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

Paris, a city gently embraced by the Seine River, is now shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.

In the towering palace, cold stone pillars stood in rows, and flickering candlelight illuminated the wrinkled face of Theuderic III.

The elderly Frankish king sat quietly on the jewel-studded throne, his eyes revealing a hint of fatigue and worry.

A month ago, he would never have imagined that the Tang army from the far east would suddenly appear on the land of his kingdom like a surging tide.

At this moment, the shocking news hit his heart like a heavy hammer - the Tang army landed in Yorkshire.

The messenger stumbled into the palace, his body covered in dust, his clothes soaked with sweat, his face full of fear and anxiety.

"Your Majesty! The Tang army has landed in Yorkshire! The number of warships... the number of warships is unknown, but we know that they are all over the sea!"

His voice trembled, as if he was still immersed in the terrible scene.

Theuderic III sat up suddenly, a hint of panic in his eyes.

The noble officials nearby also began to stir, with whispers rising and falling.

"Navy statistics show no fewer than 300,000 personnel!"

The messenger added immediately, which instantly caused a huge stir in the palace.

The entire palace fell into deathly silence, and everyone was so shocked that they were speechless.

The previous minor conflicts and frictions were like child's play in front of this huge Tang army.

Yorkshire is the territory of Grand Duke Urlans. In the past, other grand dukes mostly took a gloating attitude towards the disputes between territories and were eager to see others suffer.

But this time, everything was different. The ones coming were the Tang army, a powerful enemy they had never encountered before. Their target was not just the small Yorkshire, but the entire Frankish Kingdom, and even the entire European continent!

Theuderic III couldn't help but sneer in his heart as he looked at the grand dukes below who were usually extremely arrogant and had their own thoughts.

Normally, it would be almost impossible for him to gather these people and get them to work for the kingdom.

These grand dukes guarded their fiefdoms as if they were treasures, and pretended to obey their own orders but actually disobeyed them.

But today, just by hearing the news about the Tang army, they were willing to leave their fiefdom and rush to Paris.

Theuderic III knew very well what they were thinking. They were simply worried about their own interests being damaged and afraid that the Tang army's iron hoofs would crush their dreams.

The king slowly stood up and held the armrest of the throne. His slightly trembling hands revealed his inner nervousness, but his eyes gradually became firm.

"The Tang army is about to reach Constantinople, and the Tang navy has also reached Yorkshire."

His voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the palace.

"Before, the Allies told me that if we want to resist the Tang Dynasty, the West must be unified, and I agreed."

"But none of you are willing to unite, nor to surrender your cavalry and wealth."

He paused, his eyes sweeping across the faces of each Grand Duke. "I am old, and I don't have much time left to live. What happens to the Frankish Kingdom in the future has nothing to do with me. That is my son's business."

Speaking of this, his tone was full of emotion.

"Today, I still say the same thing. If we want to resist the Tang Dynasty, we must unite. As for the rest, nothing else matters."

"If you don't want to, then all of you should go back to your own fiefdoms and wait for the Tang army to conquer your fiefdoms one by one."

"That's a good thing. It saves us from constant fear. When the time comes, I'll present my crown to the Tang army. At worst, the Frankish Kingdom will just surrender. What do you think?"

There was a hint of determination in Theuderic III's words. This was a critical moment of life and death, and there was no room for hesitation or retreat.

The grand dukes lowered their heads one after another, their hearts struggling fiercely.

Handing over their wealth and cavalry was more painful than asking for their lives, as those were the hard work they had accumulated over the years and were symbols of their power and status.

However, they also knew that the king was right. If they did not unite, none of them would be able to resist the attack of the Tang army, and then everything would be in vain.

Just as everyone was still hesitating and struggling, another piece of tragic news arrived. A pale-faced soldier stumbled into the palace, "Your Majesty! Grand Duke Urlans... is dead!"

This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, making the already tense atmosphere even more solemn.

The soldier swallowed and continued, "His head was hung on his castle by the Tang army, and all his wealth was dug out by the Tang army."

His cavalry, his money, everything he had, was destroyed at that moment.

The century-old Urlans family has come to an end."

There was a sound of gasps in the palace, and fear appeared on the faces of the grand dukes.

They seemed to have seen their fiefdoms being razed to the ground by the Tang army, and they would suffer the same fate as Grand Duke Urlans.

Although wealth is important, what use is it if you lose your life?

At this moment, all the Grand Dukes no longer hesitated. A burly Grand Duke stepped forward first, knelt on one knee, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I am willing to hand over my cavalry and part of my wealth. For the sake of the Frankish Kingdom, we must unite and resist the Tang army together!"

Seeing this, the other grand dukes also knelt down and expressed their willingness to obey the king's command and contribute their own strength.

Theuderic III looked at the scene before him, and a heavy stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.

He knew that although it was still difficult, at least they had taken the first step in uniting to fight the enemy.

Theuderic III knew that verbal promises alone were not enough. Next, they needed to quickly formulate a battle plan and integrate the forces of all parties.

He immediately summoned military generals and advisers and held a tense discussion in the palace's conference hall.

The military generals sat in front of a huge map, brows furrowed, analyzing the situation of the Tang army.

"The Tang army has a large navy and their warships are well-equipped. It will be difficult for us to compete with them at sea."

A general frowned and said, "Furthermore, their army is said to be very powerful, with advanced weapons and tactics."

Another general added.

The counselors offered a different suggestion: "We can take advantage of the terrain and set up ambushes in some dangerous places to wear down the Tang army's strength."

"At the same time, we also need to strengthen the castle's defenses and store enough food and weapons to cope with a long-term war."

Theuderic III listened carefully to everyone's speeches, and occasionally raised his own opinions and questions.

After some heated discussion, they finally worked out a preliminary battle plan.

On the one hand, elite cavalry were sent to harass the Tang army's supply lines and disrupt their deployment.

On the other hand, a solid defense line was established in the border area of ​​the Frankish Kingdom, and superior forces were concentrated to resist the attack of the Tang army.

In the following days, the entire Frankish Kingdom began intensive preparations for war.

The grand dukes returned to their fiefdoms and mobilized cavalry and wealth as promised.

Craftsmen from all over the country worked day and night to forge weapons and repair castles; farmers were conscripted to participate in the construction of fortifications.

Women and children also joined the team in delivering supplies.

The entire kingdom was operating at full capacity.

But the Tang army moved even faster than they imagined. After the capture of Grand Duke Urlans's territory, the Tang army did not stop, but continued to advance into the heart of the Frankish Kingdom.

It is said that wherever they went, many villages and towns were razed to the ground, but strangely, every time the Tang army attacked a city, there were Frankish farmers who helped lead the way and carry equipment.

Theuderic III was extremely anxious when he received the battle report from the front line.