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

The scorching sun in July burned the earth, and the air was filled with a burning smell.

The mountains in the distance were distorted by the heat wave, as if licked by invisible flames.

Li Shimin led the remnants of his defeated army and galloped along the official road. The horses' hooves raised a cloud of yellow sand, hiding the disgrace of the defeated army in the billowing smoke and dust.

"Faster! Faster!" Li Shimin shouted harshly, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper.

The bright gold armor on his body had long lost its luster, and dark red blood scabs were congealed between the gaps between the armor plates.

The once majestic face was now covered with dust, only the pair of eyes as sharp as an eagle still flashed with an unyielding light.

When the ruined Tang army camp finally came into view, all the soldiers involuntarily pulled the reins.

The scene before them made these veterans gasp.

The camp gate was drooping crookedly, full of arrows; the flags were burned, leaving only the charred flagpoles.

The bodies of the fallen soldiers were lying all over the ground, some of which had been pecked beyond recognition by crows.

"Your Majesty..." The commander of the personal guards had a trembling voice, but Li Shimin raised his hand to stop him.

Li Shimin dismounted from his horse, and the soles of his boots made a crunching sound as they stepped on the scorched earth.

He walked slowly toward the still-burning granary, the dancing flames casting strange light and shadows on his gloomy face.

The heat wave hit him in the face, but it was not even a fraction of the anger in his heart.

"Chun Ning!"

Li Shimin squeezed out these two words from between his teeth, and his right hand unconsciously tightened the sword at his waist.

The golden wire wrapped around the hilt of the sword cut deeply into his palm, but he felt no pain at all.

"Very good, I will definitely settle this account with you!"

The sound of armor clashing could be heard from behind, and General Qin Qiong knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, the losses have been counted."

The usually calm general now spoke in a low voice, with blood still on his forehead.

Li Shimin didn't turn around, but just spit out one word coldly: "Speak!"

"Including the troops left behind at the main camp, our army lost over 50,000 men in this battle."

Qin Qiong's Adam's apple rolled as he continued with difficulty, "All the food and supplies were burned, and all the siege equipment was destroyed."

He paused, his voice lowering, "If we include the 20,000 elite troops left behind by General Li Ji, the total losses have reached 70,000."

A dead silence enveloped everyone.

The hot July wind suddenly became biting, and several young generals turned pale. Some even staggered and held on to the flagpole beside them.

Everyone present knew what this number meant - since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, there had never been such heavy losses in a single battle.

Li Shimin's tall back swayed slightly, and he slowly turned around. Only then did everyone see that the emperor's eyes were bloodshot, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth that had not been wiped clean.

"General Li Ji!" He said hoarsely, "I believe he will come back!"

"Report——!"

The rapid sound of horse hooves interrupted the emperor's words.

A blood-soaked scout dismounted and knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty! The rearguard troops have been completely annihilated! General Li Ji died fighting bravely!"

"Ah! Li Ji!"

Li Shimin suddenly let out a beast-like growl, his eyes wide open.

He suddenly covered his chest and a mouthful of blood spurted out, forming shocking red flowers on the scorched yellow land.

"His Majesty!"

Qin Qiong rushed forward and supported the staggering emperor, then turned around and shouted, "Military doctor! Send for the military doctor!"

In the chaos, a white-haired old military doctor came running, carried by his bodyguards.

The old man trembled as he took Li Shimin's pulse, and cold sweat gradually seeped out of his wrinkled forehead.

"The dragon's body is damaged by anger." He said urgently, "Quickly prepare the silver needles!"

Qin Qiong immediately ordered his personal guards to form a barrier, and the old military doctor took out a silver needle as thin as an ox hair from the medicine box.

In the sunlight, the silver needle sparkled with a cold light.

As the needle tip pierced the acupuncture point, Li Shimin's tense expression gradually relaxed, but the gloom between his brows became more and more intense.

A quarter of an hour later, Li Shimin slowly opened his eyes.

He ignored the concerned inquiries from those around him and directly ordered: "Pass on my order, the entire army... return to the capital immediately."

Every word seemed to be squeezed out from the abyss, carrying a biting chill.

Qin Qiong was shocked, but he quickly understood the emperor's meaning.

Now there are only 100,000 soldiers left, and their food and grass are cut off. If Chu Ning pursues them...

He didn't dare to think any further and immediately turned around and issued an order: "All troops, listen up! Pack light and move camp immediately!"

As the sun set, the hastily retreating Tang army cast long shadows on the official road.

No one spoke, only the sound of weapons clashing and the groans of wounded soldiers echoed in the twilight.

Li Shimin rode on his horse and looked back at Qingcheng for the last time, with deep hatred burning in his eyes.

The reason why he suffered such a devastating defeat in this battle was entirely because he believed the words of the Han Emperor Liu Che and believed that the main force of the Chu army had gone to the western battlefield, which was why he rashly sent troops.

Unexpectedly, the main force of the Chu army did not leave, but instead took a detour to attack his camp and burned his food supplies.

He wants to settle this account with Chu Ning!

But we also have to ask Liu Che for the reckoning!

Although he didn't know why Liu Che betrayed him, he would definitely not let it go after losing so many soldiers and horses this time!

And half a day later.

Chu Kuang on the Qingcheng city wall was receiving a secret report from the Jinyiwei. The July evening breeze blew the hair on his forehead, and his young face was filled with the joy of victory.

"Oh? The Tang army actually retreated?"

Chu Kuang raised his eyebrows and casually handed the secret report to Jia Yu beside him: "I thought Li Shiming would come like a reckless man to avenge Li Ji!"

Jia Yu took the secret report, his slender eyes flashing with shrewdness in the candlelight.

The strategist stroked his goatee and said with a smile, "Li Shiming is, after all, a great hero. He knows how to judge the situation. Now that nearly half his troops have been destroyed and his food supplies are cut off, a forced attack on the city would be like hitting a rock with an egg."

Chu Kuang suddenly punched the battlement, causing the dust on the embrasure to fall down.

"pity!"

A feral glint flashed in his eyes. "General Ma Chao was severely injured by that fellow Qin Qiong. This is something I cannot swallow!"

After saying this, he turned around and was about to go down the city.

Jia Yu hurriedly stopped him: "Your Highness, please think twice! You still need to take charge of the city's defense."

"Master Jia, there is no need to say more!"

Chu Kuang laughed and pushed Jia Yu away: "Li Shiming would never have thought that I would chase him. This is a godsend opportunity!"

He suddenly drew out his sword, and the blade shone blood-red in the setting sun.

"Send the message! Thirty thousand Xiliang cavalrymen will follow me out of the city!"

Jia Yu wanted to dissuade him, but he saw Chu Kuang already striding down the city wall.

In the twilight, the black armor of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry was like a surging undercurrent, quickly disappearing at the end of the official road.

Jia Yu sighed and immediately wrote a letter to report to Chu Ning.

He knew that he could not stop His Royal Highness Prince Zhao at all.

The July night sky was suddenly filled with lightning and thunder, and raindrops as big as beans fell on the scorched earth, but they could not extinguish the fire of war in people's hearts.

In the distance, thunder rumbled, as if God was also sighing for this tragic war.