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

Inside the Taiji Hall, the magnificent golden palace lanterns illuminate the entire hall like daylight.

The secret letter in Li Shiming's hand had been crumpled by him, and the ink had spread across the parchment like dried blood on a battlefield.

He slowly raised his head, and his eyes swept across the ministers standing solemnly in the hall like a knife.

"The Han-Wei coalition army of 150,000 soldiers and horses was completely wiped out. What a waste!"

Li Shiming's voice was not loud, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting everyone's heart.

A sneer appeared on his lips, and he casually threw the secret letter on the imperial desk. The parchment slid to the ground with a slight sound.

The hall was suddenly filled with dead silence, and even the sound of breathing could be clearly heard.

Minister of War Hou Junji bent down to pick up the secret letter, and after quickly reading it, his face turned pale.

"His Majesty!"

Hou Junji's voice trembled slightly: "According to secret reports, the Chu army lost only more than 20,000 men in this battle."

Li Shiming snorted coldly: "150,000 against 70,000, and this is the outcome!"

He stood up, and the gold embroidery on his black dragon robe gleamed coldly under the light.

"Now Liu Che, citing this defeat and the war between the Great Zhou and the Great Han, is refusing to send troops to support the State of Wei. What countermeasures do you have?"

The hall suddenly exploded.

Imperial Censor Wei Zhen was the first to step forward, his aged face flushed with anger. "Liu Che's actions are truly treacherous! The Han, Wei, and Tang dynasties formed an alliance, and now that Wei is in imminent danger, how dare he—"

"Master Wei is absolutely right!"

The Minister of Rites interrupted, his voice raging, "Liu Che is clearly a coward who changes his stance according to the wind! When the three kingdoms formed the alliance, they pledged their allies with all their might, but now, seeing the situation is unfavorable, they have abandoned their allies! If everyone behaved like this, wouldn't the alliance become a dead letter?"

Among the ranks of military officers, the General of the Left Guard suddenly slammed the palace pillar with a sound like a bell:

"Your Majesty! This Liu Che is simply an erratic villain!"

The quarrel in the hall intensified, with the pro-war faction and the conservative faction each holding their own views and attacking each other.

Li Shiming's brows furrowed more and more, and suddenly he slammed the table, and the teacup on the table shattered.

"enough!"

Li Shiming's voice exploded like thunder: "I asked you to make the decision, not to criticize Liu Che!"

He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. "Although Liu Che's actions were indeed wrong, the Han Dynasty did lose 50,000 troops and a famous general this time. I can't say much."

"But now the Han Dynasty is asking us to send troops, which really makes me feel very embarrassed!"

The hall suddenly became quiet.

Li Shiming paced slowly, and the soles of his boots touched the gold bricks, making a dull sound.

"If we send troops, I'm worried about being annihilated by the Chu army. If we don't send troops, are we going to sit back and watch Wei be destroyed and Chu become stronger?"

Li Shiming stopped and glanced at the faces of each minister.

After a brief silence, the ministers began to discuss again.

Generals led by Cheng Yaojin advocated sending troops to support Wei immediately: "Although the Chu army has won, they must be exhausted. If our army takes them by surprise, we will surely turn the tide of the battle!"

The civil service group held opposing views. The Minister of Revenue pointed out that years of war had emptied the national treasury, while the Vice Minister of War emphasized that the Scorpion Tribe on the border was ready to make moves and it was not appropriate to disperse the troops further.

The argument lasted for nearly an hour, with neither side giving in.

Li Shiming sat back on the dragon throne, tapping the armrests lightly with his fingers, his eyes gleaming with thought.

At this moment, Prime Minister Changsun Wuji, who had been silent all this time, slowly stepped out, his dark purple official robe glowing faintly in the candlelight.

He was about fifty years old, with a gaunt face, but his eyes were as bright as stars.

"His Majesty!"

Zhang Sun Wuji's voice was not loud, but it made everyone quiet down: "Now that the Chu army has annihilated the 150,000-strong Han and Wei coalition forces, their momentum is overwhelming. Even if our army sends reinforcements now, I'm afraid it will be difficult to win."

He paused, then pulled a scroll of maps from his sleeve and slowly unfolded it on the imperial desk. "I believe we should have General Li Jing of Luoyue Slope feign an attack to give Han and Wei an explanation."

"As for sending reinforcements, we refused on the pretext that the Scorpion Tribe had suddenly attacked our army."

A gleam of light flashed in Li Shiming's eyes, and he leaned over to check the map.

Changsun Wuji's slender fingers slid across the map. "General Li Jing only needs to bluff at Luoyue Slope, make an offensive gesture, and tie down some of the Chu army's forces."

"At the same time, we can secretly contact the Scorpion Tribe and ask them to create some unrest at the border."

"Great idea!"

Li Shiming stood up straight, a smile finally appearing on his face. "On this basis, I will write a letter to Sima Yi and Liu Che right now!"

He immediately ordered people to prepare pen and ink, and wrote two letters himself.

In a letter to Sima Yi, the emperor of Wei, Li Shiming expressed his sorrow over the coalition's disastrous defeat and promised that the Tang Dynasty would launch a diversionary attack at Luoyuepo.

The letter to Emperor Liu Che of Han tactfully explained the "difficulties" of not being able to send troops to support the Scorpion Tribe because they had invaded the border.

After finishing the letter, Li Shiming handed it to the eunuch for his seal, then waved his hand to signal the ministers to withdraw: "Today's meeting ends here. All ministers may withdraw. Lord Changsun Aiqing will stay."

When there were only two people left in the hall, Li Shiming stood up from the dragon throne and walked to the window of the side hall.

The moonlight outside the window was like water, shining on the numerous palaces of Taiji Palace.

"What's the situation with the Scorpion Tribe?" Li Shiming asked in a low voice without turning back.

Zhang Sun Wuji smiled faintly: "Your Majesty, don't worry, everything is going smoothly. The Scorpion Chieftain has accepted our conditions. When the time is right, we will act according to the plan."

Li Shiming nodded and handed him the secret letter: "You are fully responsible for this matter. Remember, it must be kept secret."

"I understand." Changsun Wuji bowed and took it, carefully putting it into his sleeve.

After Changsun Wuji left, Li Shiming came to the imperial study and began to review the piles of memorials.

The flickering candlelight illuminated his increasingly tired face.

Just as he was concentrating on a memorial about the flood in Jiangnan, the eunuch reported quietly: "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince requests an audience."

Li Shiming frowned slightly: "It's so late, what's the important matter, Ge'er? Xuan."

The fourth prince, Li Ge, strode into the study, dressed in military uniform and looking very heroic. He was only in his early twenties, but his brows already had some of Li Shiming's heroic spirit.

"Your son pays homage to the emperor." Li Ge knelt on one knee and spoke in a loud voice.

"Get up." Li Shiming put down his red brush. "Why do you come to see me so late?"

Li Ge stood up straight, his eyes gleaming with determination: "Father, I request to go to the front line and join the army!"

"Nonsense!" Li Shiming slammed the table and stood up. "The front line is so dangerous, how can a prince go there?"

"But Father,"

Li Ge did not retreat but advanced, "I am already an adult, and I should share the country's worries. Besides..."

He paused and said, "Didn't my father also fight on the battlefield?"

Li Shiming's face darkened. "How can it be the same? I had no choice back then! Now you're a prince, a noble prince. If something goes wrong, how can I explain it to your mother?"

"I am not afraid of death!"

Li Ge said excitedly, "I have practiced martial arts since I was young and have read military books thoroughly. It is time for me to serve my country! Didn't the emperor always teach me that a ruler should take the world as his own responsibility?"

"How dare you!" Li Shiming shouted, "I say no, and that's it! Back off!"

Li Ge wanted to argue again, but seeing his father's ashen face, he didn't dare to speak again.

He bowed deeply, turned around and left the study, but the resentment in his eyes was clearly visible.

After Li Ge left, Li Shiming sighed and sat back in his chair.

He picked up the red pen, but couldn't write anymore.

His son's words stirred up waves in his heart - yes, didn't he also build his empire on horseback?

At this time, Li Ge, who had walked out of the palace, did not return to his own residence.

He stood outside the palace gate, looking at the starry sky with his fists clenched.

"If the emperor doesn't allow me, I'll go by myself!"

He whispered to himself, his eyes gleaming with determination: "A man of honor was born between heaven and earth. How can he sit in the palace and watch the country in danger?"

He turned and walked towards the stable, already having a plan in mind - tomorrow morning, he would leave the city under the pretext of hunting and then head straight for the border.

He believed that as long as he could make achievements on the battlefield, his father would understand his choice.

At the same time, in a secret house in Chang'an City, Changsun Wuji was having a secret conversation with a man in exotic clothes.

The man had dark skin and a ferocious scorpion tattooed on his forehead.

"The Great Chief has agreed!"

The foreign man said in stiff Chinese: "As long as the Tang Dynasty fulfills its promise, we will launch an attack on the border and cooperate with your plan."

Changsun Wuji nodded with satisfaction and took out a heavy brocade bag from his bosom: "This is the deposit. After the matter is completed, there will be another generous reward."

The man took the brocade bag, weighed it, and smiled greedily, "It's a pleasure to work with you, Prime Minister."

The night was darker.

At the highest point of the Tang Dynasty Imperial Palace, Li Shiming stood alone on the observatory, looking towards the north.

There, the flames of war are spreading, and the chess game of the Three Kingdoms is becoming more and more complicated.

And he, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, must make the most ingenious move in this game of chess.

"Come here," he suddenly said, "pass on my order to strengthen the defenses of the northern passes, especially Yanmen Pass."

The eunuch took the order and left.

Li Shiming turned his gaze to the northwest, where the scorpion tribe was active.

Although Changsun Wuji's plan is ingenious, relying on external forces always has risks, and he must be fully prepared.

"Your Majesty, it's late, it's time to rest." The old eunuch reminded carefully.

Li Shiming shook his head, sighed, looked up at the starry sky, and muttered to himself, "In this world, strength is the key to success!"

He began to be pessimistic about the fight between the two sides.

He didn't know how long it had been since he had such thoughts and ideas.

His confidence actually began to waver.

It is obvious that the three major dynasties have the advantage, but now he is actually wavering!