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

At dawn, the gate of Suiyang City slowly opened with the harsh sound of a winch.

Liu Che was wearing black armor, and the black horse under his crotch was emitting white steam. He led the Han army out in a line.

The sound of armor clashing echoed in the morning mist, and the soldiers' footsteps were heavy and orderly.

Chu Ning stood on the slope outside the city, his silver armor shining coldly in the morning sun.

He crossed his arms over his chest, a faint smile on his lips.

Guan Yun could no longer contain himself and stepped forward to whisper, "Your Majesty, the Han army's morale is low. This is a good opportunity to annihilate them. Why let them go?"

"General Guan."

Chu Ning interrupted him, his eyes still following the retreating Han army: "Look at the formation of those soldiers."

Guan Yun squinted his eyes and saw that although the Han army was retreating, the rear guard troops always maintained a tight defensive formation, with long spears like a forest and archers on standby at all times.

"Liu Che is not a fool."

Chu Ning said softly, "Gongsun Ao's 50,000 elite cavalry are lying in ambush in a valley thirty miles away. If our army pursues them rashly, we'll probably be ambushed."

He made a gesture of mutual destruction.

Han Xing suddenly realized: "So that's why Your Majesty agreed to let them go?"

Chu Ning nodded and took out a sheepskin map from his arms: "Now our army is fighting on the east and west fronts, and the consumption of food and grass is huge. Instead of fighting to the death with the Han army, it is better to..."

He ran his finger across the map: "First, deal with the Tang army in the east."

A gust of wind blew, lifting Chu Ning's cloak.

He suddenly turned around, his eyes sharp as a knife: "Guan Yun, Han Xing!"

"The general is here!"

"Immediately lead 50,000 elite troops to take over those 20 cities. Remember, after you capture a city, immediately reinforce its defenses, especially the granaries!"

"As ordered!"

At noon, a gray-feathered carrier pigeon quietly took off from the rear of the Han army and flapped its wings to fly eastward.

In the bamboo tube tied to its leg, there is a secret letter written with special potion.

Carrier pigeons flew over the marching Han army.

In the middle of the team, Liu Che looked up, a sinister look flashing in his eyes.

Huo Quji beside him whispered, "Your Majesty, will Chu Ning keep his promise?"

Liu Che sneered: "Of course he would, because..."

He lowered his voice and said, "Chu Ning still has something for me to do for him. He will not go back on his word until it is done."

Huo Quji was puzzled, but Liu Che said no more and just held the reins tightly.

His eyes swept across the faintly visible Chu army flag in the distance, and he secretly swore in his heart: This account will be settled sooner or later!

Over the next two days, the Chu army began to take the city.

Under the scorching sun, Guan Yun led 10,000 elite soldiers to the first city - Linjiang City.

On the city wall, the Han army flags had been removed, the city gates were wide open, and several Han army captains stood by the road with their heads bowed.

Guan Yun reined in his warhorse and squinted his eyes as he looked at the fortress nestled between the mountains and the water.

"Report to the general! All the defenders in the city have been evacuated, and the granaries and arsenals have not been destroyed." The scout knelt on one knee to report.

Guan Yun nodded slightly, his armor glowing coldly in the sunlight.

He dismounted, his combat boots stomping heavily on the bluestone slabs, making a dull echo.

"Orders are sent to take over the four gates immediately and to count the food, fodder and weapons."

He gave the order in a deep voice, his voice like the clanging of metal: "Send another 500 archers to guard the arrow tower, and 300 cavalry to patrol ten miles outside the city."

As he walked into the city gate, Guan Yun gently stroked the arrow marks on the city wall with his fingers, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

The city's strategic location made it the perfect location to block the Han army's counterattack.

As dusk fell, Han Xing's army entered Pingyang City.

Unlike Guan Yun's cautiousness, he rode his horse directly into the city, his iron hooves making crisp sounds on the bluestone streets.

The people in the city kept their doors and windows closed, and only a few brave ones peeked at the Chu army through the cracks in the windows.

"Hahaha! What a strong city!" Han Xing's loud laughter echoed on the city wall.

He casually took the city defense map handed to him by the deputy general and tapped it with his thick fingers:

"Here, add another arrow tower!"

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the Han army's command flag that had not been removed from a corner of the city wall, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes.

He drew his bow and drew his arrow, and with a whoosh, the flag fell to the ground.

"From today on, this place is named Chu!" He announced in a voice as loud as a bell, and the soldiers behind him burst into cheers.

Two days later, at the agreed handover location.

Chu Ning only brought fifty personal guards with him, their silver armor gleaming in the sun.

He stood on his horse leisurely, with a faint smile on his face.

In the distance, smoke and dust were rolling. Liu Che led a team of cavalry and galloped over. The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, startling the birds in the forest.

"The Han Emperor arrived just in time." Chu Ning chuckled and clapped his hands.

Two guards escorted Dugu Jia out from behind the tree.

Liu Che reined in his horse and glanced at his wife anxiously.

Seeing that although she was a little thinner, her clothes were neat and her expression was normal, he felt a little relieved.

"I'll return the person to you." Chu Ning made a gesture of invitation: "I always keep my word."

Liu Che snorted coldly and signaled his personal guards to go forward and pick up the person.

When Dugu Jia returned safely, he finally couldn't hold back his anger: "Chu Ning, don't be too happy too soon!"

Chu Ning shrugged and smiled brightly: "I am waiting for the Han Emperor to settle the account."

He deliberately raised his voice: "By the way, please give my regards to General Gongsun."

Liu Che's face suddenly changed. He turned his horse's head and galloped away with Dugu Jia.

Looking at the smoke and dust going away, the smile on Chu Ning's face gradually disappeared.

He whispered to himself: "The fun has just begun!"

At the same time, on the Eastern Front.

The carrier pigeon finally landed in the Tang army camp.

After this period of travel, Li Shiming had returned to the eastern battlefield with 10,000 Black Armor Army soldiers and stabilized the morale of the Tang army.

After receiving the message, Li Ji held the bamboo tube and walked quickly towards the central military tent.

Inside the tent, Li Shimin was studying the sand table, and he had not yet taken off his fine armor.

"Your Majesty, an urgent message from the Han Emperor!"

Li Shimin unfolded the secret letter, his brow furrowing ever deeper. Li Shen stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, has there been any change on the western battlefield?"

"The main force of the Chu army was transferred westward, and the Han army lost ten cities in a row."

Li Shimin said in a deep voice, tapping his finger heavily on the sand table: "The Chu army's defense on the eastern front is now empty!"

Li Ji said excitedly, "This is a God-given opportunity! I beg your permission to attack Qingcheng immediately!"

Li Shimin fell into deep thought. He walked out of the tent and looked at the western sky.

The setting sun is like blood, dyeing the clouds red.

"Something's wrong!" he murmured. "Chu Ning has always been cautious in deploying troops. How could he be so reckless?"

"Your Majesty!" Li Shen interrupted, "The opportunity for battle is fleeting!"

Li Shimin took a deep breath and finally made up his mind: "Order the entire army to rest and regroup. At dawn tomorrow, we will attack Qingcheng!"

Night falls in the Qingcheng Guardian’s Mansion.

A man in black knelt on one knee and said, "General, the Tang army has indeed fallen into the trap."

Jia Yu, who was in charge of the Chu army's eastern front, chuckled and waved his feather fan. "Okay, pass the order down and proceed according to the plan."

At the same time, in a valley a hundred miles away, a mysterious army was marching secretly.

The leading general looked up at the moon, revealing a face that was somewhat similar to Ma Chao's - it was Ma Chao's deputy general Ma Dai!

"Hurry up!" he urged in a low voice, "We must arrive at the designated location before noon tomorrow!"

Under the moonlight, tens of thousands of soldiers marched through the mountains and forests like ghosts. The cold light of swords and guns occasionally flashed through the gaps between the leaves, and then quickly disappeared into the darkness.