I have already established my power and prestige, so how did Li Shimin come back to life?

As he spoke, he kowtowed continuously, his forehead hitting the hard ground again and again, making loud "bang bang" noises. After a while, his forehead became red and swollen, and the red and swollen area was stained with dust from the ground, making him look miserable.

After hearing this, Li Shimin slammed the chopping board. The chopping board was made of thick solid wood, and when he slammed it hard, a loud "bang" sound was heard.

Some soldiers who were close to them were even frightened and trembled.

"Then can you send troops to assist the Xueyantuo in plundering the border of the Tang Dynasty?"

His voice rose a few degrees, carrying an unquestionable question, and the sound echoed in the big tent for a long time.

"Heavenly Khan! If we don't help Yinan send troops, we're afraid we'll never see you again!"

The other tribal leaders also joined in the weeping and wailing, creating a truly tragic scene.

Each of them looked like a child who had suffered a great injustice, with tears streaming down their faces, their snot and snot mixed together, making a mess.

They tried to gain Li Shimin's sympathy by appearing pitiful, constantly muttering various words of pleading, hoping to escape this calamity.

Seeing their appearance, Li Shimin's heart softened again, and he couldn't help but recall the scenes of his past brotherhood with these tribal leaders.

Those days of drinking and eating meat together, galloping across the grasslands, seem like they were just yesterday. Back then, we laughed and talked, sharing our feelings and heartfelt conversations.

Who would have thought things would come to this? But thinking about the betrayals they've committed, I feel an overwhelming sense of anger and mixed emotions.

Thinking of his son's orders, he couldn't help but sigh deeply and slowly said, "I am the Heavenly Khan, and I was once sworn brothers with you!"

His tone carried a complex mix of emotions, a blend of past friendships and present helplessness, with a hint of barely perceptible sadness lingering in his voice.

"His Majesty of the Tang Dynasty is very dissatisfied with your actions!"

He paused slightly, his gaze becoming increasingly serious, as if it could pierce through people's hearts, making them afraid to meet his eyes.

"His orders to us were that we should leave only one Turkic tribe on the grassland to raise horses, and wipe out the rest."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating a raging storm. The entire tent erupted in uproar, everyone stunned by the stern command.

Upon hearing Li Shimin's words, all the tribal leaders' expressions changed drastically. Their already pale faces became even more bloodless, as white as paper, and their eyes were filled with terror.

His eyes revealed a fear of death and a despair for the future.

"Heavenly Khan, please spare us! We won't do it again."

They cried out and kowtowed desperately, the sound of their kowtowing echoing throughout the tent, a continuous "bang bang bang" that seemed to be playing a desperate lament.

Each kowtow seemed to use all their strength, their foreheads hitting the ground harder and harder, even leaving some bloodstains on the ground, but they paid no attention to it, only thinking about seeking a sliver of life.

Li Shimin closed his eyes, ignoring their pleas, his face showing signs of exhaustion.

It was a weariness that came from experiencing the world and seeing through people's hearts; the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed to have deepened.

After a while, he spoke again: "Isn't Chengqian going to build a school and a horse farm on the grassland? Let the craftsmen from Xianyang take a look at how to do it."

"What I mean is, instead of having the people of our Great Tang exert their labor, why don't we have these seven tribes build houses for us, with the Turkic tribes and our Tang army jointly overseeing the work?"

His voice was much calmer, yet it still conveyed an undeniable decisiveness.

Li Ji had received Li Chengqian's imperial edict and was originally supposed to act accordingly. However, after listening to Li Shimin's suggestion and thinking for a long time, he still felt that Li Shimin's method might be better.

After all, Li Shimin had been fighting for many years and was very experienced. He had a clear understanding of the situation on the grasslands. Perhaps such an arrangement would be more conducive to stabilizing the situation on the grasslands and would also make these tribes pay the price for their past mistakes.

So he nodded in agreement to Li Shimin's request and hurriedly wrote a letter to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, instructing them to ride back as fast as they could and report the current situation to His Majesty.

Hoping to gain His Majesty's approval, he described in detail the current situation and Li Shimin's thoughts in the letter, his words sincere and cautious.

The people from the seven tribes below, upon hearing Li Shimin's words, were already drenched in cold sweat, their clothes soaked and clinging to their backs, feeling chilly.

The chill crept up their spines, making them shiver uncontrollably.

They never expected the new emperor to be so ruthless; he was completely different from the Tang emperors they knew.

In the past, the Tang Dynasty had always treated them with leniency and kindness, and even if they made some minor mistakes, they were usually punished leniently. But now this order was like a sharp blade hanging over their heads, which could fall at any time and take their lives.

Looking at Li Shimin sitting on the command desk, they felt an overwhelming longing for the days when the Tang emperor was still known as the Heavenly Khan. How kind and benevolent the Tang Dynasty had been to them back then!

They could graze their livestock freely on the grasslands without worrying about the threat of extermination, but now everything has changed, and they can only plead desperately on the edge of life and death.

Now, hearing that Li Shimin, mindful of their sworn brotherhood from years ago, had specially pleaded for the seven tribes to live, they were all even more grateful.

His eyes were filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and gratitude towards Li Shimin.

"Thank you, Heavenly Khan!" "Thank you, Heavenly Khan!"

The shouts echoed throughout the tent, as if they were trying to convey their gratitude to Li Shimin through these shouts.

The voices were filled with sincere emotion; everyone shouted until they were hoarse, hoping that Li Shimin could truly feel their sincerity, forgive them this time, and allow them to continue to live on this grassland.