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

At the beginning of winter in the third year of Yonghui's reign, the biting north wind roared wildly over Constantinople.

Ice crystals were carried in the wind, scraping against every inch of the walls of this ancient capital.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of blood and the burnt smell of burning houses, which was nauseating.

The Tang army's war drums resounded through the sky since dawn, and the dull and powerful drumbeats made the earth tremble slightly.

Millions of Tang army soldiers lined up outside the city, with their flags blocking out the sun, standing like a forest.

With a long and passionate blast of the horn, countless soldiers shouted in unison, and the sound reached the sky.

In an instant, arrows swarmed like locusts, shooting towards the top of the city wall.

The Tang army's crossbowmen held their breath, tensed their arm muscles, and shot arrows with all their might. The sound of arrows breaking through the air was sharp and piercing.

The defenders on the city wall were not willing to be outdone. They raised their shields and tried to block the dense rain of arrows, but many of them were still shot and fell down screaming.

At the same time, the huge catapult made a heavy roar, and its thick wooden arms swung vigorously, throwing millstone-sized stone bullets into the air.

The stone bullets cut through the sky and slammed heavily into the city wall with fierce momentum, splashing countless pieces of stone. The city wall trembled under the violent impact, and cracks spread rapidly like a spider web.

After seven days and seven nights of fierce fighting, the heavy city gate of Constantinople finally collapsed under the continuous and fierce attacks of the Tang army.

In an instant, smoke and dust rose up, covering the sky and the sun.

The elite cavalry of the Tang army took the lead. Their horses were as agile as leopards. They stepped on the gravel and debris on the ground and rushed into the city like lightning.

The cavalrymen held long spears that gleamed with cold light, and the tips of their spears pierced the enemy's heart.

The infantrymen followed closely behind, shouting and waving their swords, engaging in fierce street fighting with the defenders in the city.

On the narrow streets, there was the sound of fighting, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed through the cracks in the cobblestones, gathering into shocking rivers of blood, and finally flowing into the ditches on the side of the road.

Constantinople, once so glorious and full of vitality, became devastated by the ruthless baptism of war, like a hell on earth.

With the fall of Constantinople, the Tang army successfully opened the door to the West.

With the help of Muawiyah and al-Qaf, Justinian quickly gathered the remnants of his troops in the chaos after the city was captured.

He shuttled among the defeated troops, shouting loudly, boosting morale with his highly infectious words, and reuniting the scattered soldiers.

Then, relying on his superb political skills, he gradually integrated various Western forces and established the post-Roman Empire, attempting to compete with the powerful Tang Empire.

Faced with the relentless pressure of the Tang army, Muawiyah, a military-gifted general, was entrusted with the task and became the actual commander of the coalition forces.

Under his careful planning, the coalition forces adopted the tactic of fighting and retreating, and retreated in an orderly manner towards Thessaloniki.

Along the way, the post-Roman Empire took full advantage of its familiarity with the local environment and set up a large number of deadly traps at various strategic locations.

They laid dense spike traps on the narrow and steep mountain roads.

These sharp thorns were hidden under the thick dead leaves, and as soon as the Tang cavalry passed by, they would instantly pierce the horses' hooves, causing the cavalry to fall off their horses.

In the dense and deep woods, tripwires are like hidden poisonous snakes, crossing the road.

When the Tang army soldiers stepped in without any defense, they would be tripped and then the allied soldiers who were ambushing in the dark would suddenly rush out.

In the shallows of the seemingly calm river, there are hidden stakes that are sharp. Once a ship approaches, they will pierce the bottom of the ship, causing the ship to sink and the soldiers to drown.

These traps constantly threatened the safety of the Tang army's march.

Every inch the Tang army advanced came at a heavy price.

Vanguard troops often trigger traps without realizing it, and countless young lives are instantly lost under these carefully designed mechanisms.

Not only that, the coalition forces also sent small groups of elite cavalry from time to time to harass the Tang army's long logistical supply lines.

They appeared and disappeared at will, and took advantage of the Tang army's unpreparedness to rob food and burn supplies, which put heavy logistical pressure on the Tang army.

The million-strong army, which was once so powerful, found its pace of attack extremely difficult and slow in this unfamiliar land.

At the same time, Muawiyah fully utilized the advantages of the Arab Empire's navy.

The Arab Navy's warships have unique shapes and are flexible and adaptable in movement. They are far more familiar with the ocean than the Tang Army.

These warships often took advantage of the cover of night to approach the Tang Navy's supply fleet.

Once they get close, the pirate-like Arab soldiers will suddenly launch an attack, rob supplies, and then quickly evacuate, disappearing into the night.

Justinian did not slack off at all. He urgently recruited 200,000 militiamen and marched to the Frankish region day and night to strengthen local fortifications, attempting to use geographical advantages and human wave tactics to stop the further advance of the Tang army.

In this severe situation of being attacked from all sides and unable to take care of both ends, the Tang army commander Li Zhentao stayed up all night in his tent, repeatedly weighing the pros and cons.

In the end, he made the decisive decision to lead his troops to retreat.

On the way back, Li Zhentao commanded the fleet to launch a fierce bombardment on the coastal areas of the Frankish region with the powerful artillery advantage.

The huge artillery roared deafeningly, and the shells streaked across the night sky like meteors, slamming heavily into the coastal towns and villages.

For a moment, the Frankish coastline was filled with smoke, explosions rang out one after another, and flames shot into the sky.

The once peaceful and tranquil coastal area was instantly reduced to ruins by the ravages of artillery fire.

Justinian knew that the powerful firepower of the Tang fleet was difficult to confront head-on, so he decisively ordered the Roman Empire to abandon the coastline of the Frankish region and quickly withdraw its troops inland.

Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, he redeployed the defense line among the mountains, forests and hills, and used the complex terrain to engage in battle with the Tang army.

Although the Tang army had an advantage in military strength, faced with the complex and changeable terrain in the west, countless traps, and the flexible and cunning guerrilla tactics of the coalition forces, the two sides fell into a stalemate.

All this was within Muawiyah's expectations.

He was well aware of the power of the Tang Empire, its huge army, advanced weapons and equipment, and strong economic strength.

But he also understood that war is a game of huge consumption, and no matter how powerful a country is, it has its bottom line.

The Tang Dynasty traveled thousands of miles to the west, and it has been nearly two years now.

During these two years, the expenses for food and drink for millions of troops, the replacement of worn-out weapons and equipment, and the long-distance transportation of logistical supplies were all astronomical.

Even though the Tang Dynasty's treasury was full, such huge consumption gradually made it stretched to the limit.

Muawiyah firmly believed that as long as the delay continued, the Tang Emperor would weigh the pros and cons and decide to withdraw.

But he was well versed in the cultural customs of the Han people, and knew that he had to give the other party enough face when negotiating and compromising.

So he instructed Justinian to start writing a letter of surrender. Although it was called a letter of surrender, in fact, the words were full of the meaning of seeking peace.

In this carefully written document, the Roman Empire and the Arab Empire lowered their stance to the lowest level, praising the great strength of the Tang Empire with all their might, promising to stop all resistance, and expressing their willingness to make certain concessions in trade, territorial division, etc., just to build a magnificent "step" for the Tang Emperor.

Inside the Liangyi Palace, the cold wind made a howling sound.

Li Zhi sat quietly on the armchair, staring at the flickering fire at his feet.

The flames danced happily, spreading warmth into the hall, but they could not dispel the gloom in his heart.

The third year of Yonghui was coming to an end. It should have been a time for national celebration and family reunion during the Yuan Dynasty, but Li Zhi was in an extremely heavy mood.

Although Constantinople had been captured by the Tang army, the subsequent confrontation and dealings with the Western coalition forces would obviously require a lot of time, energy and financial resources.

In the court, many ministers submitted memorials with sincere words, and their meaning was very clear - stop the Western Expedition.

The views of one minister particularly caught his attention. In his memorial, the minister wrote: "Your Majesty, no matter what ethnic group, it cannot be conquered by force. Only by winning their hearts can they be sincerely submitted. Relying solely on force to suppress will only provoke popular resistance and make long-term, stable rule impossible. Only through cultural integration and conciliatory policies can we win the hearts of the people and consolidate the Tang Dynasty's foundation in the West."

However, Li Zhi had a completely different opinion.

He personally wrote on the memorial, "No matter what race, they can be conquered by violence."

"Even among us Han people, there have been times in history when we used force to decide the fate of the world."

"If you fail to conquer, it's simply because your methods weren't ruthless enough."

In Li Zhi's mind, powerful military force is the foundation for maintaining national dignity and establishing ruling order.

Faced with the stubborn resistance of Western forces, only by showing enough toughness can we make them completely surrender.

The huge military expenditure has emptied the national treasury, and the calls for a ceasefire in the court are growing louder and louder.

Perhaps, it is time to come to an end this protracted war.

"Someone come here." Li Zhi's voice rang out in the empty and silent Liangyi Hall, breaking the brief silence.

Upon hearing the summons, Wang Can, the commander of the Imperial Guard, immediately walked quickly into the hall and shouted, "Your Majesty!"

Li Zhi nodded slightly, a hint of fatigue in his eyes, and said, "Wang Can, go check whether the various annual gifts prepared for the royal family this year are appropriate. Especially for Princess Yunhe, her annual salary should be doubled."

"Also, send all the novelties captured on the battlefield to Princess Yunhe."

Li Zhi doted on Princess Yunhe and never forgot to care for her even when the war was at a stalemate and he was in a bad mood.

After a brief pause, Li Zhi continued, "Also, Princess Yunhe's coming-of-age ceremony this year will be held together with the New Year's Day celebration."

"Pass the order down. This year's ceremony must be grand. Have the Ministry of Revenue allocate another five million taels of silver. We must make sure the princess's coming-of-age ceremony is a grand occasion."

Li Zhi hoped that this grand ceremony would bring a festive atmosphere to the tense situation.

Hearing His Majesty's words, Wang Can raised his head, a look of worry on his face. He looked at Li Zhi cautiously and said, "Your Majesty, military funds are tight right now, and I'm afraid the Ministry of Revenue...is not very willing to give out this money!"

Wang Can knew the difficulties of the Ministry of Revenue. Under the current tight financial situation, spending another five million taels of silver to hold the ceremony would undoubtedly be extremely difficult.

Li Zhi glanced at Wang Can, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes, and he said in an unquestionable tone: "Go tell Li Yifu that this money is for Princess Yunhe's coming-of-age ceremony, and he will find a way to get it out."

"Even if the Tang Dynasty mistreats others, it will never mistreat the late emperor's only child!"

In Li Zhi's mind, Princess Yunhe had a special status. As the only blood of the late emperor, she deserved the best treatment. Even if the finances were tight, she should not be treated unfairly in the slightest.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do it right away."

Wang Can kowtowed again, then stood up and left the Liangyi Hall.

With Wang Can's departure, the Liangyi Hall fell into silence again.

Li Zhi sat quietly on the dragon throne, his eyes once again cast on the flickering stove, with a thousand thoughts in his mind.