Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

The Turkic leader Jieli killed the Tang envoy and broke the alliance, resulting in his defeat by the Crown Prince of Tang, who personally led the six elite troops of the Eastern Palace.

They relentlessly pursued him for nearly a thousand miles.

They killed more than 10,000 enemies.

Hou Junji, the commander of the garrison at Yanmen Pass, seized the opportunity to capture Dingxiang City, which had been under the control of the Later Sui Dynasty.

The Sui emperor Yang Zhengdao and the former empress Xiao were about to be sent to Chang'an.

With the help of the now fully commercialized waterways and extensively paved land transport in Bingzhou Road, this news spread by word of mouth among the merchants returning from Bingzhou Road laden with their goods.

Soon, the news spread throughout the Tang Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, the people of all regions praised His Highness the Crown Prince for his bravery and said he possessed the same qualities as His Majesty.

however.

Hedong Road.

"Hahaha! This Li Chengqian has truly brought about his own destruction! He actually let the tiger return to the mountain and has driven the Turks to this point, hahahaha!"

"If you don't die, who will!"

Cui Minshi excitedly dropped the letter in his hand and paced back and forth in the study, unable to contain his excitement.

Beside him, Cui Mingan, the head of the Boling Cui family, also relaxed a little.

During this period, although they talked about plotting great things, no one could ignore the kind of opponent they were facing.

That was Li Shimin, the Grand General of the Heavenly Strategy, who fought his way out of half of the Tang Dynasty.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was the most valiant and skilled military emperor in Chinese history.

"In this case, the Turkic Khaganate, led by Jieli, will surely have to burn their bridges and risk everything to invade the Tang Dynasty from the south, otherwise they will have no way to survive."

"The Turks have mobilized their entire force... their army numbers at least 100,000. Bingzhou and Lingzhou are in grave danger..."

Cui Mingan murmured, then suddenly a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

“Master Min, tell me, if we keep Li Jing, Cheng Yaojin and the others entangled in Hedong Road, they will be unable to assist us in heading north to resist the Turks.”

"It could even throw the entire Hedong Circuit into chaos, tying up the current imperial court's attention."

Upon hearing this, Cui Minshi gasped.

In an instant, a mad fire ignited in his eyes.

His gaze quickly fell upon a geomantic map hanging in the study. This top-tier geomantic map, which was highly confidential even in the Ministry of War of the Tang Dynasty, was also highly valued by powerful clans like the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families.

Yet, it is a necessity in almost every household.

One of his fingers was located in the western part of Hadong Province.

"We were ultimately a bit too slow in Yizhou, allowing Li Jing's men to take over ahead of us. However, he simply cannot eliminate all the manpower of our aristocratic families in Yizhou. Yizhou has a considerable amount of grain stored up... If a fire were to suddenly break out..."

Cui Mingan smiled and nodded slightly.

"That fire not only burned down Li Jing and his men's preparations, but also consumed most of Li Shimin and his men's energy."

"At that time, we will control several prefectures in Hedong Province, and we will have the support of local powerful clans."

"We are the will of Heaven in Hedong Road!"

"hiss!"

Before Cui Mingan could finish speaking, he slowly reached out and placed his hand on Yingzhou, located in the northeast of Hedong Road.

"The Lu family has stored a lot of grain and supplies here, which the Turks need right now. If we can secretly bypass Yunzhou and enter the Turkic territory, our chances of victory will definitely increase!"

"As long as we, the five surnames and seven noble families, can gain a firm foothold, the other aristocratic clans will see this and will no longer stand idly by. The new policies are a death trap for the aristocratic clans, and they will surely follow suit and rise up in rebellion..."

.....

"boom!"

"Absolutely audacious! Truly audacious!"

Cui Xiaoguo slammed his fist on the table in a fit of rage.

In the city of Boling, there was a cloth shop that was outwardly a cloth shop, but in reality, it was a stronghold of the Hundred Cavalry Division that Li Ke had recently taken over.

At this moment, Cui Xiaoguo was dressed in the flying fish uniform of the Imperial Guard, and his subordinates were all those who had passed layers of examinations.

The brave and elite troops who were absorbed into the group.

In fact, some of them were collateral relatives of the five surnames and seven clans, like Cui Xiaoguo.

"At that time, the study in the mansion was heavily guarded. I sneaked in nearby, but I was only able to get away and come here long after their conspiracy ended. Now, I'm afraid the Cui family has already begun to prepare for the Yizhou matter."

A new member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard looked solemn.

Upon hearing this, Li Ke gave a cold laugh.

"They're getting more and more audacious, even attempting to create refugees and manipulate public opinion. The Cui clan of Boling and the Cui clan of Qinghe, they truly make me look at them with new eyes!"

He seemed to notice the anxious gazes of several members of the Cui family present.

Li Ke shook his head slightly.

"Don't panic. Now that you are all members of my Embroidered Uniform Guard, you are the royal guards. I will take care of your families and they will not be involved."

"Your Highness, I thank you!"

Cui Xiaoguo pondered, "Your Highness, we should stop the Cui family now. If the Yizhou granary is burned, General Li Jing and his men will likely be hindered in their operations."

"Stop? How can we stop them? Right now, we haven't even fully figured out how many merchants, wealthy households, landlords, and powerful families in Boling City are secretly colluding with the Cui family. Do you think we have any way to stop them from being part of any powerful family in Yizhou?"

Li Ke shook his head.

"My royal brother is already determined to make a name for himself on the grasslands, and I cannot wait any longer!"

He suddenly stood up, staring intently at everyone present.

"The Cui family of Boling's intention to rebel is now blatantly obvious, and we already have irrefutable evidence. Given the current situation, we should act swiftly and decisively, striking first to gain the upper hand!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Xiaoguo immediately knelt down on one knee.

"Your subordinate is willing to die for my Great Tang!"

The crowd behind him echoed his sentiments.

"I am willing to die for my Great Tang Dynasty!"

The candlelight flickered in Li Ke's pupils, and with a clang, he drew the fine steel Embroidered Spring Blade from his waist.

The voice was cold.

"I will inform General Cheng Yaojin that he is currently stationed in Xingzhou and can arrive in Boling in as little as half a day. According to intelligence, the Cui clan of Boling will be gathering its members in three days for an ancestral worship ceremony..."

"For my Great Tang! Slay the traitors!"

The Imperial Guards shouted: "Kill the traitors!"

This year's first snowfall on the Turkic steppe is not considered heavy in previous years.

however.

The Turks of today are not what they were back then.

The months-long war caused heavy losses to the various Turkic tribes. The exploitative practices of the Tang Dynasty caravans further exacerbated the situation for the Turkic herders who originally bore the brunt of the labor and taxes.

They all became subjects of the Turkic people of the Tang Dynasty.

The Tuli's tent is bustling with activity today.

Three of the four Turkic tribes, who had once fought each other to the death and almost wished to devour their flesh and drink their blood, gathered here.

Jieli Khan, Ashina Dubi.

Tuli Khan, Ashina Shibobi.

And Ashina Dili, son of Tongyabhu Khan from the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

"when!"

Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing Jieli actually throw the Great Khan's golden seal, symbolizing the power of the Turks, into the scorching furnace in front of all of them was another.

Tuli and Ashina Dili, who were originally sitting in their seats.

They all stood up in shock instantly.

"Jiali! You!"

Ashina Dili looked furious, and the tribal generals behind him were all fierce-looking, as if they were about to draw their swords on the spot.

however.

Seeing this, Jieli suddenly opened his arms and stepped in front of the other party.

"What? You want to kill me? Then come on! The Turks are already on the brink of disaster, and you still want to fight?"

"Alright, then come on, let's see if your swords can cut me faster, or if the Tang cavalry can arrive faster!"

"I have already written a personal letter to your father, so that he may see just how foolish his son has become!"

"Don't you know yet? Have you all fallen for that Tang man's treacherous scheme?!"

"What kind of bullshit Eternal Heavenly Treasure is this? Are you still dreaming about it?"

"Can your Eternal Heaven Divine Treasure protect you from the harsh winter that the Eternal Heaven sends down? Can it?!"

Jieli roared in fury.

Despite being the weakest of the three, the ferocity and majesty he displayed at this moment made everyone present feel ashamed and bow their heads.

Tuli frowned.

He looked at the glass eagle beside him. With the arrival of winter snow, news came daily from the tribe that herdsmen and their livestock were freezing to death.

At this moment, it seemed that the glass eagle was gradually becoming tarnished in his heart.

It's just too beautiful; it doesn't seem like something that should exist in the mortal world.

This prevented him from truly convincing himself.

however.

At this moment, he looked at the golden seal of Jieli, which had already melted into liquid in the furnace.

Suddenly.

"Great Khan! You..."

"boom!!!"

The lifelike, exquisitely crafted glass wings of the divine eagle drew gasps of astonishment from the tribal leaders behind Tuli.

With a sudden, explosive slash, fragments flew everywhere.

The once magnificent and majestic glass eagle was instantly reduced to fragments on the ground, its broken head falling to the ground and into the first snow reflecting the sunlight.

It was both glaring and infuriating.

"Hehe, divine treasure... Hahahaha! The Eternal Heaven Divine Treasure couldn't even withstand a single strike from this Khan?!"

Tuli suddenly burst into laughter, a shrill and mournful laugh.

His eyes, however, gradually turned fierce and crazed as they reflected the light from the fragments.

"Tang people! Damn Tang people!!!"

Ashina Dili was stunned. He reached out his hand, and just a moment ago he was heartbroken that the golden seal he had dreamed of had been melted down. The next moment, he witnessed the shattering of a divine treasure of the Eternal Heaven.

"Li Chengqian! I want you dead!!!" Tuli's hysterical roar shook the tent.

After a moment of astonishment, everyone's gaze turned to anger.

Their gazes fell silent as they turned to Ashina Dili standing to the side.

Looking at the crystal eagle of Tulina, now only fragments scattered on the ground, devoid of any aesthetic appeal.

At this moment, Ashina Dili finally realized the crux of the problem.

Thinking of the warriors and generals who had died in battles against Jieli and his forces these past few days, he thought of them.

And the large quantities of cattle, sheep, gold, and silver that were sent out to purchase military equipment and arrows from the Tang Dynasty.

"Pfft!"

At that moment, blood unexpectedly gushed out of his mouth.

His generals were all shocked, but Ashina Dili pushed them aside and pointed at the glass wolf that was howling at the sky, which now looked more like it was laughing.

"Smash it! Smash it with me!!!"

"Bang" sound.

Amidst the sorrowful gazes of the tribal leaders, yet another priceless treasure was revealed.

It was smashed to pieces on the spot.

With its ears smashed, the ferocity diminished somewhat, and it resembled a glass wolf head more like a dog's head, rolling to Ashina Dili's feet.

The latter was so angry that his face turned purplish-blue in an instant.

"Ahhh!"

He suddenly picked up the wolf head in front of him and slammed it hard onto the ground.

Watching the bang, the fragments scattered everywhere.

Ashina Dili stared at Jieli with bloodshot eyes.

"Jieli, tell me, what are you planning to do?"

......

"There are definitely traitors among them, that's beyond doubt, and that's precisely why I haven't deployed that cavalry unit..."

On the top of Yanmen Pass.

Li Chengqian finished his work ahead of schedule today, which was quite rare.

Looking at the chimneys of the cement and brick houses in the breeding area outside Yanmen Pass, with wisps of smoke rising from them, he chuckled softly when he heard his fourth brother, Li Tai, ask him a question.

His eyes were full of confidence and composure.

"After all, it's a force of over ten thousand elite cavalry. Jieli and his men can't just charge in like that. And now that the breeding area is almost adjacent to Yanmen Pass, how could they not try to take it?"

Li Tai was greatly surprised.

"So, Your Majesty, are you just going to stand by and watch Jieli and his group secretly contact the leaders among these people?"

"hehe...."

Li Chengqian curled his lip in disdain.

"Chief, Qingque, do you think that in the current breeding area, these Turkic herders still have any concept of a chieftain?"

"The actions that Jieli and his group are secretly trying to win over are tantamount to declaring war on these herders..."

......

"Father, Father, dinner is ready!"

Amidst the crisp sound, Peng Chi, who had just driven his carriage to deliver three extra barrels of milk and goat milk to the government office for sale and received a string of cash, couldn't help but smile.

Looking at her tall and slender daughter, who was perched on the courtyard wall.

Her rosy cheeks and the corners of her mouth were still stained with milk.

Peng Chi's smile deepened even further.

As if she had been prepared, she suddenly pulled out a wooden hairpin with a small wooden bird carving from her bosom.

He handed it over to the latter, who was looking on with surprise.

"Oh! It's a hairpin! Father, did you buy this for me?"

"Haha, of course, but I've also prepared something for your mother."

As he spoke, Peng Chi magically produced a long package from behind him.

"These are long knitting needles. Your mother mentioned wanting some before. I'll go to the wool textile factory tomorrow to buy some wool yarn so your mother can knit a sweater for our whole family..."

Peng Chi said with a smile as he parked the carriage in his own courtyard.

Mani, who heard the sound, did not lift the curtain.

"My dear husband, you're back! Come in and warm yourself up. I heated the kang (heated brick bed) perfectly today..."

Peng Chi nodded and got off the carriage. Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves came from outside the courtyard behind him.

Mani, don't turn around, but your brows furrow instantly.

He hurried towards the courtyard gate, and upon seeing the several figures rushing away, a look of seriousness appeared in his eyes.

"Master, what's wrong?"

Mani chased after them.

Peng Chi's face was grim: "Those people just now were the leaders of the Iron Bone Tribe and the Deer Tooth Tribe... Why did they suddenly gather together and head north?"

Peng Chi instantly realized something.

These two tribes were not like the Al tribe he had once ruled; they were medium-sized tribes.

Basically, when the Great Khan conscripted soldiers on the Turkic steppe, the largest contingent of troops came from these medium-sized tribes.

"You guys go back and eat first, don't wait for me, I have something to take care of!"

......

A dozen or so tribal chiefs rode out of the breeding area on horseback.

We arrived at the agreed-upon location.

A hundred cavalrymen were already waiting here early on.

"How are the preparations going with the tasks the Khan entrusted to you?"

The leader of the Turkic cavalry had just opened his mouth when he suddenly twitched his nose slightly.

"What's that smell? It smells so good!"

"Um, we ate before we set off. We had stewed mutton for lunch today..."

"Stewed...mutton..." Upon hearing this, the Turkic cavalry commander and the men behind him couldn't help but swallow hard, their stomachs seemingly churning with protest.

Taking a deep breath to try and maintain his composure, the cavalry commander asked again.

Upon hearing this, the leader of one of the tribes immediately nodded.

"Rest assured, we are all Turks. Since the Great Khan is willing to give us more pastures and slaves, we are naturally willing to serve the Great Khan."

Everyone nodded with smiles.

After exchanging some more details, the two parted ways.

The Turkic tribal leaders were filled with the thought that they would no longer have to raise livestock or manage the pens themselves, and that they could enjoy wealth and prosperity.

We've just returned to the entrance of the breeding area.

But he was instantly startled by the dark scene in front of him, and his expression changed.

"As expected! These bastards really wanted to collude with Jieli and his gang to destroy everything we have!"

On the city wall of Yanmen Pass, Li Chengqian smiled.

"Hope is the most terrifying thing in the world, and I have allowed these herdsmen to grasp this once elusive hope... Jieli, after today, all you will have is that head."

"They are of no use to me whatsoever..."