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

Late spring in Chang'an is always wrapped in a lingering layer of dampness. The glazed tiles of the Taiji Palace glow dully in the hazy sky, very much like the current situation of this imperial city - desolate after its heyday. Even if there are some remaining luxury, they cannot conceal the decadence in its bones.

No one knew what exactly happened in the Taiji Palace that day. The spies Li Heng had planted in the retired emperor's residence could only peek from afar through the carved windows.

It was recorded: "The retired emperor got up in the morning, washed his hair, put on his old purple robe, walked out of the palace to greet the sunlight, and his expression did not show whether he was happy or angry."

The palace servants said privately that the retired emperor was afraid to see the current state of Chang'an - although some people had returned to Zhuque Street, there was no longer the bustling hustle and bustle of the past.

The willows by Qujiang Lake still sway, but they no longer reflect the magnificent scene of "rice flowing like fat, corn white like white, public and private granaries alike abundant." But today, the retired emperor, who had been silent for over seven hundred days and nights, took the initiative to greet the sunlight that he had once blocked with his own hands.

Although Li Longji was over sixty years old and his temples were gray, his eyes, which had seen through the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty and experienced the scars of troubled times, were now surprisingly bright.

"Below the palace wall, the men have already formed their battle array."

"The banner of 'the world belongs to all' has been raised again."

Li Longji slowly raised his hand and stroked his fingertips over an old coin engraved with "Kaiyuan Tongbao" on the table - it was a coin that accidentally fell on the corner of the table when he was young and discussing state affairs with Yao Chong and Song Jing. Now the edge of the coin has been worn smooth.

He sighed softly, feeling relieved.

"Okay, okay..."

On the square of Taiji Palace, the black army formation was lined up like a rock. The dark armor shone coldly in the sun. The ring swords at the waist and the longbows on the back, every weapon was polished to a shine.

The most eye-catching thing is the huge flag in front of the formation, which is more than three meters high: the flag is a washed-out red, and four powerful characters are embroidered on it with gold thread - "The world belongs to the public."

When the wind blew, the big flags fluttered, as if announcing the return of some power to this long-silent imperial city.

Li Longji looked at the big flag and his eyes suddenly felt hot.

He remembered the Chang'an of his youth, the "Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Coat" danced by Yang Guifei, and the cries of the displaced people when An Lushan's rebel army broke through Tongguan. The Uighurs, under the pretext of helping the Tang Dynasty to quell the rebellion, broke into Luoyang City, burned, killed, and looted, leaving the thousand-year-old capital strewn with corpses and rivers of blood.

Those barbarian cavalrymen galloped through the streets of Luoyang, hanging the heads of Tang civilians on their saddles for show, abducting palace maids and talented women as slaves, and even setting fire to the Mingtang, the Mingtang built by Wu Zetian herself...

"The Huihe people are ambitious, and the barbarians are ready to make trouble. Even the Tibetans dare to provoke trouble on the Anxi border..."

"Do they think that the Tang Dynasty, after this chaos, is a dying candle in the wind, and can be slaughtered at their mercy? They have forgotten the devastation wrought upon the Central Plains by the Five Barbarians' invasion of China. Such a disaster must not be allowed to happen again in the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Longji nodded, turned around and walked back into the hall. The writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone were already prepared on the desk.

He picked up the wolf-hair brush that he had used to write the "Inscription on Mount Tai" himself, dipped it in thick ink, and cast his gaze on the plain white rice paper. He paused slightly, and the brush began to move like a dragon.

Order of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty

To all the military governors and prefecture governors of the country:

Since Emperor Gaozu established his capital in Guanzhong, through the reigns of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan era and Emperor Gaozong's Yonghui era, and finally during my Kaiyuan era, the world has been at peace, with all nations paying tribute. From the vast sea in the east to the Pamir Mountains in the west, from Jiaozhi in the south to the vast desert in the north, all are part of the Tang Dynasty. The barbarians and the nomadic tribes have all sent envoys to pay homage and submit to our legitimate rule. This prosperous era was created by our ancestors through hardships, tireless work, and tireless efforts. It was achieved through the bloodshed of countless soldiers on the battlefield and the hard work of the people. How can we allow it to be overturned in a single day?

However, in recent years, the rebellions of An Lushan and Shi Siming have ravaged the Central Plains, displacing the people and leaving farmland barren. I, ashamed of my poor selection of personnel, have led to this disaster, and have therefore retired to the position of Supreme Leader, seeking a more virtuous position. However, the barbarians, unaware of the unshaken foundation of the Tang Dynasty, have seized upon this opportunity to rise up. The Uighurs, betraying their alliance and under the guise of suppressing a rebellion, have invaded Luoyang, plundering and slaughtering our children and burning our palaces. Wherever they pass, bones strewn across the fields, women and children wailing. Such wolfish behavior has incurred the wrath of the Chinese people and violated the very principles of the Tang Dynasty! The Nanzhao barbarians are eyeing Jiannan, the Tibetans have repeatedly invaded Anxi, the Bohai Mohe have harassed our Yingzhou, and even the Japanese pirates from the coastal areas have dared to land and plunder—do you barbarians truly believe that the Tang Dynasty is so weak that it can be slaughtered?

I look upon the people with my own eyes. I know full well that there may be dissension within the realm of the state, or disunity among the generals and soldiers. However, 'brothers quarrel, but defend against external aggression' is the eternal precept of our Chinese people! During the Five Barbarians' invasion of China and the Yongjia Rebellion, the Central Plains gentry migrated south, and seven or eight out of ten civilians perished in the wars. Thousands of miles of fertile land were reduced to scorched earth. These tragedies are recorded in the annals of history, and every word is heartbreaking. How can we allow them to happen again in today's Tang Dynasty?

The Central Plains are the roots of the Chinese nation; the people are my flesh and blood. These barbarians, devouring raw meat and drinking blood, ignorant of etiquette, dare to covet our fertile land and trample upon the people of the Tang Dynasty. This is a deception of our Tang Dynasty, a disgrace to our Celestial Empire! Today, I declare to the world: Though the Tang Dynasty may face temporary turmoil, its prestige remains unshaken, and its foundations are strong. Though I am old, I still have strength left. I will lead the people of the Tang Dynasty in a fight to the bitter end against the barbarians!

I now issue this order, commanding all the military governors to immediately mobilize their troops and attack from different directions:

The Jiedushi of the Northern Road, swiftly lead your troops north to drive out the Huihe bandits and recapture Luoyang. Any Huihe soldiers captured will be severely punished without mercy, ensuring that the Hu cavalry dare not cross the Great Wall again.

The Western Circuit Governor was to strictly guard the four Anxi towns and the Hexi Corridor against any Tibetan invasion. If the Tibetans dared to invade, their camps would be destroyed and their food supplies burned, so that they would know that the Tang Dynasty's western borders were inviolable.

The Jiedushi of the Southern Circuit was to pacify Jiannan and Lingnan, put down the rebellion of the Nanzhao barbarians, comfort the people in the border areas, and prevent the barbarians from harassing the inland areas.

?The Jiedushi of the host region will reorganize the navy, eliminate the Japanese pirates in the coastal areas and the Mohe people in Bohai, protect the coastal counties, and ensure the safety of our people in fishing and farming.

I know that the vassal states have encountered many difficulties in recent years, with food and fodder shortages and exhausted soldiers.

Therefore, I have decided to restore the old system of the Qianwu Dynasty: open the Chang'an armory, allocate food and military equipment from Longxi, and distribute them all to various towns; those who send troops to pacify the barbarians will be exempted from taxes for three years, and the soldiers who die in battle will be buried with honor and their orphans will be compensated, and their descendants can enter the Imperial Academy to study; if they can defeat the enemy and make meritorious deeds, kill the barbarian leaders, or recover a thousand miles of lost territory, I will divide the land and make them a marquis, and grant them a red-lettered iron certificate, and honor them for their descendants!

However, if any Jiedushi procrastinates, refuses to obey orders, or engages in illicit dealings with the barbarians, secretly passing on information, I will dispatch my army to suppress them! The muskets and cannons wielded by our army are divine weapons left by Emperor Qianwu. They are immensely powerful, capable of breaching strong cities and rending vast armies. I want to see whether your private armies are tougher than the cannonballs, or whether your ambitions can withstand the might of the imperial court!

Proclaim my will to the barbarians everywhere: The Great Tang is not a weak nation, and I am not a foolish ruler. If you can halt your course and send an envoy to apologize, I will grant you a temporary pardon. If you persist in your wrongdoings and dare to invade our territory and bully our people again, I will unleash the might of the land to plunder your lands, raze your nests, and destroy your race forever! Remember that despite the chaos of the Great Tang, its power still reigns supreme. How can the Celestial Empire tolerate the humiliation of barbarians?

Generals, you must prioritize the nation and the people. Do not fear difficulty, do not procrastinate, and do not harbor selfish motives. Today's battle is not for me, not for the Li family, but for China, for future generations! If you can work together to defeat the barbarians, I will drink with you in the Daming Palace and restore the glory of the Kaiyuan era!

Li Longji personally issued the imperial edict

When this edict, stamped with the "Emperor's Seal", was sent out of Chang'an by express postmen on horses at an speed of 800 miles.