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

At noon in Damascus, Arabia, the sunlight pours down on the blue-gray city walls like molten lead.

The heat wave brought sand and dust across the minaret, covering the intricate geometric patterns on the minaret with a layer of cloudy gauze.

Susulia dragged her heavy feet through the archway inlaid with colored glass.

The sunlight filtered through the glass, refracting colorful shadows that danced across his sweaty face. The intricate patterns of the Persian carpet beneath his feet had long been soaked through, with dark sweat stains running along the lines.

The golden silk curtains hanging from the palace dome swayed slightly in the sultry air flow, vaguely outlining the scene behind the curtains.

Muawiyah leaned on the throne, the pearl light flowing with his movements, and the lion embroidered with gold thread on his brocade robe shone brightly.

The Caliph played with the ruby-studded dagger in his left hand, occasionally scratching it against the armrest of the throne, making a slight, harsh sound.

Her right hand gently stroked the cheetah cub curled up on her knees, and every slight pull made Susulia's heart hang in the air.

"You're trembling," the Caliph suddenly said. Before he finished speaking, the dagger in his hand accurately pierced the agate on the throne armrest, making a crisp clash. "Are you frightened by the Tang army?"

Susulia suddenly knelt down with a dull sound.

This caliph was different. He proposed to target the nobles, but he did not expect that the caliph would start with his own family.

Inside the old mansion of the Umayyad family, screams, pleas for mercy, and the dull sound of knives entering flesh were intertwined.

He still remembered that when the Caliph cut the old patriarch's throat with his own hands, the warm blood splashed like a fountain on his new white robe, and the bright red color hurt his eyes.

From the confiscated vaults, the molten gold flowed down the ditches and headed towards the Arab army.

"Caliph, I am only concerned about the threat from the Tang Dynasty."

Susulia's voice trembled and her body couldn't stop shaking.

He caught a glimpse of the parchment scrolls piled under the throne. The three place names of Ray, Isfahan and Shiraz circled in cinnabar were particularly eye-catching.

"Their troop trains can travel a thousand miles a day, and their Qianwu cannons can shatter city walls a hundred feet high... Those steel behemoths spew black smoke, shaking the earth wherever they go..."

"enough!"

Muawiyah suddenly flew into a rage, like an enraged lion, and the cheetah in his arms jumped up in fright.

He grabbed the crystal glass on the table and smashed it against the wall. It shattered instantly, sending glass fragments flying everywhere. "The Roman heavy cavalry, the Persian elephants, which one of them wasn't known to be invincible?"

"Now their crowns are displayed in my treasury!"

He staggered down the steps, pinched Susulia's chin with his fingers, and forced him to look up. "Remember, I want the Umayyad Caliphate to be the second Roman Empire, not a lamb to be slaughtered!"

"The Tang Dynasty? It's just another prey to be conquered!"

"We will not lose. There is no turning back, Susulia."

Just as undercurrents were surging in the Damascus Palace, thousands of miles away in the Western Regions, the walls of the Stone Kingdom were dyed dark red by the setting sun in the twilight.

Pei Xingjian, wearing black armor, stood on the city wall, and the telescope in his hand slowly scanned the distance.

The setting sun stretched his shadow very long, casting it on the mottled wall.

The intelligence bamboo slips handed over by the deputy general still had body temperature, and were densely packed with records of abnormalities discovered along the way: all the wells were poisoned, the granaries were empty shells, and even the camel thorns had been uprooted. All these signs revealed a strange and uneasy feeling.

"Report!" The rapid sound of horse hooves, like thunder, interrupted Pei Xingjian's musings. A scout fell from his horse, his knee scraping against the gravel, leaving two bloody marks, and blood instantly dyed his trouser legs red.

He endured the pain and reported loudly: "General! Samarkand, Kabul... all the cities are deserted!"

"Even stray dogs are gone from the streets! Goods from the shops are scattered all over the ground, but not a single person is in sight!"

Pei Xingjian's pupils shrank slightly, and a hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes.

He bent down and picked up half a piece of bread embedded with gravel. There were still teeth marks on the edge of the bread where a child had gnawed on it, which showed that the evacuation was so hasty that they didn't even have time to take food with them.

The clinking sound of craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry adjusting the rails came from afar, which seemed particularly abrupt in the dead silence, and made this "new city" even more eerie and unpredictable.

He remembered what Su Dingfang had said before.

"There are no empty cities in Arabia; every inch of land may hide a deadly trap."

"Pass the order down, the entire army will camp where they are."

Pei Xingjian crushed the dough in his palm, and sand mixed with flour fell on the battlements of the city wall.

His voice was steady and resolute, without a trace of panic. "Order the scouts to form groups of five, carrying carrier pigeons, to scout northeast, northwest, and southwest. They must find any water sources and any traces of garrisons within thirty miles before sunset."

"All reconnaissance teams are to release carrier pigeons every hour to report back. If any do not return within the specified timeframe, immediately dispatch a search team."

As he turned, his black armor cloak swept across the mottled arrow slits, raising a cloud of dust. "Also, have the accompanying artist draw a detailed map of the city defenses, focusing on marking the cellars, culverts, and drains."

"At the same time, dig trenches around the city walls and set up chevaux de frise to prevent enemy raids."

As night falls, the sky lanterns on the walls of the Stone Kingdom light up one after another, like bright stars dotting the night sky.

Pei Xingjian spread out the map of the Western Regions in the central military tent. The oil lamp on the table emitted a dim light. As the candlelight flickered, the winding red line on the map seemed like a giant python coming to life. From the Xinjiang Road to the Tibet Road, the 2,000-kilometer battle line was like a taut bowstring, and the Arabs abandoned these cities in an attempt to lure the Tang army deeper.

"General, this is the intelligence we collected today."

The soldier brought in a thick stack of bamboo slips, the top parchment scroll still carrying the dry scent of the desert.

"According to the caravan, the Arab coalition has assembled 200,000 elite troops in Shiraz, including Byzantine heavy cavalry and Persian war elephants."

"They also brought in Bedouin cavalry from Egypt, experts in desert warfare. It's said these people can navigate sandstorms and appear and disappear with surprising precision."

“But it’s not very credible.”

Pei Xingjian's eyes fell on the Euphrates River on the map, which meandered like a blue ribbon.

It is not only the lifeline of the Arab Empire, but also a line of defense that Muawiyah would never give up easily.

There are large oases and important trade towns on both sides of the river. Once you control this place, you can attack or defend.

He suddenly remembered Li Zhi's instructions in Taiji Hall before setting out: "I don't want a single victory, I want to make the Western countries afraid to look east for three hundred years!"

"It would be best if we could destroy all of their countries!"

The words echoed in his ears and strengthened his determination.

After pondering for a moment, he picked up a cinnabar pen and marked several key locations on the map. "Send the order to speed up the laying of the railway tracks, giving priority to connecting Shiguo and Shule."

"At the same time, establish grain storage bases along the way. Each base must store enough food and fodder to feed 10,000 people for three months."

In addition, 5,000 craftsmen were mobilized to dig wells near the oasis to ensure water supply."

"Since the Arabs have left behind empty cities, we will slowly occupy them. Every time we reach a place, we will lay railroad tracks, remove the poisonous water sources, and advance slowly."

At the same time, in the royal palace in Damascus, the burning sand table reflected Muawiyah's gloomy face.

The red glazed beads representing the Tang army reached the Arabian border but stopped in front of Samarkand.

The Caliph grabbed a handful of spices and sprinkled them into the fire. As the smoke rose, he seemed to see Pei Xingjian's furrowed brow.

His face flickered in the light of the flames, and his eyes flashed with calculation.