Chapter 483: Chapter 32: Battle of Juyan Sea, Sword Pointed at the Western Regions

——The beacons are lit again!

The current Great Tang is like an incredibly sharp sword, flawless from every aspect in this era.

Li Shimin still entrusted the position of commander of the three armies to Li Jing.

But everyone also understood that the Gu Clan would still be the wild card in this battle!

Clouds gathered from all directions.

Under the absolute will of Li Shimin, the operation speed of the entire Great Tang’s imperial affairs reached its peak.

Soldiers and horses; provisions...

All sides worked in concert, with the goal set directly on the Western Turkic Khaganate and the Western Regions.

The news spread like a tide throughout the world.

This kind of news could not be suppressed, not to mention Li Shimin never intended to hide it from the beginning.

And this time—

The people of the world surprisingly paid no mind to the fact that the court was preparing to mobilize the army again!

Not only because this war wouldn’t directly affect them.

The key factor still is the reputation of Li Shimin, the Holy Emperor working with the Gu Clan’s disciples, a combination that assures the entire world.

To the people of the world, they wouldn’t even consider that the Tang Army’s campaign could fail!

This is the biggest change in the world within years!

...

The news kept spreading.

——Decrees from the Emperor of the Great Tang, the Celestial Khan, spread continuously across the steppe and the Western Regions.

Fear gripped the four corners!

No one dared ignore the stance established by the Great Tang!

This included the Western Turkic Khaganate!

Though compared to the various small states of the Western Regions, the strength of the Western Turks was indeed much stronger, and they were not opponents to be underestimated by the Great Tang!

But the main problem was that the internal issues of the Western Turks were never resolved.

This, of course, was under the handiwork of Gu Quan.

Even though he was in the Hetao Region, he was still secretly preparing everything.

Li Shimin allocated all the taxes from the various tribes of the steppe to Gu Quan, essentially supporting him in these activities. As soon as any tribe within the Western Turks showed signs of unification, Gu Quan would secretly support the other tribes.

This was the tacit understanding between the emperor and his minister.

And precisely because of this, the internal chaos of the Western Turks did not decrease in the slightest, but instead became even more severe.

During this period, Gu Quan never gave up infiltrating the various tribes.

Among many tribes, there would always be pro-Tang tribes!

Although the current system of the Great Tang was not so easily accepted by the four tribes, what of it?

Compared to a lifetime of war, with nothing guaranteed, why wouldn’t they adapt to the Great Tang?

This was the preparation Gu Quan was making for the upcoming great battle!

Clouds gathered from all directions!

Upon hearing the news released by Li Shimin, the entire world seemed to fall silent in this moment!

Their internal so-called strife became insignificant at this moment.

The atmosphere around the world suddenly turned somewhat murderous at this moment.

This was an invisible pressure!

Especially after realizing that the Gu Clan also had actions originating from the Hetao Region, this inexplicable oppression reached its peak.

The banners of the Gu Clan and the Great Tang now still fluttered over Yudu.

This was the deep pain in the hearts of all in the Western Turks and it completely awakened the fear within them—those legends passed down by generations of ancestors!

But who would be willing to surrender without a fight?

Interests and power have always been the deadliest poisons in human emotion.

Under the influence of the Gu Clan.

The profits brought by the present Silk Road far exceeded those of history.

Faced with such profits, who would be willing to let go easily?

Moreover, there was power in hand?

This was an easy choice to make, as humanity’s wishful thinking would never easily dissipate.

Even though the national prestige of the Great Tang resounded everywhere, so what?

Even with people of the Gu Clan, so what?

This was human nature!

Under such circumstances, a rapid negotiation unfolded within the Western Turks, with various tribes deciding to temporarily unite to resist the Tang Army.

They could indeed gamble.

The Western Turkic Khaganate, unlike the Eastern Turks, posed supply line challenges to the Tang Dynasty in this great war.

As long as they could hold off, eventually, they could wear down the Great Tang.

This was their chance!

The eighth year of Zhen Guan, March;

The Chumukun Tribe and Gelulu Tribe of the Western Turks, along with other tribes, amassed nearly thirty thousand troops to first launch a counterattack on the Juyan Sea.

Resolving to seize the initiative, to cut off Gu Quan’s strategic stronghold first.

The battle officially sounded!

At the same time, Li Jing also mobilized troops, advancing straight through the Hexi Corridor, intending to fully cooperate with Gu Yan in a pincer attack strategy.

The four corners were shaken!

This battle was destined to be extraordinary, even drawing significant attention from Gu Yi.

He understood very well that this was a tough battle.

The allied forces of the Western Turkic tribes, along with the controlled Western Region countries as their blood source, though not equaling the strength of the Great Tang, were not without the ability to retaliate!

And for the Great Tang and the whole Kyushu.

This war was a historical variable.

If they could win, the entire history would be completely changed from this point onward, and the Great Tang would also embark on another path.

But if defeated, although this wouldn’t place Kyushu in jeopardy.

The national strength restored over these years would vanish instantly.

Even if the Zhen Guan Golden Age still ensued later, it would surely not surpass the original history by much.

And the prestige that the Gu Clan had established among the foreign races for hundreds of years would finally dissipate with this defeat!

He couldn’t help but feel tense.

.....

Juyan Sea.

The sound of galloping war horses and clashing weapons filled the air ceaselessly.