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

It was April, and spring was in full swing. In the Tang Dynasty, the pear blossoms outside the Taiji Hall drifted down in the wind, scattering on the stone steps in front of the hall.

However, the atmosphere in the hall was as solemn as winter.

Li Shiming sat upright on the dragon throne, holding a secret letter that had just been delivered in his hand, his brows furrowed and his fingertips slightly tensed.

Inside the hall, all the civil and military officials stood on both sides, and no one dared to speak easily.

After a while, Li Shiming slowly raised his head, his eyes like torches, and scanned the ministers, and said in a deep voice:

"My dear ministers, the Han Dynasty actually sent 100,000 troops to assist the Wei Kingdom?"

His voice was not loud, but it hit everyone's heart like a hammer.

Minister of War Hou Junji was the first to step forward, clasping his fists and saying, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible!"

His tone was firm and his eyes flashed with coldness.

"The main force of the Han army was split in two. One was stationed outside Maple Leaf City, confronting the Chu army's Crazy Dragon Legion. The other was pinned down in the northern border by the Zhou army. They also had troops stationed within their own borders. Where would they get a hundred thousand troops to mobilize?"

Li Shiming narrowed his eyes slightly, tapped the dragon table with his fingertips, and pondered in silence.

At this time, Changsun Wuji slowly stepped forward, bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, I believe that this matter requires caution."

His voice was steady, with a hint of deep thought.

"Although Liu Che has always been cautious, if the Wei Kingdom is destroyed, the Han Dynasty will be the next target of our Tang Dynasty."

"If he doesn't save Wei now, once our army has pacified Wei and is marching directly towards Han territory, it will probably be too late for him to resist."

Li Shiming's eyes moved slightly and he nodded slowly.

"What Wuji said makes sense."

However, another minister, Wei Zheng, the Imperial Counselor, snorted coldly and stepped out to refute:

"If Liu Che truly had an army of 100,000 at his disposal, why would he have waited until today? Wei has been asking for help for a long time. If he truly had the strength, he would have sent troops long ago. Why wait until the Wei army was being defeated?"

There was a sudden buzz of discussion in the hall, with all the ministers arguing endlessly, each holding their own opinion.

Li Shiming's brows furrowed more and more, and finally he slammed the dragon table and said coldly:

"enough!"

The hall suddenly fell silent.

He glanced at everyone sharply and said slowly:

"Pass on my order and order the spies to immediately investigate the Han army's strength!"

After a pause, he added:

"Also, send a message to General Su to mobilize 50,000 elite troops and keep them on standby. If the Han army dares to attack, have them immediately rush to Li Jing's aid!"

All the ministers responded in unison and withdrew.

However, Li Shiming suddenly said, "Prime Minister, please stay."

Changsun Wuji turned around and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, do you have any further instructions?"

Li Shiming lowered his voice, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes:

"How's the Scorpion Tribe doing?"

Changsun Wuji smiled slightly and whispered, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Everything is under control. We will know the outcome within half a month."

Li Shiming nodded slowly, his eyes deep.

"Very good! As long as the threat of the Scorpion Tribe is eliminated, I can focus on dealing with the State of Chu!"

At the same time, under the scorching sun, the Chu army's cavalry rushed along the official road towards Yuling, Qingzhou, like a black torrent.

Chu Ning was dressed in military uniform, riding on a warhorse, looking into the distance with a cold gaze.

Suddenly, a fast horse came galloping, and the person on the horse was the strategist Jia Xu.

He dismounted, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards have an urgent report!"

Chu Ning pulled the reins, took the letter and quickly unfolded it.

He glanced at the letter and his face suddenly became gloomy.

"Liu Che...did he really dare to send 100,000 troops to aid Wei?"

Jia Xu whispered, "Your Majesty, the Han army's actions this time are likely intended to take advantage of the conflict between Wei and Chu to reap the benefits."

Chu Ning sneered, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Li Guang leading the army? Ha, Liu Che is willing to spend money."

Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, if the Han army really reaches Wei territory, our army will be attacked from both sides and may suffer an unexpected disaster."

Chu Ning's eyes darkened, and he said in a cold voice, "Pass on my order. Immediately contact the Empress of the Great Zhou and ask her to send troops to contain the Han army!"

Jia Xu took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "I understand. I will immediately arrange for an envoy to go to the Great Zhou."

Chu Ning nodded slightly, then said coldly: "Also, order the entire army to speed up the march! We must defeat the main force of the Wei army before the Han army arrives!"

Jia Xu accepted the order solemnly and turned to leave.

Chu Ning looked into the distance, murderous intent in his eyes.

"Liu Che, since you dare to interfere, I will deal with you as well!"

At this time, the late spring wind, carrying with it the heat, swept over the walls of Dongping City in Qingzhou, making the copper bells under the eaves of the palace jingle.

The afterglow of the setting sun slanted into the conference hall, stretching the shadows of the ministers in the hall to extremely long.

Emperor Sima Yi of the Great Wei sat high on the dragon throne, tightly grasping a secret letter that had just been delivered in his hand, his fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure.

His eyes quickly swept across the letter paper, his originally furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and his eyes flashed with ecstasy.

"Dear ladies!"

He stood up suddenly, his voice trembling with excitement. "Our dynasty is saved! Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty has sent an army of 100,000, led by General Li Guang, and they are heading towards us!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers in the hall were silent at first, and then burst into cheers.

"Great! Our dynasty is finally saved!"

A civil official was so excited that his voice trembled and he almost fell to his knees.

"It's the Chu army that should be nervous this time!"

Another general slammed the table, with the flame of revenge flashing in his eyes.

"Our army was defeated last time, and this time we must avenge that defeat!"

"Yes! Let the Chu army taste our power!"

The atmosphere in the hall was full of excitement, and everyone's faces were filled with long-lost excitement, as if they had seen the dawn of victory.

However, amid the cheers, General Xu Fang remained silent.

His brows were furrowed, his eyes fixed on the ground, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Finally, he stepped forward, clasped his fists, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. We need to send someone to investigate as soon as possible."

His voice was not loud, but it was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the warm atmosphere in the hall.

Everyone looked sideways, and Sima Yi's smile froze on his face.

"how?"

The emperor narrowed his eyes, his tone suddenly turning cold: "General Xu, are you doubting the Emperor of Han?"

Xu Fang took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I don't doubt Liu Che, but the Emperor of the Han Dynasty has always been cautious. To be able to dispatch 100,000 troops at once is indeed somewhat... unusual."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

Several ministers who were originally very excited also calmed down and exchanged glances with each other.

Sima Yi was silent for a moment, the enthusiasm in his eyes faded slightly, replaced by a hint of hesitation.

He slowly sat back on the dragon chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrests, and finally nodded.

"Well, it's always better to be cautious." He said in a deep voice, "Send out spies immediately and get to the bottom of this!"

Xu Fang clasped his fists, accepted the order, turned around and strode away.

The last ray of sunset slanted in from outside the palace door, stretching his back extremely long and reflecting the complex expressions of everyone in the hall.

Hope and doubt are intertwined at this moment.