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

Wei land, Jicheng.

The rain in April is as fine as needles, shrouding the entire city of Jicheng in a hazy atmosphere.

On the bluestone-paved streets, the accumulated water reflected the faint lights, like countless broken bronze mirrors.

It was late at night and the people in the city had already turned off the lights and gone to bed. Only a few houses of wealthy families still had lights on, dimly visible in the rain.

Suddenly, a burst of rapid horse hoofbeats broke the silence of the night.

Several fast horses galloped from the north of the city, their hooves stepping over the puddles, splashing water.

The knights on horseback were wearing straw raincoats and conical hats, and they looked like black ghosts in the rain.

The leader was thin, his face hidden under a bamboo hat, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes that sparkled in the night.

"Stop!"

Seeing this, the guards in front of the mansion immediately tightened their spears, and the sharp tips of the spears gleamed coldly in the rain.

The man pulled the reins, and the warhorse raised its front hooves high and neighed.

He slowly took off his hat, revealing a weather-beaten face. Raindrops slid down his temples and gathered into a line at his chin.

"It turns out to be Lord Jia!"

When the guard saw the man's face clearly, he immediately put away his weapon, bowed and saluted, with a hint of awe in his voice.

Jia Yu nodded slightly, with raindrops dripping from his brows: "I have something to discuss with General Han."

"Please follow me, sir." The guard did not dare to delay and immediately led Jia Yu through the courtyard.

The blue brick path was slippery and difficult to walk on in the rain, and the flowers and trees on both sides swayed in the wind and rain, making rustling sounds.

The living room was brightly lit with candles.

There was a bronze oil lamp on the sandalwood table, and the wick occasionally emitted a few sparks.

A military deployment map of Wei was hung on the wall, with the military bases densely marked on it.

In the corner, a bronze incense burner was emitting green smoke, and the scent of sandalwood filled the room.

Soon, a heavy sound of footsteps came from afar.

Han Xing strode in wearing a dark blue suit, the sword at his waist swaying gently with his steps.

His face was resolute, and there was a solemn air between his brows. It was obvious that he had just returned from the military camp and still had a bit of chill in his body.

"Lord Jia!" Han Xing bowed and saluted, his voice as deep as a bell.

"General Han." Jia Yu returned the greeting. Raindrops dripped from the corners of his clothes, spreading a stain on the floor tiles.

The two sat down as host and guest, and the maid served them hot tea.

Amidst the aroma of tea, Han Xing noticed the solemnity between Jia Yu's brows and knew that something important must have happened.

He waved his hand to dismiss his attendants, and when only two people were left in the hall, he asked, "I wonder what important matter has brought Lord Jia here in the rain so late at night?"

Jia Yu did not answer immediately, but took out a secret letter from his arms. The edges of the letter were soaked by rain.

He unfolded it carefully and said in a deep voice, "The Jinyiwei just intercepted a secret report that the Han Dynasty, in alliance with the Tang Dynasty, is preparing to attack our army from both the east and the west."

"What?" Han Xing stood up suddenly, and the teacups on the table clinked.

He quickly walked to the military map on the wall and pointed his finger heavily to the west: "Huo Quji of the Han Dynasty?"

"Exactly."

Jia Yu also stood up and walked to the map. Raindrops dripped from his sleeves, leaving a wet mark on the map.

"Huo Quji will lead an army of 200,000 and will march from Jiayu Pass in the west in three days!"

He pointed eastwards. "At the same time, the famous Tang general Li Ji has arrived at Linjiang City in the east, leading 150,000 elite troops."

Han Xing's face turned extremely ugly, his thick eyebrows were tightly furrowed together, forming a deep groove between his eyebrows.

The sound of rain outside the window is getting louder and louder, and the raindrops as big as beans hit the window frame, making crackling sounds.

"What a great way to take advantage of someone's misfortune!"

Han Xing slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacup to bounce up and down again. "They've seen that the retired emperor has been assassinated, and our army's morale is low, so they want to take over Wei in one fell swoop!"

Jia Yu nodded solemnly, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on his face. "What's even more troublesome is that they chose to act on the eve of the Emperor's funeral. It's clear they wanted to catch us off guard."

Han Xing paced back and forth in the hall, his boots making a dull sound as they stepped on the blue bricks.

Suddenly, he stopped, turned around and asked, "How many troops can our army mobilize now?"

"The four major corps have a total of 300,000 people."

Jia Yu quickly replied, "But we need to divide our forces to garrison Maple Leaf City and other fortresses. The actual number of troops that can be mobilized is about 250,000."

"Where's the food and grass?"

"Lord Xun Yu has already mobilized three months' worth of food and fodder and is shipping it to the front lines."

Jia Yu said, pulling out a list from his sleeve: "Here are the detailed figures."

Han Xing took the list and quickly glanced through it. His brows gradually relaxed, but soon furrowed again. "Manpower and food aren't the problem. The key is..."

He hesitated.

"His Highness Chu Kuang from the east." Jia Yu took over the conversation in a low voice.

The two looked at each other and saw worry in each other's eyes.

Chu Kuang is Chu Ning's thirteenth brother. He has a bad temper and is stubborn. He won't listen to anyone except Chu Ning.

It is really worrying to let him face the famous Tang Dynasty general Li Ji alone.

Amidst the sound of rain, Jia Yu sighed softly, "That's exactly why I came here. I suggest that General Han lead General Guan to resist Huo Quji in the west, while I personally head east to assist His Highness Chu Kuang in his fight against Li Ji."

Han Xing's eyes lit up, and his tense expression finally relaxed. "With Lord Jia personally in charge, the eastern front will be worry-free."

He walked to the window and looked out at the pouring rain. "Without further delay, I will write to His Majesty and explain our arrangements."

Jia Yu nodded, took out a Jinyiwei token from his bosom and placed it on the table: "This is my troop mobilization order. General Han can use it to mobilize the Jinyiwei spies in Wei."

The two men discussed in detail the deployment of troops and the allocation of food and fodder until the third watch.

The rain gradually subsided, but the night deepened.

"It's getting late, Master Jia should set off early."

Han Xing looked at the sky outside the window and said, "The eastern line is still two days away from here."

Jia Yu stood up and straightened his robe. The rain had soaked his robe and it stuck heavy to his body.

He bowed and said, "Take care, General Han. See you at the front."

"Lord Jia, have a safe journey." Han Xing returned the greeting and personally escorted Jia Yu out of the mansion.

Outside the mansion gate, the attendants had already prepared new horses.

Jia Yu climbed onto his horse, looked back in the rain, then suddenly kicked the horse's belly. The warhorse neighed and carried him away into the rainy night.

Han Xing stood under the eaves and watched Jia Yu go away until the sound of horse hooves completely disappeared in the sound of rain.

He turned to the deputy general beside him and said in a deep voice, "Immediately gather the commanders of each camp and hold a meeting in the central military camp in an hour!"

"Yes!" The deputy general took the order and left.

At the same time, a carrier pigeon broke through the rain and flew towards the capital of Chu with urgent military news.

The rain wet the pigeon's feathers, but it still flapped its wings tenaciously and flew high, soon disappearing into the night.