We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Zhang Yi let them argue for a while until the noise subsided and all eyes turned back to him.

He then slowly began to speak:

"Whether to surrender or not is not something that can be decided today, and reputation and life and death cannot be decided by words alone."

He glanced at the crowd and said, “But there is one thing you must understand: Liucheng has fallen, and the blockade of the eastern front of Tibet has been lifted.”

“A large army has arrived outside the city, led by a man who claims to be the Emperor of the Central Plains. They have also defeated the Tibetan army in Liucheng.”

Zhang Yi slowly exhaled: "At least this land, this city, will not fall into the hands of foreign races."

The generals fell silent. Even the veterans who had previously denounced Li Che as a traitor were now speechless.

Their reason for staying here was not only their loyalty to the Great Huan, but also their hatred for the Tubo.

Over the past two decades, countless compatriots have died at the hands of foreigners.

In comparison, a fellow countryman emperor who destroyed his homeland doesn't seem so hard to accept.

He paused, then looked at Old Chen: "Uncle Chen, did that emperor say when his army will arrive in Shazhou City?"

Old Chen hurriedly said, "He said so! He told us to report back first, and that he will come early tomorrow morning at the dry lake between Liucheng and Shazhou, saying he will wait for the general there."

The hall fell silent again, with only the heavy breathing of the generals remaining.

"He wants to see me?"

Zhang Yi was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes hardened: "Then I'll go see him!"

"Gather a hundred riders, and I will go personally at daybreak."

Upon hearing this, several people simultaneously tried to dissuade them:

"General, you mustn't!"

"General, we must be careful!"

"How can we see him? If he is truly sincere, he should come to Shazhou to see us!"

"How can a hundred riders possibly suffice?"

Zhang Yi raised his hand to stop them: "If it really is a trap, sending more soldiers will be useless. That dry lake has no natural defenses."

"If we are truly sincere, a hundred riders will demonstrate our composure."

"But," a general said worriedly, "we still don't know if the other side is friend or foe..."

Zhang Yi shook his head and said, "I have made up my mind about this matter. You all go back and reorganize your troops and appease the soldiers and civilians."

"Keep all four gates closed until I return. If I do not return by noon tomorrow, and if there is any change outside the city, then proceed according to the plan."

The so-called final plan was a desperate consensus within the Shazhou Army—to perish together.

Even at the very last moment, they would rather set the city ablaze and turn it into a wasteland than let it fall into the hands of foreign tribes.

Although Zhang Yi knew that it was unlikely that the other party was in a trap set by the Tibetans.

Seeing Zhang Yi's resolute attitude, everyone's expressions hardened, and they finally said no more.

"Go and get ready," Zhang Yi waved his hand.

The crowd bowed and dispersed, each with a worried expression.

After everyone left, Zhang Yi stood alone in front of the dragon flag and gently stroked the satin surface of the flag.

The golden dragon is majestic, its claws and teeth clearly defined.

Li Che...

He silently repeated the name in his heart.

Tomorrow we'll see.

. . . . . .

At dawn, the east gate of Shazhou slowly opened with a creaking sound.

Zhang Yi took the lead, followed by a hundred riders.

Both men and horses were thin, their armor worn and tattered, but their resolute eyes made no one dare to underestimate them.

The hundred riders headed east, their hoofbeats sounding exceptionally clear in the empty dawn.

The dry lake soon came into view.

This is a vast gravel beach with an open view and almost no obstruction.

This place is unsuitable for setting up an ambush; this demonstrates Li Che's sincerity and is one of the reasons why Zhang Yi was willing to come and meet him.

Then he saw the flag again.

The same dark-colored golden dragon, fluttering and coiling in the morning breeze, was even more majestic than the one from last night.

Under the banner, hundreds of armored soldiers stood solemnly.

They were covered in heavy black armor he had never seen before, gleaming with a dark metallic sheen in the dim morning light, like hundreds of iron terracotta warriors from the underworld.

There was no whispering, no unnecessary movements, and even the warhorses stood silently.

Zhang Yi felt a chill run down his spine.

He was a man of military knowledge and could see at a glance how terrifying these armored soldiers were.

It wasn't just because they were well-equipped, but because of that solidified, chilling aura—a quality possessed only by the most elite, battle-hardened warriors.

But his gaze quickly swept past the iron formation and settled on something further ahead.

About a hundred paces in front of the army formation, there was a lone wooden table and two folding chairs.

A young man dressed in dark casual clothes was sitting in one of the chairs, looking calmly in this direction.

The morning light outlined his clear profile; he looked very young, even excessively young.

Seeing Zhang Yi looking over, the young man smiled and nodded.

Zhang Yi took a deep breath, reined in his warhorse, and raised his hand to stop the cavalry behind him.

"General, we will go with you!" the captain of the personal guard said urgently.

Zhang Yi shook his head, pointed to the open area in front of the enemy's formation, and then pointed behind him: "They treat us with sincerity, so we should respond with sincerity."

"You shall wait here and not move without orders."

After saying this, he spurred his horse and, alone on horseback, walked slowly and deliberately towards the center of the open space, towards the table, and towards the young man in black.

The horses' hooves clattered rhythmically on the gravel.

He dismounted ten paces from the table, casually draped the reins over his shoulder, walked to the empty chair, and sat down opposite the young man across the table.

The entire process was calm and efficient, with his gaze never leaving the other person.

As Zhang Yi looked over, Li Che was also looking at him, a hint of undisguised admiration flashing in his eyes.

The man before me was covered in dust, yet his back was ramrod straight, and his eyes were sharp as an eagle's; he was indeed a valiant and extraordinary young general.

Li Che immediately sensed something in him: talent, absolutely top-tier talent!

Li Che picked up the rough pottery pot on the table, poured a full cup of hot tea, gently pushed it in front of Zhang Yi, and gestured for him to enter.

Zhang Yi glanced at the cup of tea, and without any hesitation, picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp.

The tea was warm and slightly bitter, but a warm sensation spread as it went down the throat.

Li Che then spoke up, "General Zhang's presence here suggests that the people and soldiers of Shazhou have already made a decision?"

Zhang Yi put down the ceramic cup and calmly met Li Che's gaze.

He did not answer, but instead slowly asked, "What does Your Majesty intend to do with... us?"

"Dispose of?" Li Che raised an eyebrow, then shook his head and said, "Heroes of the nation, remnants of the fallen dynasty, how can you use the word 'dispose of'?"

Zhang Yi twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a bitter expression: "But in His Majesty's eyes, we are nothing more than remnants of the Great Huan, enemies rather than friends."

Li Che smiled: "Yang Zhongsi, does General Zhang know?"

Zhang Yi's pupils suddenly contracted, and he exclaimed, "General Yang?! He...he's not..."

Huan Chao's last famous general, who in the world doesn't know him?

Back then, Yang Zhongsi was stationed in the Western Regions. He only led his troops back to the country to defend the emperor when the domestic situation deteriorated to the point of collapse.

But there was no further news, and it's unknown whether he died or was arrested.

"He is now my Grand General, commanding all the armies of the realm," Li Che said calmly.

Zhang Yi was completely stunned and speechless for a long time.

Yang Zhongsi actually surrendered to Qing and even rose to the highest position in the court.

"You find this surprising?" Li Che looked at him and said slowly, "As far as I am concerned, there are only people who can or cannot be used, regardless of the previous or current dynasty."

"If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them. General Zhang, you don't need to worry about the future of the soldiers in Shazhou."

Zhang Yi fell silent.

Such words are merely platitudes used by lords to recruit talent; everyone says them, but no one truly believes them.

But for some reason, the words of this young man had a power that made it hard to question them.

After a moment, he raised his head, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "This humble general... has one more question."

"Ask away." Li Che raised his hand to pour Zhang Yi a cup of tea. "We have plenty of time today, you can ask slowly."

Zhang Yi took a deep breath and asked, "What is the purpose of Your Majesty's western expedition?"

Li Che met his gaze without flinching and said frankly, "I have pacified the land and brought peace to the four borders. However, the Tibetans have repeatedly invaded the borders and are unruly."

"This personal expedition is for two reasons: first, to eliminate the threat in the northwest forever; and second, to recover the lost territories of the previous dynasty, open up the Western Regions, and restore the prestige of China in remote lands."

For strategy, for territory, for the dignity of the empire.

The only exception was that there was no special effort made for the isolated army in Shazhou.

The last glimmer of light in Zhang Yi's eyes dimmed.

Indeed, this is the kind of vision an emperor should have.

He paused for a moment, his voice hoarse: "Does anyone in the Central Plains know that there is still a 'Guihuan Army' in Shazhou, who are always looking forward to the Central Plains?"

Li Che shook his head and told the truth: "Before this, neither I nor the officials in the court knew about it."

Despite having anticipated it, Zhang Yi still felt as if his heart was being gripped by an icy hand.

For twenty years, countless bones have been buried in the yellow sand, and countless days and nights have passed with longing gazes reaching the ends of the earth.

In fact, they had long been erased from the historical records and maps of the Central Plains, and no one remembered them.

His eyes instantly reddened, and he forced back the tears, though his Adam's apple bobbed violently.

Just then, Li Che's voice rang out again:

"But from now on, the whole world will know!"

Zhang Yi suddenly looked up.

Li Che looked at him with a solemn expression, as if making a vow: "The Guihuan Army has held firm to Shazhou, loyally resisting the barbarians for twenty years."

"I will order the historians to record this event in detail and proclaim it to the world."

"Your illustrious names shall be spread throughout the world, engraved in stone and metal, and worshipped by incense for ten thousand generations."

"This is my promise to you, to all the deceased and living in Shazhou."

Li Che looked at Zhang Yi and said earnestly, "From this day forward, do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you!"

Zhang Yi's body trembled violently, as if he had been struck by a tremendous force.

Twenty years of hardship, grievances, despair, perseverance... all the emotions that were so heavy that they almost crushed him seemed to be released at this moment.

He suddenly stood up and knelt on one knee, the armor plates clanging together with a resounding sound.

"Zhang Yi, the military commissioner of Guihuan Army in Shazhou, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"