He certainly would not expose Gu Quan’s identity.

In fact, if it were possible, Li Shimin would even be willing to personally lead the troops, but unfortunately, he was not the Ten Directions Expedition Envoy, and as an Emperor, he had other responsibilities.

All the ministers obeyed orders.

At this moment, the atmosphere within the hall became increasingly solemn.

Li Shimin’s gaze swept across everyone, his eyes sharp, as he slowly stood up and declared firmly:

"In this battle, I want to see Jie Li kneel before me with my own eyes!"

His expression was resolute.

Upon seeing this, the ministers did not hesitate for a moment and immediately bowed deeply to Li Shimin, shouting in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!!!"

The major decisions were quickly settled.

The fourth year of the Zhenguan era, November.

Li Shimin appointed Li Jing as the commander, leading an army of one hundred thousand, divided into four divisions, directly targeting the Eastern Turks.

The news spread instantly, shaking all directions!

...

At the same time, Shuofang.

This time, Gu Quan came to Shuofang without bringing many troops, only a few guards from the Gu Clan.

Li Shimin originally wanted Gu Quan to lead the troops.

But Gu Quan refused this matter.

Gu Yu had already prepared the most suitable troops for him in Shuofang, and if he were to be the commander-in-chief in such a major battle, his identity would surely be discovered by those with ulterior motives.

This was not what Gu Quan wanted.

After many years, the brothers finally reunited.

Seeing the dense scars on Gu Quan’s face, Gu Yan and the others couldn’t help but feel their eyes moisten.

It was this elder brother who endured everything, giving all the glory to them.

But as brothers, there was no need for many words.

The brothers only exchanged a few hugs, without any formalities, just like in the past.

Gu Quan first paid respects at the grave of Gu Yu’s clothes and crown.

This was set up by Gu Yan for him.

Hoping that one day, Gu Yu’s spirit in heaven could see these family descendants leading the troops out of Shuofang, revitalizing the glory of the Kyushu and the Gu Clan like their ancestors did.

Then Gu Quan went to see the five thousand specially trained soldiers that Gu Yu had left for them.

These people were definitely a formidable weapon.

In terms of execution, endurance, cold resistance, and horsemanship, they were absolutely elite.

Although it had been mentioned numerous times in letters and memorials.

This time, Gu Yan still explained their extraordinary nature to Gu Quan in detail.

"Elder brother, these troops were improved by Father based on the military training methods of Lord Sheng and Lord Chen."

"Look at their warhorses, they are the post-station horses from the crossroads of the West River, known for their cold resistance and endurance on long journeys..."

"Each of them can shoot a three-stone bow with bare arms in the snow and ride for three days without falling from the saddle..."

"...."

With Gu Quan’s arrival in Shuofang,

Gu Yan seemed to have finally relieved some burdens in his heart, returning to his somewhat reckless state of the past.

Gu Quan also listened with great seriousness.

Even though he already knew their characteristics, for a true commander, everything must be seen with his own eyes to be fully believed.

Gu Quan’s current command skills, under the Luoshu Harmonizing Device, had definitely reached a top level.

Just by looking at the eyes of these soldiers,

He could perceive their extraordinary nature.

After finishing everything, Gu Quan then returned to the main tent with Gu Yan and the others to discuss the upcoming tactics.

"The Emperor and I have agreed that this battle will be fought by four armies attacking the Turks from all directions."

In the main tent,

Gu Quan pointed to the map while explaining the tactics he discussed with Li Shimin. "Based on my understanding of Li Jing, Li Jing will definitely employ a surprise rapid march to catch the Turks off guard and secure the victory."

This is also one reason why Li Shimin decided to wage war in winter.

The Turks have limited resources;

They would never expect the Great Tang to launch an attack in winter.

This was Gu Quan’s judgment as a top commander.

"Li Jing’s ability to command troops is extremely outstanding. If I’m not mistaken, as long as everything goes smoothly, Jie Li Khan will have no choice but to retreat to the edge of the desert, attempting to use the dangers of the Yin Mountain to block our Tang army’s advance....."

"And as long as we seize the opportunity—"

"Li Ji and others can also attack the remaining Turkic forces from four directions."

"..."

Gu Quan’s expression was extremely serious, looking at the map before him, a fictional battlefield began to emerge from his mind.

He was analyzing the upcoming battle situation based on the Turkic defenses,

and the personalities of the opposing commanders.

The tent was dead silent.

Looking at the map before them, all the brothers had looks of shock on their faces.

Though they had long known that Gu Quan’s abilities far surpassed theirs,

in the past, he could never have reached this level. This ability to coordinate and make judgments about the whole situation was god-like. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Brother, do you mean to let our army directly attack Yin Mountain?"

Just as Gu Quan finished speaking, Gu Yan immediately frowned and asked, "Block Jie Li’s retreat and form a pincer movement with Li Jing?"

—Indeed, this was a good plan.

If everything could really happen as Gu Quan predicted, it would be a deadly strike for Jie Li Khan.

"No!"

But Gu Quan directly shook his head: "Although I am very confident, when it comes to matters of the state, we cannot be arrogant."

Saying this, he pointed to "Bai Daochuan" and "Yudujin Mountain" on the map.

"Our army’s goal should be these two places."

Bai Daochuan is the Turk’s granary.

It stores the fodder that the Turks use to sustain their livestock in winter.