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

The city of Chang'an was shrouded in sweltering heat in July, but a suffocating chill permeated the Golden Throne Hall of the Weiyang Palace.

The news that the main force of Wei State was completely annihilated in Dongping City spread throughout the world like a summer thunder within five days.

At this moment, Liu Che, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, sat upright on the dragon throne, his slender fingers tapping the gilded armrests unconsciously, and his usually gentle eyes were now so gloomy that tears could drip out of them.

"I never thought that Xu Fang's 80,000-strong army would be completely annihilated by Chu Ning so quickly."

Liu Che's voice was not loud, but it made the entire hall quiet down instantly.

He slowly stood up, the gold embroidery on his black dragon robe gleaming coldly in the sunlight coming through the window lattice.

"The Chu army only has the Wei capital left to conquer. Once they take it, our dynasty will be their next target!"

The Minister of War was the first to step forward, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead in the sunlight. "Your Majesty, the Wei army is completely vulnerable! 80,000 soldiers couldn't even hold out for a month. What a waste of food and fodder our dynasty sent!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Minister of Revenue echoed this, his goatee quivering with anger: "Wei has received so much aid from our dynasty this past year, yet now it's so useless. How despicable!"

Among the ranks of military commanders, an old general with white hair and beard took a heavy step forward, his armor clanging:

"Don't worry, Your Majesty! I am willing to lead a hundred thousand elite troops to garrison the border and ensure that the Chu army will not return!"

"I also request to go into battle!"

Another young general knelt on one knee excitedly: "If the Chu army dares to invade, they will be made to taste the might of our Han cavalry!"

The civil officials had no alternative but to insult the State of Wei for its incompetence.

As for the military generals, all they knew was to fight and kill.

Liu Che's gaze slowly swept over the ministers, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

These high-sounding empty words made him even more irritated.

He raised his hand to stop more similar statements, rubbed his temples with his slender fingers, and his gaze finally fell on Prime Minister Chen Pin, who had been silent.

"What good plan does the Prime Minister have?" Liu Che's voice was filled with suppressed anticipation.

Chen Pin walked out slowly, his dark purple official robe making his expression look particularly solemn.

This prime minister, who was nearly fifty years old, was Liu Che's most trusted advisor. At this moment, he stroked his neatly trimmed beard and spoke in a steady and powerful voice:

"Your Majesty, the State of Wei is facing the danger of extinction, but they will certainly not sit idly by and wait for death."

The hall suddenly became quiet, and even the sound of breathing became clearly audible.

Chen Pin continued, "While they are still desperate, we should first defeat the 300,000-strong Zhou army!"

"If these 300,000 main forces of the Zhou Dynasty are destroyed, our dynasty can march straight into the Zhou Dynasty and kill it, thus cutting off the possibility of the Zhou Dynasty and the Chu State joining forces!"

He paused, his eyes sharp as a torch: "By then, even if Chu destroys Wei, our dynasty only needs to unite with the Tang Dynasty, and Chu will not be our opponent!"

These words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

The Imperial Censor was the first to react, clapping his hands excitedly and saying, "Excellent idea, Prime Minister! Instead of passively defending, we should take the initiative!"

"Great!" The Minister of War's eyes lit up. "The Zhou Dynasty's main forces are all on the border, leaving the country empty. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

The Minister of Rites was worried: "But if this happens, won't our dynasty have to face both the Zhou Dynasty and the State of Chu at the same time?"

Chen Pin smiled faintly. "Although the Zhou Dynasty and the State of Chu have an alliance, distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. As long as our army quickly wins the battle and defeats the Zhou army before the State of Chu destroys the State of Wei, the State of Chu will be isolated and helpless, and will be caught in a pincer attack from our Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty."

Liu Che's fingers stopped tapping. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes flashing with thought.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze, and everyone held their breath waiting for the emperor's decision.

"Accurate."

Liu Che finally spoke, his voice low and firm: "Pass on my order, mobilize food and supplies to the front line from now on, and tell General Gongsun on the front line to invade the Zhou Dynasty within two months!"

He swept his sharp eyes over the ministers: "All departments, take action immediately, without any mistakes!"

After saying this, he waved his hand and said, "Let's dismiss the court. The Prime Minister stay."

"Your Majesty, please leave!"

The ministers filed out of the hall, their footsteps echoing in the empty hall.

Liu Che walked down from the throne and came to the window.

Outside the window, the July sun scorched the palace walls, and the sunlight shone through the window onto Liu Che.

"Prime Minister," Liu Che said, his voice slightly weary, without turning around. "How do you think Wei will cope with this catastrophe?"

With the State of Wei in such a state, it would be a lie for Liu Che to say that he was not worried.

He was afraid that he would follow in Wei's footsteps, so he wanted to know Wei's response strategy in advance.

Chen Pin slowly stepped forward and stood behind the emperor, saying sternly, "Your Majesty, there aren't many who can help Wei right now. If our dynasty and the Tang Dynasty don't send troops, the answer will be clear."

A strange look flashed in Liu Che's eyes: "You mean... those barbarians?"

"Exactly."

Chen Pin nodded. "Sima Yi must have sent troops north to seek assistance. Those tribal cavalrymen come and go like the wind. While they may not be enough to turn the tide of the battle, they can still delay the Chu army's offensive."

Liu Che snorted softly, "I'm very curious about how Sima Yi managed to convince them. Those tribes have always only cared about profit, not people."

"It's nothing more than conditions like ceding territory, paying tribute, and marrying off women."

Chen Pin sighed and said, "But these are no longer our concerns. The most urgent task is to defeat the 300,000-strong army of the Great Zhou as quickly as possible."

Liu Che turned and walked towards the imperial desk, picked up a memorial and then put it down again. "One more thing. Send a message to the Duke of Protectorate. Tell him to attack the Chu army in Maple Leaf City and make sure they have no time to focus on other matters."

Chen Pin was slightly startled, then suddenly realized: "Your Majesty, you want to stop the Chu army over there and help the Wei Kingdom?"

"Yes."

Liu Che sneered, "The Wei Kingdom is no longer a threat now. Keeping it here will actually be useful to our dynasty."

"Helping Sima Yi hold back the Chu army in Maple Leaf City will also force the Chu army on the front lines to desperately attack the Wei capital, consuming more Chu troops."

He walked to the map and pointed at the location of Wei's capital: "If Wei holds out for one more day, the Chu army will suffer one more loss."

"By the time our army defeats the Zhou Dynasty, even if Chu conquers Wei, it will already be severely weakened."

Chen Pin bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I will do it right away."

Liu Che looked at Chen Pin's departing back. The hot July wind blew through the window lattice, blowing a few strands of hair on his forehead.

He whispered to himself, "Sima Yi, you have to hold on for a while longer. I need you to deplete the Chu army's strength."

The demise of Wei State was inevitable, and now he only wanted to use this dying Wei State to consume the Chu Army!

As for the battle on the front line and the Great Zhou, he was not worried. He knew very well the combat strength of the Zhou army.

The Han Dynasty will be invincible this time!