The Saga of Su Dingfang

In the final years of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the realm was divided.

Northern Zhou conquered Northern Qi, then Sui replaced Zhou. Yang Jian united the north and south, bringing a brief peace after three hundred years of turmoil.

During the Kaihuang era, four people were born one after another:

Prince of Qin Li Shimin, Empress Zhangsun Wugou, the God of War Su Dingfang, and the peerless female commander Gao Huiying.

Born in an age of chaos and raised amid military campaigns, they were destined to restore a dynasty's lands and rivers amid the collapse at the end of Sui.

At the end of Sui, war broke out everywhere. Yang Guang moved the capital to Luoyang, dug the Grand Canal, and launched three campaigns against Goguryeo, ultimately plunging the realm into ruin.

After the Jiangdu mutiny, the Great Sui crumbled, and warlords contended for supremacy.

Li Shimin used the ancient laws and principles of kingship from dynasties before Tang to put the court in order. Zhangsun Wugou drew on the lessons of order and upheaval throughout Chinese history to reform the new government, avoiding the causes of past dynasties' downfalls and bringing together the best in farming and sericulture, water conservancy, steelmaking, armor, firearms, education, and frontier governance. Su Dingfang studied under Li Jing and maintained strict military discipline. In his lifetime, he destroyed three kingdoms and captured three rulers. Gao Huiying mastered hydrology, formations, and naval warfare, improving warships, naval cannons, and naval mines to open up new maritime frontiers for Great Tang.

After Li Shimin was made Prince of Qin, he and Zhangsun Wugou secretly established private military workshops. They discreetly improved the crucible steel process, forged lightweight, durable steel weapons and green-faced light armor, crafted lighter armor for warhorses, and tested waterproof cannons, hand cannons, thunderclap bombs, and naval mines.

After he ascended the throne, the Directorate of Armaments went into full production, and the Iron Army of Zhenguan rose to power.

The army also adopted new regulations: if a commanding general fell in battle, the deputy general would immediately take up the banner. If the deputy general died for the nation, the assistant general and then the company commander would take over in turn. Anyone capable of holding the line and understanding military strategy could take command and fight on in an emergency, even without official rank.

As long as the banner did not fall, the formation would not break, the army would not scatter, and the battle would not end.

Thereafter, the Tang army marched north against the Eastern Turks and captured Jieli alive; it conquered the Western Regions