Chapter Nineteen: Full-scale Assault

The great army halted at a wave of Li Shimin’s commanding hand.

Li Shimin’s heart leapt as he looked at Li Kong, who lay completely covered in snow before him. Then, with a rush of relief, he swiftly dismounted from his horse and exclaimed, “Wonderful, you’re still alive!”

Li Kong took a deep breath, then, watching the Tang soldiers dismount alongside him, he cupped his fists to Li Shimin and said, “Your Majesty, this humble one has fulfilled his duty and has successfully slain the Turkic leader...”

At this point, Li Kong faltered, realizing suddenly that he did not even know whom he had killed. Even the name of the general he had slain was a muddle. Now he was at a loss—how was he to report this?

Seeing Li Kong pause, Li Shimin asked in some confusion, “What’s wrong? Whom did you kill?”

Li Kong sighed, “I don’t know if it was Tuli or Jieli. Both were in the royal tent, heavily drunk and fast asleep. I killed one and pinned the blame on the other, but honestly, I have no idea which was which.”

At these words, the generals behind him were all dumbfounded. They were not surprised at Li Kong’s ignorance of Tuli and Jieli’s identities, but if what he said was true, the entire steppe would soon be in an uproar.

Tuli and Jieli were evenly matched in strength. Now, with Li Kong’s interference, the two factions would certainly clash, and perhaps the Tang could seize this opportunity to annihilate the Turks entirely.

Li Shimin’s eyes lit up. “Are you certain?”

“This humble one is certain. The Turkic army is now completely divided. Nearly half have fallen under the control of the other faction, with only a few scattered troops left—at most, ten thousand men. After last night’s bitter cold, both men and horses are exhausted. In my estimation, their current fighting strength is no more than thirty percent.”

He spoke with confidence, not out of arrogance, but because he had observed closely and drawn this conclusion. In his heart, he thought the Turks would be lucky to muster even ten percent of their strength; he cited thirty only to be on the safe side.

“Let’s go and see for ourselves!” Li Shimin was delighted and gave the order without delay.

But once everyone mounted, Li Kong stood there dumbfounded, staring at Li Shimin. “And what about me? Your Majesty, you can’t just leave me here. It’s freezing.”

Li Shimin looked at Li Kong with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Any displeasure he had felt faded away. Since becoming emperor, he had come to value these bonds that transcended mere ritual. Though Li Kong was not his son, he had grown up in the Prince of Qin’s household, and Li Shimin did not wish for him to become like other ministers—distant and overly deferential.

Moreover, if Li Shimin had not been a man of feeling and loyalty, Cheng Yaojin would have met his end countless times for the way he flouted etiquette before the emperor.

Thus, Li Kong’s irreverence did not irk Li Shimin; rather, it made him feel a warm familiarity. The rascal was still the same rascal.

“Someone give him a horse. Let him return to Jingyang to rest and recover from the cold,” Li Shimin ordered, pointing to Li Kong, and then, with a snort, led the cavalry swiftly onward.

In an instant, only Li Kong and a solitary white horse remained on the snowy plain. Watching the white horse sneeze, Li Kong suddenly felt a chill run through him.

After a moment’s hesitation, he gritted his teeth, vaulted onto the horse, and galloped after the others—not out of recklessness, but because this time Li Jing was with them. Had Li Jing not been there, Li Kong would have gladly slacked off and returned to rest.

But Li Jing’s disposition was too steady. His unbroken string of victories was a result of never fighting an uncertain battle. It was this steadiness that had earned him the title of God of War.

However, the Turks knew Li Jing too well. Otherwise, they would not have gone to such lengths to mislead the Tang army. Li Kong was nearly certain: when Li Jing saw those orderly hoofprints, he would advise Li Shimin to retreat, perhaps even accuse Li Kong of deceiving the emperor.

Li Kong was not afraid of Li Shimin’s reproach—after all, he was but a commoner, without official rank, and Li Shimin would not execute him, at most confine him for a while.

But Li Kong was not content with that. After all, he had sworn to win the hand of Li Lizhi. If he lost favor with Li Shimin now, his first vow upon arriving in the Tang would be ruined.

When Li Kong caught up with Li Shimin and the others, the army had already reached the Turkic encampment. As Li Kong had expected, after inspecting the tracks, Li Jing advised Li Shimin to retreat. Although he did not directly accuse Li Kong, he nonetheless dismissed Li Kong’s achievements.

Li Shimin hesitated—he was an emperor, resolute in war but responsible for the thirty thousand soldiers under his command.

Seeing this, Li Kong leapt from his horse and shouted, “Your Majesty, please pursue the Turks! I volunteer to lead the vanguard, to seize banners and cut down enemy generals for Your Majesty!”

“Why haven’t you gone back to rest?” Li Shimin’s face darkened.

Li Kong took a deep breath and met Li Shimin’s gaze. “I anticipated this situation, which is why I hurried here. That Turkic leader is no ordinary man. All this is but a ruse to deceive us. I am willing to stake my head on it—if we strike now, the Turks are doomed!”

Li Jing, ever impartial, though not deeply acquainted with Li Kong, was at least familiar with him. Seeing Li Kong’s conviction, he said, “In that case, I propose we grant Li Kong three thousand elite Black Armor troops, making him the vanguard. We will follow closely behind. If an opportunity arises, we will launch an immediate assault. Even if there is a trap, we can respond in good order.”

“So be it!” Li Shimin had long harbored resentment toward the Turks for their recent actions, and with Li Jing’s agreement, he gave the order at once.

Li Kong’s eyes gleamed as he accepted the task eagerly. He leapt back onto his horse, seizing a spear, and charged toward the Turkic position, paying no heed to whether the Black Armor troops were following.

“That rascal! Black Armor, follow at once and ensure Li Kong’s safety!” Li Shimin ordered, and the Black Armor cavalry thundered into motion, the ground trembling beneath their advance.

The Turks’ march was slow. By midday, they had covered less than forty li—a distance the Black Armor cavalry could cross in just an hour.

Thus, when the Tang army caught sight of the Turkic formation, the enemy had not yet crossed Wei Bridge, the sole passage connecting both banks of the Yellow River.

Seeing this, Li Kong roared, “Form up for the charge! Follow me—break through their lines and cut off their retreat at Wei Bridge! Today is the day we annihilate the Turks!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!” The three thousand Black Armor troops were Li Shimin’s elite, trained for death-defying combat. At such a blood-stirring moment, retreat was unthinkable.

By the time Jieli realized something was amiss behind him, Li Kong and his troops were less than fifty meters from the Turkic lines. Before the Turks could react, the Tang cavalry crashed into their formation like a tidal wave, sending countless heads soaring into the sky.