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

The autumn wind blows in Kyoto at night.

The third watch gong had just struck, and the alleys in the south of the city were dead silent.

Jia Yu was dressed in a black flying fish suit, and the embroidered spring sword at his waist shone coldly in the moonlight.

He raised his hand to signal, and dozens of Jinyiwei behind him immediately dispersed and disappeared into the darkness like ghosts.

"Sir, it's confirmed. It's in the backyard of the 'Zuixianlou' in front."

A captain of the Jinyiwei reported in a low voice, pointing to a three-story restaurant with dim lights not far away.

Jia Yu narrowed his eyes and gently stroked the rope around the handle with his fingertips.

Following the confessions of the Wei Dynasty spies, they tracked down the strongholds of the Tang and Han Dynasty spies in Kyoto.

"Do it."

At his command, the Jinyiwei rushed towards Zuixianlou like a tide.

In the backyard of the restaurant, several big spies were sitting around in the candlelight, talking in low voices.

"I heard that the Crown Prince of Chu is about to ascend the throne. If we can bring back important military intelligence this time, it will be a great achievement!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the door was kicked open!

"The Jinyiwei will investigate the case and leave no one behind!"

Jia Yu shouted coldly, and the leader of the Jinyiwei Qianhu drew his embroidered spring sword. With a flash of cold light, the spy closest to the door had no time to react before his head rolled to the ground.

Blood splattered on the table, and the flickering candlelight illuminated the terrified faces of the others.

"kill!"

The Jinyiwei entered one after another, and screams were heard amid the flashing of swords and the shadow of sabers.

Someone tried to escape through the window, but was shot through the heart by a crossbowman lying in ambush outside.

In just half a quarter of an hour, there was no one left alive in the backyard.

Jia Yu stepped over the blood-soaked ground, bent down, and took out a secret letter from the arms of a spy. He glanced at it and sneered:

"Sure enough, they are still trying to find out about the Imperial Guards' deployment."

He raised his head, his eyes cold and icy: "Search! Find the list of their hidden agents!"

The Jinyiwei immediately searched through the boxes and cabinets. Soon, a captain found a list from the secret compartment and presented it with both hands:

"Sir, I found it!"

Jia Yu flipped open the list, his eyes flashing coldly: "Good, very good, now the Tang Dynasty's spies can't escape."

The next day, in an inconspicuous silk shop in the west of the city.

The shopkeeper was fiddling with an abacus with his head down when he suddenly heard the sound of wind chimes at the door. He looked up and saw Jia Yu and a team of Jinyiwei entering the store.

"Sir, would you like to choose some high-quality materials?" The shopkeeper pretended to be calm and put on a smile.

Jia Yu's lips curled slightly, his fingers gently stroking the silk on the counter, and he said lightly: "Shopkeeper, this material of yours was shipped from the Tang Dynasty, right?"

The shopkeeper's expression suddenly changed, and his hand reached for the dagger under the counter.

"Take it!"

At Jia Yu's command, the Jinyiwei drew their swords instantly.

The shopkeeper resisted violently, but was cut off his wrist by a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guards beside Jia Yu. The blood splattered on the snow-white silk, which was shocking.

"Search!"

The Embroidered Uniform Guards rushed into the back hall and quickly caught several Tang Dynasty spies in the secret room, one of whom was actually a minor official from the Ministry of Rites.

Jia Yu sneered: "Even the Ministry of Rites has planted people there. The Tang Dynasty is really worried."

He raised his hand and waved, "Execute them all, and hang their bodies on the city gates as a warning to others!"

In just a few days, the capital city was engulfed in blood and gore.

Under Jia Yu's command, the Jinyiwei destroyed more than ten secret agents of the three dynasties and killed nearly a hundred spies.

More and more corpses were hung on the city walls. The people were silent, and the ministers were secretly frightened.

The Jinyiwei are so powerful that they can even find the secret agents stationed here by the three dynasties. Doesn’t that mean their every move in Kyoto City is also under their control?

"Sir Jia, the spies from the Wei Dynasty have not been completely eliminated yet." A Jinyiwei reminded in a low voice.

Jia Yu stood on the city wall with his hands behind his back, overlooking Kyoto, and said calmly: "No rush, none of them can escape before the coronation ceremony."

He turned around, murderous intent in his eyes: "Continue to investigate, it's better to kill someone by mistake than to let him go!"

Within five days, the remaining Wei spies were found and slaughtered.

At this time, Li Shiming, who was far away in the Tang Dynasty, finally received the letter sent by the spy through carrier pigeon.

Tang Dynasty, Taiji Hall.

Incense was burning in the golden censer in the hall, and green smoke was curling up, but it could not dispel the solemn and murderous atmosphere in the hearts of the civil and military officials in the court.

Emperor Li Shiming sat high on the dragon throne, holding a secret letter in his hand, his knuckles slightly white.

His eyes were cold as he slowly swept over the ministers below him, a sneer curling up at the corner of his mouth:

"My dear ministers, the Emperor of Chu has insisted on passing the throne to Crown Prince Chu Ning due to the death of Grand Tutor Dugu Xin. What are your thoughts?"

Prime Minister Changsun Wuji stroked his long beard, smiled deeply, and stepped out to say:

"Your Majesty, with Chu Ning ascending the throne, the Chu army's frontline generals will return to the capital to observe the ceremony, and the border defenses will certainly be left empty - this is a godsend opportunity!"

Before he finished speaking, the Minister of War, Hou Junji, could no longer contain his excitement and strode forward, clasping his fists and saying loudly:

"The Chu army has been victorious in recent battles, becoming extremely arrogant and unprepared. If our army launches a surprise attack now, we will surely be able to recapture the lost territory in one fell swoop!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the hall echoed it.

General Qin Qiong's eyes turned red, and he suddenly knelt on one knee, his voice like thunder:

"Your Majesty! Fifty thousand Tang men perished at the hands of the Chu army, and General Yuchi perished on the battlefield! I will not be a human being until this vengeance is exacted!"

When has the Tang Dynasty ever suffered any loss?

However, in this year's battle with the Chu army, not only did they lose 50,000 troops, but they also lost the fierce general Yuchi Gong.

This debt has always weighed on Qin Qiong's mind, and he has always wanted to find an opportunity to take revenge!

Now that Chu Ning is finally about to ascend the throne, how can he let the Chu army generals on the border go back to watch the ceremony!

Behind him, several generals knelt down and asked for battle in unison:

"Your servants are willing to follow General Qin into battle and avenge our previous humiliation!"

Yuchi Gong was defeated and killed. It was not only a failure for Yuchi Gong, but also a shame for the Tang army!

However, Wei Zhen frowned, took a step forward, and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, Chu Ning is cunning and resourceful. How could he not be on guard? If our army attacks rashly, we might be ambushed!"

He looked around at the generals, his tone solemn:

"The Chu army has been known for its military prowess in recent years, and Chu Ning is no mediocre ruler. How could he destroy his border defenses just for the sake of his coronation ceremony? If we lose this battle, we will not only lose our troops and generals, but we will also lose the trust of the world!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly became quiet.

Li Shiming's eyes flickered slightly, his fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, and he pondered in silence.

Of course, he wanted to take the opportunity to attack the Chu army and avenge his previous humiliation.

But he knew Chu Ning's cunning better than anyone else.

What's more, he had just reached an agreement with Chu Ning to jointly attack the State of Wei.

If we betray our promise at this time, we will not only lose the trust of the princes, but will also put the Tang Dynasty in a situation where it will be surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Either don't take action, or... fight to the death!

Thinking of this, Li Shiming slowly raised his head, his eyes sharp as a torch:

"This matter is of great importance and should not be decided lightly."

He looked outside the hall and said in a deep voice:

"First, find out the movements of Sima Yi of Wei and Liu Che of Han, and then make a decision!"

After retiring from court, Li Shiming sat alone in the imperial study, staring at the map on the desk, silent for a long time.

Outside the window, the autumn wind blew, picking up a fallen leaf and letting it fall on the word "Chu Territory".

He reached out and brushed away the fallen leaves, a cold light flashing in his eyes:

"Chu Ning... I want to see how long you can remain so proud!"