Great Tang Declares War! The Entire Nation Takes Up Arms

After the rites were concluded, Lin Zhu looked at the battlefield still littered with devastation, then at the Tianzhu army in the distance, faintly visible as it regrouped and redeployed. He said solemnly to Li Shimin,

"King of Tang, this place is dangerous. Though White Lotus Boy has retreated, Western Heaven's scheme may not have ended. The safety of an entire nation rests upon you. You should not remain in such perilous territory. Return swiftly to the imperial capital of Chang'an, take command from the center, and stabilize the situation."

Yet upon hearing this, Li Shimin slowly shook his head.

He straightened the back that had bent somewhat beneath grief and exhaustion. The eyes that had so recently shed tears now shone with an unprecedented resolve, as unyielding as tempered steel.

"No, Hell God."

Li Shimin's voice was clear and firm, carrying a resolve that permitted no doubt.

"I am not going back."

"Hm?"

Lin Zhu raised his brow slightly, somewhat surprised. In his view, it had already been unwise for an Emperor to personally enter such danger. Now that the crisis had temporarily eased, returning to the safety of the rear should have been the proper course.

Li Shimin's gaze swept over the ruins of Ironwall Pass, over the grief-stricken and determined faces of the soldiers around him, before finally turning toward the Tianzhu army in the west. He spoke each word distinctly.

"I have made up my mind. Great Tang will wage total war against the Tianzhu Buddha Kingdom! Until one side is dead! I will remain here, at the border, personally oversee the battle, and command the army! 'Through a hundred battles in yellow sands, our golden armor is worn; until Tianzhu falls, we shall not return!' Once these words have left my mouth, there will be