Chapter 57: Two Suns in the Sky

The Xueyantuo tribe held a position of vital importance on the northern grasslands, having long been a thorn in the side and a grave threat to the borders of the Tang Empire.

After a grueling and arduous march lasting two and a half months, Li Ji’s grand army finally set foot upon the boundless expanses of the northern grasslands.

A vast, unending canvas of green unfurled before the eyes of the soldiers. As the wind swept through the tall grass, it rustled as though thousands of troops and horses lay hidden within.

It was here that the Xueyantuo resided, lurking like a pack of cunning wolves deep within these familiar grasslands.

Throughout the journey, Li Ji’s forces had already engaged in numerous skirmishes.

They had swiftly dealt with quite a few small cavalry detachments sent by the Xueyantuo in preparation for incursions across the southern borders of Tang. While these scattered riders posed no real threat on a grand scale, they had nonetheless caused the main army no small amount of nuisance.

Yet, what truly vexed Li Ji was his inability to locate the enemy’s main force.

Waging war across these boundless steppes was not about the difficulty of hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, but rather the near-impossible task of finding where their primary forces had secreted themselves in an environment akin to searching for a needle in a vast ocean.

That main force seemed to have vanished utterly into this green sea, leaving not a trace to be followed.

However, frustration aside, Li Ji felt not a shred of genuine anxiety, for he had his own well-laid plans.

When it came to the northern grasslands, the Xueyantuo were not the only ones intimately familiar with the terrain.

The Turks, too, had inhabited the northern steppes for generations. Li Ji had gleaned many secrets of the plains and insights into the habits of the Xueyantuo from the Turkic people.

Moreover, the Tang army was guided by Turkic cavalry led by Ashina Simo.

Nor was he fighting this campaign in isolation.

Li Xiyu, the Military Commissioner of Liangzhou, coordinating with Zhang Shigui, the Campaign Commander of Qingzhou Road, had already entered from the western territories of the Xueyantuo. Like two sharp blades, they were thrusting directly into the rear of the enemy.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jian, the Military Commissioner of Yingzhou, was advancing from the eastern region at the head of his native cavalry alongside tribal horsemen from the Xi and Khitan peoples. Sweeping forward with the speed of a violent gale, these forces posed a massive flanking threat to the Xueyantuo.

Enmeshed in such an inescapable net, with Tang armies tightening the circle from every direction, Li Ji truly could not fathom where the Xueyantuo might find a chance of victory.

Other than marching west, they had no other choice remaining—much like prey driven into a hunter's snare, stumbling blindly toward the trap.

The Tang encirclement was gradually closing across the northern grasslands, and victory seemed to beckon to Li Ji’s forces.

Yet, the object of his present worry was not the Xueyantuo, but rather the five-thousand-strong Jinyiwei detachment trailing behind the main army.

That force appeared shrouded in an air of profound mystery, and its commander was an old acquaintance—Wei Biwu, the Emperor’s personal bodyguard and Grand General of the Left and Right Qianniu Guards.

Clad in a pristine, newly tailored flying-fish robe, Wei Biwu possessed a gaze as sharp as a hawk’s, forever vigilant of his surroundings.

Li Ji had once inquired about the purpose of Wei Biwu’s mission, but the latter had offered only a formal, chillingly expressionless response, delivering his words with concise finality:

"By imperial decree, I am here to protect a certain individual."

Not a single word more would he utter, remaining tight-lipped despite all of Li Ji’s attempts to strike up a friendly rapport.

Over the month of marching alongside the grand army, however, the more Wei Biwu investigated, the more alarmed he became.

His Jinyiwei unit had been given only one bizarre directive: to protect a lowly personal guard of Li Ji.

When scout 12003 had pointed out that guard's distant silhouette from afar, a ridiculous sense of familiarity had welled up within Wei Biwu’s heart.

That posture and gait seemed imbued with a strange magic, freezing him in his tracks.

"Your Majesty!"

He had murmured inwardly. That build, that bearing—it was simply too alike.

Not only did that individual resemble the Emperor, but the two men at his side—one straight-backed and powerfully built, exuding an innate domineering aura with every casual gesture; the other heavily proportioned, with a rugged and unrestrained air—bore expressions and temperaments that were the absolute living images of Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Yaojin.

It might have been dismissed as coincidence if only one person shared such a familiar back, but for three men to present such an astonishing convergence of likenesses left Wei Biwu with a very clear picture in his mind.

Yet, Wei Biwu kept his counsel, knowing full well the gravity of the situation and the necessity of exercising the utmost caution.

Thus, after secretly observing for another half-month, he finally confirmed the truth.

That individual was none other than the late Emperor, who had supposedly passed away!

Upon reaching this conclusion, Wei Biwu’s heart received a violent shock, as though struck by a sudden bolt of lightning.

The current Emperor had actually dispatched him at the head of five thousand Jinyiwei, traveling day and night through wind and stars, simply to protect this personal guard of Li Ji. This could only mean that His Majesty was, in all likelihood, already aware of this staggering secret.

Though Wei Biwu held the authority to act independently in the face of contingencies, his mind could not help but reel in bewilderment.

With two suns shining simultaneously in the imperial sky, no one could predict what storms might yet arise!

This bizarre state of affairs hung like a heavy fog over his thoughts.

Yet, a profound sense of relief soon washed over Wei Biwu. If the former Emperor was still alive, he need not overthink the broader implications.

Just as before, he would simply bury his head and single-mindedly protect His Sovereign!

The Emperor being alive was an absolute blessing; as for the chaotic troubles that might follow, those were not matters for a mere subordinate to worry about.

He tightened his grip on the hilt of the Xiuchun saber at his waist, his gaze growing resolute. The responsibility of safeguarding the former Emperor weighed upon his heart as heavily as Mount Tai.

Within the vast, rolling formation of Li Ji’s marching army, the atmosphere was at once tense and subtle.

Cheng Yaojin surreptitiously sidled up to Li Shimin, lowering his voice to ask, "Your Majesty, look over there. The Jinyiwei led by Wei Biwu have been tailing us for over half a month now."

"Who on earth do you suppose they've been sent to protect?"

A look of perplexed puzzlement crossed Cheng Yaojin’s brow, his eyes darting backward every so often toward the mysterious Jinyiwei detachment.

Seated steadily in the saddle with an air of utter calm and composure, Li Shimin cast a firm glance at Cheng Yaojin. A faint, knowing smile played at the corners of his lips as he replied with deep significance:

"Who else could they be protecting? And since Wei Biwu is the one who came, you would do well not to underestimate him. The two of you may be out of the court for now, but do you truly believe Chengqian’s Jinyiwei are idle fools? They are sharper than you think."

"I dare wager he has already caught wind of our little company!"

As he spoke, Li Shimin absentmindedly stroked his horse’s reins, deep in thought.

Hearing this, Yuchi Jingde, riding alongside, dropped his jaw in shock. His eyes widened like copper bells as he blurted out in utter disbelief:

"Your Majesty? You mean to say His Royal Highness the Crown Prince already knows? Th-this... how can that possibly be? We’ve been so exceptionally careful along the way—surely our concealment was airtight?"

Yuchi Jingde scratched his head, his face a picture of pure confusion.

Giving Yuchi Jingde a look that blended helplessness with mild pity, Li Shimin let out a cold, four-word verdict:

"Riddled with flaws!"

He paused momentarily, as though having arrived at a definitive resolve.

"Very well," he declared. "Then I shall go and grant him an audience. Yaojin, ride ahead and inform Li Ji of my whereabouts so he does not fret."

"Jingde, accompany me to meet Chengqian’s Jinyiwei!"

Li Shimin’s tone was imbued with majestic authority, brooking no dissent.

"Understood, Your Majesty!" Yuchi Jingde boomed in acknowledgment, tightening his grip on the black spear in his hand, its tip gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

With a fluid motion, Li Shimin reined in his mount and spun the horse around. The steed let out a long, spirited neigh, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Yuchi Jingde followed closely behind with his spear in hand, the figures of the two men standing out vividly amidst the grand army.

Their imposing bearing was identical to the days when Qin Wang Li Shimin had campaigned across the battlefields—brave, fearless, and striking awe into all directions.

They galloped away in the direction of the Jinyiwei, the thunder of their hooves echoing across the open grasslands.

A most extraordinary encounter was about to unfold.