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

In April, at Luoyuepo, the morning mist was like a veil, covering the battlefield where the two armies were facing each other.

After a drizzle last night, the soil smelled damp, and the horses' hooves splashed up fine mud.

The wild grass on the slope had just sprouted, but now it was trampled to pieces by countless military boots.

At dawn, the sound of the Chu army's trumpets broke the silence.

Li Jing woke up in the military tent with a start. He turned over and sat up without taking off his armor, and the sleepiness in his eyes disappeared.

There were hurried footsteps outside the tent. The guards opened the tent curtain and knelt on one knee: "General, the Chu army is moving!"

Li Jing strode out of the tent, the morning breeze blowing on his face, bringing a hint of coolness.

The eastern sky was just beginning to turn pale, and the starlight had not yet completely faded.

He squinted his eyes and looked into the distance - the flag of the Chu army was looming in the morning mist, like a long-dormant beast finally showing its fangs.

"Order all camps to be on alert, and all officers to assemble at the camp gate immediately."

Li Jing's voice was steady and powerful, without any trace of panic.

When Li Jing arrived at the camp gate with his personal soldiers, Deputy General Pei Xingjian, Vanguard Officer Yuchi Xiong and other generals had been waiting for a long time.

Pei Xingjian's face was as solemn as iron, his hand pressed on the hilt of the sword, and his knuckles turned white from the force.

Yuchi Xiong's eyes were wide open and his beard was trembling slightly. It was obvious that he was both shocked and angry at the actions of the Chu army.

"General, please look."

Pei Xingjian pointed to the distance and said, "The Chu army is advancing in a fan-shaped formation, encircling our army on three sides."

Li Jing climbed up to the observation tower and scanned the battlefield with his sharp eyes.

The Chu army was neatly arrayed, with shields like walls and spears like forests, flashing coldly in the morning light.

They were indeed spread out in a fan shape, with the left wing extending to the pine forest on the east side of Luoyue Slope and the right wing reaching the small river in the west, leaving only a narrow retreat route to the south.

The terrain there is rugged and not suitable for a large army to retreat.

"The Chu army is suddenly so tough. Could it be that they want to take action?" Pei Xingjian asked in a low voice, with a hint of worry in his eyes.

The wind was howling on the lookout tower, making Li Jing's coat rustle.

He suddenly laughed out loud, his laughter was deep and powerful, and it was particularly abrupt on the battlefield in the early morning.

The surrounding generals looked at each other, confused as to what he meant.

"Guan Yun is being too clever!"

Li Jing stopped laughing, his eyes gleaming, "He thinks he can intimidate our army with this method?"

Pei Xingjian narrowed his eyes, seeming to think deeply. "General, are you saying that the Chu army deliberately staged a display of force, hoping to use the victory at Licheng to intimidate our army and deter us from taking any rash action?"

"good."

Li Jing sneered, tapping his fingers on the railing of the observation tower. "Look, although their formation is large, they keep their distance, and the crossbowmen are not within range."

"If war is really going to start, why make such a big show? Wouldn't a direct surprise attack be better?"

Yuchi Xiong scratched his beard: "Then why are they..."

"It seems that the Emperor of Chu wants to destroy Wei in one fell swoop!"

Li Jing interrupted, his eyes piercing: "But they are afraid of our army intervening, so they put so much pressure on us!"

The generals all looked at each other with different expressions upon hearing this. Pei Xingjian's brows relaxed, while Yuchi Xiong snorted coldly:

"How dare you, little Guan Yun, underestimate the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Jing raised his hand to stop his men from stirring, and suddenly chuckled, "If that's the case, then let's do as they wish."

"Pass on my military order: All battalions must strictly defend their positions and not attack without authorization. Wait for your Majesty's instructions."

"General!"

Yuchi Xiong said anxiously, "Are we just going to let the Chu army be so arrogant? I'm willing to lead three thousand cavalry and charge them seven times!"

Li Jing's eyes darkened: "General Yuchi, military orders are as heavy as a mountain."

Yuchi Xiong wanted to say more, but was stopped by Pei Xingjian's look.

All the generals took the order and left, leaving only Li Jing standing on the watchtower, looking at the Chu army formation from afar.

The morning mist gradually dissipated, and the sunlight fell on the armor of the Chu army, reflecting a dazzling light.

Li Jing narrowed his eyes and a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

At the same time, thousands of miles away in the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang'an, the imperial palace was in a state of solemnity.

In the imperial study, candles were lit brightly, illuminating all four walls.

The spring rain outside the window hits the bluestone slabs in the courtyard, making a crisp sound.

Emperor Li Shiming was wearing bright yellow uniform, sitting behind a rosewood desk, holding an urgent military report in his hand.

His face turned from red to white, and then from white to blue. Finally, he slammed his palm on the table, causing the teacup to jump.

"Sima Yi is such a loser! He lost against over 200,000 with 400,000!"

Li Shiming's voice was like muffled thunder, echoing in the study.

Prime Minister Changsun Wuji, who was standing beside him, had a frown on his face, and the wrinkles on his forehead were as deep as if carved by a knife.

He stroked his long beard, his eyes falling on the letter in the emperor's hand, and he had a plan in mind.

"Humph!"

Li Shiming continued angrily, "He was bragging to me just now about how powerful his Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation was! Now it seems like it was just empty talk!"

The atmosphere in the study was solemn. Several important officials held their breath and did not dare to speak easily.

The Minister of War, Hou Junji, stood on the right, a hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

The Minister of Revenue was worried, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade belt.

Changsun Wuji coughed lightly, breaking the silence. "Your Majesty, if Sima Yi is defeated, Chu Ning will surely lead his army straight into the enemy territory. Should our army continue to assist Wei in resisting the Chu army?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hou Junji sneered, "Sima Yi has brought this upon himself! Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, there is no need to risk the lives of our soldiers to help him."

His voice was sharp, like a knife scraping porcelain.

"We have already witnessed the power of the Chu State. General Li Jing's decision to keep his troops at the border is a wise one."

Du Ruhui frowned even more upon hearing this. "Minister Hou, you're wrong. If our dynasty breaks its promise to the three dynasties, we'll be laughed at. How can we maintain our credibility in the world in the future?"

Li Shiming's eyes moved between the two ministers, his face showing hesitation.

The sound of rain outside the window gradually grew louder, and a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the emperor's gloomy face.

When Changsun Wuji saw this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

He walked forward slowly, his wide sleeves swaying in the wind. "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

"My dear, please feel free to speak." Li Shiming raised his hand to signal.

Changsun Wuji smiled slightly, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes relaxed: "Your Majesty, there is no need to rush to deal with this matter. Although Wei has been defeated, its foundation is still there."

"Why don't we first see how Liu Che of the Han Dynasty responds to Sima Yi? It won't be too late for us to make a decision then."

Li Shiming's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands in admiration: "Brilliant! Brilliant!"

He laughed heartily, the gloom on his face vanishing. "Let's do as you say, my dear. Let's see how the Han Emperor responds!"

The atmosphere in the study suddenly became much more relaxed.

Changsun Wuji retreated with a smile, but looked out the window thoughtfully.

In the rain, a lone goose flew over the palace wall and headed north.

As long as the Han Emperor Liu Che does not send troops, the Tang Dynasty has reason to keep its troops in place.

At this moment, the Han Dynasty was being held back by the Zhou Dynasty's troops and was unlikely to send troops to aid the Wei State.

They can sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight!