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

A carrier pigeon flew across the tipsy April sky, its wings breaking through the clouds, carrying the news that Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty was leading the army in person, and landed in the pigeon house of the Tang Dynasty Palace two days later.

When this secret letter was presented to the Golden Throne Hall, the rhythm of Li Shiming's fingers tapping on the armrests of the dragon throne became noticeably faster.

"My dear friends."

Li Shiming gently placed the letter on the table, his brows furrowed in thought. "Chu Ning personally led the army to fight. When Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty heard about this, he also led the army in person. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

The court suddenly exploded like a boiling pot.

"Liu Che is making a big deal out of nothing! Why would two emperors have to go to war at the same time to deal with Chu Ning?" A civil servant stroked his beard and shook his head.

"No, no, Liu Che is a meticulous person. He must be worried that Huo Quji could not handle it alone, so he decided to lead the army himself." Another minister retorted.

"Humph, I think Liu Che is clearly trying to take advantage of this opportunity to occupy more cities in Wei!"

A general slammed the table and stood up: "Everyone knows that the three counties in Wei are the richest. He is trying to get ahead of us!"

"Although Chu Ning is young, he is a master in military strategy. It's understandable that Liu Che is a bit cautious."

The discussion continued, and Li Shiming's eyes swept over the faces of the ministers. Suddenly, he slammed the dragon table:

"Alright! I didn't ask you to quarrel!"

The hall suddenly fell silent.

"Changsun Wuji, Li Jing,"

Li Shiming called out to two of his trusted ministers: "Tell me, both of you, should I also lead the army in person?"

This sentence is like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing a thousand waves.

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, and then they realized that their emperor had also thought of leading the army himself.

It is not surprising if you think about it carefully. Two emperors of the three dynasties have already gone to war. With Li Shiming's warlike character, how could he be willing to lag behind?

Zhangsun Wuji was the first to step forward. Although this Tang Dynasty Prime Minister was already over fifty years old, his back was as straight as a pine tree, and his voice was steady and powerful:

"Your Majesty, I think this is absolutely impossible."

"Oh?" Li Shiming raised his eyebrows: "Tell me the reason."

"First, leading the army in person is too risky. On the battlefield, swords are merciless. If something were to happen to Your Majesty, the foundation of the nation would be shaken."

Changsun Wuji raised a finger, then a second. "Secondly, your majesty needs to be present to manage domestic affairs. The floods in the south of the Yangtze River have not subsided, and the drought in the northwest has resurfaced. If your majesty leaves the court, something unforeseen may happen."

He paused, his eyes sweeping over the disapproving expressions of the generals in the hall, and raised a third finger:

"Thirdly, General Li Ji already has 120,000 elite troops at the front. Combined with the Han army's 200,000-man strength, our forces far outnumber the Chu army. There's really no need for Your Majesty to come in person."

Li Shiming remained silent and turned to another minister: "Li Jing, what do you think?"

Li Jing was the Minister of War. Although he was more than ten years younger than Changsun Wuji, his temples were already gray.

He took a step forward and said in a resounding voice, "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and I have different opinions."

"Go on." A hint of interest flashed in Li Shiming's eyes.

"This battle concerns the world situation!"

Li Jing cupped his hands and raised his voice suddenly: "Chu Ning has annexed five countries, and the territory of Chu has expanded to the six countries. If we can join forces with Liu Che to defeat Chu Ning this time, even..."

He lowered his voice and said, "Killing this beast will completely change the distribution of power in the world!"

These words made the eyes of the generals in the hall light up.

"The general seconded the proposal!"

A bearded general stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, if you lead the army in person, our morale will surely be greatly boosted! Chu Ning has only won a few battles by chance, do you really think that our Tang Dynasty cavalry is vegetarian?"

"Exactly!"

Another young general excitedly said, "I am willing to be the vanguard and will definitely take Chu Ning's head and present it to Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, this opportunity cannot be missed!"

Another veteran stepped forward, trembling. "I fought with the late emperor in the past, and I know full well how ever-changing battlefields are. With Your Majesty at the helm, our chances of victory increase by at least 30%!"

The civil officials wanted to dissuade him, but Li Shiming raised his hand to stop the argument.

He stood up, the golden threads on his robe gleaming in the sunlight. "My mind is made up!"

The four words were so resounding that the hall suddenly fell silent.

"Changsun Wuji stayed in Chang'an and took charge of the government affairs."

Li Shiming walked down the steps, the soles of his boots hitting the jade floor with a crisp sound. "I will personally lead 80,000 Black Armored Army to the Wei territory to join Li Ji's 120,000-man army."

He turned to Li Jing and said, "Tell Li Ji to hold his ground. We will discuss the attack upon my arrival. At the same time, strengthen communication with the Han coalition forces on the western front to ensure seamless coordination between the two armies."

"I obey your order!" Li Jing responded loudly.

Changsun Wuji hesitated to speak, and finally bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I obey your command."

After the court meeting, Changsun Wuji stopped Li Jing outside the palace gate.

The sunlight stretched the shadows of the two people very long.

"Why do you insist on persuading His Majesty to lead the army in person today?"

Changsun Wuji lowered his voice and questioned, his eyes full of worry: "You know that the battlefield is dangerous!"

Li Jing looked around to confirm that no one was eavesdropping, then he said seriously, "Master Changsun, this meeting of the Three Emperors may be our last chance!"

"how do I say this?"

"The Chu State has taken over the lands of the six kingdoms and its power is growing stronger day by day."

Li Jing's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "If we can defeat Chu Ning in this battle, we can take advantage of the situation and join the Han coalition to attack the heartland of Chu. Otherwise..."

His voice trailed off, "Once Chu has absorbed the newly conquered territory, within three years, no one in the world will be able to control it!"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji's expression suddenly changed: "Are you worried that the State of Chu has the intention to annex the world?"

"It's not worry, it's necessity!"

Li Jing clenched his fists. "Chu Ning is ambitious and ruthless. The tragic murder of over 300 people in the Qin Palace shows his true character. If we don't kill him before he grows stronger, there will be endless troubles!"

Changsun Wuji was silent for a long time, and finally sighed: "I hope Your Majesty returns safely."

After saying that, he turned and left, his back looking particularly desolate in the sunlight.

Li Jing looked at the old prime minister's back and murmured to himself, "For the sake of the Tang Dynasty, some risks must be taken."

Three days later, on the official road leading to Wei, the 10,000 white horse cavalry led by Chu Ning were resting.

Suddenly, a horse came galloping over. The rider was wearing the clothes of the Jinyiwei and his face was covered in dust.

"Your Majesty, urgent military information from the Imperial Guard!"

Zhao Yu took the secret letter and quickly presented it to Chu Ning who was resting under a tree.

Chu Ning unfolded the letter, glanced at the contents above, and a sneer slowly curled up at the corner of his mouth:

"Interesting, really interesting. Liu Che and Li Shiming are both planning to lead the army in person. Are they planning to host a hunting party for the Three Emperors?"

Zhao Yu was shocked when he heard this. "Your Majesty, if this happens, the Tang-Han coalition will have 400,000 troops! Should we mobilize more troops?"

Chu Ning tossed the letter aside, letting it drift away in the wind. "No need. There are already four legions on the front line, plus our 10,000 white horse cavalry, which is enough."

"But……"

Zhao Yu's forehead was covered with beads of sweat. "A 400,000-strong army is approaching. Even with the four legions, our army only numbers 300,000. The disparity in strength is too great. Your Majesty must be on guard!"

Chu Ning chuckled and patted Zhao Yu on the shoulder: "You, after following me for so many years, still don't understand the art of war."

He stood up and dusted off his robe. "Quality is more important than quantity. One White Horse Cavalryman is worth ten men, and the four legions are elite soldiers with hundreds of battles under their belts. Besides..."

A sly glint flashed in his eyes. "If I mobilize troops, won't they send more? The daily food and fodder consumption of an army of 400,000 is an astronomical figure. The longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for them."

Zhao Yu wanted to persuade him again, but Chu Ning had already mounted his horse and said, "Don't worry, I have my own plans. Pass the order down, all troops, speed up and reach the frontier in Wei within three days!"

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Yu had no choice but to obey.

Chu Ning kicked the horse's belly, and the warhorse neighed and galloped forward.

He looked at the gradually darkening sky in the distance and thought to himself, "Liu Che, Li Shiming, since you want to play, I'll play big with you!"

The wind blew his cloak, making it rustle.

The sky was covered with dark clouds, as if foreshadowing the coming of a devastating storm.