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

An Qingxu walked to the couch and wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve, but he couldn't wipe it off.

The wind and snow outside the window were getting stronger and stronger, beating against the palace door, like countless wronged souls crying.

An Qingxu clenched the dagger in his hand, with only one thought in his mind: no matter what the cost, he must defend the throne and the country left by his father - even if his hands were stained with blood, even if he was branded as a patricide.

At the same time, Shi Siming in Luoyang received the news from Fan Yang.

He sat in the general's tent, looking at the words on the letter, "His Majesty is seriously ill, and the general is summoned back to Fan Yang to attend the funeral," with a sneer on his face.

He threw the letter on the table and said to his deputy general Zhou Zhi, "That old bastard An Lushan must have died a long time ago."

"That brat An Qingxu just killed my father, and now he wants to take my military power? What wishful thinking!"

Zhou Zhi bowed and said, "General, what should we do now? Return to Fanyang, or continue fighting?"

Shi Siming stood up and walked outside the tent. Looking at the Tang army camp in the distance, a hint of ambition flashed in his eyes: "Return to Fanyang? I won't go there to die!"

"An Qingxu is a cowardly and incompetent man, and Yan Zhuang is treacherous and cunning. They simply cannot defend the Kingdom of Yan."

"Why don't we just hold our troops in place and wait for both the Tang army and An Qingxu to be defeated? Then, I can lead my army back to Fanyang and seize the throne. Wouldn't that be better?"

Zhou Zhi quickly said, "General, you are wise! But the Tang army is too powerful. If we don't move, An Qingxu won't be able to hold out for long."

"It won't last long." Shi Siming sneered. "Once An Qingxu is defeated, I will return to Fanyang under the pretext of 'clearing the court'. I can then seize the throne and rally the troops."

"When the time comes, the kingdom of Yan will belong to me, Shi Siming!"

The cold wind howled outside the tent, blowing up the snow on the ground like an impending storm.

An Lushan's death did not quell the civil strife in Yan State, but instead ignited the fire of greater ambition.

An Qingxu ascended the throne in Fan Yang, Shi Siming remained inactive in Luoyang, and the Tang army, led by Guo Ziyi, pressed forward step by step. The game between the three forces plunged this war-torn land into deeper darkness.

Li Heng, who was far away in Lingwu, was discussing the strategy of attacking Chang'an with Li Mi when he received the news of An Lushan's death.

He slammed the table, a flicker of ecstasy in his eyes: "Great! The traitor An Lushan is finally dead! Guo Ziyi's army is approaching Luoyang. An Qingxu just killed his father and ascended the throne, and his army is unstable. This is a good time for us to recapture Luoyang and Chang'an!"

Li Mi frowned and said, "Your Majesty, although An Lushan is dead, Shi Siming commands a large army and remains inactive in Luoyang. I'm afraid he may have ambitions."

"Although An Qingxu is weak, he has Yan Zhuang's assistance, and Fanyang's foundation is still there."

"If we attack rashly, Shi Siming might reap the benefits."

Li Heng calmed down and nodded: "You are right."

"Convey my decree. Have Guo Ziyi temporarily suspend his attack on Luoyang. Send someone to appease Shi Siming first. I promise him a high position and generous salary. If he is willing to submit to the court, I will spare his life."

"At the same time, have Li Guangbi lead his troops from Taiyuan to tie down the troops in Fanyang, so that An Qingxu will be unable to take care of both ends."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Li Mi bowed and said, "As long as we can alienate Shi Siming and An Qingxu and make them kill each other, it will be just a matter of time before we can recapture Luoyang and Chang'an."

The lights were on in Lingwu's general's tent. Li Heng looked at the map on the table, and a hint of determination flashed in his eyes.

An Lushan's death gave him hope of regaining the Tang Dynasty.

But he knew that this was just the beginning of the war - An Qingxu, Shi Siming, the rebels entrenched in various places, and his father who was far away in Shu were still challenges he had to face.

In the Prince of Yan's Mansion in Fanyang, An Qingxu was wearing a brand new dragon robe, sitting on the throne, accepting the worship of all officials.

The wind and snow outside the palace had stopped, and the sunlight shone through the window lattice onto his face, but it could not warm his cold heart.

He looked at the officials kneeling before His Highness and suddenly felt that the throne was like a hot potato, which made him both desire and fear it.

Yan Zhuang stood aside, looking at the new emperor's back, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

He knew that An Qingxu would not be able to sit on the throne for long. Shi Siming's ambition, the offensive of the Tang army, and internal conflicts would all become the straw that broke the camel's back for the young emperor.

But he had no choice - An Lushan was dead, he could only assist An Qingxu and find a way to survive in this chaotic world.

An Lushan's body was buried in the cellar of the rear hall of the Prince of Yan's Mansion, covered with a thick layer of lime.

No one knew that this once powerful rebel leader would end his life in such a humiliating way.

His death, like a stone thrown into troubled times, caused ripples but failed to quell the war that had lasted for several years.

The war is still going on, and the Tang Dynasty is still in turmoil.

Li Heng of Lingwu, An Qingxu of Fanyang, Shi Siming of Luoyang, and Li Longji of Shu, they all struggled hard in this chess game of power, trying to grasp the glimmer of hope that belonged to them.

The people, on the other hand, could only be displaced by the war, hoping that the war would end soon so that they could live a stable life again.

As the sun set, the walls of Fanyang turned blood red. Standing on the tower, An Qingxu gazed at the distant beacon fires, feeling a surge of unease.

He didn't know whether he could defend the kingdom left by his father or survive in this chaotic world.

He only knew that from the moment he killed his father, there was no turning back.

An Lushan's death was beyond Li Heng's expectations. He had thought that the momentum of the rebellion would weaken.

But no one expected that the turmoil led by the rebel An Lushan did not end with An Lushan's death, but instead intensified.

It was just adding fuel to the fire. Seeing the rebels' morale soar, the Tang soldiers often couldn't understand why they were all Tang people but were killing each other.

The rebel leader is dead, but why is the world still in such chaos?