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

In the spring of the second year of Qianyuan, the wind from the north of the Yellow River, carrying the chill of the remaining snow, swept over the top of Weizhou City.

Shi Siming, clad in a dark brocade robe, stood by the railing, his gaze sweeping across the densely packed tents below the city walls to the distant direction of Yecheng. The city, besieged by the Tang army, now seemed less a hopeless situation than a chess piece capable of shifting the entire Hebei war.

A cold arc appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his fingertips unconsciously stroked the jade pendant at his waist - this game of chess has just begun.

"Report—Your Majesty, the Khitan envoy has arrived outside the tent and is willing to exchange 3,000 cavalry for 10,000 dan of grain!"

The report from the personal guard interrupted Shi Siming's thoughts.

He turned around, and the hem of his black robe swept across the snow on the railing, leaving a dark mark.

"Let him in." Shi Siming's voice was low and full of unquestionable majesty.

The Khitan envoy, dressed in furs and with a scimitar hanging from his waist, dared not show any arrogance upon entering the tent. He quickly bowed and saluted: "Greetings to the Wise King of Great Yan! Our Khan has heard that Your Majesty is raising an army to attack the Tang Dynasty. We are willing to offer 3,000 elite cavalrymen. We only ask Your Majesty to provide us with food to help us survive the spring famine."

Shi Siming sat at his desk, tapping his fingers on the map on the table, his eyes sharp as an eagle: "Food can be provided, but the cavalry must be incorporated into our vanguard camp and commanded by our generals."

"If you dare to have second thoughts, do you know the consequences?"

The messenger's forehead was covered in sweat, and he nodded quickly: "I dare not! My soldiers will obey the prince's orders and will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Shi Siming then picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. "Since that's the case, let the cavalry train with our generals tomorrow."

"The food carts are ready. Go to the camp and take inventory."

After the Khitan envoys left, Zhou Zhi opened the curtain and entered, bowing and saying, "Your Highness, the Xi people have also reached an agreement. They are willing to provide 2,000 cavalrymen, on the condition that they will be allowed to graze on the border of Youzhou after the war."

"Also, Fanyang's 30,000 elite troops have already passed Cangzhou and will reach Weizhou in three days." Shi Siming put down his teacup, stood up, and walked over to the map, his fingertips landing on the official road between Weizhou and Yecheng. "We have a total of 150,000 troops. Next, we need to examine the strength of the Tang army."

He had already sent more than ten spies to infiltrate the Tang army camp. These people disguised themselves as merchants or refugees. Two of them even used their skilled horsemanship to sneak into the Tang army's grain transport team.

Three days later, a pale, thin "refugee" was brought into Shi Siming's tent. He knelt on the ground, pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his bosom, and presented it with both hands: "Your Highness, the Tang army's food and fodder are stored in the granary outside Xiangzhou City. According to my observation, they consume about 2,000 dan of grain every day. The current supply is less than 400,000 dan, which can only last for two months at most."

Shi Siming took the note, read it carefully, and then asked, "What is the situation among the generals? Are there any contacts between Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi?"

The spy quickly replied, "Your Highness, General Guo Ziyi's Shuofang Army and General Li Guangbi's Hedong Army camps are three miles apart, and they rarely come into contact."

"The day before yesterday, General Li Guangbi wanted to transfer grain carts from the Shuofang Army to support the front lines, but General Guo Ziyi refused, saying, 'Our army is also short of grain.' The two men almost came to a quarrel in the camp."

"And then there's that military supervisor, Yu Chaoen. Yesterday, he forced the generals to storm the northwest corner of Ye City, resulting in the loss of three thousand soldiers. The soldiers are privately complaining."

"Good! Good! Good!" Shi Siming said "good" three times in a row, his eyes flashing with ecstasy. "The Tang army's generals are at odds, their food and grass are running low, and their soldiers are exhausted. This is God's help!"

"Let the eunuchs supervise the emperor, and the Tang Dynasty will surely perish."

He slammed the table so hard that the teacups on it shook slightly. "Pass on my order. The entire army remains stationary. Only a small number of cavalry will be sent to patrol the outskirts of Yecheng every day to confuse the Tang army."

"Also, prepare five thousand dan of grain and send an envoy to Yecheng. Remember, just say, 'The wise king, mindful of our comrades, is temporarily sending grain and fodder for emergency use. Reinforcements will arrive soon.'"

Zhou Zhi heard this and looked puzzled. "Your Majesty, An Qingxu has always had a grudge against you. Why are you still sending him grain? These 5,000 dan of grain are just a drop in the bucket for the defenders of Yecheng."

Shi Siming turned around, patted Zhou Zhi on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "It is precisely because it is a drop in the bucket that we have to send

"I want An Qingxu to feel that I am still helping him, so that he can continue to fight the Tang army with hope."

"Wait until he wears out the Tang army, then I'll send my troops. This way, I can get rid of An Qingxu, this great threat, and inflict heavy damage on the Tang army. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

Zhou Zhi suddenly understood and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, your opinion is excellent! I will arrange it right away."

Looking at Zhou Zhi's departing back, Shi Siming looked towards the direction of Yecheng again, with a fierce look in his eyes - An Qingxu, your death is not far away.

Yecheng had long lost its former prosperity. The streets were deserted, with only a few emaciated soldiers occasionally seen patrolling listlessly, leaning on their spears.

An Qingxu, wearing a dragon robe so washed white, sat in the empty palace, a bowl of porridge on the table before him. He stared at the few grains of rice floating in the bowl, his brow furrowed, his heart filled with anxiety.

"Report—Your Majesty, King Shixian has sent an envoy to deliver food!"

A guard stumbled into the palace, a look of ecstasy on his face. An Qingxu stood up suddenly, almost dropping the bowl in his hand. "Quick! Let the messenger in!"

Shi Siming's envoy, holding a letter in hand, walked into the palace with his head held high and bowed to An Qingxu. "Your Majesty! My prince heard that Yecheng was under siege and short of food and fodder, so he specially prepared 5,000 dan of grain and fodder to help Your Majesty tide over the difficulties."

"The prince said that he has assembled a large army in Weizhou and will send troops to rescue your majesty soon. Together with your majesty, we will defeat the Tang army!"

An Qingxu took the letter and opened it impatiently. He saw that the letter was written in earnest words and there was concern between the lines.

He read it three times over, the anxiety in his eyes gradually replaced by hope, and his originally pale face also gained some color. "Good! Good! Shi Siming really hasn't forgotten his roots! Pass on my orders, distribute food and fodder to the soldiers defending the city, and tell them that reinforcements from King Shi Xian will arrive soon. Tell them to hold the city firmly and don't slack off!"

Cui Qianyou, standing by, frowned. After the messenger left, he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Shi Siming has always been ambitious. Sending only 5,000 dan of grain this time is rather strange."

"If he really wanted to rescue us, why didn't he send a large army? These 5,000 dan of grain would only be enough for the defenders to last for ten days or half a month at most. I'm afraid..."

"Enough!" An Qingxu suddenly interrupted Cui Qianyou, his tone carrying a hint of impatience. "Minister Cui, don't be so suspicious! Shi Siming joined my father in the rebellion. Now that Great Yan is in danger, how could he sit idly by and do nothing?"

"Besides, if he wanted to harm me, why would he bother sending me food? You just need to take care of defending the city, and you don't need to worry about anything else!"

Cui Qianyou looked at An Qingxu's stubborn look, feeling helpless, but he didn't dare to say anything more, so he could only bow and retreat.

An Qingxu walked to the palace gate, looked at the distant sky, his heart full of fantasies - once Shi Siming's reinforcements arrived, he would be able to defeat the Tang army and restore the glory of Dayan.

But he didn't know that what Shi Siming sent him was not life-saving food, but poison to delay his death.

As the days passed, the Tang army's offensive grew more and more intense. The walls of Yecheng were already riddled with arrow holes and had even collapsed in places.

The defenders' food and fodder were soon exhausted, and the soldiers began to eat tree bark and grass roots. There were even rumors that cannibalism had occurred in the city.

More and more soldiers chose to flee. Some climbed over the wall and joined the Tang army, while others hid in houses and never dared to come out again.