Anshi City itself is not large, but because of its unique geographical location, it was built halfway up a mountain and integrated with the surrounding mountains. The city walls were built using the height of the mountain peaks, which made it very difficult to conquer.

However, once the city's defenses are breached, taking it would be a piece of cake for the elite Tang Dynasty soldiers.

Even as Li Shimin stood atop the watchtower of Anshi City, he could hardly believe that he had actually breached this seemingly impregnable city…

This was simply too dreamlike for him, even more shocking than the capture of Liaodong City!

Once Ansi Fortress is captured, it means that there will be no obstacles in front of him in the entire Goguryeo region. His army can march straight in and attack any Goguryeo city at will.

Li Shimin could hardly believe it. Was the nightmare of the Sui and Tang dynasties finally going to be resolved in his hands?

As Li Shimin climbed the watchtower to look out into the distance, various bloody scenes were unfolding in the city.

The stubbornly resisting enemy was cornered by the Tang soldiers. Just as they were about to fight like cornered beasts, the Tang army that had been surrounding them suddenly dispersed, and a row of archers appeared, riddling them with arrows.

The ordinary people in Anshi City watched as the Tang army broke into their homes and looted their belongings. The timid wept silently, while the bold picked up farm tools and fought back.

However, when their peasant soldiers attacked the Tang army's armor, they couldn't even leave a white mark. They would then be cleaved in two by the Tang army with a backhand slash.

After the Tang army killed two thousand people, all that remained in Anshi City were compliant citizens.

At this point, let alone robbing them of their belongings, even if you played with their wives and daughters in front of their entire family, they would only silently cheer from the sidelines.

Fortunately, Li Shimin was an ambitious monarch who quickly stopped this pointless killing and looting.

After all, things are different now than before. Before, he was thinking about how to conquer Goguryeo, but now he is thinking more about how to completely occupy Goguryeo.

Conquest and occupation are two completely different concepts.

Conquering a region means defeating the enemy on the battlefield, which will then force them to pay tribute and become vassals.

But to completely occupy a region, it is necessary not only to eliminate their resistance forces, but also to make the remaining people obedient subjects of the Tang Dynasty!

Although Li Shimin's military orders displeased many of the Tang Dynasty's soldiers, Li Jue's supplementary military orders made them happy again.

"Look at all these bottles and jars you've stolen, not a single one of them is valuable."

"I'll give you a list!"

"Korean ginseng costs one guan qian per jin!"

"Listen up, you scoundrels! One pound can be exchanged for one string of cash!"

"Two strings of cash for a single mink pelt!"

"Ten strings of cash for a tiger skin!"

"There are also tiger bones, deer antlers, sheepskin, cowhide, deer hide, and so on."

"I'll take anything you steal, and I can even give you a receipt. We'll pay you when we get back to Chang'an!"

With Li Jue, the eldest grandson of the emperor, acting as guarantor, the enthusiasm of the Tang Dynasty soldiers soared once again.

"Your Highness, the eldest grandson, will you accept him?"

"people?"

"Yes!"

"Don't you need more maids and eunuchs in your household?"

"this……"

Just as Li Jue was wondering how to answer, Changsun Wuji, who happened to be passing by, immediately spoke for him.

"receive!"

"I have reserved one hundred beautiful Korean women. Go and find them for me."

"As long as she is beautiful, I will offer ten strings of cash!"

With the example set by the unconventional old man Changsun Wuji, other generals launched a fierce battle to recruit him.

Cheng Yaojin, being rather henpecked, only bought fifty, while Li Shiji, that lecherous old man, bought two hundred. Ashina Duer, as the tribal leader, not only had to satisfy his own desires but also the needs of the strong young men in the tribe, so he bought five hundred in one go.

If these high-ranking generals are so dissolute, the junior officers below them become even more arrogant.

Although they don't have that much money, they don't need to spend money to buy things; they can just lead people to grab them...

As a result, the entire Tang army immediately transformed into human traffickers, not only picking and choosing in Anshi City, but also eventually conquering more than a dozen Goguryeo cities in succession to search for young women.

While the Tang Dynasty was conquering cities and seizing territories, Yeon Gaesomun in Pyongyang was organizing a final counterattack.

Now he has not only reconciled with Baekje, but even Silla, which has always been at odds with him, has temporarily put aside its grudges and taken the initiative to send its son there for a marriage alliance.

There was nothing they could do; Silla was ruled by a queen at that time...

At this time, the King of Silla was named Kim Seung-man, the cousin of the previous queen. She was just over twenty years old and at the age when she was infatuated with romance and beauty.

Upon seeing such a young and handsome prince sent by Goguryeo, her eyes lit up and her heart almost melted.

"May I have your name?"

"Your Majesty, I am Yuan Nan, the third son of the Great Mo Li..."

Upon hearing this, Kim Seung-man said with some impatience.

"Don't give me that 'Mo Lizhi' nonsense!"

"Yeon Gaesomun is a coward too. He even killed a king, yet he doesn't dare to call himself king!"

When Yeon Nam-chan heard that Kim Seung-man, that brat, dared to openly slander his father, he was so angry that he wanted to draw his sword and kill her.

But when he thought of his father's words before he left, he could only silently endure it.

“Your Majesty, my father never intended to usurp the throne of Goguryeo. When he assassinated the King, it was only out of self-defense…”

Upon hearing this, Jin Shengman burst into laughter.

"how?"

"Now that the Tang Dynasty has invaded, is your Goguryeo throne worthless? Hahaha!"

The Goguryeo throne is indeed worthless now. Yeon Gaesomun used to dare to covet it, but now he wants to worship the Goguryeo king and tell the world that he is the true ruler of Goguryeo.

After all, if the Tang Dynasty had truly destroyed Goguryeo, Goguryeo's subjects might have survived, but the Goguryeo king might not have.

Although Kim Seung-man's words were sarcastic, Yeon Nam-san still didn't dare to get angry.

The situation in Goguryeo is now extremely precarious. Even if they cannot secure reinforcements from Silla, they cannot afford to continue their hostile relations with Silla.

After all, if Silla were to unite with the Tang Dynasty, Goguryeo would be attacked from both sides and would surely perish!

"Your Majesty, my father said before he left that if you agree to our marriage, he can guarantee that our son will be made the Crown Prince of Goguryeo!"

"oh?"

Although Kim Seung-man knew that Yeon-nam's intentions were impure, she was still very tempted when she heard these words.

If his son could become the king of Goguryeo, then Goguryeo and Silla could become one country, and they would no longer have to worry about the threat from Baekje.

He could even directly destroy Baekje and become the sole master of this peninsula!