his sides, the strength of the clench seemed to merge all his grief and anger into them, his knuckles turning white from excessive force.

In order to support Songzhou, General Li of Yizhou has sent all 30,000 soldiers.

This was a desperate defensive action with no retreat, and every decision was related to the safety of Yizhou and even the entire Tang Dynasty border.

Qin Ruzhao was well aware of the pros and cons. If Songzhou was lost, Yizhou would be like an isolated city without a barrier, exposed to the iron hoof of Tubo, and would then fall into the dangerous situation of being directly invaded by the Tubo army.

At this time, the 30,000 soldiers must have arrived at the battlefield in Songzhou filled with smoke.

But Qin Ruzhao also clearly realized that facing the huge Tubo army that had come out in full force, these 30,000 people were just a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

But under the overwhelming offensive of Tubo, there was no way to change the serious situation of the war.

The only way is to defend Songzhou and buy time.

As long as we can delay until Li Jing's army arrives, that will be the end of Tubo, and it will be the key to turning the entire war situation around.

"I hope those 30,000 brothers can hold on a little longer and buy us enough time. I can't let their sacrifice go to waste."

Qin Ruzhao prayed silently in his heart.

"General, do you think those 30,000 men can hold on?"

A soldier asked with a worried look on his face.

His face still had a hint of childishness, a purity that came from having never experienced the world, but at this moment, this purity was tarnished by the cruelty of war.

His eyes revealed his worry about the fate of those 30,000 brothers, as if he had already seen the tragic fighting on the battlefield.

Qin Ruzhao frowned, his eyebrows tangled together like two small mountains, and he spoke slowly.

"It's difficult. The Tibetan army is much stronger than ours. These 30,000 soldiers are a drop in the bucket. Besides, they are not a standardized army and have never been trained."

He looked deeply in the direction of Songzhou, his eyes showing worry about the fate of the 30,000 soldiers, but also a glimmer of expectation.

"But they are hope now. Every one of them is a brave and fearless warrior."

"I just hope they can buy themselves some time until our logistics team arrives. Then we'll support them!"

“Will many of them die?”

The soldier's tone was a little low, and his voice was like a candle in the wind, trembling slightly.

Qin Ruzhao looked at him with determination in his eyes.

"In war, how can there be no deaths?"

"Every brother who sacrificed his life is an eternal pain in our hearts. No one is immune to the pain."

"However, now is not the time for us to wallow in grief. We must turn this grief into strength and make Tubo pay for its blood debt with blood!"

The soldiers of the Three Thousand Battalion were all holding back a rage in their hearts at this moment, a hatred and anger that went deep into their bones.

They were waiting, waiting for the arrival of heavy armor.

Heavy armor is the key to turning the tide of battle and the fastest hope for revenge.

As long as the heavy armor arrives, Qin Ruzhao is confident that he will make the Tibetans pay for their blood debt with blood, make them pay a heavy price for the sins they have committed, and make them responsible for the lives of every Tang Dynasty soldier who has died.

"General, we must make the Tibetans pay with blood and avenge our brothers!"

A soldier said through gritted teeth.

Qin Ruzhao patted his shoulder and said, "Yes, we must let them know that if they mess with our Three Thousand Battalion, they will be doomed!"

The scene on the streets of Yizhou was miserable and solemn.

The bodies of the 3,000 soldiers were arranged neatly, and the neat arrangement added a touch of tragic grandeur.

Each body was covered with a spotless white cloth that fluttered gently in the wind.

People gathered on both sides of the street, their eyes filled with grief and fear.

The sorrow is the mourning for the fallen soldiers; the fear is the fear of the unknown of war.

An old woman, leaning on a cane, walked shakily to a corpse.

Her wrinkled hands slowly reached out for the white cloth, and every movement seemed so heavy.

When she slowly lifted a corner of the white cloth and saw the young and familiar face, she burst into tears.

The tears gushed out from her cloudy eyes, wetting her patched clothes.

"How could such a young child die like this?..."

The old woman cried, her voice filled with endless sorrow.

Her son also joined the army and never came back. He was also very young at that time.

That similar scene tore open the pain in her heart once again, and it bled profusely.

An old man nearby advised: "Old sister, don't be too sad, these children are all for us."

The old woman cried and said, "I know, but my heart aches!"

Her crying broke the silence of the street. The cry echoed in the air like a sharp awl, piercing everyone's heart.

The people around were in tears. Some went forward to comfort the old woman, but their voices were also filled with tears. The words of comfort seemed so pale and powerless in the face of such great grief.

"These young people are all good people. They are protecting us..."

A young woman choked up and said, tears in her eyes, looking at the fallen soldiers, her heart filled with gratitude and sorrow.

The soldiers of the Three Thousand Battalion came to the street and saw their brothers, who had been with them day and night, lying there coldly. Their eyes were red and tears were welling up in their eyes.

Their teeth were chattering and their hands were clenched into fists so tightly that it seemed as if they were going to crush their palms. Their nails dug deep into their palms and blood oozed out, but they felt no pain at all.

In their hearts, there was only hatred towards Tubo, guilt for their dead brothers and determination for revenge.

"Brother, don't worry, we will definitely avenge you!"

A soldier swore in a low voice in front of a corpse, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, and his unshakable belief was contained in the trembling voice.

"You Tibetan bastards, I will make you pay for your blood debt with blood!"

another soldier roared, his eyes burning with vengeance.

In this agonizing moment, time seemed to be extremely long, and every minute and every second was a torture to their souls.

Time was like a slow and sharp saw, pulling at their hearts again and again, making them struggle in pain.

Finally, the long-awaited voice broke the silence—the reserve troops of the Three Thousand Battalion arrived!

The sound of neat and powerful footsteps came from afar. The sound was like thunder and like the beating of war drums. Each footstep shook people's hearts and brought new vitality and hope to this land full of sorrow.

"The logistics troops are here! We can fight back!"

A soldier shouted excitedly, his voice echoing in the street, full of excitement and anticipation.

A gleam of light flashed in Qin Ruzhao's eyes, and he immediately walked down from the platform quickly. His steps were quick and powerful, as if every step carried his determination for revenge.

"Let's go and have a look!"

He shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

The logistics commander came before Qin Ruzhao, clasped his fists and saluted with a crisp, clear gesture: "General, we have already delivered all 3,000 sets of heavy armor!"

His voice was loud and firm, full of pride in a mission accomplished.

After hearing his words, Qin Ruzhao was silent for a moment. In that brief silence, he remembered his deceased brother and thought deeply about the current situation.

"Lao Zhang, we don't have 3,000 men left. More than half of us have been killed or wounded. Let's get the logistics troops ready to fill in."

Qin Ruzhao patted Lao Zhang's shoulder, his action carrying a hint of heaviness and helplessness.

"Lao Zhang, hurry up, I can't wait to get revenge!"

There was an anxious light in Qin Ruzhao's eyes, and that light was like a burning flame, almost devouring his sanity.

The logistics army general named Lao Zhang was stunned for a moment. He looked at the rows of heavy armor, then looked at the tired but motivated soldiers in front of him, and felt mixed emotions.

Then he answered tremblingly: "Yes!"

"Revenge! Revenge!"

The soldiers of the Three Thousand Battalion shouted in unison, and the sound was like surging waves, hitting people's hearts wave after wave, and their morale was as high as a burning beacon fire.

The sound echoed over Yizhou City, as if it was a declaration of war against Tubo and a roar at the enemy, shaking the entire Yizhou City.

A soldier asked, "General, when do we leave?"

Qin Ruzhao shouted, "Get ready and set off!"

The soldiers of the Three Thousand Battalion stood in an orderly manner in the camp, and a total of three thousand sets of heavy armor with serial numbers were placed on the ground.

In addition to the original 3,000 battalion soldiers, each set of heavy armor will also have two logistics soldiers of similar build to serve as substitutes.

The heavy armor lay there quietly, as if waiting for its master to wake it up.

If there is no one standing in front of the heavy armor, it means that this heavy armor has welcomed its second owner. It is the alternation of life and the inheritance of revenge.

"Begin the substitutions. Everyone, stand in front of your heavy armor in an orderly manner!"

Qin Ruzhao gave an order, and his voice was like a huge bell, echoing in the camp.

The heavy armor that was empty just now was suddenly filled with people!

There was a hint of tension and determination in the eyes of those substitute soldiers. They knew that they were about to shoulder a heavy mission.

"Everyone! Armor!"

Qin Ruzhao gave the order again, his voice majestic and solemn.

The logistics soldiers came forward in pairs, carefully and swiftly putting heavy armor on each soldier of the 3,000-man battalion and their horses.