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

The cold wind blew fine snow against the vermilion pillars of the Weiyang Palace. The charcoal fire in the bronze animal furnace inside the palace flickered, making Liu Che's gloomy face even colder.

The secret letter from Los Angeles in his hand was wrinkled and his knuckles turned white from the force.

"What a Chu Ning!"

He suddenly slammed the letter down on the table, causing the teacups to clink.

"In just ten days, the eight great families were reduced to ashes. Even Li Junxian killed all the Li family's private soldiers in Longxi!"

The eunuch standing at the bottom of the stairs was so frightened that his knees went weak and the whisk in his hand almost fell to the ground.

The Yulin guards on duty outside the palace all tightened their halberds a little more. They had never seen His Majesty lose his composure like this.

The Minister of War, who was standing on the right side of the Danchi, was the first to react. As he stepped out, the jade belt around his waist clanged loudly.

"Your Majesty! Chu Ning is returning to Chu with Wu Zhao now. This is the perfect opportunity for our army to launch a surprise attack on Zhou territory!"

He was so anxious that he even forgot to hold up his imperial scepter. His skinny fingers traced a sharp trajectory in the air: "Xue Huaide's 100,000 remaining soldiers are guarding the Han-Zhou border. If we wait for Chu Ning to integrate the Zhou army, it will be difficult for our army to take action."

"That's right!"

Minister of Revenue Zheng Lun suddenly interrupted, and when his fat body jumped up from the seat, he actually knocked the table three inches away.

He didn't bother to straighten his crooked crown as he said in a trembling voice, "If the entire Zhou territory were to fall to Chu, even if our dynasty and the Tang Dynasty joined forces, they would be no match."

"Master Zheng, be careful with your words!"

General Han Meng of the Zhen Army suddenly roared, and amid the clanging of armor, his movement of drawing his sword and stepping out of the ranks brought up a gust of cold wind.

"I am willing to be the vanguard. We will break through Xue Huaide's camp within three days!"

The scar on his face that ran across his left eye turned blood red in excitement, and a warlike light flickered in his single eye.

The hall suddenly exploded.

The Imperial Household Minister stood up and said in a deep voice, "If we don't act now, when will we act? Are we going to wait for Chu Ning to put a knife to our necks?"

The gold and jade-inlaid sword at his waist kept hitting the gilded pillar as he swung wildly, making a teeth-grinding friction sound.

Liu Che suddenly raised his hand, and the noise in the hall stopped abruptly.

He nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping across the ministers in the hall like a knife blade, and said in a deep voice:

"I have the same intention as sending troops, but who should lead the army this time?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Minister of War immediately stepped out of the line and slapped the ivory tablet in his hand on his palm:

"Your Majesty! I dare to recommend the Duke of Protectorate, Huo Quji!"

His graying beard trembled with excitement. "Three years ago, at the Battle of Hexi, the Protector of the Country defeated an enemy force of 100,000 with only 30,000 cavalrymen. Five years ago, when he quelled the Minyue Rebellion, he conquered five cities in seven days! This god of war deserves to lead the army!"

"I second the proposal!"

General Han Meng of the Zhen Army suddenly knelt on one knee, and the sound of his iron armor hitting the gold bricks made a clanging sound.

When he looked up, the hideous scar under his left eye shone bloody in the light of the palace lanterns. "That old scoundrel Xue Huaide is the best at defending the city. Only the Protector of the Country's thundering tactics can break it! I am willing to be the vanguard and follow the Protector of the Country to conquer the surrounding areas!"

Suddenly, a sneer came from the corner of the hall.

Everyone turned around and saw the Minister of the Imperial Household leisurely straightening his purple-gold robes. "General Han, have you forgotten? The Duke of the Protectorate is currently guarding the Wei border. If he were to be rashly transferred, who would guard the Han-Wei border?"

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable to remind everyone not to forget that there was still the Chu army in Wei.

"Master Zhao is wrong!"

Imperial Censor Zhang Cang suddenly slammed his desk and stood up, saying, "The Chu army in Wei is just a minor problem, but the Zhou territory is the real threat!"

The Tingwei, who had been silent until then, suddenly interjected with a sinister tone: "The Protector of the Country is indeed good at fighting, but he is young and hot-headed after all. If he advances rashly, it will be disadvantageous to our army."

"presumptuous!"

Han Meng roared, and his sword came out of its sheath with a clang. The cold light made Zhou Bo's face turn pale.

"When the Duke of Huguo won seven battles and seven victories, Lord Zhou was still counting bamboo slips in the Imperial Court!"

Seeing the dispute intensify, the Grand Herald, who was over sixty years old, stepped out tremblingly: "This old minister thinks..."

"Enough." Liu Che suddenly grabbed the tiger talisman on the table.

The bronze animal button left a deep mark on his palm. He swept his gaze over the silent ministers, finally settling on the ever-remaining Prime Minister Chen Ping.

"Prime Minister." Liu Che's voice was like a blade tempered with ice. "What do you think?"

When Chen Ping looked up, the wrinkles on his forehead were so deep they could have pinched a moth to death. "If the Duke of Protectorate is transferred to Zhou territory, what will become of the Chu army in Wei?"

As he spoke, his right hand unconsciously twisted the frayed thread on his sleeve. This was a habit he had acquired during the previous emperor's reign - he would always show this expression when making important decisions.

Amid the ticking of a copper clock in the corner of the hall, Liu Che suddenly grabbed the tiger talisman on the table and slammed it loudly. "Issue an order! Gongsun Ao, who was dismissed from his post and is now at home, will be reinstated immediately and command the three armies of Wei!"

There was a sudden sound of gasps from the people below the jade steps. The scene of Gongsun Ao being defeated by Wu Chuning and asking for forgiveness with a thorny stick on his back last year was still vivid in their minds.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Chen Ping suddenly raised his voice, pointing his aged finger towards the northeast: "But we still need to write a letter to the Emperor of Tang!"

A fox-like smile appeared on his lips: "The troops that Chu Ning left in Wei are just right for the Tang Dynasty to deal with."

"If the Tang army can contain the Chu army in Wei, I believe the Protector of the Country will be able to defeat Xue Huaide's 100,000-strong Zhou army with peace of mind!"

Liu Che's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Very good, let the Prime Minister handle this matter!"

"Wei Chen accepts the order!"

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

The strong wind blew ice chips against the military tent. Huo Quji was wiping his dragon-patterned golden spear under the oil lamp.

The cold light from the spear tip suddenly revealed a human figure—the commander of the personal guards rushed in, tumbling and crawling, his frozen fingers holding the bamboo tube still steaming.

"Duke! Urgently send us eight hundred miles!"

The moment the wax seal was opened by the tip of the gun, Huo Quji's pupils suddenly shrank.

He stood up suddenly, not even noticing that his black iron armor knocked over the lamp, and the splashing lamp oil burned a charred hole in the military map.

"Ready your horse!"

The movement of him grabbing the helmet created a storm of metal, and the sound of hooves outside the tent suddenly became like thunder.

When the guards came out with the seal of command, they saw a dark shadow disappearing into the snow, and a murderous oath drifted in the wind:

"I want Xue Huaide's head!"

The personal guards were startled by Huo Quji's sudden order, and hurriedly tightened the reins to chase after him, their horses leaving messy hoof prints in the snow.

"Duke! Where are we going?" The cold wind wrapped in snow particles blew into his collar, and his voice trembled.

Huo Quji reined in his horse and turned around. A cold laugh came from beneath his black iron visor: "Of course, we're going to the border between Han and Zhou!"

The whip in his hand snapped the night wind, startling the crows perched on the dead tree.

"The Zhou Dynasty is in chaos right now—the heads of the eight great families are still hanging on the city gates in bloody icy fragments, while that kid Chu Ning is leisurely returning to Chu with Wu Zhao."

By the light of the torches, the guards saw a bloodthirsty gleam in the Duke's eyes.

The guard rubbed his frozen hands, and the white breath he exhaled instantly frosted. "But, at least ask the cooks to prepare ten days' worth of dry food, and your fox fur coat..."

"idiot!"

Huo Quji suddenly shouted, startling the warriors and horses to their feet: "Which prefecture along the way dares not provide for the Duke of Huguo?"

He whipped the horse's rump with his backhand whip, sending snow foam flying all over the faces of his personal guards. "That old scoundrel Xue Huaide's head will be hung on the city wall before spring comes!"

Twelve war horses neighed at the same time as they charged into the snowstorm, their iron hooves crushing the ice on the official road.