Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Three days later, at the beginning of the yin hour, nine bonfires three feet high were lit in the Chu army camp.

In the red firelight, Chu Ning, wearing a black armor with a coiled dragon pattern, rode his horse through the square formation. Every time the sword on his waist passed through a row of troops, it would arouse a roar like a tsunami.

When he reined in his horse and stopped in front of the central army altar, the twelve Kuiniu war drums exploded at the same time, and the sound waves made the torches all turn towards the direction of Jinyang City.

"Soldiers!"

Chu Ning drew out the Chengying Sword and pointed it directly at the king's flag on the top of the city wall. The sword's tip reflected thousands of fanatical faces in the firelight:

"After conquering the city, do not put down your sword for three days! Kill all the nobles of Jin!"

"The first person to climb the tower will be rewarded with a ten thousand households marquis! The one who cuts off the head of Jin Emperor Ji Yingjie will be made a marquis and rewarded with a thousand gold coins!"

Tens of thousands of iron spears slammed into the ground like thunder, making the bronze wine cups on the altar buzz.

Chu Ning took the blood wine offered by the witch and drank it all, then suddenly raised his hand and smashed the pottery bowl.

The crisp cracking sound overwhelmed the drumbeats: "Let the people of Jin see what a real Chu army is!"

As soon as he finished speaking, twelve shirtless strongmen carried the three-meter-high Chiyou flag and rushed to the front of the formation. The corpse oil soaked on the flag spontaneously ignited when it met the wind, and transformed into nine ferocious fire dragons.

The Chu army suddenly became full of vigor and vitality, with shouts of killing shaking the heavens and the earth. They were determined to capture Jinyang City in one fell swoop and destroy the State of Jin!

At the same time, on the west gate tower of Jinyang, Ji Yingjie was slowly smearing cinnabar on the blade of his sword.

After receiving the report, he put on armor and went into battle himself, despite the opposition of his ministers.

When the Chu army attacked the city for the first time, he had to guard the city wall in person to show his determination to live and die with the city.

Only in this way can he get the soldiers below to fight for him and stop the attack of the Chu army!

Once the Tang army arrives, it will be time for them to counterattack!

When the last inch of the blade was stained with blood, he suddenly thrust his sword into the arrow slit: "My fellow soldiers! Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva appeared in my dream last night--"

His voice, mixed with his inner strength, spread across the city walls: "The souls of the heroes who died in the battle today will ride on the golden-winged rocs straight into the Western Paradise!"

Yang Xingye, the son-in-law of the emperor, raised the blood-stained battle flag at the right time, and the flag fluttered in the morning breeze:

"See this flag? Those who died in battle will be recorded on it and become heroes of our Jin State!"

He suddenly opened his shirt to reveal his chest, which was covered with seven scars. "If I take even a step back today, you can chop off my head and use it as a night pot!"

Amid the earth-shaking sound of "fight to the death", the first thunder and fire bomb at the South Gate exploded.

The basalt bricks weighing three hundred kilograms were lifted high into the air, revealing the metallic-luster interlayer underneath - this was actually rammed earth mixed with iron powder!

Before the smoke and dust cleared, twenty improved ladders had reached the city wall. The moment the steel hooks on the ladders bit deeply into the wall, dark blue mist gushed out of the poisonous smoke holes.

"Open the hanging door!" A muffled roar came from the soldier's hiding cave.

Thirty pieces of mud-soaked cowhide dropped to the ground, and the poisonous smoke turned into smelly slime when it came into contact with moisture.

Just as several Chu army sword and shield soldiers jumped onto the battlements, spike plates suddenly popped out from under their feet. The moment the caltrops pierced their leather boots, boiling gold juice poured down on their heads.

Amid screams, the defenders' hook-and-sickle spearmen flashed out from the secret compartment and knocked the poisoned and twitching Chu soldiers off the city wall.

The Ximen battlefield has now become a meat grinder.

The Chu army's heavily armored infantry formed a tortoise-shell formation with shields as big as door panels, and forced their way up the city wall by walking on a slope made of the corpses of their companions.

The defenders suddenly launched twenty improved crossbows. The crossbow arrows, as thick as a baby's arm, were hollow in design. The moment they hit the shield formation, iron sand exploded all over the sky.

When the Chu army's formation became chaotic, the gate of the city gate suddenly opened, and three hundred crazy horses with torches tied to their tails roared into the enemy formation.

The Chu army did not dare to delay and immediately formed a battle formation to respond, but this also delayed their siege on the city.

Under the scorching sun at noon, the South Gate city wall had turned dark red.

Chu Ning personally led a team of soldiers and horses to attack. The battering rams in their hands were actually huge wood covered with iron sheets, with a rotating iron spike on the top.

After three consecutive impacts, cracks finally appeared on the iron-clad city gate, and the twenty beams behind the gate groaned at the same time.

At this moment, three hundred holes suddenly opened above the city gate, and the defenders poured molten lead down!

The Chu army soldiers turned into bones in an instant, but the rest were forced to continue charging by the supervision team in the rear.

"Set the bull on fire!" Ji Yingjie's roar was bloody.

Thirty bulls with sharp blades tied to their horns rushed out from the secret door. The beasts' eyes were dyed red with cinnabar and their tails were burning with dark green flames.

The hook-and-sickle spear formation that the Chu army was so proud of became a burden. The mad fire bulls dragged the tangled iron chains and rushed forward, tearing bloody gaps in the strict army formation.

At three quarters after 3 p.m., a strange bone flute sound suddenly rang out from Ximen.

Three hundred naked and tattooed barbarians rushed out of the Chu army. They chewed poisonous grass to avoid being shot by arrows, and climbed the city walls with their bare hands as if they were walking on flat ground.

The defenders immediately poured sticky fish oil on them, but when they tried to light the fire they found that the fire starter was damp - it turned out that these soldiers were covered in water-absorbing seaweed mud!

At the critical moment, Jin general Cui Haoying personally led the shadow guards to jump off the city wall. Their soft swords targeted the eye sockets. The defenders on the city wall took the opportunity to pour molten iron, scalding the Chu army clinging to the city wall into charred corpses.

When the setting sun turned blood red, the Chu army finally sounded the retreat.

The moat at the South Gate was filled with floating corpses pierced with arrows, and the water was a strange dark green color - that was the highly toxic mixture of the poisons from both sides.

The pile of corpses under the West Gate Tower was six feet high. The standard-bearer of the Chu army at the top kept waving the flag until his death, and three heads of the Jin army were strung on the broken flagpole.

When Ji Yingjie staggered and held onto the arrow stack, he found half of his ear stuck to his palm.

At his feet, several young soldiers, about fifteen or sixteen years old, gritted their teeth and used their sabers to scrape away the festering flesh.

The first battle was so brutal, and we don’t know how brutal the next battle will be.

"Pass the order, everyone who participates in the battle today will be rewarded ten taels of silver!"

Ji Yingjie said in a deep voice: "The compensation for the injured will be doubled, and the pension for those who died in the battle will be paid immediately!"

"If anyone embezzles this money, all his clans will be killed!"

"Also, clean up the battlefield immediately, minimize the damage, and clear away the bodies!"

"I obey your command!" Cui Haoying responded and immediately went down to make arrangements.

At this time, Yang Xingye came to Ji Yingjie with a dirty face and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, the Chu army is so brave, it seems they are determined to win this battle!"

"They will definitely attack in turns from time to time. I suggest arranging for the generals to take turns to deal with it!"

Ji Yingjie nodded slightly when he heard this, patted Yang Xingye on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice: "Luckily, you are here for this battle!"

"If you didn't understand Chu Ning and the Chu army's tactics, our army might have suffered a loss in this first battle."

"I'll leave the matter of arranging the generals' rest periods to you!"

"Yes!" Yang Xingye lowered his head and responded, then went downstairs to make arrangements immediately.

Inside the Chu army's central tent, Chu Ning was staring at the model of Jinyang City on the sand table with a sneer.

"Generals, you have seen the will of the Jin army in today's battle. If we force an attack, even if we can capture Jinyang City, we will suffer heavy losses!"

"So I decided to attack the city at irregular intervals and harass the defenders in Jinyang City one by one, so that they can't rest!"

"Wait until they are exhausted, then our army will launch a fierce attack."

"This matter will be arranged by you two, Lord Jia and General Zhao!"

Realizing that a strong attack would not work, the only option was to use a strategy to tire out the Jin army before attacking.

There is no way, because Jinyang City is too high, and it is difficult to attack even with many siege weapons.

In order to avoid the intervention of the Tang army, they must take the initiative to attack!