"Nonsense, if you haven't aged after decades, that's... forget it..." His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu was halfway through his words when he thought he should not be too outspoken, lest he attract the emperor's attention. So he changed the subject and continued, "Anyway, you have to guard Pyongyang City for me. If something happens in Anshi City and Quan Gaisuwen's army turns back, you can take the King of Goguryeo and his close ministers away in advance. As long as the King of Baozang who has surrendered to the Tang Dynasty is still alive, then this battle will be justified no matter how it is fought in the future."

"I understand." Zhang Liang said respectfully upon hearing this: "This time... I will definitely live up to the trust of His Royal Highness the King of Chu..."

"Wrong, wrong." His Royal Highness the King of Chu did not expect that Zhang Liang's political awareness was so low: "Everything you are doing now was instructed by that tyrant king in advance, do you understand?"

"Ah?" Zhang Liang obviously didn't understand.

"If you want to go back and suffer less, then find a way to bring more glory to that tyrant." His Royal Highness the King of Chu sighed and looked towards the hills in the distance: "This king can only help you up to this point..."

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Two days later, after confirming that Zhang Liang and Cheng Mingzhen had taken full control of the defense of Pyongyang City, His Royal Highness the King of Chu set out again with his troops.

Of course, the powerful weapons he brought this time - black gunpowder and eight-ox crossbow - were still transported by water to the mouth of the Yalu River by a fleet led by Chai Zhewei, Chai Lingwu and Li Huairen (this name also started from the Tang Dynasty, it was called Mazi River in the Han Dynasty and Yalu River in the Sui Dynasty).

As for Li Kuan, he will continue to march north with two thousand Modao troops and the remaining five thousand troops.

On the other hand, Quan Gaisuwen, who had learned that Pyongyang City had been occupied by the Tang army, was about to arrive at Anshi City.

"Li Kuan, that bastard!" In the commander's tent, Quan Gaisuwen looked at the secret letter in his hand, his hands shaking with anger: "Hasn't he already fallen out with Li Shimin? Why did he still want to join in the fun?!"

"Master Su Wen, in two days, we will be able to reach Anshi City. You see..." The one who spoke at this time was one of his generals, Wan Dusui, who was also from the Goguryeo noble family. He obviously didn't want to let the extra anger occupy Quan Gai Su Wen's brain, so he took the initiative to suggest: "Do you think we should speed up the march, eliminate the main force of the Tang army first, and then turn around to deal with this King of Chu?"

"Wan Dusui, are you out of your mind?" Unlike Wan Dusui's cautiousness, Yi Zhimeng, another general under Quan Gaisuwen, seemed to be more impatient: "If we let that barbarian King of Chu go all the way behind us unimpeded, it would seem that we are afraid of him." Yi Zhimeng said this, and suddenly saluted respectfully to Quan Gaisuwen who was silent above, and then took the initiative to ask for a fight: "Master Su Wen, I only need you to give me 20,000 people, and I promise to bring back the head of the King of Chu for you!"

"You are very confident." Quan Gaisuwen glanced at him calmly, then said expressionlessly: "But you are just confident."

Twenty thousand men against the King of Chu's seven thousand.

Quan Gaisuwen didn't think his side had any chance of winning.

That bastard has a domineering personality and arrogant words. He can curse in the letter of credence and can pin foreign envoys to the ground and beat them like dogs...

But no one can deny that he is really good at fighting.

"Master Suwen, at this time, how can we..." Yizhi, who was rejected, was halfway through his words. When he met Quan Gaisuwen's scrutinizing gaze, he unconsciously weakened his momentum: "How can we... boost others' ambitions... and destroy our own prestige..."

"I believe that the subordinates of Jie Li Khan of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, Moheduo Khan of the Western Turkic Khaganate, Yipishekui Khan, Siyehu Khan, Yehu of Tocharistan, the Great Elder of Tuyuhun, and Lu Dongzan, the Great Prime Minister of Tubo, have also said the same thing you just said to me. But let me ask you, where is the Eastern Turkic Khaganate now? Where is the Western Turkic Khaganate? Do the cavalrymen of Tocharistan, Tuyuhun, and Tubo dare to cross the border of the Tang Dynasty without authorization?" Quan Gaisuwen said this and slowly stood up from his seat. He walked down the steps and came to Yi Zhimeng, who was beginning to look uneasy: "Don't underestimate the Tang people, and don't underestimate the King of Chu. Past lessons have told us that blind arrogance will only lead to destruction!"

"Master Su Wen... Yi Zhimeng is grateful for your teachings..."

"It's not enough to just be taught, you have to remember it." Quan Gaisuwen said, and then turned to look at Wan Dusui: "From Pyongyang to Anshi City, the distance is more than a thousand miles. No matter how fast Li Kuan is, he can't get there within five days. Because the soldiers need to rest, otherwise they will be exhausted to death before they arrive."

"Lord Su Wen, we are still two hundred miles away from Anshi City. If we march normally, it will take three days to travel sixty miles a day." Wan Dusui felt that he had understood what the other party meant. "So... in my opinion, we might as well slow down the march and extend the three-day journey to four days to allow the soldiers to have enough rest. In this way, when we arrive at Anshi City, we can immediately start fighting with the Tang army."

"No," Quan Gaisuwen shook his head. "The marching plan cannot be changed. We must reach Anshi City within three days."

"Master Su Wen, why is this happening?" Wan Dusui asked in confusion, "Could it be that there are some other variables that force us to rush to Anshi City as soon as possible?"

"Euljimeng," Quan Gaisuwen said nothing more after hearing this, but walked to the table where the map was placed and said, "Come here."

"Lord Su Wen." Yi Zhimeng was also confused at this time.

"I'll give you 30,000 men," Quan Gaisuwen said, pointing to a low hill about 50 miles southeast of Anshi City. "You guard this area until the war is over."

"Lord Su Wen, what am I guarding?" Yi Zhimeng was a little confused when he heard this: "The main force of the Tang army is under the city of Anshi, and the King of Chu of the Tang Dynasty is at least 600 miles away from us. How is it possible..."

"Can you hold it?" Quan Gaisuwen's patience was about to run out, but his tone remained calm.

Yi Zhimeng was stunned when he heard this, and then he said firmly: "Yes!"

"Okay." After getting the answer he wanted, Quan Gaisuwen nodded, and then said, "I hope I'm just overthinking..."