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

When the morning sun of the fifth day penetrated the mist on the top of Yanzhou City, the black flags of the Black Tortoise Army had already spread across the horizon like a sea of forests.

A hundred thousand strong troops marched forward in formation, and the cold light reflected by their armor made the early spring morning breeze stagnate a little.

Chu Ning was dressed in a white robe and silver armor, riding a white warhorse at the front of the army, with three thousand white cavalry following closely behind him like a flowing snowfield.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

Three miles outside the city gate, Guan Yun leading the Modao team, Ma Chao leading the Iron Cavalry Battalion, and Xun Yu leading the civil officials and ceremonial guards had already lined up to welcome them.

Seeing the king's flag approaching, ceremonial music filled the air, and 20,000 soldiers punched their chests at the same time - this was the most solemn military salute of the Chu army.

The Modao wielders held their seven-foot-long blades upright on the ground, and the Iron Cavalrymen held their spears across their shoulders. Their movements were in perfect unison, and the sound of metal clashing was like thunder.

Chu Ning reined in his horse and stopped, his eyes sweeping across the formation.

Every member of Guan Yun's Modao team was wearing heavy iron pagoda armor, with only a pair of hungry wolf-like eyes visible under the visor.

Ma Chao's Iron Cavalry Battalion's warhorses were all covered in scale armor, and the sharp blades of their lances formed a silver line in the morning light. He raised the corner of his mouth slightly:

"General Guan's Mo Dao and General Ma's Iron Cavalry have probably already become a nightmare for the Wei-Tang coalition forces."

"Your Majesty is so complimentary."

Guan Yun clasped his fists, the Mo Dao in his hand motionless: "I am only relying on the advantage of weapons."

Ma Chao laughed heartily and took off his lion helmet, revealing a handsome face. "General Guan loves to be falsely modest! Let me tell you, when our men chopped off the Wei dog's head, the blood spurted out was much prettier than the New Year's lanterns!"

Amidst the generals' laughter, Xun Yu took three steps forward, his wide sleeves drooping as he bowed, "Your Majesty, you have been exhausted from the journey. I have prepared a welcoming banquet."

The corner of his eye twitched slightly as he spoke, and his thumb rubbed the jade token imperceptibly in his sleeve.

Chu Ning knew that the other party had something important to discuss, and his eyes flashed: "Xun Qing, lead the way."

All the attendants have been removed from the main hall of the Governor's Mansion.

As soon as Chu Ning sat down in front of the bronze tiger-head desk, Xun Yu pushed open the secret door behind the screen.

The group passed through a dark corridor and finally arrived at a secret room with copper-clad walls.

The bronze crane lamp in the corner of the wall emitted a faint flame, making everyone's shadows sway ghostly.

"Your Majesty, this is the latest military report from the Jinyiwei."

Xun Yu took out a sheepskin map from his arms, spread it out, and pointed his fingertips at the mountains on the east side of Yanzhou.

"Tang General Li Jing led 100,000 elite troops out of Tongguan three days ago and will arrive here the day after tomorrow at the latest."

The fingernail then slashed northwest: "Wei's general Xu Fang is personally leading 200,000 main forces stationed at Mangshan, with another 100,000 new soldiers stationed on the western front."

He suddenly emphasized, "But the most important thing is—Sima Yi's dragon chariot is heading towards Yanzhou, and he wants to lead the army in person!"

The secret room suddenly fell silent.

Guan Yun's knuckles cracked, and the Mo Dao was already three inches out of its sheath without him knowing.

Ma Chao narrowed his one eye and said, "This dog emperor raised by the eunuch party has the courage of a bear and a leopard."

"Something's wrong."

Chu Ning tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. "The Wei army has 300,000 soldiers, of which at least 200,000 are new recruits. Sima Yi has always cherished his life, so why would he suddenly lead the army in person?"

At this moment, the secret door of the secret room was suddenly opened.

A captain of the Imperial Guards came in to report, "Your Majesty, urgent message from eight hundred miles away! The Scorpion Khan demands an additional thirty thousand dan of grain each month, or he will cooperate with the Tang Dynasty in withdrawing its troops!"

Chu Ning's face changed drastically when he heard this, and it was only then that he reacted.

It turns out that Sima Yi relies on the Scorpion Tribe!

He suddenly grabbed the teacup and smashed it against the wall. The porcelain pieces exploded into powder on the copper wall. "Scorpion Tribe!"

"It's a good way to kill three birds with one stone."

Xun Yu suddenly sneered: "First, let's reach an agreement with our dynasty, then wait for Your Majesty to personally attack Yanzhou, and finally unite with the Tang Dynasty and Wei to put pressure on our dynasty!"

"This Scorpion Clan is truly untrustworthy!"

Guan Yun's face was gloomy, his hands clenched tightly. "If I have the chance in the future, I will personally cut off the head of the Scorpion Khan!"

Even the usually cheerful Ma Chao couldn't help but frown at this moment: "The Scorpion Tribe is taking advantage of the situation to rob us. Your Majesty must not agree to their demands!"

The candlelight on the bronze lamp tree suddenly burst into a spark, illuminating half of Chu Ning's face.

The quarrel in the secret room stopped abruptly, and the eyes of all the generals were focused on Chu Ning.

"Think twice, Your Majesty!"

Guan Yun suddenly slammed his knee to the ground, his heavy black iron armor colliding with the bluestone slabs with a dull sound. "Sixty thousand dan of grain is enough to feed a hundred thousand troops for half a month. If we give it to those wolves on the grassland..."

Ma Chao also said in a deep voice: "The Scorpion Clan is fickle. If we give them food, they will cooperate with the Tang Dynasty to withdraw. Our army's surveillance is in danger!"

"Okay, let me think about it."

Chu Ning suddenly stood up and walked to the military sand table. The candlelight cast his shadow on the Yanzhou model, like a giant beast pressing down on the city.

Xun Yu noticed the cold light that flashed in Chu Ning's eyes. It was the same look he had when he attacked Maple Leaf City that year.

Sure enough, Chu Ning suddenly sneered: "They want food? Sure!"

"Your Majesty wants to..." Xun Yu's pupils suddenly shrank.

"Use the false pretext to destroy Guo."

Chu Ning said calmly, "Have the Scorpion Cavalry patrol ten miles outside the Tang army camp and light fifty thousand torches every night—pretend to raid the camp."

Xun Yu gasped, "If this happens, the Tang army will definitely not dare to send troops from other places to support this place. However, if we let the Scorpion Tribe take action, they will probably make some demands again."

“So they have to ask for an advance payment.”

Chu Ning suddenly interrupted Xun Yu: "Give me 30,000 stones first, and then pay the remaining 30,000 after the task is completed. Tell the Scorpion Khan—"

He leaned over and blew out the nearest lamp. "I can give him food, or I can leave him without food!"

Xun Yu nodded slightly, then quickly wrote the secret agreement. But halfway through, he paused and said, "If Li Shiming offers a higher price, I'm afraid the Scorpion Tribe will switch sides."

"Do not worry!"

Chu Ning sneered and said, "The Scorpion Tribe is closest to the Tang Dynasty. They asked the Tang Dynasty to buy food before, but the Tang Dynasty did not agree."

"Now the Tang Dynasty wants to sell food to the Scorpion Tribe. Unless the Scorpion Tribe Khan is a fool, he won't agree!"

After a pause, he suddenly looked in the direction of the Wei army and said calmly: "According to the time, Sima Yi should be here too."

"Send a message to Sima Yi, telling him that I want to meet with him."

When these words were spoken, everyone was slightly stunned, not understanding what His Majesty meant.

Xun Yu, however, reacted quickly. After a moment, his eyes lit up as he asked, "Your Majesty has taken the initiative to request a meeting. Could it be that you are trying to take advantage of this opportunity to undermine the morale of the Wei army?"

"Not bad!"

Chu Ning glanced at him with admiration and said with a smile, "Most of the Wei army are new recruits, while our three major legions have been trained for a long time and are well-equipped. They will definitely terrify the Wei army!"

"If we want to defeat the Wei army as quickly as possible, we must first start by demoralizing them. Once the Wei army's morale is completely gone, our subsequent attacks will be much more effective."

Xun Yu was filled with admiration and saluted, "Your Majesty is wise, but I am still worried about what might happen to the Scorpion Tribe."

"If they are truly persuaded by the Tang Dynasty, our army will be in danger of being attacked from both sides by the Wei and Tang armies. We must be on guard."

But Chu Ning remained calm: "As long as our army advances quickly, the Scorpion Tribe will not dare to act rashly!"

"So, our army needs a victory next. This will shock the Wei Kingdom and the Tang Dynasty while also letting the Scorpion Tribe know our army's strength!"