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

Three days later, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, at the Luocheng Palace.

In the Golden Throne Hall, golden pillars with coiled dragons stand tall, the vermilion lacquered door slowly opens, and the morning light shines through the carved window lattices onto the scarlet carpet.

Empress Wu Zetian, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a twelve-tassel crown on her head, slowly stepped onto the nine-step jade platform.

She took every step very steadily, and her skirt embroidered with golden phoenixes spread out behind her, like a phoenix spreading its wings to fly.

"Long live your Majesty!"

Civil and military officials stood on both sides and knelt in unison.

Leading the group on the left is Prime Minister Di Ying, dressed in a purple and gold official robe, with a jade belt hanging from his waist and a calm expression on his face.

On the right is the general Wang Xiaojie, still in armor, with a determined look on his face.

Wu Zhao's gaze swept over everyone and finally landed on the huge map of the territory in the middle of the hall.

"My dear ministers, please stand up." Her voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable majesty.

After everyone stood still, Wu Zhao gently raised her hand, and the eunuch chief standing beside her immediately brought over a gilded wooden box.

The empress took out a gold-embossed war report and slowly unfolded it.

"The latest battle report shows that the Chu army is unstoppable."

Her voice echoed in the hall: "First, we defeated the Han army in Maple Leaf City, and then set up an ambush at Falling Moon Slope, blocking a hundred thousand Tang troops!"

There was a sudden gasp in the court, and the Minister of War couldn't help but whisper, "This Chu Ning is truly amazing!"

Wu Zhao raised the corners of her lips imperceptibly as she continued, "Even more surprising is that Li Jing, known as the God of War, was forced to split his forces to attack Yanzhou, only to be repelled by Zhao Yu, the general of the Chu army."

She placed the battle report on the dragon table and tapped it with her fingertips: "And the Chu Emperor, Chu Ning, himself defeated the main force of the Wei army with a small number of troops on the front battlefield."

Having said this, the empress suddenly stood up.

The jade beads on the crown collided with each other, making a crisp sound.

Her gaze became deep, as if she could penetrate the palace and see the battlefield thousands of miles away.

The man who once played chess with her under the moonlight is now writing his legend on the battlefield.

"Your Majesty?" Di Ying reminded softly.

Wu Zhao came back to her senses and waved her sleeves, "The latest news is that Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty has mobilized an army of 100,000 and is preparing to join forces with the Wei army to encircle the Chu army."

She pulled a piece of letter from her sleeve. "This is a letter from the Emperor of Chu, requesting our dynasty to declare war on Han immediately."

As soon as the words fell, the court exploded.

"Silence!" the eunuch chief shouted sharply.

A white-haired old minister came out first.

He was the Minister of Rites Wang Su, a veteran of three dynasties, and had great prestige in the court.

"Your Majesty," he said in a deep voice, "This is a dispute between the Chu State and the three great dynasties. Why should our dynasty wade into this muddy water?"

"Master Wang, this is wrong!"

The young Minister of War immediately retorted, "The Chu army has won victory after victory. Now is the perfect time to form an alliance. Once Wei is destroyed, our dynasty will surely reap a share of the spoils!"

"absurd!"

Wang Su glared at him, "Once the war breaks out, countless lives will be lost. Our Great Zhou should rest and recuperate, replenishing the treasury. Why take such a risk?"

A bearded general strode forward from the ranks of military commanders. "If you're afraid, Lord Wang, why not go home and hug your grandchildren? I'm willing to lead the vanguard and take the Han capital!"

"You!" Wang Su was so angry that his beard was shaking.

The court was immediately divided into two factions. The civil officials, led by Wang Su, advocated peace, while the military generals advocated war, and the argument became intense.

Wu Zhao watched coldly until the argument died down, then she turned her gaze to Di Ying, who had been silent all the time.

"What do you think, Prime Minister?"

Di Ying straightened his clothes and walked out calmly.

As the empress's confidant, he had already figured out the emperor's intentions.

"Your Majesty," he said in a gentle yet powerful voice, "This battle is truly a godsend for our dynasty."

He turned to his ministers and pointed to the map of the territory: "Please see, everyone, the main force of the Han army is tied down at the Chu-Han border. If I send troops now, I can directly attack the heart of the Han Dynasty."

After a pause, he continued, "Besides, the Emperor of Chu has a close relationship with Your Majesty. This is a timely help."

Wang Su sneered: "It's easy for the Prime Minister to say. If we lose the war, our dynasty will be surrounded by the three great dynasties!"

A cold light flashed in Di Ying's eyes: "Lord Wang seems to be convinced that our army will be defeated? Could it be..."

"Enough." Wu Zhao suddenly interrupted.

She stood up slowly, and the jade beads on the crown shook violently.

"Wang Su, I received a secret report that two days ago, men in black entered and exited your residence late at night."

Her voice suddenly turned cold: "Shall I summon the commander of the Phoenix Guard to the palace and tell you the origin of that box of silver?"

Wang Su's face instantly turned pale, and he sank to his knees: "Your Majesty, please understand! Your humble servant...your humble servant..."

"Someone come here!" Wu Zhao waved her sleeves.

The palace door burst open, and four golden-armored guards walked in carrying a heavy sandalwood box.

The moment the lid of the box was opened, the whole court was in an uproar - inside was neatly stacked official silver, and the word "Han Ku" was engraved on the bottom of each ingot.

"This...this isn't..." The Minister of Revenue was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Wu Zhao sneered: "The official silver minted by the Han Dynasty's Ministry of Revenue is used exclusively to bribe important officials from other countries."

She looked down at Wang Su, who was limp on the ground, and said, "I gave you a chance."

"Your Majesty, please spare my life! I was confused for a moment!" Wang Su kowtowed desperately, with blood oozing from his forehead.

"Drag him out." The Empress' voice was icy. "Behead him in public!"

The imperial guards dragged the crying old minister out of the hall like wolves and tigers.

Soon, a sudden scream was heard from the distance.

The court was completely silent, and many ministers had cold sweat on their foreheads.

Wu Zhao looked around at everyone and suddenly smiled, as if the murderous intent just now had never existed.

"I hereby order General Wang Xiaojie to lead 100,000 elite troops and march immediately to rendezvous with General Xue Huaide."

She pressed her finger heavily on the Han-Zhou border on the territorial map: "I want an army of 200,000 to invade Han territory within three days!"

"I will obey your orders!"

Three days later, at the border between Han and Zhou.

The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the continuous military camps red.

Wang Xiaojie's 100,000-strong army marched towards the front line like a steel torrent.

At the border fortress, Xue Huaide had already ordered people to prepare a welcoming banquet.

"General Wang, you have worked hard on your journey." Xue Huaide raised his glass to greet him.

Wang Xiaojie clasped his fists in return, "General Xue, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I wonder what the situation is like at the front lines?"

Xue Huaide sneered: "The Han army thought we would wait until the entire army arrived before attacking."

He slammed his wine glass to pieces and said, "Tonight at midnight, I will personally lead a hundred thousand vanguards and catch them off guard!"

That night, dark clouds covered the moon.

Xue Huaide's cavalry approached the Han army camp silently. Just three miles away from the enemy camp, he suddenly raised his spear.

"Fire arrows!"

In an instant, thousands of rockets streaked across the night sky and fell into the Han army camp like a meteor shower.

The fire, fueled by the wind, quickly became a vast sea of ​​inferno. The Han army was caught off guard, and cries, neighing horses, and horn blasts resounded throughout the fields.

"Kill!" Xue Huaide took the lead and rushed into the enemy camp.

The Han army was caught off guard and suffered casualties before they could react.

"Stop, everyone, stop right there! Everyone, go back and stop them! Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed!"

The Han army general guarding this place roared and killed a retreating man with his sword, thus stopping the Han army's retreat.

Then, the two sides fought fiercely!