Li Shimin faked his death? Then I will be powerful enough to conquer the world!

Chapter 370 Huaiyuan City

The wind was biting cold on the city wall of Liaodong.

Yeon Gaesomun was wearing a thick fur coat and standing beside the battlements. His face was gloomy and bloodless.

Ever since he heard for sure that the Tang army had dispatched a massive force of 450,000 and mobilized three border armies on a large scale, Yeon Gaesomun's heart felt as if it had been hit hard by a heavy hammer.

The confident look of the past disappeared in an instant, replaced by a bit of shock.

It's not that he was afraid, but he felt that he had underestimated the enemy.

How ridiculous his previous assessment of the new emperor of the Tang Dynasty was, completely wrong, without any room for error.

"The new emperor of the Tang Dynasty actually possesses such astonishing courage! He has mobilized so many troops, I'm afraid he is determined to completely destroy Goguryeo in this battle!"

Yeon Gaesomun clenched his fists.

When he recalled the tragic events of Yang Guang's three expeditions to Goguryeo with the whole nation's strength but ended in failure, his originally tense heartstrings relaxed a little, and a complex emotion surged in his heart.

"Although the Tang army is coming with great force, our Goguryeo is by no means a weak nation that can be easily conquered!"

Yeon Gaesomun raised his chin slightly, with a hint of unwillingness in his eyes.

Between Liaodong City and the Tang army's covetous army, there lies a precipitous Great Wall that stretches a thousand miles.

This Great Wall was first built during the Sui Dynasty and has undergone many years of construction and reinforcement.

Back then, Goguryeo spent countless manpower, material resources and financial resources to build this line of defense with great effort, in order to firmly block the army surging from the Central Plains outside Liaodong City, making it deterred and unable to cross this solid barrier.

At this time, Liu Shangzai hurriedly climbed to the top of the city wall, his steps were hurried and his expression was panic.

He trotted over to Yeon Gaesomun's side and said in a trembling voice, "Damolizhi, I heard the Tang army is closing in. I'm afraid we have no choice but to fight this battle!"

"When the people back home heard that the Tang army was coming, there was some unrest. I'm afraid I can't control it anymore!"

"That's the Tang army, a legendary army of brave warriors, capable of fighting ten enemies at once! Now they're approaching on such a large scale. What should we do?"

As he spoke, his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground, his body shaking unconsciously.

The entire Goguryeo people were already in a state of panic. Fear hung in everyone's heart, and the streets and alleys were filled with an atmosphere of unease.

But as long as Yeon Gaesomun is still standing here, his steady figure like a mountain can make everyone feel at ease. As long as he is there, Goguryeo will not fall easily.

Yeon Gaesomun looked up at the gloomy sky, slowly exhaled a breath of hot air, and watched the white mist dissipate in the cold wind in an instant, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"Humph! Why should we be afraid of the Tang army?"

"Look at the weather. Heavy snow is coming. The Tang army is all from the Central Plains. They grew up in warm places. How can they withstand such a severe cold?"

"We are in the mainland and are familiar with every inch of the land. The supply of materials is relatively convenient, so the consumption is naturally not large."

"The Tang army has hundreds of thousands of troops, and their daily expenses for food, fodder, and armaments are simply astronomical. As long as we hold our ground and rely on the natural defenses of the Great Wall to continue to fight them, we will definitely be the ones to benefit in the end."

"Even if they want to storm, with this harsh environment of ice and snow, I don't think they can hold out until spring. They'll have to retreat!"

Liu Shangzai listened to Yeon Gaesomun's analysis, thought about it carefully, and felt that there was some truth in it. He couldn't help but nod frequently. His originally panicked heart calmed down a little, and the fear on his face faded a little.

Outside the city of Liuzhou, Su Dingfang (although it was Li Ji who fought in history, it is set to Su Dingfang at this time), as the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Road of the Tang Dynasty, led the elite vanguard troops, sleeping in the open, traveling day and night, and arrived here first without stopping.

In front of Liuzhou is a vast plain grassland, Liaoze, which is two hundred miles wide. The vast grassland sways in the cold wind, like a green ocean.

At the end of the Liaoze Lake lies the Great Wall, which Goguryeo was proud of, lying across the land.

Su Dingfang's target this time - Huaiyuan City, is quietly located behind the Great Wall. It seems close at hand, yet out of reach.

If we rashly lead our troops to attack from the front, it would be like hitting a rock with an egg. We would inevitably break through two heavily defended cities in a row, which would inevitably result in heavy losses for our side.

"Have all the spies we sent out returned?" Su Dingfang paced back and forth in the tent, frowning and asking anxiously.

A captain hurried forward and replied nervously, "General Su, there's no news yet!"

As the captain finished speaking, there was a sudden commotion outside the tent, followed by a loud announcement: "General! The scouts are back!"

Su Dingfang stopped abruptly when he heard this, his eyes flashing with light, and he shouted excitedly: "Quick, let the brothers who have returned come into the tent to talk!"

"Yes! General Su!"

After a while, the spy walked into the tent quickly, looking exhausted.

His clothes were tattered and covered with dust and dirt. His face was tired, but his eyes were filled with excitement.

Seeing this, Su Dingfang hurriedly stepped forward and said with concern: "Brother, you have worked hard on the journey. No need to bow. Tell me the news you have found out in detail!"

The spy nodded emphatically, cleared his throat, and said excitedly, "General, we've investigated everything! The current commander of Huaiyuan City is said to be a complete idiot."

"He's Yeon Gaesomun's brother-in-law. He's a greedy official, plundering the people's wealth and enriching himself. He's also a coward and terrified of death!"

"We obtained this information by interrogating several Goguryeo informants. Their confessions are consistent, so it must be almost accurate!"