Suiyang

Soon, after explaining some history in detail to Guo Ziyi and the others, and instructing them on a few matters, Qin Ning led Li Shimin and the rest away, heading for Suiyang.

The place they were headed was not the Suiyang of this era, but the Suiyang that lay further ahead.

There, although the war situation was equally dire, it had not yet reached the point of truly running out of food, nor had it yet manifested that hellish scene.

“Your Excellency, we have been out of food for days. If no reinforcements come, I fear…” a soldier said, standing before the defending general, Zhang Xun.

During this time, they had not only eaten their warhorses, but had also caught birds and rats to stave off hunger. Bark, grass roots—anything edible had almost all been consumed.

From yesterday until now, the soldiers guarding the city had not had a single drop of water or a single bite of food.

Hearing his subordinate’s report, Zhang Xun remained silent. Light flickered repeatedly in his eyes, his expression shifting between complications. Sometimes he shook his head, sometimes he nodded, as if his heart was enduring great torment and agony.

Finally, after a long moment, he took a deep breath and said, “I will find a way. No matter what, Suiyang must not fall. Go and tell the soldiers that before the day is out, I will have food for them.”

Without waiting for the soldier’s reply, Zhang Xun turned and left the spot, heading toward his home.

The soldier watched his departing back, puzzled and confused.

Given the current situation, where could there still be grain in the city?

What plan could His Excellency possibly have?

Zhang Xun was unaware of the soldier’s curiosity. At that moment, he walked with his head lowered, his face shifting between expressions as he made his way home. His steps felt extraordinarily heavy.

“Bam!”

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him. Zhang Xun, caught in the fierce struggle within his own mind, failed to notice and collided directly with the person.

“Ouch,” he cried out in pain, then looked up to find several figures standing before him, who had appeared without him noticing.

These people were all tall and robust, with extraordinary bearing.

More importantly, the clothes they wore… why did they all look like dragon robes?

Zhang Xun frowned and spoke first, “Who are you?”

“I am Li Shimin of the Great Tang.”

Li Shimin stepped forward, without any beating around the bush, stating his identity directly.

Li Shimin of the Great Tang?

Emperor Taizong?

Hearing this, Zhang Xun was stunned, then frowned even deeper.

At present, Suiyang’s gates were tightly shut, and there were not many civilians inside. He could almost recognize everyone.

These people before him were clearly strangers.

Moreover, this man claimed to be the Great Ancestor of the Great Tang and was clad in a dragon robe.

Could he be plotting a rebellion?

A coup?

The thought involuntarily sprang into his mind.

“General Zhang, there is no need for suspicion. I am truly Li Shimin, the Great Ancestor. No one is impersonating me.”

Li Shimin sighed, then added, “I come here from the sixth year of the Zhenguan reign, having learned that the Great Tang in later ages would face this calamity. Thus, I have come to resolve the crisis.”

As he spoke, he also introduced the identities of Qin Shi Huang and Zhu Yuanzhang to Zhang Xun.

The Hongwu Emperor?

Zhang Xun was taken aback.

He had never heard of that.

But Qin Shi Huang—how could he not know of him?

Not only had the Great Ancestor arrived, but the other man also claimed that the First Emperor, Ying Zheng, who had built upon the legacy of six generations, was standing right before him.

Zhang Xun was instantly speechless.

Even if you wanted to make something up, to deceive, you should at least say something plausible, right?

Moments ago, you said you were the Great Ancestor, and I might have been vaguely half-convinced.

But now, you toss out some Qin Shi Huang.

What kind of game is this?

“This is Mr. Qin, a celestial being from a future age. It is he who brought us here,” Li Shimin said again.

A celestial being?

Hearing this, Zhang Xun was astonished, yet his frown deepened.

It seemed to be getting more and more absurd.

The First Emperor, the Great Ancestor, and now a celestial being.

Anyone listening would think they were at a teahouse listening to a storyteller spin some mythological tale.

“Fine, suppose you are the Great Ancestor—I’ll grant you that for now. But tell me, even if you’ve come, what can you do?” Zhang Xun asked, both angry and amused.

“I have naturally brought you grain, and I have also brought an army,” Li Shimin said with a confident smile.

“You don’t believe me?”

Seeing that Zhang Xun’s expression was akin to looking at a fool, Li Shimin did not waste words. He turned to Qin Ning, “Mr. Qin.”

Qin Ning nodded lightly, then waved his hand. In an instant, on the empty space before them, sack after sack of grain appeared out of thin air, piled up high.

The sight astounded Zhang Xun.

The power to materialize objects from nothing!

Could this young Mr. Qin truly be a celestial being?

And the one who called himself the Great Ancestor…

Could he be real as well?

How was that possible?

While Zhang Xun was still marveling inwardly, many soldiers nearby were also drawn over by the commotion.

“General, what’s happening?” someone asked.

Zhang Xun opened his mouth as if to say something, but for a moment, he did not know where to begin.

Li Shimin simply laughed, “General Zhang Xun, the grain is right here. If you do not believe me, have someone open a sack and take a look.”

“Uh… oh… all right.”

Snapping back to reality, Zhang Xun quickly waved his hand and led a few soldiers toward the pile of grain sacks.

He drew his blade and slit open one of them.

Out poured grains of gleaming white rice.

“Fine grain! It’s fine grain!”

“We have grain! We have grain!”

Before Zhang Xun could speak, the soldiers’ faces lit up with unbridled joy.

It had been so long since they had seen such proper food.

“Go, quickly spread the news. Have people come to carry the grain back, and start fires and cook at once!”

Zhang Xun cupped handfuls of rice in his hands, his voice trembling with excitement.

Then he came before Li Shimin and the others, dropping to his knees in gratitude, “Thank you, Great Ancestor, thank you, Mr. Celestial, for bestowing this grain!”

He no longer had the mind to verify whether Li Shimin’s identity was genuine or false.

Even if it was a lie, anyone who brought so much grain to reinforce Suiyang—in Zhang Xun’s eyes—deserved to be acknowledged as the Great Ancestor!

“Great Ancestor, you mentioned earlier that aside from the grain, you also brought an army—is that true?” Zhang Xun couldn’t help but ask.

“Indeed, I did,” Li Shimin replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Zhang Xun’s face lit up with ecstasy. “Is it outside the city? I will have the gates opened at once to welcome the Great Ancestor’s army into the city.”

“No need,” Li Shimin said, shaking his head. He then looked to Qin Ning.

Qin Ning said nothing, merely waving his hand.

In that instant, the very air seemed to tremble.

Zhang Xun instinctively looked up toward the sky.

Then, he saw dense hordes of soldiers materializing overhead.

They were warriors clad in armor, bearing arms.

“Heavenly soldiers descending from the sky!” Zhang Xun cried out, his face growing even more fervent with excitement.