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

The tall and majestic city gate of Chang'an City was closed tightly, as if an indestructible wall of steel stood before us.

The city gate is made of thick solid wood and its surface is inlaid with dense copper nails, each of which sparkles with a cold metallic luster in the sun. The gaps between the doors are filled with special materials and there are no flaws.

The soldiers in charge of defending the city were all on high alert, their postures as straight as pine trees, their eyes fixed firmly on the outside of the city.

Carts of rolling wood and stones, and barrels of gold liquid were continuously transported to the top of the city wall.

The soldiers pushed the heavy logs with great effort, and the rough wooden wheels left deep ruts on the stone road. Each log was as thick as a human waist, and the spikes on it flashed a ferocious light in the sunlight.

Buckets of golden liquid emitting a pungent smell were carefully placed next to the battlements on the city wall. The golden liquid swayed slightly in the buckets, emitting a foul stench.

Looking at the sea of ​​armored soldiers outside the city, many recruits who had never fought in a war on the city walls turned pale.

They kept swallowing, and their throats rolling up and down due to tension were clearly visible.

Even his legs couldn't help but tremble a little, his young and tender face was full of fear, and his body was shaking slightly.

Seeing those seniors who had fought in the war still had calm expressions.

This makes me feel better.

The cavalry was at the end. The war horses were tall and majestic, their hooves paddling restlessly on the ground, and the scales on their bodies reflected a majestic light like the shimmering surface of a lake.

The soldiers on horseback wore helmets, had stern eyes, and held the reins tightly in their hands, ready to charge forward at the command.

The archers were in the middle, wearing light leather armor, carrying quivers full of arrows on their backs, and holding longbows in their hands ready to shoot at any time.

The arrow flashed with the cold light of death in the sunlight, aiming towards the direction of Chang'an City.

There were six rows of shield soldiers. Their shields were like giant tortoise shells, tightly arranged and painted with ferocious animal patterns. The shield soldiers half-crouched behind their shields, peeking vigilantly at the outside of the city through the gaps in the shields.

There were six rows of spearmen, their spears like a forest, with the tips pointing to the sky. Each spear was as tall as two people, and the red tassels on the spear shafts fluttered in the wind, as if blood was dancing.

There are six rows of halberd warriors. The crescent-shaped blades of the halberds shine sharply in the sun, and the patterns on the halberd shafts show strength.

There was also a phalanx of soldiers holding weapons that had never been seen before, which looked like fire sticks.

The total number of people is probably more than 100,000!

The sudden appearance of hundreds of thousands of troops made the defenders in Chang'an City almost unwilling to resist.

Hundreds of large banners with the word "Li" written on them fluttered in the wind, and the flags rustled in the wind like roaring dragons.

Each banner was enormous, made of the finest silk, with the word "Li" embroidered on it in a vigorous and powerful style, as if it was a symbol of the majesty of the Li Tang royal family.

Qin Ruzhao rode on a tall black horse, and both the man and the horse were wearing heavy armor.

The black warhorse was covered with bulging muscles, and its hooves were wrapped with thick iron plates, making a dull sound every time it stepped on the ground.

The heavy armor on the horse is made of fine iron, and the scales are closely connected to protect the vital parts of the warhorse.

The black armor is carved with exquisite patterns and has smooth lines, like a work of art.

He wore a helmet with a black tassel that danced in the wind.

He was riding alone and holding a spear.

"Listen up, all the defenders on the city walls! We are the troops of His Majesty the Crown Prince. With the passing of His Majesty, His Majesty the Crown Prince is the legitimate heir to the Tang Dynasty!"

Qin Ruzhao's voice was like a huge bell, echoing under the Chang'an city wall.

His voice was full of authority and confidence, and every word carried weight.

"Everyone on the city walls, do you intend to stop your Emperor? We are all soldiers of the Tang Dynasty. Open the city gates! His Majesty will not embarrass you!"

His eyes were like lightning as he scanned the defenders on the city wall, and that look seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts.

"Our army is giving you an ultimatum. Three drums!"

He raised the spear in his hand and pointed it at the sky.

"Three drum beats! If anyone still refuses to repent, they will be charged with treason and their entire clan will be exterminated!"

After Qin Ruzhao finished speaking, he turned around and left. His warhorse raised a cloud of dust, and the sound of horse hooves gradually faded away.

"Bang the drum!"

With an order.

“Boom boom boom.”

The heart-shaking sound of military drums rang out, and each beat seemed to correspond to the heartbeats of the soldiers on the Chang'an city wall. The heavy drumbeats seemed like the footsteps of death, approaching step by step, making it difficult to breathe.

Five hundred drums beat simultaneously, the sound like rolling thunder sweeping down from the horizon. The earth trembled, and the air was thick with tension.

Even the ministers imprisoned in the Taiji Hall could hear the sound. The dull drumbeats passed through the palace walls and reached everyone's ears.

All the generals who heard the sound of war drums raised their heads in unison, their eyes flashing with excitement and curiosity.

My eyes lit up, as if I smelled the scent of war.

"This drum sounds like a cowhide drum?"

Li Ji spoke, frowning slightly and listening attentively to the deafening drumbeats, trying to discern the material of the drums from the sound.

"That's right, wow, how many cowhide drums are needed? How many cows do we have to kill? I, Old Cheng, have never killed so many cows, right?"

Cheng Yaojin exclaimed, his eyes wide open, his face full of surprise, and his exaggerated expression made people around him laugh.

Li Jing, who had been silent all this time, also spoke at this time.

"This is a large cowhide drum, and it has at least three hundred of them. Only someone with extraordinary strength can hammer it."

Li Jing's words immediately shocked the generals present. They looked at each other in disbelief. When did the Tang Dynasty become so wealthy? So many incredibly strong men, instead of charging forward, were drumming in the rear. Could it be that those charging forward were even stronger than those beating the drums?

"Okay, wait until everyone goes out and takes a look, won't you know?"

Cheng Yaojin laughed, trying to ease the tense and curious atmosphere.

Chu Suiliang glanced at the Qianniu Guards outside the door.

"General Cheng, how do you want to get out?"

He frowned slightly, with worry in his eyes, looking at the wolf-like and ferocious Qianniu Guards, wondering what Cheng Yaojin could do.

Cheng Yaojin smiled inexplicably.

"I, old Mr. Cheng, have a good plan." After saying that, a man walked out of the hall. His steps seemed relaxed, but in fact, they were winding and unhuman. Of course, the main reason was that he didn't want the people in the hall to know what he was going to do.

"General Cheng, please don't embarrass me."

The leader of the Qianniu Guard who was in charge of the guard said this, holding a long sword in his hand, with a hesitant look on his face.

"Don't worry, I won't embarrass you. I, Old Cheng, will go outside to show you something."

Cheng Yaojin said without turning his head.

Cheng Shijian took him to a corner outside the hall where no one could see him. He looked around vigilantly, and after confirming that there was no one around, he secretly took out something wrapped in cloth from his crotch.

The action was a little funny, but his expression was very serious. Then he carefully opened the layers one by one, and each layer he opened was like uncovering a mysterious treasure.

The leader of the Qianniu Guard took a curious look at the thing in Cheng Yaojin's hand, and then knelt down on one knee.

"General Cheng."

There was awe in his voice.

Cheng Yaojin carefully put away the military token and said, "Get up! Go and inform all the Qianniu Guards in Chang'an City to stay where they are and not to oppose His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Yes! I obey your order!" The leader of Qianniu Guard hurried away after receiving the order.

The Qianniu Guards in the palace quickly withdrew, and the orderly footsteps gradually disappeared in the corridors of the palace.

The people still in the hall watched as the Qianniu Guards withdrew inexplicably. Before they could react, they saw Cheng Yaojin walk in with a swagger.

"Well, I'll tell you what I am. I, Old Cheng Shanren, have a brilliant plan. The leader used to be one of my soldiers! He has to give me some face!"

After saying this, Cheng Yaojin raised his head complacently, his face filled with a proud smile, as if he was showing off his achievements to everyone.

Although Cheng Yaojin is usually unreliable!

But now that he really got the person away, everyone present owed him a favor.

Of course, good words will not be hidden.

"General Cheng really has connections!"

"You are indeed a pillar of the army!"

"The Sky-Bearing General!"

……

Cheng Yaojin felt so comfortable after hearing the flattery that he smiled even more brightly, almost reaching his ears.

Only Li Jing looked at Cheng Yaojin with an inexplicable expression. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, and then he looked at the unfamiliar face behind Fang Xuanling who had remained silent.

Seeing that Li Jing seemed to have discovered something, Fang Xuanling spoke directly, "Everyone, His Royal Highness's army is outside the city! Let's go and see what the situation is."

"It would be best if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince could enter Chang'an safely without any conflict!"

His eyes showed worry and expectation.

"What Minister Fang said makes sense!"

"Let's go, we'll go together!"

"How can this old thief Changsun be worthy of His Majesty!"

The officials marched out with great enthusiasm, their footsteps echoing through the palace. Yuchi Jingde followed Li Shimin closely, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, ready to respond to any emergency.

Li Jing walked at the back, looking ahead thoughtfully, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about the deeper meaning behind this incident.

……

"Second drum!"

The drumbeats grew more rapid, like notes urging death, dancing in the air. Every drumbeat seemed to strike at the hearts of the people, making those on and off the city walls increasingly nervous.

Changsun Wuji brought the officials from the aristocratic families to the top of the city wall. Their faces were solemn and their steps were hurried.

Looking at the black mass of army in front of them, no one could remain calm!

Their eyes were filled with fear and despair.

"Master Changsun, what should we do?"

Shangshu Cui Gan looked at Changsun Wuji anxiously, his voice trembling and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Changsun Wuji gritted his teeth, his brows furrowed, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

"Where do all these soldiers come from!" he roared in his heart

There are many troops stationed near Chang'an. If it were normal times, Changsun Wuji would have mobilized these troops long ago as long as he reported to Li Shimin.

But things are different now! His Majesty has passed away! I don't know who the military token was given to!

Without Li Shimin's order, the only way to mobilize the army was to rely on military tokens.

But the problem was that he didn't have the military token! He searched the entire palace but couldn't find it.

Looking at the massive army below, Changsun Wuji realized that His Majesty might have given all the military commands to the prince.

A cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead, trickling down his cheeks and soaking his collar. The defenders on the city wall had no morale at all. Their eyes were filled with fear, their bodies trembled slightly, and they seemed to be unable to hold their weapons steady.

Those noble families have their own private armies, but it’s too late to mobilize them now!

Fear is contagious. Even veterans who have experienced many battles are not as relaxed as they were at the beginning.

I thought we had backup, but after all this time, there were only these people on the city wall. How can we play this game?

"Why hasn't the battalion of Qianniu Guards I mobilized arrived yet?"

Changsun Wuji looked at his family generals, his eyes filled with anger and anxiety.

"grown ups!"

The family general smiled bitterly.

"It was originally agreed that they would come here under your orders, but I don't know what happened! They simply refused to let me in."

After hearing what the family general said, Changsun Wuji almost fainted from anger. His body shook and his eyes were full of disbelief.

Before he could make a decision, he heard a shout from the city gate downstairs.

"I am Li Tai, the current King of Wei! I command you to open the city gates! Let the emperor's army in!"

The sound was clear and loud, standing out in the tense atmosphere.

Changsun Wuji listened to Li Tai's cry and closed his eyes helplessly. He knew that everything was over. He had lost, completely.

Li Tai watched the city gate slowly open, and when the majestic military formation came into view, he was still very panicked. His heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes, fearing that his brother would send him away.

It wasn't until today that he realized that none of these aristocratic families were reliable.

I guess I was plotted against before, but luckily my elder brother didn't fight back, and I didn't listen to their plots against my elder brother.

Otherwise, I would really be treated as a pawn and played around with by these aristocratic families.

Thinking of this, Li Tai felt relieved and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He stood respectfully at the gate of Chang'an City, "Your humble servant congratulates you on ascending the throne! Long live the emperor!"

Then he knelt on the ground and bowed his head gently. His movements were pious and respectful.

Li Tai took the lead and asked the soldiers guarding the city behind him to put down their weapons one by one and kneel on the ground with Li Tai, "Long live the emperor!"

One after another, people in Chang'an City were led to kneel on the ground. The scene was spectacular, like dominoes, one after another.

……

The entire city of Chang'an was paying homage to the new emperor.