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

In the magnificent Wei Imperial Palace, the newly enthroned Emperor Sima Yi sat high on the dragon throne, tightly holding a secret report from the Chu State in his hand.

His eyes were as sharp as a knife, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a sneer.

The ministers in the hall stood on both sides, and the air was filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

"Dear ladies!"

Sima Yi spoke slowly, his voice low and full of majesty.

"I just received news that the old Emperor Chu is passing the throne to Crown Prince Chu Ning. Do you think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a low murmur of discussion suddenly broke out in the court.

Sima Yi's gaze swept across the ministers and finally fell on Prime Minister Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu frowned, pondered for a moment, stepped forward, and said with a bow, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid we need to be cautious about this matter."

"Chu Ning is a cunning man. Since he dared to succeed to the throne at this time, he must have been prepared. If we act rashly, we will probably fall into his trap."

Sima Yi snorted coldly, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes: "Lord Cheng is too cautious. No matter how cunning Chu Ning is, he can't change the fact that the Chu State is in turmoil."

"Once he holds his coronation ceremony, the entire Chu State will be preoccupied with the new monarch's succession, and border defenses will undoubtedly be relaxed. This is the perfect time for us to retake Yanzhou!"

At this time, General Zhao Yi, who was standing in the ranks of the generals, strode forward and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty is wise!"

"I believe that when Chu Ning ascends the throne, several generals on the front lines of the Chu State will definitely return to the capital to participate in the ceremony."

"By then, Yanzhou's defenses will be empty. We only need to attack in one fell swoop and we will be able to recapture the lost territory!"

Zhao Yi's words were like a spark, instantly igniting the generals in the court.

They echoed in a resounding voice: "Your Majesty, Yanzhou is our territory. It has been occupied by the State of Chu for so many years. Now is the time to recover the lost territory!"

Cheng Yu's face changed slightly when he saw this, and he hurried forward to advise: "Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. Even if the Chu frontline generals return to the capital, Chu Ning will definitely have a backup plan."

"What's more, the Tang army is very close to Yanzhou. If we send troops, there is no guarantee that the Tang will not take advantage of the opportunity to invade. If the Tang army seizes Yanzhou first, won't we be making things difficult for others?"

Sima Yi heard this, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes: "My dear Cheng, you are worrying too much. Although Yanzhou is very close to the Tang army, it is surrounded by the territory of the Wei Kingdom."

"Even if the Tang Dynasty succeeds temporarily, it will never be able to occupy it for long!"

He paused, a meaningful smile curling up at the corner of his mouth, "If we can join forces with the Tang Dynasty and attack from both sides, Yanzhou will surely be broken!"

Cheng Yu was horrified and quickly knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! Joining forces with the Tang Dynasty is like trying to get the skin of a tiger!"

"The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty is extremely ambitious. Once they seize Yanzhou, they will never give it back easily. By then, not only will we be unable to recover the lost territory, but we will be plunged into an even greater crisis!"

Sima Yi slammed the armrest of the dragon throne and shouted, "Enough! Cheng Yu, you have repeatedly obstructed my plans. What is your intention? Do you want to watch Yanzhou fall into the hands of Chu forever?"

Cheng Yu's forehead was covered with sweat, but he still insisted: "Your Majesty, I am devoted to the country and have no second thoughts! However, this matter is of great importance. If we are not careful, it will lead to disaster!"

Sima Yi stared at him coldly, then waved his hand after a moment: "I have made up my mind, no need to say more."

He turned to the messenger beside him and gave the order in a deep voice, "Send a message to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty immediately, proposing a joint attack on Yanzhou. After the victory, Yanzhou will belong to the Wei Kingdom, and the remaining spoils can be disposed of by the Tang Dynasty at its discretion."

The court was completely silent. Only Cheng Yu lowered his head dejectedly and murmured, "I hope Your Majesty will reconsider..."

Sima Yi stood up, his eyes blazing with fire: "Pass on my order, prepare the entire army for battle, and as soon as the Tang Dynasty responds, we will immediately send troops to Yanzhou!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" The generals shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the hall.

At the same time, Liu Che of the Han Dynasty was discussing countermeasures with his ministers.

Han Dynasty, Imperial Palace, Weiyang Palace.

Inside the Golden Palace, Emperor Liu Che of Han sat on the dragon throne, holding a piece of news sent by a spy in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

Inside the hall, civil and military officials stood solemnly on both sides, and the atmosphere was heavy and solemn.

"My dear friends."

Liu Che spoke slowly, his voice steady and commanding: "The State of Chu is about to hold a ceremony to coronate its new monarch. Chu Ning will soon ascend the throne, and the whole country will surely celebrate, and border defenses will be relaxed."

"I believe this is the perfect opportunity for our army to capture Maple Leaf City. What do you think?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a low murmur of discussion suddenly broke out in the court.

Prime Minister Chen Pin frowned slightly, stepped forward, and said with a salutation, "Your Majesty, I believe this matter requires further caution."

"Chu Ning is a man of great cunning and is definitely not an ordinary person. Since he dared to succeed to the throne at this time, he must have been prepared. If we rashly send troops, we may fall into his trap."

Liu Che's eyes narrowed slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Then, according to the Prime Minister, what should our Han Dynasty do?"

Chen Pin smiled slightly, a gleam in his eyes: "Your Majesty, the new king of Wei, Sima Yi, is extremely ambitious and has been eyeing Yanzhou, which is occupied by Chu."

"Now that Chu Ning is about to ascend the throne, Wei is very likely to seize the opportunity to send troops and join forces with the Tang Dynasty to attack Yanzhou. We might as well wait and see what happens, and make a decision when Wei and Chu go to war."

As soon as he finished speaking, a military general stood up. It was General Wang Meng, the Southern Guardian.

He said loudly, "Prime Minister, you are wrong! Although Wei is powerful, it may not dare to rashly start a war at this time. If our army does not seize this opportunity to seize Maple Leaf City, wouldn't it be a waste of opportunity?"

Chen Pin smiled calmly and said, "General Wang, the Tang Dynasty already has 50,000 elite troops stationed on the border of Wei. If Wei wants to retake Yanzhou, it will definitely join forces with the Tang Dynasty."

"By then, Chu will be attacked from both sides. Our army can just sit back and watch the fight. Why take any risks?"

Liu Che's eyes flashed with thought, and he nodded slowly. "Prime Minister, what you say makes sense. However, if Wei and Tang really join forces to attack Yanzhou, and even invite the Han Dynasty to join forces to attack Maple Leaf City, how should I respond?"

Chen Pin smiled faintly and said confidently, "Your Majesty, you only need to agree to their request, but you don't have to actually engage in battle with the Chu army."

"Our army can feign an attack on Maple Leaf City to tie down some of the Chu army's forces, leaving Wei and the Tang to grapple with the difficult challenge of Yanzhou."

"Wouldn't it be better if we wait for them to both be defeated and then take action?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Che's eyes flashed with satisfaction. He clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Good! I'll follow your plan, Prime Minister."

He then looked at the Minister of War, Li Su, and said in a deep voice, "Pass on my order. The border troops should strengthen their vigilance, but they should not act rashly."

"If Wei or Tang send envoys requesting aid, you can agree to it, but you must prioritize delaying the attack and not rashly start a war with the Chu army!"

"I obey your order!" Li Su bowed and accepted the order.

In the court, all the ministers bowed and praised: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Liu Che raised the corner of his mouth slightly, looked out of the hall with deep eyes, and muttered to himself: "Chu Ning, Chu Ning, I want to see if you can bear it!"